Contents
Rules for Playing A Game of Thrones
So, you want to step into the thrilling world of A Game of Thrones, do you? Well, let me walk you through the game rules and show you how to dive right in.
Game Objective
The goal of A Game of Thrones is to ascend the Iron Throne and become the ruler of Westeros. To achieve this, you must strategically outmaneuver your opponents, form alliances, and conquer territories through cunning and military might. Your ultimate aim is to accumulate the most power and secure your claim to the throne.
Game Setup
Before the game starts, each player selects a noble House to represent. From there, you position your army units on the game board, carefully selecting the territories you wish to control. Make sure your strategic choices are wise, as the outcome of the game depends on it.
Game Rounds
The game progresses through a series of rounds, with each round consisting of three distinct phases: the Westeros Phase, the Planning Phase, and the Action Phase. In the Westeros Phase, players participate in a collective event, individually draw House cards, and collect special tokens. Then, in the Planning Phase, players secretly assign orders to their units, planning their moves and strategies. Finally, the Action Phase is where the adrenaline truly kicks in, as players reveal their orders and resolve conflicts.
Game Mechanics
To fully understand the game, let’s take a look at some key mechanics:
- Order Tokens: These tokens determine the actions your units will take during the round. Each token has a specific order, such as March, Raid, or Support.
- Combat: Combat occurs when units from different Houses occupy the same territory. Players will resolve conflicts by engaging in strategic battles, taking into account various factors such as army size, special abilities, and support from allies.
- Consolidation of Power: In addition to military strength, players must also focus on consolidating their power through diplomatic negotiations, forging alliances, and manipulating the various Houses competing for dominance.
By skillfully utilizing these game mechanics, you can position yourself as a true contender for the Iron Throne.
Game End
Once a player reaches the required number of castles and strongholds, the game enters its final round. At this point, players calculate their total power, considering factors such as controlled territories, castles, strongholds, and special cards. The player with the highest power is declared the ruler of Westeros and the winner of the game.
So, are you ready to embark on this epic journey? Gather your allies, hone your strategies, and prove yourself worthy of the Iron Throne. The stage is set, and the battle for Westeros awaits!
Before we start playing the game, let’s go through a few steps to get everything ready:
- Get the Game Board Ready: Open up the game board and put it in the middle of the playing area.
- Set Up the Wildling Deck and Wildling Threat Token: Mix up the Wildling cards to create a deck. Put this deck in the space at the top of the game board. Then, put the Wildling Threat token on the “2” spot of the Wildlings track.
- Prepare the Westeros Decks: Divide the Westeros cards into decks based on their Roman numerals (I, II, or III). Mix up each deck and put them facedown next to the game board.
Setting Up the Game: Let’s get started with setting up the game! Here’s what you need to do:
And that’s it for setting up the game! We’re ready to start playing!
Determine Player Houses: First, we need to decide which House each player will control. You can choose from Houses like Stark, Lannister, Greyjoy, Tyrell, Baratheon, or Martell. If you can’t decide, you can also randomly assign Houses to each player. However, if there are fewer than six players, some Houses won’t be available for play. Gather House Materials: Once you have your House assigned, gather all the materials that belong to your House. These include a player screen, 7 House cards, 15 Order tokens, 1 Supply token, 3 Influence tokens, 1 Victory Point token, 1 Garrison token, and all the plastic units in your House’s color. Don’t worry about the House-specific Power tokens for now. Place Influence, Victory and Supply Tokens: Now it’s time to place your Influence, Victory, and Supply tokens on the game board tracks. Refer to your player screen for instructions on where to place each token. Unlike the Influence tracks, multiple Houses can occupy the same position on the Victory and Supply tracks. In games with fewer than six players, slide all the Influence tokens to the left to fill any empty positions on the tracks. The Setup Diagram on page 5 shows how the Influence tokens shift in a four-player game. The House in the left-most position on each Influence track will claim the corresponding Dominance token.
