Game of Thrones and Mother of Dragons expansion - Shut Up & Sit Down Review

Our original Game of Thrones review: bit.ly/3OXUEm3
Support the Show: bit.ly/SupportSUSD / / shutupandsitdown
Visit SU&SD for more cardboard antics: www.shutupandsitdown.com/
Kemet review: bit.ly/3Is1f5Y
Quantum review: bit.ly/3IyJ4f2
Cyclades review: bit.ly/3ySAkNj
War of the Ring review: bit.ly/3yA609c
Twilight Imperium review: bit.ly/3aqkXT9
Root review: bit.ly/3yxlESJ
Inis review: bit.ly/3yvhvOR
Shogun review: bit.ly/3uBW5yp
Birth of America series review: bit.ly/3uwWMt1
Memoir 44 Overlord video: bit.ly/3NUMWIe
~FOLLOW US AROUND, WHY DON'T YOU~
Podcast: anchor.fm/susd
Twitter: / shutupshow
Instagram: / shut.up.and.sit.down
Twitch: / shutupandsitdown
TikTok: / shutupshow

[@chasenorman7709]

for a couple years we had a friend group who would meet sunday at like 11 am, and start playing, giving us ample time for strategy (snack) breaks and dinner, we would usually finish an hour or two before the new episode of game of thrones, spend all that time talking about the game and what were our mistakes, what we wanted to try, then we would watch game of thrones. This game holds a super special place in my heart, it's my favorite board game.

[@tilasole3252]

Oh... So that is what having friends feels like

[@Maxdamageplus]

That’s absolutely awesome, being able to schedule that type of event regularly is hard, but if you can it’s amazing

[@AuthorX]

I actually played the game before the series, before I'd even heard of the books. I went out of my way to betray my brother, out of petty spite, which dragged both of us down. My understanding now is that it was a very canon-appropriate strategy.

[@Vossenator]

My brother in law played Greyjoy, I was playing Lannister. We are both confrontation and aggressive players. We battled each other relentlessly the entire game, trading Riverrun back and forth, I managed to seize Ironmans bay but only temporary as he got his House cards back and I was screwed. Eventually, I got overwhelmed by both him and Baratheon. I simply didn't have the resources to keep up an offensive. Baratheon won because I was still able to strangle Greyjoys advance into the mainland. Good times.

[@Ponninftw]

vengeance of spite has done that to me as well. Literally had our last footmen fight over the arbor of all places, I won with a sword icon on my card but pulled a skull icon from the Tides-deck. We literally had no units and no castles because one of us didn't support eachother as agreed in round 2

[@alexandersommers9489]

One time i traded multiple monopolies including hotels and all all my money to my drunk girlfriend all for the millennium falcon in starwars monopoly because my brother upset me during a trade negotiation. This game looks perfect. She won but more importantly he lost.

[@tommagennis]

Not gonna lie, I was kind of expecting “Don’t Stark Me now, I’m Arryn such a good time, I’m North of the Wall!”

[@keychainere]

Tom Magennis not enough likes in the world for you. Lol

[@thedevicedrummer]

yeah but "please stop that boy" was actually good

[@tommagennis]

Aye, but I need Game of Thrones Abridged to come back so badly

[@TRONOFTHEDEAD]

@@keychainere I put my extra one here.

[@Yamigata]

There snow place like home

[@ArkhBaegor]

This sounds like the kind of game that would work great adapted to a videogame, complicated rules are less of an issue in digital form.

[@DrMcFly28]

The problem is that the rules were initially not that complicated, but were seriously flawed; a player could very easily lock down another player via ships, and there was nothing that other player could do. To deal with this issue the game introduced Ports, which solved it at the expense of added fidliness and confusion. It's especially aggravating when over 20% of rule explanation revolves around the bloody Ports, and another 20% around many other rule exceptions and gotchas. A streamlined version of this game would be lovely, even though I'm sure a lot of flavour would be gone.

[@yoman4802]

I totally agree and it kind of exists actually. On Thronemaster.net you can play the game online in various gamemodes. You need to apply to play the game and I myself has not yet gotten in (rip), but it is a brilliant form of playing the game and allows for it to pass by much quicker that if you play it on a tabletop. Speaking of tabletops i believe that you can play The boardgame of thrones on tabletop simulator as well.

