Saga Ohio

News flash - the Britons from Age of Invasions are actually a powerful army! Listen to host Mike Demana interview veteran Saga warlord D.J. Andrews talk about how tournament victory at Nashcon 2023 with the Britons. D.J. gives a blow by blow, round by round description of his three victories and Nashcon triumph. The Saga Indiana player explains how players are approaching the Britons wrong, and give tips and tactics on how to command this faction to victory.

After a 3-month layoff, Saga Ohio returns with a report from the small Historicon 2023 tournament. The winner was Saga Ohio's very own Jenny Torbett. Jenny talks about the unusual format for the tournament and how she planned on using her Eastern Princes army for each scenario. Mike and Jenny analyze the scenarios and then turn their attention to the Eastern Princes battle board. Jenny talks about the abilities she uses regularly on the board, and those she uses less often. Jenny talks a little about her next project, as well, and the two discuss upcoming Saga tournaments in Saga Ohio territory.

Host Mike Demana welcomes back the conquering heroes, Bob Boggs and Jim Randall, from Adepticon 2023. Bob and Jim report on the Saga tournaments they entered. Bob and Jim talk about how they chose the armies they played, and what their preparation looked like. The duo give a game-by-game rundown on their games in the doubles tournament. Bob and Jim are probably the most experienced Saga Ohio players, and they impart a lot of good "Saga wisdom" in this fun conversation.

Host Mike Demana welcomes Rusty Parker, a Saga player from northern Ohio, to talk about his experiences at Adepticon with his Greek Cities: Athenian army. Known as the Jarl on Discord, Rusty is a long-time Saga player who has also helped create a group in northern Ohio called Firelands Games Group. They have a group page on both Facebook and Discord, and will be hosting a Saga tournament in September, 2023. Rusty and Mike talk about how he chose to play the Athenians, his practice sessions, and his games in the Saga Ancients tournament. Rusty talks about the basic and advanced abilities that make the Greeks a surprisingly fast-moving foot army with a punch.

Host Mike Demana welcomes Joe Dihrkop, winner of the first-ever Ft. Wagne, IN, Saga tournament. Joe talks his decision to field his Mongols and what he did to make them more competitive in three scenario games. Mike, who considered taking the Mongols to the same tourney, discusses the army's strengths and weaknesses in the three scenarios. "Genghis Joe" then recounts how his army performed in each of the three games. Afterwards, the two analyze what makes the Mongols an effective and how they enjoy how the army's battle board allows them to perform as the Mongols did historically. Joe then talks about his upcoming painting projects.

Host Mike Demana welcomes Saga Ohio aficionado Dan Neal to break down the most recent 2022 FAQ from Studio Tomahawk. Dan and Mike go through each of the changes, giving examples, and breaking down the changes or clarifications. This episode should prove useful to those who either haven't had a chance to analyze the changes themselves, or who need examples and rephrasing into simple English. Dan and Mike are fans of the new changes, but don't back away from pointing out controversy or identifying armies that may be negatively impacted by the rules. They also point out troop types or armies that may get a bump from 2022 Saga FAQ and might warrant a second look for a new warband for players to field. Enjoy!

Here's the second part of host Mike Demana's chat with Saga Ohio player Dan Neal. In the first half, Dan analyzed his tournament victory at Shore Wars 2022. In this half, he talks to Mike about the Polish list he's been playing for most of the year. Dan goes over the "neither fish nor fowl" composition of the Poles, and talk about how to effectively use that to your advantage. He also goes over the challenges you will face using one of the least commonly played armies from Age of Crusades. Dan details some of the very unique advanced Saga abilities on the Polish battle board. With this episode, Mike completes his 30th Saga Ohio and enters his fourth year of the podcast.

Host Mike Demana welcomes Saga Ohio player Dan Neal to talk about his victory in the Shore Wars 2022 Saga Tournament. Dan brought Baltic Crusaders to this 3-round tournament on Dec. 3 in Mentor, OH. He talks about why he passed on playing his usual Polish list and instead went with Baltic Crusaders (and why he feels it is a more competitive list in a tourney). This episode is actually part one of our interview -- the second half (#30) will feature Dan talking about his experiences over the last year of Saga playing the Polish army. 

Host Mike Demana welcomes Advance the Colors 2022 Tournament co-champion Daniel Broaddus. Brodi talks about his victory with his Vandal faction from the Old Friends, New Enemies section of the Age of Invasions book. He goes over why he chose this variant of the Carolingian battle board, and how he sets up his army. Mike and Brodi talk about the key differences between the Carolingians and Vandals. Brodi goes on to recount his three victories in detail, explaining his tactics and the keys to his success in each game. The two then analyze the abilities on the battle board, pointing out how they work for the Vandals and Carolingians.

