City of Secrets

The first Chapter Pack of the King's Landing expansion, City of Secrets , is shipping to distributors now and will be at your Friendly Local Game Store and on the FFG Webstore on May 27th ! Be sure to tell your store that you want to be the first to get your hands on the first Chapter Pack in what is going to be an amazing set. As proof of how excellent this set will be, special guest Jonathan Benton has given us a sneak preview of one of the classic characters given new life in this expansion: Tyrion Lannister . Without any further ado, we are proud to present:

One Tyrion to Rule Them All

by special guest Jonathan Benton

I started playing the A Game of Thrones card game when A House of Talons (GOT25) had just been released, and one thing that always bothered me was the lack of a spectacular version of Tyrion Lannister, easily my favorite character from the books. In fact, I’ve put off reading A Feast for Crows to date, in large part due to Tyrion’s absence from that volume. It just won’t be A Song of Ice and Fire to me without the Imp. And so it was that I made an impassioned plea at the Origins game convention last year for Nate to make a powerhouse version of the dwarf. I am happy to say that Nate has delivered, in spades.

Right: Tyrion Lannister by Michael Komarck

George R.R. Martin seems to write Tyrion’s character with particular relish, imbuing him with an energy that leaps off the page. Many of my favorite moments are inextricably tied to the Imp’s acerbic wit and Falstaffian flair for getting into and out of trouble. I remember my first encounter with the character, and being unsure of exactly how I should feel about him. He seems to be on the wrong side of the conflict since the story is originally presented from the perspective of the Starks. Yet as his character develops, Tyrion becomes Martin’s central antihero, with possibly stronger morals than anyone else in the book except for Ned Stark. They are his own morals, to be sure, and unconventional at best, but the reader cannot help but admire the dwarf’s code and conscience that dictate his actions.

It is just that initial uncertainty about the character, coupled with his ability to maneuver behind the scenes, that makes Tyrion Lannister a great candidate for the Shadows crest ( ). With a cost of 2 to bring him out of Shadows, he retains his great cost-to-stat ratio with 3 strength and Stealth as per his previous iterations without changing his effective cost (counting the 2 gold to marshal him into shadows makes the effective investment on the card 4 gold by the time he’s in play, which is standard for Tyrion).

Click on the image to the left for a larger version.

But here’s where it begins to get interesting. This Tyrion is quite possibly the most tactical card one could hope for, as there are a veritable wealth of options within his text for the enterprising player. The more intrigue and plotting that is going on behind the scenes, the stronger he gets. On the turn he comes out, he will be at strength 5 combined with your choice of the many keywords. But bring him out first and your opponent may seriously be reconsidering bringing his own card out of Shadows. Who wants to stare down a strength 7 tricon ( triple-icon ) with Stealth, Deadly, and Renown? However, this is just taking into account Tyrion’s power during the Challenges phase. He has a whole host of other tricks at his disposal.

Worried about a possible "Milk of the Poppy" (B145) or "Motley" (B67) in your opponent’s hand? Bring a card out of Shadows at the beginning of the Marshalling phase and give Tyrion the No Attachments keyword. Noticing your opponent saving four influence for a "Westeros Bleeds" (T176)? Bring a card out of Shadows at the beginning of the Dominance phase and make Tyrion Immune to Events. Need to get rid of a pesky "Flame-Kissed" (T103) before your opponent draws into "Forever Burning" (T174)? Make him No Attachments to kick off the attachment. The list goes on and on.
As we enter the King’s Landing Chapter Pack series, I find it fitting the Imp will be leading the way, daring his foes to emerge from the darkness lest he become the true giant of Lannister.

Note: Jonathan's article makes reference to several cards from the AGoT core set . They have been labelled with their set numbers, e.g. B145, to make finding them easy. For reference, you can also visit 2008 AGoT Worlds Champion Tzumainn's website for information on every card that has been released for the A Game of Thrones card game.

Based on George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones Living Card Game brings the beloved heroes, villains, locations, and events of the world of Westeros to life through innovative game mechanics and the highly strategic game play. The Living Card Game format allows players to customize their gaming experience with monthly Chapter Pack expansions to the core game.