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:

• Donal Noye:

• Othell Yarwick:

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. They play well with Alliser (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, Bronn due to more damage increase, 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.

• 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 :

• 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

I know I have been shitting on Baratheon but they do have their uniqueness. You will attack more then anyone else in the game, and while you can't really chain your cards well, you can chain all the attacks you will throw out.

Another thing you will sadly experience is, that you'll sit on dead cards more often then not. You have 3 cards with the same trigger, 1 card on the start of the Round and another 1 when you are destroyed. The other 2 also have specific timing. In general try to force the situation where you can play your cards, suprise him with your attacks and hope to god you don't draw Baratheon Conviction via the letters spot or both at the same time.

Also all your effects can be quite obvious if you act in a certain way, channel your Renly and hide your buggery attempt

• Baratheon Conviction: Not a good card. The card itself does nothing, but does remain till the end of the game. You need setup to make it work, which can suck tremendously as the card will be blanked at the start of each turn. If you draw it in the course of the turn, you run into the fact, that you might want to keep it to play at the beginning of the next, but that'll leave you with only 2 cards. Honestly just toss it, unless you face Melisandre or Ramsey.

• Counter Charge: Now we getting to it. Getting a free charge is great, can't say more. Don't be too obvious in your usages, as people can play around it. Make sure you have line of sight and that the enemy unit can't shift out of line of sight or range.

• Hold the Line!: Your only damage buff, it is good. Keep in mind this won't work usually work with Last Stand, Ours is the Fury!, Stag Knight Noble, Brienne, Renly and Counter Charge as those effects are usually played not in your activation. But if you do want to try something funny, attack, kill yourself with a stupid R'hllor ability or counter and make another attack. 5 bucks for that guy who manages to play this, charge his renly unit into Halbediers, use Ours is the Fury!, then use Brienne to kill herself on some spikes, use Renly card to attack again and finally use your initial charge attack

• Last Stand: Good ability, it is a free attack with max dice. Unlike Winter is coming and Watch has ended requires no set up. The crown is useful but not needed. Also makes me question True Loyalty again. Don't be too obvious

• Ours is the Fury!: Another free attack, a bit easier to pull of then last stand unless something is going very, very right for your foe. Having the crown spot is useful if the enemy has high damage unit otherwise you can survive with no rank loss, if he isn't aware of this card.

• Stag's Resilience: Your best card. This can be a shift of a total of 4 wounds in the worst case, and 8 wounds in the best. Always use it with letters. Kill of a 2 wounds unit for maximum fun.

• Stag's Wit: Meh, it requires you to be in melee and have condition. Use it immediately when you find a chance, letter is a good bonus but unless you play a lot of wardens, tactical approach and Axel you don't really requires it

List Discussion

Warmachine Heavy

Might do later