Post by osiris on Jan 31, 2023 19:34:50 GMT -5
This game does have a relatively easy buy in. as you can play very competitively assuming you find a starter box for around $80, and 3 "unit" boxes at round $40 each, here's what I'd recommend to get a VERY strong start in each faction. Now, keep in mind, this is NOT the only way to build each faction, in fact, if you go with certain other commanders, or playstyles, your own builds may be completely different from what I post here, but for a complete newbie, the following will serve you very very well while you learn to play, all the way into your first tournament:
Nights Watch:
Starter and Ranger Hunters, Heroes #2, and Conscripts.
this is the easiest to choose so we'll start here, ranger hunters are very nasty (even moreso with jon and ghost), sworn brothers are fantastic especially with a watch captain (less so since S02, but still good), and the veterans near Coldhands is amazing. conscripts in the 2nd rank to keep your main fighting units alive and can babysit objectives, this is an excellent start.
next purchase? Heroes #1 (gotta get Othell NCU, and Donal or Cotter as Commanders)
Stark:
Starter andMormont She-Bears, Stark Heroes #2, and Tully Cavaliers
Again, your base units are pretty good and offer some variety of build choices. this setup really only gives Greatjon as your best commander choice, but he's a good one. Rickon, Osha, and some wolves are key to building effective lists, She-bears are not as outstanding as they once were before S02, so some other infantry may serve you better, even just more sworn swords or karstark loyalists, or if you look to neutrals, a bolton Bastard's Girls are great with starks. Tully Cavaliers are one of the strongest units in the game, it's hard to overlook them.
Next Purchase? Heroes #1 (Getting Eddard Howland reed, Cassel, and Tully opens up a much wider variety of gameplay options)
Lannister:
Starter and Red Cloaks, Heroes #2, Heroes, #3
This is one of the harder factions to do this with, since there are LOTS of different ways to go. and honestly, one of the interesting ways to enhance this faction is with neutrals (Vargo hoat and boltons work very well with lannisters), but since we're trying to keep all this in-faction, this is what I'd probably go with. Guardsmen are already an extremely tough unit to tackle. Halbardiers with Jamie are usually quite effective, the mountain that rides is key to keeping some activations up, or he can ride with the brigands for some punch. and Red Cloaks with Joffrey NCU are stunningly effective, if you're more shooting minded, skip the redcloaks and heroes #2, and get two boxes of crossbowmen instead (Kevan is already in heroes 3)
Next Purchase? Tough call, probably some mountain's men, or Knights of Casterly Rock, depending on if you are more infantry or cavalry minded. Honestly, I'd probably branch out into neutrals (especially if you can find a box of flayed men)
Martell:
Starter and Royal Guard, Dune Vipers, and Heroes #1
This is another easy one, I wouldn't fall for their cavalry, although they are good, and if you like cavalry based lists, you could go that route, but their infantry are just so good, strong NCUs, killer commanders with Uller and Oberyn (although it's also hard to pass on Oberyn as an NCU).
Baratheon:
Stannis Side: Starter and Lightbringers, Champions of the stag, and Neutral Heroes #2
This is the easier of the two sides to build. playing into the faction strengths of defense, but never overlook the power of the lightbringers. Neutral heroes #2 is here purely for Bronn, which makes this faction SHINE, using him to make their basic wardens absolute TANKS, or to give the lightbringers access to a potential third shot per round. Ideally you'll also want get a Kingsmen but that would be a 4th box, and you can start without it using the netural units from the starter.
Future purchases: The Kingsmen mentioned above, or Playing into the Rhllor things, you'll want to get melissandre from Heroes #1, and probably some Rhllor faithful eventually. Also, a hedge knights box to put a fortune seeker in the Champions of the Stag.
Renley Side: Starter Baratheon Heroes #2, Rose Knights, and Highgarden Pikemen
This is the more difficult side to get with only a few boxes, and honestly it can't be done effectively, but this will at least get you a start. Heroes box #2 is fantastic. If renly is on the table, brienne the blue in a rose knights can be devastating, but Eldon is probably one of your best commanders, and the pikemen are just too good to pass up. so this is where the first three boxes I'd go would be. One of the best things about this, you get access to some KILLER ncu power with Oleanna, and of course, the option to bring attachment killing power with Loras. This is a very good start.
