Season 6 of the ASOIAF: TMG has been out for a few weeks and there have been many fresh army builds from the community. List building has become a heck of a lot more enjoyable, so I decided to make a fun list for every Faction and show what you can now achieve with the changes.
Lannisters - Battle of the Blackwater
My favourite way to build a list is by designing one based on an event in the books. For a while it has been difficult to make a Battle of the Blackwater list including all the Units and Attachments that were present for the Lannisters, but now we have extra points to play with due to the new Attachment rules.
Leading the force is of course Tyrion Lannister since he planned the defence of King’s Landing against the forces of Stannis Baratheon. He fits perfectly into a ranged element of Lannister Crossbowmen, especially since Bronn is no longer a good pick for them. Bronn joins the Stone Crows as the forwarded forces, Bronn was planted to trigger the wildfire in one of the ships, whilst the Stone Crows were tasked with burning a clearing in front of the walls to remove cover for the coming forces. Together they become a difficult problem to remove when you hold the Coin Zone as they are healing quite a few wounds on activation and going up to a tough defensive stat.
Due to the wildfire we had to bring the Pyromancers, it is one of the only times it makes sense in the lore to include them. It feels ironic to then include Sandor Clegane in with them, but his rules work so well here. Sandor Clegane was a main figure in the fight before he fled and needed to be a part of the army. Alongside him comes Ser Mandon Moore, the Kingsguard that tried to assassinate Tyrion before being killed by Podrick Payne. Mandon will be accompanying the Gold Cloaks that made up a large bulk of the forces defending the city against the Baratheons.
Other forces that were pulled into the fight were loyal Crownlanders, and mercenaries that they could get their hands on. To represent this, and give some diversity of Units in the force, Hedge Knights will be brought along with the only Attachment they could bring being the Butcher. For NCUs we are spoiled for choice. Joffrey is an obvious inclusion due to his presence in the battle, but we could grab Cersei, Tommen, Pycelle, even Tywin or Kevan to represent the upcoming relief force. I went with Varys as the additional NCU since he is the only one present actually trying to assist Tyrion in the conflict.
With that the thematic lore friendly list is complete. There are quite a few Lannister themed lists you can make with the new update that I would love to design further such as the Greenfork or Throne Room conflicts.
Starks - Battle of the Camps
Following in the same footsteps as the Lannister list, I wanted to make a thematic Stark list from the books. There was an event in the books that saw Riverrun besieged by the Lannisters on three sides, or three camps as the name would suggest. Jaime Lannister led the siege but got bored so he chased the Blackfish from one of his harrying attempts into a trap, The Battle of the Whispering Woods. Jaime was captured, and Robb was then able to launch a relieving attack onto the unsuspecting Lannisters encamped around the Tully ancestral home.
Before Season 6, it was a struggle to get every character represented in a good way in one 40pts list. But now with the changes to Attachment rules when building lists, you can take some of the named characters in addition to their respective House Unit. Brynden Tully as the commander of the Outriders had to be included here, before he was 2pts and I would have brought him in Tully Sworn Shields and on foot. The change allows me to bring him in a more lore accurate form.
Maege Mormont gets to journey to the field in a capable Mormont Unit, alongside Rickard Karstark in the Loyalists. Getting to bring both of these characters in decent combat Units is a very nice feeling, even if they don’t do too much in the game. Umber needed to be represented, if I had a spare point this would be the Umber Ravagers due to them being mentioned in the fight, but this would mean dropping one of the 6pts Units to 5pts, likely Robb’s Bowmen to Crannogmen Trackers.
House Reed doesn’t spend too much time in the fight but is insurmountable for holding The Neck, so we get to represent another Northern House but as a NCU with Howland here. Later on, Robb does ask Howland for some Crannogman Trackers to help as guides for the Northern forces over The Neck, which is why I love that the Survivalist is now allowed to be taken in addition to another Attachment. Of course Catelyn Stark is not too far away from the fight with Grey Wind taking to the field to back up Robb.
Neutrals - Golden Company
Season 6 has made it even more necessary for a Golden Company Commander. Daario doesn’t really belong anywhere in either Golden Company Unit without doubling up on abilities or likely not getting to use them that often. Jokin’s best card only affects Stormcrow Units, so it is more of a Stormcrow list with Golden Company horseshoed in. Both Bolton Commanders want Bolton Units, and Vargo is a half measure without some Bloody Mummers. Honestly, Vargo might be the best Commander for the Swordsmen but Daario can allow Adaptive Style to focus on defence.
