A Song of Ice & Fire: Table Top Miniatures Game from CMON and Dark Sword Miniatures is one of this year’s most anticipated games. There have been several previews of the game play and the miniatures but no solid details – until now.

Yesterday Beasts of War went live with an hour and half long Let’s Play video covering every aspect of the game. So, here is what we know so far:

What’s in the box?

Stark Vs. Lannister starter set will contain  “enough for two players to just get it out the box and start playing”. About four units per side, close to 90 figures total, two leaders for each side (Jamie Lannister, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, Greatjon Umber and Robb Stark).

Miniatures

• Multi-part plastic miniatures are unpainted and pre-assembled. They are also faction colored. Red for the Lannisters  and grey for the Starks.
• The miniatures are made from a PVC plastic but the spears, swords, banners and other thin components are made from a harder plastic to ensure no droop.
• Units are composed of individual models on circular bases added to movement trays to form blocks of troops.

Game size

Small games around 20 points, medium games around 30 and large games are 40. Starter set has around 20 points.

Gameplay

• Build a Tactics Deck that represents the flavor and theme of your army and who leads it.
• On your turn you choose and activate one unit or claim a tactic. When playing a tactic card, there will be different effects if you have claimed a tactic on an earlier turn.
• There are also “non-combat” characters (Cersi Lannister, Littlefinger, etc.) that will allow you to modify your deck and play even further tactics.
• All unit stats and ability are on the unit cards for quick reference.
• Once all units have activated the turn is over and your roll for initiative.

Unit activation:

• Maneuver – Unit gets a free pivot, a move up to it’s move speed listed on the unit card and a final pivot at the end of the move.
• March – Move twice the speed vlue but no pivot at the beginning othe move.
• Charge – Must have line of sight to the target and move your basic move plus a D6. Failed charge you move but to not engage. Once you make contact the charging unit “closes the door” on the target unit. Charging units also generate impact hits. These are automatic hits against the target unit – two impact hits when charging the front, four to the flank and six from the rear.
• Attack a unit your are already engaged with.
• Retreat from a combat by passing a Resolve test. Resolve is marked on the unit card. If you pass you move your speed away from the unit and then get a pivot.

Combat:

• The number of attacks a unit makes is shown on the unit card and will decrees as the number of ranks in the unit decreases. The unit card also shows what die roll is needed “to hit”.
• After taking hit, the defender rolls a defense save to stop the incommoding damage. The roll needed is shown on the unit card. For every hit that is not blocked, a model is removed.
• After a combat, the defending units checks Resolve to see if they flee or stay in the fight.

What’s next?

Kickstarter will launch “later this year’. Monthly releases starting in 2018.

My thoughts

Well, it’s a streamlined version of Warhammer Fantasy with a Song of Ice & Fire skin. I don’t think I could have asked for more. I’ve been on the hunt for a rank and flanks game to fill the void left by Warhammer Fantasy and this might be the one.