The First Tilt - Which House is For You: Baratheon, Kings of the Storm

Welcome to “The First Tilt”, a blog dedicated to helping new players get their bearings in A Game of Thrones LCG. We’ll be covering a wide variety of topics, from what to buy, basic strategies and tactics, and getting acquainted with basic themes. The next six articles for The First Tilt are going to be dedicated to discussing the various Houses of Westeroes and helping you decide which house is for you. This week we’ll discussing House Baratheon, the Kings of the Storm. We’ll discuss a little about the history of the Baratheons, their flavor, and a couple of their themes.

In my opinion, the Baratheons are closest to traditional Medieval nobility. They have all the trappings and personality of actual, historical nobility. In a fantasy setting, many would understand that to mean that the Baratheons have no flavor and that couldn’t be further from the truth. On the contrary, the Baratheon’s traditional flavor makes them unique in the universe and completely unpredictable. From the perspective of the books, the Baratheons have seemingly run their course and are no longer a threat. However, from the game’s perspective, Baratheon is undoubtedly the King.

House Baratheon traces its history back to the age of Aegon the Conqueror. Founded by Orys Baratheon, who adopted his wife’s crest and words for his house, the Baratheons became the premier power in the Stormlands. They came to power during the War of the Usurper, when Robert Baratheon deposed the Targaryens and took the Iron Throne. The Baratheons are the very example of chivalry, boasting several talented knights and lords. Their words are "Ours is the Fury."

Let’s move on to the cards. One thing you should know straight out of the chute- the Baratheons are renowned for their Renown (see what I did there?) and that is what makes them dangerous. There are dozens of Baratheon characters with the Renown keyword. Dozens. It’s like every single one of them is renowned for something. The Baratheons are Power gluttons, and in this game that’s a good thing. You need Power to win the game and the Baratheons know how to get Power. The Starks may rule the battlefield, and the Lannisters may have a monopoly on the economy; but the Baratheons have Power, pure and simple. Look at Robert Baratheon from the Core Set: whenever he claims a Power for Renown, he claims an additional Power. A personal favorite of mine is Melisandre from Defenders of the North. She has Renown, and an ability that claims one additional Power for your house when you win Dominance and when you win an unopposed Intrigue or Power challenge. Combine that with the Iron Throne from Defenders of the North, which allows you to auto-win dominance, and then you have a real Power engine. Baratheon even has its own “Power Rush” theme, which allows the player to claim Power at an enormous rate, but we’ll discuss that in more depth farther down the road.

Ok, enough about the Power trips, let’s talk themes. The first theme I’m going to discuss in one straight out of the Kings of the Storm deluxe expansions, Knights. This theme is a lesson in both Military and Power plays. First off, the agenda Knights of the Realm helps raise your draw cap by one if you have more Knights on the field than each other player (which you should). The Knights theme is focused solely around Military and Power, and several of the key characters for this strategy have the Renown keyword, so you can grab Power relatively quickly. Also, being strong in Military, it can keep the field clear of enemy threats. My favorite card for this theme is Knights of the Storm from the Kings of the Storm expansion. It allows you to take the initiative and become the first player. It’s costly, sure, but useful in helping you keep up the pressure. The Knighted attachment from the expansion is also incredibly handy by giving a character the Knight trait, which makes your favorite non-Knight characters more useful.

Flavor wise, I’m also very fond of the Asshai theme. When we are first introduced to the Asshai and Red R’hllor in the books, I wasn’t too keen on it. I didn’t trust Melisandre and the way R’hllor is spelled looks eerily Lovecraft-ian. But as the story unfolded, I came to like Melisandre (still don’t trust her, though) and her fiery religion. The Asshai theme is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Knights theme. Knights is focused on Military and Power, where Asshai focuses on Intrigue and Power. With a fair amount of Renown of their own, Asshai also have an abundance of Deadly and even some Stealth. The Asshai, sticking with the idea of rebirth through fire, also have an abundance of ways to get more Asshai (as well as other beneficial effects) on the field when a character dies.They also can power grab, like Melisandre from the Defenders of the North. But Asshai also offers a variety of control options as well. All in all, Asshai are a flexible and fun theme, strong in Intrigue and Power, and can rack up the Power with the best of them.

That’s going to sum it up for Baratheon. Baratheon is one of those compromise houses, strong in a variety of fields and accommodating to a variety of players. Play wise, almost every player can find a home in the Stormlands. Next week, we’re discussing the Targaryens, and their Queen of Dragons.

Thanks for playing along,

Ben

(article image by Michel Koch)