CMON has completed their second ASOIAF campaign for a new skirmish version of the ASOIAF: TMG. It spans across multiple eras of George R. R. Martin’s world, where previously their game was restricted to the War of the Five Kings. There is so much to talk about for the game, but my personal passion is for the story. This article will go over the Battle of the Trident Set and give you an introduction to the different characters’ lore and design in both aesthetics and rules.
One thing missing from the campaign is an introduction to the characters you will be playing with. Some have sparked high levels of excitement such as Robert Baratheon since people know who that is. But others like the badass Lyn Corbray are complete unknowns to those not familiar with that time period.
My aim is to increase the sentiment and engagement of all the characters to help get players invested in a passionate, story-driven game. Tactics is more personal than the main game as you focus on a smaller conflict, a small set of characters, and all their quick decisions. Everything matters in skirmish games, including who each of the members of your warband are.
Crown Loyalists
Rhaegar Targaryen – Dragon Prince
Lore – Most people would know Rhaegar only by his impact on the ASOIAF story. Many individuals speak of him in varying light but his decisions shook the whole of Westeros. Thus he plays a huge part but never have we had a direct interaction with The Dragon Prince through a chapter or viewpoint. Rhaegar is not in the books so what we know is legend, or comes from expanded universe books. In terms of Robert’s Rebellion, this is what we have gather according to the World of Ice and Fire.
Even though he was the spark that ignited the realm into civil war, Rhaegar was away for most of the Rebellion and only returned to take command of the Targaryen army towards the end of the conflict. Rhaegar then marched to the Trident where he met Robert Baratheon in combat for the Battle of the Trident. The two knights fought valiantly and while Robert was wounded by Rhaegar, it would not be enough to halt the ferocious strength of Robert’s warhammer. The spiked end was driven into Rhaegar’s chest, which scattered the rubies emblazoned on Rhaegar’s armour into the waters of a ford now named the Ruby Ford.
Rhaegar was a big name, but took part in only one battle, and lost. Even so, he ended up becoming one of the most legendary figures in Westeros, and there is no better way to tell you about this legend than from those he affected the most.
“In my dreams, I kill him every night. A thousand deaths will still be less than he deserves.” – Robert Baratheon
A Game of Thrones
“Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honourably.” – Jorah Mormont
A Storm of Swords
“Had any man ever been so beautiful? He was more than a man, though. His blood was the blood of old Valyria, the blood of dragons and gods.” Cersei Lannister
A Feast For Crows
“He was born in grief, my queen, and that shadow hung over him all his days.” – Barristan Selmy, disguised as Arstan Whitebeard.
A Storm of Swords
Model Design – Rhaegar’s design is special; there is an extensive description of his armour due to its impact on the Trident and the naming of the river henceforth which is mentioned so often through out the ASOIAF books. Plenty of rubies and dragon iconography is needed to achieve the perfect model according to these descriptions. However, there is something missing here with the design. It doesn’t feel ostentatious enough for a Targaryen heir whilst being the ruling power. An armour like that of Daemon Targaryen from the House of the Dragon show is something I envision for Rhaegar. My expectations are a little higher due to the legends of the character, plus it needs to go side by side with Robert which outshines him. Although the paint job from BigChild Creatives does a lot to elevate the character.
Rules Design – Rhaegar’s rules are more covered up than the lineage of Jon Snow. There is a battle report featured on the campaign that shows Rhaegar in action and shows his motivation in action which is an interesting contrast to Rober Baratheon’s Motivations. Robert scores by killing, Rhaegar scores by imprisoning. So, it is a little riskier to imprison a character as the opponent can kill the character that caught them to retrieve the model back. However, 2 VPs is quite good for a Motivation, especially if you can pull of the secondary effect of trying to keep all Heroes alive.