[@MoriMemento117]

Like McFly said, they aren't that complicated (outside of some real extreme balancing issues that cropped up over time). The real issues I found (that make the fiddly bits too much to handle for my tastes) were a combination of the board state never really changing and the objectives being public information / uniform across all factions. Diplomacy in this game isn't really just making "bridges out of sugar", but of making bridges out of sugar with the intention of burning them a few minutes later. Alliances aren't tense narratives, but inevitable betrayals. Opponent/ally faction goals aren't elusive mysteries to be scryed or worried over. They are right there - on the board - as clear as day.

[@Bodyknock]

Total War Westeros?

[@laststand3525]

@@MoriMemento117 i agree the worst thing in my opinion is that diplomacy in this Game feels a bit undervolming. I hope ist going to be better with this expansion. Zur second worst thing is the inbalance between all the houses. I calculated that Lannister is pretty much screwed in the game.

[@CaravelClerihew]

I’m not well versed in KZbin’s rules, but I’m pretty sure you can’t show a pair of boobs on here, especially ones that sing and do jazz hands

[@funkoxen]

You tube's ok with boobs these days but goons are banned.

[@guseckstein3559]

My friend doesn’t play board games with me anymore because of this game

[@brianhua3495]

Wut happened...

[@HairXX]

My girlfriendis still mad at me.

[@skinflutey]

Brian Hua What*

[@andrewwalker9136]

Have friends that can separate competition and friendship

[@comeon000]

This is my favorite board game, and because of that, no one plays board games with me anymore.

[@michaellopate4969]

You mentioned Diplomacy...now I'd love to watch a Diplomacy review, just to hear what you guys think and how it stacks up in 2019.

[@mattbrown2714]

Diplomacy is the one I cut my Hobby Board Gaming teeth on. So many memories of playing the game and watching actual fist fights break out between players over the years. AGoT is a great update on the basic formula but Diplomacy will always be the king due to its mechanical simplicity yet infinite strategic depth with zero randomness other than trying to figure out if your "allies" are about to stab you in the back or not.

[@StigSlashBro]

Check out Quinns' 136 game video he dives into his thoughts there and someone had a great idea in the comments inspired by a library

[@josiahdesarro-raynal3361]

Online versions of Diplomacy are great; only downside is they take a while to finish.

[@traemaze8905]

my god that lighting....absolute perfection. The cinematography SUSD is getting solid. Nice job on the review as well.

[@eliocurybenazzi6438]

That is pretty interesting cause I am the kind of player Matt described but not for the love of GOT, but because that was the first game that brought our group together and until today, once in a while we manage to have a AGOT night and it is a blast. After 7 hours play, quoting McReady: "nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired"... just wonderful!

[@woutervarkel]

exactly this! only we played the game like 5 times last 2 months, with MoD. What a edition! wont play a game without it. Welll... maybe a quick feast for crows

[@Jiikkeri]

I am exactly the player Matt described in the end (and quite dissapointed Quinns decided to sell his copy). I adore the game and the books, and when you get some friends together who know the story (and don't mind learning this initially complex game), it's an experience like no other with its thematics and brutality. Take two evenings, learn the rules with some friends, then delve into the world with some background music and wine - and kick some Tyrell butt.

[@CoreyHardt]

Jokier A bit of a semantic difference, but rather than selling their copy they're keeping it for people to play at their convention SHUX!

[@Jiikkeri]

@B T I justified it to myself even knowing I might never play a full 8-player game. It still provides new variety to 4-6 player games too. And tokens for house Arryn (to be used with Feast for Crows)

[@Alnard]

I too adore the game and it is the best time I've had playing board games with my friend group - at this point, we've played a vast variety of games and this is the commonly agreed favourite with the most stories to reminisce about. I find it interesting then that most of the major board game review channels such as Dice Tower and SUSD, for example, are in no way enamoured with it.

[@drbasseri]

Fucking Tyrells

[@laststand3525]

@@evgenidimitrov7790 Greyjoy is very strong nur everyone knows that. Also they have big problem counquering 7 castels because there are only 5 in range of there ships. My favorit factions are Stark and Baratheon. Stark is weak at the start but becomes strong in second half. Baratheon in the other hand has most options of all factions. They can take Kingslanding or the Vale. Also they could unser the North or Dorne

[@jparry5305]

I completely understand this review. We play this a lot in my group of friends and everyone admits to disliking it to start with, but as you get used to the rules you start to enjoy it. Now it’s everyone’s favourite game. Without having to worry about whether or not you can do something, you build a great understanding and it becomes soooo strategic.

