For those that have played both: Which do you prefer A Game of Thrones the Board Game or Battles of Westeros?

well, they're both great games.

bow is a very light and fun wargame, where two players pitch their armys against one another, presenting houses lannister and stark.

agot: the boardgame, is land-grab, like risk or diplomacy, for 3 to 5 players, presenting houses lannister, stark, baratheon, tully and greyjoy (and i believe martell in the expansion). it takes a bit longer than bow but has a component of intrigue that doesn't exist in bow.

there's also the cardgame (that thanks to the lcg system is almost like a boardgame), that has as leading houses the lannister, stark, baratheon, greyjoy, martell and targaryen (and lots of others but as secondary houses). it may be played by 2 to 4 players and has a great multiplayer system with lots of intrigue.

hope that helps, if you have more specific questions, ask away!

Different games both set in the Westeros with totally different rules & objectives.AGoT really needs 5 or 6 players & BoW handles 2 so it depends on what your looking for in a game as to which one you would enjoy.We have modified the AGoT expansion Storm of Swords to include BoW so we get the best of both .

OD

As a great fan of the books - re-reading while waiting for the next - I had to try all 3 versions. Battles - boardgame - cards. Virtually impossible to rate against each other as they are such different formats. It depends on if you prefer figures, maps or cards. Each is good in its own right. I played the card version for years while it was still a CCG. Best multiplayer CCG at that time. I went off it when it changed format, card design and added too much complication without improving the game.

The boardgame is Diplomacy with a lot of chrome, but does need 4-5 players to get the full effect. Enjoyed the games I played, but I expect there will be some 'sameness' in strategies. Havn't added any expansions yet, so that might help.

Just starting to get into the Battles and getting used to its quirks like the strange retreat rules. Nice variety in scenarios, but will have to wait for, at least, the 3rd expansion for more variety in factions.

As for best. You pays yer money and takes yer pick. Cheers!

Have read the rules to but not played the strategy board game.

Have played both the card game and the miniature/board game.

Have read the books several times.

Card game is reasonable approximation of Martin's world with intrigue and military conflict having at least equal sway. Like all card games play can be a bit abstract (you can have two House Stark's competing). Some cards have drifted away from Martin's vision, I suppose just to have some reason to justify new effects. With several players each representing a different house it does give an interesting "Westros" feel.

Battles for Westros is an improvement on the basic Battle Lore system but retains some of its quirks. It covers tactical battles where Martin is quite careful to give a correct medieval feel to the battles in the books. The system does a fairly good job of creating this feel but the tendency to add "non-canon" and silly units like Dog-handlers and maiden guard is distracting. Still a fun game and I've painted the leader figures to add some extra personality.

TomT

To be honest, I think the LCG best captures the universe, both the multi-player game (melee) and the 1v1 (joust). I mean c'mon, I was watching the finals of Worlds and the Red Viper was 'in' the Lannister's Brothel the whole time...that is pretty close to the truth Maybe since that is the game with the most history and expansions to learn from...

The board game is good, but I think it is pretty close to other board games (yes, Diplomacy is one) for me. Seems like I have played the game before.

The mini's/Battlelore game is fun, I just think we need some variety.

Thanks for al the thoughtful responses. I might wait a bit before I pick up the minature battle game to see where the expansions go. I'd love to see a night's watch/wildling expansion. I recognize that its not like there are lots of "units" described in the books so FFG added some fluff units in increase variety. What other units felt a bit out of place to fans of the game and books?

Seems like the Board Game is the one to introduce GRRM's world to gamers b/c its got the feel of games they might have played before like risk/diplomacy.

What battles are included with the Battles game? Whispering Woods?

miles601 said:

1.Clash on The Kingsroad

2.Paying the Piper

3.Riverlands Rescue

4.Battle of The Green Fork

5.WISPERING WOODS

6.Wolf Raiders

7.Rallying the Remnant

8Breaking The Siege

9.Razing The Red Fork

10.Harassment To Haqrrenhal.

They may not be mentioned as such from the books but they are based on situations from the books.

OD

About the board game. The basic game is great, but I much prefer to use the basic game plus the Storm of Swords expansion, since this version feels much more balanced and refined. With a completely different board and a bunch of new mechanics the SoS version is a de facto separate game from the original. If you stick to playing SoS there is no need to buy the A Clash of Kings expansion. What I would really like is a second edition of the game where you basically get the SoS experience in one box. The only drawback is that SoS cannot be played by more than four players. As it is now you must start by picking up the basic game anyway, so why not start there? I really recommend it to gamers who like plenty of player interaction and can handle the back-stabbing aspect of the game. Personally I detest Diplomacy but love this game strangley enough. While the comparison to Dippy is apt enough I think AGoT tBG is less hard core and much more accessible to people with varying gaming tastes.

Battles of Westeros: As people have said, this is a completely different type of game than the board game. If you are OK with the fact that it is strictly a two player game, you cannot go wrong with BoW if you are a fan of the books. Sure, it is a bit hefty price wise but you get a lot of fun for the investment. The replayability is great even if you limit yourself to just the core set. BoW is the perfect hybrid between miniatures game and board game, letting you enjoy the feel of massed battlefield combat with a minimum of prep work. Gush gush gush...

The LCG is the best game of them all, although a healthy local meta is necessary for it to really shine. Too bad my meta died down. I still buy everything that is released for it though. Love it.

The only thing that you would miss with just AGoT & SoS is the Siege Weapons & Fortfications Units. which come with ACoK.

OD