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Fire and Axe makes a good gateway game, a bridge between experienced gamers and newbies. By and large, the game is structured that if you think like a viking, you'll probably do pretty well. Go out and rampage and pillage. The more you do, the more points you get. While the dice can ruin even the most well-laid plan, there's still room for more skilled players to strategize. In particular, you want to try to figure out how to accomplish as much on a single trip as you can before you have to go home and resupply. There isn't a lot of direct conflict between players, making this more of a scavenger hunt game rather than a wargame, but you can park your boat in a port to block other players out, and there are runecards you can play to mess with each other's plans.

Fire and Axe is probably weakest as a two player game, because of one mechanic in particular. Because it's the person that completes the last step of the saga card that claims it, you need to be careful not to do half the work, then leave the last step wide open for your opponent to jump in and steal. With only two players, this can lead to very short, conservative turns that end up dragging the game, as neither player is willing to risk a partial card until they can do it all at once. It won't stall out completely, because sooner or later someone WILL be able to do a card all at once, but it can still affect the pace. A third player breaks up the symmetry. If two players enter a standoff, the third can just go somewhere else and not worry about slowing down. In any case, the game has a sort of free-for-all feel that's better suited to more players anyway.

Fire and Axe is a game that's probably worth adding to any collection. The bad news is you might not be able to. Unfortunately, the game is out of print, and there are no plans for a reprint. Ragnar Brothers, who made the original game as Viking Fury, are offering the original version again. Unfortunately, this doesn't include the improvements that Asmodée added to the game, like the higher quality components and extra rune cards. If you can find a copy of Fire and Axe, maybe a used or forgotten copy at your local game store, it's well worth snagging.

First of, the production is gorgeous. Fire & Axe is a game that feels very much in line with, say, a typical Days of Wonder production. That includes everything from components to gameplay weight to thematic integration. Heck, even the rulebook looks like a Days of Wonder game. Good job Asmodee.

As for the actual gameplay it generally works. The game provides players with many options as to how to score points and then turns everyone loose. In that sense this is really an optimization sort of game. How can I get the most points in the most efficient way? There are enough ways to score points that it isn't immediately obvious which paths are better than others. That's really what makes the game work. If you could immediately see that, say, settling rewards more points than a trade strategy or a saga strategy (for example) then the game would break down. I would anticipate that the game's long term potential will be very much determined by how quickly players are able to figure out which point options are more efficient. The fun of Fire & Axe is the process of figuring that out.

That said, I do question the game's long term potential. The game doesn't create interesting decisions in and of itself, it's really all about learning how to best work the system. Clocking in at 90 minutes or so the game tends to get fairly repetitive by the end. You play the same basic turns all game: load, move, do some actions, start again in a turn or two. There's little sense of progress in that. I really think the reason something like Hansa works is because it ends right about at the point where you start to think the game is getting samey. Fire & Axe breaks that rule. There's also a slight downtime issue. Player turns aren't overly long, but they're substantial enough to add up when you have to sit there and do nothing through 3 or 4 of them. Interaction is generally low, which doesn't help.

Begin a thematic and light game Fire & Axe might also seem like a good potential gateway game. Unfortunately there are lots of small subsystems to learn, and a ton of different ways to score. It's the sort of thing the Eurogamer will put up with, the Amerigamer will latch onto and the non-gamer will gloss over.

Ultimately Fire & Axe feels more like a system than a game and I have a feeling it's going to wear out quickly. That's not to say it's not enjoyable or that it doesn't work. The game just doesn't present players with new situations or resulting interesting decisions. I'd say Fire & Axe is definitely worth trying but probably not worth purchasing. Kudos on the production though.