I do believe Rhaegar is a good person just from Barristan’s take on him alone from what he says throughout the books, and with that many people believe it might have been better for Rhaegar to not defend his father by solving this situation by being honest and seeking justice for the madness Aerys was going through. But was this all part of the plan? Did Rhaegar know that he must die on the Trident for the prince who was promised to succeed? Either way, I like to think that he would not be quick to slay but rather control and it is told perfectly through his Motivation, and form what we can see of his abilities.
Barristan Selmy – Targaryen Kingsguard
Lore – There is no introduction needed for one of the greatest Knights in ASOIAF history, but what role did he play during Robert’s Rebellion?
We gain a lot of insight from Jaime perspectives in the ASOIAF books on the Kingsguard, but also from Eddard during A Game of Thrones. We learn in A Storm of Swords from Jaime that after the defeat of Lord Jon Connington, the remnants of the loyalist army were scatter with Barristan, and Ser Jonothor Darry of the Kingsguard sent to rally them. Barristan was present at the Battle of the Trident, and Jaime says he was wounded numerous times whilst cutting down many in his way. Whilst he fought for the Loyalists and commanded some of their forces, Eddard enlightens us in A Game of Thrones that Barristan was not killed during the battle due to his renown but also loyalty to his oaths. This resulted in Robert having his own maester attend to him and having him continue his role as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Whilst Barristan is known for being an honourable man, he himself reminisces on what would break his oath in A Dance of Dragons. Due to his injuries from he Battle of the Trident, Barristan was not able to travel to King’s Landing to witness the fall of King Aerys. However, ahead of the loyalist forces was the Lannisters led by Tywin Lannister, who had remained neutral in the war until this point. Tywin commanded The Mountain to kill Prince Rhaegar Targaryen’s children, and the bodies were presented to Robert by Lord Tywin Lannister. Barristan believed that if he was present when Tywin’s gift was given, and had Robert smiled over the dead, nothing would have stopped him from killing the man.
The Barristan we have in the main game is full of regret and redemption, seeking to make up for his failures which he has tormented himself with for years. The Barristan in Tactics is longing to defend a close friend and his family, whilst upholding knightly values.
Model Design – An incredibly difficult task is to create seven Kingsguard that all wear the same armour but look distinctly different. This was a failure with the Joffrey Kingsguard where very minor details had some stand apart but others being unrecognisable, however the Renly Kingsguard was a massive leap in design with each having plenty of character. The designers for the Kingsguard made subtle differences which are very clever.
For Barristan Selmy, you can see small hints of the Selmy sigil throughout the model which is of some strand sof wheat. This appears in the feathers of the helmet and the under layer of the chainmail on the bottom of the model. You can also see this on the bottom half of the helmet in the mouthgard. These subtleties show some Selmy character whilst maintaining the Kingsguard look.
Rules Design – Barristan should be one of the best fighters in the game, and his rules have never reflected this within the main game. Tactics is the perfect place to show off the skill and flourish each character has when it comes to combat, without needing to be in a Unit that may restricted the design. For Barristan he shows off his skills with Expert Riposte which acts as a counterattack ability if they survive an opposing attack. A Vicious Blow to weaken the resolve of the opponent with the skill and ferocity of Selmy. Then a Quick Slash for his swiftness at striking at a weaker positioned foe. All abilities that show his skills in a duel. He is an ideal Champion to send forward in capturing foes for Rhaegar’s Motivation.
Jon Connington – Hand of the True King
Lore – Jon Connington never made it to the TV Show with the False Dragon arc. This arc saw Jon Connington raise one of Rhaegar’s children to reclaim the Iron Throne, and from a pre-released chapter of The Winds of Winter he is the first in history to successfully siege Storm’s End and did so with the Golden Company.
During the Rebellion, Jon Connington never made it to the Battle of the Trident. He is the prominent figure for the Loyalists throughout the beginning of the conflict as he became Hand of the King when Aerys wanted a new hand to match Robert Baratheon. We learn this and more in A Dance With Dragons. Jon tracked Robert Baratheon after his many victories from multiple battles in one day to the Stoney Sept in the Riverlands. A battle amongst the town took place but Jon could not find Robert before Lords Eddard Stark, and Hoster Tully, arrived to reinforce Robert. Jon fought back fiercely, however Jon was nearly slain by Robert at the town’s sept, and retreated when he saw that the Battle of the Bells was lost.
