ASOIAF Miniatures/Tactics/Night Watch

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Why Play Night Watch

"I know nothing"

You are the wall, you will hold the line.

Night Watch are a Versatile and tough factions. You are the faction most likely to use Combined arms, using both ranged, mobile, tough and hard hitting unit in conjunction

In general they are a tougher faction, due to your elite status.

Pros

• Elite army
• unique warmachines
• good Attachement
• Vow which gives you buffs over the course of the game
• good carddraw, and wide range of applications
• above average moral and moral abilitx
• healing

Cons

• Either cheap units or expensive units
• you don't really like neutrals
• hard to make certain things work in a list
• tactics card cover a big range of things, and you might get lost
• some tactics card require your enemy to do certain actions

Playstyle

Night Watch are another attrition faction. You want to win small fights after each other and then move to the bigger game.

Your vow mechanic gives you another level of tactical play. Calculate yourself if you need a certain spot.

You will fight on multiple lines, push through in 1 fight, to then round up the rest. You also excel on making use of combined arms.

Unit and Attachement Analysis

3 themes. You have builders, rangers and the wall troops.

Wall troops are your Veteran, Sworn bros and conscript. They mostly hold the line and use standart things to win. Good moral (except conscript) and good to great moral help you hold the line. Attachement help you hold the line even better

Ranger are mobile and fast. You have versentility in your due to your ranged attack. You are fragile, so make use of the retreat action via the horse zone. This is the more aggressive side of your support group. Qhorin make you deal even more dmg.

Builders are your defensive support group. You have builders crossbowmen, which are argurably the best ranged in the game. the other side of the builders are your semi-static Warmachines. In total you are slow, but far hitting, and have sundering on all.

Units

Commander

• Jon Snow: He is a good commander, and probably the first you'll pick up to play with. His ability fits the easiest in Veterans but Sworn brothers won't say no to more sustain. To the other choices I would say no to, as he both want to be close to trigger it shall not and make use of ghost and because of his melee focus. Field him if you want the most sustained commander

• Jeor Mormont:

• Alliser Thorne: My favorite commander. He himself has 2 actually useful abilities, one is an attack buff, which always work, the other is insurance. He has two situational cards, and 1 always useful and quite strong one. "Pathethic Attempt" is nice in mission where you have to have more rank to contest, a fail to finish a rank, can immediadly cost the enemy 1 rank at minimum. But don't save it, sometimes not losing rank can be quite hard, especially if you are only on 1 rank in a rank. "Seeing their flaw", you really don't need to keep from round to round. The secondary effect, I wouldn't use unless you are playing the secret obj cards. ""Ruthless Approach" is powerful, and this card will determine your NCU turn. Letters is always useful, Horses can cripple their plans, Money can set up 1HKO, Swords can hurt certain units (all solos) and lastly crown is meh. Three attractive unit choice to ferry him around. Veterans are prime candidate for Pathethic attempts, especially if you use Donal. Rangee Hunters in theory, won't be able to use Pathethic attempt well, but due their nature of their attack, your second archery shot usually benefit from prey on the weak. A good choice and they make better use of his moral abiity. My favorite unit are the crossbows though. Usually they have horrible moral, Alliser fixes that easily. His prey on the weak, he can usually work, by shooting an already fighting unit in their flank. If you use the crossbow aggressive (using horse or march to use forward, the using attack zone or their activation to shoot) you can even use your benefit from their stand and fire: 7 sundering attacks on 3+, followed by another 7 sundering attacks on 2+, should easily cripple an attacker. Last advice, moral pass is an order, don't rely on it to save you against 2 cuthroaths

• Donal Noye:

• Othell Yarwick: The most aggressive choice. You gain three tactics, and around these cards you should build you game. Add to that fact, that he is a NCU Commander and you are in great shape. Your game is build around dealing the maximum dmg every turn, your cards are flexible attack cards any of the three would be useful to use, but mind that you have a abundance of sundering and sworn brothers have critical blow inbuilt, which can make Precision Enhancement feel wasted, but pseudo precision works great with critical blow, so Grenn finds a use. Mind that all of his cards also work for ranged, warmachine though I would discourage. He works good with Veterans, Crossbows and Hunters, sworn brothers are not that useful for him. If you attack ensure the enemy has no weaken token, if you can choose the engagement, don't attavk more then you have his cards on hand. I recommend as NCU Bowen, Qhorin and him.

