UK SAGA GRAND MELEE 2014 Version 2!

This is the updated version of the UK SAGA GM info pack. There are a number of changes in this
version so read it carefully! In summary though:
We have changed the factions you can use to EXCLUDE those in the Crescent & Cross. This is
because of the delays in the production of the book which mean that people will not have
had sufficient time to play with, or against, the new factions.
We have decided to kick off on Saturday at 10:30 to give people who are travelling to the
event in the morning an extra hour in bed!
As a result of some clever re-jigging, we have been able to drop the entry price from 40 to
30 while still offering a bumper stash of prizes and providing goody bags and quality food.
We will running some extra informal games in the evening for people who want to play C&C
along with JUGULA and Muskets & Tomahawk games. And the bar will be open late!
DATE AND VENUE
The UK Grand Melee 2014 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, 7
th
and 8
th
June 2014 at Firestorm
Games, 8a Trade Street, Penarth, Cardiff CF10 5DT. Tickets are available from
http://www.firestormgames.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=16220
It is possible for a limited number of players to enter for one day only, though the main prizes are
only available to those who play both days.
The cost of entry is 30 for the weekend or 15 for a single day only. Lunch is included on both days
and all entrants will receive a Goody Bag containing:
Exclusive GM2014 Standard Bearer Figure (with detachable GM base so you either display
him on his stand or base him up for your warband.)
Exclusive GM2014 Fatigue Tokens,
Exclusive GM2014 LBMS Shield & Banner for your figure
Discount Voucher for SAGA purchases made on the day (Full trade stand in attendance!)
TIMETABLE
Saturday 7
th
June
10.00 10.30 Registration and introduction
10.30-12.30 Game 1
12.30-1.30 Lunch
1.30-3.30 Game 2
3.30-5.30 Game 3
Sunday 8
th
June
9.30-10.00 Registration for Sunday-Only players
10.00 - 12.00 Game 1
12.30-2.30 Game 2
3.00-4.45 Game 3
5.00 Prize Giving
Lunch will be served between 1.00-2.30 on Sunday.



