Dark Age Armies in Miniature
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:26 pm
So, I am still waiting on the bases from 4Ground, but all of the minis have arrived.

When my wife saw the pile of boxes, she asked "Are those all for you?" For once, I could reply, "Actually, no." and genuinely mean it.
So, let's take a look at what is in the boxes then.
The Saxon and Viking boxes come with 44 minis each. 40 regular guys on 4 frames and 4 command options on 2 frames.
Vikings:

Saxons:

I think the Viking sprue edges out the Saxons in terms of parts on the sprue. Of particular note are some of the axes and arms on the Viking sprue. First off, the Vikings have the option for a left handed axe, meaning that you can have some guys with axes in each hand if you wish. The Vikings also have an option for a double-handed Dane Axe. You can use these if you wish, but the Vikings have no particular rules for them in either Saga or Hail Caesar. As the name implies, they were a weapon brought over to Britain by the Danish. However, they became very popular among the Anglo-Danish settlers in Britain, so the Anglo-Danish have the option of fielding units of men with them. I'd like to ask any Viking players to think about passing along any spares they have to the Saxon players. There is a unique pair of open handed arms on the sprue to allow one of the axes to be carried across the chest of the model as well. Finally, the Viking players have 1 shield per sprue which has some javelins tucked behind it. These will come in useful for your light infantry.
Speaking of light infantry, here is a shot of the Dark Age Warrior sprue.

8 frames of 5 guys each with not a lot going for them. The shields on this sprue have a small depression where they attach to a model's arm, making them a little easier to fit into place. I would recommend using these shields on your Viking/Saxon models in preference to the ones they come with where possible. 2 arms come with Javelins and 5 with spears. The Javelins are thinner and a little shorter.

When my wife saw the pile of boxes, she asked "Are those all for you?" For once, I could reply, "Actually, no." and genuinely mean it.
So, let's take a look at what is in the boxes then.
The Saxon and Viking boxes come with 44 minis each. 40 regular guys on 4 frames and 4 command options on 2 frames.
Vikings:

Saxons:

I think the Viking sprue edges out the Saxons in terms of parts on the sprue. Of particular note are some of the axes and arms on the Viking sprue. First off, the Vikings have the option for a left handed axe, meaning that you can have some guys with axes in each hand if you wish. The Vikings also have an option for a double-handed Dane Axe. You can use these if you wish, but the Vikings have no particular rules for them in either Saga or Hail Caesar. As the name implies, they were a weapon brought over to Britain by the Danish. However, they became very popular among the Anglo-Danish settlers in Britain, so the Anglo-Danish have the option of fielding units of men with them. I'd like to ask any Viking players to think about passing along any spares they have to the Saxon players. There is a unique pair of open handed arms on the sprue to allow one of the axes to be carried across the chest of the model as well. Finally, the Viking players have 1 shield per sprue which has some javelins tucked behind it. These will come in useful for your light infantry.
Speaking of light infantry, here is a shot of the Dark Age Warrior sprue.

8 frames of 5 guys each with not a lot going for them. The shields on this sprue have a small depression where they attach to a model's arm, making them a little easier to fit into place. I would recommend using these shields on your Viking/Saxon models in preference to the ones they come with where possible. 2 arms come with Javelins and 5 with spears. The Javelins are thinner and a little shorter.