[@amgadsh7752]

I couldn't agree more. We bought it recently and at first it was frustrating but now it is everyone's favourite board game, and at no point do we get bored

[@MoriMemento117]

Matt Lees, that speech at the end was simply epic. I personally detest several of the mechanisms in this game (and, like you said, it never could be my favourite game). However, it is wonderful that this expansion exists and that older game designs are not lost to time - especially for the people who enjoy them and invested the time and effort to curate them in the first place, but also for the development of this wonderful hobby as a whole. Also, kudos on the lighting in this. Jeez, some of those shots were seemingly ripped right out of Stannis' war room, I swear!

[@StrangePowers123]

That cinematography tho. Your videos are looking better and better everytime

[@ChrisS-nj3ye]

Pretty much similar to all other videos on KZbin : )

[@CarpeGuitarrem]

Absolutely drooling over the shadows of those panning shots over the board.

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

I love this game, but I rarely get a chance to play it, as most of my playgroup hate it =/ The biggest problem to me, was that the base game only works well with exactly 6 players (and the dance of dragons scenario is set to 6 as well). Now, with the vassal system, it will be viable to play it with 5 players, and that's the most important adition in my opinion hehe

[@Nagi2100]

3 works very well too I've found but tends to end fast if someone gets a fast lead. The feast for crows expansion has a 4 player mode rebalanced with house Arryn instead of greyjoy that plays well too

[@Skarpo89]

Yep, just played a three player game of this and it was goood, constant tension, and since you control at least two houses each turn you are involved in the game more often than not, you also care what's happening everywhere because now you CAN actually make a difference if you choose the right vassal.

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

@@Nagi2100 I know that Feast is for 4 players, but I have two problems with it: It's too unbalanced, with Lannister starting TOO strong, and it really anoys me to play arryn using the tyrell pieces hahaha

[@user-li6sn5pn2p]

The game works well for 5 players, and for 4 you have the mini-expansion feast of crows. For 3 you can play it with mother of dragons and the vassal system.

[@OrdemDoGraveto]

@@user-li6sn5pn2p No it don't. Without the Martel to keep then in check, the Tyrel are way too strong. 4 players yeah, feast of crows is good. Dance of Dragons I would play with 5 players. For 3 it's simply not a good game no matter what.

[@NINMAN311X]

This is still my favorite board game, but Root is giving it a run for its money because it gives me similar vibes, plays in less time, and is less complex. I appreciate this review, so thank you!

[@stewartgrant2040]

Root certainly has less total rules than GoT, but I would argue that overall it is far more complex. The strategy in Root is much deeper in my opinion and leads to each game being different, often very different. GoT often results in similar board states and similar situations every play. Plus, you could play 2-3 games of Root, even with changing factions and set up in between, in the time you could play one GoT.

[@rogersabbath44]

3/6 people from my gaming group including me has dreamt of playing this game in their sleep. This game has seeped into our subconscious. Some of us don't even remember what happened in the TV show anymore. Hate this game but can't wait to play it again... And yes mother of dragons will be here next month (hopefully)!

[@matejzganec6183]

This was actually our gateway game back in the early 2000s, and can't disagree more with the complaints on its complexity. It's super smooth and feels modern every time. The simultaneous placing of tokens and the nearly real time aspect of its resolving makes it feel modern and fresh. It has very little downtime. Never do you sit and spectate another players turn. And then the tie breakers that are resolved by the 3 tracks is one of the most thematic fits of any boardgames out there. You really made the combat system sound more difficult then it is. Both players kinda know their own values in the planing of the move. I love Kemet a whole lot, but I feel like ppl get bogged down by looking up the ability meaning of every tech and card. With Got there's basically no looking up of info.

[@Nerd_Rage255]

With Paul gone there is no one to stop Quinns from buying expansions. I feel sorry for Quinns wallet! :P

[@classicsubmarineguy5477]

I dont like dragons. they are big and they're sexy and they get everywhere.

[@filipbozic4303]

But they have the high ground

[@MrSjogrenjo]

There is something truly special about your reviews. Not only are you brutally honest and never stray away from your own opnions or ideas. But you still manage to be funny and informative. Im extremely impressed. Ive always been a fan of boardgaming and i do think it is the superior form of entartainment. Especially on a weekend with a beer or a glass of wine in hand. But i rarely find the energy to make time for pure boardgame nights. It is usually something that comes up when we have people over. We never invite friends over just to play boardgames. But after watching just some of your reviews ive already planned in 2 dates with 7 different people. Thank you!

