Reviews for N00bs - A Time of Ravens: Refugees of War

Refugees of War

Overall Theme: 7

Overall Efficiency: 7


While this is not the “best” in terms of rankings, I think this is the best pack in the cycle, and the first pack I would recommend any new player to buy, simply because it enhances the efficiency of any deck. Suddenly, you have an additional 3-7 more characters that are free on the setup, and there are some other really good cards for almost all houses. *Note: multi-house characters are not ranked in overall house theme or efficiency rankings, only in overall rankings for the chapter pack.


Refugees

Overall Efficiency: 10

• All have various icons which align with the usual icon strengths of each particular house.
• All are discarded from play if you don’t win dominance.
• All are super efficient at 0-cost, 2-strength
• There is no reason you shouldn’t have at least 3 in every deck.

House Stark

Overall Theme: 8

Overall Efficiency: 8.5


Needle (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 7

• 1 gold for +1 and stealth is pretty good.
• Stalwart characters include Eddard Stark (Core), Royal Guard (SB), and Midnight Sentry (BoRF), NOT Arya Stark ironically. Eddard is probably the best option, but Royal Guard wouldn’t be bad either, except that it’s an Ally. With very little influence you could have a repeatedly annoying character. Eddard with deadly, renown, stealth, and 4 strength is pretty good.

Bolton Refugee (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 10

• House Bolton trait, unfortunately doesn’t really synergize with the House Bolton shenanigans of the Brotherhood Without Banners cycle.

Cat o' the Canals (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 9

• She’s an Ally, but it doesn’t matter much because she is immune to all opponent’s card effects, including character and location abilities, event cards, and plot cards. That’s right, she can only be removed from play from claim or your own cards.
• Attach single weapon, such as Needle (which makes her 2-strength with stealth) or Northern Steel (TBoBB) (which cannot be discarded, making Arya a nigh-untouchable powerhouse).

House Lannister

Overall Theme: 8

Overall Efficiency: 8.5



Head of a Dwarf (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 7

• This is a sneaky attachment, which turns the inherent negative of the infamy house keyword into a weapon. Attaching it to an opponent’s character forces them to place all power on it, and sacrificing that power if the character dies.
• While attaching it to a weaker character will guarantee that it will be chosen for claim, attaching it to a stronger character will force them to keep it around, at which point you can kill it with Valar Morghulis at your leisure.
• Of course, it can be discarded, but whatever damage it’s done stays.

Mountain Refugee (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 10

• Clansman trait synergizes with the Clansman stuff found in the Brotherhood without Banners cycle. Even with the Core set, you can now do more with Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core).

House Baratheon

Overall Theme: 8.5

Overall Efficiency: 10


Highgarden Refugee (RoW) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 10

• House Tyrell trait doesn’t really do anything.
• The intrigue is helpful.

Arena Knight (RoW) - Theme: 10; Efficiency: 10

• Vigilant keyword and renown are what make this character excellent, better than some unique Baratheon characters.
• Use him in combination with Edric Storm (Core) and Robert Baratheon (KotStorm) for multiple power challenges in a row, standing them each time.

House Targaryen

Overall Theme: 5.5

Overall Efficiency: 7.5


Refugee of the Plains (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 10

• Dothraki trait allows you to get more bang for your buck with Jhogo (OSaS), Rakharo (IG), and Aggo (RoR), and is an easy way to decrease your Drogo's Horde (IG).

Dragonstone Scavenger (RoW) - Theme: 3; Efficiency: 5

• This strength of this card is meta-defined. You will want to play this after considering what other people you play with typically play. If you tend to face a lot of Targaryen and Baratheon, then this might be a good card for your deck.
• If you aren’t playing against Targaryen or Baratheon, then the risk is that you discard a card from your hand. Card draw is problematic for both, but both are good at recursion. You just have to recognize the possiblity and plan for it in your deck. As Targaryen, playing with Street Waif (AToT) can allow you to easily get those cards back out of discard, or even if your lucky, you can pull of a big play with Ambush from the Plains (QoD).
• It’s a good cost-power ratio.

House Martell

Overall Theme: 8

Overall Efficiency: 8.5


Refugee of the Citadel (RoW) - Theme: 9; Efficiency: 10

• Maester trait will see a lot of synergy in the Secrets of Oldtown cycle focusing on maesters.
• Play it with Maester of War (TWot5K) to make it a tri-con character.