Units

• Conscripts (4pt): Remember I said this is the elite faction? Well this kinda destroys my point. Conscripts are good, actually I would say they are great for their price. While your moral suck, your reinforcement negates the crown spot easily. Due to their healing, you can survive longer then expected, just keep them away from High damage unit. They can hold 5 point units in place basically forever. You might want to go for more then 1 Conscript, but if you have 2 you won't really have enough points for attachement, which I usually enjoy using in Night Watch. Attachementwise wise nothing seems worthwhile except Othell in a certain list. If you know the enemy will field pillowfisted unit, Qhorin might be interested, but that increases the cost by 50%

• Ranger Trackers (6pt): First to admit, I suck with this unit. Don't get me wrong, on paper they are really cool. Giving out vulnerable token every turn is basically Jorah entire live, but they can do it anytime and within long range. If they shoot, they are honestly not too shaby, in a flank shoot they can deal serious wounds. As a cavalry you should always be able to run past the enemy, I honestly recommend not taking a shot or even getting to short range until you are behind the enemy. Your melee is worst then your shooting, and close range is like the name implies, really close. The thing I do wrong is, to commit to shooting to early and that really expose you. Try targeting already activated units.

• Builder Crossbowmen (7pt): The best ranged unit in the game in my opinion. Sundering and their order is a great deterrant. Most players won't even try to attack you, which is both a curse and a blessing. If you do get charged, remember to shift further away. You might be inclined to put some attachement into it, but make sure you got their use down, if you don't know how to set up firing lanes, all the more damage won't help you. For attachement you want to diy their moral and increase their dmg output. A 7 moral means people will moral bomb them, and if that happens twice you are already in danger. They play well with Alliser (commander in the unit(He also fixes your horrible moral), and Othell Commanders, for attachement Brienne (use her if you can deploy this unit after the enemy is done and especially if facing high panic armies) and Bronn. Pypar might be a good idea, but he just means noone will ever attack them.

• Builder Scorpion Crew (7pt):

• Sworn Brothers (7pt):

• Ranger Hunters (8pt): Fun to use, and your best alpha strike unit. You want to attack with these unit then retreat sideways, so he'll have to either face you and turn his back towards the rest of their army, or risk you shooting into his flank (remember to shift even more towards his side). Don't forget that you can just retreat normally, with 7 + d6 you can probabky get out of range They are also not bad at dealing damage, so the enemy really have to choose to leave an opening somewhere. If you are stuck in battle, you are probably dead. If you survive 1 attack you can still run away easily, find the balance of using quick attack and just running away.. My recommendation is to retreat away as far as you can, if you have access to a free movement. Play Qhorin on this unit if you field them, as +1 move and more damage only helps them more. This unit can function well without attachement but if you decide to add them, i recommend Watch Captain, to give you more movement, and ensure more dice via Sword in the darkness, Stormcrow Leur for pure better dmg, Bronn due to more damage increase and even more speed., and if you are feeling really lucky Brienne. But Brienne is kinda hard to pull off if you can't control deployement. Pypar is fun, but kinda unneeded, 9 inches charge might only help a bit. Good combo, if isn't so obvious: Watcher on the Wall. Use Watch on the Wall to trigger quick fire on an already activated unit - charge into the unit - stay in combat. Beginning of the next turn, use watch captain to trigger the effect - retreat sideways - charge again - now retreat, without fear behind the side you start away. Fun if you can turn a unit all around. Biggest problem is to find the space for this. Lastly you can get them to speed 9 without much effort, via Qhorin, Watcher on the wall and Bronn.

• Veterans Of the Watch (8pt):

• Builder Stone Thrower (10pt):

Non-Combat Units

• Caster (3pt): One of three reason you are the tactics deck faction. 3 point and a replace effect is pretty on par. His effect does the two things you like draw and heal. As your cards require all possible spots having a replace effect can make it easier for you. Can't really go wrong with this guy. Only thing which sucks he is part of the free folk starter (unless Night Watch heroes 2 releases)

• Maester Aemond (4pt): The coolest Targ. He used to be 1 of three good Night Watch NCU and is the reason with Jon that this is the healing factions. He is still good, he will snatch death from the jaws of defeat. No reason not to play him unless you go for only rangers and builders.

