House Tyrell in A Storm of Swords

Last week we took a look at the new role of Power in A Storm of Swords, using House Baratheon as an example. This week we will return to flavor and theme, and discuss the use of lesser-known characters as major players in the board game.

When we discussed House Greyjoy we talked about the mechanics of the game reinforcing the characters as presented in the books. With House Tyrell, we of course strove to do the same thing. However, House Tyrell presented a unique and difficult problem. Obviously, with House Stark we had bountiful options and a lot of exposure to the characters - a solid understanding of what made them tick. This has been true of all of the Houses represented in both the games and the books to a greater or lesser extent ... but it's on the lesser side for House Tyrell. They're certainly major players in the Game of Thrones, but in the books we have had no characters from their ranks represented as viewpoint characters. We see them only through the eyes of others, and only in a fairly limited amount. There are some obvious choices, of course - Ser Loras, The Queen of Thorns, and a few others - but not a full seven to flesh out the options for the board game. Here you'll see how we've taken relatively minor or obscure characters and run with them mechanically.

House Tyrell

Willas Tyrell, Lord Mace's son and heir, has precisely zero time "on camera" in the books so far. He is spoken of rather warmly by his grandmother and others (oddly enough, the Red Viper among them), and we do get a pretty good idea of what he's like - or at least, as he's seen by others. A quiet, pleasant, scholarly man, by all accounts. Injured as a youth, we learn that Willas did not even hold a grudge against the man who crippled him - to be honest, Willas is being built up on something of a pedestal as a gentleman.

Mechanically, this was obviously not a character we could make three strength with a few sword icons. He's not a character who feels at home causing pain and death, not a character who is even an aggressive attacker. He is, however, clever and learned, and we get the impression that one should not underestimate Willas, crippled or not.

His House card is not extravagantly powerful, but it does seem solidly useful. Think about it - what are the odds that at some point over the course of the game, you will be attacked? The fact that Willas goes from a mediocre one strength to an impressive three when defending is nothing to sneer at, and may allow you to pull out an unlikely victory or at the very least pull a strong card from your opponent's hand while preserving your own for a counter-attack…

Lord Randyll is mentioned in every book from A Game of Thrones on, whether by his son Sam or other great lords and ladies. In point of fact, Lord Mace Tyrell's victories on the field of battle are largely attributed to the Lord of Horn Hill (Randyll Tarly) and not to Highgarden. In the most recent volume, A Feast for Crows, Lord Randyll has a number of scenes in which we see more of his character.

He is a hard man, a stern man, a fierce warrior, and an able commander of men. Most of all, he is a valuable ally and a dangerous enemy. Well, take a look at his House card and decide if we've done him justice. Three strength and two sword icons? You do not want to get on this man's bad side. This is believably the man that Mace Tyrell's military victories have been based on. Lord Randyll doesn't need fancy tricks, just swords and strength and skill.

We've talked a little about Mace Tyrell and how he isn't quite the commander in the field that he thinks he is, so why don't we let the man defend himself. Here you can see his Leader token, and probably the first thing you'll notice is that big embarrasing zero on his front. Don't worry! He makes up for it with a potent strength two activated attack that comes complete with complimentary Power. Mace Tyrell wants to fight on his terms. He's slow and ponderous but hits with all the might of Highgarden behind him when he comes. Use him wisely and keep him safe; he'll more than earn his keep.