This is the eleventh report in our narrative campaign series, Campaign of Thrones. After each battle, the characters on the losing side will potentially be captured or killed. This will transform the story as we know it, inspiring new ‘What If?’ scenarios and battle reports. Join us on this alternative dice-driven version of the War of the Five Kings and battle at the Wall.
We now head west to the Iron Islands and the Blacktyde Rebellion. The Faith of the Seven will clash with the Drowned God in a battle for the future of the ironborn.
The game size was 40 Points per army. The lists were:
HOUSE BLACKTYDE:
Units (Attachments)
Blacktyde Chosen (Baelor Blacktyde, Commander)
Warrior’s Sons (Champion of the Faith)
Poor Fellows (Champion of the Faith)
Blacktyde Chosen
Ironborn Reavers
NCUs
High Sparrow
Tristifer Botley
HOUSE GREYJOY:
Units (Attachments)
Ironmakers (Balon Greyjoy, Commander)
Ironborn Reavers (Victarion Greyjoy)
Ironborn Bowmen
Ironborn Trappers
Drowned Men
Drowned Men
NCUs
Beron Blacktyde
Aeron Greyjoy
Beron Blacktyde is of course siding with Balon Greyjoy as he is a devout follower of the Drowned God. The House Blacktyde list isn’t optimal since the Blacktyde Chosen’s Divide the Spoils ability is likely going to waste, but I wanted to lean into the flavorful aspects of Blacktyde vs. Greyjoy (and new gods vs. Drowned God).
DEPLOYMENT
This scenario uses the rules from the Honed & Ready game mode. Like our last campaign report, even before the first deployment, our combatants made it known that they were interested in only one thing: bloodshed.
On the left side, the faithful Warrior’s Sons and Poor Fellows faced off against the Ironborn Bowmen and a unit of Drowned Men.
In the center, Baelor and his Chosen were deployed alongside a unit of Reavers loyal to House Blacktyde. They sat across the table from Balon Greyjoy in Ironmakers and Victarion Greyjoy in Ironborn Reavers.
On the right, the second unit of Blacktyde Chosen were ready to battle Ironborn Trappers and a second unit of Drowned Men.
ROUND 1
The Blacktydes began the game as first player. The High Sparrow claimed the envelope, panicking the Ironborn Bowmen and drawing 2 cards. Balon kicked things off for the Greyjoys by placing the tactics card Acceptable Sacrifices on the Drowned Men unit supporting the Ironborn Bowmen. This card is perfect for Drowned Men as their ‘maximum 1 wound from panic’ ability negates the drawback (+1 wound from failing panic) and buffs their role as a support piece.
All units marched aggressively forward, positioning themselves for counter charges against any enemy bold enough to make the first move. Victarion Greyjoy used the order Relentless to maneuver his Reavers into longshot charge distance of the right side Blacktyde Chosen. Victarion was the last activation of Round 1, and the Greyjoys would be first to act in Round 2, so Vic threw caution to the wind and declared a reckless 11” charge targeting the godless Chosen to end the round. He needed to roll a 6 to make it… and got a 6! Shades of the Flayed Men in the Battle of the Green Fork. Would this daring move have as big an impact as that one did? The attack did 5 wounds, but the Blacktyde Chosen passed their panic check and healed back 1 from their ability Dauntless. Victarion gained a much-needed pillage token to boost his upcoming melee attacks. Baelor played Lash Out to make the Reavers suffer 2 retaliatory wounds.
ROUND 2
Blind Beron activated, and Tristifer Botley used his once per game ability to make an enemy unit vulnerable and panicked if they claimed 1 of 2 selected zones. This did not deter Beron, who still claimed the swords to get back-to-back attacks against the Blacktyde Chosen. Victarion’s now vulnerable and panicked Reavers were hitting on 3+, but the attack faltered and produced 2 measly hits. The Chosen saved both, auto passing their panic test and healing another wound. To add injury to insult, Baelor played another Lash Out tactics card to whack Vic back with 2 more wounds.
Beron Blacktyde’s NCU influence ability to make friendly units only suffer 1 wound for every 2 unblocked hits is very powerful. After he claimed the zone, his influence was placed on Victarion’s Reavers. The influence is removed if the unit fails a panic test, so the Blacktydes came at the Reavers right away by having the High Sparrow claim the crown zone. The Reavers failed the panic test, so they suffered 1 wound, the Chosen healed 1 wound (from the High Sparrow’s NCU influence ability), and Beron’s influence ability was removed. What initially looked like a dire situation for the Blacktydes was rapidly turning in their favor.
