Academy Games 878 Vikings Age Expansion

A fantastic addition to the base game 878 Vikings Invasions of England. It comes with individual modular expansions that can be played all together, or separately. There are 9 expansions in total that either simply add an additional feature or change the base game.The first expansion that could be added is "War for Lands and Gods." It adds a new win feature for the Viking player(s) that is about pillaging churches that are placed by the English player. It also includes new Viking forts that can help give a footing for those players by having a stronghold to defend from.The second expansion gives special powers to the Viking or English side for controlling areas of the board. The third expansion gives four king cards to each faction in the game, four total, that gives a one time special maneuver.Runes and Prayers are the fourth expansion and it gives a random dice roll at the start of each battle that can be traded in for divine intervention. The fifth gives each side special relics and holy sites that will empower the Viking leaders, and give English players a more powerful location. That last four are by far what is used the most for playing the game.Expansion six gives achievements for each side to try complete to remove control markers, Vikings, or add control markers, English.Epic battle events is the seven expansion, it makes the Fyrd deck more helpful and problematic. A random set of three event cards are shuffled into the yellow Fyrd deck. When the Fyrd is drawn and event could happen that can change the course of the battle.Viking ships, expansion 8, and Viking leaders, expansion 9, help give the Viking players some more to do. Viking ships allows the invading Viking player to place a ship in the spot he invaded. This gives a permanent spawn point for other Vikings returning to the board. It also allows them to travel from one ship to another ship on the board. The catch is an English troop could burn it down if they cross its path. The last expansion gives two extra Viking leaders. Ragnar Lodbrok is a new starting leader that gives a special ability that counts the first roll of command symbols as flee symbols. The second leader is Lagertha, a female leader that can invade the board at any time with another leader. She gives a greater chance at success for the Viking player(s).Taking everything into consideration that the base game gives, this expansion makes the game even more pleasant and strategic. Expansions 7-9 should be used in every game as it gives each side more to do and defend. They are also the easiest to teach new players with these additions to the base game. Expansion six is fun as it allows an unknown variable to effect the game as Vikings can achieve victory of 9, or 14, control markers as their achievement cards can house them. The limited amount of card playing for each clan deck also makes expansion three fun with surprising twists and support from kings. Any interests in 878 Vikings should come with the inclusion of the Viking Age Expansion as it adds so much more to an amazing game!

The Vikings Age expansion is a cool 'modular' expansion to Alliance Games Vikings 878. There are 9 small expansions that Viking Age contains that can be add/removed as the players wish. Many of them are kinda' neat, but don't feel mandatory. Unfortunately,I feel they are very hit and miss, and may have play balance issues.Module #1: War For Lands And Gods-This module adds churches and Viking forts/settlements. Churches allow the Saxon player to recruit an additional Fryd card when the Vikings plunder them. Viking forts/settlements give the Viking player more units/dice when they are attacked by the Saxon player. It also changes the win conditions: the Saxons win if there are churches are standing when the Treaty of Wedmore is signed; the Vikings win if they burn all the churches and destroy Christianity in England. Love the idea. MY SCORE: 9/10, but heavily favors the Vikings. Will only use this with experienced Saxon players.Module #2: Kingdoms: This module give the four historical Saxon kingdoms 'special powers' for which ever faction controls them. Neat, but I can take or leave it. MY SCORE: 7/10. Favors the Saxons early, but can lead to a runway Vikings victory if the Viking gods give them victory in battle favors them.Module #3: Kings: This module adds Saxon client kings- that all factions can control-to the game. These kings have special powers/abilities and are played like event cards. I like these and they're very thematic and don't unbalance the game. MY SCORE: 8/10. Balanced. I will always use this add-on.Module #4: Runes and Prayer: This module adds more dice (Saxon prayer dice; Viking rune dice). Adds WAY more randomness to battles and makes the game way more swingy! Meh. MY SCORE: 5/10Module #5: Relics and Holy Sites: This module adds Saxon and Viking relics that have special powers. Great idea, thematic, historic...but WIDELY unbalanced. Some relics and holy sites are WAY better then others, and can really throw the game balanced way off. Furthermore, for the Saxon player, his holy sites are placed on the board! This means they can be taken over by the Vikings, and thus losing it's power, or even giving the Vikings a variation of the power!! OUCH! The Viking player CAN lose his as well, but it's much harder. I want to like/love this module, but I have to be honest and say this module favors the Vikings way too much! MY SCORE: 5/10Module #6: Legends: This module adds legends, which are basically objectives for each faction to achieve. When the Vikings achieve a legend, they get to add another control marker to the victory track; if the Saxons complete a legend, they get to remove a Viking control marker! I really like this add-on. It adds an even more hectic give and take to the victory track. MY SCORE: 9/10. I will always use this add on.Module #7: Epic Battle Events: This module is the most divisive! Epic battle events adds more powerful 'event cards' that are added to the Fyrd deck! This card's event takes over during that one battle (the Saxon player still gets a regular Fyrd card). But, wow, these events and be AWESOME, HUGE, GAME CHANGING events...and they can really SCREW over one or more factions. They can make the Vikings LOSE ON TURN ONE! I've seen it! These cards, despite their cool effects, were NOT playtested enough! Ugh!! I do NOT recommend using these without some serious HOUSE RULES!. MY SCORE: 4/10; 7/10* (*house ruled version).Module #8: Viking Ships: This module adds Viking ships which gives the Viking player more ways to control coastal shires of England. A Viking ship counts as a control marker in terms control, placing reinforcements, but not for the Victory Track. The Saxon player can 'burn' the ships by moving units to the coastal shire containing the ship(s). Neat and Thematic that only gives the Vikings a slight advantage. MY SCORE: 8/10. I will always play with module.Module #9: Legendary Leaders: This adds two new Viking leaders-from the Vikings TV Series, Ragnar and Lagertha! They have interesting special powers too boot. MY SCORE: 10/10. I will always play with this module.