A Game of Thrones: The Board Game

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition), published by Fantasy Flight Games, is an epic, heavy strategy game for three to six players based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. It is not merely a war game; it's a brutal mix of diplomacy, resource management, and backstabbing, perfectly capturing the political and military turmoil of Westeros.

The Struggle for the Iron Throne

The game begins with the death of King Robert Baratheon, and players take on the roles of the Great Houses—Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Martell, and Tyrell—each starting in their ancestral territories on the map of Westeros.

The objective is simple: be the first House to control seven castles or strongholds, or control the most castles after ten full game rounds. Achieving this victory requires careful expansion, managing supply lines for your armies, and, most importantly, negotiating treacherous alliances with rivals.

Core Mechanics: The Hidden Orders

The game is played over a series of rounds, each broken into three distinct phases:

1. Westeros Phase: Global events are drawn from three different decks. These cards can trigger global actions like Mustering (placing new units), adjusting Supply (determining army size limits), or initiating a Wildling Attack that requires all players to pool resources to defend the realm.

2. Planning Phase: This is the heart of the game, emphasizing diplomacy and deduction. Players secretly assign one of five types of Order Tokens face-down to each territory they control that holds units. Orders include:

   • March: Move units and attack adjacent territories.

   • Defense: Provides a combat bonus if attacked.

   • Support: Lends combat strength to an adjacent battle (even supporting a rival!).

   • Raid: Cancels an opponent's Support or Consolidate Power order.

   • Consolidate Power: Gains "Power Tokens" (the game's currency).

3. Action Phase: All players reveal their tokens simultaneously, leading to intense action resolution where alliances are exposed, and betrayal is rampant.

Combat and Influence Tracks

Combat is a blend of unit strength, strategy, and card play:

• House Cards: In battle, both players secretly choose a unique House Card (representing a key character like Robb Stark or Tyrion Lannister), adding its power value to their military strength.

• Influence Tracks: Three vital tracks—Iron Throne (determines turn order), Fiefdoms (breaks combat ties), and King's Court (determines access to special orders)—are constantly bid upon using Power Tokens, giving players indirect but critical control over game flow.

The Second Edition refined the original by incorporating elements from popular expansions, including Siege Engines and Ports, making it the definitive, cutthroat experience of vying for the Iron Throne.