Okay, let’s get started!
First things first, we need to set up the game board. Here’s what you need to do:
- Place Units: You’re going to put all your starting units on the game board using the instructions on your player screen. Make sure you follow them carefully!
- Place Garrison Tokens: Each player needs to put their Garrison token on their home area. Just find the area name on the token that matches your home area and you’re good to go!
- Gather Power Tokens: Now it’s time to get some Power tokens. All the Power tokens are in one big pile called the “Power Pool”. Grab five Power tokens that match the House you’re playing as from the Power Pool.
And that’s it! The game is ready to begin.
A Fun Adventure Awaits!
Are you ready for an epic journey? Join me as I explain the exciting world of Game of Thrones: The Board Game. Prepare for an experience like no other!
The Thrilling Game Rounds
Get ready for non-stop action! Game of Thrones: The Board Game is made up of 10 thrilling game rounds. These rounds are divided into three exciting phases:
The Westeros Phase (skipped during the first game round)
The Planning Phase
The Action Phase
But wait, there’s more! After each heart-pounding Action Phase, a new game round begins, starting with another Westeros Phase. The excitement never ends!
Your Epic Quest
If you manage to control seven areas with a Castle or Stronghold in this game, you win! But if nobody reaches that goal, we keep playing until the end of the 10th round. Whoever has the most areas with a Castle or Stronghold by then becomes the winner. So keep strategizing and fighting for control!
The Westeros Phase – A Journey Through Time
Imagine you and your friends are embarking on a grand adventure in the mystical land of Westeros. As the game begins, we enter the Westeros Phase and uncover the secrets hidden within its cards.
Now, hold tight, as we explore the steps of the Westeros Phase:
- Step 1: Moving Forward in Time
Every journey has a beginning, and in the Westeros Phase, we mark our progress by advancing the Game Round marker on the Game Round track. Each step forward brings us closer to victory. However, be careful! If we find ourselves already at the 10th space, our adventure comes to an end, and the game concludes with a triumphant winner.
The heart of our adventure lies in the Westeros cards. In this step, we reveal the top card from each of the three Westeros decks. These cards hold the keys to our fate and will shape the path we walk.
Hey there! Let’s dive into the wonderful world of Game of Thrones and explore some vital game mechanics. There are a couple of important steps we need to take during each round of the game:
- The Wildlings Track: First things first, I need to keep an eye on those Wildlings. I count up all the Wildling icons on the Westeros cards that have been revealed, and then I move the Wildling Threat token forward on the Wildlings track by that many spaces. It’s important to keep an eye on that track because if the Wildling Threat token reaches position “12”, we gotta prepare ourselves for a Wildling Attack. No worries, though, we’ll deal with that when it happens, and any extra Wildling icons can be ignored for now.
- Resolving Westeros Cards: Now it’s time to tackle the Westeros Cards, one by one. We start with the lowest numbered deck, going from “I” to “III”. Each revealed Westeros Card has specific effects that we need to implement. Some are pretty straightforward, while others might require a little more attention. Don’t worry, though, I’ll guide you through it. If you need detailed information about the resolution effects of those important Westeros cards, you can find it on the following pages.
The Westeros Cards
Hey there! Let me explain how the Westeros cards work. We have three decks, each labeled with a roman numeral. When we reveal and resolve the Westeros cards, we start with deck I, then move on to deck II, and finally deck III during the Westeros Phase.
- Event Title and Artwork.
- Deck Number: This shows which deck the card belongs to. You can also find this information on the card’s back.
- Text Effect: This describes how the card affects gameplay.
- Wildling Icon: Some cards have a Wildling icon in the upper right corner. During the Advance Wildlings Track step, the Wildling Threat token moves forward for each of these icons on the drawn Westeros cards.
Westeros Card: Supply
Armies need a lot of stuff to work well. They need food, water, steel, horses, clothes, and more. If they don’t have enough supplies, they won’t do well.
