Three player Zen Saga!

Battle & murder at the monastery

This months Saga Game Night was about fan made battle boards. I had recently discovered and played Fantastic Saga pitting my Greek Hoplites (and Ares) against Jaakko's Undead, but for this evening I wanted to "re-enact" my experience from Hamburger Tactica (2014), where Patrick & co. from Kurpfalz Feldherren were running the same scenario with the best looking games table, I had ever seen (until I saw more tables from them next year!).  

Samurai vs. Sohei vs. Ninjas

So the idea was, that all three players would have at least one objective against each of the enemies. I was playing ninjas, Matti was defending the monastery with Sohei and Mikko attacking with Samurai & Ashigaru

Some speed painted ninjas for the game

We chose our objectives in secret and they were as follows:

• Ninja's had to steal a statue from the main temple 10p.
• Ninja's had to kill Samurai Warlord 10p.
• Samurai had to burn each smaller shrine (10p. each)
• Samurai WL would get double slaughter points from his kills
• Sohei had to kill Samurai Warlord 10p.
• Sohei needed to have more of their models than enemies in at the temple hill in the end 15p

I had following set up for my forces (5 points warband)

• Unit of 6 ninjas (HG)
• 2 units of 5 ninjas (HG) (total 4 points on HG)
• 1 unit of 8 "ninja recruits" or so (they couldn't use advanced abilities)

Battle commences

I got the start (and other players rolled 3 Saga dice for their boards). Matti and Mikko were trying to get their heads around their battleboards

Samurai forces were massing at the monastery gates, ready to charge in! (but who's the fool, that have designed these not so defensive walls?!)

My ninjas approached the temple from different directions and let fly with their shurikens - several monks fell

On the Sohei turn, monks with Teppos blasted at my Shinobi (WL), whom had to do his best Matrix moves to avoid being shot to pieces, this exhausted him. Mikko's Samurai had entered from both  gates and were heading towards both shrines...

Ninjas posing

Samurai Warlord Mikobu approaching with his elite Samurais

Sohei WL shouts out orders, unawares, that he is being surrounded....

Round 2.

Matti's veteran Sohei didn't just stand by to get shot by Asigaru archers, but 

charged into ronins 

And chased them away! In the meanwhile, the shrine island was threatened also via the damaged bridge. It seemed that WL Mikobu was very eager to get into grips with the enemy!

Once again the Sohei chose to attack!

At the temple, one more ninja unit was approaching via the mountain side

Sohei WL charged my ninja initiates and drove them off, but this left him exhausted and vulnerable -

his bodyguards were far away!

Third round

I got my turn before Matti and the exhausted Sohei WL was just too soft and valuable target not to assasinate! My Shinobi finished him off and continued to bash Soheis with Teppos  

In the middle of the field one of my scouts was spying on the Warlord Mikobu... whom had driven the defenders of the bridge off

Last rounds

WL Mikobu drove on to the island and ronins also crossed the river, moving towards the shrine with burning torches.

At the last round I tried to reach the Samurai WL with my WL, but his Samurai guard was too

much even for the master ninja! 

(unfortunately I forgot count in the +1 to hit from shurikens (= javelins))

Samurai & Ashigaru forces then moved on to fend of my remaining forces,

whom seemed shocked from the death of their master!

Conclusion

• We had a great game (I'm not sure about Matti, whom was in between the hammer and the anvil)
• Mikko won clearly, me being second.
• Unfortunately Mikko had no objective against me, that needs to be fixed
• Battle boards worked well in Saga 2.0 too