A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Review

Recall about a few TV series that y'all have watched or are watching, then put each one into these categories? The one that may have the highest ratings or spends the well-nigh coin on production or the one that trends on social media before, during and later it airs, perchance the one that has the most 'WTF' moments or 'can't await until next week' reactions. For me, merely one serial truly ticks all of these boxes, that being the i and only Game of Thrones which is the theme for CMON's brand-new two-player war game: A Song of Water ice and Burn down.

From the starting time, I honey the theme, love the fact that this war game is put out by a 'board game' company and designer Eric Lang, both of whom I am very familiar, and I've been mega hyped almost playing it since its announcement way back when: Allow's find out if it holds upwardly to expectations.

This starter ready pits House Stark against House Lannister and features a skillful clamper of your favourite characters, such as Rob, Catelyn, Jaime and the infamous Cersei, as well equally supporting characters The Mountain and the Dire Wolf Gray Wind. This is a rank and file war game, pregnant your miniatures will be organised into motion trays fighting as one cohesive unit rather than individually (there're some exceptions).

As with most tabletop miniatures games, edifice your army is nearly as enjoyable as really playing the game, with A Song of Water ice and Burn down beingness no dissimilar. CMON recommend an ground forces of 30, 40 and 50 points depending on the size of the battle you lot desire to play, fourth dimension you lot have to play it, and more chiefly, how many expansion packs yous may have purchased. In this starter set, yous volition get merely over 30 points' worth of each faction, meaning you lot can modify your armies slightly from game to game, but let's confront information technology, if you like the game, then you will purchase more factions and units to play with.

For instance: A unit of measurement of Stark Sworn Swords volition toll you 5 points, adding a Captain will take that to 6 points, whilst adding Rob Stark to these will increase that unit to 9 points. With these Leaders come their attachment cards which item special abilities, such as extra motility actions or improved dice modifiers, as well as others giving a lot of versatility and tactical changeability to each unit.

Each player will too construct a 20-bill of fare tactics deck; similarly to the tactic board, these cards are played throughout each round (of which in that location're six) and will impact unit abilities, whether that is yours or an opponent's.

The game comes with not-combat units: Catelyn and Sansa, Stark and Cersei and Tyrion Lannister, which brand up 1 of the nigh pleasing aspects of play. Players will usually choose only one from each
firm; used just like the combat units, they will exist placed on the tactics lath, which will give benefits to your army or negatively touch your opponent. Think of it like a political track from other games where your off-field scheming can impact on the battle itself.

Once your army is congenital, it is time to deploy: Yous can either choose a game way from the rule book or create your own, as with all war games. The ones in the rule book are ideal to reinforce the core rules, so I would advise that yous starting time in that location.

From this point, A Song of Ice and Fire plays out mechanically like most other rank and file war games, and so I won't labour gameplay any more than I need to. Players will activate units in turn gild, moving, charging attacking, etc. until all actions are wearied. Players use a rigid measuring stick to measure distance and move a prepare number of inches depending on the unit, which has its ain number of health, hit points, morale, etc. Players use standard D6s to determine the outcomes of combat and tests, taking into account modifiers from character abilities, the tactics board, tactic cards and terrain.

The game is objective based, and these objectives will be placed out on the battlefield with players needing to command these objectives to get extra special abilities and earn victory points. Showtime player to get a set corporeality of VP or to eliminate their opponent wins the game.

The one affair that you're guaranteed to get with all CMON games is excellent components, and A Song of Ice and Fire is no dissimilar. The minis are absolutely outstanding with plenty of detail and made from a harder plastic, so bending is not an issue. Each unit, such as the Stark Sworn Swords or the Mountain'southward Men, have multiple poses which added to the characters and flagbearers, and they make the movement trays await exceptional on the table. The motion trays themselves accept trivial holes on either side, allowing players to pick the trays upwardly to movement them without sending the minis tumbling across the tabular array; great thought that is very much appreciated.

The second thing that hit me about this game is just how skilful the artwork is. In fact, it'due south absolutely gorgeous. As the game is based on the books, CMON have commissioned all new artwork, significant no 'lazy screen grabs' from the Tv serial, instant win for me!

I love the integration of the tactics board and how it not only affects the battle but besides massively adds to the theme. Having Cersei in the front line of the Lannister Guardsmen would have been featherbrained, but other companies may accept washed just that to become her in the game. Having her pull the strings from the sidelines is a phenomenal idea and possibly my favourite aspect of the game.

So far, I've not really mentioned the terrain which, if you play the provided game modes, can play a large part in the battle itself. Terrain ranges from castle walls to hedges, forests to bogs, also as some lovely corpse piles, and are provided in the form of second cards' lath pieces. As expected, certain terrain will restrict movement or have dice modifiers for morale tests, etc., and so they will bear on a player's strategy throughout the game.

The dominion book is well written, using loads of diagrams to explain rules, although the game itself is non that dominion heavy. It as well has a really handy summary on the back page detailing actions, weather and terrain rules; if you have read whatsoever of my previous reviews, then you lot will know that this is something that I really like.
The movement seems a scrap 'old hat', which is in stark dissimilarity to its competitors', such equally Fantasy Flight's RuneWars, which has a really cool 'twin dial' and move ruler system, or the jointed move ruler of Star Wars: Legion. In almost circumstances, you can pivot your units either earlier or after movement, just information technology'southward however merely 'iii inches forward' and so on.

I was also a little disappointed that the game came with standard D6s instead of custom dice; again, this feels slightly quondam and unfinished, and although I fully appreciate that the whole system was built effectually using them, information technology however feels a bit….meh.

Something that I was pleased with was the retreat action, which differs from well-nigh rank and file war games that unremarkably punish you massively for retreating to the extent that information technology'due south only not worth doing. This turns games into a simple 'manoeuvre, charge, then slug information technology out until all units are dead' encounter, which in my opinion is a chip ho-hum. In A Vocal of Water ice and Fire, you tin can retreat ordinarily to a safe distance to preclude an immediate counterattack and reposition ready for the next circular of play. This might non exist major for nigh people, merely it certainly jumped out as a positive for me.

If we take away the theme and concentrate purely on the game itself, y'all're left with a very elementary to play, fairly light tabletop war game, and it's precisely for that reason that I am non sure it will entreatment to 'hardened' war gamers who aren't in it just considering it's Game of Thrones. This stance might be due to only playing with starter set units and could alter if I was introduced to a multifariousness of units and a big full-scale game, but I can only charge per unit what is in front of me, and for that reason, I didn't find a massive amount of replay value. I did enjoy playing the game, but having seen through the theme, the game just didn't grip me similar some of its competitors have done.

On a positive note, CMON have flung their whole weight behind this title and are producing a ton of content, such as more factions, also equally minor houses that volition integrate with the larger houses, so for those of yous that opt for this game, you won't be left wanting anytime presently.

Check out Asmodee for more games like A Song of Water ice and Burn down or find your nearest games store HERE

Designers: Eric Lang, Michael Shinall

Publisher: Cool Mini or Not

Release: Sept 2018

RRP: £135.99

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Source: https://gamingrespawn.com/featured/37191/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-review/

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