After a 2-month layoff, host Mike Demana welcomes D.J. Andrews, a Saga player from Indianapolis, IN. D.J. was one of the co-champions of the Advance the Colors Saga Ohio Tournament. He breaks down each of his three victories in the tournament, describing his battle plan and how the game progressed. D.J. also talks about his Anglo-Dane army, his troop list, deployment, and what tactics he uses for them. Mike prompts him to describe how he uses Noble Lineage advanced Saga ability and Activation Pool to, as he calls it, extend his Saga dice. The two also talk about what other games D.J. plays, as well as his communitiy in Indianapolis.

Four Saga players gather to discuss the Republican Roman faction and battle board on the latest episode of Saga Ohio. Host Mike Demana gathers a tetrarchy of Roman aficionados in a four-way conversation about this Age of Hannibal faction. Joining Mike are veteran Roman player Bob Boggs, Cincinnati area Saga fan Michael Cooper, and Saga Ohio co-founder Andy Swingle. Each gives input on the way they field the Republican Romans and what their battle plans tend to be. They weigh in on unit sizes, favorite advanced Saga abilities, and more in a slightly longer episode than normal. This was an experiment to see if multiple guests could work in this format and it was a definite success. Check it out and see if you want to play Republican Romans like these players do!

Saga Ohio is back after a slight layoff. Host Mike Demana takes a break from the detailed analysis of a faction to have a fun chat with James Armstrong, a Saga player from Canberra, Australia. James talks about the Saga scene down in Australia, their regular club meetings, tournaments, and more. James also breaks down his recent entry into an Age of Magic tournament -- his first time playing that Age. He talks about differences between AOM and historical Saga and what he enjoyed about it. Both Mike and James talk about their most recent armies they've built and what's in the near future. Mike gives a rundown on the Saga tournaments he's running this year, and the two compare their experiences playing in tournaments and with people from other clubs.

Host Mike Demana welcomes back Saga Ohio player Jim Randall, fresh off of his Adepticon 2022 adventure and the Game Table Adventures 8-Point Tournament. Jim talks about what playing Saga at Adepticon is like. He talks about the fun in meeting all of the other players, how welcoming they all are, and gives plenty of interesting details for people interested in trying out Adepticon next year. Jim took his Byzantine army to the Age of Melee tourney there and went 2-1. He describes his games and opponents. Jim ended up playing the eventual tournament winner in Round 3, so made it all the way to the finals. We then switch gears and talk about both of our experiences in the Game Table Adventures 8-point Saga Tournament held in April 9, 2022. Jim analyzes the differences of commanding an 8-point army and what players should expect if they try that format out. Jim is one of the top Saga players in Central Ohio, and takes his analysis deeper, talking about how he feels he's improved over the last six months. 

Host Mike Demana welcomes Saga Ohio member Dave Eblin onto the show to talk about their similar starts to Ancient wargaming and his Romans from the Age of Invasions. Dave talks about what sparked his interest in gaming, his passion for Ancient Rome, and modeling it in miniature. Dave compares the "old" Roman board to the newly-released one, and analyzes them in detail. He is quick to point out the challenges of running the Romans and what players using this faction will have to watch out for. He talks about recent games and uses them to illustrate his view on this battle board, particularly managing its unique "Impetus" feature. For pictures of Dave's Romans, be sure to check out Mike's Saga after action reports on his Lead Legionaries blog, http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/search/label/Saga%20Battle%20Reports.

Host Mike Demana welcomes Saga Ohio player Lee Parker on to talk about his Milites Christi faction. Lee has painted his army as the Knights of St. John, also known as the Hospitallers. He's racked up a couple 2nd place tournament finishes and discusses why he chose the army and his basic strategy. Lee talks about the unique Milites Christi battle board and how he uses it to wrong-foot his opponents. Mike and Lee speculate on ways to use the interesting "Orison" ability on the board to its maximum effectiveness. Lee also provides a rundown of some of his games and talks about armies or units that provide particular challenges to his Hospitallers. Check out Saga Ohio's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/898250580194501) or Mike's Lead Legionaries blog for more Saga content: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

