Near forty men took part, freeriders and hedge knights and new-made squires in search of a reputation. They fought with blunted weapons in a chaos of mud and blood, small troops fighting together and then turning on each other as alliances formed and fractured, until only one man was left standing. [...] The final tally was three broken limbs, a shattered collarbone, a dozen smashed fingers, two horses that had to be put down, and more cuts, sprains, and bruises than anyone cared to count. Much later, after he had taken the girls back through the city and seen them both safe in bed, Sansa with her dreams and Arya with her bruises, Ned ascended to his own chambers atop the Tower of the Hand.
-George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
The festivities are at an end, and envoys from across the Seven Kingdoms have returned to their liege lords to give their reports. But if you weren’t able to attend Days of Ice and Fire, the recent celebration of FFG’s games set in George R.R. Martin’s beloved fantasy setting, take heart! Today we’re pleased to present an overview of this exciting event.
On Friday night, a line quickly formed with fans eager for an autograph and a brief word with our Guest of Honor, Mr. George R.R. Martin. Once settled, attendees explored the exciting contents of their exclusive gift bags, then dove right in to a number of learn to play sessions for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, and Battles of Westeros!
Many guests were introduced to these titles for the first time, while others found new opponents for their favorite Westeros-themed games. Among them were the participants in our A Game of Thrones: The Card Game tournaments, who came from all over the country to participate in our Melee and Joust.
David B. wielded the hammer in the Melee and rose to the top of the fray with a Greyjoy unopposed/power rush deck. David's brutal competitors at the final table were Mallesh G., Michael H., and Jesse S. (David's fiance'!) The Joust was equally gripping; over the course of Saturday, 36 players clashed in the A Game of Thrones Joust tournament, with the battle lasting until late in the evening. Finally, just before midnight, two-time World Champion Erick A. Butzlaff claimed victory with a Stark/Wildling Agenda deck over 2008 Joust Champion Lucas Reed, representing House Lannister. It was truly a battle of champions! Also in the final Joust confrontation: former AGoT World champions Matt Ley and Casey Galvan, as well as Steve K., Josh S., David B., and Jesse S. Congratulations to all tournament participants!
Saturday also found us in the grip of a sudden, heavy blizzard... but this didn’t deter fans. The house was full and the audience was riveted for Mr. Martin's reading of a chapter from his upcoming novel A Dance with Dragons, as well as the lively and informative Q&A session that followed. In addition, there was an in-depth roundtable panel for Mr. Martin's Wildcards world, featuring special guests Melinda Snodgrass and Ian Tregillis.
As the evening progressed, Mr. Martin gave his audience some bright news and interesting background information for the eagerly-awaited HBO television adaptation of A Game of Thrones, debuting in 2011. The lights dimmed and a reverent hush spread across the audience as previews for this anticipated television event were shown, after which Mr. Martin took listeners behind the scenes with a compelling discussion of the actors, locations, and other production elements of this highly anticipated television event!
We at FFG would like to thank everyone who braved the dangers of the frozen north to attend Days of Ice and Fire. We would especially like to extend our most profound thanks to our Guest of Honor, celebrated author George R.R. Martin.
Keep checking back; we’ll be posting video highlights of this exciting event very soon. Whether you were able to join us for these amazing three days, or fortune was not as kind to you, we hope to see you at next year’s Days of Ice and Fire!