Budget Battlefield Skirmish Pack 2’x3’ and 3’x6’ is recommended.
Before setting up,
Day of the Vikings
Early in the 9th century Scandinavian
expeditions began to go A-Viking, a Scandinavian
term meaning raiding, on a regular basis throughout
much of the known world. These ‘Vikings,’ as they
were called, pillaged and traded from Northern
Europe to Russia, Spain, and even as far as
Constantinople.
They took not only loot, but land as well, settling
many of the areas they plundered. In 911, a Viking
named Rolf negotiated with the Frankish King
Charles for control of the area that would become
known as Normandy. This was just a formality as
Vikings already controlled much of the area, but in
return Rolf - now Rollo, ‘Jarl of Rouen’ - would
keep raiding parties from entering the Seine. In 924
and 933 this territory expanded to the west, allowing
Rolf to control other Viking colonies which had
begun to spring up - though the area resisted control
by a central authority and it would be years before the
acquisitions could be considered complete.
Early in the 11th century, a Danish king
named Knut had acquired control of all of England,
Denmark, Norway and part of Sweden, but this
empire was fragile and was lasted no more than
twenty years. The age of the Vikings was fading, but
would continue until the death of the last great Viking
leader in 1066.
In 1050, a Viking chief named Harald has
suffered heavy casualties on an expedition to Spain.
In an effort to recoup losses he plans a lightning raid
on a small estate in southwest Normandy. Though the
area is no doubt poor, he hopes to capture the local
vassal for later ransom and take whatever valuables
the baron’s estate and the local church might hold.
The baron and baroness are not alone,
however. The baroness is sister to the local lord, who
is visiting the region with a small retinue of
men-at-arms. As the cry of the Viking attackers splits
the morning air, the buildings empty and an
unforeseen battle ensues.
Included in this set:
6 Norman skirmish units
6 Viking skirmish units
Church, Outbuilding, Peasant Huts, Manor House
Shrubs
Scenario Setup:
Set up the Manor House and Church in the
center of the playing area, with the huts off to one
side. You can also place rocks, wagons, shrubs, trees
or other obstructions at random locations across the
table for cover. A playing area anywhere between
one of the narrow edges of the playing area is
determined to be point of departure of the Viking
units; this is the point the Viking units must cross
with their captives in order to win the scenario. Roll
initiative to see who sets up first, the winner can
chose to set up first or last. Whoever sets up first
determines the location of the priest, baron and
baroness.
The local priest is set up initially within 1” of
the Church. The baron and baroness are set up
initially within 1” of the Manor House. Lord
William’s group can be set up anywhere in the
playing area, some of the units may have been on
guard duty as the Vikings approached, but Lord
William must be set up within 2” of the Manor House
to start. The Normans’ goal is to protect the baron
and baroness. The Vikings must be positioned inside
the playing area within two inches of any edge. The
estate is out in the open, so the Vikings can approach
from any direction desired and in any numbers.
The Game:
The Vikings attack the small estate at dawn,
hoping to create confusion and take the estate without
undue effort. The peasants are already off on their
morning duties, and as the church and manor house
disgorge their occupants the Vikings realize they will
be tested after all.
Vikings have a reputation for burning
villages, so no figures are allowed to return inside
them. Though several have stone outer walls, much
of the interiors are wood and will burn quite well.
The baron, baroness and priest cannot be
attacked as such. They will remain under control of
the Normans as long as a Norman unit, which is not
currently under surrender, is within 5”. They will
immediately surrender if left unprotected and
approached within 5” by a Viking unit. To maintain
control a Viking unit, which is not currently under
surrender, must remain within 5” as well. The baron,
baroness and priest have a Move of 6 and will move
as desired by the side controlling them. If there are no
units, which are not currently under surrender, within
5” of these figures - they will automatically move
before either side to a place of safety.
To win, the Vikings must have both the baron
and baroness units cross their edge of the playing
area. If this happens, the Vikings have returned to
their longboat with the prisoners and will be able to
get ransom. They may also take the priest, but this is
not required to end the game. The Normans must
capture or kill all of the Viking units in order to
prevent this.
Victory Conditions:
Full Victory for the Normans: The Normans capture
at least 50% of the Viking units, and kill the rest.
Partial Victory for the Normans: The Normans have
capture or kill all of the Viking units.
Partial Victory for Vikings: The Vikings cross their
edge of the playing area with the baron and baroness.
Full Victory for Vikings: The Vikings cross their edge
of the playing area with the baron and baroness, and
either the priest or at least 50% of their units.
Further Challenge:
To reverse roles, the Vikings can have
already captured the baron and baroness when Lord
William and his men arrive. In this case the Vikings
must defend the pair and in order to ransom them
later, while the Normans will be attempting to free
them and exit the playing area to a waiting wagon or
ship.
You can also make use of Dirt Cheep
Terrain™ (available for a nominal charge at the
MicroTactix™ website: http://www.MicroTactix.com)
to create a more realistic and challenging landscape.
The house could be placed on a hill or shoreline to
make it more defendable.
A Note On Historical Accuracy:
While this skirmish set has been set in a historical
context, it should not be regarded as a historically
accurate representation of such conflicts. Historical
reference material from this period is relatively sparse
and often biased. Much of what we have was not
even transcribed until more than a hundred years later
and is the subject of opposing interpretations.
All of the characters and places presented
here should be regarded as fictitious, with any
resemblance to people and places past and present
merely coincidental.
NORMAN SKIRMISHERS
“Drive these savages from our soil, men! They’ll not
find us lacking!”
Unit Types:
Lord William
Cost - 56 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Lord William is a Norman knight who distinguished
himself against the Byzantines; he was given control
over this region in return when its previous Lord
became involved in a revolt and was killed. That was
only a few years past, but he has come to be
respected by the locals for his reason and fairness.
Though he suspects that Giles may not be his true
son, having been born a little too soon after William
returned from a campaign, he nevertheless raised the
boy as his own and taught him the skills required by
a Norman knight. Should favor turn from William -
for these are turbulent times - he has plans in place to
denounce Giles, thus shielding the young man from
any backlash this might cause. At the same time he
