CMON has completed their second ASOIAF campaign for a new skirmish version of the ASOIAF: TMG. ASOIAF Tactics spans across multiple eras of George R. R. Martin’s world, where previously their game was restricted to the War of the Five Kings. One thing that is lacking from the campaign is an introduction to the characters you may not know, and in this article, I will give you an introduction to these characters, their lore, and their design in both aesthetics and rules.
Previously we looked at the Battle of the Trident Set, and today we will be diving into the King’s Landing box set that takes place during the Dance of the Dragons, an event that saw the Targaryens, at the height of their power, indulge in a civil war that devastated their House and the entire realm.
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 most people know nothing about the characters during this setting. Fortunately, HBO has produced a show following this time in House of the Dragon, with a second season of this show releasing later this year. However, the show so far has been a prologue for a few characters without going into detail into a lot of them that take center stage in the conflict.
My aim is to increase the sentiment and engagement of those interested in this set by introducing them to the story of unknown characters whilst fueling a further passion in a 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 member of your warband is.
WARNING: There will be spoilers for the first season of House of the Dragon and possibly the second season. I will try to avoid major plot points but smaller details to explain who the characters are will be mentioned.
Something to note with the logo of this Faction as has been pointed out by several in the Gamefound campagin is that CMON have gone with a red field with the black three-headed dragon, but this is wrong and should be changed before the full release of the game. The colours CMON have chosen to represent here are the colours of the bastard led rebellion force of the Blackfyre’s according to the book World of Ice and Fire. It could have been a design choice to differentiate The Blacks from the Targaryens in the Trident set, but this would then conflict with a future Blackfyre Rebellion set; it should be adjusted before the release. I doubt those passionate about the mistake will let it slide either.
Rhaenyra Targaryen – Dragon Queen
Lore – Rhaenyra may be one of the few characters in this set that need little introduction thanks to the HBO show, however it is important to note that CMON only has the rights to develop this era from the books, and cannot use anything from the show here. The books, are a biased account of what happened during the Dance of the Dragons, with the World of Ice and Fire and Fire and Blood books being the sources used to sway their design choices. With it being a biased account, there is some room for creative licensing which should be a relief towards an accurate and unified understanding of the characters involved.
For Rhaenyra at the time of the Dance of the Dragon, she is the continuation of her father Viserys which makes her a brilliant political figure but not a significant commander for warfare. But no matter what, you anger a dragon and it then spits fire. Rhaenyra was not quick to war, instead seeking alliances with those sworn to her and Viserys, and forming a blockade for resources around King’s Landing by sea. She was not wanting for war but the most peaceful resolution in the face of treachery and those eager to fight. When war does break out, the mother’s wrath and dragon blood boils into a fury.
I cannot go into more detail of Rhaenyra’s character without spoiling the story going forward, since she is the principal character and as a result a lot of conflict that shapes them are several twists and turns in the story. Grab one of the books detailing this, or wait for the next season of House of the Dragon to learn more.
Model Design – The model is a decent one for a pre-coronation Rhaenyra that showcases her fashion sense mentioned in the books but does little to portray the imposing power of the Heir to the Iron Throne. I hope this means we could see an armoured version of Rhaenyra, as that does appear frequently in the books during the conflict. I am not fully convinced the character is stout enough since it is mentioned so often by characters and a more realistic body shape might have been better for accuracy, but it does not add or take away from the beauty of the model as it stands. A fine model for Rhaenyra, but it is giving NCU vibes over the figurehead of the faction. Perhaps something more upstanding of a Queen to the Iron Throne would have been appropriate here, she doesn’t even behold her crown.
Rules Design – Rhaenyra is fragile, you must protect her by making sure she is not caught up in a conflict. This is adequate in reflecting the position her councilors take on the war being lost if she was to fall. But she can limit those that dare try with her Court Intrigue ability, stripping away some actions by making a character Routed, and then preventing some of her own allies from receiving tokens. We cannot see the ability in full for her dragon’s presence, but it does look like it is further action manipulation. The rules are about control designed in a questioning of faith which links perfectly to Rhaenyra questioning the oaths and rules of Westeros who deny her claim to the Iron Throne. I also like that their is a control element to her playstyle, which is something she tangles with in terms of the blockade at King’s Landing and her own close supporters who wane in their oaths.
