The Nordic Undead Rise To Fight Your SAGA Warbands
April 13, 2015 by brennon
It looks like Gripping Beast's little surprise will be announced in full later today but for the moment we have a better handle on exactly what's going on in terms of the new models coming out. It seems like the undead are rising and the Revenants are coming to SAGA...
So these look go be the dead that you'll have seen in the likes of Skyrim which would be the Draugr. I certainly like the idea of seeing where this goes and what other fantastical superstitions the Gripping Beast and Studio Tomahawk team can come up with.
The undead pop up a lot in Norse mythology so while this might seem like a bit of a cash in when it comes to the zombie feel I reckon we're in for a bit of a treat. Let's hope that building some nice narrative scenarios will be a central theme of this release.
Do you want to fight the undead in SAGA?
"Let's hope that building some nice narrative scenarios will be a central theme of this release..."
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
If they get around to doing the rest of the Norse fantasy creatures then maybe. But probably not
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of historical gamers suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
Could be a nice bridge for fantasy players to cross over into historical.
lol. I don’t think it will affect the historical crowd that much; they will just keep playing what they have always played. Perhaps that collective moan you heard came from the zombies themselves, and not from the legions of disgruntled historical gamers 🙂 .
I’m reserving judgement on this. Does the hobby need any more zombies?
With more from Norse mythology it could work as long as they remain balanced.
They have always said that they would be bringing some fantastical elements into SAGA at some point (Beowulf & Grendel etc if you want to go REALLY early) so this could just be the stepping stone.
BoW Ben
if people buy it, then hobby needs it. There is no “zombie quota” beyond what people are willing to pay for.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that there’s very little that couldn’t benefit from a sprinkling of the undead.
Yes! despite years of genre abuse, a whole hearted yes! As a zombie player you can never have enough zombies. Literally, as a zombie player you can never have enough zombies. An artillery player can have just enough canons to lock the board up in perpetuity and diversify, but a zombie player (differentiated to a degree from a generalized undead player that is quite elite centric) only has blocks of cheese curd between which we crush our enemies who quite quickly catch on to our attempts. Death by zombie therefore becomes harder and harder despite a theoretical critical mass. Unless… Read more »
I should also admit that despite buying the Crescent and Cross version of the rules that I haven’t got around to picking up an army yet … Something I may have to address at Salute.
If they are fun to play with and against. I’ll be getting some.
This comes as no surprise after seeing a club playing a “home grown” variant of Saga ( Vikings Vs. Zombies) at the Derby Wargames Show last year. I was told that all the info for Saga Zombies would be available to download from the clubs web site but as nothing appeared I started thinking it had probably been taken on board by GB, looks like I was right!
Commented elsewhere on the announcement of yet another Vikings themed game that Vikings are the new Zombies, and that a mash up was inevitable.
Will give it a miss.
and let the dead heroes go to Valhalla where they belong.
News Just in: Hasbro announce My Little Dead Pony line of equine zombies
Hello Dead Kitty to follow.
Why don’t people react like this whenever a game featuring dwarfs, elves, and or dragons comes out? Those tired tropes have been around for decades. Also –
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/063/0/e/zombie_kitty_by_lelouchbrittania-d4roifk.jpg
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/212/4/a/my_little_zombie_pony_by_auronasia-d42baha.jpg
Why?
Because I don’t see Dwarficide the board game
Dwarf Dice
Dwarfies! the Board Game
Dead of Dwarf Winter
Dwarf Nation
Walking Dwarfs
My Little Dwarf Pony
Hello Dwarf Kitty
etc
The tired out old tropes of High Fantasy are not as ubiquitous in the gaming industry as the undead. Because generally people don’t transform into Dwarves
Though there was Honey I Shrunk the Kids I suppose.
Oh dear… and I just wrote an article on Mantic’s zombies that is due to pop up on here any day now. Looks like I may get lynched! Nothing new, of course, but it’s usually just the GW peeps.
Why cpauls1?
If you get lynched you can always come back as a zombie! lol
but it be me doing the lynching.
True enough. “Death, where is thy sting?” Ha!