Jon is tormented by his failure at the Battle of the Bells in A Dance With Dragons, and is often haunted by the ringing of bells in his sleep. We find him in exile during this book and learn this was his fate when he lost the Battle and returned to King Aerys.
Jon Connington’s loyalty never waved, and in A Dance of Dragons he returns to Westeros with the Golden Company at his back who are fulfilling their first and most important contract ever since the Blackfyre Rebellion. In a pre-released chapter from The Winds of Winter, we do learn that Jon with Aegon VI are planning to move on to King’s Landing from Storm’s End which would be incredibly easy since King’s Landing is without leadership thanks to the incompetence of the Lannister forces ruling it and the chaos Varys sows. Jon is an important and powerful figure, who could rival Robert Baratheon, and may take the Iron Throne.
Model Design – Finally. A Jon Connington model. Neutral Boxes have been slow in releasing and this means forces like the Golden Company don’t have any characters to go with them like Jon Connington. So it is a welcomed sight, and I do hope he gets some rules for the main game.
Jon is one of my favourite characters from the books and at the height of his power he proudly displayed the Griffon of his house to everyone when commanding as the Hand of the King. To show this we get a well adorned model, commanding his troops, whilst still showing the awesome Griffon’s Roost sigil in front of the glorious hand of the king badge. I love this young version of Jon and cannot wait to see if we get the grizzled veteran returning from exile in the main game.
Rules Design – We don’t get to see Jon’s rules sadly, but he does have one of the best defensive saves I have seen in the game so far, and I think only Jason Mallister beats this in the set. So, he will be hard to take down, which means throwing multiple people into him, but that is what Jon wants.
Jon’s motivation is about passing morale tests when he has multiple people engaged with him. If he does, he gains additional VPs. He wants to be outnumbered yet stand firm against the odds. What a badass. However, this seems like a lot of VPs for a decent set of rules and a cheap cost for a Hero. He may be an auto-include.
Jonothor Darry – Targaryen Kingsguard
Lore – We learn a lot more about Jonothor Darry from Jaime in A Feast For Crows, with him being a mentor to him and more or less being the reason why Jaime’s hopes for being an honourable knight were shattered. Jonothor will follow duty above decency in every situation no matter what. When Jaime questions some of his decisions in an attempt to show honour as a knight, he is shot down quickly by Jonothor.
According to the World of Ice and Fire book as well as what we learn from Jaime, Jonothor is sent alongside Barristan to rally the remnants of the Loyalist forces that were scattered after the Battle of the Bells. Jonothor was also one of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen’s three Kingsguard who rode with him from the Red Keep leading the royal army at the Battle of the Trident where he would meet his end.
Model Design – The model for Jonothor is quite plain, not showing too much detail for his house, although there’s a lot of what looks to be eight pointed stars across the model which could be the connecting wooden beams in a wheel that links to the sigil of House Darry. The designers have chosen to make the cloak chunky and prominent here as opposed to the other two Kingsguard models, perhaps this is because he took his duty so seriously to a point of burning his decency whenever there was an opportunity to challenge it through duty. The negative space on the shield will be welcomed by painters who like to test their skills at freehand.
Rules Design – Whoever chose Silent Vigil for the special rule is one seriously dark individual, to a point where it wouldn’t be appropriate to explain why here. Look it up in your own time. He does have a great combat ability, but the vigil ability is partially covered up although it looks to be a healing mechanic for either someone else or himself. We haven’t seen too much healing in the game, but it is out there in other places. I am unsure on him for 1 Silver since his rules are lacklustre for a Kingsguard. 7+ comes off as a mistake here.
