Saga: Fantasy 2nd edition

I’ve been updating my versions of the Warhammer Fantasy armies to Saga 2nd edition. The quick mechanics and characterful rules for factions works nicely with the distinct armies of Warhammer. As before, I reskinned battleboards, adapting to fit existing factions. Some day I plan on making my own original boards, but then again they plan on doing Saga: Fantasy in the future…

Starting off, we have a classic rivalry in the Dwarfs and Greenskins.

Dwarfs: I based their board on the Anglo-Danes, due to the stalwart nature of the Dwarf shieldwall and their grim determination.

Warlords are Thanes or Princes of Holds. They wield great weapons, decorated with runes of power (-1 armor for enemies in combat and -1 for the Warlord).

Hearthguard are the Holds’ Longbeards, Hammerers, or Ironbreakers, well motivated and well armored. They can have a standard weapon and shield, or carry great weapons (-1 armor for foes and the unit).

Warriors are Clan Dwarfs, the common soldiers of the Hold.

Levies are the Beardlings, young Dwarfs who cover their elders’ advance with bow and sling.

Orcs: Their board is based off the Vikings- the Orcs (and their subordinate Goblins) are pure aggression and violence.

Warlords are the Big Bosses and Warbosses, the biggest and the meanest Greenskin of the tribe.

Hearthguard are the Big’Uns and Black Orcs, armed to the teeth and well-armored. One unit of 4 Hearthguard can be fielded as Savage Orcs (Berserkers).

Warriors are the Boyz, big green monsters ready and able to fight.

Levies are the measly Goblins that the Orcs browbeat to fight for them. Preferring to fight at range, they are armed with bows or javelins.

Next is another rivalry, the noble High Elves and the evil Dark Elves.

High Elves: The Elves use the Scots rules. Their defensive nature and counter-attack abilities seem to match well.

Warlords are Princes or Nobles; they can be mounted on Elven steeds

Hearthguard are one of the martial orders, either Swordmasters, Phoenix Guard, or White Lions; they can be mounted, coming from the Silver Helms or Dragon Princes traditions.

Warriors are from the ranks of the Spearmen and Sea Guard.

Levies are the largely defensive Militia, armed with bow or javelins.

Dark Elves: The Dark Elves’ swift cavalry and murderous ranged power combines to make them deadly combatants. With this in mind, I used the Normans rules.

Warlords are the nobles, princelings, and dark lords of the Dark Elves. They can fight on foot, or ride dexterous horses or Cold Ones.

Hearthguards come from the ranks of the Black Guard, Executioners, Witch Elves, and Cold One Knights. They can fight on foot, or ride horses or Cold Ones. They can also choose to all be mounted with javelins, becoming elite Dark Riders or Darkfire Warlocks.

Warriors are the City Guard, trained Dark Elven soldiers, and the Corsairs. Units can be mounted, representing the Dark Riders and lesser Knights. On foot, City Guard are armed with spear and shield, while one unit of up to 8 can carry the iconic crossbows (-1 Armor on ranged targets, but also -1 Armor themselves because they lack shields).

Levies are made up of Slaves, pushed to battle for their masters. Some can be prisoner Dark Elves, High Elves, or various other captured races. They are armed with bows.

The final rivalry here is Nurgle vs. Tzeentch.

Nurgle: Nurgle’s children play the long game, grinding their opponent down through disease and exhaustion, resisting repeated charges with unfeeling flesh and breaking them with merciless counter-attacks. The Anglo-Dane rules suit them. The Fatigues the army can lay on their opponents could be seen as disease and decay.

Warlords are the Champions of Nurgle, bloated with plague, bearing great scythes and rusted flails. They count as carrying Dane Axes (-1 Armor for targets in melee, and -1 Armor versus enemy melee attacks).

Hearthguard are the Chosen, immensely tough and implacable. They can be gifted with great weapons or other mutations (giving them Dane Axes) or more mundane weapons.

Warriors are the Warriors of Nurgle, the common soldiers of the Plague God, with the most blessed Marauders joining their ranks.

Levies are desperate and lost commoners, weakened by mutation and disease, following the warband in worship of Father Nurgle. They carry bows or slings.

Tzeentch: The Carolingians’ action/reaction system and the ability to manipulate the battleboard on a whim make a good translation of Tzeentch’s mastery of change. The faction also allows you to choose the other Frankish dynasties, allowing for even more variety.

Warlords are the Champions of Tzeentch, powerful fighters and masters of sorcery. They may be mounted on a Chaos steed.

Hearthguard are the Chosen, the fighters decided by fate and effort to serve their master, wielding the finest weapons and foul magics. They may be mounted on Chaos steeds. They can also all be fielded as armed with javelins (spellcasters) instead, representing a mounted coven.

Warriors are the Conspirators, a mix of Chaos Warriors and Sorcerers. Any units may be fielded as a Coven of Chaos, counting as being armed with bows (or magic spells) but they wear lighter armor, reduced to Armor 3. Warriors can also be equipped with normal weapons and armor; they may also be mounted on steeds and armed with javelins.

Levies are Cultists, lesser members of the warband. They represent hangers-on, pawns, and apprentices. They are armed with bows (though again this could represent a spell blast).

More factions are coming. The factions I swapped for Aetius & Arthur rules still apply.