When you use the “Supply” Westeros card, each House takes turns counting how many Supply icons are in the areas they control. They move their Supply token on the Supply track to show how much supply they have.
The Supply track has different columns with flags. These flags show how many armies a House can have and how many units each army can have.
For instance, a House with a supply of “3” can have four armies. One army can have up to three units, and the other three armies can have up to two units each.
Hey there! Just a quick little reminder for you: did you know that an army is basically a group of friendly units hanging out together in the same land or sea area? Pretty cool, right? But here’s the thing: if you have just one unit all by itself, it doesn’t count as an army. No supply consideration for you, my friend!
Looking at the picture above, Stark can have up to three armies, with two armies having two units each, and one army having up to three units. Lannister and Baratheon have more supply, so they can have more and bigger armies.
Once a player adjusts their supply, they must make sure that the actual number and size of their armies on the game board doesn’t exceed their supply limits. If their armies do go over the new supply limits, they have to immediately remove units from the game board until their army size matches the allowed amount based on their position on the Supply track.
A player can choose to have fewer and/or smaller armies than the limit given by their position on the Supply track.
When playing the game, it’s important to understand how different units and supply work. While a Knight or Siege Engine unit may be stronger than Footmen or Ships, they only count as one unit for supply purposes.
You may gain or lose Supply icons during the game, but your armies are only reconciled when the Supply track is adjusted. This can happen through a “Supply” Westeros card or other game effects.
It’s crucial to remember that you cannot take any actions that would exceed your supply limit. This includes things like mustering, marching, or retreating. Your position on the Supply track determines your actual supply limit.
Westeros Card: Mustering
Hey there! Let’s talk about the Mustering card in the game of Westeros. This card is super important, and it can have a big impact on how the game plays out.
You see, the Mustering card is all about building up your forces. It lets you add new units to your armies, making them stronger and more formidable.
When you play the Mustering card, you get to recruit new units from your available supply. You can bring in infantry, cavalry, or even those powerful siege engines. The choice is yours!
But here’s the catch – you can only recruit units in regions that you control. So you’ll want to make sure you have a good grip on the territories you want to reinforce.
The Mustering card can be a real game-changer. It gives you the opportunity to bolster your forces and tip the balance of power in your favor. With each new recruit, you’ll become even more of a force to be reckoned with.
So, next time you’re playing the game of Westeros, keep an eye out for that Mustering card. It could be just what you need to turn the tide of battle and secure your victory. Good luck out there!
The “Mustering” Westeros card is all about the noble Houses rallying their armies, training soldiers, building ships, and creating mighty war machines.
When it’s time to play the “Mustering” Westeros card, each player can recruit fresh troops in every region they control that has a Castle or Stronghold. These Castles or Strongholds have mustering points that can be used to hire new units:
Strongholds have the power to muster 2 points each.
Hey there! I’m here to talk about castles and how they help you in the game. Each castle gives you 1 point for mustering. Pretty cool, right?
Now, let’s take a look at the mustering costs for each unit type:
Footman: Costs 1 point of mustering. Easy peasy!
Knight: Costs 2 points of mustering (or 1 point if upgraded from a footman). Knights are cool!
Ship: Costs 1 point of mustering. Get ready to sail!
Siege Engine: Costs 2 points of mustering (or 1 point if upgraded from a footman). These machines are powerful!
When you play a game, sometimes you get special units called a mustered unit. These units come from the ones you haven’t used yet, and they go straight to the Castle or Stronghold that has the mustering point.
If you have a Footman unit in a mustering area (which is a place with a Castle or Stronghold), you can trade it in for a Knight or Siege Engine. It will cost you 1 mustering point.
But be careful! You can’t muster a unit if it would make your army too big. Each player has a limit on how many armies they can have. If mustering a new unit would put you over your limit, you can’t do it.
