Version 0.21 - 09.24.14 

Objective

Become a Viking worthy of having a place in the Sagas by raiding the most gold.

Materials

- A hexagonal play-mat.

- 3 humanoid figurines representing the Vikings.

- Small tokens to represent the gold/treasure.

- (Recommended) 3 different tokens to represent each Viking's status.

Setup

- In each hex marked with a number, place that number of the tokens representing treasure.

- Place the Berserker (axeman) on the hex marked B; the Huscarl (swordsman) on H; and the Archer on A

- Roll a die (preferably a d20, the die of war), the player who rolled the highest plays the Berserker (axeman) while the one that rolled the lowest plays the Archer.

- Play starts with the Archer's turn followed by that of the Huscarl (swordsman) and finally the Berserker (axeman)

Movement

Each Viking has distinct move and attack sets. The following are the commonalities:

Movement always comes first. Neither pillaging nor demanding tribute will move the Viking any further.

Treasure can only be pillaged by ending one's turn on the same hex. At which point all the treasure on the hex is collected by the player.

If one or more opponents are within the attack range of the active player's Viking, a tribute can be demanded from one of them. In that case, the player must hand over half their gold (rounded up). Furthermore, that player must skip their next turn. However that Viking is also immune from other attacks till they move again.

     - It is suggested that you place a token at the stunned Viking's feet to represent this status.

The Archer

- Focus: can only move a single hex in any direction.

- Volley: can attack any hex that is either 2 or 3 hexes away. (Note this means the hexes don't need to be in a straight line but also that the archer cannot attack a Viking that is immediately adjacent).

The Huscarl (swordsman)

- Tactical Maneuver: can move up to 2 hexes in any direction

- Shield Bash: can attack up to 2 hexes away as long as it's a straight line. (Note, this is different from the movement).

The Berserker (axeman)

- Battle Fury: can move up to 3 hexes as long as it's in a straight line in one direction.

- Cleave: can attack any Viking adjacent to itself.

Game End

The game ends when all treasure has been pillaged. Whomever has the most gold wins. Ties are permitted. You do this solely for honor. After, the gold shall be split equitably in Viking tradition as all have contributed to the raid.

Changelog

Current Version

- The Huscarl moveset is no longer restricted to being in a straight line. Playtests seemed to indicate that the Huscarl was slightly underpowered.

- A rule which stated that if the player had no gold to give in tribute they're eliminated has in turn been eliminated. The remaining players were overly cautious and the game becomes unbalanced without all roles involved.

- The timed variant was also removed, most players are diligent about moving quickly enough that the timer doesn't seem to have enough of an effect to justify its inclusion.

Version 0.2 - 09.24.14

- The starting positions have been changed so that the the least mobile (the Archer) begins closer to the center while the most mobile (the Berserker) slightly further away.

- Map has been reworked to try and encourage each player to play to their Viking's strengths.

- Attacking now additionally stuns the Viking for a turn to prevent treasure simply changing hands with no change in dynamic.

Version 0.11 - 09.22.14

- The amount of treasure has been drastically reduced to make each hex that does have treasure more valuable. Previously, only the high-value hexes were actually worth collecting treasure on.

Challenges & Future Updates

There are still a few issues with the distribution of treasure and how it ultimately affects player pathing. Ideally the Berserker would be encouraged to explore the edges and strike in opportunistically using superior mobility. In contrast, the Archer would want to hold the center and move very little. The Huscarl is made to maneuver around sharp angles and balance the other two Vikings. This is still not entirely to my liking yet and requires a few more tweaks on the map and treasure.