A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game - The Hidden Side of War
Wars are not solely fought on the battlefield. Behind the scenes, there is political maneuvering, shady deals, and outright backstabbing. It takes a mind that can see a complex situation from all angles to change the tide of a conflict in their favor. In The War of the Five Kings, forces clash on the fields of Westeros. But removed from the frontline, many influential figures work to control the outcome. In A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game (ASOIF:TMG), you need to balance commanding your troops on the field with working to put yourself in a better tactical position for victory.
While Combat Units (CUs) position themselves and ready for assault, alliances are being formed, plots are being crafted, and political machinations are taking shape. This is all represented via the Tactics Board and Non-Combat Units (NCU).
When constructing your army, you may spend points to include various NCUs, such as Tyrion Lannister and Catelyn Stark. These allies won’t see combat, but will work their skills aiding the troops none-the-less. During your turn, instead of activating a CU, you may elect to move one of your NCUs onto the Tactics Board, claiming an empty zone. When this is done, you’ll gain an immediate benefit based on where you positioned your NCU, ranging from extra Attacks, bonus Movement, or causing powerful debuffs to enemy Units.
In addition, most NCUs also have a unique effect of their own that will trigger when they are moved onto the Tactics Board. In the case of Tyrion, his cunning mind allows you greater access to Tactics Cards, or the ability to deny your opponent cards of their own. More so, if he is placed on the Crown zone of the Tactics board, his influence expands even further, allowing him to choose both effects.
Of course, the rewards for claiming a zone go beyond just the immediate benefit! The various Tactics Cards utilized by each player also gain numerous benefits and boosts based on claimed zones of the Tactics Board for the entirety of that game round.
These tactical, non-combat actions weave together with the war that is raging on the battlefield to provide some interesting gameplay choices for each player. Do you give up a favorable combat activation to instead set up a model on the Tactics Board? Is playing the long-game a better tactical choice? Or does the battlefield demand the immediate activation of a CU? Perhaps it’s best to move onto a spot you know your opponent will want to deny them their bonuses! These are just a few examples of some of the choices a player will need to consider throughout the game, each with deep ramifications to the overall flow of the battle!
Wars are often fought as much with secret bribes and hidden promises as with blades and arrows. Using NCUs and the Tactics Board effectively can change the course of the game and ensure victory for your House. ASOIF:TMG marries political scheming with vicious combat to capture the essence of this epic book series. Each new game you play will unfold like a chapter in the books. However, in this story, you write the ending. Get ready for war! ASOIF:TMG is coming to Kickstarter in July 2017.
Read the Introduction to ASOIF:TMG here.
Read the ASOIF:TMG - The Beginning article here.
Read the ASOIF:TMG - Design and Development article here.
Read the ASOIF:TMG - Knowing Your Army article with updated Combat Unit Card images here.
