Midgard Heroic Battles: Game Synopsis

All photos in this section are taken from the 28mm Trojan Wars scenario that I ran at the Lard Workshop at Britcon 2024. Here we see both Amazon (left) and Greek (right) Forces deployed at the start of the game. Heroes are on single bases and Units are on rectangular bases with a 12 cm standard frontage. The scenario was run with 450 points a side. Background is a custom version of a Jon Hodgson Backdrop used with Jon’s kind permission.

A game scenario is chosen and Forces are selected up to the points value determined by the scenario; note that some scenarios are asymmetric, though most are playable with a standard 300-400 point Force (12 sample Force lists are included in the rulebook).  Terrain and Forces are placed on the table and vessels of Reputation are filled with Reputation tokens.

My favoured vessels of Reputation, a pair of goblets from a charity shop (posher goblets and vessels are available). These make a satisfying clinking sound as they gain and lose Reputation!

In the course of a Turn, both sides get to move, shoot and fight. Midgard uses a modified IGO-UGO turn sequence; however, due to the simplicity of movement, no one waits around too long for their go!  In each scenario, the two sides are labelled as Defender and Attacker for the duration of the game. Heroes are allocated a limited number of Mighty Deeds which they can use during the course of a Turn to encourage troops, join in with melee combat and shooting, fight single combats and trigger certain special abilities.

Achilles is a Level 4 Legendary Hero, the most powerful kind – he receives 4 Mighty Deeds per Turn (these are Viking beard rings bought from eBay, but you can use whatever you like). Labelling Heroes is optional but useful in a game like this with multiple players.

The Attacker moves first and therefore usually has the initiative in deciding where to attack the enemy.  They may also shoot with certain light Units following the movement, before engaging in a round of melee combat, where a challenge to single combat may be issued by a Hero.  Units that have been charged may evade in some cases or shoot their missiles. Reputation can be gained for deeds such as a Hero leading a charge against the enemy or fighting a single combat, or can be lost when Units and Heroes are destroyed.

Greek Hero Podarces leads a charge with his Unit of spearmen, which gains him a Reputation token and a Charging or Winning marker (the red arrow behind the model).

Once this round of melee combat is resolved, the Defender then takes their movement phase where they may choose where to counter-attack.  Shooting for some of the Defender’s light Units is then resolved, followed by another round of melee combat, where the Defender has the option to challenge with a Hero. 

Single Combats are a special event that occurs at the start of each Melee Combat phase – if accepted, the challenge takes place just to the side of the main combat. Here we see Achilles about to take down Amazon Hero Evandre.

With the second round of melee combat completed, the Shooting phase takes place, where all Units that have not yet shot may do so.  This commences with the Defender, giving them the tactical advantage at this stage of the game.

Greek skirmishing archers: despite their lack of underpants, these chaps have options to shoot their bows at multiple points during the Turn; however, they only get to shoot once per Turn!

At the end of each Turn, vessels of Reputation are checked.  Some scenarios award additional Reputation at this point (for example, if a critical river crossing is held). If either side has lost all of its Reputation tokens, the Force flees and the game is lost.  Failing that, the game is won by the side with the most Reputation tokens at the end of the game.

The end of the game: in this case, the Greeks have won a crushing victory against the Amazons.

If the scenario continues with another Turn, Mighty Deeds are issued to all Heroes, and the game carries on.

“Over my dead body!”

NEXT: Force Sizes for Midgard Heroic Battles

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