There is also a possibility to immediately win the game by controlling seven areas containing either a Castle or Stronghold. Ships can even enter into combat with adjacent sea areas so they should not be viewed only as bridges but also ways to block opponents who try to develop sea strategies.īy the end of the 10th Game Round, the player will need to control as many areas with a Castle or Stronghold as possible by having at least one Footman, Knight, or Siege Engine in the area, or by establishing control with the spending of Power. Note that adjacency is only determined for marching and retreating, not supporting, raiding, or any other purpose. It can get a little complicated to determine adjacencies by consecutive sea areas, but this is an important part of any future defense or attack. Attacker and defender compare strengths after all of that are counted, and the victor is the player with the highest strength value.Īnother unique aspect of this game is the use of ships to transport land-based units faster than on foot. Of course, the most dynamic aspect of this game is Combat, and a player’s Combat Strength is determined by the units in combat, any supporting units, defense order (for defender), march order (for attacker), Valyrian Steel Blade ability, House cards used, and garrisons (for defender).

The in-app tutorial takes you through three different scenarios so you can build skills at a reasonable pace During the Action Phase, the order of resolution is Raid Orders, March Orders, then Consolidate Power Orders. Finally, Consolidate Power is a direct way for players to gain Power from an area they control. Support Orders provide assistance to forces engaged in a nearby battle, and one of two participants in adjacent combat is chosen to support. Defense Orders grant a Combat Strength bonus to the defender of the assigned area. This can disrupt enemy plans and resources. Raid Orders remove one adjacent enemy Support, Consolidate Power, or Raid Order. March Orders represent the movement of troops and ships across land and sea. There are five different types of Orders: March, Raid, Defense, Support, and Consolidate Power. Finally, the Action Phase is when orders from the Planning Phase are resolved and executed. The Planning Phase impacts each area containing one or more units of a House, where Orders are assigned facedown by the governing player. It also determines the strength of the Wildlings, ultimately leading to a Wildling attack. The Westeros Phase has three different decks, and the top card of each deck is drawn to establish new game procedures and events for the round. Send your favorite characters into combat over Westeros and use their abilities to your advantageĪ Game Round consists of three phases: The Westeros Phase, The Planning Phase, and the Action Phase. The number of Special Orders available to a House during the Planning Phase is determined by the King’s Court track and the player in position 1 of this track can perform bonus actions at the end of every Assign Orders step. Combat ties are broken by the Fiefdoms track and the player in position 1 of this track may grant themselves a +1 combat strength bonus once per game round.

Turn order is determined by the Iron Throne and the player in position 1 of this track decides the outcome of all non-combat ties. As you lead the House, you’ll muster armies, conquer territory, and form alliances to control the most Castles and Strongholds by the end of the 10th game round.Īt the start of the game, each House has a unique position on three different Influence tracks: The Iron Throne, the Fiefdoms, and the King’s Court. In A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, players each control one of six Houses. The best experience is with 5 players for more chaos and more chances at turning things around in your favor without the pressure of alliances. It’s a strategy game for 3-6 players that takes about 2 hours to play. I learned everything I know about the game with the digital version, so some issues I ran into may not apply to you if you have previous experience with the tabletop version. Something I need to note right away as it will influence how I approach this review is that I have not had experience playing A Game of Thrones: The Board Game on the tabletop. I’m guilty of owning Risk: Game of Thrones) so when we were offered to review the digital version of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, I jumped right on it. I’m a big fan of the world of A Game of Thrones and admittedly am captivated by anything with its IP (e.g.

Little finger game of thrones