{"id":2542,"date":"2014-02-06T02:14:31","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T02:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=2542"},"modified":"2014-02-06T02:14:31","modified_gmt":"2014-02-06T02:14:31","slug":"comparison-of-dark-ages-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=2542","title":{"rendered":"Comparison of Dark Ages Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2526\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2526\" style=\"width: 491px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2014-02-01-10.55.56.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2526  \" title=\"2014-02-01 10.55.56\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2014-02-01-10.55.56-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"That's me back there behind the building\" width=\"491\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2014-02-01-10.55.56-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/2014-02-01-10.55.56-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 491px) 100vw, 491px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2526\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">That&#39;s me back there behind the building<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This weekend a bunch of us got together for a comparative play test of three sets of rules for Dark Ages skirmishes.\u00a0 The three sets were <em>Saga<\/em>, <em>Battle Troll<\/em>, and <em>Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/em>.\u00a0 We set up the same scenario on three different boards and ran the scenario with each set of rules three times.\u00a0 \u00a0The players mostly moved from game to game in order to try the different rules.\u00a0 Because we only had a few people who could GM some of the rules, not everyone had a chance to try all three sets.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2527\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2527\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/image.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2527\" title=\"image\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/image-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"The map we used for the scenarios\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/image-300x224.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/image-1024x764.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/image.jpeg 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2527\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The map we used for the scenarios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The scenario involved roughly equal forces.\u00a0 The raiding force was to enter the table, cross the stream at the ford, steal livestock, and exit off the other end of the table.\u00a0 The defending force was to retain control of their livestock and exit the table where the raiding force entered.\u00a0 The two forces had to cross through each other with a bunch of animals, usually cows.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2528\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2528\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3194.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2528\" title=\"IMGP3194\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3194-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"The setup for the Songs of Blades and Heroes game\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3194-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3194.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The setup for the Songs of Blades and Heroes game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2529\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2529\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3197.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2529\" title=\"IMGP3197\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3197-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"The setup for the Battle Troll game\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3197-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3197.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2529\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The setup for the Battle Troll game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2530\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2530\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3198.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2530\" title=\"IMGP3198\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3198-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"The setup for the Saga game\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3198-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3198.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2530\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The setup for the Saga game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There were too many simultaneous games to detail any blow-by-blow coherent battle reports.\u00a0\u00a0 Instead I will attempt to record the various players\u2019 impressions and comments on the different rules sets.\u00a0 The intent of this report is not vote on which was the best rule set for Dark Ages gaming; rather, the intent is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the various rules.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2531\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2531\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3200.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2531\" title=\"IMGP3200\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3200-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Dave and Nick getting ready to play Battle Troll\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3200-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3200.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2531\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dave and Nick getting ready to play Battle Troll<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Focus of the Rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Saga<\/span>:\u00a0 <em>Saga<\/em> is a tournament-oriented Dark Ages skirmish system.\u00a0 It involved the largest forces of any of the games and resolves combat very quickly.\u00a0 Neither the combat nor activation mechanisms are particularly innovative; however, the use of a \u201cbattle board\u201d to customize the various armies.\u00a0 An army might have 30 or more figures.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Battle Troll<\/span>:\u00a0 <em>Battle Troll <\/em>is focused on recreating man-to-man fights like those of Norse legends.\u00a0 There are three kinds of figures. Heroes are the focus of the game.\u00a0 They have reputation points that are accumulated for heroic actions.\u00a0 Heroes are usually assisted by some number of huskarls and karls.\u00a0 The karls are designed to die in droves, but the effective use of them to assist the heroes and huskarls during a melee can be decisive.\u00a0 In general our impression is that you wouldn\u2019t have a player control more than about ten figures with these rules.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/span>:\u00a0 Like <em>Battle Troll<\/em>, <em>Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/em> seems best with about 10-15 figures per player.\u00a0 Forces consist of heroes, warriors, and other minions.\u00a0 For this play test, in order to compare apples with apples, we \u201cblandified\u201d the game from its intent by removing all fantasy elements.\u00a0 The combination of attributes enables the most customization of figures and forces and seems to be the most flexible of the rules.\u00a0 This impression is validated by the number of sets of rules in the <em>Songs of\u2026<\/em> family of rules.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2532\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2532\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3201.