My First SAGA Battle Report (not my first saga battle)

Here we have a SAGA battle using the escort scenario.  The escorting team must take 3 pieces of baggage across the battlefield.  If 2 pieces of baggage reach the opposite side the escorting player wins, the attacking player must destroy all three baggage pieces for a victory.  Any other outcome is a draw.  Apparently there is no turn limit either... I haven't figured out if I like the unlimited turns for the scenario.

Here is the table set up! (The mountainous terrain is out of play)

Breakdown of Forces

Jomsvikings: 3x8 Warriors, 1x4 hearth guard, 1x8 Hearth Guard. (1 warrior unit armed with dane axes). 6pts

Scots: 1x12 levy, 3x8 warriors, 1x8 hearth guard. 6pts

A view from behind the Scottish Battleline

And Another

Side view of the Battlelines

The Jomsviking player begins the game sending his pagan forces surging forward with all but one dice used on activations.  Sadly activations have to be used on the baggage as well!

The Scots cautiously advanced forward.  The levy unit was targeted by the Jomsviking punishment ability cancelling their shooting activation.

The Jomsvikings slow down their advance. Weary of the Scottish player, who was negating to increase their level of wrath.

The scots are keen on seeing some combat  this turn and a unit of warriors charge the unit of  Jomsviking warriors on the road.  The Scots cause 5 casualties and the Jomsvikings cause 4.  However, the Scots have to break because the Jomsvikings warriors have another unit of warriors behind them.

The Scots place an inordinant amount of dice on levy activations.  3 activations of bow fire, 1 cancelled via Jomsviking punishment. 2 Hearth Guard are slain by bow fire.  Another Hearth Guard is killed by a  tricky javelin ability from the warriors.  Only 1 Hearth Guard left in my unit! 

Sadly as the battle raged on I neglected to take pictures.  The action became far to engrossing to lollygag with a camera.  In summary, our warlords clashed several times and neither were slain.  The Scottish 8 man Hearth guard unit was cut down by 5 warriors and my warlord.  A largely decimated Scottish warrior unit charged in to the Dreng warriors. Both suffered heavy casualties.  My large unit of Hearth Guard charged a full strength Scottish Warrior unit annihilating 6 of them sending 2 running for their lives.  At the end of the battle I was left with a 7 man Hearth Guard Unit, my warlord, and a 5 man warrior unit.  He was left with 12 levy bowmen his warlord, and 2 warriors.  At this point we gave the victory to the Jomsvikings. It seemed there was little the Scots could do to the baggage loot.  

The Survivors of the battle

As I said before I don't know whether I agree with allowing the scenario to have unlimited turns.  After a while I neglected in moving the baggage loot so I would not have to waste Saga dice on them.  This decision makes the scenario a head to head battle with victory going to the player who controls the battlefield at the end of the game.