[@AureliusAudio]

The game that got me into board games. My first game I had no idea what I was doing, but it gave me a glimpse into the hobby and I've never looked back. What is dead may never die!

[@bryanb2886]

Same with my group. We probably learned something new we were doing wrong all the way until we had played 10 times

[@takaetono6773]

I m living in a fairly small "city", yet we have grown to be about 15 people who keep coming together to play this game for several years now. and no, none of us are hardcore fans or nerds. pretty much the opposite actually. Now it got even weirder. we grew to be such fans of this boardgame, we came together and designed a new version of it, having 10 houses, adding House Arryn, House Targaryan, House Tully and the Boltons as well as a part of Essos and an overall renewed map of westeros and new house cards for each of the houses. We casually played about 5-6 hours, the new version with the additional players merely adds another hour, caus we scaled everything up and ppl are ready to engage faster. Concerning the complex rules: yes, this is not monopoly where you roll dice and jump around. but thats exactly what makes it great. as it was mentioned, it is exactly what most people dreamed about risk. BUT Its actually nowhere near as complicated as it seems. Its just A LOT of rules and mechanics to learn at once. With us the rookies always received a fair introduction and we always play a showcase -first round with them and tell them about good or bad decisions they made. Then the real fun starts and sometimes the rookies even won or came fairly close to winning. Also when saying you would not bother about Starks fights if you were Martell, then you clearly did not understand this game. each and every battle concerns you, no matter where you are. This is entirely based on strategy, there is close to 0 luck involved. However there are of cause some playthroughs in which it takes very long for anything to happen, but that highly depends on the players, not the game itself. You think you could have lost friends because of risk? risk was preschool compared to this xD Best board game ever.

[@TomosANTIGUATomos]

Three of the most prominent mechanics in the game are bluffing, negotiation, and bidding. Those are not the mechanics of a game that is "close to 0 luck".

[@firebrain2991]

@@TomosANTIGUATomos True, it's not "0 luck" in the true game-theoretic sense. but he probably means "0 luck" in terms of Diplomacy -- where while there is randomness in the simultaneous turns, all the "luck" comes from human decisions, and not from arbitrary bits of randomness.

[@bryanb2886]

nina69nova is there a pdf of the rules?

[@bryanb2886]

It has some game based luck from westeros and wildling deck. But there is certainly a lot of player based luck, poker style. Such as blind bids and card choices

[@ayporras]

Hi man, with our group of friends, we are also super implicated with this game, and it's really our favorite. We want to share with you one of our spicy addition to the rules: We have modified one of the Free Folks attack cards (just marking it with a pen). If we lose the bet to win against this attack, the game is over, everybody loses and the free folks win the game. This is order to keep some tension when somebody is way behind or ahead in the game. That will balance slightly things in the negotiation part.

[@BloodyFox1]

"Just the base game was already a bigger experience than any other license boardgame you care to mention" **cries in Battlestar Galactica**

[@kreeostravios5512]

While BSG is still probably the best Licensed property game period. I would say GoT base vs BSG base is a larger more complicated experiance. BSG is very easy to pick up, play, and get into. GoT has a lot of nuance and is quite punishing if there is an experience gap.

[@TheHarakon]

@@kreeostravios5512 Advantage of BSG is the cooperation between players. Its always 2 groups against each other so experienced players can help the newbies. In GoT (as the most experienced) I always see that people dont trust my advises because they think I am trying to sell them out^^

[@Mattamaza]

Battlestar Galactica board game is awesome, love it. I own the Game of thrones board game and don't really have too much of an urge to play it again.

[@Nukestarmaster]

BSG is a hot mess and it's glorious. There's nothing quite like framing the president as a Cylon and throwing them in the brig.

[@Screamingmanta]

Base BSG can be a bit lacking compared to GoT, but add the Pegasus expansion and it's the perfect package.

[@jonfaniskousouris9653]

"Glossary oh you saucy minx"

[@seanduarte5989]

Being in college makes this game great we play every week on Friday. We can often get all 8 players. Would recommend this game highly.

[@larrytedmcbride]

This is why I love watching you guys. All your videos are informative, insightful, and entertaining. I can remember the results of many of your reviews because the stunts, acts, and analogies you pull off, just stick in me craw, in a good way. This game reminds me of Paul’s Through The Ages. We miss Paul.

