Can you use an ally's boats to transport your troops through? In other words, if another player gives you permission, can you use that player's ships to transport your units through on a March order?

And speaking of alliances and ships, can they share the same space? I.e. two ships of different colors occupying the same ocean space?

-shnar

The answer to all those questions is No.

A Game of Thrones does not really have an ally system in the rules. You can make agreements, but there isn't any ally "function" that changes the way the game works. So even if two people say "we are allied", there aren't any rules to change the way their units behave towards each other.

And of course, you can always houserule in your own alliance system.

K, then as far as I can tell, the only thing that "allies" can do in the game is provide Support, correct? I mean, the rules talk a lot about "making alliegences" and breaking them, but there aren't any game mechanics to facilitate it (sorry for my lack of understanding, only played the game once).

-shnar

There are no real Alliances just the lending of support .It rather fits the nature of the Books.

OD

shnar said:

The other things Allies can do is agree to not punch you in the face.

While there are, apart from the very powerful support rules, no other 'rules' for allies they are still vital to the game. If you don't forge aliances and agreements with other players you are going to struggle to win. I have never played a game of this where aliences wern't formed and houses weren't ganged up on.

Mr Skeletor said:

This varies on your play group. Mine is pretty alliance-less, so we manage fine. Now, if two of our players started making alliances together, then everyone would be forced to as well in order to keep up.

I guess that alliances are one of those things that as long as one person is doing it, everyone else has to as well. But if no one is doing it, then everyone is on an equal footing and doesn't need to do it (thought it would probably help).

I should probably be more diplomatic in future games.

But you can offer "Support" to another player, can't you? I.e. there is at least one rule for "alliances".

-shnar

Indeed, you can offer support. However, you can do this in any situation regardless of agreements. Stating that you are allied with another player doesn't make it harder or easier to support. Everyone else can support your ally just as easily as you can.

So that isn't really a function of alliances, just a function of making deals.

In the "spirit" of the books - there are no "alliances" only short term "conveniences".

SteveH said:

Very true. First game I played was with my fiancee and her two sisters and their dad. My fiancee and her sisters quickly struck an alliance and forced me and her father pretty much out of the game and then turned on each other quickly, when they thought we couldn't make a comeback. Alliances are really only short term conviences.