I came into this game not as a board gamer but as a fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Like most people I have played my share of board games in my life, but not many more complex than Monopoly, Clue, or the occasional game of Risk. I'm sure that a more serious board gamer will review this product here in the future, so I will provide what perspective I can.
This game is incredible and has made me interested in playing more serious board games in the future. I will not attempt to explain the complex rules of this game. Fantasy Flight Games's website has very helpful resources for this, including the complete rules PDF and a tutorial video.
I recommend that any group intending to play this has each individually watched that tutorial video. On top of that, at least one person will need to read (at least two times probably) the rule book. Trying to explain this game to others is a tall order. However, once the game is understood and a few practice rounds done, the game takes on a life of its own.
The six houses available for play are extremely well balanced and each has its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to geographical board position, supply, influence, and unit types. These houses really each lend themselves to different play styles, but nevertheless challenge the players to do something outside of this comfort zone.
For example, the Starks have a near unconquerable hold on the snowy North (as in the books). Based on the geography, if the Stark player chose he could easily defend his homeland against all comers. However, Stark will never win the game this way and it is only when he stretches his resources thin that his land is more vulnerable. Other houses such as Tyrell are thrown into the fray from the beginning and have no such defensive strategy available to them. Greyjoy has absolute dominance over the sea and if played well can serve as a naval raiding nuisance that others must band together to defeat. I suspect that players will quickly see which houses are ideal for the way they wish to play.
The game is for 3-6 players and I don't really recommend 3. Without the more Southern houses, Baratheon is able to take over the territory requisite for victory pretty quickly unless the other two players band against him.The manufacturer has made changes in this 2nd edition that have improved this kind of problem over the original, but it's still possible. 4 players is more balanced and quite fun, but 5 or 6 is ideal. The games will certainly take 2 hours at the minimum and realistically probably 3 or 4. The game length could reach up to 6 hours if the group is particularly engaged.
On that note, no other game I've played does as good a job of drawing the players in as this one. The game encourages alliances as well as betrayals. With my group we would talk and roleplay somewhat during the game. Meanwhile, we opened up text messages to each other to facilitate backdoor betrayals so that other players could not hear. This is all made ten times more fun if you are a fan of the series and can get that giddy excitement by virtue of fighting over a familiar city like Harrenhal.
A few other notes:
Combat is entirely luckless and based on strategy and skill. There is an optional module included that allows you to introduce a small element of luck, which I think is a good idea after a few games.
The board game components themselves are amazing. Everything feels very well designed and produced. I especially love the army units and their marbled plastic design.
All in all this is just a fantastic board game, especially for those who are a fan of the book and TV series. For those who aren't, it's still an excellent game in and of itself, and it might introduce you to one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.
EDIT 1/12/12:
Thought I'd throw an edit into this review after some time. First of all the game is still great. The main point of this update is to say that there is an issue with the original printing of this game involving warping of the board. My board is slightly affected by this. Others have it worse and some have no issue at all. However, Fantasy Flight Games will be correcting the issue on future printings, and will be sending out free replacements to those who need them. You can contact their support via their website, they are very helpful people.
So first off I have played a few board games before this one mainly like Risk and Axis and Allies type stuff.I'm a huge fan of the books series and now as a result the HBO show as well I suppose.This game has blown me away with how much fun we have had with it.The rules do take some time to get a feel for and we even made sure to copy some quick reference sheets for each player.With six people there is really a surprising balance to the kingdoms.So much of the game is based on alliances and the right strategies.
We have played four games so far.Three of them had six people and the other one had four.First off I want to say that the Westeros cards have made it so each of the four games have gone completely different.Its too hard to explain without explaining all of the rules, but more or less at the start of each round there are a series of cards that are drawn at random.Depending on what those cards do the game will change accordingly.One game it was a while before we were really able to make a lot of troops, another game there were so many troops on the board so fast the map was just one big powder keg.In the games we have played there has been great shifts in power within the games.The latest game we played, we were more than halfway into the game and all six houses still had an equal chance of winning.Diplomacy is the key.You need players who know what they're doing, players who aren't afraid to backstab a good friend.I have never been more addicted to a board game in my life.Just try to make sure you have six people who can think strategically.(We have actually been nerdy enough that we do all of our diplomacy through text messaging so we can communicate while looking at the map and not let the other houses know what our messages are)
So all in all
Pros:
1.Surprising Game balance
2.Awesome replay value.We've played four games, all four games have gone differently not just based on alliances but based on the randomized Westeros cards
3.Forces diplomacy.If you're going against strategic minds you're going to have to make alliances just like in the books.
4.Great attention to detail with house cards cool powers that change strategies and alter games.
Cons:
1.The rules are a bear.I almost didn't want to put this on cons since I think its also what allows it to be such a great game.But I can see how they can be intimidating.There have been some minor rules that we even initially messed up in one game, fixed it in another game, etc.
