A few months after Ned’s arrival at Castle Black, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont died peacefully in his sleep. Although Ned was a new recruit, there was little doubt amongst the black brothers as votes were cast for their new Lord Commander.
With Robb Stark in firm control of the North, Roose Bolton cut ties with his bastard Ramsay Snow rather than risk retribution for his son’s heinous actions at Hornwood. Roose ordered the black-hearted bastard to join the Night’s Watch. Appointed to the order of rangers, he developed a disconcerting reputation for his harsh treatment of wildlings while ranging beyond the Wall.
As word spread of the King Beyond the Wall and his growing army in the Frostfangs, Lord Commander Eddard Stark decided to scout this horde that planned to strike against the Seven Kingdoms. Eddard, his son Jon Snow, and 100 sworn brothers set out from Castle Black. Ramsay Snow joined a band of rangers that moved ahead of the main host to setup camp at the Fist of the First Men. He hoped that after the trenches were dug and tents pitched he’d have time to find some wildlings to play with. Ramsay wouldn’t have to look far. As they ascended the ancient hill, the rangers were greeted by a mob of cave dweller savages.
The Story
"The hill offers commanding views, with the slopes at a dangerous angle to the north and west, and only slightly less dangerous to east. There is a ringwall of chest-high grey stone that crowns the top of the steep, stony hill."
Maybe the biggest 'What if?' question in all A Song of Ice & Fire is 'What if Ned Stark wasn't executed in King's Landing?' As proposed by Cersei Lannister and others, his likely destination would have been Castle Black. Would he remain there quietly and do his duty? Very likely, with Sansa still being held hostage in the capitol. And what would his relationship be like with his 'bastard son' Jon Snow? Would Jon learn the truth about his parentage?
While all of these ideas are exciting to think about, I decided to throw a wrench into the situation by also involving Ramsay Snow. Ramsay was banished to the Wall by his father since he can't be controlled and the North is under the stable control of Robb Stark. With Mance Rayder bearing down on the Seven Kingdoms, a reckless new recruit from a major northern House, and the Targaryen heir at his side, it's going to be a complicated first few weeks on the job.
Gameplay & Strategy
For several of the custom scenarios I utilized the rules from the beta game modes, including this one with the No Foe May Pass ruleset. I like No Foe May Pass because it rewards defensive play while also incentivizing some riskier moves. If you feel like the game might be slipping away from you, turn your focus to getting your Commander over to the enemy Deployment Zone. Scoring 4 points in one Round will likely turn the game in your favor.
This is a fan-made scenario inspired by CMON Limited’s A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game and is in no way associated with CMON.