I can see it now — an extension of the Mr. Potato-head franchise… Mr. Cadaver-head! Torso filled with red goop, and removable arms, legs, and swappable facial features and eyeballs (genitalia not included).
Genitalia is only included with the pre-med edition.
Just off the top of my head in the short time I have before logging off –
Small World
Dungeons & Dragons and its many IPs and spin-off products
Pathfinder
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay/Battle
Kings of War
God of Battles
Any Tolkien license
Dragon Age
Magic: the Gathering
World of Warcraft
Runequest
Burning Wheel
Discworld
Descent
Plus genre-crossing high fantasy such as 40K and Shadowrun.
And in the likes of D&D, Warhammer, and Magic that accounts for the most ubiquitous products in their particular branch of gaming.
I’ve just realised I missed out Warmachine.
And but so?
You have sidestepped the issue by listing fantasy games.
There are not a plethora of Elves, Dwarves or Goblin games/systems.
There is very little cross over of single races into other franchises.
Apart from a few space Dwarves there ain’t a lot of Dwarves outside of the fantasy genre.
We have zombies in every conceivable genre and franchise that far exceeds anything the fantasy races has going.
And if fantasy is staid and boring as you imply that does not make the overwhelming zombie game plague any less tedious.
I look forward to Zombie My Little Pony Star Wars Monopoly special edition
walking dwarf would be amazing!
:O
Rick being all: Hey, Lori. Is that a five o clock shadow?
Lori: uhm.. no it’s not I’m just middle aged.
Rick: NO IM ALL EMOTIONAL AND BROKEN DOWN, ITS NOT THE BEARD!!1 ITS THE LIES!
Lori *Crying*: TAKE MA SAUSAGE FINGERED HAIRY LITTLE MAN HAND YA PETITE FAIRY!!
One of the worst movies I ever saw featured Lee Majors as a Norseman who discovers America… it was terrible.
I hope this is not going THAT way 🙂
OMG, what was it called? I need a copy for “Bad Movie Night.”
“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is still the reigning champ, but I can see it being toppled by almost anything with Lee Majors in it!
Oh dear – and just when I was considering SAGA as one of my next serious systems…
LOL, it is always with awe that I see the strains of Goons-ish script’s rippling onto the shores of such a weighty subject of the hysterical gamers tomes upon the yorkshire armies of the York vales 436bc to 937ad inclusive, excluding the Tadcaster brewery dwarfs and what was the correct colour of the flowering dyed cloth used upon the loin clothes of said drwaven workforce.
Long live zombies of the old world, I am not sure thats the correct way of saying such a thing.
Sounds interesting! I like the smell of fesh zombie in the morning!
Saga is hardly a “serious” historical wargame. Its much more “heroic” than wargames which attempt to create histirical reality as it most likely was. Sticking zombies in doesn’t seem much of a leap to me, although to be fair I am more looking forward to folkloric fantasy addigions to the game – Grendel, Alfar, Nibelungen, Kelpies, Black Annis, etc., etc.
Oh great, more zombies. I get it, zombies are popular but do they need to be put to everything when they are not focus. Well least this makes easier for me to say no to SAGA.
I find it strange that people are saying that they won’t play SAGA due to one fun release to go with the game, you don’t have to include them you know, plenty of other factions to choose from :/
They are not intended for tournament play they are just a fun release with their own set of rules and scenario’s. The battleboards and rules will be available later to download. So if you already have plenty of zombies, then you won’t even have to buy the models and if you already play Saga as well, then you will have a new faction, with no outlay at all (there are no rules as to who’s figures you use). I can’t see how someone can say they would be put off the game by one fun release. There are already 23… Read more »
it is a smart move as zombies are “it” right now
Yep, I’m down with this. Add in a troll or two and I’ll be truly happy.
this was a mod that one of the guys from Leicester Phats Cats wrote for a game at Derby wargames show last year, Gripping beast liked it so much they asked to publish it, it was designed as a laugh factor and got us best particapation game at the show,
“Best participation game” That’s a good enough endorsement for me to give it a try.