When a place with a Castle or Stronghold cannot recruit or strengthen a unit (or if the owner chooses not to recruit or strengthen in that place), it loses its ability to do so in the future.
Before the next player can start recruiting or strengthening their forces, each player must complete all their recruiting and strengthening actions for all the places that have their Castles and Strongholds.
Recruiting Ships
When it comes to building ship units, it’s slightly different than other units. You can only recruit ships in an area that has a Castle or Stronghold. However, there’s a small catch: ships can only be placed in a port that is connected to the recruiting area or in a neighboring sea area.
It’s important to note that you can’t recruit ships in sea areas that are occupied by enemy ships. If a Castle or Stronghold area doesn’t have a port or any eligible neighboring sea areas, then no ship units can be recruited there.
Keep in mind that if you have two or more ships in the same sea area, they are considered an army, just like any other group of units. This means that they must abide by the House’s supply restrictions. We call them an army for simplicity, even though technically they would be referred to as a fleet.
Unlike ships, footmen, knights, and siege engines can never be recruited in ports or sea areas.
Westeros Card: Clash of Kings
Throughout the history of Westeros, there has been an ongoing series of battles and power struggles. It’s not just about fighting on the battlefield, though. Politics, backstabbing, and secret plans can make or break a contender for the Iron Throne. In order to succeed, a House must navigate a complex web of alliances and strategies.
In the “Clash of Kings” Westeros card game, you get to experience the hidden side of the war. It’s all about the intrigue and scheming that often go unnoticed but have a profound impact on the outcome.
When it comes to resolving “Clash of Kings,” it’s important to understand the process. First, you need to remove all Influence tokens from the three Influence tracks on the game board. These tokens represent your power in the game.
Now it’s time to bid for position on the three tracks. The bidding happens one track at a time, starting with the Iron Throne track. This track determines who has the most power in the game. After that, we move on to the Fiefdoms track, followed by the King’s Court track.
Bidding on the Influence Tracks
When it’s time to bid on each Influence track, there’s a specific process to follow. First, hide all your available power tokens behind your player screen. This is to keep your bid a secret.
Next, you need to select a number of power tokens to bid. Place these tokens in your closed fist, hiding them from view. It’s important not to let anyone see your bid.
Once all players have made their selections, it’s time to reveal your bid. Open your hand and show everyone how many tokens you’re bidding. This is the moment of truth!
When we’re bidding in the game, the person with the highest bid puts their Influence token on the “1” position of the track. The person with the second highest bid puts their token on the “2” position, and so on.
If there’s a tie in bidding, the player holding the Iron Throne token gets to decide what happens. They put the tied players’ Influence tokens on the highest (or left-most) available positions on the track in the order they choose.
It’s important to note that all power tokens bid by players, no matter who wins, go back to the Power Pool.
When all Influence tokens have been placed on the track being bid on, the player in the first position of the track receives its Dominance token (the Iron Throne, Valyrian Steel Blade, or Messenger Raven token), and then everyone bids on the next Influence track.
Once bidding for the King’s Court track is finished and the Messenger Raven is awarded, the Clash of Kings Westeros card is resolved, and the game keeps going. Any remaining Power tokens are returned to the front of each player’s screen.
On the game board, you’ll find three Influence tracks: The Iron Throne track, the Fiefdoms track, and the King’s Court track. Each track has its own special Dominance token that is given to the player in the top position. These tokens are the Iron Throne, the Valyrian Steel Blade, and the Messenger Raven. Let’s take a closer look at each Influence track and the power of its Dominance token.
First up is the Iron Throne Track. The player who holds the Iron Throne Dominance token gains the power to break any ties that may arise during the game. If you find yourself in a situation where everyone has an equal amount of power, having the Iron Throne token can give you that extra boost to come out on top. It’s like having an ace up your sleeve!
