**As a side note, I’m not planning to give a detailed run down of all the rules. The rules are posted online on the FFG web site and aren’t that long.**
Overview
Game of Thrones is loosely based off of the George RR Martin novel of the same name. I say loosely, because the theme doesn’t really drive the game. You could take this game and reapply a space or historical theme, and the overall experience wouldn’t change.
Players represent five of the major houses of Westeros, who are fighting for control of the continent. They are the houses of Lannister, Stark, Tyrell, Greyjoy, and Baratheon. Through use of diplomacy with other players and the clever placement of orders, each player tries to be the first house to control seven strongholds (which are printed on the board). If no player gets to seven, then the house with the majority of strongholds after ten rounds is the winner (with player highest on the throne track winning the tie breaker). There is no luck involved in this game.
Components
Like most FFG titles, the components for GoT are outstanding. The game comes with a full color set of rules that is easy to read and understand. The rules have examples, graphics, and it is logically put together. After one read through of the rules, I think you should be able to play.
The board is typical FFG quality. It’s a large and colorful map of Westeros, with boxes on the board to mark the round #, supply level, and standing with [power levels]. The battle cards and Westeros cards are your typical game cards, with quality artwork of the various characters from the novels printed on them. You’re also provided with LARGE cardboard pieces of the Iron Throne, Valyrian Sword, and Raven.
Your military units are represented with small, painted, wooden pieces. Their not bad playing pieces, but I would have gone with larger cardboard counters with graphics of knights, ships, and soldiers (similar to Britannia). I think it would have brought out the theme of A Song of Ice and Fire more than the wood does.
Game Play
Mechanically, GoT isn’t very difficult. There are basically three phases: The Westeros phase, Planning Phase, and Action Phase.
Westeros Phase:
During this phase of play, the players will take the top card from each of the three Westeros card decks and flip them face up. And then in order of the decks (1-3) the players carry out the actions printed on the card. These actions include mustering troops, adjusting your supply level, bidding power tokens for control Iron Throne, Valyrian Sword, and Raven, fighting the Wildings, etc. All of the details for these cards are covered in the rule book.
Planning Phase:
After the Westeros phase is completed, players will secretly allocate orders to the various military units on the board that they control. These include:
RAID: Allows the player to cancel a raid order, support order, or consolidate power order in an adjacent territory.
MARCH: Allows you to move your units, possibly into battle.
DEFENSE: Adds bonus strength to your units if you think you’re going to be attacked.
SUPPORT: Will allow those units to add their military strength to a battle in an adjacent territory.
CONSOLIDATE POWER: Gives the player more power tokens for claiming territory and for bidding on the influence tracks.
Action Phase:
During this phase, each player (in the order of where their marker is on the throne track) executes their orders one at a time. First all raids are conducted. Each player is allowed to execute one order. After everyone had a chance to execute a raid, then the first player may execute a second raid order and so forth. When all raids are conducted, then player one executes a march order (along with battles that occur). And then the second player and so forth. Then you play the consolidate orders. After there are no more consolidate power orders on the board, the round is over. The round marker moves up to the next level, new Westeros cards are drawn, and another round is played.
After round ten the game is over. The game also ends when a player controls seven strongholds.
MY JUDGEMENTS
The Positives
Before I go off on it’s shortcomings, let me highlight what I did like from the game. First, I really like the idea of the influence tracks and blind bidding for control of them. Its one of the few times in the game where a lot of suspense is built up and surprises can happen. I like the fact that turn order isn’t determined by the position of your seat around the table, or even by your House (except at the beginning). I love games where player order is changed and you have a say in when you go in relation to other players.
And secondly, I like the player negotiations that go on between the various houses. There have been a lot of comments that compare this game to Diplomacy, and I think that there is good reason to make those comparisons. It even has the lies, stabs, and alliances. Take that for what it is. To me, that adds some fun to the game. It makes me think that GoT would be a better online game, like Diplomacy.
The Negatives
I went into my plays of Game of Thrones SOOOO wanting to like this game. I was excited to play it after reading the rules. I loved the theme of A Song of Ice and Fire and thought this game was going to turn into one of my favorites. My first play was disappointing, but I wanted play again because I thought there was potential here (especially since it’s popular here on BGG). After a second play, I kept thinking there was more potential to the game. But, I don’t see it getting any better. Reasons being...
1. Battles are Boring: There is absolutely no tension during a battle with another house. Each player has perfect information. You are allowed to see each others battle cards and so there is no surprise. The strengths of each unit are added up, throw in a battle card, and highest number wins. Where’s the tension in that? People laud GoT for the fact that there is no luck, but I think that this detracts from the game. Throwing a die or dice in a wargame is not a “luckfest.” Some sort of randomness in the battle would at least add a bit of uncertainty to battles.
2. “When Will You Die!”: Another complaint I have is that it is really, really hard to force another house to lose many units in battle. You know what battle cards the other person has, so if you know that you’re going to lose you can still protect yourself from losing a unit. In the novel, there is carnage everywhere after battles. Not so with the game.
3. Steep Learning Curve: While the mechanics aren’t difficult, mastering them does take a number of plays of the game. An experienced player can absolutely crush a newbie. Experience teaches how to cleverly use raids and support orders and how to bring your army across the board in one turn through the use of your march orders. So this isn’t really an issue if you are playing this in a tournament or you have the same group of players playing over and over at the same skill level. But I think most of us will usually have one or two people who haven’t played it before and so it is an issue.
4. Unsatisfying End: I’m amazed that I’m saying this, but I actually think this game ends too quickly. Ten rounds isn’t a lot of time and I don’t think seven strongholds is a lot. Too often this game will end with one player taking advantage of a weaker player and grabbing the two strongholds that he needs to bring him up to seven. I might be alone on this, but I don’t think GoT feels rewarding after you finish it. There’s no feeling that the game I just played was “epic” or “told a story.” I don’t see myself ever saying, “Do you remember that time we played Game of Thrones, and ....” There’s more of a “that’s it?” feel to it.
5. Game Balance: There has already been enough written here on BGG about the game balance, but just to recap: If you draw House Lannister, you’re pretty much screwed.
Conclusion
So I guess in the end, I’m going to slap a 7 rating on it and I don’t expect it to go up. I don’t hate this game at all, but neither do I really love it. I’d play it again, but if I had the choice I would choose something else.
Posted Thu Feb 7, 2008 2:56 pm
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