Either way, the new changes to Attachment points does give the Golden Company some space to boost their Units, which was always an issue with how expensive they are, however, you are looking at 2pts options which don’t have a lot of placement. Jokin is the best pick, but inside of Swordsmen, giving them a keyword for when they don’t want the offense from Adaptive Style, and then they are a front runner for Widower Crossbowmen.
Widower Crossbowmen are allowed to make ranged attacks against the Unit that attacked Jokin, you could Sentinel into a better range, and then take shots. Or you could do charges since the melee profile is not awful on Crossbowmen, but they gain Sundering in addition thanks to Widower. It could be a potent combination if used correctly.
Getting to play with all of the Golden Company Units backed by some solid NCUs and some decent attachments is a very fun way to play the mercenary company until their Commander is released.
Night’s Watch - The Recruits
One of the most difficult parts about building a Night’s Watch list is the fact that most of their Units are 7pts. It can be tough to fit in some Attachments for the Watchers on the Wall, but now it is no longer a hindrance. I have gone for a list showing the younger characters we get to experience the Night’s Watch through.
Jon Snow leads the force with Ghost not far behind him. He sits in the Veterans of the Watch to give some combat buffs to make them a little extra spicy in the frey. Shadow Tower Spearmen Taunt the enemy with Grenn, forcing the opponent into a Set For Charge, followed by a Swift Retreat from Pypar so that you can charge on in against the foe to gain some rerolls.
Builder Crossbowmen have to suffer the constant pessimism from Edd, but if they suffer further by losing ranks they will prevent any nasty tactical tricks from the opponent and take their decent melee combat to a very good place. Beside them are the reliable Sworn Brothers, protecting Samwell who is generating the Tactics Cards you need in the most dire circumstances.
Being the new recruits, it would be a shame if we did not bring the new Yoren NCU to the table. He saw the least amount of play according to ASOIAF-Stats last season, so hopefully the points reduction changes this. The second NCU is Maester Aemon, likely the NCU who had these recruits back the most.
I am looking forward to seeing if Season 6 did enough for the Night’s Watch. Whilst there were few changes, the free Attachment points is the biggest deal for this Faction than the rest.
Free Folk - Monsters From the North
Last week we already spoke about what could become the most popular way to play Free Folk in monster lists. They’re back, baby! We used to see these so much before the Craster nerf, and even after this there were still plenty of players. Mag the Mighty lists are just fun, it is that simple. I consider it the same reason why people play Imperial Knights in Warhammer 40k. Few models to both paint and play. The quickest way to get into the hobby.
There have been discussions over pure giants, working in mammoths, or going for the support of Varamyr. I wanted to fashion a list that could do all three. Whilst most people believe three NCUs is always the correct way to play, the NCUs on offer are just not good enough for the giants that I would much rather invest the points into more combat Units. 3x Giants, 2x Mammoths, Varamyr, his Shadowcat, and then 2 NCUs. I can see this being a lot of fun to play.
I am curious about infantry lists for Free Folk, since so many Units could result in a lot of the named characters in every list. The changes to Frozen Shore intrigue me, as well as the overhaul to Rattleshirt. We may need to make a dedicated Free Folk article looking at the possibilities of the Wildlings.
Baratheons - Battle of the Blackwater
Just like the Lannisters and Starks, it used to be difficult to make thematic lists from the events of the books without compromising on the Units. The new Attachment rules allow you to bring the unique characters whilst also having the freedom to put them in the Units you want the most. What better way to show this than the forces of the One True King at the Battle of the Blackwater?
With the big Leeds 50pts Event coming up soon and the focus on theme, I decided to make a Stannis Blackwater 50pts list, and I am so close to changing my Faction to Baratheons for this alone. I have decided to set this list just after the explosion of Wildfire so that you could run a Davos list that is the tip of the spear, then alternate to this one. Whilst Davos does fall out of the fight after this moment along with his son Dale, what Davos did impacted the rest of the fight by allowing the carcasses of the fleet to act as a bridge for Stannis’ forces to besiege the walls of King’s Landing, hence why he is a NCU here.