[@charlieringer3794]

Your production values are through the roof these days, was so beautifully shot!

[@coreyb1882]

The table drag just made my day 😂 pure joy to watch

[@ottarkraemer9001]

Production, lighting and camera are ON POINT in this episode! Great work!!

[@der_benson4478]

9:21 By the seven, this board game predicted Season 8's rapidly replenishing Dolthraki and Unsullied!!

[@brandonirizarry6380]

I really love your vids I’m currently working on the beginnings of a game of my own creation these videos have been very helpful in avoiding the big bulky overly complicated avenue.

[@GuillotinedChemistry]

Looks like it's going to be a great Friday afternoon! New review!

[@neon4897]

Amazing job on the lighting!

[@josiahdesarro-raynal3361]

I recently played a game with just two other people using the vassal part of the expansion. It was three played houses and four vassals. A great game mainly due to the changing leader of each vassal every turn. I understand the skepticism, but even with three to four players and the vassals it’s loads of fun.

[@Hynch]

That last minute is the best thing you guys have ever done :D

[@BenBroomfield]

New camera is working well for you, looks great!

[@CopperLontra]

Great camera work and lighting in this episode! Really noticed the difference.

[@ericsmith9212]

A very fair review. I agree it is what Risk wishes it could be. I love the game. The complexity and the way it portrays Westeros reminds me of the books. Can't wait to try this expansion.

[@AmbersKnight]

I love the base game and got the expansion for Xmas from my girlfriend. Yes it may seem a little clunky by modern standards but I find the rules whilst not simple to be at least straightforwardly written. I find it interesting that you mention the rulebook. Whilst in-depth I found it very well laid out and clear. Compare that to Warrior Knights which you reviewed quite favourably but I found the rulebook to be a nightmare to get through.

[@brningpyre]

I disagree completely. I found the rulebook incredibly poorly laid out. Especially trying to go through it while setting up and teaching everyone. It confusingly separates related mechanics and lists some important rules as afterthoughts.

[@illiaboiko7354]

Can you review new wargames from Paradox Interactive when they're out? The board versions of Hearts Of Iron, Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis?

[@Ellzcraft]

Thank you for your content! I love the base game, and specifically long wargames. Your critique is refreshing to have an idea of how to describe this game to new players. I have a group of 4 that had an impossible time enjoying the base game (there is a Card expansion that made the base game good for 4)...but this expansion makes 4-5 player games EXCELLENT. Thank you for reviewing this.

[@sohxian4969]

Ur videos r getting better and better . Keep up the great work

[@IMPACT8887888]

This is by far my favorite strategic, area-control board game

[@Norwayfoeshoe]

Mine too! A run or two and most people are in on the rules

[@Quackalope]

Love SUSD reviews :) - I started my board game channel 2 months ago partially due to watching so much of their content! 213 subscribers and growing XD - Keep it up and publish more gameplay!!!

[@Shot007]

WOW. This is AMAZING. Can't believe you guys review this one. You guys are amazing.

[@GBNE-kh1fs]

Love the review chaps. Insightful and funny as can be.

[@marcelsf23br]

This was an amazing review. Laughs, feels and a great analysis. You guys are great :)

[@davejunk1]

I love this style of review. glad to see it back on the channel

[@seanmay9709]

Great review - passion, intelligent and honest analysis, humour and not too much whimsy.

[@fuchila2point0]

I respect how thoughtful your points on how the flow of the game can be broken consistently. Thanks!

[@spiderfingers86]

I always have that problem with games like this, where you only play maybe once or twice a year and then you forget how to play and have to reread the rules and reteach the game. TI4, War of the Ring, Arkham Horror, etc. My group tries to schedule these in advance so that I have time to refresh myself, but then there's always something I miss.

[@cjpgconman]

13:11 I never knew glossaries could be so saucy!

[@getnohappy]

Bit late to the party here, but I had both experiences of this game. Years ago played it a lot with a group of committed players and it was amazing. Especially when grudges spilled between games (and some drinking rule for the battles were invented), longest games was nearly 10 hours! Years later tied it again a few times with less committed folks and it seemed to fall flat, just no one was enjoying themselves by around round 5.

