Reviews for N00bs - A Time of Ravens: Scattered Armies

Scattered Armies

Overall Theme: 8

Overall Efficiency: 6.5

This pack focuses on Reinforcements, a series of events that trigger off of losing challenges and enter play as characters. Unfortunately, they all come x1 in the pack. There are some decent cards mixed in, but this is a lower priority pack, in my opinion, since there is very little synergy with the other packs in this cycle. The Reinforcements mechanic is nowhere else in the game. However, there are some very interesting and viable strategies with Reinforcements. Each house gets an army that has a house thematic ability associated with playing a Reinforcements event card. These I’ve ranked slightly lower because you have to play with the events in order for them to be any good. While this pack is highest in terms of theme, it’s mostly because of the thematic abilities on the characters in this pack, which requie you to play with the events included in the pack as well. Otherwise, there are some very good cards, even if you don’t like the events. Stark and Lannister are favored in this pack.




House Stark

Overall Theme: 8.5

Overall Efficiency: 7.5


Depleted Host (SA) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient but the other Stark armies in this pack are even more so.
• Army trait synergy. Play with Robb Stark (KotS) to marshall Stark armies for free.
• Stark continues to expand its search effects, and now you can even pull out Riders of the Red Fork (FtC) if you’re out of Reinforcements.

Northern Cavalry Flank (SA) - Theme: 9; Efficiency: 9

• Excellent card. Almost all competitive decks run an agenda, so you have a 4-cost 5-strength (potentially 7 with The Power of Arms (Core)) deadly character that doesn’t kneel to attack.
• Army trait synergy. Play with Robb Stark (KotS) to marshall Stark armies for free.

Northern Infantry (SA) - Theme: 9; Efficiency: 8

• Depending on your meta, or if you play casually, this might be a better card than Northern Cavalry Flank since you may not face many agendas.
• Still very efficient at 4 cost 5-strength deadly with a war-crest.
• Very good in a defensive deck, like House Tully tech with Riverrun (LoW) and/or Winterfell (LoW). But also with Training Grounds (LoW) to get a little more mileage out of them.
• Army trait synergy. Play with Robb Stark (KotS) to marshall Stark armies for free.

House Lannister

Overall Theme: 9

Overall Efficiency: 7.5


Weary Swordsmen (SA) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient. Army trait synergy.
• Thematic ability kneels a character. There is better kneel in the game, but if you’re playing with Reinforcements, this helps. Play with Retreat and Regroup (SA) because it’s the only one that can trigger without you actually having to lose a challenge, and it deters your opponent from winning too much on their turn.

Tommen Baratheon (SA) - Theme: 10; Efficiency: 9

• Warning: Major but very satisfying spoiler on this card!
• Fantastic supplemental draw if you can keep him around long enough. He should help long enough until you get out your Golden Tooth Mines (Core).

House Baratheon

Overall Theme: 5

Overall Efficiency: 5


Exhausted Horsemen (SA) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient. Army trait synergy.
• Thematic ability stands it when Reinforcements are played, so a good strategy is to do a chump challenge. If your opponent lets it through, good, but if he doesn’t you get to go again with the same character and another Reinforcements character.

Stormland Scavengers (SA) - Theme: 2; Efficiency: 4

• 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 Baratheon and Targaryen, then this might be a good card for your deck.
• If you aren’t playing against Baratheon or Targaryen, then the risk is that you discard a card from your hand. Since card draw is more difficult for Baratheon, and slightly easier for Targaryen, you have as good a chance of hurting yourself as your opponent.
• It’s a good cost-power ratio.

House Targaryen

Overall Theme: 8.5

Overall Efficiency: 6


Destitute Horde (SA) - Theme: 9; Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient. Dothraki trait synergizes with Jhogo, Rhakaro, Aggo, and lots of other cards. Army trait synergy.
• Thematic ability steals an attachment and either attaches it or discards it. There is better attachment control in the game, but not combined with a good army character. Play with Retreat and Regroup because it’s the only one that can trigger without you actually having to lose a challenge, and it deters your opponent from winning too much on their turn.
• There are 26 Weapon attachments (including good ones like Venomous Blade (TBoBB), Northern Steel (TBoBB), and Poisoned Knife (ASoSilence)) and only 6 Boon attachments (like Taste for Blood (PotS) which would synergize nicely with Reinforcements).

Summer Encampment (SA) - Theme: 8; Efficiency: 6

• This is one of a few cards with a controlled “bounce” effect (another example is Xaro Xoan Daxos (Core)).
• Use this to protect important pieces of your combo if they are in danger (e.g. Samwell to protect your draw) or to trigger a character’s enter-play effect (such as Balerion the Black (RotO), or Thundering Calvary (QoD)), or even to get multiple use out of a character during Marshalling (such as marshalling Street Waif (AToT), using him, bouncing him, marshalling him and using him again).
• Requires summer or it’s blank.