Lewyn Martell – Targaryen Kingsguard
Lore – Barristan and Donothor were accompanied by Lewyn Martell to the Battle of the Trident as the only Kingsguard to attend Rhaegar in the fight. Barristan out of honour, Donothor out of Duty, and Lewyn out of necessity. According to the World of Ice and Fire book, and what we learn from Jaime Lannister, King Aerys used Lewyn’s niece and Rhaegar’s wife, Princess Elia Martell, as a hostage against him. Forcing him to command the Dornish army that were to join the Loyalists at the Trident. Lewyn was killed here at the hands of Ser Lyn Corbray, which might come as a shock since Lyn is on the side of the Loyalists in this box but he does switch sides much earlier in the conflict.
Lewyn becomes more important after his death, something that is repeated with Elia Martell shortly after, and then Oberyn after that. The reputation that Martells are well loved, and their death can raise a war should be a common note in history. During a Tyrion chapter in A Storm of Swords, Dorne was outraged by the deaths of Lewyn and Elia during the Rebellion, and Prince Oberyn Martell tried to raise the kingdom to support Viserys Targaryen at the time, and continued the grudge into the main story. In A Feast For Crows when we meet Arianne Martell for the first time, she recalls Lewyn Martell in joyous light even saying that she could barely breathe from laughter. Lewyn is a tragic character but still a well skilled Kingsguard.
Model Design – Just like the other Kingsguard, Lewyn has shown some of his heritage in his Kingsguard design. When you take this model and put it alongside the rest of the Martell roster it blends in effortlessly. The curved scimitar-like blade, and the scale face covering like the Sunspear Royal Guard, are some of the details I picked up on. I do like the cloak being loosely attached as if to say that Lewyn is forced into being a Kingsguard due to Elia being a hostage. It is implied a lot that Lewyn does not align himself well with the Kingsguard beliefs and duty and subtle differences in how he carefully adorns himself represents his inner opinion on the matter.
Rules Design – Lewyn’s rules are completely hidden, but he has one rule called Honour and Duty, which can help him in combat by putting out Shaken and even causing additional damage. A fine way of showcasing the swordsmanship of Kingsguard.
Lyn Corbray – Distinguished Knight
Lore – Lyn Corbray feels out of place in this side of the box. Whilst Jon Connington was firmly on the Loyalist side but not around for the Battle of the Trident, in A Feast For Crows we learn more about the people of The Vale and the surviving Lyn Corbray who originally fought for the Loyalists but switched sides when his liege lord Jon Arryn had beat his force at Gulltown. However, the developers designed the game around the idea of What if? So you could play with characters that break the cannon. What if Jon Connington was not exiled? What if Lyn Corbray did not switch sides?
An important moment during the Battle of the Trident was when Lyn took up the family’s Valyrian steel longsword, Lady Forlorn, and cut through the Dorne forces slaying the famed Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. Because of this, the sword was gifted to him rather than his older sibling.
Model Design – Most models tend to not be that exciting due to their static pose, but Lyn has a dynamic mid motion pose of him cutting down the foes in his path. It is a unique pose not chosen often for models to be positioned into. As a knight of the Vale however, it is a beautiful sight to see with his own sigil modelled into the shield for those painters not adept in freehand. There is a theme with some models across the campaign that is trying to help some hobbyists with painting incredible designs by modelling in the detail rather than leaving it blank that needs to be praised.
Rules Design – Lyn has a lengthy rule called Opportunist. This is supposed to represent him switching sides at the earliest opportunity. This can prevent Lyn from being taken out, keeping him on the field a little longer, and even doing an additional attack with his valyrian steel blade. This is epic. We will need to wait and see the true wording of this ability and then the true power of it, but considering he is an epic character this is so fitting. I hope that there will be a Neutral variant for him, or one for the Rebels to use, I would love to run as many people from The Vale to finally have a Vale force.
