Something like that to give movement options while also ensuring you have event cards at your disposal all game. I had a lot of work to do, and fell far short of it in Round 5… which taught me that playing that first Treaty card to “bring the threat of ending early” can totally backfire. Vikings is an area control game in which 2 - 4 players play as the invading Vikings or the English nobles who are trying to withstand the invasion. Each faction rolls the number of dice corresponding to the number of units they have in battle (up to a max of number of dice they have available).

Movement is a simple affair, there is no unit drop off or pick up, and armies must stop when in a region with the enemy. The win conditions on each side also make some sense, and I can’t wait to see how those expansions add in even more theme into the game. But chances are that once you start playing, you’ll discover an urge to find out more about the actual setting you’re playing around with. Cities and towns have garrisons of units, but much of the countryside shires are barren of military force.So, if the Viking player plays a Movement card that allows 3 armies to move up to 4 spaces, one of those armies that are allowed to move is the Leader and his invasion force. Those only serve to enhance the longevity of a game such as this one, allowing us to mix and match to play the unique setting we desire. Cut into the foams are tailor-made compartments where you can safely accommodate everything from miniatures and Viking Ship Tokens to dice, card holders and battle cards. This is something I fully expect to be impacted in a good way by the mini-expansions, but it is worth nothing that the base game itself might run its course over time.

On their turn each faction will receive Reinforcements, activate their Leaders (this is mostly for the Vikings as the English don’t get a Leader until the 5th Round), Move their armies, Fight in regions where there are both enemy and friendly troops and then draws cards back up to 3 cards. If you are the proud owner of both the 878 Vikings base game AND The Age of Vikings expansion, our foam kit is for you.The set consists of two stackable foam trays which we designed to fit into the original board game box. Reinforcement phases provide some great relief for the English side, as well as tactical targets to keep in mind for the Viking player. In looking at the picture, you would assume that the Battle went to the English, and it did, but it wasn’t as easy as you would think.

A full game usually lasts at least 5 rounds, so you should not be too concerned about losing cities at the start of the game. Viking Leaders are a new addition to the familiar ruleset employed in the “Birth of America” series. If after rounds V, VI, or VII the Treaty cards of all factions on one or both sides have been played, the game ends. So while I like the small deck, small hand, and the ability to swap in advanced cards, there is definitely room for this to improve.The blend of cards and options, tough choices, making the best of what you have in your hand right now, and facing the wild possibilities that the dice can bring all mingle together to bring high levels of excitement without diversions into 'what does the rule say about X? Keep in mind that you will not get any Fyrd when defending these non-city spaces, so I never leave more than 2 units there and command-decision out when I don’t Hit.

On each English player turn, reinforcements arrive on the map in some territories controlled by the English (shown in a small box printed on the map of that shire). Moving units to non-city spaces also has the added benefit of allowing you to command-decision there, since you may only command-decision to a Shire already occupied by your units.If the ‘English’ defenders go first then their opportunity to react to the Viking invasion is stymied. The defender always has the initiative and therefore gets to roll their Battle dice first, removing any casualties from the enemy force and any of their own actions as well, such as Flee or Command (where a unit can be moved to an adjacent space occupied by that factions pieces). As you can see, I went all out and moved 3 armies located in three different Shires to converge on the Vikings located in one of my fallen reinforcement cities of Theodford. The battle phase is streamlined and quick to grasp and another area where this game shines with its design choices.