The Blacktyde Chosen fought back and dealt Victarion’s Reavers 6 total wounds. This attack gave a pillage token to the Blacktyde’s Ironborn Reavers, who positioned themselves for a deadly flank charge against Victarion. Balon saw the imminent danger his brother was in. The Captain of the Great Kraken knew that losing 2 activations from his best offensive unit would likely spell the end of House Greyjoy. Balon lined up for a charge against the enemy Reavers… and failed. He then watched helplessly as the Blacktyde’s Ironborn Reavers crashed into his brother’s flank, destroying the unit and killing Victarion Greyjoy. 1 to 0 for House Blacktyde.
On the other side of the battlefield, the Poor Fellows charged into the Drowned Men. They positioned themselves over an objective token and did 2 wounds in the attack. The Ironborn Bowmen shot at the Poor Fellows, who suffered enough wounds that they no longer controlled the token. Losing control of the objective might have saved the Poor Fellows, as they could have possibly been destroyed by the arrows from the castle wall.
Both units of Blacktyde Chosen scored VPs. 3 to 0 House Blacktyde.
ROUND 3
Baelor and the Faith heavily targeted Balon’s Ironmakers, using War Cry and Martial Training to do heavy damage. Baleor attacked Balon twice and destroyed the Greyjoy commander. 4 to 0 for Baelor Blacktyde.
The Bowmen took out the Poor Fellows to make the score 4 to 1, but it was too little, too late. The Warrior’s Sons took out the Drowned Men. 5 to 1 for House Blacktyde. The Blacktyde Chosen with no attachment were destroyed by the Greyjoy’s NCUs using the replacement attacks. 5 to 2 for House Blacktyde. The Warrior’s Sons and Baleor scored victory points at the end of the round. The game was called with Balon’s side only having the offensively anaemic Bowmen, Trappers, and other unit of Drowned Men remaining.
Final score: 7 to 2 for House Blacktyde.
WRAP-UP
This was a fun game to play. The Greyjoys are all about momentum, so when Victarion’s attack stalled it was hard for them to gain any ground. Baelor was able to counterpunch and take out Balon’s most potent unit before Victarion and his Reavers could do major damage. I’m sad to see Vic go, as he’s one of my favorite characters in the books, but the dice gods demanded it. This outcome will setup a lot of intrigue for the next time we see the Greyjoys (or should I say Blacktydes) on the battlefield.
CODA
The captive priests stood upon the deck of the Nightflyer, their hands bound by rope. Aeron Damphair watched as his lifeless brothers were dumped into the Sunset Sea. He stepped away from his fellow prisoners and leaned over the ship’s bulwark. Victarion quickly sunk out of view, but Balon Greyjoy rose to the surface, as mighty as ever, before the sea claimed him and guided his body to the Drowned God’s watery halls.
“What is dead may never die,” Baelor Blacktyde proclaimed, “but rises again, harder and stronger.” The Lord of Blacktyde stood before his righteous captives. A few of the drowned priests repeated the sacred words.
“I had no respect for Lord Balon,” Baelor told them. “Save for his faith. We did not defeat the Drowned God on Pyke, only the Greyjoys. You are needed now. We must do what is best for the Iron Islands, for our people, not waste our lives struggling to revive the imagined past of a failed tyrant. Help us build a better world… or drown in your old one.”
A priest stepped forward, his eyes bound by a damp, dingy cloth. It was Blind Beron Blacktyde, Lord Baelor’s kin. “The world may be all darkness to me, cousin, but you are the one who cannot see.”
Aeron Greyjoy took Beron by the hand and guided him towards the ship’s ledge. “No godless man may sit the Seastone Chair,” Aeron decreed. “Curse you, Baelor Blacktyde, and your seven green whores. We are the strength of the sea, and the waters of wrath will rise high.”
“What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger,” Beron preached.
The defiant priests plunged into the waves below. Blind Beron flailed madly; his arms still bound. The voice that spoke with such certainty moments before now cried out in doubt. Aeron tried to assure his brother, but his mouth filled with sea water. What is dead…