Myles Mooton – Rhaegar’s Pupil
Lore – There is very little on Myles Mooton, however what we could find in the book World of Ice and Fire was that he was a famous knight of House Mooton who was remembered as being bold as brass. He was also Rhaegar’s squire, and died during the Battle of the Bells by Robert Baratheon’s own hand. It is weird that Rhaegar’s squire was not with Rhaegar at all for the rebellion and was instead with other members of the crown’s advisory; I wonder if that is important, since the likes of Barristan weren’t brought in on Rhaegar’s plots. Perhaps Myles is honourable or too green to be trusted. Mainly theory work at this point.
Model Design – Myles has no description. Nothing to go off of other than being bold. I do appreciate a design not often seen, thick heavy plate armour built for dangerous engagements coupled with a buckler and handaxe for those personal touches. Yes, this person screams I want to invade your personal space. I love the design of Myles and am glad to see some extreme differences in weaponry rather than creating just another knight.
Rules Design – Again, nothing too much in the way of lore describing how Myles fights or even what he is like. But the rules are designed around moving closer to engage the enemy. But also, he has a way to disrupt the enemy’s attack by debuffing them and at the same time keeping himself alive. I can see him being a nuisance to deal with on the battlefield for sure.
Robert’s Rebellion
Robert Baratheon – Rebel King
Model Design – I don’t believe I have encountered a Baratheon player that hasn’t expressed their desire to one day have a Robert Baratheon model, while thinking it would never come. However, now they have two glorious sculpts for the rebel king, and in his prime no less. Some of the subtle detailing signifies the scale of this behemoth of a man, whilst also adorning him in imposing stag imagery. The mounted version gives some awesome design choices to the horse making it a standout on the field. Whereas the on-foot model takes centre stage with the intimidating presence of Robert’s raw power. I love these models for the future of the Baratheon Faction as a whole.
Rules Design – There is so much to go over in rules for Robert, but rather than endless paragraphs it is easier to just say he is about getting to the fight and then fighting. He has movement mechanics and combat mechanics to make him a powerhouse on the field. It feels like you should stay out of his reach but will eventually be forced to pile on him to bring down the brute.
Motivation – Motivations score victory points, and the only victory for Robert is through the glorious crucible of combat. If you are killing champions and heroes, then you are following in on Robert’s motivations and scoring victory points. There isn’t anything on his motivation when it is flipped but judging from other characters it might be something to do with losing your named leaders, for if the rebellion has none of the named faces leading it, then it falls apart. An important note is that his Motivation giving 3 VP on killing a hero is strong, especially if the opponent brings multiple Heroes. 4 Gold for 6 VP is one of the strongest Motivations in the game, but also plays well into who Robert is, desperate to bring down Rhaegar Targaryen no matter what.
Eddard Stark – The Last Wolf
Lore – Ned’s brother, Brandon Stark, and father, Rickard Stark, were executed at the command of King Aerys. This outraged the North, and Ned called his banners thus rebelling against the throne. The rules card for Ned is listed as “The Last Wolf,” however there was still Benjen Stark in Winterfell ruling in Ned’s name whilst he marched south for war. So a little inaccurate on the naming of this character. Even if Benjen was forgotten, you still have Lyanna Stark that the whole rebellion is fighting for. In A Storm of Swords, we do learn that he was often called The Quiet Wolf.
Ned is one of the most well-known characters in the world of Westeros, and thus a huge introduction is not needed. According to the book World of Ice and Fire, The North took a long time to assemble and then march South. Ned only just made it to aid Robert Baratheon and prevent him from being apprehended by Jon Connington. The combined forces of four kingdoms then fought at the Battle of the Trident, and Ned led the forces to conclude the war at King’s Landing.
Model Design – Ned has had two models in the main game and both sport a reserved pose which may represent the lack of fighting that Ned encountered in A Game of Thrones. The hand of the king model is designed to show Ned politicking in the Red Keep whilst the Heroes Box 1 model is Ned in proper Stark attire about to draw his sword. For this set, he is in a mid-duel stance that we have not had before. Whilst the artwork and paint job do not fill me with a lot of interest, the scan of the model does show some potential for a formidable character. It is an okay model, but it is hard to make a plain aesthetic exciting which a lot of Stark models sport. Perhaps some hints of The Vale or higher heraldry would have uplifted this model?
