Getting Attached
The units in the A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game represent all of the soldiers and elites that make up the noble factions as seen in the book series by George R.R. Martin. Each unit is ready to field right out of the box, but they are designed to represent the baseline for that unit. There is, however, a way that commanders can customize their units. That is via Unit Attachments. These leaders on the field can add unique Orders, change stats, and provide players a ton of new options. This month, Attachments box sets are coming out for almost all the current factions. Let’s take a quick peek inside each and see some of what’s in store.
The Baratheon attachment box brings more heavy armor to the table and multiplies the might of the House’s units. For infantry units, the Stag Knight Noble trades off wounds to his own unit for letting them make an extra Melee attack at an enemy. The Master Warden reinforces his unit’s defensive capabilities by negating any sort of Charge, Flank, or Rear bonuses for an enemy’s attack against them. Then there’s the Lord of Dragonstone, a cavalry attachment that allows his unit to Maneuver or Charge when another friendly unit is attacked. So powerful is the Lord of Dragonstone that he can even be taken as a solo unit on his own. The Stag, though a House divided, can still dominate on the battlefield with these new figures.
House Lannister, known for their vast wealth, outfit their warriors with the best equipment money can buy. They can even entice soldiers from the enemy’s ranks to betray their fellow battle brothers and fight for the Lion instead. The Champion of the Faith adds religious zealotry to the list of things that keep the Lannister men fighting (beyond the promise of a big payday when they get home). They allow their unit to make a Morale test when the unit activates, restoring up to 2 Wounds with a successful save. Meanwhile the Sentinel Enforcer uses Morale in a different way, causing an enemy unit to make one at the start of their activation. On a fail, the Sentinel Enforcer has goaded that unit into charging his unit. This can possibly ruin an enemy’s entire plans for a turn as a pivotal charge goes not where it was wanted. Then there’s the Turncoat. He is added to an enemy unit at the start of the game, ignoring usual Unit Attachment limit rules. His presence can cause Orders or Tactics Cards to fail if the Lannister player rolls a 5+, with the ability to reroll if they control the Wealth space on the Tactics Board. A Lannister always pay his debts, whether by gold in the purse of their allies or a dagger in the back of their unfortunate enemies.
The Free Folk might simply be the name taken up by the ragtag group of tribes descending from the far north into the more-fertile lands in Westeros, but these rough and tumble irregulars have their own unique stand-outs that push this citizen army to great heights. The Raid Leader helps coordinate attacks against enemies. They can have another friendly unit within Long Rage activate immediately after their unit does, so long as any attacks they make are against the Raid Leader’s target. Being able to activate two units in a row can mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield. The Chosen of Styr’s ability is straightforward. When his unit activates, one enemy within Long Range becomes Weakened. No roll required. He simply saps the fighting strength from foes whenever he leads. The Spearwife Matriarch keeps her unit from getting bogged down by enemies. As an Order, she can have her unit make a free Retreat action whenever they’re attacked in melee. The Free Folk armies can use these attachments to prove to these “southerners” that they are more than capable of making a home south of the wall, just like any of the “civilized” people in Westeros.
The Night’s Watch stands firm at The Wall, protecting Westeros from the horrors of the far north. These stalwart warriors come from a myriad of backgrounds, but together, they form the brotherhood of the Night’s Watch. Watch Captains allow the Night’s Watch player to act as thought hey have control of a Zone on the Tactics Board whenever they activate for the use of the different Vows that make up the faction’s tactics deck. This can let them take advantage of extra abilities on their Vows without having to wait for an NCU to activate and take over that Zone, or if an enemy has already claimed said Zone. He also allows his unit to have two attached Vows. The Watch Recruiter will grab foes right out of enemy units and induct them into the Night’s Watch. Whenever an enemy they’re engaged with fails a Morale Test and loses models, the Recruiter’s unit regains one Wound. The Builders keep the Night’s Watch equipped. Senior Builder attachment brings their construction knowledge to the battlefield in two ways. As a Unit Attachment, they can place Stake terrain out on the board once per game, creating hasty defenses to keep enemies at bay. Their inclusion in an army also allows the Night’s Watch player to take an upgrade for their Scorpions, letting them fire at enemy units left out in the open in their range of fire. With these and the other Unit Attachments from this box set, the Night’s Watch will surely fulfill their vows to protect Westeros from any and all enemies.
The Direwolf of House Stark is always prepared as they know that winter will come again, so they must stay ever vigilant. The Sworn Sword Captain causes enemies his unit attacks to become Vulnerable. This will make his unit’s attacks just that much more devastating. The Umber Champion whips his unit into a frenzy when they attack, gaining +2 dice and Vicious. However, these reckless attacks take a toll, dealing D3 wounds to the unit afterward, unless they only have 1 Rank left. Then there’s the Crannogmen Warden that epitomizes fast, surprise attacks. If his unit attacks an enemy that has not yet activated this Round, his unit can reroll all attack dice. The Starks are a beloved House, known for their high morals and righteous convictions. With these extra attachments, it might just be the Direwolf that sits upon the Iron Throne.
That’s just a small sample of what’s coming in each of the Attachment box sets releasing this month. Each one will greatly impact how players build their forces, providing new options when creating an army and letting them explore new all new synergies and tactics. Be sure to talk to your FLGS and make sure they have some on order for you.
You can read more about the Baratheon Attachments here.
You can read more about the Lannister Attachments here.
You can read more about the Free Folk Attachments here.
You can read more about the Night’s Watch Attachments here.
You can read more about the Stark Attachments here.