Monty Luhmann makes his second appearance on Saga Ohio as my guest. The gentleman of the hobby discusses the Picts with me, a new Age of Invasions faction we are both enjoying playing. We compare our experiences with the army, discussing our builds, what our ideas are on placing terrain, and our basic strategy. Monty and I talk about the advanced Saga abilities on the Pict board we think are top tier, and those that are more situational, and the ones we use less. We analyze the army's strengths and weaknesses, and what armies or troops may give them difficulties. Towards the end, Monty and I talk about how we both enjoy painting and how it is therapeutic part of our life. We discuss upcoming projects and what is going on Saga-wise in our communities. Be sure to check out Monty's Google photos page and its voluminous saga of the armies he's painted: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKoBPeS62Wr4WPhP6. Also check out host Mike Demana's Saga battle reports using his Picts on his Lead Legionaries blog: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

For 2022's first episode host Mike Demana welcomes Chicago-area Saga player Terry Doner. The two discuss the Mongol faction, which Terry has played a number of times and Mike is currently painting up. Terry gives tips on how to build your faction, deploy terrain, and use the mobility of the army. The two discuss the Mongol battle board's advanced Saga abilities in detail, lining up abilities for great 1-2-3 punches, or even how to use up to six abilities for a single knockout blow. Terry explains why he uses an interesting mix of unit sizes and what the role of the bigger and smaller units are in his battle plans. Next, the two discuss Terry's ambitious goal to paint and field every faction in the Saga historical universe and the progress he's making towards it. They also talk about Saga tournaments at various conventions in 2022 and which ones they are planning to attend. To check out Mike's Mongols he's painting up (and accounts of his games), go to his Lead Legionaries blog: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com.

Host Mike Demana interviews Graham Coates, a British Saga player who runs Graham's Wargame Vault on YouTube. Graham has more than 30 videos of his Saga games with local players on his channel (as well as other games like Sharp's Practice). Graham talks about how he started this project in response to the Covid lockdown, and he and Mike share laughs about his battles with his regular opponent, Wayne. After talking about the various ways he's recorded his episodes, and the pitfalls he's run into, the two branch off to talk about Graham's favorite armies. Graham goes into detail about his personal favorite, the Norse-Gaels. Graham talks about his build, his general strategy, and the two exchange tips for using them to generate loads of attack dice to unleash upon an unsuspecting foe. Graham and Mike then switch topics to Age of Invasions and what armies have caught their eyes. Check out Graham's YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHErwM-Bu0GoJB3jDgZpxQ. 

If you're interested in checking out Mike's own fledgling YouTube channel for his videotaped interviews of veterans, check out the link here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJX-GtMffkb9DEs-ECavDiA

After a 3-month layoff, I interview Andrew Bertelsen, who was the winner in our CincyCon 2021 Saga Tournament. Andrew brought his Irish to the Age of Vikings tournament and discusses his preparation, the reason for his build, and how his games went. He gives tips for playing the scenarios used from Book of Battles as well as insight into his tactics on the battlefield. Andrew is an Illinois area Saga player who was turned on to Saga at Adepticons past, and is a regular attendee there. He has been successful at those tournaments as well as our Cincycon tourney, of course. Mike and Andrew go on to discuss their plans for Age of Invasions and what lies ahead for each of them.

Host Mike Demana welcomes experienced UK Saga Tourney player Mark Birch in this episode which is all about Age of Hannibal. Mark recounts his plans, outcomes, and takeaways from participating in the Northern Tempest Age of Hannibal tournament on July 4, 2021. If you are interested in building an army from Age of Hannibal, THIS is the episode for you! Mark analyzes the Iberian army he took and its strengths and weaknesses against the armies he faced (Gauls, Romans, Carthaginians). In addition, Mike and Mark discuss the other armies in the book, too, and how they stack up against each other. Mark has been playing Saga since version 1 was released, so his analysis is insightful and helpful to both novice and experienced players. Mark then looks ahead to Age of Alexander and gives some of his predictions on what we may see from that release. 

Host Mike Demana welcomes Andy Lyon, one of the top Saga players in tournaments in the UK and abroad. Andy describes his recent victory in the Northern Tempest Age of Hannibal tournament (July 4, 2021). He gives details about how he took a different approach to playing the Gauls, and shares some of the tricks of the trade for a Gaulish warlord. Andy gives a rundown on each of his battles, picking out key moments that led ot his victories. Mike compares some of what happened in Andy's games to his own recent Saga weekend, taking his Moors to Minneapolis to play with Monty Luhmann's "Saga Storm" group. Mike gets Andy's input on the best way to set up a Saga tournament, soliciting his opinion on the planned setup for the Oct. 2 Advance the Colors Saga tournament. Andy also gives advice to players on how to prepare for and compete in a Saga tournament. Check out Episode 16 for insights from one of the UK's most prolific and successful Saga players!

