Politics of Salt and Rock
Bannermen! We’ve taken a look at the various Combat Units and Commanders of the Iron Fleet, so today we’re going to take a closer look at those controlling the war from off the battlefield: The NCUs of House Greyjoy!
If you haven’t had a chance to read over our previous articles, we suggest you do so before continuing:
As with each Non-Combat Unit, House Greyjoy brings a unique host of Characters to the politics of the Iron Throne. While its easy to assume the entire faction is just a grouping of ruthless cutthroats, there are several members who take a more political-savvy approach to war. Let’s take a look at some of those Characters:
RODRIK HARLAW: THE READER
Perhaps the most “non-violent” of the Greyjoys, Rodrik the Reader brings a focus on mastering your tactical options when he is included in your army. With the ability to re-cycle your hand of Tactics Cards back into your deck and re-fill your hand, fielding Rodrik means that you will always have fresh options at your disposal. This makes him an ideal choice for players who prefer a bit more “control” in regard to their own plans and schemes.
AERON GREYJOY: THE DAMPHAIR
We’ve spoken at length now about how one of the core mechanics of the Greyjoy faction is their restorative capabilities. Aeron is the primary choice for players who wish to really push that aspect to its extreme. While only being able to Influence Greyjoy units specifically, Aeron allows an uncontested level of healing across your army, rewarding them for taking any Action. It is especially important to note that numerous Tactics Board zones allow for free Actions, thus will immediately trigger Aeron’s Ability. Further, Greyjoys have access to many options allowing free Attack Actions specifically, which further combine with Aeron to keep your units at fighting strength!
ERIK IRONMAKER: THE JUST
Never trust an old man in a chair, especially in the world of Westeros. Erik Ironmaker is the key choice for those who want to delve into the Pillage aspect of House Greyjoy. While the Greyjoys in general have methods of acquiring Pillage Tokens, Erik removes the need to put a unit in direct danger to earn them before they are ready. By including Erik in your army you’ll start the game with access to a couple Pillage tokens to either spread out across your army or stack onto a single unit, maxing out their capabilities. Finally though, Erik has one more trick up his sleeve: The Wealth Zone is a key zone for Greyjoys, and the opponent’s taking it from them can cause some difficulties. To remedy that Erik has the build-in effect of acquiring additional tokens for his Ability should the enemy take the zone, meaning that even if you are denied the spoils of war you gain the ability to take them from your foes!
And that is going to conclude our look into some of the NCU options available, fierce Bannermen! Rodrik and Aeron are included in the House Greyjoy Starter Box, while Erik makes his debut in the Greyjoy Heroes 1 box, joining the likes of other NCUs such as Balon Greyjoy and Maester Wendamyr!