For future purchases, To be honest, the Champions of the Stag are probably a good choice for this side of things as well but Thorn watch are another excellent choice, as they're a very crafty ranged unit for this side of the faction.
Greyjoy:
Starter and Heroes #2, Silenced Men, and Drowned Men
you COULD swap out the drowned men for an extra box of Bowmen too, some people like the extra shooting, I prefer to have the healing as an option. The Silenced men compliment the reapers in the starter very well, and Asha is just too vital to pass upnot to mention the great NCU options, like Beron and commanders options like Dagmer. your next purchase will ABSOLTELY be Heroes #1 though, to get wendamyr ncu, and Euron commander. probably a 2nd box of bowmen as well, or possibly some trappers.
Targaryen:
Starter and Heroes #3, Unsullied Swordmasters, and Freedmen.
if you want more cavalry you could get heroes#2 (actually preferably Bolton Flayed men if you can find them...)
If you prefer more infantry with the dothraki cavalry just supporting, instead, get some unsullied Pikemen. The dragons are a very fun addition to lists of both variety as well, but that box is hard to find as of this writing. If you want to go fully dothraki, you could pass on the freedmen and swordmasters (but swordmasters are AMAZING so I dont know why you would ever actually do that) to get some Hrakkar with heroes#2, but they're difficult to fit into lists to be honest. Veterans and outriders are the superstars of the cavalry, ditch the screamers as soon as you can. For melee usebloodriders or flayed men.
Free Folk:
Starter and Frozen Shore Chariots, Varamyr, and Thenn Warriors...but
this is the hardest of the factions to get going with this few boxes. its a swarm army, so you'll probably actually need another box of raiders at some point, and for ranged attacks, you'll want the Frozen Shore hunters or spearwives since the S02 update, and you'll probably want to get Heroes Box #1 as well, for the extra fantastic NCUs. This is just such a personal playstyle faction as to what you add to the core, and what your overall plan is. it's easy enough to replace Thenns with Followers of bone, its also sometimes fun to bring Polar Bear Riders, if properly supported... and of course, Mag the mighty can be a nasty suppliment to an army, and since the S02 update, you can even play an all monster army with his box, the starter, and varamyr's box (and you'll probably want a mammoth as well).
Nights Watch:
Starter and Ranger Hunters, Heroes #2, and Conscripts.
this is the easiest to choose so we'll start here, ranger hunters are very nasty (even moreso with jon and ghost), sworn brothers are fantastic especially with a watch captain (less so since S02, but still good), and the veterans near Coldhands is amazing. conscripts in the 2nd rank to keep your main fighting units alive and can babysit objectives, this is an excellent start.
next purchase? Heroes #1 (gotta get Othell NCU, and Donal or Cotter as Commanders)
Stark:
Starter and
Again, your base units are pretty good and offer some variety of build choices. this setup really only gives Greatjon as your best commander choice, but he's a good one. Rickon, Osha, and some wolves are key to building effective lists, She-bears are not as outstanding as they once were before S02, so some other infantry may serve you better, even just more sworn swords or karstark loyalists, or if you look to neutrals, a bolton Bastard's Girls are great with starks. Tully Cavaliers are one of the strongest units in the game, it's hard to overlook them.
Next Purchase? Heroes #1 (Getting Eddard Howland reed, Cassel, and Tully opens up a much wider variety of gameplay options)
Lannister:
Starter and Red Cloaks, Heroes #2, Heroes, #3
This is one of the harder factions to do this with, since there are LOTS of different ways to go. and honestly, one of the interesting ways to enhance this faction is with neutrals (Vargo hoat and boltons work very well with lannisters), but since we're trying to keep all this in-faction, this is what I'd probably go with. Guardsmen are already an extremely tough unit to tackle. Halbardiers with Jamie are usually quite effective, the mountain that rides is key to keeping some activations up, or he can ride with the brigands for some punch. and Red Cloaks with Joffrey NCU are stunningly effective, if you're more shooting minded, skip the redcloaks and heroes #2, and get two boxes of crossbowmen instead (Kevan is already in heroes 3)
Next Purchase? Tough call, probably some mountain's men, or Knights of Casterly Rock, depending on if you are more infantry or cavalry minded. Honestly, I'd probably branch out into neutrals (especially if you can find a box of flayed men)
Martell:
Starter and Royal Guard, Dune Vipers, and Heroes #1
This is another easy one, I wouldn't fall for their cavalry, although they are good, and if you like cavalry based lists, you could go that route, but their infantry are just so good, strong NCUs, killer commanders with Uller and Oberyn (although it's also hard to pass on Oberyn as an NCU).
