Overview
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game is an area-control strategy game set in Westeros. Players each control one of six Great Houses (Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Martell, Tyrell), mustering armies, conquering territory, and forming alliances. The goal is to control the most areas containing Castles or Strongholds by the end of 10 rounds, or immediately win by controlling 7 such areas.
Components
- 1 game board (Westeros map with tracks)
- 138 plastic units: 60 Footmen (10/house), 30 Knights (5/house), 36 Ships (6/house), 12 Siege Engines (2/house)
- 81 large cards: 42 House Cards (7/house), 30 Westeros Cards, 9 Wildling Cards
- 24 Tides of Battle cards
- 6 player screens, 2 reference sheets
- 266 tokens: 90 Order tokens (15/house), 120 Power tokens (20/house), 18 Influence tokens, 6 Supply tokens, 14 Neutral Force tokens, 6 VP tokens, 6 Garrison tokens
- Special tokens: Iron Throne, Valyrian Steel Blade, Messenger Raven, Game Round Marker, Wildling Threat, King’s Court Overlay
Setup
Per scenario setup: each House places starting units, tokens, and influence markers per the rulebook. Place Westeros card decks, Wildling deck, and Neutral Force tokens.
Turn Structure
Each game round consists of three phases:
1. Westeros Phase (skipped in Round 1)
Draw 1 card from each of the 3 Westeros decks. Resolve in order:
- Deck I: Mustering, Supply
- Deck II: Game of Thrones (collect Power), Clash of Kings (bid for influence)
- Deck III: Wildlings attack, special events
2. Planning Phase
- Each player simultaneously and secretly assigns 1 Order token face-down to each area containing their units.
- Order types: March (move/attack), Defense, Support, Raid, Consolidate Power
- Special starred (*) versions of some orders require King’s Court positions.
3. Action Phase
Resolve orders in this sequence:
- Raid Orders - Remove enemy Raid, Consolidate Power, or Support orders in adjacent areas.
- March Orders - Move units into adjacent areas; resolve combat if entering enemy-occupied areas.
- Consolidate Power Orders - Gain Power tokens.
Combat Resolution
- Calculate initial combat strength (unit strength + March/Defense order bonus).
- Each player selects and reveals 1 House Card (unique character with strength and abilities).
- Add Support orders from adjacent friendly areas.
- Optionally draw Tides of Battle cards.
- Highest total wins. Loser retreats or is destroyed.
Actions
| Order |
Effect |
| March |
Move units to adjacent area. Triggers combat if enemy present. +0 or +1 bonus. |
| March -1 |
Move with -1 penalty. |
| Defense |
+1 or +2 bonus if attacked. |
| Support |
Add military strength to an adjacent combat (+1). Does not move units. |
| Raid |
Remove adjacent enemy Support, Consolidate Power, or Raid orders. |
| Consolidate Power |
Gain 1 Power token (+1 if in area with Crown icon). |
Scoring / Victory Conditions
- Immediate victory: Control 7 areas with Castles/Strongholds at any time.
- End of Round 10: Player controlling the most Castle/Stronghold areas wins.
- Tie-breaker: Strongest position on influence tracks, then most Power tokens.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
Three Influence Tracks
| Track | Holder of #1 Position |
|——-|———————-|
| Iron Throne | Breaks all non-combat ties; decides Wildling tie penalties |
| Fiefdoms (Valyrian Steel Blade) | Breaks combat ties; once per round +1 to combat |
| King’s Court (Messenger Raven) | May use starred (*) order tokens; may swap 1 order or look at Wildling deck top card |
Supply
- Supply track limits how many and how large army groups you can maintain.
- Armies exceeding supply limits must disband excess units.
Wildlings
- Wildling Threat increases through Westeros cards.
- When Wildlings attack, all players secretly bid Power tokens.
- If total bids exceed Wildling strength: highest bidder gains bonus.
- If bids fail: lowest bidder suffers worst penalty; all suffer partial penalty.
Ports and Ships
- Ships support adjacent land areas and sea zones.
- Ports allow mustering ships and connecting land to sea.
Neutral Forces
- Some areas start with Neutral garrisons that must be defeated.
Player Reference
| Unit |
Combat Strength |
| Footman |
1 |
| Knight |
2 |
| Siege Engine |
4 (only against Castles/Strongholds) |
| Ship |
1 (naval combat) |
| House |
Starting Area |
| Stark |
North |
| Lannister |
Westerlands |
| Baratheon |
Dragonstone |
| Greyjoy |
Iron Islands |
| Martell |
Dorne |
| Tyrell |
Highgarden |
| Victory |
7 Castles/Strongholds = Instant Win |
| Game Length |
10 Rounds |