“There is ice and there is fire. Hate and love. Bitter and sweet… Winter and summer. Evil and good." She took a step toward him. "Death and life. Everywhere, opposites. Everywhere, the war."
–George R.R. Martin
King Robert Baratheon is dead, and the lands of Westeros brace for battle. In the second edition of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, three to six players take on the roles of the great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, as they vie for control of the Iron Throne. Based on the best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones is an epic board game in which it will take more than military might to win. Through strategic planning, masterful diplomacy, and clever card play, spread your influence over Westeros!
Nearly ten years ago, FFG published A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, Christian Petersen’s gripping interpretation of the intrigue, diplomacy, and warfare of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy realm. Since then, the Iron Throne has changed hands countless times and in thousands of homes, with alliances broken on the battlefield and friendships strained by sudden treachery. At the same time, the A Game of Thrones: The Board Game experience gradually evolved with the release of two expansions, resulting in an epic experience that’s been printed in ten languages throughout the world.
Now, with the popularity of A Song of Ice and Fire at an all-time high, Fantasy Flight Games is thrilled to offer a comprehensive and improved version of this beloved board game.
The updated second edition brings a host of enhancements to your A Game of Thrones experience. It incorporates elements from previous expansions, including ports, garrisons, Wildling cards, and Siege engines, while introducing welcome new innovations. Convenient player screens will hide your underhanded dealings from prying eyes, while new Tides of Battle cards convey the uncertainty of war. This, along with updated graphics and a clarified ruleset, means the time has never been better to claim the Iron Throne.
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game’s totally updated components will draw you into its world of sun-scorched sands, lush forests, and chilling northlands while bringing your favorite characters vibrantly to life. The board is masterfully rendered to resemble paint on distressed parchment, and the improved token and card art represents the finest A Song of Ice and Fire imagery in the industry. Finally, attractive marbled plastic figures, shaped as footmen, knights, ships, and siege engines, display your military might to the realm while contributing to the game’s high-quality aesthetic.
The comprehensive second edition includes select elements of A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords expansions from the first edition. Garrisons will defend your homeland while your main force is away, and ports provide a convenient area from which to launch your naval assaults. Meanwhile, massive siege engines can accompany your footman against enemy castles, and Wildling cards ensure an added level of risk and reward when dealing with the barbarian tribes beyond the Wall.
In addition to these familiar mechanics, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition introduces a number of all-new innovations and enhancements, including Tides of Battle cards, convenient player screens, and more!
Tides of Battle cards are an optional mechanic that brings an element of unpredictability to combat, representing erratic shifts in the momentum of war due to factors such as weather, morale, and tactical opportunity. During each combat, both players draw one Tides of Battle card from a communal deck, and its value modifies the strength of his chosen House card. What’s more, such a card may also contain icons that can affect the outcome of the battle...all of which delivers a new level of intensity to your military engagements.
Whether at court in King’s Landing or in a pavilion on the battlefield, the wise leader is ever aware of the need for secrecy and discretion. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition includes player screens for each noble House of Westeros, useful for hiding your upcoming orders from those nearby! The front of each screen displays a beautiful art piece depicting its House, and the back provides helpful game information and setup instructions.
With a range of enhancements, updates, and clarifications incorporated into a single, visually stunning publication, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition is perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Westeros or of epic strategy!
For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, here is a brief overview of play:
To begin the game, each player receives an army of footman, knight, siege engine, and ship units, as well as a set of order tokens and other necessary components. Each player also receives a deck of unique House cards, which represent important characters from A Song of Ice and Fire and are used as leaders in battles against rival Houses. A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition is played over ten rounds, and at the end of round ten, the player who controls the most castles and strongholds wins. While taking control of the requisite areas may seem a simple matter of military superiority, it will in fact require a blend of might, diplomacy, and guile. Each round in the game is made up of three phases: the Westeros Phase, the Planning Phase, and the Action Phase.
The Westeros Phase represents special events and day-to-day activities in Westeros. There are three different Westeros decks, and each denotes a different global action, potentially affecting all players.
For example, when the Mustering card arises, each House may add a number of new units to the castles and strongholds that it controls. During this phase, the wildlings can grow stronger, preparing to assault the Wall and pour southward into Westeros. They may even initiate an attack which will require the joint efforts of the various Houses to repel! This persistent common threat presents interesting strategic choices: will you join your foes in a united effort against the wildlings, or will you suffer a penalty, hoping that the other Houses suffer even more?
The Planning Phase is perhaps the most important. Here you secretly assign orders to all of your units by placing one order token face down on each area you control that contains at least one unit (knight, footman, ship, or siege engine). This portion of the game emphasizes diplomacy and deduction. Can you trust the alliance that you made? Will you betray your ally and march upon him? Players may make promises to each other, but these promises are never binding. The result is tense and compelling negotiations, often ending in backstabbing worthy of Westeros!
During the Action Phase, the orders are resolved and battle is entered! When armies meet in combat, they secretly choose one of their House cards to add strength to the battle. Finally, the Houses can consolidate their power in the areas they control and use that power in future turns to influence their position in the court of the Iron Throne and to stand against the wildling hordes.
At the end of the tenth round, the player who controls the most areas containing castles or strongholds, having brought enough of Westeros under his control, is crowned winner and ascends to the Iron Throne as undisputed ruler of Westeros. Can you gain dominance over your enemies, or will you bend the knee to a false king? The time has come to defend your claim!
