How to play

Setting

We are in the 800s. The Anglo-Saxons of Bretland are living peaceful lives, unaware of the imminent danger that is coming. Hundreds of Warriors and Shield Maidens from all over Scandinavia are sailing for the mainland, setting foot for the first time ever on English soil. Led by the most powerful Viking leaders, they set about raiding and pillaging everything in their way. Their goal is simple: Gather as much wealth, land, and fame as possible to become the next Great Viking Leader.

Round Overview

Sagas: Bretland is played over eight game ROUNDS, each of which containing four PHASES. These phases are performed in the order listed below. During each phase, starting with the first player and continuing counter clockwise around the table, every player will perform the actions associated with that phase. The phases of a game round are as follows:

1. Production phase
2. Movement phase
3. Battle phase
4. Objective phase

 

1. Production Phase

At the start of this phase, each player draws an event card.

Then, each player gathers resources from their gathering posts.

  • Gold from gathering posts on settlements
  • Food from white gathering posts
  • Material from black gathering posts

The players may then use these resources to produce buildings, units or buy new personal objective cards. 

  • Buildings
    • Villages to build more gathering posts
    • Gathering posts to gather more gold, food or material
    • Walls to protect the settlements
    • Barracks to increase the max unit count
    • Drakkars to move over water regions
  • Units
    • Warriors to fight battles and explore
    • Berserkers for a bigger edge in battle
  • Personal objective cards

This phase may be done simultaneously by every player to save time.

2. Movement Phase

Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player may move each of their units up to a number of regions equal to the player’s travel speed which is 2 unless stated otherwise.

Map tiles can be explored if the player has units in an adjacent region, up to the player’s exploring limit.

Finishing a movement in a region that contains a hostile settlement or unit will trigger a battle in the battle phase.

3. Battle Phase

The first player will resolve any battles that have been triggered for them by moving units in the movement phase. The rounds of a battle are as follows:

a. If a raid, these steps are done only once before the battle starts:
      1. Dice are rolled for the settlement defense
      2. Casualties are removed for each roll of 5 or more

b. Battle rounds:
      1. Dice are rolled for each unit in battle
      2. Dice are re-rolled once per Berserker in battle
      3. Casualties are removed for each roll of 5 or more
      4. Players may choose to continue battle or retreat

Once all battles have been resolved for the first player, the next player clockwise completes their battle phase, until all battles have been resolved this round. This phase may be skipped if no battles were triggered in the movement phase.

4. Objective Phase

During this phase, the first player may score one personal and one public objective achieved this round. After the first player completes their objective phase, the next player clockwise begins their objective phase. This process continues until all players have completed their objective phase.

Then, the first player marker is passed on player counter clockwise and the next round begins, starting with the production phase.

Winning the Game

A game of Sagas: Bretland ends at the end of the objective phase after the 8 game rounds have beend played. The player with the most victory points wins the game. If two or more players are tied, the player with the largest number of units on the game board wins.

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