23 August 2018 | A Game of Thrones: The Card Game

Swear Fealty

Eight House Intro Decks for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Are Now Available

“Boy, girl. You are a sword, that is all.”
–Syrio Forel, A Game of Thrones

Order your own House Intro Decks at your local retailer or online through our website today!

The great Houses of Westeros throw the realm into chaos in A Game of Thrones: The Card Game! In the capital city of King’s Landing, the noble families plot and scheme, relying on courtly intrigues to gain power behind the throne. Across the Seven Kingdoms, factions break from the crown and assemble their own armies to fight for dominance. And all the while, dangers and magic long thought dead find new life in the East and North. Whether you are loyal to your family, your realm, or only to your own ambition, now is the time to take a stand.

You can now enter the battle for Westeros with House Intro Decks for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game—on sale now at your local retailer and online through our website!

House Intro Decks are designed to provide new players with a stable foundation for their battles in A Game of Thrones: The Card Game with decks that are ready to play right out of the box and can stand against other Intro Decks or custom decks by other players. Each of these carefully constructed decks contains a full sixty-card deck, as well as seven plots, a faction card, and a copy of the Fealty agenda (Core Set, 27) with House-specific alternate art. With cards that span the five cycles of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, even veteran players will find plenty to love about these House Intro Decks. Not only do they provide you with additional copies of favorite neutral cards and plots like Valar Dohaeris (The Archmaester’s Key, 20), they also offer you the chance to explore each House’s full force with cards that focus on the immersive keywords and themes that make each faction unique.

King in the North

House Stark has ruled over the North since the beginning of recorded history in Westeros. Bearing the blood of the First Men, they are known for their honor and nobility. Their judgment may be cold as the winds of winter, but it will always be fair. The House Stark Intro Deck focuses on the forceful side of the faction, featuring powerful military characters like Dacey Mormont (The Red Wedding, 61) and Direwolves like Nymeria (Favor of the Old Gods, 61), helping you get a fast start that will put your opponent on their back foot.

Beyond their sheer ferocity on the battlefield, the Stark family and those who follow them believe in sacrifice for the greater good. No single man is worth more than the cause they fight for and you will find several characters in this Intro Deck who embody this ideal. Bran Stark (Core Set, 142) is willing to lay down his own life to save his allies from an enemy’s unexpected trick, while his mother Catelyn Stark (Wolves of the North, 2) hardens her heart with every loss she suffers, becoming stronger with each death. Winter comes for all, but the Starks know that death from the cold leaves room for new life in the spring.

Warden of the West

The Lannisters are one of the most ruthless families in Westeros. Shaped by hatred and ambition, these lords of Casterly Rock use both cunning and raw strength to not only defeat, but completely destroy their enemies. The House Lannister Intro Deck aims to rip apart your enemies plans by employing masters of intrigue like Cersei Lannister (Lions of Casterly Rock, 1) and Littlefinger (Core Set, 28). After all, your opponent can never defeat you if they cannot keep cards in their hand long enough to play them.

But the Lannisters know that one cannot win the battle for power with cunning alone. When you are ready to bring your own schemes to light as you lead the Lannister’s forces, you will be able to fund them with the full wealth of Casterly Rock. This Intro Deck features locations like The Goldroad (The Brotherhood Without Banners, 110) that provide you with extra economy, which you can then use to buy the loyalty of men like Raff the Sweetling (Kingsmoot, 49) and Ser Gregor's Marauders (Lions of Casterly Rock, 8). By catching your opponent unprepared, you will devour them with the savagery of a lion and show all of Westeros what becomes of those who defy the rule of the Rock.

Lord Reaper of Pyke

Unlike many of the noble families of Westeros, House Greyjoy has only ruled over the Iron Islands as the Lord Reapers of Pyke for the past 300 years. Before, the ironborn chose their own rulers in a ritual called the Kingsmoot. Now, as the Seven Kingdoms fall into chaos, perhaps the time has come again for the people of Pyke to rule themselves and return to the old ways. While the lords and ladies of the mainland spin their webs, the Iron Fleet prepares to set sail with Warships like Black Wind (Journey to Oldtown, 32) and Iron Victory (Oberyn’s Revenge, 92).

To further the ironborn’s ambition, the House Greyjoy Intro Deck is designed to dissect your enemy’s defenses with a surgical precision. You need to hit your opponent first and hit them hard. With characters like Asha Greyjoy (Kingsmoot, 51) and Maester Wendamyr (Core Set, 70) that feature the stealth keyword, you can slip past even the most dangerous bulwark, accumulating power with a speed that few can match. Direct confrontation is all well and good, but the Greyjoys always keep their ultimate goal in mind.

Lord Paramount of the Stormlands

While the other seven factions of A Game of Thrones: The Card Game struggle to gain power over the realm, House Baratheon is instead fighting to keep it. This places the Stags of Storm’s End in an interesting position with an Intro Deck that focuses on forcing others to bend the knee and acknowledge their dominance. Should you succeed in this task, cards like Melisandre (Guarding the Realm, 27) and Chamber of the Painted Table (Core Set, 60) offer you even further rewards, killing your opponent’s characters or stealing their power for your own.

