Wargaming Ragnarok

Ragnarok was a prophecy of what was to come at some unspecified and unknown time in the future, but it had profound ramifications in Norse mythology. It was the end of times but also a new beginning for what comes next. The chaos and destruction of Ragnarok has been likened to the arcane rituals of teaching a new player how to play SAGA with the Cardiff Dice Studz…

It’s those pesky Normans again! Up to no good; worrying the livestock!

How does one describe the process of passing lore to the next generation?

Firstly, John is not that new! He was wargaming at school and in the intervening forty years he has had a few “ issues”! Firstly he is somewhat “ careful” with his money but knows almost every gaming product available. Secondly he tires easily when there are heavy minis to paint or model trees to pack away. At this point , he will enter a Zen like trance until the requirement for physical effort has passed. To be fair, he has now committed to SAGA and bought figures. Could we convince him that here at last was all he could ever need in a wargame, the most fun two men legally in Cardiff on a Tuesday evening?

Sneak through the ville and flank the Anglo-Saxons! What could go wrong?

When a player is new to a system, how do you introduce them to the rudiments? Do you go easy on them? Do you smash them into the ground to show your innate superiority at handling little metal men? Neither option was to happen this evening, John had been watching SAGA Thursday all through lockdown and he was ready!

“ Saxon” bowmen to flank the vile and twelve warriors in a human roadblock to stop the Norman interloper! John had watched the SAGA know your battle board specials and had a manic glint in his eyes!

I decided to show John how combat worked. John’s shieldwall did for my knights! He pulled Saga dice from all points of the compass to gain advantage after advantage!

I would demonstrate the superiority of crossbows. John’s Saxons shot from cover and levelled my mercenaries!

I would lure him into a trap. Another unit of Norman knights to sacrifice; but then I hit him with a super dice charged warlord….

I was drawn forward and then John’s super dice charged Saxon mowed down a unit!!!!!!

It was all I could do not to cry! The Saxon levy archers couldn’t hit me from there! There was only four of them with two attack dice for Woden’s sake! They did and it counted. The Saxon warlord charged and the raid was over!

Next time you offer to show somebody a new game. Don’t let them do any research! Don’t let them beat you with your figures and never, ever let them study for forty years before coming out of the woodwork and beating you hollow!!!!!!!!

If have a John in your club then please share their details so that we might never invite them to Cardiff Dice Studz ever again!!!!!!! only joking, it was a great game and John is on his way to becoming a fully fledged member, just as soon as he gets his own set of figures!