Harsh conditions and ceaseless conflict has worn down the armies of the Great Houses of Westeros, and the survivors are scattered across the land. Yet some hope remains as reinforcements and reserves enter the fray. Some armies may retreat, others may regroup, and others will forge ahead. The epic battle for the Iron Throne rages on...

Scattered Armies , the sixth Chapter Pack in the A Time of Ravens expansion to the A Game of Thrones LCG hits stores later this month. In this pack, the weary and tired armies of Westeros are relieved with much needed reinforcements, but the looters and pillagers and marauders continue their feast on the war-torn land.

The Pirates of Orkmont are an example of one of these latter types, those who would take advantage of the chaos of war. When these guys are in play, you can turn your opponent’s high gold plots against them, with the intimidate keyword making all the difference in the world.

The Missing Recruit is a nice example of how Reinforcements will play, both thematically and mechanically. The basic play pattern is pretty straightforward: lose a challenge, and sometime after the loss (note that it’s not a response to the challenge itself) the Reinforcements arrive. This generally follows the idea that reinforcements come to shore up an army in need, but the game also allows for some interesting feints: are you attacking me with an obviously inferior force just so you can surprise me with cheap reinforcements later in the battle? Maybe I shouldn’t defend, as it might be a trap!Hmmm...

The Weary Swordsmen, then, is an example of an Army card that is eager for the reinforcements to arrive. The armies in this cycle all have a nice little moral boost whenever such an event occurs... or is it a counter-attack or deterrent against an opponent’s own reinforcements? And so the battlefield takes shape...

With the release of Scattered Armies , the Time of Ravens cycle of Chapter Packs comes to its conclusion. We’ll be taking a short break in April, allowing players an opportunity to fully explore the themes and mechanics of this cycle, before kicking off the King’s Landing cycle in May, with the City of Secrets Chapter Pack. And who knows, there may be another surprise or two as well...