Valhalla's Gate

A Game of Broken Shields & Iron Wills

From the frozen fjords of Norway to the mist-shrouded shores of Anglo-Saxon England, the North Sea is a highway of iron and timber. In Valhalla’s Gate, the clash of battle is decided not merely by the strength of a warrior’s sword-arm, but by the unbroken resolve of the shieldwall and the tactical cunning of its chieftain.

Scalable from quick 1-on-1 Warband Clashes (500 pts) and standard 2-on-2 Host Battles up to massive 8-player Shieldwall Epic Battles (1500 pts per side), the game combines simultaneous hidden planning with decisive, low-bookkeeping melee resolution.

Core System Pillars

• The Oaths Phase & Command Dice: Each round begins simultaneously. Players roll 3D6 to generate a personal Command Dice pool—spending Axe dice (1-3) to reroll their own dice, Shield dice (4-5) to force opponent rerolls, and Helmet dice (6) to trigger game-changing Heroic Actions.
• Secret Orders & Bluffing: Secretly assign face-down Move, Charge, or Shieldwall tokens to each unit. Bluff enemy chieftains or use the Tactical Genius heroic action to swap orders right before the charge hits.
• Frontage & The Grand Clash: Formation width matters. The more warriors brought into base-to-base contact along the battle line, the higher your Clash bonus. When multiple units crash into a single defender, combat resolves seamlessly in a single cinematic Grand Clash.
• Unit Resolve Over Wound-Tracking: Units fight at full effectiveness until their Resolve pool is depleted by enemy charges, missile volleys, and flank assaults. Once Resolve breaks, the unit routs from the field.
• Hero Duels & The Warlord’s Edict: When heroes clash in a charge, players can spend an Axe die to initiate an honorable 1-on-1 duel. Slaying the enemy Warlord sends a devastating shockwave of panic through the opposing host.

Historical Factions & Scenarios

• Vikings: Aggressive raiding playstyle driven by ferocious Hirdmen, Berserkers, and devastating charge bonuses.
• Anglo-Saxons (The Shieldburg): Unyielding defensive masters who lock shields into impenetrable bulwarks to grind enemies down through patient attrition.
• Included Scenarios: Features pitched frontal battles (The Shield Wall), asymmetric convoy defenses (The Ambush & The Messenger), and high-stakes dueling circles (Trial of Champions).