Next, we have the Fiefdoms Track. The player with the Valyrian Steel Blade Dominance token gains the ability to muster additional armies. This means that you can amass a larger force and strengthen your position on the game board. With the Valyrian Steel Blade in your possession, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Lastly, we come to the King’s Court Track. The player who holds the Messenger Raven Dominance token gains the ability to look at the top cards of the Wildling Deck before anyone else. This gives you valuable insight into what’s coming up in the game and allows you to strategize accordingly. It’s like being able to see into the future!
So, as you immerse yourself in this thrilling game, keep an eye on these Influence tracks and strive to attain the powerful Dominance tokens they offer. They can truly make a difference in your quest for victory. Good luck!
Did you know that the order of Influence tokens on the Iron Throne Influence track determines the turn order? It’s true! When we need to resolve something in a certain order, we always start with the player whose token is in the “1” position on the track. After that, it’s the turn of the player with the token in the “2” position, and so on.
Now, here’s an interesting tidbit: the player whose token is in position “1” of the Iron Throne Influence track is the one who holds the Iron Throne token. Pretty cool, right?
But here’s where it gets really interesting: the player holding the Iron Throne Token is the one who gets to decide the outcome of all ties that happen during the game. Well, almost all ties. Combat ties are resolved based on a player’s position on the Fiefdoms track. And ties that determine the winner of the game are also handled differently.
Note: It’s important to understand that the Iron Throne token is not exchanged until the bidding for the Iron Throne track is settled and all Influence tokens have been placed on that track. So, even if the player loses the Iron Throne token after the bidding, they still have the power to break ties when bidding for the Iron Throne track.
The Fiefdoms Track
If two players are tied in combat and one player has a higher position (closer to “1”) on the Fiefdoms track, that player wins the tie.
The player who holds the Valyrian Steel Blade token is the one whose token is in position “1” on the Fiefdoms Influence track.
Remember, ties are decided by the player with the Iron Throne token, including ties in bidding for the Fiefdoms track. This applies to all ties that are not related to combat or determining the winner of the game.
When you have the Valyrian Steel Blade token, you have a powerful advantage in combat. Once per round, you can use the token to boost your Combat Strength by +1. But be careful, after you use it, you have to flip the token over to its faded side. This shows that it has been used for that round. Don’t worry though, at the end of the round, the token is refreshed and you can use it again in the next round.
Now let’s talk about the King’s Court Track. The position of your House on this track determines the number of Special Order tokens you have during the Planning Phase. The higher your position on the track, the more Special Order tokens you get. So, if you want to have more options and flexibility in your strategy, you’ll want to aim for a higher position on the King’s Court track.
When I’m in position “1” of the King’s Court Influence track, I get the Messenger Raven token. This token is important because it allows me to take special actions. The number of special actions I can take is shown by the stars on the track. Some positions on the track don’t give me any special actions.
In games with three or four players, we use the King’s Court overlay token to change the number of special actions given by each position on the track.
If I have the Messenger Raven token, I can choose to do one of two things at the end of the Assign Orders step during the Planning phase:
1. Replace an Order Token: I can switch one of my Order tokens on the game board with one of my unused Order tokens. This lets me change my strategies and make new plans.
Looking in the Wildling Deck: When I have the Wildling Deck in my possession, I can check the top card. Once I’ve looked at it, I can either put it back on top of the deck or place it at the bottom. I have the option to share the information on the card with others, but I can also choose to deceive them by lying. However, I am not allowed to show them the actual card.
Whenever I use the Messenger Raven, I need to flip the token over to its faded side to indicate that it has been used. At the end of each Action Phase, I must flip the token back to its fully colored side, signifying that it is ready for use again in the next round of the game.
II. The Planning Phase
This is the part where we secretly decide what actions we want to take in the game.
