4-Player SAGA Age of Hannibal Game

Got my Epirote warband bloodied today in a multi-player game today. Teamed up with another Epirote warband and we faced a joint Carthaginian-Republican Roman force. I know, SAGA makes strange bedfellows sometimes. My inexperience and usual lack of forethought was exposed early on when I had failed to allocate enough activation dice for all of my units in turn 1. Compared to what I normally play, this game really needs to be given some thought before executing moves/actions. Kind of slow, but I'm enjoying it with the SAGA crew I'm a part of.

Start of turn 1. My warband nearest: Tarantine merc cavalry with javelins, Cretan merc archers, two units of Warriors with sarissa and Phalanx rule (as long as they retain their SAGA dice), Hearthguard Companion cavalry, Elephant, and Warlord.

My battle buddies force, pretty much similar to mine, except he didn't have any light cavalry.

The Roman force that opposed my warband. Early one I took out a few of his Levy javelinmen and Warriors by missile fire from my Cretan Archers and Tarantine cav.

A view of the Roman warband facing my Epirotes.

The center and right of the combined Epirote force. My buddies phalanxes facing Carthaginian elephants. They battled it out in several turns (we played 5 turns); and the two units of Carthaginian elephants were destroyed in combat. The Phalanx units were also decimated.

My Epirote center - which admittedly didn't see much action beside the two Phalanx units going head to head with the Roman Warriors and Hearthguard.

Although one of my Phalanx units destroyed the Roman Warrior unit it face, I used a SAGA ability to have my second Phalanx unit charge into the other Roman Warrior unit. The second Roman unit used a plethora of SAGA ability/reaction dice to counter the attack and ended up killing off all but one of the Phalangites. The result was my two Phalanx units being reduced to losing their SAGA dice.

Near the end of the bame after calling it a close draw. Both sides lost many units and was pretty much a slugfest. One thing I learned is that I prefer a shooty, fast moving warband over a ponderous and slow moving force. I'll likely leave home the elephant and probably the pikes the next time I field a Greek warband. I may use some Samnites as they have javelins and can move through rough terrain without hinderance. I may also try out a Gallic warband too - see how Chariots with javelins work. Javelins are great because you get a combined move and shoot for 1 activation. Warlord in chariot; two mounted units of Hearthguard (2 chariots per unit); a mounted unit of Warriors, two foot Warrior units, and a Levy unit of missile troops - the rules give them either bows or javelins so these slingers will have to be proxy figs. My buddy said that I could use these as bows as slings and bows have the same stats.

Thanks for stopping by and wishing you all the best.