would be free to reveal his true son, Richard, and by
doing so enact an opportune revenge on the schemer.
Giles
Cost - 44 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Giles is the firstborn son of Lord William, and
already a worthy successor to his father. For as long
as he can remember Giles has desired nothing more
than to be as worthy a soldier as his father. In fact, he
has excelled him both in skill and daring, though
even William would be hard pressed to admit it. Giles
is a noble soul, chivalrous before his time.
Algar
Cost - 20 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Algar is a career soldier from a family of soldiers. He
dreams a life of glory and honor, but his days are full
of slogging through mud from village to village and
his nights are spent on guard duty. More than once
he’s considered giving up his career for the robes of a
monk, tilling fields and tending to the needy. It’s only
the infrequent thrill of life and death conflict that
keeps him going.
Bernard
Cost - 7 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Bernard is a fake. He was born the son of Norman
peasants, but always dreamed of a soldier’s life. He
ran away at the age of 17, to live as a vagabond. One
night, his wanderings brought him to the camp of a
Norman soldier. The knight was drunk and
unconscious beside the fire. Bernard slew him and
made off with the weapons and armor he found. A
few months’ work training himself to fight and an
invented history allowed him into the service of Lord
William. He’s shown a natural affinity for the work,
but his lack of formal training is beginning to make
the other soldiers suspicious.
Imbert
Cost - 13 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Imbert has a well-founded reputation as a suave
lady-killer who haunts the riverside taverns every
night when he’s not on duty. This pastime has caused
him more than his share of trouble, and given the
region more than its share of bastard sons. No doubt
time, and a jealous husband, will one day catch him
up, but until then he still stands as one of William’s
loyal and trusted men.
Richard
Cost - 20 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Richard has the distinction of being the bastard son of
Lord William, and he knows it. Richard’s mother kept
the letters William sent her from abroad detailing his
knowledge of the boy’s true parentage. In return for
Richard’s silence, William has made him a knight and
provides extra pay on a regular basis for his upkeep.
Richard is younger than Giles, and unaware of the
man’s secrets, so he has no designs on William’s
estate itself. He merely intends to use his father’s
position to further himself while he can. Eventually
he hopes to become a lord himself.
Suggested Skirmishers Composition
1 Lord William
1 Giles
1 Algar
1 Bernard
1 Imbert
1 Richard
Actual Total Cost 160
VIKING SKIRMISH UNITS
“The gods are with us now, kill these dogs and we
can take what we like!”
Unit Types:
Harald, Viking Chief
Cost - 59 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Harald was the son of Jarl, and destined to lead from
an early age. He first went A-Viking at the age of
twelve, and led a raid when he was seventeen. Harald
is the headman of a small village, and much
respected. The regular expeditions he has led have
made him quite rich, allowing him to equip his men
better than most of their brethren, and before long he
intends to retire. All of his sons have died A-Viking,
however, and he is loath to end his career without a
worthy successor. Harald realizes Thora has every
skill and instinct needed to be a good leader, but he
knows too that his people will not accept a woman
leader.
Thora
Cost - 37 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Scandinavian women are entrusted with care of the
household, and never given the duties and privileges
of men. Thora is the daughter of Chief Harald, and
made herself an exception from the first. She insisted
on training to fight, hunt and sail alongside her
brothers. She was married at the age of fourteen, but
when her husband went Viking and failed to return
she demanded his share of the loot. She was duly
refused and insisted that she be allowed to accom-
pany the next expedition instead. Harald’s initial
reaction should have been to refuse, but he knew
from experience that his daughter was a better warrior
than most of the men under him, and her skill with a
bow was more than a match for anyone in the village.
Harald agreed to take Thora A-Viking, and she has
been at least partly responsible for the lives of those
who have survived thus far.
Eric
Cost - 13 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Eric comes from a line of professional soldiers, going
back many generations. He has no higher aspirations
than leading his own expeditions into the far corners
of the world. He’s heard strange tales of these foreign
lands, and dreams of conquering one and making it
his home.
Sven
Cost - 13 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Sven was born to a family of fishermen. It was
distaste for the constant smell of fish that drove him
to soldiery and exploration, and day in and day out
the seafood diet has driven him somewhat mad. Sven
occasionally goes a bit overboard in battle as a result.
Bjorn
Cost - 29 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Despite the prestige some of the Vikings find in
wielding an ornate and decorated sword, Bjorn
prefers a stout axe in hand to cleave his opponents in
two. Bjorn is the son of a freed slave, and known for
both his skill and practicality. He has a successful
farm at home, and a beautiful wife. With his share of
the loot he hopes to purchase more land and raise a
large family.
Olaf
Cost - 8 Figure Base - 1”x1”
Olaf strongly opposed Harald’s decision to bring
Thora A-Viking, and he believes her to be the cause
of their constant misfortune on this expedition. The
others tend to discount his grumbling though, as it
was his brother who married Thora and died shortly
after. Most of them know he desired her for himself,
and that his plans to approach Harald about this were
dashed when she was allowed to accompany them to
sea.
Suggested Skirmishers Composition
1 Harald, Viking Chief
1 Thora
1 Eric
1 Sven
1 Bjorn
1 Olaf
Actual Total Cost 159
BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS
DISCLAIMER
We have made every effort to make sure that all parts
fit together properly, but sometimes tolerances are
tight and mistakes do happen. Test fit all pieces
before applying glue. Some trimming may be
required.
Before photocopying or printing these pages on
cardstock, you may wish to assemble a test copy on
plain paper to better understand the construction. A
minimum of 65# cover stock is recommended for
constructing the final models. Regular 20 lb. bond
paper can be used, but these items were designed for
a heavier stock for extra durability and coloring.
Tools Required:
Scalpel or sharp-bladed hobby knife
Metal ruler or straight-edge
Cutting surface - a self-healing cutting mat is
recommended, but a sheet of corrugated cardboard or
even heavy poster board will work as well.
Glue - white glue, glue stick or wax stick. Double
sided cellophane tape also works well. Rubber
cement can be used, but will sometimes stain the
cardstock or make it more difficult to color.