House Martell

Overall Theme: 7

Overall Efficiency: 6


Desert Exiles (SA) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient. Army trait synergy.
• While the ability is not very thematic, it is still good. Any house can always use more draw. Play with Retreat and Regroup because it’s the only one that can trigger without you actually having to lose a challenge and paying 1 gold, and it deters your opponent from winning too much on their turn. Martell also works well losing challenges.
• Even still, paying one gold (for the Reinforcements event) for a net character advantage and card draw is pretty good. But when you have so many other good events, you have to think hard about including the Reinforcements events.

House Greyjoy

Overall Theme: 7.5

Overall Efficiency: 6


Desperate Looters (SA) - Theme: 9; Efficiency: 6

• Although it has the Ally trait, it’s not always a bad thing for it to leave play, especially if you’re playing with Kraken Tattoo (CoS) and Support of Saltcliffe (GotC)
• Discarding cards is now phenomenal with Baelor Blacktyde, since he disallows your opponent’s use of events. Before that, they probably wouldn’t see much play.
• Since it requires multiple pieces for better effect, and it only has one icon, it’s not higher than a 6.

Weathered Crew (SA) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 5

• Pretty efficient. Army trait synergy.
• Thematic ability returns discarded locations to play. If you know you’ll need to do this a lot during the game, it could be worth it (such as with Naval Escort (ASitD), or if you’re playing with The Shadow of the Isles (TTotH)), but otherwise this is easily the worst of the “Scattered Armies.” Play with Retreat and Regroup because it’s the only one that can trigger without you actually having to lose a challenge, and it deters your opponent from winning too much on their turn.

Pirates of Orkmont (SA) - Theme: 7; Efficiency: 6

• This is one of the few characters that changes its efficiency based on what your opponent plays. While the occasional Blockade (Core), Feast or Famine (KotStorm), or City of Spiders (TftRK) is horrible, there are still ways to buff up this guy in challenges.
• Use in combination with Naval Escort (ASitD), Longship Iron Victory (KotS), or Winter Armada (TWoW) for lots of unopposed challenges.
• He can’t have attachments, so no burn, but also no Support of Harlaw (KotS).

Neutral

Overall Efficiency: 7


Men With No King (SA) - Efficiency: 6

• Pretty efficient. Army trait synergy.
• This is an interesting card that many people began talking about again when the neutral house card came out, and when Beric Dondarrion (IG) became popular.
• While it’s an interesting idea, it can also be expensive: you have to play a Reinforcements event (most of which cost 1 gold) and then pay 2 gold to use the ability, and you can’t abuse it since it’s a Limited Response.
• It’s easier to play Seductive Promise (Core), but you also can really flip board position quickly and pick off your opponent’s key characters.

Retreat and Regroup (SA) - Efficiency: 5

• It’s free to play so you can trigger the abilities of the armies from this pack. But it’s also easily cancelled with Paper Shield (QoD). I wouldn’t play this event card on its own (i.e. without the armies in this pack) which is why this didn’t get higher than 5.
• You probably won’t be getting this ability that much, unless your opponent thinks it won’t hurt him to do so, or if he has a Rule by Decree (Core) in his plot deck, in which case he’ll let you take them back to hand, then discard them again.
• In play it will probably serve more as a deterrence, which isn’t bad, but not great.

Missing Recruit (SA) - Efficiency: 6

• 1 gold for a 3 strength, stealth, renown, military icon character is pretty good.
• The reality is you’ll be losing challenges at some point in the game, so it’s a good way to bounce back from losing a character for claim with no net loss (in most cases).

Spy in Their Midst (SA) - Efficiency: 5

• 1 gold for a 3 strength, stealth, renown, intrigue icon character is pretty good.

• The problem with this Reinforcements card is that if you are planning to lose an intrigue with this card in hand, you may actually discard it before you can play it since Responses happen after the challenge is resolved and claim is determined.

Beguiled Bodyguard (SA) - Efficiency: 7

• 1 gold for a 3 strength, stealth, renown, power icon character is pretty good.
• This is probably the best Reinforcements card especially if you get it early- or mid-game, because what you lose to get him into play can easily be regained on the same turn.

Winter Reserves (SA) - Efficiency: 8

• 1 gold for a 4 strength tri-con with deadly is awesome.
• What makes these better than the others is that it can be triggered off of any lost challenge, which will happen at some point in the game.
• Requires winter to play, so make sure you have your White Ravens and Carrion Birds.

Summer Reserves (SA) - Efficiency: 8

• 1 gold for a 4 strength tri-con with deadly is awesome.
• What makes these better than the others is that it can be triggered off of any lost challenge, which will happen at some point in the game.
• Requires winter to play, so make sure you have your Black Ravens and Carrion Birds.