BattleLore: Battles of Westeros — Wardens of the West Reinforcement Set
Wardens of the West is a House Lannister reinforcement set for Battles of Westeros,
further expanding the Lannister forces found in the core set. Battles of Westeros is a board game of tactical, medieval combat based on George R.R. Martin's rich A Song of Ice and Fire book series. Designed for two players, the Battles of Westeros core set pits House Stark against House Lannister in strategic, scenario-based combat.
The wealth of House Lannister is legendary. The coffers of Casterly Rock flood with enough coin to buy loyalty at any cost. As a result, many minor Houses pledge their swords to House Lannister, eager to bathe in the glow of Lannister gold.
Players loyal to House Lannister will find plenty of ways to expand their forces with the Wardens of the West reinforcement set. Introducing three new commanders, three new unit types, new mechanics, and new scenarios, Wardens of the West will unfurl the crimson banners and bolster the Lannister lines this summer.
One of the more distinctive elements of Battles of Westeros is the presence of commanders. Taking the form of prominent characters from the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, commanders are the core of any army in Battles of Westeros. Not only do commanders have special abilities, but they also have their own unique leadership cards to add to the leadership deck. This makes commanders very powerful and versatile on the battlefield.
Wardens of the West introduces three new Lannister commanders; Tyrion Lannister, Sandor Clegane, and Daven Lannister. Each of these commanders has their own special abilities, adding new mechanics to the game. For example, Sandor "the Hound" Clegane
has the new fearsome keyword, which means he refuses to let his enemies disengage and forces them to retreat an additional hex for each morale result in combat. The Hound is a ferocious fighter that shows no mercy. Woe be unto the fool who stands before him with wavering morale...
Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire will need no introduction to Tyrion Lannister, the scheming dwarf so lovingly referred to as "the Imp". He is not the tall graceful warrior that his brother Jaime is. But what Tyrion lacks in strength he more than makes up for in subterfuge. Many of Tyrion's abilities focus on limiting his opponents options. This allows him to predict his opponent's next move.
Daven Lannister is a seasoned military commander, earning him the title Warden of the West. With his long golden hair and thick beard, he embodies the lion that is blazoned upon Lannister banners. His leonine appearance inspires those under Daven's command, giving them courage. Because of this, Daven's abilities and leadership cards focus on pursuit and advance. Whenever the enemy breaks, Daven's troops do not hesitate to run them down and finish them off.
In addition to new commanders, Wardens of the West also offers three new Lannister unit types. These new unit types also introduce new keywords and mechanics to the game. One of these new unit types is the House Brax Pikemen. These units only have a strength of three (three figures per unit) which makes them relatively weak against normal attacks. However, their polearms give them a bonus against cavalry units.
The House Brax Pikemen also introduce the new keyword trait formation, giving them the option of focusing on attack or defense. Their double-sided unit reference card has a side devoted to either formation, and the controlling player merely chooses (once per round) which formation the pikemen will assume.
Lannister gold attracts all manner of troops. However, not all of them are properly trained. Drawn from among the commoners, the Westerlands Militia are numerous (strength 6), but less disciplined than other Lannister units. They lack formal combat training, making them inefficient. This means they cannot benefit from normal rallying. And because they merely fight for gold or out of fear, the Westerlands Militia are notoriously disloyal, fleeing at the slightest hint of defeat.
The Clegane Crossbowmen are perhaps the most deadly of the new Lannister unit types. They are veteran soldiers, deadly with their crossbows. Their experience in ranged combat has taught them how to utilize the new aimed shot keyword. If they hold their ground, the Clegane Crossbowmen may make a special aimed shot attack that turn. Instead of rolling dice like normal, the Lannister player simply discards an order token to
have the Clegane Crossbowmen attack according to the rank of the discarded order token. In this way, a rank green unit of Clegane Crossbowmen could attack as a rank red unit, allowing them to roll 4 dice instead of 2.
Wardens of the West doesn't only introduce new troops, however. New mechanics such as Gambit cards and catapult tokens are also included. Catapult tokens represent off-field artillery strikes that are available to certain Houses as indicated by the scenario. These catapult tokens come in different ranks, determining their range, accuracy, and damage.
Gambit cards are an optional way to modify how momentum works from the core game. Instead of having a certain House maintain momentum throughout the scenario, Gambit cards can be used to shift momentum between the players. Each Gambit card has an ability that can be triggered, thus shifting momentum to your opponent. This adds an additional layer of strategy to Battles of Westeros.
Reinforcements are coming! Do you have what it takes to lead them to victory, securing the Iron Throne in the name of House Lannister? Find out this summer!
BattleLore: Battles of Westeros — Wardens of the West Reinforcement Set
SKU#: FFG BW02
SRP: $29.95