Motivation Design – Rhaenyra is a ruthless version of Rhaenys in Motivation, which we will discuss later in the article. Rhaenyra wants to kill instead of capture, and this is far less of a risk, but you do need to get her engaged which can be quite risky. But her abilities can help with this, alongside a backing of other models. For 1 Gold the VP is great, especially since you will be killing at least someone when scoring here, and why wouldn’t you grab some more VPs if Rhaenyra is right beside them? I am unsure if Rhaenyra is as blood thirsty as the Motivation suggests, perhaps having her engaged is to represent an execution or her bringing a balance to the scales in a way.
However, if Rhaenyra dies you must spend Gold or lose VPs, although you have a way to earn them back by removing the model that killed Rhaenyra. It is of utmost importance to make sure Rhaenyra does not perish when you bring her, but you will need to throw her into harm’s way to get value so it is a huge risk that might not pay off that often. This is exactly how a point of conflict during the war arises, Rhaeyra can go into the field and succeed but at great risk to the entire cause.
Overall, Rhaenyra has very well written and lore-friendly rules that match her character and importance in the civil war, but the rules make her a huge gamble and more of a liability than other choices. With both her and Rhaenys needing to be protected and fighting over the abilities of Corlys Velaryon it could end up a messy gamble with all your eggs in the bastard’s basket known as called Luck.
Corlys Velaryon – Hand of the Queen
Lore – Corlys Velaryon has been reimagined in the House of the Dragon show and has become a favourite of mine due to the stellar performance of Steve Toussaint, however Corlys is certainly different in the World of Ice and Fire, and Fire and Blood books. At his core he is the same; a man hellbent on furthering the height of his family’s legacy for his wife, children, and grandchildren. This often meant Corlys was regarded as restless and ambitious, with him rarely satisfied.
In the books, Corlys is much older and used for his intelligence and wisdom as a war council leader rather than his prowess as a sailor or commander in a battle. In the show they have made him much younger to make the fables more believable due to the vigilance needed to achieve the physical requirements that a 73 year old man would likely fail at. Since the books are more of an account than actuality, we hear less of the emotional struggles and only of the garnered reputation Corlys sought after. Thus the character isn’t a big favourite from the accolades written down in comparisson to the heart shown on screen.
Corlys’s storied presence in history does not end at this point, with countless twists and turns in the Dance of the Dragons still to come for the show, but I will not spoil this as it could be one of the greatest plotlines going forward. Let’s just say his journey is worth following with great interest.
Model Design – Shock! I have some issues with the model of Corlys Velaryon. However, this has a lot to do with the performance of Steve Toussaint in House of the Dragon which has reshaped what is expected of this formidable character. On the other hand, CMON do not have access to the shows and must base their designs on the books. HotD’s version has him feel and look far younger than his book version, which this model does well to portray and is the main source of disagreement. Corlys looks unimpressive and fails to represent the Lord of the Tides and the grand glory he acquired in life.
Besides this, I think there is more that could have been done to present Corlys as his imposing, powerful, badass self than what we have, perhaps having him in more of a combat stance and presence would have been the better choice. It could have been a perfect opportunity to give him an ostentatious presence like a peacock displaying their grandeur. At least there is a cool axe for him, but first opportunity to get an alternative model, I will take it.
Rules Design – We don’t get to see a lot of Corlys’s rules, but we can see that he is terrible in combat where you need to pay to even use this action. Another ability allows Corlys to force an additional move on a character. I like the move design of him to represent his power over the sea and how he has amassed a grand following of hardened sailors. But the final ability looks to be chunky and will decide if he is worthwhile, especially with an 8 Copper ability which would limit activations as well as many other abilities.
Motivation Design – Corlys is designed like Jon Arryn in the sense that to score the Motivation you need keep others alive until the end of the game. Jon Arryn gets more points due to the opponent getting to pick whereas Corlys gets fewer points for this Motivation as he gets to select the model. Honestly, it is weak due to the opponent knowing which Unit he needs to kill to deny you points from the get-go; on top of that it is only 3VP. The most likely choices are Daemon or Erryk for their survivability however like the other Champions they want to be in harms way. Perhaps a Neutral Champion that is tough to move would be best suited for this ability.
