Kings of War playing a Game of Thrones?

[Verm1s]

Hahaha see what I did there. Ahem.

I've been impressed lately by different people building and converting units and armies for A Song of Ice and Fire (a.k.a. Game of Thrones, for the telly audience), and I might try something like it myself. There were a few proposed rulesets accompanying the pics, mainly Impetus, but I was wondering if KoW would do just as well. I liked the look of the different free versions of the rules, and after catching a glimpse of the shiny, shiny book I may just buy it regardless of any Westeros-based gaming. Has anyone tried the same? Can anyone say if the Kingdoms of Men list would be suitable for Starks and Lannisters?

[Llew]

The Kingdoms of Men list is pretty versatile. You can probably justify just about any human army within it's terms. (And I'd get the rules anyway, because they're fabulous!*)







* I am a completely biased fan of Mantic. But the rules are still great.

[Grimmeth]

Being as there's no masses of difference really between any of the major houses armies in A Song of Ice and Fire (Starks don't have much cavalry, Lannisters have lots of money and better equipped troops, Stannis effectively has an army of pirates etc etc) I'd definitely say that you'd have no problems using the human list for the major factions.
Even more so when you add in the allies system (possible an Elven Dragon ally for the Targaryans? For example)

[Don_Silvarro]

Ditto. The Kingdoms of Men list has everything you need - light and medium cav, heavy knights, spear, sword, pike and polearm infantry, militia/peasent levy, elite foot troops, archers, crossbowmen and a mob of religious fanatics (didn't they mention some kind of Seven Gods religious militia in the latest book?). You can use the Twilight Kin bucaneers profile for light troops/pirates/skirmishing infantry. Use Orc unit profiles for Wildlings/Tribes of the Vale/whatever less civilized bunch you like. Use whatever undead units you prefer to represent grumpkins and snarks from the north.

[Verm1s]

Ta all! That's a big help. I agree that the main houses in the War of Five Kings wouldn't vary too much, and sounds like the lists would take care of anything else. (Blue-eyed zombies etc.!)
I think the biggest worry beyond that - and apologies for thinking 'out loud' - would be what minis? The story might be inspired by the War of the Roses, but I want to go with an earlier, Round Table, Prince Valiant look. (I've heard that was mentioned in GRRM's notes for Tom Meier's Dark Sword sculpts) Problem is, no historical guys do placcy Hundred Years War minis as far as I know, so unless I go with metals (more expensive) or a different scale (not normally opposed but this time I want to get in some larger-scale modelling), that leaves... Bretonnians. And the little accumulation of unfortunate implications that accompanies them. Not least that metal infantry quickly loses it's 'more expensive' label!

Anyway. Back to Mantic. Maybe it can wait, 'cos I did order the book, but how does the game deal with commanders and heroes? I have to admit I'm fond of games with a command structure like Warmaster and Hail Caesar, but the Elf King in the free download seems like another fighting troop type that buffs neighbours a little. Not an insurmountable obstacle but I'm curious to find out about it. I assume heroes are expanded on in the main book, but in what general direction?

(didn't they mention some kind of Seven Gods religious militia in the latest book?)

Second to last, IIRC. Still waiting on the paperback of A Dance With Dragons, meself.

[Taarnak]

I was thinking about doing an ASoIaF game myself. But I was thinking of pushing up the fantasy a good bit. Make the tribes of the Vale Orcs, the Mountain an Half-Ogre, that sort of thing. Just for fun. I was planning on using Brink of Battle, but Kings of War might be a good rule set for the larger army engagements.

~Eric

[Hellebore]

Ta all! That's a big help. I agree that the main houses in the War of Five Kings wouldn't vary too much, and sounds like the lists would take care of anything else. (Blue-eyed zombies etc.!)
I think the biggest worry beyond that - and apologies for thinking 'out loud' - would be what minis? The story might be inspired by the War of the Roses, but I want to go with an earlier, Round Table, Prince Valiant look. (I've heard that was mentioned in GRRM's notes for Tom Meier's Dark Sword sculpts) Problem is, no historical guys do placcy Hundred Years War minis as far as I know, so unless I go with metals (more expensive) or a different scale (not normally opposed but this time I want to get in some larger-scale modelling), that leaves... Bretonnians. And the little accumulation of unfortunate implications that accompanies them. Not least that metal infantry quickly loses it's 'more expensive' label!