[@JamieMaltmanTube]

I hadn't played since 1st edition - which was before I read the books, and when only a few of my friends knew of the books. I was at a gaming retreat after New Year's and a good group of people proposed playing the full 8P game with the expansion. I had been wanting to try it again for years but don't generally have the time, so I played, and it was glorious. A full 10 rounds of epic ebb and flow as contenders rose up and were struck down. Two players quit and became vassalized. So many memorable moments - like when Khal Drogo was forced to come out to fight a fleet battle as their last card and thus drowned! Dragons dying in the south as uneasy neighbours turned on the dangerous invader. It was wonderful. I'd do that once every couple of years.

[@chrislake552]

One of my favs of all time right up there with TI4. Just bought the expansion...Can't wait to try it!

[@firebrain2991]

"likes the fiddly bits of games like Axis and Allies and Diplomacy" *blushes a little*

[@f12mnb]

There was a game of European conquest, alliances and double crosses - Diplomacy. A relatively simple game to learn and rightly putting the emphasis on the alliance making and double crossing.

[@jcameronmooney]

I played this game in 1st edition back in 2011 and immediately fell in love as I'm a huge Christian Petersen game fan. Funny enough it became my favorite board game, and I never heard of song of ice and fire. From the board game I jumped to the books which is possibly the exact opposite situation I imagine anyone ever getting into Game of Thrones with. This is one of my favorite games and I'm glad that my entire play group has a strong grasp of the rules

[@brandonmathewson783]

I really appreciate you talking about both sides of this game. I’m a game of thrones fan, and I completely agree with one of you criticisms. The one where if you don’t play it regularly enough, you have to go over the rules again, because there are so many! 🤦🏻‍♂️ but I’ve had some of the best times playing this game with friends. It is best with people who have either read/watched game of thrones for sure. Great video!! Subscribed! 😂👍

[@bluefalcon2246]

This may be the funniest/best review you guys have ever done.

[@lameemo]

9:20 Ever so subtle dig at the final season ..... nice

[@DafuqROB]

10:04 He's really having a good, deep, dig there.

[@SteveVerstaka]

Thanks for reviewing this guys. I love the GoT board game. It was the first game that showed me board games were more than Risk or Monopoly and I love the theme. Unfortunately my friend group isnt able to get together for bigger games like this or TI more then once every couple of months but hot dann does this expansions sound great.

[@Skarpo89]

Awesome review! I don't agree with all of it but it was awesome : ). Playing WITHOUT house Targaryen and fewer players make this game with expansion soo different, on the one part it doesn't up the complexity almost, now you can control a vassal house if you are high on the iron throne which works almost the same as a normal house and that's almost it, you have a few sea orders which are the same as before but only for the sea, you can "donate" power and that's it. The vassals let you actually play the game with less players and have the board be as busy as ever, and people will be more involved since you may be able to affect something that's far away if you get to use a vassal from there, base game didn't work with less than 6 players, now it's plain awesome.

[@manzell]

My group, who plays regularly, has a pretty good grasp of the rules and we have found that it's pretty straightforward to get new players starter - once you've got the basic rhythm down, it's a pretty simple! We also play Gloomhaven and I kind of hate the number of pieces and parts to keep track of

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

LOL So this game make Twilight Imperium less confusing? I am up to 5 basketballs soon I will hold 7 and than winter will come;P

[@kreeostravios5512]

Honestly that was probably the only thing i disagreed with them on. It's complicated sure, but if you play twilight imperium 4e it's just as complicated, and easier then 3e. When TI3 was the main version this was our short wargame when we didn't want to dedicate 15 hours to a game but wanted a nice cutthroat 3ish hour game.

[@kreeostravios5512]

​@@chuckm1961 They criticized that yes, but they were always talking about all the rules and teaching them to people more then the combat. Yea they say it's too mathy and can drag on other players turns. But really it doesn't It's all added up quite quickly if you plan your turn out. People before they attack (really even do anything) should know what the strength of their force is going to be once everything is flipped over they aren't going to have to count it all after the fact. So once a battle begins it's very quick with both players going i have 10 and i have 9 and jump right to playing cards. Card playing is the longest time, again if both players sit there pondering and didn't figure out who they wanted before they initiated the attack. So yes if you have to sit there and manually count every battle and then go back and sit and ponder about your cards it can take 2 min for a battle. But since tokens are resolved in any order you should have it all in order before you decide to attack or defend because you can do all the math and have a good idea which card you plan to play before a battle happens. I find the game is longest at the placing token step, because everyone is agonizing each and every point and counter point of the whole table and making their negotiations for the round. Everyone is involved at that point so usually no one minds though.

