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The Watcher on the Walls

The Horn That Wakes Is Now Available for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game

“I pledge my life and honor to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all nights to come.”
 George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

As the Great Houses of Westeros plot and scheme, a deadly threat emerges from the wild lands north of the Wall. The strength of the Others is growing, and only the Night’s Watch stands between Westeros and the icy darkness. The Horn That Wakes Chapter Pack for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game is now available online and at your local retailer!

Despite their vows of neutrality, even the Night’s Watch can become embroiled in the political struggles across the rest of Westeros. No matter which House you support, you can use the Night’s Watch to support your claim to the Iron Throne.

Servant of the Watch

Among the Great Houses, the northerners of House Stark has always been closest to the Wall and the lands beyond, and they have a long relationship with the men of the Night’s Watch. If you favor House Stark, you might receive some much-needed aid from the Night’s Watch. The honor-bound Starks don’t tradionally care much about making intrigue challenges – they just want to keep their opponents from undermining them. Yoren (The Horn That Wakes, 74) is one member of the Night’s Watch who can help keep your hand well-defended against intrigue challenges. Yoren enters play for just one gold, and his special ability makes him truly shine as a defender. Provided it is not Summer, Yoren’s ability allows him to defend any intrigue challenges declared against you, even while kneeling.

Yoren has two Strength and a military icon, so even though he can’t initiate intrigue challenges against your enemies, he can still support a military challenge before buckling down to defend against intrigue challenges. Together with cards like Catelyn Stark (Lords of Winter, 7), you’ll be able to construct a solid defense against your opponent’s intrigue challenges, keeping your hand safe. In addition, Yoren possesses the Night’s Watch trait, meaning that he reaps the benefits given by the newest version of Jon Snow  (The Horn That Wakes, 73). Jon Snow gives all Night’s Watch characters “immune to events,” meaning that while Jon Snow is in command, Yoren will be safe from events that could negate his usefulness.

A Bid for Power

House Stark is not the only House of Westeros with adherents among the supposedly-neutral Night’s Watch. House Lannister has its own Ally on the Wall in the person of Janos Slynt (The Horn That Wakes, 67), the scheming ex-commander of the Gold Cloaks. Janos Slynt’s ability invites you to make the most of his Strength in your challenges and get some card draw to boot. Janos Slynt’s Response reads, “After 1 or more cards are discarded from an opponent’s hand, stand Janos Slynt to draw 1 card.”

For example, you could kneel Janos Slynt to participate in an intrigue challenge against your opponent. If you win, not only will you discard a card from your opponent’s hand, but you can stand Janos Slynt and draw a card. Janos will then be ready to participate in another challenge, and you’ll have more cards in hand to help you end up on top. If you time it right, you could even trigger Janos’s Response more than once with the help of some other cards, such as the Winter version of The Kingsroad (Fire and Ice, 23).

Even if a challenge seems to be turning against you, you can still end up winning with the help of some Secret Orders (The Horn That Wakes, 69). Secret Orders provides House Lannister with a highly versatile effect to get the better of their enemies. This event resets any character’s base Strength to the amount of gold in its controller’s gold pool. Secret Orders can almost always win you a challenge if you play it correctly, whether you use it on defense to drop an attacking character’s Strength, or on offense to lower the Strength of your opponent’s defending characters. You could even play Secret Orders to boost one of your character’s Strength, assuming your gold pool is full.

Defenders of Men

Some threats approach Westeros from the north, but the game of thrones is still the only game that matters. Whether you favor House Stark, House Lannister, or another of the Great Houses of Westeros, the Night’s Watch has benefits for you and for your allies. The Horn That Wakes is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

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Source: The Watcher on the Walls (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4515)