The Planning Phase has three steps:
- Assigning Orders
- Revealing Orders
- Using the Messenger Raven
1. Assigning Orders
In this step, each of us must place one Order token face-down on each area we control that has our units (Footman, Knight, Ship, or Siege Engine). We place the tokens at the same time, so we don’t know what the others are doing. Each area can only have one Order token.
Even though we can’t show our orders to each other, we can talk and try to persuade one another during this step.
There are five types of Order tokens:
- First, it can replace one of its Order tokens that’s already on the game board with one of its unused Order tokens. It’s like switching things up!
- Second, the Messenger Raven can look at the top card of the Wildling deck. It’s like peeking into a mystery. After looking at the card, the Messenger Raven can choose to put the card back on top of the deck, keeping it a secret, or place it at the bottom of the deck, still keeping it a secret. But here’s the interesting part: the Messenger Raven can share what it found on the card with other players, but it can’t show them the card itself. So it’s like being the keeper of a hidden treasure!
- Taking Care of Raid Orders
- Tackling March Orders and Dealing with Combat
- Managing Consolidate Power Orders
- Wrapping Up and Cleaning House
- After 10 rounds of play.
- Right after a player controls their seventh area with a Castle or Stronghold.
Sometimes, playing a game of Thrones can be a bit confusing. I mean, have you seen all those different order tokens? There’s the March Orders, Defense Orders, Support Orders, Raid Orders, and Consolidate Power Orders. It can feel overwhelming! But don’t worry, I’m here to break it down for you.
Let’s start with the March Orders. These tokens are all about movement. They allow you to move your armies across the map and capture territories. It’s like a strategic game of chess, but with dragons and knights!
Next up, we have the Defense Orders. These tokens are all about protecting your territories. They allow you to fortify your defenses and fend off enemy attacks. It’s like building a castle wall to keep out the bad guys.
Then we have the Support Orders. These tokens are all about alliances. They allow you to support other players’ actions and strengthen your positions. It’s like joining forces with your friends to conquer the Seven Kingdoms.
Now, let’s talk about the Raid Orders. These tokens are all about disruption. They allow you to raid enemy territories, steal their resources, and cause chaos. It’s like a sneak attack that catches your enemies off guard.
Finally, we have the Consolidate Power Orders. These tokens are all about…well, consolidating power! They allow you to gain more power tokens, which are crucial for taking actions in the game. It’s like building up your resources and establishing yourself as a force to be reckoned with.
Now, these are just the regular Order tokens. Each player also has five Special Order tokens, which are even stronger versions of each order type. You can think of them as supercharged moves that give you an edge in the game. They’re marked by a star, so you know they mean business.
So, next time you’re playing a game of Thrones, don’t let those order tokens intimidate you. With a little understanding of what each one does, you’ll be ruling the Seven Kingdoms in no time!
During the Planning Phase, I can use any of my 10 regular Order tokens. But there’s a limit to how many Special Order tokens I can use – it’s equal to the number of stars next to my position on the King’s Court Influence track.
Each regular order type has different game effects. Let me explain them to you.
Once all players have placed their orders, we move on to the “Reveal Orders” step. Make sure that every area with at least one unit has an Order token assigned to it. If there are any areas without tokens, it means one or more players haven’t placed all the required Order tokens.
What if there aren’t enough Order tokens?
Sometimes, there’s a rare situation when a player doesn’t have enough Order tokens to assign orders to all areas with their units. When this happens, we have to handle the Assign Orders step differently. Instead of doing it all at once, each player will take their turn in order. The first player will place all their orders facedown on the game board, followed by the next player, and so on.
If a player doesn’t have enough eligible Order tokens, they still have to place all the ones they can during their turn. However, there’s one exception to the normal rules – they can choose to leave some areas without an order. The key thing to remember is that a player can never place more Special Order tokens than their position on the King’s Court Influence track allows.
Now let me explain what happens during this phase called “Revealing Orders.” So, all the orders that have been assigned to the game board are simultaneously revealed. It’s like uncovering a secret! We flip all the orders face-up, so we can see what they are and what they mean. These orders will be resolved later on during the Action Phase, so it’s important that we know what they are.