Rules Design – We can’t see all of his rules, but his house words echo the fate of his foe with it applying a lingering wound that slowly kills the opponent. This would be good for poison, but I like that it represents a well-struck injury that will catch up to the opposition, although it does require a good chunk of action points and coin to use. We can see fragments of what I believe is Stark Fury that improves the quality of an attack. Ned is a duellist, and anyone that faces him must be wary. If only there was an Arthur Dayne to face off against. On the other hand, we will be able to recreate the duel between Jaime Lannister and Ned in the streets of King’s Landing from A Game of Thrones.Â
Jon Arryn – Wise Tutor
Lore – Jon Arryn is a character that sparked the story of the main line books ASOIAF, however we never get to meet him; it is his death that sets those he has impacted the most into motion. Throughout every ASOIAF book there are people who have been affected by Jon Arryn, and we gathered some more information from the book World of Ice and Fire to give you a good sense of who Jon is.
Jon Arryn is the Lord of House Arryn, and Liege Lord to the Vassals of The Vale during the reign of Aerys Targaryen and Robert Baratheon. He fostered Robert and Ned Stark, raising them as his own, and has been often accounted as a father figure to both of them. When asked to bring the heads of his wards, he refused, and the rebellion begun right there and then. He didn’t sit behind a map and command his force; he was out in the field with Robert Baratheon sorting out the Vale due to some of the Houses choosing to not follow the Warden in the rebellion.
Jon was able to keep the rebels together in their goals until the sacking of King’s Landing. The relationship between Eddard and Robert and turned sour with how Robert viewed the murders of Targaryen children. Jon did many things to repair the kingdom, easing the boiling tension from the Martells, uniting the Westerlands with the crown through marriage, and then also discovering a succession crisis from the legitimacy of Robert’s children.
He was a big player in the Game of Thrones, and there is no wonder as to how he influenced the growth of so many.
Model Design – Whoever thought that designing the model after a fan casting of Donald Sutherland is a genius. What a fantastic actor for the role if it ever came up, but more importantly, it shows the correct age of Jon Arryn with all of his wisdom to raise the likes of Eddard Stark. At the same time, this is our first Arryn model in the game, with the armour being so highly detailed with hints towards the house scattered among the armour, I specifically like the falcon pommel on the sword. One of the best models in the set for sure.
Rules Design – We don’t have a good look at all of Jon’s rules as they are covered up like a lot of the cards in the campaign. However, we can see he is not stellar in combat with a very weak melee attack. But he makes up for this with some commanding abilities. Wise Words triggers another model to do a free action which can be very powerful in the right circumstances. But the other two abilities have not been shown anywhere, however one is called Rally which I assume is a way to remove the Routed condition. Jon being a commander of troops rather than a cutthroat makes perfect sense when there are already so many great combatants in the roster.
Motivation – Some heroes come with a Motivation, which are specific drives that can generate some victory points for your force. Think of it as a scoring condition, but there is a different one for when the character is alive or dead. For Jon, your opponent selects two models in your force, and you want these to live until the end of the game to gain some points from the Motivation. Jon wants to win, but with limited amounts of death. However, if Jon is killed, the opponent can score a lot of VPs by killing these selected Units, unless you spend some of your precious gold. An interesting gambit built on confidence of survival.
Hoster Tully – Loyal Ally
Lore – Just like Jon Arryn, Hoster is a character that does not feature prominently in the ASOIAF books, but whose actions have impacted a vast amount of people. Furthermore, another similarity between Hoster and Jon is that he plays a way more prominent role in the rebellion than the War of the Five Kings.
According to the book World of Ice and Fire, Hoster was always looking to strengthen the Riverlands since it was the weakest kingdom position wise in Westeros. By travelling around the kingdoms and fostering alliances, Hoster was able to prevent the downfall of the kingdom should war come to ravage the land.
