A Song of Ice & Fire: TMG is a rank-and-flank, alternate activation game based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Beyond the popular source material, its alternating-activation mechanic and Tactics Board offer interesting strategic challenges different from tabletop wargames like Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40K.
Tropes Are Coming!:
- Adaptation Origin Connection: While GRRM has never confirmed whether Coldhands is Benjen Stark, the game doesn't allow you to play both characters together, suggesting that they are in fact the same person.
- Arbitrary Headcount Limit: Units with the Limited tag (including House Targaryen's Dothraki Hrakkar, House Baratheon's Dragonstone Nobles, Night's Watch Marshals, Stone Throwers and Scorpions, and Free Folk War Mammoths) are limited to two per army.
- Asymmetric Multiplayer: In A Storm of Swords mode, which is not used for tournament play, one player (the Defender) must hold off their opponent (the Attacker) in a castle siege. The Attacker may redeploy any friendly Combat Units that were previously destroyed, while the Defender must select half of their total Combat Units to begin in Reserve, to be deployed starting from Round 3. The Attacker wins via normal Victory Point accumulation, while the Defender does not gain Victory Points, but automatically wins at the end of Round 6. Three Castle Walls inside the Defender's territory award Victory Points to the Attacker when destroyed.
- Back Stab: Charging an enemy unit from behind will likely deliver catastrophic damage, although getting them exposed to do so is the trick.
- Beast of Battle: Several factions can field them. Stark has their direwolves, the Free Folk bring in War Mammoths, and of course the Targaryen have the Khaleesi's famous dragons.
- Combat and Support: A key feature that differentiates the game from other tabletop wargames is that units are divided into Combat Units (who are fighting on the battlefield) and Non-Combat Units (who pull strings behind the scenes to grant your army various bonuses and are not deployed to the battlefield, but instead interact with the Tactics Board).
- Hero Unit: Character is a designation for units that represent named characters from the books. Given the Low Fantasy setting, most take to the field as Attachments (powerful individuals that are added to combat units to give them new abilities), with the exception of the Kingsguard, Rainbow Guard (who can fight together as one unit alongside their king), Gregor Clegane, Jorah Mormont, Coldhands (who can be fielded as Solo Riders) and non-humans (who always fight alone). Some Character Attachments (plus one non-combat unit, Doran Martell) are further treated as Commanders, who are not only powerful individuals, but also add their unique cards to your Tactics Deck. Commanders do not cost points, and each army must include one single Commander (no more, no less).
- The Load: Rickon Stark himself actually gives you a disadvantage (The enemy can capture him for Victory Points) although having him allows you to field his stronger bodyguards, which includes Shaggydog.
- Mercenary Units: Neutral Units represent minor Houses, mercenaries and other individuals who do not align themselves with any specific faction. In addition to being played as their own faction, they can be slotted into any faction's army list (except the dirt-poor Free Folk), as long as they do not take up more than 30% of your army's total points.
- Only in It for the Money: An actual gameplay mechanic. Some units and characters, like Bronn, fight harder if you control strong finances.
- Poisoned Weapons: Oberyn Martell can use his famous Manticore Venom if he is your commander.