2.We feel Tyrion and Melisandre are underpowered in their house card powers.Really minor fanboy problem
Notes:
Better the players, better the game will be
Strategies change when playing with fewer players, people need to adjust
Diplomacy is a must
Get through the rules, play some practice rounds, well worth it
Buy A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition Now
A Game of Throne: The Board Game First Edition has been my favorite game for a couple of years. This game has the best war strategy mechanics out of all the games I have played. The Second Edition just improved upon an already loved game. I won't go into depth of how it is played, but I would definitely recommend playing with someone that knows how to play your first time if possible. The rules can be a lot to take in at once, but is definitely worth the learning curve. A highly recommend this game to anyone that enjoys long strategy games. Along with the additions of ports and siege engines, there are a couple minor rule changes with the second edition. So if you are going from first edition to second edition I recommend you do a thorough read through of the rules before playing. Having knowledge of the book isn't needed but definitely adds to gaming experience. I actually decided to read the books after enjoying first edition game so much.
The only problem I had was my copy has a warped board, but after contacting Fantasy Flight I found out there was a cutting issues with some of the first prints. They were quick and responsive and are sending me out a new board.
Read Best Reviews of A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition Here
I recently had to buy this board game because I am a fan of the show and had to somehow fill the void left by the 2nd season finale!
I came by the board game searching for the books on amazon and upon researching if it was too hard to play I decided to give it a shot. I am by no means a serious board game player and not into board games all that much. I have only played board games a handful of times these last few years with Monopoly being the most complex and I have played RISK maybe 5-10 times my whole life so don't be scared to try this game if you think is too hard.
I have played this game 4 times now with only casual board game players like myself and the overwhelming majority of them have enjoyed it. It did help that most of them were fans of the show as well but once you get into the game you really enjoy it and lose track of time as you are constantly planning your next move, who to form an alliance with, whether to betray a current alliance etc. So even those not familiar with the show will enjoy it!
What I really like about the game is it's mostly strategy that will determine whether you win or lose, though luck will always play some roll. It's important to mention the game comes with an optional add-on(Tides of Battle cards) that creates that extra bit of chance for those who prefer that.
As for the complexity of the game it really is easy once you start playing it. What makes it feel complex is that there are a lot of rules and things to keep up with, but it's quite simple to follow them once you've played for a few rounds (though you will find yourself correcting things that were being played wrong in subsequent games).
What I would suggest for casual board game players to do is read the rules once, watch a youtube video (there's quite a few out there but this one I found to be the most helpfuland just start a practice simulated game. The one good thing about the instructions is that they are set out in the order that the game will be played so you can play a simulated game as you read the rules. It really only takes a few game rounds to get the gist of it, off course some things will require re-reading as with any game.
I'll mention again that setting up the game and playing a simulated game as you read the rules will REALLY help you understand the game!
The one thing to take into consideration when buying this game is that it will take 3-5 hours to complete. The more experienced the players the less time it will take but I always tell new players to expect to play for 5 hours. Be sure the people you play with know this so everyone's into the game when you are crossing that 3hr mark.(which actually goes by fast when you're playing the game)
In conclusion it's a really entertaining game and even casual gamers will like it. It's a game that will make you think and give you a "can't wait till my next turn" feeling. Like the show the game will bring out unusual alliances and backstabbing which just makes it more fun! For fans of the show it's great to use the character you like and playing the board game gives you a sense of the territory of Westeros and the advantages/disadvantages the families have.
If you are unsure because you think it might be too complex don't be, the game is a lot of fun and after a few times playing it you will find yourself(as other reviewers have mentioned) interested in similar strategy based board games!
Want A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition Discount?
I own and play both the first and second editions, and unquestionably, the second edition is both fairer and more strategic. Adding ports, removing Robb from the Starks (he's back but with a much less game-breaking ability on his card), setting up the Martells in the south to compete directly with Baratheon as well as Tyrell are all important steps. To me the biggest change though is adding that starred * Consolidate Power tokens now allow the faction to Muster, in that square, a number of points equal to the strength of the castle/stronghold (ie 0/1/2) there-without a Mustering card. In doing so you sacrifice the 1/2 power tokens though. Adds a lot of depth, not to mention strategic choice, early in the game.
However, the game really could have gone through some play testing. The Greyjoys now have ridiculous House Cards, so, with just a little careful husbanding and an early first clash of kings, they can wipe the Lannisters entirely out of the game. There are very few defensive moves Lannisport can make. (One game they used their *Consolidate Power every turn to pump out ships, but even with a fleet of 3+2=5 (their supply max), the Greyjoys wiped them out with a mere 2 ships (because they'd held both stars and the Sword, but mostly because of the House Card Victarion Greyjoy). Just nothing they can do about it.)
Further there is a noted problem with the boards shipping warped and being of poor quality.
All in all with 5 or 6 people, the game is fun. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but so will Diplomacy-type board game players (for all its kluged-on mechanics.)
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Be prepared to crack out the tools in order to put this together. Evidently, there are no quality control checks with this product. Pieces were cut to the wrong size. One piece was not usable, so I had to go buy a few flathead wood screws to finish the job. That was after I had to trim another piece to the right size. It's a good desk now, but I could have built one faster than putting this one together. Buyers be warned!!!