TOURNAMENT RULES
In this booklet you will find described the way the tournament will be organised and the scenarios
that will be played, together with the scoring system. We hope this will be easily understood, but if
you have any questions after reading the booklet, feel free to email martingb@btconnect.com and
we will try to answer them.
REGISTERING
On arrival, please go to the registration desk to confirm your attendance and receive your
tournament pack. You will also need to hand in a completed copy of your Warband Roster-please
have another copy with you in case you need to show it to an opponent.
THE WARBAND ROSTER SHEET
The roster contains the following details:
Your name
The faction you are using- Normans, Jomsvikings etc
If the faction has sub-types (e.g. Franks could be played as Carolingians, Merovingians or Capetians)
you should also indicate the one you are using.
Composition-Show each unit you are fielding and its cost in points, even if the cost is zero. There is
no need to indicate how the units are organized or equipped. There is an example roster sheet in the
appendix.
PERMITTED FACTIONS
Your Warband may be taken from the core rulebook, or any of the official published supplements-
Northern Fury, The Ravens Shadow, and Varjazi & Basileus but not Crescent and Cross. You may
also use Skraelings, but may not use Steppe Tribes or Conquest Arabs (both published in Wargames
Illustrated). All Warbands will be of 6 points.
We know that not everyone is a fantastic painter but all figures must be fully painted and based.
CONDUCT
While this is a tournament, its main purpose is to allow players to meet new opponents and enjoy a
weekend of gaming. There are umpires to handle queries and of course they are only human. So
please play in a good spirit to ensure your opponent enjoys his game, and accept the umpires
rulings regardless of whether you agree with them. If in doubt, go and have a beer and then
continue. We promise you will have a better time this way and will want to come again next year.
GAMES
There will be a total of five games, three on Saturday and three on Sunday. After the first round, a
Swiss Chess draw will be used to determine opponents. Players will meet each other only once,
regardless of relative rankings. A results slip will be provided for both players to complete at the end
of each game.
The winner of each game will score 5 points and the loser 1 point. In the event of a tie, each player
will score 3 points.
PRIZES
There is a bumper prize pool with prizes for the event provided by Gripping Beast, Studio
Tomahawk, Wargames Illustrated, 4Ground, Renedra and Little Big Men studios. They will be
awarded for:
Most successful General
Runner-up
Least successful General
Most enemy Warlords slain
Leading single day entrant (Saturday)
Leading single day entrant (Sunday)
Best Sportsman
Best painted Warband (awarded both days)
A spot prize during each round, to be announced at the start of the round (will include at
least one award for most impressive facial hair)
SCENARIOS
The scenarios to be played during the tournament are detailed below. While they may resemble
scenarios you have seen before, there are some slightly different rules applying to them, so read the
information below and the scenarios, carefully. Some scenarios do not suit certain Warband
configurations, so you will need to read them thoroughly before deciding upon the make-up of your
force for the tournament.
The scenarios all follow the same sequence of information, as follows:
Layout explains how to set up the battlefield and the scenery items used. Most scenarios use the
standard scenery set-up rules as described below, but some of them, due to special constraints, will
dictate how the scenery will be set up.
Length of the game tells you how long the game will last. Some scenarios only end when some
specific victory conditions are fulfilled, others will last for a specific number of rounds (a round is
made up of a turn by each player).
Deployment dictates how the Warbands should be deployed. A map helps the visualisation of the
deployment zones and specific constraints. Some table edges of these maps are highlighted in red.
They have a special meaning-see later for the rules dealing with off-table troops.
Victory Conditions advises how the game is won.
Special Rules presents any specific rules governing the individual scenario.
SETTING THE SCENERY
For the purposes of the tournament, these rules replace the relevant section of the SAGA rulebook.
Follow these steps:
Choose table edge-each player chooses his table edge, and dictated by the scenario.
Scenery bids- each player secretly chooses a number between 1 and 3. This can be done by writing
on a piece of paper, or using a hidden die.
Reveal choices-each player reveals his choice. This is the number of scenery items the player will be
able to place on the table.
Setting up the scenery-the player who has chosen the highest number (roll a die to break a tie) picks
the number of scenery items his has chosen from the chart below, not exceeding the maximum
number allowed of each type.
The constraints for the deployment of the scenery items are:
The items may be laid out anywhere on the table, but not within M of any previously
deployed item
If you have more than one item of the same type to deploy, at least one of them must be in
contact with a table edge.
Only one of your chosen items may be placed closed to your opponents table edge than
your own (measured from the closest part of the item to the edge).
Once the first player had placed his items, the second places his. If for any reason a piece of terrain
cannot be placed, it is discarded.
Altering the battlefield-Starting with the player who laid his terrain first, each player may choose one
of the items laid out by the players (and not dictated by the scenario) and roll a D6 on the table
below:
D6 Effect
1-2 No effect
3-4 The player may move the item up to M
5-6 The player may move the item up to M, or remove it from the table.
If a player has laid less terrain pieces than his opponent, he adds +2 to his D6 roll.
To move an item, move its central point up to M without changing its orientation. It may be moved
over other scenery items so long as its final position does not bring any part of it within M of any
other piece of scenery. It can now be nearer to the opponents table edge than the placing players
edge.
TERRAIN TYPES
The following chart lists all terrain that you may choose from. For each item, type and cover are
indicated (as explained in the terrain chapter of the rules). The maximum Number is the most pieces
of this type that can be placed on the table-so for example if the first player choses a marsh, the
second cannot. No dimension measured across the item may exceed the limit indicated in the chart.
So a hill, for example, may not exceed L between its two furthest points. Equally no dimension may
be smaller than the limit indicated in the chart.

Scenery Item Type and Cover Max Number Max Size Min Size
Wood or Vinyard High Area Terrain,
Soft Cover,
Uneven Ground
3 L M
Brush or field Low Area Terrain,
Soft Cover,
Uneven Ground
2 L S
Rocky Ground,
Stone Circle or
Gully
Low Area Terrain,
Hard Cover,
Uneven Ground
1 L S
Building High Area Terrain,
Hard Cover,
Uneven Ground
2 M S
Large Building High Area Terrain,
Hard Cover,
Uneven Ground
1 L M
Hill High Area Terrain,
No Cover, Open
1 L M
Steep Hill or Dune High Area Terrain,
No Cover, Uneven
Ground
1 L M
Marsh or Soft
Ground
Low Area Terrain,
No Cover, Uneven
Ground
2 M S