Baratheon:
Stannis Side: Starter and Lightbringers, Champions of the stag, and Neutral Heroes #2
This is the easier of the two sides to build. playing into the faction strengths of defense, but never overlook the power of the lightbringers. Neutral heroes #2 is here purely for Bronn, which makes this faction SHINE, using him to make their basic wardens absolute TANKS, or to give the lightbringers access to a potential third shot per round. Ideally you'll also want get a Kingsmen but that would be a 4th box, and you can start without it using the netural units from the starter.
Future purchases: The Kingsmen mentioned above, or Playing into the Rhllor things, you'll want to get melissandre from Heroes #1, and probably some Rhllor faithful eventually. Also, a hedge knights box to put a fortune seeker in the Champions of the Stag.
Renley Side: Starter Baratheon Heroes #2, Rose Knights, and Highgarden Pikemen
This is the more difficult side to get with only a few boxes, and honestly it can't be done effectively, but this will at least get you a start. Heroes box #2 is fantastic. If renly is on the table, brienne the blue in a rose knights can be devastating, but Eldon is probably one of your best commanders, and the pikemen are just too good to pass up. so this is where the first three boxes I'd go would be. One of the best things about this, you get access to some KILLER ncu power with Oleanna, and of course, the option to bring attachment killing power with Loras. This is a very good start.
For future purchases, To be honest, the Champions of the Stag are probably a good choice for this side of things as well but Thorn watch are another excellent choice, as they're a very crafty ranged unit for this side of the faction.
Greyjoy:
Starter and Heroes #2, Silenced Men, and Drowned Men
you COULD swap out the drowned men for an extra box of Bowmen too, some people like the extra shooting, I prefer to have the healing as an option. The Silenced men compliment the reapers in the starter very well, and Asha is just too vital to pass upnot to mention the great NCU options, like Beron and commanders options like Dagmer. your next purchase will ABSOLTELY be Heroes #1 though, to get wendamyr ncu, and Euron commander. probably a 2nd box of bowmen as well, or possibly some trappers.
Targaryen:
Starter and Heroes #3, Unsullied Swordmasters, and Freedmen.
if you want more cavalry you could get heroes#2 (actually preferably Bolton Flayed men if you can find them...)
If you prefer more infantry with the dothraki cavalry just supporting, instead, get some unsullied Pikemen. The dragons are a very fun addition to lists of both variety as well, but that box is hard to find as of this writing. If you want to go fully dothraki, you could pass on the freedmen and swordmasters (but swordmasters are AMAZING so I dont know why you would ever actually do that) to get some Hrakkar with heroes#2, but they're difficult to fit into lists to be honest. Veterans and outriders are the superstars of the cavalry, ditch the screamers as soon as you can. For melee use
Free Folk:
Starter and Frozen Shore Chariots, Varamyr, and Thenn Warriors...but
this is the hardest of the factions to get going with this few boxes. its a swarm army, so you'll probably actually need another box of raiders at some point, and for ranged attacks, you'll want the Frozen Shore hunters or spearwives since the S02 update, and you'll probably want to get Heroes Box #1 as well, for the extra fantastic NCUs. This is just such a personal playstyle faction as to what you add to the core, and what your overall plan is. it's easy enough to replace Thenns with Followers of bone, its also sometimes fun to bring Polar Bear Riders, if properly supported... and of course, Mag the mighty can be a nasty suppliment to an army, and since the S02 update, you can even play an all monster army with his box, the starter, and varamyr's box (and you'll probably want a mammoth as well).