Pillage

The skirmish game, Pillage, is very popular at my wargames club.  I have resisted the temptation, taking the view that I have plenty of skirmish games for the Dark Ages or Early Medieval: Lion Rampant, Saga, etc. However, these are really small battles, and I can see the merit in a genuine skirmish-level game that can be played quickly. So, after an introductory game at the club, I picked up a copy at Claymore, and we pitched in last night for the midweek game. 

  As the name suggests, this is a game about raiding, using 10 to 20 figures, more if you want. The aim is to pillage the village, which will be defended by the villagers or other armed forces. The booklet is pitched at the Viking years, but there are free downloads for other eastern European armies, and a generic list which can be used more widely. You will need plenty of scenery to make it a more interesting tactical game, and some pillage, like animals, is useful. It is a D6 game, and you can use any figures you want. Victrix sell it in the UK, and they have all you need if you don't have suitable figures.

The basic rules are very simple. You roll for initiative every turn, then move one of your three types of warrior: light, some armour and full armour, plus cavalry. Movement is in any direction, with a bonus for charging, and the usual terrain rules slowing you up. I liked the swimming rules!

Shooting and combat are a simple hit number depending on the weapon and armour, followed by a defence roll. Most figures have one life, but chieftains have three. There are a few factors around ranges and weapons, and the number of shots, but nothing that you can't remember. You will be on the QRF very quickly. There are a few extras if you want them about supporting figures with a spear, defending obstacles, multiple combats, but again pretty straightforward. Once you have lost your chieftain, or 50% of your figures, you have to start morale tests.

You don't need to use the pillage rules, but it adds another level to the game. You can start searching buildings during the game and carry them off the table. Tricky if you haven't killed off the enemy, but perfectly possible. 

There are army lists for the main factions, with plenty of options for weapons and armour. Each faction has a special ability, although why Anglo-Saxons ignore fog is beyond me! You can tell a Frenchman wrote these rules😂. You can also buy some special figures like berserkers and huscarls, and equipment like banners and warhorns. The rules are well laid out, with little need to scuttle back and forth, and helpful graphics, not just eye candy. Decent value for the £26.00 I paid. All in all. Highly recommended.

My bedtime reading is the latest book in Matthew Harffy's Bernicia series. This is pre-Viking, but with similar troop types. In our game, the Picts are invading Bernicia (roughly Northumberland). The Picts won the game, although they did lose their chieftain. We will try some Balkan armies next.