From a lore to rule standpoint, the theming of the rule is perfect since Corlys is obsessed with his legacy continuing, which would be through his grandchildren. The only one we have here though is Jace, so I hope to see some other members of the family in the future. Perhaps some that can survive (not Luke).
Rhaenys Targaryen – The Queen Who Never Was
Lore – Rhaenys is one of the most powerful players during the time of the Dance of the Dragons. This is due to the wisdom she has gathered over many years and the Red Queen Meleys. Throughout the beginnings of the civil war, and according to World of Ice and Fire, Rhaenys would often patrol the blockade that Corlys set up, and did so clad in Targaryen Armour.
There isn’t an awful lot about Rhaenys in the books that doesn’t involve succession. Whenever there is a dispute or opportunity, Rhaenys is there to try and sway it towards her family. Whether this is similar ambition to Corlys, or a need to write the wrong that makes her name, we do not know.
During the Dance of the Dragons, Rhaenys did not sit back on the sidelines but was an active part in not only the war council, but many of the fights to defend the gullet and even some important battles. Meleys and Rhaenys form one of the grandest assets to the Blacks.
Model Design – Rhaenys is certainly a standout model in this box for a lot of categories which she knocks out of the park. Whereas others excel in some areas but not all, Rhaenys has an amazing pose of shouting out an order or casting down a foe, whilst armoured to the teeth and wielding an awesome cutlass. The facial expression is well crafted along with the Targaryen theming of the whole ensemble. Truly a standout model of the whole campaign, not just this box set.
However, there are some inaccuracies here. Rhaenys has Baratheon blood on her mother’s side, and this is noticeable due to the black hair with white streaks she had for her whole life. Further to this, Rhaenys was never mentioned wielding weapons, only being a dragon rider. It feels weird to see her brandishing a blade but I suppose she is most likely to have leant how to use one. Whilst an awesome model, is this really Rhaenys?
Rules Design – The rules for Rhaenys are looking very powerful and are far more worthwhile for her cost than Corlys. She has one of the worst armour values in the game even though she is in full plate armour at 9+ which is the same as Rhaenyra who is wearing a gown, a little confusing but perhaps this is to show her age or lack of skill in a combat scenario.
But for lack of armour, she makes up in commanding presence with an ability that either pushes enemies away or makes them move closer, I can’t tell from the images we have seen of her rules. If it is a push thanks to the presence of her dragon, I can see this being an asset in pushing characters away from objectives to claim them yourself. She has two of these, so I am looking forward to seeing the complete wording here. But combine this with her Motivation and you have an auto-include character.
Motivation Design – You can spend 2 Gold to arrest a character engaged with Rhaenys gaining you a hefty 5VP for doing so. Arrest can happen if you can kill a model, and instead you choose to leave them on 1 Wound and take their model into custody. So, I imagine a play with Rhaenys is to get engaged, have another character kill an engaged enemy model, pop Motivation, then have Rhaenys push other models away. You could even follow this up with Corlys forcing a move on Rhaenys to safety as an example. But this outright captures them without an attack it seems, plus it gives 5VP which is the most we have seen for the value.
Honestly one of the better Motivations out there as you are likely to do the parameters anyways, but it will likely cost half of your Gold resource for the game. We do not know what the rule is when she is dead however, and if you kill Rhaenys you get the arrested model back, so it is a gamble.
Daemon Targaryen – The Rogue Prince
Lore – Daemon Targaryen is quite the character. His title of Rogue Prince does well to inform you that he is nothing but trouble wherever he goes. From World of Ice and Fire his accolades paint him as a ruthless, cruel, delinquent, and at every opportunity he would further his claim to the Iron Throne. His morality is close to being that of Maegor the Cruel, but falls short of the enormity of what Maegor accomplished. From murdering his own family, to uplifting scoundrels that do his dirty work, to even plummeting Westeros in to wars before the likes of the Dance. All while being a badass. You can’t deny him that he does it in a cool manner.
Like Rhaenyra, I will not be able to talk about Dameon further without spoiling a hefty amount of the story to come, but he will become a fan favourite wild card of the story.
