A Song of Ice and Fire: Pyromancers Expansion

The Lannister Pyromancers stand as a testament to the lengths to which the lords of Casterly Rock will go to protect and expand their power. In a world where dragons once ruled the skies, these masters of fire magic have carved out their legacy, one shrouded in awe, fear, and the ever-present spectre of wildfire.

Unboxing

For those who already play A Song of Ice and Fire, you already know what a pleasure it is to unbox. For those who do not yet, you are in for a treat! Like all CMON ASOIAF miniatures, the Lannister Pyromancers come pre-assembled in red plastic and sit neatly in a plastic tray that fits each pose perfectly and securely. It is so good, even after painting, you will find yourself using this as your primary mode of transport for your minis. Each box includes a suitable movement tray, unit card and 12 pyromancer modules.

Models

Something I hate about ASOIAF is something I also love about it. As I said above, these models come pre-assembled. This differs from other systems, where pre-assembled models have gaps, massive mould lines, or need to look right. These are spot on. Although I understand the aesthetic they are going for, these models are boring. They come in 4 poses: they are draped in long cloaks covering most of their body, and some have small viles of dragon fire. They have gone for the mysterious, noble-looking man, definitely the vibe of the guild. They are nice-looking models, but ranked standing next to other models from a range full of vibrant poses (Although sometimes limited), I find them boring.

Tactics

Pyromancers bring the heat!! They cost 7pts, but used right, they are more than worth it!

Baseline stats

Move-5, Armour-6+, Moral-5+, Attacks – 7,7,4 a short range shoot and combat and To hit-3+

These stats are good, giving Glass Hammer vibes. There is no real armour, but good dice even after a rank is lost, and a solid 3+ to hit is great. But basic stats are not this unit’s strengths!

Pyromancers have two primary abilities

Wildfire: This is for their basic shot attack and mele.

Vicious – so if they do wounds, it is at a -2 moral (if you know Lannisters, you know any vicious units are vital to the army)

DEFENDERS DO NOT ROLL ARMOUR SAVES! You heard me right. You see a nice armoured unit; Wildfire does not care!

Hoffic Visage: When you stare at mad men wielding wildfire, it is terrifying for even the stout of heart. Before an enemy would perform a melee attack against this unit, they take a panic test at -1 for every remaining rank in this unit. So, just standing there, this unit has the ability to put out wounds.

This unit packs a punch! They do require you to be up close and personal to utilize the short-range shooting attack or be in mele. So, using the horses on the tactics board to get extra shooting range can be critical. Also, using swords to get free attacks will always be used on this unit if it is in range to shoot. This unit will eat a lot of your tactics board resources as they are just too good, so make sure you use them early with them and have the unit to support them.

There are so many good combinations for this unit that I will focus on one. The High Sparrow! The high sparrow is an NCU with the ability to influence a unit; if he does, every time that unit fails a panic, and the models that run are added into a friendly unit with long-range! You heard me! The glass cannon unit, which will take a lot of wounds and uses fear more than any other unit, has the ability to regen wounds very regularly. Suddenly, a glass cannon becomes a tank and a tar pit. You already want to use the board early, and when you have the Sparrow and Pyromancers, it just makes sense!

Summary

I love this unit. I have played games in which the sheer terror of facing them was enough to force my opponent to stay away from them. I have also played games in which I lost them super quickly because I was not careful.