Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Academy Games 878 Vikings Invasions of England

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2018

Vikings 878 is another great game using the area-control and card-driven action selection from Academy Games' acclaimed "Birth Of America" (now Birth of Europe?) series of light war games (1754 French and Indian War; 1775 Birth of The American Revolution; 1812 The Invasion of Canada)!

Like all of the previous war games, Viking is easy to learn, quick to play (under 2 hours once you lean it), but DEEP in strategy! Don't let the term 'light' fool you. These games have multiple layers of strategy and tough decision making. Yet, they play like a mixture of a Euro-Style area control game, a bit of deck-building and die rolling Ameri-THRASH! Somehow, the mixing of different gaming mechanisms works brilliantly. Both Euro-gamers and Ameri-THRASH players can enjoy these games!

The game can be played in teams of 2v2 or 1v1. Each side plays one of four factions (2 per side). Each faction has it's own units and deck of action cards that can be played during the game. Turn order is randomly determined by drawing cubes of each factions color from a bag. This makes turn order hugely important! Factions can then then move their units by playing cards with movement values on them. What's interesting (and critical) is that factions can move their units AND any units of the other faction (of their side) if they are in the same Shire! This makes 'combined arms' placement crucial to effectively getting the most out of your units. Even more importantly, in combat when you chose your losses, you have to be careful! Wipe out all the units of one faction, and you may not be able to use the other faction units that survived the battle for a whole other turn! This is a fascinating mechanic and makes every turn, and every die roll, filled with tension!

And these games-and Vikings 878 is no exception-are STEEPED IN THEME and history!

As the Viking player, you will feel the power as command seemingly unstoppable hordes of Viking warriors and berserkers intend upon plundering the Saxon kingdoms and carving out your own kingdom! You'll get historical leaders to direct your invasion of the British Isles. You win if you take over 14 major Anglo-Saxon cities and shires. Do you strike at the lightly defending north country? Then from the north, establish kingdoms from which you will slowly, methodically and relentlessly crush your Anglo-Saxon foe? Or, do you do a lightning strike at the populated, and well defended, midlands and southern England? Doing so is risky, but it might allow you to strike a deadly blow the Saxons from which they may never recover from!

As the Anglo-Saxon player, you will feel the desperation as you fight for survival against the never-ending waves of invincible heathen hordes! England has been caught by surprise by the Viking onslaught and is hopelessly outclassed by the Northmen when the game begins. You must play for time as you marshal your forces. Where do you defend? The Vikings can strike from anywhere! Do you allow large swaths of England to burn?You must pick and choose your battles carefully. You automatically win by wiping the Vikings off the map!

There is also a third way for wither faction to win: there are treaty cards contained within each faction deck. When one faction plays both treaty cards from it's side (the Treaty Of Wedmore), a truce is declared. If the Vikings have 9 Saxon centers/cities when this happens, they win. If they have less, the Saxons win.

17 people found this helpful

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GFDS

Superb and edgy

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a great game. Simple to learn, quick to play (1-2 hours typically). A LOT of fun and a challenge to win. We have played maybe 10 times so far and no two games have been the same.
You can't relax when playing this game as the balance of play shifts constantly. Just when you think you have beaten back the Viking hoarde something happens and you are on the back foot again. Same when playing the other side. That's what makes it a great game.
The other two things worthy of note:
1. The playing pieces are of the highest quality and very well thought through. It is a pleasure to use them.
2. The playing mechanics are simple and yet seem somehow to evoke the challenges of the time very well. The game designers have done a great job here.
Overall - definitely recommended. This is our 2nd game from this company, and we have since bought a third based on our experiences with them so far.