Step 3: Messenger Raven to the Rescue!
Here’s where the Messenger Raven comes in handy. The Messenger Raven token can do a couple of things:
If you want, you don’t have to use any of these abilities when you have the Messenger Raven with you.
Whenever you use the Messenger Raven, flip it over to show that it has been used. At the end of each Action Phase, flip it back over to show that it can be used again in the next round.
After finishing this step, the Planning Phase is done and the game moves on to the Action Phase.
Phase III: Time to Take Action
Now it’s time to put our plans into motion during the Action Phase. This is when we bring all our assigned orders to life on the game board. Let’s break down the steps:
1. Taking Care of Raid Orders
First things first. We each take turns resolving one of our Raid Orders on the game board. If you’re out of Raid Orders, you can just sit back and relax during this step.
We continue moving through the turn order, with each player taking their turn to deal with a Raid Order, until there are no more Raid Orders left on the board. At that point, we move on to resolving March Orders.
When I need to resolve a Raid Order, I simply choose an enemy Support, Raid, or Consolidate Power Order that is right next to the Raid Order. Once I make my choice, both the order I picked and the Raid Order are taken off the game board.
By raiding my opponent’s orders, I can effectively cancel their plans and leave the raided areas without any Order tokens.
If I use a Raid Order to remove my opponent’s Consolidate Power Order token, I’m actually pillaging from them. Once I resolve the Raid Order, I get to take one Power token from the Power Pool. Then, my opponent has to discard one of their available power tokens to the Power Pool, if they have any left. Even if they have none left, I still get one token from the Power Pool.
When I place a Raid Order on land, it can’t raid a sea area right next to it. However, if I place a Raid Order on a sea area, it can raid either a neighboring land or sea area.
A Raid Order can get rid of nearby Special Order tokens, but only if they have the right type (Support, Raid, or Consolidate Power).
If there aren’t any enemy Order tokens nearby that qualify, the Raid Order gets removed from the game board without doing anything.
When I resolve a Raid Order, I have the choice to make it have no effect at all and just remove it from the game board, even if there are eligible enemy orders nearby.
Step 2: Time to Take Action
It’s time for me to take control and make things happen. I need to resolve one of my March Orders on the game board. If I don’t have any March Orders left, that’s okay – I’ll just have to sit this step out.
We’ll keep going in turn order, each player resolving one March Order at a time. We’ll do this until there are no March Orders left on the board. Then, we’ll move on to the next step, “Resolve Consolidate Power Orders.”
Resolving March Orders is the most exciting part of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game. It’s when I get to move my units on the board, fight against my opponents, and expand my territory to achieve my goals.
When I’m resolving a March Order, I need to remember these rules:
In the game, I have the freedom to decide how many of my units I want to move from the area where I have given the March Order. Whether I choose to move all, some, or none of my units is entirely up to me.
When it comes to moving my units, I can either move them together or separately into adjacent areas. I also have the option to keep them in the same area where the March Order was assigned. However, there is a catch – I can only move my units into areas that are adjacent to their current location, unless I have access to ship transport.
Now, there are some limitations on where I can move certain types of units. For instance, footmen, knights, and siege engine units are not allowed to move into sea areas or ports. They are strictly land units. On the other hand, ship units have the ability to move into friendly connected port areas or adjacent sea areas, but they cannot move into land areas.
When executing a March Order, there is a restriction regarding the presence of other players’ units. I am only allowed to move my units into one area that already contains units belonging to another House. This means that while I can split my units and move them into different adjacent areas, only one of those areas can have units from another house.
When you move your units into an area that has units from another house, you become the attacker and start a combat. But before the combat is resolved, you need to finish any other non-combat movement from the area where you assigned the March Order. The number on the March Order token determines how much combat strength you gain when you initiate a combat with that March Order. If you leave an area without any units, you lose control of it unless you establish control by placing one of your Power tokens on the vacated area.