A Note About Using White Glue

White glue contains a good deal of water. Too much
glue will warp the card stock so that its almost
unusable. Warping may also cause the parts to fit
together incorrectly. If you use white glue, put a very The Finished Models of the Manor House
thin coat on the glue tabs - the thinner the better. You
can use a cotton swab or your finger to spread the Scenario Designed and Written by Craig Griswold
glue thin. Remember to keep a damp paper towel
handy to remove any excess glue. Character Art, Building Designs and Building Art
© 2002 by Gary M. Williams
PLEASE NOTE: Text © 2002 Craig Griswold
Each item has been marked with a series of Grey Distribuited by MicroTactix Games www.microtactix.com
Lines that are an indicator that these lines are Fold or
Score lines. All Tabs which are to be glued to hold
the structures together are marked with a capital letter
(G). Unless otherwise noted, all Glue Tabs fold
inwards to the structure.

To construct the stand-ups, cut out and fold along the

grey lines. Fold the stand-up in half and glue one
base on top of the other.

All four of the building in this set will construct using

the same method. Cut out and score as indicated.
Glue the right and left sides of the structure together
and fold into a box. Glue the last tab on the side wall
to the inside to close the structure. Cut out the roof
and fold in the middle. Fold in the tabs on the top
edges of the building and attach the roof.

To construct the stone walls on Page 2 of this set,

fold into a box shape and glue the sides down over
the tabs. The small trees on Page 1 will fold up into
triangular stand-ups with the tab along the side glued
to the inside.

The Manor House on Page 3 will construct like the

other houses with the addition of a stone tower. The
tower itself is a simple box shape and can be attached
to the house as desired. Before attaching the tower, a
notch the width of the tower will need to be cut in the
house roof to allow the tower to set flush with the
wall of the house. The chimney folds into a simple
box shape and the tabs along the bottom edge are
folded up to attach to the roof as desired.