Launch Your FleetReach of the Kraken Is Now Available for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game
“One raven summons me to Pyke, another to Ten Towers. You krakens have too many arms, you pull a man to pieces. What say you, priest? Where should I send my longships?”
–The Merlyn, A Feast for Crows
It’s time to launch your fleet! Reach of the Kraken, the first Chapter Pack from the A Song of the Sea cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, is now available at your local retailer and online on our webstore.
Reach of the Kraken kicks off the cycle’s focus on George R.R. Martin’s epic naval battles, and lead developer Damon Stone earlier introduced the cycle by stating, “I wanted to find a way for the game to capture the feel of the naval battles and envoy missions Mr. Martin presented, something that would shake up the metagame without creating too drastic a change.” As players know who have been paying attention to previews of the cycle and its Chapter Packs, Damon and the LCG® design team managed to meet this goal through the introduction of the naval enhancement icon (
).
Now, Reach of the Kraken introduces this icon to the game, and it introduces another layer to the subtleties and personalities of those characters whose old grudges and deep-rooted ambitions fuel the game of thrones. Filled with characters, fleets, plots, and a new agenda, Reach of the Kraken offers plenty of exciting new cards for each of the Great Houses of Westeros.
In Need of Loyal Allies
“Dany had grown very fond of Missandei. The little scribe with the big golden eyes was wise beyond her years.”
–George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
Even as Reach of the Kraken helps define the naval presence of each of the Great Houses within A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, it continues to reinforce other new themes and introduces other noteworthy characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. Several of the Chapter Pack’s characters possess the Melee keyword, others lend support to the new identify of House Stark and its bannermen after the events of the fantasy series’ early books, and a new plot, Crossing the Ruby Ford (Reach of the Kraken, 20), adds strength to the game’s River plots, making them more viable and interesting at all levels of play.
Meanwhile, Daenerys and House Targaryen heralds the arrival of their loyal, little scribe, Missandei (Reach of the Kraken, 14), who helped teach her queen the ways of the Free Cities of Essos. In Reach of the Kraken, Missandei appears as a two-cost Ally. While her one strength isn’t likely to prove terribly influential in the outcomes of the Power struggles she can contend, she helps her queen and House find better routes toward victory with the two influence and the learned crest that she brings to the table. She can help pay for the Ambush cost of any of Daenerys’ three Dragons, and she can help keep them alive by kneeling to trigger an Outwit (The Isle of Ravens, 80) on the same turn an opponent reveals Valar Morghulis (Core Set, 201).
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the little scribe, though, is that while no opponent controls a Queen, Missandei cannot be discarded. Allies in A Game of Thrones: The Card Game are notably fickle in their loyalties and prone to being discarded, either by Varys (Secrets and Spies, 97), Dissension (Queen of Dragons, 44), Ser Arys Oakheart (Princes of the Sun, 9), or other card effects. Likewise, though the game’s most famous characters are always at risk of being killed or discarded, the risk is even greater for all those secondary characters with low-strength. A single turn of Threat from the North (Princes of the Sun, 56) can wipe a host of them from play. Except Missandei. Her loyalty to Daenerys makes her a reliable character, and her reliability, along with her influence and learned crest, can make her a powerful Ally, especially for a queen so desperately in need of allies as Daenerys.
Set Sail Today!
Head to your local retailer today to pick up your copy of Reach of the Kraken, or order yours online from our webstore.
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Launch Your Fleet