Axell Florent is Castellan of Dragonstone at this point so he fits perfectly for the second NCU to represent the Florent forces backing up Stannis. House Farring and House Massey were noted for their involvement in the fight, so Justin Massey inside Lightbringers for the ranged contingent, and Bryen Farring inside the Halberdiers for a solid defensive Unit sit nicely for this.
The Lysene Sellswords and Bosun are to represent Salladhor Saan and his pirates who acted as the rear guard and getaway driver if things didn’t go to plan, which was very important due to the conclusion of the fight. The Crownland Scouts with Dragonstone Nobles make up for the Crownland forces that came to Stannis’ side and the named lords who fell in the fight when they clashed with the Tyrells, plus, double Sentinel from cavalry Units for free is insanity.
Baratheons have some of the best Attachments in the game and they elevate the force to a new height that gives me chills. This would be an awesome force to play on the table.
Targaryens - Infantry List
Targaryens have caused a lot of buzzing in the hive from their incredible Bloodrider Attachments for the cavalry, and the already strong Mother of Dragons force. But, the archetype most benefiting from the Season 6 changes are the Infantry Lists who have not had enough power behind them to make a significant in the eyes of Targaryen players – although Skahaz has started to become a firm favourite of some players.
One of my favourite lists to play is Stormcrow lists, which fortunately is something you can do with both Neutrals and Targaryens thanks to their dual cards. Inside Targaryens, taking Unsullied Officers within the Stormcrow Mercenaries means you are getting them for free. Having a Relentless Unit that gains rerolls for all the Relentless attacks when you hold the Wealth Zone is huge. So I brought three.
Daario is an incredible Commander for these Units, giving them the keywords from Reckless Strikes to boost those attacks when needed. He also fits nicely into the Braven Beasts since he comes with affiliation so you don’t lose out on his bonuses. Add in some Archers, with Boldness and Courage from Grey Worm, and you get a strong infantry themed force for Targaryens.
You can certainly make a better infantry list than this such as two Unsullied Swordsmen with the Officers for 14pts, or utilising the powerful Skahaz Commander with strong Attachments like Jorah Mormont or Marselen. I am curious to see what people make with these options, considering that you are limited when running Mother of Dragons and even Dothraki.
Greyjoys - The Iron Victory
Greyjoys just won The Invitational, and didn’t see many changes that would bring them down from lofty heights. Instead the additional Attachment points opens them up for taking the lead against everybody else, but will need to contend with some other strong Factions.
I have decided to make a list for my favourite Iron Islander, Victarion Greyjoy. The Iron Victory unloads its crew with Nute leading one Unit, and Victarion Greyjoy in the other alongside a Reaver Captain. When Victarion dies, Balon Greyjoy tends to bring him back into a flanking position which is hard to counter or prepare for. I like the idea of doing it straightaway, and then doing it again later on with either Victarion or Nute.
Bowmen provided a ranged benefit to the force with their newly improved Divide the Spoils looking to boost the army up more effectively. Both Ironborn Reavers are getting a Resilience boost now that the Prophets are cheaper, and free. Will be far more difficult to shut down these killers than before. Backing them are three main players of the Iron Islands when Victarion is unleashed upon the North. Asha Greyjoy has her own forces assaulting one area, whilst Aeron Damphair assaults another with Theon Greyjoy. Balon commands them all, and you can’t make a Greyjoy list without Balon since he is just way too good.
For the most part, I can see some more diverse list building for the Greyjoys which might see some different Commanders and characters take to the field. But you could see the same things just with some added help. My money is on Greyjoys being a bigger deal going forward.
Martells - Dorne in the Fold
For Martells, lists either have an Attachment in everything, or no Attachments at all. The free points for Attachments is such a big deal for list building that this could be considered the update that did the biggest change to the Faction to date. Above is the newly improved themed Martell list I took to Ribble Rumble 2024, and it gained 6pts from the update, which allowed me to improve the Unit choices.
The idea behind this list is the Martell forces sent North at the end of Dance with Dragons, with hints towards their plans in pre-released chapters of Winds of Winter. Nymeria Sand was sent to join the Small Council in King’s Landing in Doran Martell’s stead after the death of Oberyn Martell, she is joined by Tyene Sand who was to become a Septa in disguise and begin some spy work. I added Edric Dayne here due to him and some Brotherhood members leaving the Brotherhood and heading South, I suspect that he will take these forces to Dorne and join with their plans.