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2532\" title=\"IMGP3201\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3201-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Greg and Don playing Saga\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3201-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3201.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2532\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Greg and Don playing Saga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2533\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2533\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3204.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2533\" title=\"IMGP3204\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3204-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Greg rolled a triple one for activation, losing the initiative.\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3204-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3204.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2533\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Greg rolled a triple one for activation, losing the initiative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2534\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2534\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3207.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2534\" title=\"IMGP3207\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3207-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Raiders fighting across the ford in Songs of Blades and Heroes\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3207-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3207.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2534\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raiders fighting across the ford in Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Activation and Movement:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Saga<\/span>:\u00a0 <em>Saga<\/em> is turn based.\u00a0 One side goes and then the other side goes.\u00a0 There are opportunities to interrupt or affect the other player\u2019s actions.\u00a0 The gimmick in Saga is the battle board, which customizes the various armies by giving them special \u201ctricks\u201d or abilities during the game.\u00a0 At the beginning of a player\u2019s activation, he rolls a certain number of Saga dice and places them on his battle board to be used during the turn to activate units, perform special actions, etc.\u00a0 For instance, the Vikings have an ability to modify the armor value of a unit when attacked by missile weapons.\u00a0 The battle board makes each army feel different, but in turn, success is highly dependent on being able to effectively manipulate the battle board, relegating maneuver on the table to secondary importance.\u00a0 When a unit activates, generally all of the figures in the unit may either fire or move, but not both.\u00a0 A unit may activate more than once in a player\u2019s turn, accruing a fatigue marker as a result.\u00a0 Movement is generally up to six inches.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Battle Troll<\/span>:\u00a0 Forces or sides in <em>Battle Troll<\/em> are divided into up to four bands, each led by a hero, his huskarls, and karls.\u00a0 <em>Battle Troll<\/em> uses a card-based activation mechanic with a twist.\u00a0 The twist is that there are two kinds of cards.\u00a0 The first allows everyone in a bad to activate.\u00a0 The second allows a hero and any figures within four inches of him to activate.\u00a0 A figure may move, conduct moving fire with a javelin, fire a bow or other missile weapon, move, or move into contact and conduct hand-to-hand combat.\u00a0 Movement is either at a walk (2d6\u201d) or at a run (3d6\u201d).\u00a0 There is no notion of fatigue.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/span>:\u00a0 These rules have the most interesting activation system of the three sets.\u00a0 Each figure may roll 1, 2, or 3 dice for activation, trying to beat its activation number.\u00a0 The player may choose the order in which he attempts to activate his figures.\u00a0 If a player fails two activations, initiative switches to the other player.\u00a0 More than one success on the activation roll allows a figure to perform more than one action, including a \u201cpowerful blow,\u201d which can cause more damage.\u00a0 There are nuances and strategy to how many dice you roll and the order in which figures are activated.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure what exactly this mechanic is simulating, but it is interesting and fun and can cause violent shifts of momentum and swings in the fortunes of battle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2535\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2535\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3215.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2535\" title=\"IMGP3215\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3215-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"A swirling melee in Battle Troll\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3215-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3215.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2535\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A swirling melee in Battle Troll<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2536\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2536\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3216.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2536\" title=\"IMGP3216\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3216-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Jim and Dave between games\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3216-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3216.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2536\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jim, Dave, and Nick between games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2537\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2537\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3220.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2537\" title=\"IMGP3220\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3220-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Greg studying a Saga battle board\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3220-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3220.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2537\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Greg studying a Saga battle board under the expert tutelage of Don<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Combat Resolution:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Saga<\/span>:\u00a0 Combat resolution in <em>Saga<\/em> felt very much like something from <em>Games Workshop<\/em>.\u00a0 One player rolls to determine hits, and the other side rolls to \u201csave\u201d based on armor.\u00a0 A unit gets to roll a certain number of six-sided dice for combat based on the quality of the troops.\u00a0 Heroes roll five dice.\u00a0 Warriors roll two dice for each figure.\u00a0 Levies roll one die for every three figures.\u00a0 In this sense, it felt a little like the very first release of T<em>he Sword and the Flame<\/em>.\u00a0 As mentioned earlier, a unit\u2019s activity can be modified by \u201ctricks\u201d from the battle board.\u00a0 The combat system was largely unremarkable, but there was one interesting nuance.\u00a0 When an opposing unit has fatigue, a player can spend the enemy\u2019s fatigue to increase his own armor value for that combat.\u00a0 This was an interesting way to have fatigue effect combat.\u00a0 When a figure is hit and does not save, it is killed.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Battle Troll<\/span>:\u00a0 <em>Battle Troll <\/em>has a really interesting and fun combat mechanism; although, since it is more involved than that of the others, I think it really limits the number of figures a player can handle without bogging down.