[@The_Byzantine_Ottoman]

I love this game and play it every chance I get. But I totally understand your problems with it. GoT the board game is not for everyone.

[@martinlebduska8344]

Exactly, I was like - I know exactly what your problem with this game is Quinns, but I love it anyway. I am so pumped for this expansion, just need to wait till they translate it to my language (release should be Q3 2019, sooo long)

[@jparry5305]

Yeah I love this game and my friends play it every couple of weeks (so rules have stopped being a problem). The rules make it really strategic which can be good but it’s made a big gap between the good and not so good players which isn’t so good when you need a mix to actually play a game.

[@anotherone5235]

So professional. Never change :)

[@Professor_sckinnctn]

Old school, real ale, rolling the cigarettes (well, not that) while contemplating our opponents' next move? That makes me so nostalgic for the glory days of old school wargaming. Federation & Empire awaits!

[@michaelharrington6698]

Played this with a group of 5 starting at 5 o'clock until 1 am (including explaining the base game to new players and players who haven't watched the show). We were so into it we all forgot about dinner.

[@timpyrules]

This is a great game. Played it a couple of times with some friends over some beers and after every round during the inevitable piss/smoke break people were clumping together all about the house engaging in secret conspiracy talks for the next round. Furthermore what I loved was this game did not have a "random" dice roll meaning if you pay attention, know the abilities and calculate properly you can ensure the outcome you intend which is GREAT for someone who always managed to throw 1s and 2s

[@Z0mbie432]

Your raps remind me of Mighty Boosh crimping, awesome review! Love the art and exciting board!

[@edwardblomstrand7203]

The family mottoes are pure genius! Thank you!

[@xlnt2new]

This is the ONLY game that co-workers (around 10 people), who never played a single board game - picked up, played for years at 2 times a week pace and knew every little rule there is to know. It can be played for about 2h. when all 6 players know what they are doing (which is the point..)

[@jonjomcquaid8266]

Yes, that is my experience too. When all players had played at least once before the game shoots down in time to 2-3 hours. And we drink talk and joke while playing.

[@bowmore23]

This review go too negative for me so I watched it on 1.5 speed, then I realised If I can't watch a 20 minute video a 6 hour board game probably ain't for me

[@dc9482]

This game isnt that complicated once youve played 4 or 5 games. Place your orders, reveal them, messenger raven, resolve raid , resolve march, resolve consolidate power tokens, clear the board (remove defense and support orders). Reveal westeros cards, repeat

[@jerrylazzara7925]

It shouldn't take 4 or 5 plays to get a game's rules down haha.

[@dc9482]

To master a games rules?

[@Twhylight1]

Even though it’s a bit of a drag, this is by far one of my favourite board game ever. My mates and I would break this out once a month and we had loads of fun. It’s an event game, much like Twilight Imperium or Rebellion. And I love all these games.

[@melvincollins8104]

This was my favorite board game of all time. I started playing in Gencon and then found Vassal. Back in the day you could find ppl to play 3p and even the 6 player. A year ago I tried to use Vassal and there wasn't enough players.

[@Carpetslipper]

Only played this once with a group who had some experience with it. Even though I am used to games it was still something of a struggle and certainly not competitive. That said they had a lovely time and enjoyed it and I can see that with an equally experienced group it could provide plenty of good moments and talking points.

[@AspireSeries48]

"That's right, its incest" 😂😂😂

[@RevolutionaryLoser]

On the one hand, I think this game captures the themes of Game of Thrones like no other. It is an incredible success. On the other hand, I think that as a competitive game it is a huge problem that players on the edges of the board cannot meaningfully affect players that are winning in the center of the board. Although you can choose what to do each turn you are basically always fighting your neighbours which probably means your neighbours are wasting resources dealing with you when they should be stopping someone else from winning the game.

[@PhoenixRiseinFlame]

The rules become a lot easier when realize there is a 20 minute video on KZbin that explains every detail in an efficient and clear manner.

