Advertisement
Advertisement
For one thing, it challenges you to build not one, but two decks: one containing all of the characters, territories, and equipment under your control, and another representing plots, schemes, and strategies that will help you smash your enemies and establish yourself as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. These plot cards come with some dramatic effects, letting you search your deck for crucial cards, nullifying your opponents' attacks or wiping out half of the characters in play—including your own—in an indiscriminate wildfire assault."This game couldn't be more thematically perfect if it came with a severed head in the box."
Advertisement
Watch our documentary, 'The Mystical Universe of Magic: The Gathering'
But where the game really shines is in its attention to the flavor, theme, and atmosphere of the stories that inspired it—not just in terms of its lavish artwork, but in the way it captures the essence of the series in its core mechanics.Play the Red Woman, Melisandre, and you'll be able to temporarily disable opponents' characters, seducing them with the fiery allure of R'hllor. Attack with the Hound, and there's a chance that he'll bugger off as soon as the fight's over, the limits of his shaky loyalty exhausted. Add Catelyn Stark to your deck, and she'll become more powerful every time another member of her family is killed, allowing them to do what they do best: embark on ill-advised side quests that end in their pointless and hideous demise.
Advertisement