Model Design – I am not a fan of the Daemon model due to how low key and restrained the Rogue Prince is here. I expected something more outlandish to match his out of control needy rebellious but also highly lethal nature, but this is a duellist stance with a reserved cool to it. To be fair, Daemon during the Dance of the Dragons is a lot more mature than his reputation has built and he is one of the most lethal combatants to face. This is also one of the few if not only models that sports a duellist stance in action which will allow him to stand out, but expectations were not met in this instance.
Rules Design – Daemon’s rules make him a great debuffer whilst being able to dish out some hurt alongside it. He is rocking some very good combat statistics and has many ways to cause issues to opposing characters preventing them from equaling his martial prowess. This makes him a truly effective duelist which fits perfectly into the lore with him having many standoffs with characters throughout his time. Finally, we get to see someone who can dish out some hurt for the Blacks since the previous ones are tech pieces and fragile at that.
Luthor Largent – Commander of the City Watch
Lore – Within the House of the Dragon show, we have not yet met Luthor Largent, however his counterpart will be arriving in Season 2 as Gwayne Hightower. From what we know of Luthor out of Fire and Blood, he was a captain of the City Watch that was then elevated to commander when the Greens were seeking those loyal. Little do they know, Luthor and his Gold Cloaks are loyal to the one that raised them to a higher standing; Daemon Targaryen.
Kingsguard are split, kingdoms split, Westeros split, great dynasties are split, and so two does this reach lower places like the small folk and the City Watch. Luthor commands those loyal to the Blacks, whilst Gwayne commands those loyal to the Greens.
Model Design – This model is one of my personal favourites and I can see it being one of many other people’s favourites too. For me, it is the size. Most models CMON has made for the game have generally been the same size and those that show the difference in body shape aren’t represented appropriately but are being addressed in this campaign like Tormund Giantsbane who looks so much better. The size is authentic to the brutish nature of Luthor. The design of the armour tells the tale of how Daemon poured a lot of funding into making the City Watch truly powerful, the multiple parts of the armour, the iconography decorating it, wow, this is a chef’s kiss model; I cannot wait to paint this.
Rules Design – Luthor Largent shows up to dish out some hurt alongside his master Daemon Targaryen, but you will need to spend some coin for Luthor to be truly useful, which to be honest is quite accurate to how Luthor and by extension the Gold Cloaks rose to power. Since Daemon raised the City Watch to a higher standing, they have found their loyalty firmly with the Rogue Prince which is reflected with one of Luthor’s abilities which grants a benefit to Luthor if Daemon is on the field. But we don’t know what this is or the third ability at this stage.
Jacaerys Velaryon – Jace “Strong”
Lore – The heir to Rhaenyra’s cause is her first born son Jacerys Velaryon. According to World of Ice and Fire, Jace managed to succeed in securing The Vale and The North by treating with several major houses, proving his politcal skills and worthy of being the heri to the Iron Throne. Whilst his official father was Laenor Velayron, his looks questioned his legitamcey in the books and suggested he was a bastard of Harwin Strong, something that became a great point of contention for him and his brothers around Driftmark and the Iron Throne.
Whilst the show portrays Jace close to his Targaryen lineage, the model here depicts him closer to the Velaryon look but is a bit forced and wacky due to the paintjob. But it does well in representing the fact hat Jace was never close to that of Driftmark’s ideals, something that comes into play further into the story.
Model Design – Jace’s paint job by BigChild Creatives is striking but also a little jarring, which perfectly fits his conflict between his three heritages of Targaryen, Velaryon, and Strong. The clash of red from Targaryen to the blue of Velaryon, and the yellow of Strong. But the model itself screams Velaryon heritage which I wish was the same for Corlys’ model but love that the Heir of Driftmark displays himself as much since most artwork has him leaning towards Targaryen only. A gorgeous model with some fantastic details. The artwork does a good job, but the paint job is a little lacking.
Rules Design – Jacaerys is a little mediocre but for a Silver he is pretty good. He has some decent combat statistics, and his other rule is covered up, but it looks like an auto-pass in a morale test. For a 14-year-old boy, heir to the Iron Throne, and a dragon rider of the powerful Vermax, I would say that I was expecting more for him, especially considering his alliance with other characters. Perhaps this is an early Jacaerys, and a future version could rectify this showing how accomplished he became over time.