Host Mike Demana welcomes his old friend, Saga enthusiast Jason Mirosavich onto the podcast. The two talk about Jason's all-time favorite Saga army, the Scots. Jason gives some historical background of the army, and then talks about his warband's composition. Mike compares his build that he used in his 8-0 run with the Scots (he prefers to call them to Viking-age Picts) jn Saga Ohio games to Jason's army. The two analyze the strengths of the Scot's battle board and each compare the combinations of advanced abilities that they preferred to use against their enemies. Jason talks about what he is painting now, and how he plans to sell some Saga armies (see Jason's gaming blog: http://mirosgames.blogspot.com/). He also gives some advice on how he prepares for a Saga tournament, which will hopefully include Jason flying up from South Carolina to Ohio for Cincycon 2021!

Host Mike Demana welcomes Rodge from the Saga Thorsday video blog. The two talk about how Rodge made the jump to playing Saga about six years ago, and what inspired him to begin recording his blog about the game. Rodge tells listeners a little about his group in Wisconsin and then begins our discussion on his latest army -- the Pagan Peoples from Age of Crusades. Rodge talks about the build he uses (which produce NINE Saga dice!), and the modifications he's done to it after playing his games. The two analyze the battle board and Rodge reveals some of the "tricks" from these Baltic peoples' Santa Claus-sized bag of tricks. He goes into detail which advanced Saga abilities pair best with which others, and how to best do the "teleporting Pagans" stratagem. The two talk more about their upcoming meeting at a Saga game day in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and ponder what lies ahead in the future for the game of Saga. Join us for an hour or so of good Saga discussion and learn from Rodge, one of the masters of the game!

Host Mike Demana welcomes Monty Luhmann from Saga Thorsday as his special guest for this podcast. They talk about Monty's Saga Storm group in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and some plans Monty has for getting gaming going again in the area and building enthusiasm. Next, Monty details his Baltic Crusaders list, talking listeners through how he sets up and deploys his army. The two talk about terrain selection and what battle board abilities best augment the Baltic version of the Crusader list, and which are less useful. Next, Mike unveils how he would "attack" Monty's army using his Moors faction from Age of Crusades. Monty returns the favor and says how he would try to turn the tables on the Moors and attack Mike's army. He then goes on to give some tips for the Saga Ohio folks on ideas to end the Moors' winning streak in Saga Ohio game days. The two then sketch out plans for Mike to visit the twin cities area for some Saga during his summer off from teaching. Be sure to check out Monty and Rodge on Saga Thorsday (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHu09rW_Wgkd7TG7F0hcgUOF0sm6bzjQL). And for more on Mike's Moors, visit his Lead Legionaries blog: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

The more the merrier! Host Mike Demana welcomes the "Next Generation" -- Jason Stelzer and his cousins, Daniel & Thomas Moehn. All are 29-year-old Saga players introduced to the game through the Saga Ohio group. Mike and the trio discuss their battles against each other from the latest Saga game day at the Guardtower East. Jason goes into depth about the tactics he uses for his Age of Invasions Romans. Thomas talks about the Levantine Crusaders, with much of the conversation revolving around the effectiveness of Fanatic pilgrims. Daniel talks about his forays with the Norse-Irish, recounting what went wrong in his games with Thomas and Jason. All share their excitement about Saga, and their plans for future armies or how they'll possibly change up the compositions of their warbands.

Springfield, OH, area ancients gamer Bob Boggs joins host Mike Demana for a conversation about a variety of Saga topics. The two discuss Bob's Baltic Crusader army that he has been playing with good success, lately. Bob shares his ideas on army composition and why he chooses Henry the Lion as a legendary leader. He uses his game at the recent Saga game day to discuss tactics and how he uses a mobile army. Naturally, the conversation turns to Bob's first love, Rome and Roman armies. Bob talks about his current painting projects and Mike reveals a new Saga army purchase he's very tempted to pull the trigger on. The two also talk about how much fun they have at Ancient tournaments and getting together with the Saga Ohio community. Bob makes Mike's day when he reveals that he is foregoing participating in Flames or War or Bolt Action in favor of the Saga tournament (sponsored by Gripping Beast) at this October's Advance the Colors convention in Springfield, OH. Listen in on an hour of good Saga conversation in the 10th episode of this podcast.