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Melanie

Fantastic Dudes on a Map game

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is one of my favorite Dudes on a Map games, hands down. A really unique light war game with fantastic dice combat. I got this game after seeing it on Shut Up & Sit Down's review of it on youtube, and while I love the game, I do have to disagree with their assessment of it being a great 4 player game. I've yet to find a group of people that all can get into this game and play it to its fullest. I find it best as a 2 player game(especially with its expansion), with 3 or 4 players only coming in if they all truly understand it and enjoy it.
It's a great simple game, with its mechanics being borrowed very very heavily from its sister franchises in the 1812 and Revolutionary periods. But thats fine. This game is far more refined and and boasts much better quality, IMO.
In terms of components, I found the quality of all the pieces to pretty top notch for the price. Some of the little guys had bent spears, and the board, while totally fine in terms of art detail, was a little frayed at the ends and made the mating of the segments a little iffy, and thus wouldn't lay completely flat.
Game is VERY dice combat heavy, but the dice being nice unique combat dice, its okay. It's very fun rolling your factions dice and seeing what happens, with each factions dice being totally unique. I do wish there was a smidge more depth to the combat, but for what it is its pretty fun, more so than the go to standard Dudes on a Map game for most people, Risk. Factions are asymmetrical in terms of combat ability and round structure, making the game really fun to try both sides and explore the different tactics for each.

All in all, a fantastic value for the price, if your looking for a fairly simple dice intensive wargame. Will admit the box lies, and my standard game time has averaged out at about 2-2.5 hours with the same person, so even with another playthrough with the same person the game can be a slog, at least if its played out its full 7 turns. But that being said I haven't had a game yet that didn't come down to the wire. A great game with only minor complaints. Hoping for more from this particular franchise and publisher.

5 people found this helpful

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Aaron Bundy

Fantastic Game!

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

Judging games can be a very subjective process but for me this game hit it out of the park. The rules are a little daunting but if you push through the game is really not that complicated.

It is an asymmetrical war game recreating the clash between Viking raiders and “eventually” Alfred the great. For me it fires on all cylinders. I love asymmetric games and this one is well balanced.

My two favorite aspects of the game are:
1. It is so much fun! If you’re the Vikings you get to bring wave after wave of raiders to the island. But the plucky English are not easily dispatched. They have an almost indomitable tenacity which serves them well. The two sides play very different and there is plenty on tension for both, but like I said they seem to be well balanced.

2. A lot of my play thoughs recreated actual historical events. In one game in particular Alfred had to hold up in a swamp in the southwestern part of the island to rebuild his forces. I’m amazed that a game as fun as this one is can unfold similar to how these events actually occurred.

As a two player game it is heavily strategic, while a three or four player game might not be quite as coordinated it is still a lot of fun. I personally like playing a 2 or 4 player games and not 3.

To sum up, if you like asymmetrical, strategic, and generally historically accurate games then you can’t go wrong with this one.

5 people found this helpful

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Nemo

Keep playing it gets better and better

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great game that was ruff if you play as the English the first time. You may feel overwhelmed as the Vikings keep on taking city after city and you don't think that there is any way to recover and you might not! I recommend that you keep playing and change sides often. Every game is unique and I had fun learning how to improve my strategy. The team aspect of the game makes it special and you never feel like you have to make decitions on your own if you have a four player game. It still works with three and some players prefer to work alone as a team of one.

One person found this helpful

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Pviv66

great gome

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

gret buy great fun but do not wast money on teh leades. the cardboard standees look better. infact the main game plays quite well witho out any add on do not wst money on them

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TomBlev

Fun game that plays well each time

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

A really fun game that plays differently each time. As you learn more and more through each iteration it changes your strategy and how to play. It's a fantastic game that I would recommend to anyone.

One person found this helpful

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Richard J. Sciacca

One of my absolute favorite games

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love Viking themes and am a fan of "The Last Kingdom", so I may be a little biased, but I've played the game numerous times with many different players and they overwhelmingly love this game. Great combination of luck and strategy. The cards give the game a nice flavor as well. Also love the fact that it can be played in a single sitting. Can't get enough of this one.

One person found this helpful

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Dave King

Best of recent Viking titles

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

Of all the recent Viking titles, I like this one the best. Minis were disappointing. Likewise the gameboard graphics. That said, game play is quite good.

One person found this helpful

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D. Diepenbruck

Fun and historic

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

As a fan of the Vikings TV show it is great to see this game kind of bring it to life in an invasion form.

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