DEPLOYMENT AND WARBAND COMPOSITION
Warbands are deployed according to the scenario instructions. It is only at the point of deployment
on the table that you have to decide the composition of your units and their equipment.
WHO GOES FIRST
Some scenarios indicate which player starts the game. If this is not the case, each player rolls a D6
and adds the number of SAGA dice his Warband currently generates. The highest scorer (in the
event of a tie, the player with the most impressive facial hair) chooses who goes first. The second
player then rolls 3 SAGA dice and places them on his battleboard, ready to use during the first turn
of the game. This is not done if the scenario indicated who goes first.
VICTORY POINTS
Some Scenarios use Victory Points to determine the winner. These may be awarded for enemy
models killed) a Slaughtering Victory) or for achieving objectives (a Conquering Victory). Points are
awarded differently for each.
Slaughtering Victory Points
These are gained based on the number of models the opposing warband has lost during the game,
ignoring how the models were lost.
An enemy Warlord is worth 3 VPs, 7VPs if he was a Hero of the Viking Age
Every Hearthguard figure is worth 1 VP
Every two Warriors (rounded up) are worth 1 VP
Every three Levies (rounded up) are worth 1VP
Swords for Hire and other special units indicate on their description how many VPs they are
worth. Note that the Warriors or Levies do not have to come from the same unit.
Conquering Victory Points
These are awarded for controlling objectives, and the scenario will list the conditions to gain them.
They are awarded for units rather than figures, as follows:
Each Hearthguard unit is worth 3 VPs
Each Warrior unit is worth 2 VPs
Each Levies Unit is worth 1 VP
Swords for Hire units are equivalent to the unit type they count as.
Units made of single figures at the start of the game (such as Warlords) don not earn VPs.
ENDLESS WARBAND
Some scenarios may specify that one or both Warbands are Endless. This allows the player to recycle
eliminated troops and bring them back on the table at the start of his turn, before determining how
many SAGA dice to roll.
One unit may be bought back at the start of each turn. It must be a legal unit of between 4 and 12
models, all of the same troop type and equipment options. The figures do not have to come from
the same original unit so long as the above applies. Warlords, Swords for Hire and other special
units, including models from a unit you are only allowed one of by your faction rules, cannot be
bought back.
The returning unit must be placed in contact with any table edge legal in the scenario, with all
models within VS of that table edge, and no models within S of any enemy model. The unit becomes
immediately available and part of your Warband.
OFF TABLE UNITS
Where a scenario allows units to enter the table after the start of the game for any reason, they may
not enter via a table edge marked in red on the scenario map, nor be placed within S of that table
edge.
NO SAGA DICE
A player immediately loses the game if at the start of any turn his Warband does not generate any
SAGA dice. In this situation, all units still on the table count as having been eliminated by his
opponent.
SCENARIO INFORMATION
CLASH OF CHAMPIONS
(Game 1, Saturday Morning, Game 6, Sunday Afternoon)
Layout
The game is played on a 48 x 36 table with players starting from the long edges. Scenery is placed
as per the scenery rules above.
Length of Game
The game lasts for 6 rounds
Deployment
The player who placed his scenery items first deploys his Warlord on the table within L of his own
table edge. His opponent deploys his Warlord within L of his own table edge.
Then starting with the player who deployed his Warlord first, each player deploys one unit in turn
until all are deployed. Note all foot with ranged weapons must be deployed first, then other foot,
then ranged mounted, then other mounted. After this, the player to go first is chosen randomly as
described above.
Victory Conditions
At the end of the sixth round, work out Slaughtering Victory Pints as above. A player must have at
least 2 VPs more than his opponent to secure a victory, otherwise there is a draw.

SACRED GROUND
(Game 2, Saturday Afternoon, Game 5, Sunday Afternoon)
Layout
The game is played on a 48 x 36 table with players starting from the long edges. In the centre of
the table place a hill (no greater than L in either length or width). Then highest roller on a D6 (in the
event of a draw, the player with the most impressive facial hair) choses one area terrain scenery
item (NOT a building) and places it between L (minimum)and 2L (maximum) from his table edge. It
may not be within M of another scenery item. The other player then does the same. No other
scenery is used.
Length of Game
The game lasts for 6 rounds.
Deployment
Starting with the player who placed the centre hill, each player deploys at least half the models in his
Warband (including his Warlord) within M of his table edge. The other player them deploys at least
half of his in the same ways, then the first player places the rest of his, and finally the second player
does the same. After this, the player to go first is chosen randomly as described above.
Victory Conditions
At the end of each players turn, starting in each players second turn, his opponent counts the
number of VPs that he has scored this turn. The number scored is based on units that are entirely
placed in one of the three terrain pieces on the table, and are Conquering Victory points as
described above. No terrain piece can grant more than 6 VPs for a player each turn.
Example: at the end of your opponents second turn, you have 3 units of Hearthguard and 2 of Levies.
On another scenery piece, you have 2 units of Warriors and your Warlord. You gain 6 VPs for the
central hill (the maximum you can score, even though you actually have 11VPs worth of units on the
hill) and 4 VPs for the other terrain.
This total of 10 is recorded and carried forward and added to each turn. At the end of the 6
th
round,
the player who has scored the most VPs wins the game.