Anyway. Back to Mantic. Maybe it can wait, 'cos I did order the book, but how does the game deal with commanders and heroes? I have to admit I'm fond of games with a command structure like Warmaster and Hail Caesar, but the Elf King in the free download seems like another fighting troop type that buffs neighbours a little. Not an insurmountable obstacle but I'm curious to find out about it. I assume heroes are expanded on in the main book, but in what general direction?



Second to last, IIRC. Still waiting on the paperback of A Dance With Dragons, meself.

Zvezda do 25mm 100 years war plastics:
http://www.thewarstore.com/product38306.html
http://www.thewarstore.com/product38298.html

Westeros is just a little more malnourished than Mantica...

There is no command and control system in KoW. The only distinction leaders have is the inspiring rule which allows friendly units to re-roll rout results on nerve tests. So they make them more likely to stick around, but they don't control them at all.

Hellebore

[Verm1s]

Ta! They do look excellent on Plastic Soldier Review. But to be honest the phrase '1/72 plastic' sends a cold shudder down my spine. I've bought a few boxes before, including Zvezda, and each time I've been driven back by the immovable flash and mould lines. Can't think how I'd scrape off all that moulded heraldry...
What is that 1/72 stuff anyway? Vinyl?

Elsewhere, the Perry Bros' Agincourt range looks pretty good to me, but a bit skimpy on charging Men-at-Arms. You can't do cod-medieval without serried ranks of gleaming knights running down the proles!

Ta for the info on heroes. Maybe someone like Gregor Clegane would be best used as Taarnak suggests anyway. (Ta Taarnak) But I might try transplanting in HC's command phase someday, just to see how it goes.

[Maccwar]

Wouldn't you need something in 54mm for Gregor Clegane?

[Taarnak]

Wouldn't you need something in 54mm for Gregor Clegane?

Pretty sure he was only 8 feet tall or so. 54mm would put him in the 12 foot range, and the accessories would look out of scale as well.

~Eric

Edit:

Ta for the info on heroes. Maybe someone like Gregor Clegane would be best used as Taarnak suggests anyway. (Ta Taarnak) But I might try transplanting in HC's command phase someday, just to see how it goes.

No problem. Have you seen the thread at LAF by HvM? Here. (I skimmed through and didn't see you in that thread)

He uses Perry plastics for the Bear Islanders, and his models look fantastic.

[Verm1s]

Maccwar: I was thinking of buying one Bretonnian - to use as Gregor.
That, or get the official Dark Sword mini. I was also thinking of getting some of that range for heroes or commanders, despite any scale or proportion differences. Wouldn't matter so much with The Mountain, maybe! The only slight niggle is whether or not they'd look better mounted, on the 'battlefield'.
(The Dark Sword SoIaF minis are great, but Gregor Clegane stands out for me. The flailing pose, the snarling grimace, the sheer size brings across the terror of the man from the books, I think.)

Taarnak: that was the thread that finally got me started on this thing! I'm in there somewhere.

I've had some long, hard looks at the Perry plastics, and I might use them as-is for Lannisters. But like I mentioned I want to go a bit earlier for other houses, particularly Starks and other northerners. At the mo I'm thinking of kitbashing Fireforge crusaders and Perry WotR for cav. For infantry, Perry Agincourt, or wait for Fireforge unmounted sergeants.

I think I might stop there until I get a project started. This is beginning to go a tad off-topic!

[zoggin-eck]

Zvezda do 25mm 100 years war plastics:

Hey Hellebore, I'm a big fan oz Zvezda/Italeri models, but those guys are 1/72 (20mm) scale. They are tiny compared to 25mm models, let alone 28mm/heroic/whatever. The 25mm listed by them, if anything, is the very tips of their heads.

I think it's a great suggestion, though. I've used 1/72 in ancients games (OK, Warhammer ancients, how original) and have thought of using them for something like Kings Of War, perhaps even making their elves look taller, a trick I've seen with lord of the rings models used for humans.