Pit Viper (RoW) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 7

• While only useful in military challenges, it is actually very effective in what it does. It is deadly, so as the attacker, even if you lose the challenge, you still get to kill a participating defending character; if you discard Pit Viper, you get to choose who dies. Even if the defender happens to have a deadly keyword, you can still discard Pit Viper to kill a character.
• Does not work on defense.

House Greyjoy

Overall Theme: 7.5

Overall Efficiency: 9



Island Refugee (RoW) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 10

• Ironborn trait allows some flexibility with events like Kingsmoot (KotS) or Thuggish Tactics (ACoS).

Alannys Greyjoy (RoW) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 8

• The only Greyjoy Queen, which synergizes with King Balon's Host (TWot5K), Pyromancer's Cache (TWot5K), and good neutral events like Questioned Claim (AE). House Harlaw trait does nothing.
• She is guaranteed to either kneel a character or discard a card from your opponent’s hand, which isn’t bad.

House Greyjoy/Stark

Bandit of Winter (RoW) - Theme: 4; Efficiency: 1

• Another cards that is meta-defined. You will want to play this after considering what other people you play with typically play. If you tend to face a lot of Stark and Greyjoy, then this might be a good card for your deck.
• If you aren’t playing against Stark or Greyjoy, then the risk is that you discard your own location, which is a big deal. You can still get around it by marshalling this character when it’s not winter.
• It’s not a good cost-power ratio. There are better options for location control, like Wintertime Marauders (ACoS), Frozen Solid (LoW), Direct Assault (KotStorm), The Price of War (KotS), War Horn (TWoW), Condemned by the Council (AToT), and Fleeing to the Wall (Core).

House Baratheon/Lannister

River Bandit (RoW) - Theme: 3; Efficiency: 1

• Another cards that is meta-defined. You will want to play this after considering what other people you play with typically play. If you tend to face a lot of Lannister and Baratheon, then this might be a good card for your deck.
• If you aren’t playing against Lannister or Baratheon, then the risk is that you discard your own location, which is a big deal. This traitor is harder to get around since it’s more likely to not be winter or summer by default.
• It’s not a good cost-power ratio. There are better options for location control, like Direct Assault (KotStorm), Favorable Ground (QoD), Support of the Kingdom (Core), Condemned by the Council (AToT), and Fleeing to the Wall (Core).

House Martell/Targaryen

Bandit of Summer (RoW) - Theme: 3; Efficiency: 1

• Another cards that is meta-defined. You will want to play this after considering what other people you play with typically play. If you tend to face a lot of Targaryen and Martell, then this might be a good card for your deck.
• If you aren’t playing against Targaryen or Martell, then the risk is that you discard your own location, which is a big deal. You can still get around it by marshalling this character when it’s not summer.
• It’s not a good cost-power ratio. There are better options for location control, like Viserion (QoD), Favorable Ground, Support of the Kingdom (Core), Condemned by the Council, and Fleeing to the Wall.

Neutral

Overall Efficiency: 6


Vale Refugee (RoW) - Efficiency: 10

• The cheapest tricon out there. If you’re short on cheap characters this is always a great stand-by.

Gilly (RoW) - Efficiency: 9

• The best cheap summer character. If you are playing a summer deck, you MUST include her, because when it’s summer, she probably has the best efficiency of any character AND she draws you a card.

War of Five Kings (RoW) - Efficiency: 3

• This draws on a mechanic introduced in A Clash of Arms chapter pack called epic phase, which is basically another mini-challenges phase after dominance.
• If you are playing a deck that wants a lot of challenges (probably Baratheon who can stand a lot of characters, or Stark with the Siege of Winterfell agenda), then this might be a good event to add in.
• Unlike the other Epic Battle events, this one does not give variations on claim, but disrupts (potentially) your opponents plans. Depending on your opponent’s plot deck, this can be powerful, but it also has an element of luck, and there’s always the possibility that he will reveal Valar Morghulis, which is pretty detrimental to a rush deck.

The Tides of War (RoW) - Efficiency: 2

• Another option for changing plots mid-turn, like the rookeries, except this is easier to trigger. It’s also easier for your opponent to see coming, and shut down with a well played Carrion Bird.
• See the plot ideas under rookeries.