\u00a0 There are five attack cards and five defense cards, each depicting a different type of attack or defense, such as cut, swing, or jest.\u00a0 Heroes choose a maneuver.\u00a0 Other figures randomly pick one of the five.\u00a0 Then the attack and defense maneuver is revealed.\u00a0 They are cross-indexed on a small chart that results in a number of dice rolled by the attacker and the defender.\u00a0 Some attacks and defenses actually result in the defender getting more dice than the attacker.\u00a0 The number of dice can then be modified if one side outnumbers the other, if one figure\u2019s social status is better than the other, etc.\u00a0 The combatants compare the high die each rolls.\u00a0 If one side\u2019s high die is a four and the other side\u2019s high die is a two, that side wins by two.\u00a0 That difference then modifies the result of a damage roll.\u00a0 A figure can have many wounds before being killed.\u00a0 The effect of wounds is to allow the other player to reroll some number of his attack dice.\u00a0 There is an interesting attack, called a \u201cjest.\u201d\u00a0 When an attacker jests and the defender chooses certain defensive maneuvers, the defender can lose reputation points.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Songs of Blades and Heroes:<\/span>\u00a0 Combat in <em>Songs of Blades and Heroes <\/em>uses opposed die rolls.\u00a0 Each figure has a combat value that is added to the roll on a six-sided die.\u00a0 These die rolls are modified by having extra combatants, special abilities, or terrain.\u00a0 \u00a0The highest roll wins.\u00a0 If the high roll is even, the loser is forced back a short distance.\u00a0 If the high roll is odd, the loser is knocked down. \u00a0If the high roll is double opponent\u2019s roll, the loser is killed.\u00a0 A high roll that is triple that of the defender indicates a gruesome kill, and models nearby must take morale test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2538\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2538\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3240.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2538\" title=\"IMGP3240\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3240-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Fighting for sheep with Saga\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3240-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3240.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2538\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fighting for sheep with Saga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2539\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2539\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3246.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2539\" title=\"IMGP3246\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3246-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"A fight across the ford in Battle Troll\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3246-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3246.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A fight across the ford in Battle Troll<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>General Impressions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Saga<\/span>:\u00a0 Even though the rules were the most complex of the ones we tried, the Quick Start sheets were great, and variables were limited. Most players found themselves not needing the GM\u2019s assistance after maybe 3 turns.\u00a0\u00a0 The players liked the interesting game mechanic of the battle boards (described later) and the individuality between the armies.\u00a0 The rules had great period feel and were the quickest pace.\u00a0 Of the rules we tried, these were by far the most expensive, particularly if you want the special six-sided dice.\u00a0 The battle boards were difficult to master.\u00a0 Saga had the most mainstream feel of the lot, not quite <em>Games Workshop<\/em>, but a player can exploit rules to &#8220;math-hammer&#8221; their less experienced opponent.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Battle Troll<\/span>:\u00a0 Several players felt that <em>Battle Troll<\/em> was the lightest hearted and creative set of rules.\u00a0 It is a fun and creative set of rules.\u00a0 The notion of social classes and reputation is interesting and provides a somewhat different twist from a straight up battle game.\u00a0 The rules are based on Viking vs. Viking lore, so the sides were very similar and didn\u2019t provide much variation.\u00a0 There are a number of charts and variation and optional rules for handling karls.\u00a0 Many players found themselves paging through the book and referring to the charts frequently, but others found the rules easy to learn.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/span>:\u00a0 Of the rules we tried these were the least expensive and required the fewest figures to get started.\u00a0 They were easily learned and highly customizable.\u00a0 While individuals were customizable, the players felt that the rules provided little individuality or flavor between the armies.\u00a0 Also, there was a feeling that there wasn\u2019t much difference between armored and unarmored troops.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2540\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2540\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3251.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2540\" title=\"IMGP3251\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3251-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"David and Michael playing Songs of Blades and Heroes\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3251-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3251.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2540\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">David and Michael playing Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2541\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2541\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3253.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2541\" title=\"IMGP3253\" src=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3253-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Michael won the game with his last two raiders defeating David's defenders\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3253-300x198.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/IMGP3253.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2541\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael won the game with his last two raiders defeating David&#39;s defenders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My personal impression is that for a game using just a few figures per side, I think I&#8217;d like to use the <em>Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/em> activation mechanism with the <em>Battle Troll<\/em> combat resolution mechanism. \u00a0I found the <em>Songs of Blades and Heroes<\/em> activation mechanism to be unique, fun, and dramatic. \u00a0I found the paper\/scissors\/rock aspect of comparing attacks and defenses in the <em>Battle Troll<\/em> combat resolution to feel like fighting with swords and shields.<\/p>\n<div class='shareinpost'><ul class=\"socialwrap row\"><li class=\"iconOnly\"><a  rel='nofollow'  target='_blank'  title='Share this post : Comparison of Dark Ages Rules on Linkedin'  href='http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fbucksurdu.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D2542&amp;title=Comparison+of+Dark+Ages+Rules&amp;summary=%5Bcaption+id%3D%22attachment_2526%22+align%3D%22aligncenter%22+width%3D%22491%22+caption%3D%22That%26%2339%3Bs+me+back+there+behind+the+building%22%5D%5B%2Fcaption%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AThis+weekend+a+bunch+of+us+got+together+for+a+comparative+play+test+of+three+sets+of+rules+for+Dark+Ages+skirmishes.%C2%A0+The+three+sets+were+Saga%2C+Battle+Troll%2C+and+Songs+of+Blades+and+Heroes'  ><img  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