Erryk Cargyll – Queensguard
Lore – As Luthor Largent represents the City Watch torn in two by the family feud, Erryk Cargyll represents the Kingsguard but also other familes torn in two, with his twin brother taking the other side in the war. In Fire and Blood, we learn that Erryk was apart of Viserys’ Kingsguard before then journeying with Steffon Darklyn to join the Queensguard.
Erryk has an important role in the early stages of the Dance of the Dragons that forms into legend. Keep an eye out for this moment in the show.
Model Design – It is tough to create Kingsguard models that standout differently from other models due to their design being so like each other. But the designers do find ways to give some personality to the models since they are characters and not random soldiers. The Cargyll twins have incredibly similar designs with both sporting their house sigil whilst having slightly different poses. They are the only two Kingsguard of this era made with Shields which allows them to be defined without being duplicated. The designers have done a fantastic job with limited room to create.
Rules Design – Erryk does have an edge over his fellow Queensguard Steffon with a better defence due to his shield and a much better attacking profile. He does bring a defence buff to Rhaenyra if he is nearby due to being her sworn shield and has another rule that is covered up but hints at performing some actions with Rhaenyra involved in this rule as well.
Erryk looks to be a must if you are bringing Rhaenyra in your force, and an auto pass if you are not. However, his rules are pretty good to boost Rhaenyra since she is very vulnerable. I love the design around being her sworn shield but ultimately the Aftermath ability to do an additional wound plays so well into the lore.
Steffon Darklyn – Lord Commander of the Queensguard
Lore – Alongside Erryk was Steffon Darklyn, who traces his lineage to one of the houses of the Crownlands that pledges their support to Rhaenyra. In Fire and Blood, Steffon and Erryk travel to Dragonstone after Aegon usurps her throne. But most importantly he shows up with the crown Viserys wore, which was enough for her to name him Lord Commander of her Queensguard. Steffon would have his loyalty tested over the war, but never swayed away from Rhaenyra.
Model Design – As a Commander of the Queensguard, his pose of giving out a command is perfectly suited for his role. Apart from this there isn’t too much going for the model outside of the design of the armour, which certainly screams of a high-ranking knight. Not too much going on but this character isn’t a huge deal outside of being a delivery man, so it isn’t needed as much.
Rules Design – Steffon has some decent combat statistics being the Lord Commander of the Queensguard but the true power comes in the form of the Queen’s Favour rule which allows Steffon to recover 7 Copper. Now this could be huge depending on how valuable Copper is for the abilities of the faction, if you can blow a large amount of Copper and then get a bunch back to blow some more all in a big turn, that could be huge. Copper does come back though, so it is specifically to allow a huge turn of ability popping.
Driftmark Defender and Sentinel
Model Design – The Defender is a stunning model, and a whole Unit of these guys would be incredible to see in the main game. I love the idea that there are some heavy armour Units even though most of the Velaryon forces are seafarers and wouldn’t dare wear heavy armour on a boat incase of going overboard. I adore the layered scale mail sections especially the face covering.
On the other hand, we have the best looking bowmen in the game, but with some of the most bizarre bows I have ever seen. It is so common to see bow designs that would never work or make sense in reality, but this is on another level. Outside of authenticity, the models look dynamic and fantastic whilst being quite different from each other.
Rules Design – The Driftmark Defender has some pretty good combat statistics in comparison to many other named characters in the game. I am starting to see that bringing the unnamed characters might be an important call for The Blacks in list building. But it looks like the model also comes with a debuffing ability which you don’t see often in the game. I love the design of this model’s rules and it might be a firm take for players.
The Driftmark Sentinel has some decent rules for the points cost. Players may look at the high to-hit rolls and be turned off of bringing this model to the field, however with Copper coming back and Steffon funding a big turn, you might be able to make them work. The only problem is it is pretty much a hail mary. But at the same time, not a lot of characters are bullet sponges, and a rogue wound here and there can bring down the mountain, literally.
Next time, we’ll take a look at the other faction in the set: The Greens.
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