Take the Black

“Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow,” they recited, their voices filling the twilit grove. “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death.”
   –George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

The Wall stretches for miles across the frozen north, guarded by the men of the Night’s Watch. While the rest of Westeros squabbles over kingdoms and plays their game of thrones, the Night’s Watch struggles to protect the realms of men. Yet in the tumultuous aftermath of the War of the Five Kings, even the Night’s Watch may be drawn into the intrigues, battles, and power struggles between the Great Houses.

Whether you keep your post at the Wall or lead your rangers out, the choice is yours with the Watchers on the Wall deluxe expansion, now on sale at your local United States retailer for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!

Guarding the Realm

In Watchers on the Wall, you’re invited to journey north, taking your place alongside the black brothers of the Night’s Watch. From the days of the Core Set, one of the key archetypes for the Night’s Watch centered on defending The Wall (Core Set, 137)—carefully raising your defenses to oppose every challenge and reliably gain two power at the end of each challenges phase. With this deluxe expansion, you’ll certainly find cards with a more defensive mindset, such as Catapult on the Wall (Watchers on the Wall, 20), but many of the Night’s Watch cards in this expansion fit into other types of decks.

Our first preview led you forth on a great ranging alongside the other members of the Night’s Watch as we looked at cards that lead this faction in a more offensive direction. Cotter Pyke (Watchers on the Wall, 4) can be a potent attacker, especially if you’re using Winter plots and the Kings of Winter (Called to Arms, 38) agenda. Or, you may supplement the ranks of the Night’s Watch with Wildlings, relying on an exciting new version of Jon Snow (Watchers on the Wall, 1) to lead them all into battle.

Next, we turned our attention to the three orders of the Night’s Watch—Rangers, Stewards, and Builders. Each of these orders receives new cards in Watchers on the Wall, and each of the orders has a distinct focus. Your Rangers are the frontline of any attack or defense, offering the threat of reprisal against your opponent. Stewards like Bowen Marsh (Watchers on the Wall, 2) provide the cards and gold that you need to keep the Watch alive, and Builders amplify your defensive strength, building up your defenses and enhancing your locations, such as the Abandoned Stronghold (Watchers on the Wall, 18). Whether you choose to blend all three orders together in a single deck or focus on a single order, you’ll have plenty of choices to make with this expansion.

Of course, although the focus of this box rests on the Night’s Watch, every other faction also receives two new non-loyal cards in this expansion. Our third article looked at the cards that House Stark and House Targaryen receive, exploring the standing power of the Plaza of Pride (Watchers on the Wall, 36) and the military challenge tricks that you can trigger with Summer (Watchers on the Wall, 34). You can be certain that although the Night’s Watch gains a wide variety of new cards in this deluxe expansion, every other faction receives new tricks and tactics as well.

Now Your Watch Begins

The sword in the darkness. The watcher on the walls. The fire that burns against the cold. The light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. To serve the Night’s Watch is a punishment for some and a calling for others—and you can make your own choices with the new cards and plots in the Watchers on the Wall deluxe expansion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!

Pick up your copy of Watchers on the Wall (GT22) at your local United States retailer today!