• The Flayed Men (10)
The infamous Flayed Men. Once viewed as an unstoppable monster, now much more manageable. While certainly a force to be reckoned with, they will die if you let them run off. This is a toolbox unit, adding some much-needed maneuverability while offering excellent armor. These guys can slug it out with just about anything, but be careful of anything with armor cracking potential. The hidden value of this unit is in deployment. Savvy opponents will wait to deploy their counters after you place your Flayed Men. You can ‘bait’ out this deployment by placing your unit a little out of the way and then using the calvary ability to quickly reposition, leaving your opponent’s unit scrambling to keep up.
Non-Combat Units:
• Roose Bolton – Lord of the Dreadfort (0)
Besides Roose, there are currently only two options available to neutrals, but what options they are! A quick thing to consider is that against other 3 ncu lists, it is important to claim the zones as quickly as possible in order to avoid being activation starved.
• Lord Varys – The Spider (4)
Varys has the ability to deny your opponent’s best-laid plans on a 3+. Be prepared for the inevitable game where he does absolutely nothing (besides claim zones). I tend to use him early to cancel the opponent’s claim in the tactics zone. You always want to have more cards than your opponent and preventing them from drawing early can really tip the scales in your favor. He’s also great for preventing Stark shenanigans like Rapid Assault. If your opponent starts playing around Varys, all the better, as this means they are less likely to contest you on the tactics board.
• Petyr Baelish – Littlefinger (4)
Baelish is an excellent piece, allowing you to block your opponent’s preferred zones while gaining the effects of the one you want. One of my favorite attack combos involves claiming the tactics zone (do this only if you don’t need the cards) and triggering the attack zone. Additionally, Baelish allows you to double-dip on zones, allowing you to attack twice or potentially drawing 4 cards in a turn! Woe betide the opponent who lets you get away with this.
Final Thoughts
It tends to do very well in Objective-based games such as Game of Thrones, and Winds of Winter. It is also an excellent list for Clash of Kings, as your opponent cannot gain 2 victory points for killing your commander. If you’ve always wanted to have an answer to everything, while hitting deceptively hard, this is the list for you.
Really like the tactics articles. Roose Bolton’s was no exception. Excellent read. Please do more. Would love to see some on Ramsay and my fav, The Blackfish. Tony