Host Mike Demana is joined by long-time friend Mike Stelzer, and the two chat about a variety of topics revolving around Saga. Mr. Stelzer talks about the gaming he's been able to get in during COVID, including with his son and nephews (aka the "Next Generation"). They ponder how the effect of troop types vary widely depending on their army's battle board. They also debate relative balance of each of the "Age" books vs. each other. The two talk about the painting projects they have underway, and some good by historical fiction and Hollywood inspiration. Both Mikes compare Saga to their previous Ancient's fascination, DBA (De Bellis Antiquitatis rules). They discuss similarities and differences and whether Saga tournaments can be the "next" DBA at conventions in their area. Both talk about how they are looking forward to the return of their twice-monthly Saga Ohio game days -- see the group FB page for info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/898250580194501.

Host Mike Demana is joined by two Saga players from the Toledo area, Keith Hammack and Brian Burchett. They talk about their very active group that meets weekly at the Toledo Game Room. They are just starting to get back together again after the COVID lockdown, and give a nice rundown of the armies players field regularly -- including quite a few Age of Hannibal armies. Keith talks in detail about the Carthaginians, analyzing and breaking down their battle board. Brian chimes in with a good conversation about the Gauls, covering their strengths and weaknesses. He also makes a short pitch for the Graeculi board in Age of Hannibal, as well. If you are in the Toledo area, join Brian and Keith for some great Saga gaming. They are on Facebook as "Toledo Historical Miniature Gaming." If you are in Central Ohio or the Dayton area, the Saga Ohio players will begin meeting again in April & May.

Lots of good Saga conversation in this episode! Host Mike Demana is joined by his guest from Episode 01, Jim Beegan. The two discuss the potency of Jim's Jomsviking army, which he feels is one of the toughest in the game. Mike then introduces his next army, Carolingians, and they discuss tactics he has used in his battles so far and whether his list is too one-dimensional. After analyzing both armies, the pair talk about Jim's amazing pandemic project to create a slew of spring, summer, autumn, and winter boards -- each with its own set of packaged terrain (with all possible options!). Tune in and join in on the Saga goodness! Also see host Mike's Lead Legionaries blog: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com

Host Mike Demana welcomes Cincinnati-area Saga veteran Adrian John. The two discuss Adrian's favorite, all-time army: The Normans. They talk about how he fields his Normans and which abilities on the battle board give them the best chance of success. Mike then draws Adrian out on how he approaches a game and formulates his battle plans (of which Adrian is a master). They talk about the things to consider to give a warlord the best chance of prevailing in victory. Adrian shares his opinion on his current project, Graeculi for Age of Hannibal, and the two talk about what they'd like to see next from Studio Tomahawk. For battle reports from Saga Ohio game days, check out Mike's Lead Legionaries blog: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/. Also see our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/898250580194501

Host Mike Demana is joined by Columbus area Tyler Putman. The two talk about Tyler's favorite army -- Irish from Age of Vikings. We discuss the strengths of the faction along with what battle board abilities Tyler uses regularly. They talk about the Irish's strengths and weaknesses. Tyler and Mike also talk painting -- including Tyler's recent air brushing and oil washes. They look ahead to the army he's working on, the Numidians from Age of Hannibal. Finally, they announce two Saga tournaments for 2021: Advance the Colors, Oct. 1-2 in Springfield, OH, and Cincycon 2021 in Cincinnati Oct 23.

In this episode, host Mike Demana chats with Jim Randall about his Byzantine army from Age of Crusades. Jim gives a historical background of the army in addition to detailing his warband composition. Jim talks about his basic battle plan with the Byzantines, along with how he uses the various forces in the army. Jim and Mike analyze the Byzantine battle board and how to get the most from the army's Advanced Saga abilities. Be sure to also check out the host's Lead Legionaries blog where you will read about the games Jim and other members of Saga Ohio have played: http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/. A special thanks and shout out to Joe and Jim on the Northern Tempest Saga podcast, as well as Rodge and Monty on Saga Thorday, for their kind words about this podcast! You guys are my inspiration!

Saga Ohio host Mike Demana welcomes Columbus Saga enthusiast Andy Swingle - one of the key players in the formation of our Saga Ohio group. The two talk about how the group came about. They also discuss the current army Andy's playing (Anglo-Saxons) and go in depth analyzing the battle board. They also discuss the optimum build for this army. Andy also talks a bit about his Age of Hannibal army, the Gauls, and the one game he played with them. Feel free to comment on this episode through the Anchor app!

Saga Ohio host Mike Demana welcomes Dayton area Saga enthusiast Jim Beegan for a chat about the miniatures game from Studio Tomahawk. Jim talks about his favorite armies, and the two analyze both the Viking and Jomsviking boards. They do detailed analysis on Jim's favorite - the Skraelings. Each talks about what's on their painting table, future projects, and upcoming Saga Game Days and a first-ever Saga Ohio tournament.