Advanced Strategy Tip
Here’s a nifty trick for you: did you know that you can “stagger” your movement in the game? It’s a pretty cool way to get your units to move farther in a single turn. Let me explain how it works.
So, what you do is place several March Orders in adjacent areas. Then, you move your units into an area that already has a friendly March Order. This allows your units to move again when that second March Order is resolved. And if there happens to be a third friendly March Order in the new area, well, guess what? Your units get to move yet again!
Now, I have to warn you, this technique can be a bit tricky to pull off. You see, if the enemy launches a successful attack, it could wipe out one of your March Orders in the chain. So, you have to be careful and plan your moves strategically.
3. Time to Power Up!
When it’s my turn, I get to do something called a Consolidate Power Order. I can do this by following the rules on the game board. If I don’t have any Consolidate Power Orders left, I can skip this step and wait for my next turn.
Each player takes turns doing their Consolidate Power Orders until there are no more left on the game board. After that, we move on to the “Clean Up” step.
During my Consolidate Power Order, I get to remove a token and take a Power token from the Power Pool. But I can also get extra Power tokens if there are Power icons on the area where I assigned my Consolidate Power Order.
Step 4: Tidying Up
Now, let’s clean everything up. We’ll remove all the Support and Defense Orders from the game board and stand up any routed units. The Messenger Raven and Valyrian Steel Blade tokens are flipped to their non-faded side.
That was the end of the Action Phase. If this was round 10, the game is over, and we’ll determine the winner. Otherwise, we move on to the next round, starting with a new Westeros Phase.
Removing and Resolving Orders
Whenever an Order token is resolved or removed from the game board for any reason, it goes back to its House’s available orders. You can use it again during the next Planning Phase.
End of the line
I have reached the final stage, the culmination of all my efforts. It’s time to wrap things up and put an end to this game. But before I do, there are a few important things I must consider.
Firstly, it’s crucial to reflect on the journey I have taken. From the beginning until now, there have been challenges and obstacles to overcome. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve persisted and pushed through.
Next, I must contemplate the lessons I have learned along the way. Each level, each task has taught me something valuable. Whether it was about problem-solving, teamwork, or patience, I have grown and developed as a player and as a person.
Now, as I approach the end, I can’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and sadness. This game has become a part of me, a virtual world that I have immersed myself in. Saying goodbye to it is bittersweet, but I know that all good things must come to an end.
In the end, it’s not just about winning or losing. It’s about the experiences I’ve had, the memories I’ve created, and the skills I’ve honed. It’s about the journey, not just the destination.
So here I stand, at the end of the line. Ready to take that final step and see what lies beyond. It’s been an incredible adventure, and I’m grateful for every moment.
And now, as the game comes to a close, I embrace the unknown. The next chapter awaits, and I’m ready to face it head-on. Farewell, dear game, you will always hold a special place in my heart.
When it comes to A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, there are two ways it can end:
Throughout the game, it’s important to keep track of how many areas you control that have Castles or Strongholds. You can do this on the Victory track located on the game board.
When the 10th game round comes to an end, the player who has the highest position on the Victory track wins the game. This means they have control over the most areas with a Castle or Stronghold. If two or more players are tied for the highest position, the player with the greater number of Strongholds wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the higher position on the Supply Track wins. And if there’s still a tie after that, the player with the most available power wins. In the very rare event that there is still a tie, the player with the higher position on the Iron Throne track comes out on top.
If you manage to get your House to the seventh spot on the Victory Track, congratulations! You’ve won the game. That means you’ve acquired a total of seven areas that have either a Castle or Stronghold. It’s a big achievement, and it signals the end of the game with you as the victorious player.
Don’t forget to check out our beginners’ guide for more helpful information.