Yet while Robert Baratheon (Core Set, 48) may be the King of the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of A Song of Ice and Fire, as the story progresses his chess piece is removed from the game and the sudden series of one Disputed Claim (Lions of Casterly Rock, 26) after another sets the War of the Five Kings into motion. The House Baratheon Intro Deck gives you a chance to explore the chaos left in Robert’s wake with characters who bear the Bastard trait like Mya Stone (Someone Always Tells, 117), Edric Storm (Lions of Casterly Rock, 25), and The Bastard of Nightsong (Someone Always Tells, 107). Your enemies may wait for you to make a single mistake and give them an opportunity to catch you off guard, but if you wish to hold the Iron Throne, you can never soften your grip.

Defender of the Marches

When Aegon the Conqueror first arrived in Westeros, he united the Seven Kingdoms by deposing of the realm's various rulers and forcing them to bend the knee. House Tyrell, however, never ruled as kings—from the founding of their House to now, their power and wealth have only grown. Now, with the House Tyrell Intro Deck, their sights are set on the Iron Throne, and they will use every bit of their cunning to manipulate the battle to suit their needs. With a cornucopia of cards like Desmera Redwyne (House of Thorns, 13) that can alter characters’ strengths, you can be sure you're prepared for any type of challenge your opponent may present.

The House Tyrell Intro Deck puts the full strength of the Reach at your disposal. With a wealth only surpassed by the Lannisters, the Tyrells can field some of the greatest armies in Westeros, filled with noble Knights like The Knight of Flowers (Core Set, 185) and Ser Jon Fossoway (Watchers on the Wall, 37). Yet even a humble Knight of the Reach (Guarding the Realm, 23) may serve his House, granting power to a Lady of this matriarchal House. It is through this coordination between cards, especially key characters like Margaery Tyrell (Core Set, 181), that the Tyrells find their true power. A rose may smell sweet, but only a fool would forget its thorns.

Lord of Sunspear

While House Tyrell never ruled as kings before Aegon's conquest, House Martell never surrendered their seat, eventually joining the Seven Kingdoms through marriage rather than conquest. This proud spirit of the Dornishmen shines through in their House words—Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken—and their ability to play the long game is further highlighted in the House Martell Intro Deck. Skilled tacticians like Doran Martell (Sands of Dorne, 1) lead this House with a guile unmatched in Westeros, changing challenge icons when his opponent believes he is helpless.

The key strategy you will find when playing as House Martell is to patiently wait for your opponent to strike, then launch a powerful counterattack once they fall into your trap. The Sand Snakes allow you to manipulate the challenge phase, bouncing cards to and from your hand and punishing your enemy for earning victories. Then, once when you have weakened your opponent and are ready to execute your own final sweeping strike, you can send out powerful fighters like The Red Viper (Oberyn’s Revenge, 95) and The Bastard of Godsgrace (House of Thorns, 31) to vanquish your enemies with the precision of a serpent.

Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea

House Targaryen has greatly changed from when Aegon first journeyed to Westeros. While they were the ruling House who led the Seven Kingdoms for centuries, now the last of their House reside in exile across the Narrow Sea. In A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, this House is ready to reclaim what is theirs with fire and blood, using mighty Dothraki warriors like Khal Drogo (Core Set, 162) and Qotho (House of Thorns, 37) to dominate in military challenges and clear your opponent’s board.

The House Targaryen Intro Deck features an emphasis on service and sacrifice. Every Targaryen Loyalist (Core Set, 170) or member of the Freedmen (The Brotherhood Without Banners, 113) is willing to lay down their own life to restore their chosen ruler, Daenerys Targaryen (Core Set, 160), to the Iron Throne. And with plots like Rebuilding (Core Set, 19), their faith can be rewarded—if the Mother of Dragons can restore magic to the world, then why can she not restore life where it has been lost?

Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch

While the lords and ladies deal in lineage, power plays, and marriage pacts, the brothers of the Night’s Watch know no loyalty other than to the realm. These brave men are the last defense against the dangers that threaten Westeros from beyond the Wall. Old Bear Mormont (Watchers on the Wall, 3) leads the Order with an honest, if cold, severity, earning the respect of the forgotten characters from any House and bringing them to the Watch.

Despite being largely forgotten by the great Houses of Westeros, the Night’s Watch is permitted to recruit from their dungeons, as seen in The Night’s Watch Intro Deck. When you lead this faction, you can take control of your opponent’s characters with cards like Take the Black (Core Set, 139) and Now My Watch Begins (Watchers on the Wall, 23). This means that no matter what scheme and specialties your enemy may have, you are prepared to stand against and demoralize them, turning their own soldiers against them. This may appear a cruel punishment for any leader to witness, but in the battle for the Iron Throne, you can offer no quarter.

Choose Your Loyalty

The time of peace is over and now you must choose your alliances carefully. To which House will you offer your sword, and when the war is over, which title will you claim for your own? Pledge fealty to your faction and lead the greatest forces of Westeros into battle!

Pick up your A Game of Thrones: The Card Game House Intro Decks at your local retailer or on the Fantasy Flight Games website today!