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Are you fan of  “Game of Thrones?”  Later this year, Fantasy Flight Games is

Announcing GAME OF THRONES: THE CARD GAME, Based on the HBO (R) Series

 

“When you play the game of thrones you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”
–Cersei Lannister

HBO’s critically acclaimed Game of Thrones® television series has introduced millions to the world of Westeros, where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. Based on George R.R. Martin’s beloved fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire,Game of Thrones chronicles the epic struggles between the Great Houses of Westeros as they vie for control of the Iron Throne.

Now fans of the show can give new life to their favorite characters and schemes. Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Game of Thrones: The Card Game, a two-player card game of intrigue, betrayals, and battles.

Stark and Lannister Vie for Dominance

“The wolf and the lion will be at each other’s throats. We will be at war soon, my friend.”
–Lord Varys

From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the darkness beyond, two powerful families engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Game of Thrones: The Card Game lets two players choose their house and experience their own battles between House Stark and House Lannister.

Eddard Stark fought alongside his friend Robert Baratheon to overthrow Aerys Targaryen, The Mad King, from the Iron Throne. After the war, Eddard returned to the North, to rule in Winterfell as the Warden of the North. The Stark sigil is a grey direwolf on an ice-white field, and their House words are Winter is Coming.

The Lannisters are the wealthiest family in Westeros. When The Mad King was deposed and Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne, he married Cersei Lannister. As Robert relies more and more upon the counsel of his friend, Eddard Stark, Cersei and the Lannisters take steps to ensure that they will keep the power they have earned. Their sigil is a golden lion upon a crimson field, and their words are Hear Me Roar!

As betrayal, lust, intrigue, and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms, the bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences. Game of Thrones follows kings, queens, knights, renegades, liars, thieves, and noblemen as they play a deadly game for power.

Claim Power for Your House

“Winter is coming.”
–Eddard Stark

Game of Thrones presents two fixed decks of fifty cards each, one for House Stark and one for House Lannister. Each deck includes many of the show’s most recognizable characters and locations, including Eddard Stark, Cersei Lannister, Robert Baratheon, Littlefinger, and Jon Snow, among others.

In this tense struggle for power, each player attempts to outmaneuver his foe on the battlefield, at court, and with the people of Westeros, positioning his House to claim the Iron Throne (a feat represented by the acquisition of fifteen power tokens). Over the course of a game, players use their plot cards, which represent their Houses’ various schemes and pursuits, to gain various advantages. Then, they marshall their forces. By playing characters, locations, and attachments, a player can put himself in a better position to engage his opponent in the game’s three types of challenges:

•  Military: These challenges represent the fierce battles taking place across the war-torn realm. Unless he wins the challenge, the defending player must choose and kill a number of his characters in play equal to the claim value on the attacking player’s revealed plot (these do not have to be characters who participated in the challenge).
•  Intrigue: These challenges evoke the subtle and secretive betrayals rampant at court. Unless he wins the challenge, the defending player must discard, at random, a number of cards from his hand equal to the claim value on the attacking player’s revealed plot.
•  Power: Finally, these challenges represent the overt political maneuvering and dealmaking that can so often lead to influence. Unless he wins the challenge, the defending player must move a number of power counters from his House banner to the attacking player’s House banner equal to the claim value on the attacking player’s revealed plot.

As players win challenges, they claim power for their House. The first player to gain fifteen power has cemented his control over the Iron Throne, winning the game!

Live the Story

“I’m a purveyor of beauty and discretion, both equally important.”
–Petyr Baelish

With its evocative imagery and rich gameplay, Game of Thrones: The Card Game captures the lush and vibrant imagery of HBO’sGame of Thrones in a format that makes a perfect two-player introduction to the world of Westeros.

How does this release relate to the Living Card Game version?In short, it doesn’t. Cards from this product are not in any way compatible with those of the Living Card Game, nor are they legal for tournament play. This is a simplified, streamlined version of the LCG intended for fans of the HBO series. Visit our description page for more.

It features photographs and artwork from the television series. Furthermore, Game of Thrones makes the intrigues of Westeros immediately accessible with streamlined rules and fixed decks of fifty cards each for House Stark and House Lannister. The whole experience is meant to help players dive into the game’s plots and battles as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones: The Card Game builds upon the its fixed decks by offering tremendous potential for strategy and replay with its unique rules for plot drafting. By pursuing new schemes each game, players retain a vital element of surprise.

Winter is Coming

Look for Game of Thrones: The Card Game to arrive at retailers everywhere by the fourth quarter of 2012!

 

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