Greyjoy A Song Of Ice And Fire Review

The Song Of Ice And Fire board game has rapidly risen up the ranks of one of my favourite war gaming pastimes alongside the likes of Warhammer 40k, with layers upon layers of depth behind its gruelling battles between iconic commanders of Westeros, always clashing in an endless bout for the potential to sit upon the Iron Throne. In this set you will come to more familiarity with House Greyjoy, their backstory and stakes in the war to come as well as how they played in the field, allowing a full in-depth look into if this army (and this hobby itself) is up your Alley.

The Iron Price

House Greyjoy is a proud but vicious house, often resembling in appearance early Viking raiding parties, Their lands are the Iron Islands off the west coast of the continent, ruling from their castle Pyke from the island of the same name. The Iron Islands are harsh and bleak and the Greyjoy’s have traditionally survived by raiding their neighbours (represented exceptionally well in their unique gameplay). They have always had plans to conquer the mainland, as their ancient tradition of reaving and plundering made them dominant in the water.

What makes this faction so different to others, from the Nights Watch to the Lannister House is the plunder mechanic, typically triggering after dealing hefty damage to a unit these tokens allow you to amplify your units skills, whether that be a minor bonus to your hit chance or the ability to cause additional wounds to stack up on panicking regiments the Greyjoy’s favour brute strength and aggression to careful consideration, even demonstrated in their Tactics deck using free charges to bound into the rear of an archer unit to turn the tide of a skirmish or turn a skilled unit of fighters Vulnerable just to name a few

What We Sow

This Song of Fire and Ice set provides all the units you need to create a Greyjoy army, providing a set of unique die bearing the symbol of the Drowned God (a kraken) to help you represent your new army in the field. The box set also contains all the Tactic cards associated with Vicarion Greyjoy and Asha Greyjoy, your starting choice for a commander as well as Rodrik Harlow and Aeron Greyjoy who may act as tactician troops for the Tactic deck used in tandem with the core game, this feature not only tracks the length of your game ranging from turns 1-6 but also allows you to gain additional influence over the game that isn’t based on troop makeup, providing your units with a well placed additional attack or a heal to boost their numbers back up to fighting shape

As for the Units included the box set comes with a regiment of Ironborn Bowmen, the factions ranged unit that assists in stacking plunder tokens from far behind enemy lines for your other powerful front line fighters such as the Ironborn Reavers who’s Sundering axes cleave through armour easier while powered by plunder. You also receive the powerful House Harlaw Reavers, who if plunder can be combined with their powerful melee potential become an unstoppable whirlwind, healing and dealing wounds alike as their enemies lose morale throughout the match. The set finally also comes with Reaver Captains and Warsworn, individual units that (at a point cost during army creation) can be slotted Into your forces as attachments amplifying their combat potential. Alongside these minis The set finally comes with the rulebook for the game, terrain, measuring sticks, tokens for the new plunder mechanic as well as more for other conditions and aspects of the game.

Is It Worth Your Time?

As someone who has played multiple hours of this wonderful tabletop battle sim I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat, the game supports multiple ways to battle your friends or other competitors from castle sieges to complete army annihilation that will keep you coming back to the game with more and more spins on your army until finally, you perfect it in the way you prefer to play

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 £100 may be a little steep for people who wish to pilot the Greyjoy’s into battle, though smaller sets of units to reinforce the core set are far cheaper to purchase, often ranging from £15-30 per box

Overall, the Ice and Fire Greyjoy Starter set is the perfect introduction for players new to the war tabletop strategy genre, similar to its brother starter sets for armies such as the Nights Watch or Baratheon. 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.