Vikings Versus Toltecs Round 2

This time Mat and I revered roles and I was the Toltecs. My Toltecs activated by move 5 but did not take action. In fact, as in the last game the Vikings berserkers initiated things. They were among one of the Viking reserve units to come on from the side. They decimated an archer unit but then another unit of archers and a few on the temple greatly reduced their numbers and finally to three lonely berserkers.

The Toltecs generally avoided combat and withdrew. The king had allowed himself to be put in danger with the warriors told to guard the smaller temples where the treasure was hidden. The idea was to draw the Vikings into a trap. This strategy had mixed success.


Below: Toltecs gathered behind the main temple.

                                           Vikings approach on one flank. Toltecs draw back.

                                      Vikings led by Mat the Despoiler arrogantly ascend the steps of the main temple, kill the priest and cripple the king in combat. The vikings demand gold for the life of the king.

                                         Vikings advance past the first temple.

                                                Elite Toltec warriors prepare to attack.

The Toltecs have some temporary success.

Viking archers come to the fore too late to much employ their archery.

                                

                                                           King Jamsuma is captured.

                                              A trap fails as the Vikings attack its outer flank.

                                                             More Toltecs enter the fray.

                         Jamsuma is led away after revealing the source of some treasure.

                                                         Toltecs are chopped to pieces.

                                                  The last of some Viking berserkers is led to his place of sacrifice. He is allowed to play a last note on his horn before his heart is ripped out.

                                     Axemen wade in the gore of Toltec archers and slingers.

                                                              Other archers guard a temple.

                  The Viking archers attempt to take treasure from a temple but this is hotly contested by two units of Toltecs.

CONCLUSION

Viking victory

It was less of an overwhelming victory than the last game. The Toltec strategy worked at first. For the first eight moves casualties on both sides were similar. Once the Vikings got in close even the two units of Toltecs on one was generally insufficient to defeat the Vikings. However, a unit of berserkers was whittled down with arrows. As the survivors tried to loot a temple the large unit of Toltec archers ascended the temple and overwhelmed them, even though the Vikings had killed the temple guardians. One of the Berserker casualties proved to be only wounded and he was respectfully laid at the altar. Such a mighty warrior will be a great messenger for the gods!

By keeping the treasure in the smaller temples I made it harder for the Vikings, with one exception. I included a rule that the captured Toltec king could reveal the source of a fourth treasure which he did! Mat had to roll a six to do this and he had time to take the king to the table edge thus doubling his treasure points to twenty. No sacrifice of Vikings occurred in the last game because no melees were won by the Toltecs. In this case I made sure the Viking unit was so reduced by archery that it could not win.

The game ended on move thirteen with a temple hotly contested.

One thing we forgot to do was to incorporate an extra save from Toltec archers as they are not metal tipped. This made the Toltec archers somewhat more effective than last game.

We didn't use our usual loss of leader rules or the Aztecs would have had an even more difficult time.

Toltec points: 10

Viking points 20

NEXT GAME

Spanish versus Aztecs: (Actually I don't have many Spanish figures so it will be medieval and English Civil War stand ins). We are going to keep the archery rules as in this last game to give the Axtecs a chance and they also will have an extra elite unit. As the Spaniards have a cannon and cavalry etc their force is going to be smaller than the Viking one. As usual Mat gets first choice of armies.