Arianne, Daemon, and Elia, travel to see the Golden Company and find out if Aegon Targaryen is the real deal. If he is, then Dorne will join his forces in a war against the Lannisters as they seize the throne as vengeance for Robert’s Rebellion and the death of Elia Martell. Since they are all sent on their missions by Doran, he becomes the third NCU, and the Units are all Sunspear Units to represent the royal guards of the forces. Skyreach Bowmen are added to represent House Fowler who are very close to Nymeria, and they get the Spearlord from the Royal Guard taken in the list.
Whilst being thematic, the list has teeth. It is a strong list with various Units and Attachments synergising well with one another. Previously this would have been some of the lower quality Unit that would have hindered the list from performing well. Season 6 has done wonders for the Martells and we may see some significant changes to the way people build lists for the Dornish.
Boltons - Dreadfort
Out of all the Factions, Boltons are the biggest losers from this update. They already have a few ways to get free Attachments which makes the free points a bit redundant. Ramsay is the only 2pt Attachment, if you are not bringing him as a Commander or NCU. Then Neutral Attachments don’t count towards the free points. It is incredibly difficult to take advantage of the free Attachments in this instance, and I am half tempted to suggest that Boltons might be excluded from the Neutral restriction. It would solve a lot of issues here.
That being said, infantry lists got a lot better for Boltons since you do not need to spend points on the Attachments and instead use it to improve the infantry. Having Spread Fear in every combat Unit will result in more Panic Tests, which is exactly what Boltons need to work. You could swap one of the Flayers for a Bastard’s Boy and use it to turn the Cutthroats into something you need like a more aggressive piece with Sour Allyn.
However, this is meant to be the forces of the Dreadfort under Roose Bolton, so it would go against the theme to bring along Ramsay’s Bastard’s Boys in this scenario. It is also why I have brought a terrible NCU choice in Petyr Baelish, as his abilities are used to deny the opponent more than to buff your own forces.
It is quite a shame that Boltons didn’t get something more to help. I can for sure see double Flayed Men with Glory Seekers, or several of the 2pts Neutral Attachments in the Faction if they were allowed for free. It would spark the same excitement that the other Factions currently have for list building.
Brotherhood Without Banners - Royal Retinue
Brotherhood are still fresh and so they don’t see that much difference in the new update. The most you could do is say that they got an additional Peasant Levy Unit, which is incredible on its own. An edge that Brotherhood have over the rest is the 1pt reduction to an Attachment which could go onto a Glory/Fortune Seeker, something every other Faction would dream of.
The list I have designed here is supposed to represent the forces that marched out of King’s Landing to bring the false knight Gregor CLegane to justice. So no Peasants at this point since they would have not considered bringing the smallfolk into the fight. Stag Knights for the personal forces of Beric Dondarrion from his House in the Stormlands, coupled with the Men-at-Arms to represent a more militaristic force that was formed.
We know that Thoros of Myr was with Beric at this point, and it is very likely that both Lem and Anguy were too. Anguy is perfect for the Archers which provides the force with ranged threat. Due to points we couldn’t fit in the Brotherhood Knights, but did have enough for a blank Hedge Knight Unit, just for some added cavalry mobility. Plus Hedge Knights would have signed up for the fight knowing it’s an honorable cause.
Petyr Baelish or Varys are good picks for the NCUs since the Small Council was present when giving Beric the order, but due to the Hedge Knights we can only have one, Petyr seems better. Aside from this, we are stuck with NCUs that don’t make a lot of sense, so Ravella is picked since she would likely side with the Brotherhood at this time.
Before Season 6, we wouldn’t have Thoros or Anguy in this list. Likely, the Men-at-Arms would drop to Peasant Levy Units and you add in another NCU. You may even trade Lem for a Glory Seeker for the knights, or grab something like Tom Sevenstrings or Hot Pie. Brotherhood are strong, and for the most part, they have gotten stronger.
No matter which Faction you play, the changes to Attachments in Season 6 have flipped the table on list building and allowed Attachments to be important again. Previously they were falling off since you need to keep activations up whilst not wasting points on some pointless abilities. Now you take them to boost a Unit to do its job more reliably, or provide new options that weren’t worth investing in. This will be what Season 6 is remembered for.
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