Winter Has Come

The fire in the hearth had died, he saw, and the window had blown open. He crossed the pitch-dark chamber to fumble with the shutters, but when he reached the window his bare foot came down in something wet. Jaime recoiled, startled for a moment. His first thought was of blood, but blood would not have been so cold. It was snow, drifting through the window.
   –George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

Snow is falling, softly blanketing the realm in a deep layer of white. Great conifers draw snowy cloaks over their green summer garb, and rushing rivers slowly harden and freeze solid. Hunger worms into the stomachs of every living thing, and wolves and men alike must band together in packs to survive. Join the House that rules the frozen north of Westeros with Wolves of the North, the first deluxe expansion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, now available at your local United States retailer and online through our webstore!

Wardens of the North

From their stronghold of Winterfell, the lords and ladies of House Stark hold dominion over all Westeros north of the Neck. Their land is harsh, and the men and women who call it home can be equally cold—but to survive winters that can last for years, the men of the north must stand together.

Wolves of the North introduces a host of new cards and themes for House Stark, greatly swelling the options at their disposal. New Direwolves stalk through the wolfswood while other characters and locations draw their strength from the power of Winter itself. Here, you’ll find new versions of iconic characters like Eddard Stark, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, and Catelyn Stark, while other characters enter the game for the first time, including The Blackfish, Osha, and Rickon Stark. 

Our first preview looked at the sacrifices a Stark is willing to make for family. With this new deluxe expansion, you’ll find plenty of Stark cards that require sacrifice, such as Arya Stark (Wolves of the North, 7) and The Pack Survives (Wolves of the North, 23). Of course, there are ways to mitigate the cost of these blows. Catelyn Stark (Wolves of the North, 2) strengthens her resolve as more Starks are killed or sacrificed. Alternatively, you can use Needle (Wolves of the North, 20) to return a character to your hand after it’s sacrificed instead of placing it in your discard pile.

The second preview of Wolves of the North turned to House Stark’s staunchest allies—the Tullys of Riverrun. As you strive to crown the next King in the North, House Tully can quickly accelerate your power gain, especially with cards like The Blackfish (Wolves of the North, 4). Alternatively, you may use the Riverrun Minstrel (Wolves of the North, 9), who simply places a power on any House Tully character when she enters play. Once you have your power, you’ll need to protect it, and to that end, you may use cards like Winterfell (Wolves of the North, 17) to prevent players without a Winter plot from triggering effects. The Winterfell Heart Tree (Wolves of the North, 18), on the other hand, lets you make one of your Stark cards immune to your opponent’s plot effects until the end of the phase, potentially saving it from an untimely fate.

Naturally, House Stark isn’t the only faction to receive new cards in Wolves of the North. Every faction receives two non-loyal cards in this expansion, and a host of new neutral cards and plots are sure to inject new creativity into your deckbuilding and theories. Our third preview revealed the cards from House Martell and House Targaryen in this expansion. You may use Dragon Sight (Wolves of the North, 36) to bring a character like Robb Stark (Core Set, 146) within range of Dracarys! (Core Set, 176). Alternatively, you may claim Quentyn Martell (Wolves of the North, 31) at just the right time to kill a key character and disrupt your opponent’s plans. 

The Lords of Ice and Snow

Winter has come, and as the first snows fall, House Stark’s power rises. Wolves are howling in the snow-covered woods beyond the firelight, and above you, a million stars burn clear and cold and sharp in the freezing quiet of a midwinter night. Will you join House Stark or fight against them? Make your choice when you pick up Wolves of the North at your local retailer today!