Hello Thrones Community,
We were overjoyed to see how positively you received our most recent release, The Mists of Memory cycle. As the name implied, it allowed us to reflect on the game’s foundations and emulate its earliest expansions, particularly the Westeros cycle and its introduction of faction-specific plot cards. It was an opportunity to create new interactions to well-trodden mechanics and give some of our source material’s oldest elements their debut as cards.
But every song must have its balance, and we turn now from retrospection to experimentation. With The Mists of Memory passed, we are proud to announce its sister cycle: The Sea of Shadow. In the chapters to come we offer a new mechanical theme for every faction, new interactions for the shadow keyword and Warship trait, and a focus on the twisting conspiracies that populate the later entries in A Song of Ice and Fire.
We begin this cycle of blackmail and blockades with its first chapter: When All Is Darkest.
House Baratheon receives two versatile additions, each of whom enforce a softer form of control than is common for the faction. In Ser Clayton Suggs we have a Knight of R’hllor who can increase or reduce the STR of characters who gain or receive power, allowing him to both empower and discourage as needed. Offering opponents the choice between restriction or punishment befits a house of kings, and Roast Boar does just that while also serving as a feast to fit said king; an opponent’s character laboured with this Item can choose to remain knelt, or stand and increase the attachment’s controller hand.
Remaining with R’hllor but tightening the restrictions imposed on opponents, we have House Greyjoy’s additions. This new variant of the mysterious Moqorro – a priest in service to Victarion Greyjoy – emerges from shadow to give an Intrigue icon and stealth, a versatile effect capable of creating unopposed attackers or un-bypass-able defenders as needed. Naval Bombardment, in contrast, is unusually defensive for the faction. Preventing the initiation of Intrigue challenges at any point in the phase is a powerful effect, and as such it is locked behind House Greyjoy’s new mechanical theme: location majority. Where Lannisters and Tyrells amass cards in hand and STR, Greyjoys now seek to control the most locations. Said locations which will likely have the Warship trait… or be stolen from an opponent.
From raiding ships to the ports they raid, we move inland to the Lannisters, The Westerlands, and Lannisport. While the original version of this location sought to reward success with Intrigue, this new variant instead acts as a deterrence against Power challenges – a vulnerability for the faction – by draining cards from the attacker’s hand. The trading port also acts as a non-limited source of income, which leaves more gold to fuel the Ashemark Councilor! Working symbiotically with their faction’s fondness for the bestow keyword, locations like Bran the Builder’s Casterly Rock or Ashemark itself, and even opponent’s gold-bearing cards, this Spy has a great deal of potential.
Continuing the theme of frustrating would-be attackers are the Martells. Maester at the Tor continues our trend of combining The Conclave’s interest in the top cards of decks with shadow; as the Maester emerges from shadow, your top card immediately replaces him. The more imposing, disruptive, and potentially-infuriating card would be Yronwood, seat of House Yronwood, and bulwark against invaders. The family that proudly declares “We Guard The Way” already excelled in defending, but now has greater control over what effects might trigger should they deign to let the attacker win.
When one thinks of resolute defences and frustrating control, one might immediately think of the Night’s Watch – but these additions defy those expectations. In Benjen Stark the aggressive Ranger family receives a potentially devastating means of control, so long as he can strike first. And returning to shadows, the eponymous event When All Is Darkest provides a welcome counter to shadow users, recruiting any characters emerging from shadow and pressing them into your service. And much like Uncle Benjen, priority can be crucial here as Ser Robert Strong or Aegon Targaryen are forced to take the black.
After so much duplicity, defensiveness, and shadow shenanigans, House Stark offers some welcome simplicity with Trident Guard. This cost-efficient Guard elegantly combines House Tully’s focus on renown and personal power, the Stark faction’s interest in raising one’s claim value, and our recent addition of The Trident location. Also coming with this pack is the Warden of the North attachment, held by House Stark for centuries – and by Roose Bolton for close to a year. Much like those held by Houses Lannister and Tyrell, the Title offers renown and the Commander trait as well as a faction-specific benefit; in the case of House Stark, it evokes the absolute negation of No Surprises and the double-edged denial of Barring the Gates. Neither you nor your opponent can rely on events or shadows while the warden is participating, but House Stark’s participation control still affords them some degree of manipulation.
The supporters of House Targaryen are increasingly rallying behind either Daenerys Targaryen or Aegon Targaryen. This reverence and The Sea of Shadow’s interest in the later entries of our source material led us to develop the faction’s new theme: reference-reliant cards, wherein a single expensive entry is supported by smaller satellite cards. Inspired by Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion’s relationship with the Stormborn trait, two new families now take shape with The Red Lamb and Slaver’s Bay. The former is a would-be Knight who achieves his potential and a valuable Power icon when paired with Ser Barristan Selmy, while the latter is a deadly tool whose application expands to a new challenge type as Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen are added to one’s domain.
Last and, strangely, the humblest of the in-faction cards come from House Tyrell, whose entries here embody the humble beginnings necessary for “Growing Strong”. Though unimpressive in terms of STR and icons, Agent of the Citadel combines a host of disparate mechanics: once again we see shadows and The Conclave’s manipulation of one’s top card combine, but with the revealing of cards and economic benefits typical of the Tyrells. The Maester’s low cost entitles him to use the accompanying card, Highgarden Destrier, which – much like the Huntress Warship – incentivises the use of affordable characters, promising potent boosts in STR to those small enough to use it.
Alongside all of this are a plethora of neutral cards, each with their niche to fill in one’s deck. In Harrenhal Cupbearer one has a Spy capable of bringing low an otherwise-imposing foe in an act of humiliation worthy of Harren himself. Milkwater Crossing, alternatively, is reminiscent of You Know Nothing and The North‘s harsh restrictions by removing all keywords and immunities from all characters for the duration of a phase. And finally we have the first plots of this new cycle, one centred around the shadow keyword and the other around the Song trait. Each are deceptively versatile, with City of Shadows also expanding the City family of plots, while The Minstrel’s Muse can compliment an eclectic range of cards including The Blue Bard, Tom of Sevenstreams, Dark Wings, Dark Words, and even House of Thorns’ The Knight of Flowers.
And before we close this first chapter, we would acknowledge the incredible work that has gone into the illustrations used for this pack and the packs to come. We are fortunate to be working with source material beloved by so many artists generous enough to allow their work to be used by us, and this cycle’s unprecedented number of original commissions has allowed us to move away from AI-generation. While the design of these cards is vital, the aesthetics which accompany them do so much to create the families of cards which help us authentically evoke A Song of Ice and Fire. We hope you will enjoy the sights and designs still to come as this cycle unfolds.
We hope this first chapter in The Sea of Shadows proves equal parts exciting and intriguing, and we look forward to showing the many innovations lurking in the near future. A fleet of Warship locations, never-before-seen Traits, creative additions and counters for the shadow keyword, and new mechanical families for every faction. We will return with more packs in the coming months, see you then!
