Game of Thrones Board Game

[Shnorge]

To play on VASSAL you have to act just like you're playing the real board game. It doesn't enforce any rules, you just get all the pieces and board and everyone has to move their pieces like they're playing it in real life. It would be really hard to play it on VASSAL without already knowing how in real life.

[Captain Victarion Greyjoy]

I play IRL very often , the problem is that one of my mates thinks his Robert Baratheon and so he drinks until he gets shit drunk .

Once 2 tyrell power token were in his beer....how the fuck that happend ? no knows.

And the last time he spilled beer over the table on to the starks orders , he then tryed to wipe them on the t-shirt and now we can distinquish the orders cus they have less collour on them.

So you see my problem...untill we get a new game vassal option was pretty cool

[DaveSumm]

Dance with Dragons expansion pack turned up today, very very very slightly dented pack so that one singular Baratheon house card is slightly bent......thus kind of giving away what it is from behind.....which is a shame. But anyway, it's cool. The starting scenario basically covers every single area so you'd pretty much be straight into combat. Some much more drastic house cards as well, for example Mance Rayder who takes on the combat strength of the Wildling Track......so a possible 10 I guess. Blimey.

[Sturn]

I have both the 1st edition and 2nd edition of this game and the old expansion. My replies to what I read above:

• This is my favorite board game of all time. It's simple enough to play while being complex in modeling so many things - supply, politics, subterfuge, warfare, etc. Other games can model all of these, but do so in a tedious manner usually. I have a heap of boardgames in my basement dating back to the 70's. I'm a "grognared". I will repeat, this is my favorite and most played during the last 1/2 decade. My other 2 boardgame friends also pick this game as their top choice.
  
• The game works fine with 3 players, especially by using the 2nd edition. I've only ever played with 3 players.
  
• The game is well liked by non-SoIaF fans. In fact my 2 family members who play this game were introduced to Westeros by it. They loved the boardgame then started reading the books, not the other way around. Westeros is just the flavor of the game, the system could be used for many different settings. About the only thing you might need to explain is that wildlings are the barbarians of the north and the symbology of the 3 tokens - Sword represents military power or noble house alliances, Throne represents political might, and Raven represents a spy network.
  
• Buy the 2nd edition. It is the best of the 1st editon + expansions melded. Much of the expansions' optional rules were to address minor issues in the 1st edition. All of the house/expansion rules I used are together in one box with the 2nd edition. The only thing I miss in the 2nd editon is the plastic vs. wood pieces. We use the wood pieces of the 1st edition purely for aesthetics.
  

[McCloskey]

Ok...the expansion came out

http://www.fantasyfl...s.asp?eidn=3493

Can't wait to get my hands on it....The Mountain that play's

Has anyone played the expansion yet? Is it worth it?

[Carlot dan Eider]

I've been on the fence about buying this game for months because I don't have a lot of friends who are into ASOIAF. After skimming the reviews in this thread, I think I will definitely pick it up. I'm excited to force my friends to play this with me!

[Captain Victarion Greyjoy]

Has anyone played the expansion yet? Is it worth it?

I played it once , and I won with Baratheon. Man...Stanis and Mance cards are so awesome , especially when my mates are a bunch of cheapskates that don't bid to defeat the wildings.

-The game becomes more dynamic

-ITTAKES LESS TIME TO PLAY IT -only 6 rounds

-More balanced then previous version

-More card combos and very intresting ones

The only downfall is that you have to play it with 6 people.

[DaveSumm]

I had a go with the house cards, but not six player. The Mance card screwed me a few times, and Martell made a grievous error by not reading the Doran card properly and losing all four combat strength (I assume I'm reading this right, he loses one for each discarded card? But gains sword/fort icons? I don't really understand when this would be useful?). Spent the whole game trying to lure my opponent (I was playing 2 player doubles, Bara/Mart vs Lann/Tyr) in to Highgarden so I could use my Margaery Tyrell card (anyone invading a home area drops to two) but it never happened.

It was this game that made me realise I hate Tyrell. The only castles other than Oldtown within reach are The Reach and Starfall: The Reach will almost certainly be surrounded by Baratheon in KL and Storms End, and the number of surrounding (ie supporting) areas means odds are that Baratheon will hold it. Starfall would be feasible if it didn't share a sea area with Martell, but as it is Martell will inevitably take it. I tried to reach it first, but you can't use ship transport because you've got no means of mustering (they start with no special orders......Gods I HATE playing with no special orders!) so that's lost. Then all these foes set there sights on you, so you have to defend Highgarden and Oldtown. I basically got stuck in a rut: had to defend, so couldn't generate power, NEVER had power tokens, never bid on the Kings Court track, so just defended the whole game. Rubbish.

Anyone have any good Tyrell tips?

[Slurktan]

Anyone have any good Tyrell tips?

Play the expansion. In the Expansion the Tyrells have by far the best position and can win the game in(I believe) 2 turns.

For regular, just make sure to save Loras for fighting Baratheon/Lannister. Dont ever use him against Martell as Arianne completely nullifies him. Basically you want to catch the baratheons with their pants down with the Loras card. Bid on the Raven track with everything you got to get special orders and go from there. They are the worst House pre expansion.

[DaveSumm]

I think I may have got the worst of both worlds with original set-up, aDwD cards. Probably avoid that from now, or maybe leave Tyrell with original cards.

I suppose because of the 'two player doubles' way I was playing, Baratheon and Martell were both working together so The Reach was always gonna go to them. I suppose I should have spared some Lannister forces and helped out. Also I forgot to stick a footman on The Arbor for a guaranteed power token each time, that would've helped.