[@massimilianoloi4642]

PhoenixofPrometheus a link please

[@nathanmarotta8591]

@@massimilianoloi4642 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmG7g4mKlsiBrqs

[@PhoenixRiseinFlame]

Massimiliano Loi My bad on the delay, Nathan Marrota has the right link

[@Welchy-TV]

This review has really nailed my feelings on this game too. I was lucky enough to play this game with 3/4 others who held a good, strong interest in board games and in both the film and books of Game Of Thrones. We all had a great time playing it, but there were so many moments where we had to refer back to the rules, or debate the interpretation of the rules, even on the 2nd or 3rd play we were still stopping to check the rules and it did really ruin the couple of turns that had built up the suspense and intrigue of what players were doing. In particular, the rules about the dam PORTS! The only part I would disagree with, is that I actually quite like the combat system where you have lots of different actions/cards that can affect the outcome of the battle. I feel it adds to the strategy element to me and honestly, I don't feel it took so long to resolve that it affected gameplay as more often than not, we were all really intrigued as to the outcome of the battle as it would then affect our next moves. So in actual fact, the longer it took, the more suspense it created as we awaited the result of the fight. For me I feel this game is so dam close to being a near perfect experience for Game Of Thrones fans and like the review stated, you can see why people would both love or hate it. I think I am still in camp love, just. But I think this is down to my love of GOT. However if you have someone who isnt a particular fan of GOT, I think they will struggle to get past some of the slowness and nuances within the rules.

[@WRX3]

21:32 Minutes later Matt was found with a 3rd-degree pear compote burn.

[@gagrin1565]

Savage, yet tasty.

[@Medytacjusz]

Imho the single biggest obstacle to playing more complex games today is people's habit of relying on that one slave person to explain everything in the beginning of the session, instead of everybody actually reading the bloody manual (available for free on the internet) beforehand and then just small recap/clarification.

[@nathanglover8938]

Playing the expansion of this as house Arryn was one of my worst board game experiences of all time. I lost my castle at the start of turn 2, and therefore had no ability to summon new troops from that point. I spent the rest of the game with my 2 soldiers hiding in the countryside, trying in vain to retake my castle. The game dragged on for several hours, with me stuck there as a glorified NPC, not feeling like I could leave because I owed it to the other players to finish the game.

[@Dundoril]

"The game dragged on for several hours, with me stuck there as a glorified NPC, not feeling like I could leave because I owed it to the other players to finish the game." Understandable but still...I think its reasonable to give up after this..or agree to restart...I mean there is not point in letting someone play for our without anything reallz to do

[@xarx117]

just because its complicated doesnt mean its bad, in fact, for more experienced players this is kinda the perfect game because we DO care abouyt every single combat, we DO like how long it is and we DO think its very rewarding

This is something I want to try for years but never is the right time... and my friends don't want to play it anymore. Anyway, the review was fantastic and I love how you looked at it from the other perspective at the end. Great!

[@canesfanjake15]

I have to comment on the "Rules" section of the video. I agree that the rules can be confusing and hard to learn, but after playing the game multiple times, I've come to find that any question we had was in fact mentioned in the rule book. There wasn't a single time where something we questioned wasn't in the rule book. On another note, good video. I appreciate your honesty and critiques.

[@petergreg101]

"Fiddlier than the worlds tiniest violin." i.e a literal fiddle and he just moves straight on and gives that pun juuuust a wee beat to land SUSD is the best

[@Zackackle]

I bursted out laughing when Quinns read the manual like smut. Great delivery.

[@Matias-eh2pn]

I played the base game like 4 times and I can say that it gets more interesting as everyone gets a better understanding of the rules. But it's true that the game can become a little too long and tedious sometimes (which could be solved adding time limits to the thinking part). Anyways, I don't feel ready yet to play the expansion since I'm still learning the basic game.

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

Modernized _Diplomacy_ with a popular theme. Not having to write "F NTH C A NWY EDI" and the like is win.

[@funkoxen]

why would you be withdrawing troops from scandanavia?

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

@@funkoxen Perhaps I am Germany, convoying a Russian invasion.

[@funkoxen]

gosh dammit, those russians are devious

[@niemand262]

Best part of the review is at the end, when they refer to looking back and not forgetting. It's a jab at the writers who forgot all the major plot points while writing the final season.

[@martiansoldier]

The entire yearly wig budget was blown for this video. I approve.

[@Daemonarch10]

haha you predicted the future with the starbucks cup on the set!

[@poxous3854]

We loved playing this over the years. Not perfect but it is really tough when you have a table with good players sitting around.

[@munsihota1691]

This is a really fun area control board game. Very funny and enjoyable to watch review, thanks gentlemen!

[@dertruthahn]

great vid as always, music in the rules explanation was a bit loud though (or voice too low, whatever)

[@onofreshoots]

Quinn’s face in the freeze frame says it all. 😛