• Bowem Marsh (4pt): A free scry and draw with any claim. Too good for 3 point, meh for 4 point. Field him if you dislike the letter spot, else it is a bit of an overkill. CMON double all points, so that he can be 7 points.

• Qhorin Halfhand (4pt): One of my favorite NCU. He is of the only troops you have which can increase dmg. Another 1 movement is not too shabby especially with Hunters and everyone who have an attched Watcher on the Wall. His other ability is quite strong but you will fuck yourself ovee with it. Best, to wait for turn 4-5, so you won't gimp yourself. Watch out for Olenna

• Jeor Mormont (4pt): Used to be shit, now he is actually fun. Letters is probably the best effect, play it and laugh at Walder and some other nasty ability. Also a good counter to Ramsey, and Melisandre. The crown is also a permant effect, so all the fear forcing lannister and rhollor won't touch you. If you play him and Qhorin, mind that you can't stack'em

• Donnel Noye (4pt): Another newish NCU. He is the other side of substainability, armor increase. Generally use him only on veteran and hunters, the other are probably a waste. Don't get tunnel view like I do.

Probably one of your later picks

Attachement

• Othell Yarwyck (1pt): Probably required if you play Stone Thrower, and if you play Scorpion this attachement pushes your damage output above Crossbows. As I will write below; a warmachine list, wants him, either Varys or Jeor as an NCU and some meat shields. But you are now stuck with a field commander, as roose might not be fitting, so you want one of the 7+ unit for your commander. Because of how your points work as long as you spent 10 points on warmachine (10+7+(7+1)+4 = 29: You want atleast 1 NCU and 1 unit so another 2*4 = 37 + 1 Craster = 40), I wouldn't recommend 2 7+ infantry unless you are ballsy. So you stick him in a cheap unit. Two schools of thoughts exist, either you go put him in a conscript unit, or throw into stormcrows mercenaries, both are 5 points. Unless you play against high volume of attacks and no weirdwood trees, I would say conscripts are better. But it is your choice.

• Qhorin Halfhand:

• Grenn : Critical Blow for 2 points. Most worthwhile for either Ranger Hunters or Veterans. I would not recommend him, as ranger hunter benefit feom bronn more (Moral buff and dice for ranged and melee) and Veterans enjoy Qhorin more as he works better with them. If you field Othell, go ahead and use him on the Veterans.

• Pypar:

• Alliser Thorne:

• Jon Snow:

• Watch Recruiter:

• Watch Captain:

Building your Army

Night Watch list usually field 2 * 7+ units. Having lots of activation is rarer.

Usually, your list depends on your commander and objective. Within the Night Watch this is only true for a certain extend, some of the commander can be slotted into most list. I would say your list is determent by which 2 units are your 7+ units

In general you will have 7 activation in your army. Your best units all cost 7+ points, and you usually field more attachement then usual list. I like 2 NCU, you have good abilities, need to claim a lot of spots and these are cheap.

Your commanders are determined by which unit you want to field, pay attention to it

Sample List: These are made to get into the game early.

Literally just the starter box

Tactics Deck

Night Watch have a unique feature with their vow ability. In many cases the vow ability have a better ability then the original. Decide on a case by case decision if taking a weaker zone, is worth using an ability. I will give an overview below.

The Night Watch deck covers a wide range of features, most everything except moral. Many of your cards will have a very specific condition so you might not be able to play a card in a turn and get to below 3 (due to caster, letters, bowen and horn). If you are above 3 don't toss them unless you really need "the fire"

In use of your vows, put them on correctly, do keep in mind the longterm benefit.

Lastly as your vow are open information, keep a straight face, don't read you cards to obviously and don't telephraph you plan

• Take the Black:

• The Sword in the Darkness:

• And Now his Watch has ended:

• The Watcher on the Wall:

• The Fire that burns against the Cold:

• The Horn that wakes the sleepers:

• The Shield of the Realms of Men:

List Discussion

Warmachine Heavy

Might do later