Unboxing the Pillage Introductory Set
Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy has been sent a copy of the new Pillage Introductory Set. We thought our readers and the wargaming community as a whole might like to take a peek inside.
The game comes in a printed cardboard sleeve box. Once the plastic sticky tape is removed from both ends, the cardboard drawer can be pushed out to reveal the box's contents. This sleeve is a little fragile, but I'd expect players to store their finished models elsewhere.
Inside, the contents are all neatly stacked. My drawer was upside down, but that wasn't an issue, as I spotted it before I had a chance to empty the contents onto the floor.
Oddly, for a starter set, there are no D6s included, so if you are giving it to a new wargamer, it might be an idea to buy some D6s to go with it. As most wargamers have dozens of D6s already, this won't be an issue.
The first sprues out of the box were the new plastic 'A' frame Dark Age building from Victrix. This 'pit house' style of building gives the game a central piece of terrain to fight over or set on fire!
The detailing is good, and the instructions for the building's construction can be found in the starter handbook. This type of building is used worldwide (notably with the Japanese Minka house), so with a little conversion, this kit might be usable elsewhere.
The set also comes with six Irish warriors and eight Viking raiders, some wattle fencing (always a useful thing to have), and a mixed loot frame, consisting of animals, sacks, and barrels (well, you need something for the Vikings to steal!). The models are just enough to get a gamer started, and thinking about buying more! The fencing is slightly larger than the sprues produced by Renedra. The loot sprue is new, and looks like a combination of Victrix's other loot sets.
The Vikings do have the better forces, outnumbering the Irish and are armoured too, but there is some balance restored with the scenarios in the book.
Finally, there are also punch-out counters provided for the Pillage game, and a paper battlemat - which will be good enough for the first few games at least. The tokens include two rulers, wound markers, coins (for looting), and fire markers (for all you pyromaniacs out there).
Bases are provided for all the models - which is also a nice touch. There should be more than enough for the animals, men, and the odd bit of loot, should you choose to base it.
The 48-page rulebook is a true introduction to the hobby, carefully explaining the construction of the models, how to play the game, and three simple scenarios. There is also a simple two-page painting guide.
Overall, this is a nice set that will introduce players to the Dark Age era. The Pillage rules are simple enough to be learned by younger players too; just tell them what they need to roll on a D6, and they'll pick it up in no time.
