r/OathsandBanners

PLAYTESTERS WANTED Oaths & Banners — Dark Age Skirmish Wargame

I’m looking for a few serious external playtesters for Oaths & Banners, a Dark Age tabletop skirmish game currently in active development through Hexwerks Studios.

The game focuses on:

* shieldwalls

* collapsing nerve

* small battlefield parties

* command pressure

* brutal local melees

* Vikings, Saxons, Normans, and Irish warbands

Core mechanics include:

* alternating party activations

* Courage & Wavering systems

* Shieldwall mechanics

* combined melees

* scenario-driven battles

* campaign-style household warbands

Gameplay is designed around:

“holding ground, preserving nerve, seizing momentum, and deciding when the raid matters more than the clash.”

Current playtest focus:

* onboarding clarity

* combat flow

* warband construction

* scenario balance

* Shieldwall interactions

* overall battlefield feel

The game is:

* miniature agnostic

* designed primarily for 28mm

* inspired by gritty Dark Age warfare rather than high fantasy superheroes

If you like games such as:

* Saga

* Lion Rampant

* Ravenfeast

* Mordheim

* older Warhammer skirmish/campaign systems

…you’ll probably feel right at home here.

I’m specifically looking for people willing to:

* actually get games on the table

* provide honest criticism

* test edge cases

* break rules interactions

* report usability issues

Not just:

“Looks cool.”

Comment or DM if interested and I’ll get you the current playtest packet.