Hello again, Thrones Community!
We continue the Mists of Memory cycle with Ten Thousand Ships, named for the tale of Queen Nymeria and the Rhoynish odyssey to Dorne! In addition to a Tapestry depicting the historic event, many entries in this pack echo her story; we present now impressive naval forces, the wrath of the dragonlords, and the value of a strategic exit. The chapter pack is due to release the same day as this post; the 26th of June, 2024.
Beginning in the sea, we have Allard Seaworth of House Baratheon. The second son of Ser Davos Seaworth, Allard takes after his brother as a Captain and his mother as the namesake of his ship, Lady Marya. His ability to convert a Baratheon card’s facedown attachments into power works well with his Warship, as well as less scrupulous allies like Valyrian’s Crew. Quite a different sort of attachment comes in the form of Martial Law, which represents the crown’s absolute control over a location by preventing it from standing unless its controller has won a Power challenge that turn.
House Greyjoy will not be outdone in naval strength, however, and Great Kraken’s Crew raid at the command of Balon Greyjoy himself! Emerging from shadows to remove a cheap defender’s STR from a challenge, they help achieve the unopposed challenges desired by Balon’s Warship, Great Kraken and other cards of their faction. Joining them in the fight is the Valyrian Steel blade known as Nightfall, seized by Greyjoys of old and now possessed by The Knight of Harlaw. Its victorious bearer can force each player to check their reserve, and it also gives renown if they themselves are of House Harlaw.
Moving inland to King’s Landing and the Lannisters, we have a second iteration of Grand Maester Pycelle. Despite the Maester’s doddering reputation, his powers of retention and obfuscation are invaluable to the Lannister regime – and represented here by his ability to conceal cards discarded from any player’s hands beneath that player’s faction card. Just beyond King’s Landing stands the Kingswood, a strategically advantageous position and the last outing of the late King Robert. Crucial in Tyrion Lannister‘s defence against Stannis Baratheon, the Imp manned the forest with Clansmen of the Vale – many of whom lurk there still, waiting to pounce…
The most apposite faction of the pack, House Martell brings a humble Guard and a grand Tapestry. The Water Gardens Sentry is a cost-efficient protector of the eponymous Water Gardens, enjoyed alike by highborn and lowborn children; and if a Martell Lord or Lady themself is present, this Guard can defend them during Intrigue challenges despite lacking the relevant icon. And with the Legacy of Nymeria of Ny Sar, a victory of 5 or more STR allows you to reveal a new Martell or Summer plot card! One can increase their used plot pile yet further by choosing At Prince Doran’s Behest, or experiment with unprecedented combinations like victory with A Game of Thrones flowing into Sailing the Summer Sea.
From southern warmth to bitter northern climes, we have the Night’s Watch and a new iteration of Bowen Marsh, a diligent Steward willing to defend The Wall – from any threat, at any cost. When you bring cards out of shadow, the Lord Steward can use the opportunity able to restrict the options of potential attackers. The need for such subterfuge arises when so few men remain in the Watch, but fortunately the faction’s new plot – The Watch Needs Good Men – allows you to marshal or ambush any characters in a foe’s discard pile.
With talk of subterfuge, Marsh, and good men, we come to Jon Snow and House Stark. Despite not yet joining the black brothers, that restrictive faction can already be seen in the Bastard of Winterfell. Though forbidden from taking his brother’s Title or his father’s Weapon, the wolf blood allows him to keep a Direwolf. But even that wild aggression is tempered with control, specifically the ability to dictate whether standing or kneeling characters can satisfy Military claims. Another example of Stark brutality comes with The Hour of the Wolf, the Legacy of Cregan Stark’s brief and bloody rule of King’s Landing following the Dance of the Dragons. Just as Lord Cregan purged traitors to both Aegon and Rhaenrya, so too does this plot for all players to sacrifice a non-loyal character.
The mercy of Starks may be as oxymoronic as the honour of sellswords, were it not for the like of Black Balaq and other Mercenary men of the Golden Company. This Summer Islander serves as the Commander of the company’s archers, reducing the STR of each defender facing him – if payment is sufficient. He and his fellows have already helped claim the Stormlands during a Targaryen invasion of Westeros – but unlike the first Aegon, he has no dragons by his side. The Tapestry accompanying him, Aegon the Conqueror, recalls the true grandeur of this original invasion by raising your plot’s claim value if you choose to attack with a fully-grown Dragon.
House Tyrell brings us easily the humblest character seen thus far, the young squire Dickon Tarly of House Tarly. Faithfully following his father, Randyll Tarly, the boy takes advantage of his Lord’s propensity for standing himself or others by immediately following suit. Subtler and more versatile is Olenna’s Wheelhouse, rumoured to hold a wealth of counterfeit gold. Through such gold, The Queen of Thorns might help one of her allies vanish for a time – only to return once conflict began.
But no discussion of deception is complete without mention of Varys the Spider, whose masterful manipulation of the realm relies upon keen foresight and tight control. Both of these aspects are present in this new iteration of the character – and with each Scheme revealed, by you or a foe, his influence grows…
Continuing the pattern started by the cycle’s previous chapter, we have The Green Fork, the second of three tributaries to The Trident, with this one granting the strategic advantage of some additional income. An example of the location’s role in the War of Five Kings comes with The Battle of the Green Fork plot, depicting the seminal battle between Stark and Lannister forces. This cold and calculated cyvasse game between Roose and Tywin presents itself here as a versatile plot; swift but initially weak, a constant offensive is eventually rewarded with a devastatingly high claim value.
Finally, unlike either Tywin or Roose, we give you The Gift of Mercy. This agenda allows you to have individual victories mark targets in a larger plan, with the deaths of those marked speeding you on your way to triumph. In this way, you can experience the weaving together of a grand game – and then watch as history turns on the cutting of a single thread.
We hope our community will have fun experimenting with the cards included in this new chapter, Ten Thousand Ships. Familiar faces and unexplored material, sustained themes and bold innovations, all of these and more will be seen with the Mists of Memory cycle – with the next entry coming soon!
