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Game Of Thrones may well be one of the most influential fantasy settings ever created, standing alongside Lord Of The Rings as a thrilling saga of conflict, turmoil, and drama. Written by George RR Martin the World of Westeros is a widely diverse landscape, taking a low fantasy spin on the medieval sword-swinging genre. Magic is a rare sight in the Seven Kingdoms, forcing its rulers to rely on cunning and wit to survive the vicious competition to claim the Iron Throne.
The Song Of Ice And Fire board game is a part of the war gaming family, 2 players create an army with various infantry, cavalry, and special leader units to make up their force with a set number of points to work with. Once both players agree on an army list they have free reign to set them up in whatever formations they desire as long as it is within their starting zones. From there the players fight over various control zone objectives and leader kills to gain more points than the opposite player.
The Swords In The Darkness
This Song of Fire and Ice set provides all the units you need to create a Nights Watch army, the infamous crows who guard The Wall to prevent malicious forces from entering the Seven Kingdoms, in particular the Wight Walkers and roaming Wildling tribes. You are provided with 2 units of Sworn Brothers who wield large weapons that sunder enemy armour, forcing higher saves to be made than usual.
A unit of Veterans of the Watch who excel at close quarter combat, striking in retaliation for every blocked hit. A unit of Ranger Trackers who fly across the battlefield on horseback, hailing arrows down from a safe distance.
Finally it provides plenty of exclusive units to command your forces, including the king of the North himself Jon Snow, accompanied by his loyal direwolf Ghost and various other members of the Watch such as Jeor Mormont, Bowen Marsh and the master of Castle Black Aemon. The game also comes with unique minis for each of these units, along with dice, the core Rulebook, measuring equipment for movement and tactic cards (discussed below) and plenty of tokens/terrain to get you into the action as soon as you open the box
Ice And Fire: Knowledge Is Victory
The game is not all conflict however, as shown in the tactic deck and the Track. Firstly the deck is completely unique to each army, for example the Nights Watch aim to endure in game as they have for hundreds of years using plenty of cards that refresh units and remove negative effects from nearby troops, aiming to be the last forces standing after a heavy conflict with minimum injuries. These cards all possess certain triggers to activate however, requiring the player to hold back and use them at the perfect moment to turn the tide of the battle.
Secondly, Ice and Fire Nights Watch has the Tactics Board or Track as I like to call it. This is a way for players to not only track what round it is ranging from 1-6 but also to use their secondary leaders. These are troops that do not actively participate in the war effort but are (in my opinion) one of the most important weapons in the game.
If you wish to you can use your turn action to move one of these units onto a scheme, this can include forcing an enemy garrison to make a panic test (leading to a massacre with good dice rolls) or simply providing a unit caught in rough terrain an additional movement action. These can make or break certain games, allowing that unit of troops to push themselves onto a game winning objective or taking out a highly dangerous leader with a free melee attack.
The Fight Is Long, And Full Of Terrors
The game is set to have 2 players to function as a clean battle, which can be a blessing and a curse to some who may have wished to have large gruelling war games with 4-5 friends. Players alternate back and force between using each unit once a round, this form of gameplay is phenomenal as it allows players to react to each others moves, resulting in a beautiful secondary game of trying to read what your opponent will do next: do you rush their scouts to stop ranged attacks? Or do you rush to the objective so they can’t use a tactic to get there first?. The game constantly has you in the action and never has a dull moment.
Game sessions are also rather quick to complete, normally lasting between 1-2 hours for a complete game and maybe even less if both players are experienced with the rules, perfect for those who just wish to have a quick game. One downside of the set is the price, while it is certainly worth it for the amount of content you receive in the box you will need to buy another army to have a game which can often lead to around £130-£140 being spent just to play.
Overall, the Ice and Fire Nights Watch starter set is the perfect introduction for players new to the war tabletop strategy genre, with a simple ruleset to understand with plenty of depth behind it. providing plenty of equipment for the price it asks and numerous combinations for units, attachments and strategies. If you’re looking for a fun time with a friend at the table or cool units for a paint project this is definitely one to keep an eye on and pick up.