THE CHALLENGE
(Game 3, Saturday afternoon)
Layout
The game is played on a 48 x 36 table with players starting from the long edges. Scenery is placed
as described above, but no piece may be placed within S of the centre of the table.
Length of Game
The game lasts for 6 rounds.
Deployment
Each player sets aside his Warlord, as they are not deployed at this point.
Starting with the player who placed the first piece of scenery, each player deploys at least half the
models in his Warband within M of his table edge. Each player then deploys the rest of his models, in
the same order.
Randomly determine who goes first. The first player then places his Warlord within S of the centre of
the table. His opponent them places his Warlord within S of the centre of the table, and more than
VS away from the enemy Warlord.
Victory Conditions
At the end of the 6
th
round, each player totals his Slaughtering Victory points, and adds the bonuses
described below. If a player has scored at least 2 VPs more than his opponent, he wins a victory.
Special Rules
In this scenario Warlords cannot be killed, nor suffer any effect that would result in them being
sacrificed, killed or removed from the game. No opponent may play any ability, or use any special
rule, that would kill, sacrifice or remove your Warlord from the game, even if that ability or special
rule is subject to a choice on the behalf of the targeted Warlord.
The area that extends within S of the centre of the table is called the Challenge Ground. This area is
impassable t all models other than Warlords. The area outside the Challenge Ground is impassable
to Warlords, so they will remain within the Challenge Ground throughout the game and other units
will not enter.
The Warlords fighting within the Challenge Ground are subject to the following special rules:
They do not benefit from their We Obey special rule
They may not use the Side by Side special rule, nor may they sacrifice any model from outside the
Challenge Ground with their Resistance special rule to avoid being eliminated.
They may not shoot at, nor be shot at by, units outside the Challenge Ground.
If the Warlord unit consists of more than one model (as is the case with some Heroes of the Viking
Age) they are all deployed in the Challenge Ground.
Any special rule that would force another unit to be deployed within X of their Warlord is ignored
entirely.
They are immune to opponent SAGA abilities. They may never be targeted by SAGA abilities and
ignore all effects of such when played by an opponent. So they may play such abilities and gain the
benefits (such as extra attack dice, etc) but may not play those that affect the enemy Warlord such
as reducing his dice pool or armour value, etc). Such abilities may still be played to affect several
units, they just dont affect the Warlord.
Simply consider the table and Challenge Ground as two separate game areas, sharing only the SAGA
dice.
Each time a Warlord takes a hit or game effect that should eliminate him, the player that inflicted
that hit or triggered that effect gains a Might Token. At the end of the game, each Might Token is
worth 1 VP.

THE SLAUGHTER FEAST
(Game 4, Sunday Morning)
Layout
The game is played on a 48 x 36 table with players starting from the long edges. The scenery is
arranged according to the rules described in the introduction to this booklet.
Length of Game
The game lasts for 6 rounds.
Deployment
The player who placed his scenery items first deploys his Warlord on the table within L of his own
table edge. His opponent deploys his own Warlord in the same way. Then, starting with the player
who deployed his Warlord first, each player must deploy one unit. Players alternate the deployment
of their units until all units are deployed. The following special rules apply to deployment:
First deploy foot with ranged weapons
Next deploy mounted units with ranged weapons
Next deploy mounted units with ranged weapons.
Finally deploy mounted units without ranged weapons.
When deployment is finished, the first player is determined randomly as explained in the
introduction.
Victory Conditions
Each time an enemy figure is eliminated during a melee sequence (between step 0 and step 8), note
the troop type of that figure on your scoring sheet. Figures eliminated in any other way (shooting,
SAGA ability, special rule etc.)do not count. At the end of the sixth round, sum up Slaughtering
Victory Points from your notes. If a player scores at least 4VPs more than his opponent, he wins the
game; otherwise it is a draw.
Special Rules
Both Warbands are Endless. Off table units may not enter the table by the opponents table edge
during the game.


THE MENU
In case youre interested, here is the menu for Lunch on both days:

Chilli Con Carne with Rice
Spaghetti Bolognese
Homemade Beef Burger
Panini with Chips
Tuna Melt
Chicken, Bacon & Pesto
Ham & Cheese
Vegetarian
Spanish Omelette with Chips

Catering provided by the excellent Trade Street Cafe.