Battles of Westeros: Core
Unfurl the banners of the Great Houses of Westeros! To secure power in the Seven Kingdoms and to ensure the survival of their lines; the Houses of Westeros each follow very different paths. Some forge strategic alliances; some create complex political intrigues; and still others use deceit and betrayal. But there is no more direct or lasting path to power than taking to the field of battle.
In Battles of Westeros; two players recreate the military conflicts set in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series; taking part in battles directly from the books... or designing their own. In this epic board game of battlefield tactics; players control either House Stark; the wards of Winterfell who have called their hearty allies to defend their honor and lands; or House Lannister; an aggressive force funded by Casterly Rock’s endless supply of gold.
Battles of Westeros is played over a series of included scenarios; called battles. Each of these has a battle plan that dictates the formation of the map (called the battlefield); starting positions of each House’s units; starting resources; special rules; and victory conditions for the game session. A battle is played over several rounds; with each round consisting of alternating player turns. The goals a player needs to accomplish to win a game of Battles of Westeros can vary (some battles require players to earn a certain number of victory points; while other battles require a player to take and hold strategic positions on the battlefield); but this collection of available scenarios; along with the ability to make your own exciting battles with the double-sided map board and over thirty map overlays; gives Battles of Westeros a wealth of replayability!
Battles of Westeros also offers plenty of strategic complexity; resulting in a satisfying number of compelling choices in every game. For example; each player has a special randomized Leadership Deck; consisting of unique tactics and abilities; this deck will change based on the scenario being played and characters present. Is Jaime Lannister on the battlefield? If you draw the appropriate Leadership Card; he can order nearby troops to aggressively rush their opponents! Is Eddard Stark guiding his forces into battle? Special flanking maneuvers enter your Leadership Deck; to potentially be drawn into your hand.
Battles of Westeros also features a level of realism that immerses you in the most significant conflicts of the War of the Five Kings. Each plastic figure base; which holds your infantry; archer; cavalry; and kennelmaster units; has a slot for a banner pole – a small flag-bearing attachment. The plastic banners that attach to each unit bear the crest of that unit’s house; and their orientation on the pole indicates at a glance whether that unit has been ordered yet. In addition to the intuitive and useful game effect this provides (differentiating the units you’ve activated from those you haven’t); the sight of your army’s banners spread impressively across the gorgeously designed game board will give you the sense that you are the clever Tywin Lannister; Lord of Casterly Rock... or the stoic Robb Stark; with his direwolf Grey Wind at his side!