Hoster eventually joined the rebellion on the side of the rebels using following the same desires that have motivated him to this point. A marriage pact would be reformed with the Starks between Ned Stark and Catelyn Tully since Brandon Stark was recently killed by Aerys Targaryen. However, Hoster saw an opportunity to make a further pact with The Vale when he took part in the Battle of the Bells. Hoster may only have wedding bells in his hand, but he is a capable commander even going toe-to-toe with Jon Connington.
I have always wondered what would have happened if Hoster recovered from his illness during the War of the Five Kings rather than perishing from it. But CMON set up a perfect place to discover this since he doesn’t die until after Robert Baratheon’s death. Under the What If? Ideology of CMON’s game, there is a chance we could get a version of Hoster in the main game.
Model Design – The best model out of the entire campaign by a long shot! Many have waited a long time for a brand-new addition to the Riverlands since we have been missing the likes of Edmure for so long, and finally we get one but it is Hoster in his prime. From the pose to the fish-scale design Tullys have, to the flowing burgundy and navy colours of House Tully. Every little detail is remarkable to a point where there is nothing to say, and you just need to applaud the designers. There is no model that could top this for me.
Rules Design – There are no full shots or mentions of Hoster’s rules, we only get a slight glimpse of these which do give us an insight into the design of this character. Hoster is not a duellist or tourney knight, he has no physical traits to gain an advantage on, but his tactics and strategy have gotten his house to this position. Well-Knit Formation commands an additional move from neighbouring Units which is a great way to manage your action points on other models, opening up the possibility for high-cost actions earlier into a fight. His other ability can throw out some conditions onto an enemy reducing their effectiveness. Very much a tech-piece for your force.
Roose Bolton – Lord of Leeches
Lore – Does Roose need an introduction? We all know who is, but what about who he was? What was Roose Bolton during Robert’s Rebellion? From World of Ice and Fire book, we know Roose fought at the Battle of the Trident during Robert’s Rebellion. We also know that Roose counselled that they should kill Barristan Selmy, however Robert ignored Roose and spared his life. Roose had already gone through the ordeal of having Ramsay Snow and covering up the events from his liege lord. The seeds of his true nature are planted here and were overlooked or missed. However, if they killed Barristan, then Daenerys wouldn’t have such a capable knight and commander at her disposal. So Roose correctly predicted the loose loyalty Barristan had, and to be fair, Barristan knew of a situation where he would have cut down Robert at that point in time.
Model Design – We have had quite a few models for Roose Bolton already with one of my favourites being the Red Wedding Roose Bolton from Game Night Kit 1. It is hard to pick a new direction to go with another model, but the design team have outdone themselves on this one with the best part about this model being the helmet. It gives off Leatherface vibes, as if Roose has flayed someone’s face and worn it. This plays so well into the lore of House Bolton and the psychological warfare they practice.
Rules Design – His rules play around the Routed effect which is given when someone fails their morale. Routed reduces a model’s action point count which greatly restricts the amount they can do to affect the game. In a way there isn’t morale damage, but it shuts off the capabilities of the opponent due to the terror they are experiencing. It is a really nice way to show that Roose is also an incredible tactician, something that blossoms in the War of the Five Kings but is present during the rebellion.
Denys Arryn – The Darling of the Vale
Lore – The most we know of Denys Arryn comes from Sansa’s chapters in A Feast For Crows, where we learn a lot about The Vale and its past such as Denys being known as the Darling of the Vale. We know he was the heir to House Arryn during the beginning of the rebellion, and held the title of the Keeper of the Gates of the Moon, a title held by The Blackfish in the War of the Five Kings. During the Battle of the Bells he was killed by Jon Connington, which resulted in the marriage pact between Lysa Tully and Jon Arryn, but also resulted in a succession crisis in the ASOIAF books. Capable, renowned, and an important figure in the stability of The Vale, such a minor character casts a large shadow.
