With the Warmaster High Elves completed, I am turning my ambitious eyes towards the SAGA system for Dark Age historical battles. As you can tell from the blog, I am usually building armies around Games Workshop rule systems which offer a single source of models. Historical 28mm models for the Dark Ages on the other hand come from tons of different manufacturers. Not really knowing where to start, I used my common approach of “buy everything” :).
So a while ago I received a bunch of boxes from the main manufacturers: Gripping Beast, Wargames Factory, Wargames Foundry, and Conquest Games. I basically bought one box of every Dark Age/Ancient plastic set these manufacturers offer as well as a few metal models (mostly Gripping Beast character models and a 6 point Jomsviking warband do cover their distinct style). That yielded over 400 models of mostly interchangeable styles – enough to build a few warbands surely!
The plastic kits are all pretty nice but I have to admit that I was disappointed that the models in the Wargames Factory “Saxon Fyrd” and “Viking Bondi” box are the same (except some weapon choices maybe). I bought one of each to get more body variety but alas that is not to be. Fortunately, I can mix them with Gripping Beast Bondi and Fyrd, and probably mix in some of the Celtics/Ancient Germans from Wargames Factory. Should be ok.
The plan is to build 3-5 points per warband of “distinct” units and then have a generic pool of common levy to draw from (they all seem to look the same). Visual distinction is tricky for Dark Age forces so I will try to use some simple archetypes to keep the forces apart. For the more “civilized” warbands we will go with chainmail for the hearthguard and clothing for warriors. Anglo-Danish and Anglo-Saxons will get mostly spears with Christian symbols on their shields. Vikings will get mostly axes and pagan/viking symbols. For the wilder nations, such as Scots, I am tempted to go with mostly naked torsos from the Wargames Factory Ancient German/Celt sets. Probably not historically accurate but “Hollywood approved” and the only way to visually distinguish them from the other warbands.
With that thought, here is the plan:
Anglo-Danes
Warlord with Dane Axe
Cnut the Great
Hereward The Wake
Brodir of Man
8 Huscarls with Dane Axes
4 Huscarls with Spears
24 Ceorls with Spears [shared with Anglo-Saxons]
Anglo-Saxon
Warlord with Sword
Warlord with Sword and Horse
Harold Godwinson
Alfred the Great
Athelstan
8 Thegns with Spears
[24 Ceorls with Spears shared with Anglo-Danish]
12 Geburs with Spears
Vikings
Warlord
Ragnar Lothbrok
Harald Hardrada
Gunnar Hamundarson
8 Hirdmen
4 Berserker
16 Bondi
Jomsvikings
Warlord
Wardlord with Dane Axe
Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson
Vagn Akesson
16 Jomsvikings
8 Jomsvikings with Dane Axes
16 Dreng
Normans
Warlord on Horse
William the Bastard
12 Milites on Horse
4 Milites with Spears (on foot)
16 Spearmen
8 Crossbowmen
Scots
Warlord
Kenneth Mac Alpin
Macbeth
4 Thanes with Spears
4 Thanes with Spears on Ponies
16 Soer-Chele with Spears
12 Doer-Chele with Bows
Generic Pool of Levy
24 Archers
24 Slingers
12 Javelineers
12 Naked Javelineers
I might do some more “naked” armies – maybe some Irish or Welsh – but let’s see how will it goes with this lot. The first step will be an orgy of sprue clipping and inhalation of plastic cement fumes… More to come soon.
2 replies on “SAGA Warbands”
Hey there, nice looking project. Thas a lot of figures to take on so fair play and good luck. I look forward to seeing and reading the process.
Congratulations on the Top X
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