High lords and fabled champions had come from all over the realm to compete, and the whole city had turned out to watch. [...] The days had rung to the sounds of trumpets and pounding hooves, and the nights had been full of feasts and song.
– A Song of Ice and Fire, Volume II: A Clash of Kings

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce Tourney for the Hand , the next exciting Chapter Pack for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game ! This first pack in the A Tale of Champions cycle is themed around the great tournaments of Westeros.

To glory

Tourney for the Hand is the first monthly installment of 60 fixed cards (3 copies each of 20 unique cards) for the A Tale of Champions expansion to A Game of Thrones: The Card Game . The never-before-seen cards in this expansion introduce two new keywords– melee and joust –new elements that will create thrilling new deck-building opportunities and strategies for A Game of Thrones .

In Sing a Song of Champions, Part Two , A Game of Thrones lead developer Damon Stone had this to say about the new keywords, “ A Tale of Champions introduces two new keywords that capture the feel of the tournaments of Westeros. The tourneys are an opportunity for warriors to practice specific skills needed to be successful in battle in a comparatively safe setting. [...] Commonly in A Game of Thrones , combat is done en masse, with multiple attackers against multiple defenders. The joust keyword indicates a character’s ability to narrowly focus on his or her task and force an engagement with just a single combatant. [...] In war, being surrounded by foes and fighting through it requires situational awareness, the ability to use your opponent’s greater numbers against them, and the heart to keep fighting against impossible odds. Whether you are engaged in the melee tourney, a battle at the gates of Harrenhal, or during a kingsmoot on Nagga’s Hill, identifying your opponents and using their numbers against them is a skill to be desired. The melee keyword does just that, letting you take advantage of the fog of war to increase your own strength when engaged with multiple enemies.”

Featuring new versions of favorite characters like Arya Stark , Ser Jaime Lannister, Knight of Flowers , developed especially for the new environment of A Tale of Champions , as well as introducing brand-new characters like The Knight, Dorea Sand, and Meera Reed (designed by 2010 Castle Stahleck Champion Andrea Gualdoni), Tourney for the Hand has plenty to interest A Game of Throne s players, both new and veteran.

This fourth quarter, strap on your armor for the Tourney of the Hand !