[IanOfWinterfell]

I have both the 1st edition and 2nd edition of this game and the old expansion. My replies to what I read above:

• This is my favorite board game of all time. It's simple enough to play while being complex in modeling so many things - supply, politics, subterfuge, warfare, etc. Other games can model all of these, but do so in a tedious manner usually. I have a heap of boardgames in my basement dating back to the 70's. I'm a "grognared". I will repeat, this is my favorite and most played during the last 1/2 decade. My other 2 boardgame friends also pick this game as their top choice.
  
• The game works fine with 3 players, especially by using the 2nd edition. I've only ever played with 3 players.
  
• The game is well liked by non-SoIaF fans. In fact my 2 family members who play this game were introduced to Westeros by it. They loved the boardgame then started reading the books, not the other way around. Westeros is just the flavor of the game, the system could be used for many different settings. About the only thing you might need to explain is that wildlings are the barbarians of the north and the symbology of the 3 tokens - Sword represents military power or noble house alliances, Throne represents political might, and Raven represents a spy network.
  
• Buy the 2nd edition. It is the best of the 1st editon + expansions melded. Much of the expansions' optional rules were to address minor issues in the 1st edition. All of the house/expansion rules I used are together in one box with the 2nd edition. The only thing I miss in the 2nd editon is the plastic vs. wood pieces. We use the wood pieces of the 1st edition purely for aesthetics.
  

Well said. I'm glad you enjoy it so much.

[Captain Victarion Greyjoy]

Play the expansion. In the Expansion the Tyrells have by far the best position and can win the game in(I believe) 2 turns.

Tyrells can't win in two turns unless the other players are brainless or they want you to win.

[DaveSumm]

Despite not having a good time with Tyrell, I think the set-up I used is the best two player I've done. I really want to try and find a definitive variant for all player numbers, so far I have:

Two Player: Lannister/Tyrell vs Baratheon/Martell (Pyke impassable)

I've tried L/T vs B/S, but this way you're basically substituting the South for the North as the 'large invadable terrain' in the game so it seemed to make sense as the North doesn't have as many castles, it makes it less important to take it (I did and still lost).

Three Player: As per the rules

Four Player: Not sure here........maybe Lannister, Tyrell, Stark, Baratheon? The problem is that Tyrell's only real option is to take Dorne, so it makes it a bit formulaic. I want to try L/S/B/M to see how that works out, geographically speaking it's perfect. I just worry Lannister has too many easy castles and will always be favourite. Maybe make Riverrun impassable or something?

Five Player: Lannister, Tyrell, Martell, Baratheon, Stark

Six Player: All houses.

The main problem with the game setup in the rules is that with Greyjoy, the Lannisters have too tough a time. Without them, too easy a time. Most variants all work fine except for the Lannister imbalance.

[Corvinus85]

I really wish I could play this game, but I won't buy it since I don't know anybody that plays it. Just like with A Game of Thrones LCG; bought the core set 2 years ago, never found anybody to play with, and now it's gathering dust.

[Captain Victarion Greyjoy]

Any Romainian Fan (living in Bucharest) who is intrested to play , just message me.

[TheWildWolf]

I really wanted to buy this, but I wont have enough people playing for every house. Will i still be worth the purchase ?

[DaveSumm]

I really wanted to buy this, but I wont have enough people playing for every house. Will i still be worth the purchase ?

Absolutely. Three players is still great.

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

Anyone got game experience playing as Lannister with the aDwD expansion?

I know they're in a bad position to start, but how bad is it exactly in terms of the game, i.e. how quickly were Lannister attacked/did they lose castles?

[Slurktan]

Anyone got game experience playing as Lannister with the aDwD expansion?

I know they're in a bad position to start, but how bad is it exactly in terms of the game, i.e. how quickly were Lannister attacked/did they lose castles?

They start terribly. They have no knights(Making their one house card useless) and are going to lose King's Landing first turn unless the Tyrell player is an idiot. Your best bet is to try and take Cracklaw Point immediately so that you don't lose the King's Landing army. If the Tyrell's play support on the 3 ships you can't do that though so I find it's best to attack Kingswood and try and use Ilyn Payne to kill off a tyrell infantry somewhere else to make them pay for killing you.

If the Greyjoys decide to take out your ship though you are dead basically. Quite frankly I don't see how the Lannisters can get 7 castles in 5 turns with that set up so you have to try and win with the highest number. Keep your core 4 (Lannisport/Riverrun/Harrenhal/Cracklaw) and try and steal one or 2 last turn.

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

They start terribly. They have no knights(Making their one house card useless) and are going to lose King's Landing first turn unless the Tyrell player is an idiot. Your best bet is to try and take Cracklaw Point immediately so that you don't lose the King's Landing army. If the Tyrell's play support on the 3 ships you can't do that though so I find it's best to attack Kingswood and try and use Ilyn Payne to kill off a tyrell infantry somewhere else to make them pay for killing you.

If the Greyjoys decide to take out your ship though you are dead basically. Quite frankly I don't see how the Lannisters can get 7 castles in 5 turns with that set up so you have to try and win with the highest number. Keep your core 4 (Lannisport/Riverrun/Harrenhal/Cracklaw) and try and steal one or 2 last turn.

Thank you. That is a bitch :mellow:. Special ConsPow as often as poss. then whilst playing defensively and trying to convince people to go elsewhere seems to be in order.