Model Design – Many folk have been clamouring for House Arryn for a while now, and our first taste of this Faction is with Jon Arryn, but it doesn’t live up to the Knights of the Vale reputation the land has garnered. So what a great choice to include another important character that can best represent this in classic knight aesthetics. The little duck on helmet feels out of place but the meat mallet side of his halberd is intimidating. Out of most models in this set, Denys Arryn is one of the top models I am looking forward to painting up for the facial hair alone. Look at that moustache!
Rules Design – The rules are interesting since we don’t know much about Denys’ prowess in combat other than he was bested by Jon Connington. However, to stand toe to toe with Jon and also be named Keeper of the Gates of the Moon, must mean he is a competent warrior. Furthermore, we don’t know his weapon of choice from the books, so the halberd is a bold pick, but it looks so awesome. So creative licence is sorely needed to make a character like this and they have chosen well.
I love the defensive strategy you can play with this character. Counterstrike allows Denys to perform his attack if he succeeds high enough on his defensive saves (as long as you have the coin for it). Having him hold his ground on an objective or choke point could be a great tactic and aligns nicely with being the Keeper since he is all about baring folks’ path to The Vale.
Jason Mallister – Lord of Seaguard
Lore – Jason Mallister is a big name Lord of a major House in the Riverlands; however he plays very minor roles in the action of both the rebellion and the War of the Five Kings. From what we learn from World of Ice and Fire, Jason is a renowned tourney knight, participating in several tourneys and doing very well for himself, however is often just a big name for other important characters to look good against. Jason was present at the Battle of the Trident, and that is all we know of what he does during the rebellion.
During the War of the Five Kings in A Storm of Swords, Jason fought alongside Robb Stark. Mallisters have a huge history of conflict with the Ironborn, something that is not just shown with Jason, but with Denys Mallister in the Night’s Watch, and was the whole reason Seaguard, their seat of power in the Riverlands, exists. If any House in the Seven Kingdoms was the rival to the Ironborn, it would be the Mallisters, and in more ways than just conflict but in culture, as the Mallisters are some of the most honourable, whereas Ironborn are some of the most despicable.
Model Design – The model design is almost perfect. It features the eagle winged helm mentioned in the books and the paintjob makes sure to include the indigo colour scheme of House Mallister. But the designers go a step further by including eagle designs across the whole armour. The chest piece has an eagle on it reminding me of Space Marines from Warhammer 40k but the shoulder pauldrons and hips include other hints towards his house.
The only thing letting this down for me is the pose. It feels wooden and closed in, whereas we can look at the Baratheon Wardens that are similarly equipped and see some far better poses. I would have liked the model to be more open to show the design of the armour off once the players have painted Jason.
Rules Design – Jason Mallister is featured in many Tourneys throughout their history and is usually the only aspect of note about Jason. He also manages to do very well at the events but always misses out on that top spot. It is obvious he is a powerful side character with some detail but mainly used to bolster the opposition in their story. The developers gave him a rule designed around his experience in a Tourney. The rule gives Jason an advantage in combat likely from his experience.
I love the rule Honourable Bannerman for showcasing who the people of the Riverlands are and end up becoming. They are the last bastion of Robb Stark’s conquest due to their drive and will. So, testing that motivation for a combat attack that can result in the opponent becoming shaken is a great representation of this.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you’ve learned something new about the characters in the core set! When making this article there were some characters I didn’t even know about, such as Myles Mooton and Denys Arryn, so I am glad that the game is highlighting some unique names to make new moments from. The models have also come a long way from the first campaign for ASOIAF CMON has done and it is a world of difference in the detailing the designers have done.
I can’t wait to see the rules in full to further see how the rules developers have created these awesome characters from the history of Westeros. I will be continuing this series with two boxes from the War of the Five Kings then followed by the Dance of the Dragon box set. We have a year until the game reaches our laps but plenty to discuss until then.
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