“There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.”
   –Melisandre, A Clash of Kings

In the ancient books of Asshai, prophecies speak of a hero born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone, one who will save the world from a great darkness and bring about the start of a new age. Some seek visions in fire, chasing rumors across the sea to find their savior. Now, you have the chance to turn prophecy into reality, as you must unite Westeros under your rule if the realm is going to survive the darkness to come. But what do you truly believe?

Today,we’re offering a closer look at the followers of the Lord of Light that appear in the Fury of the Storm deluxe expansion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website!

Born Amidst Smoke and Salt

Fury of the Storm provides three copies each of 52 new cards to strengthen your armies in the battle for the Iron Throne. While each of the great factions gains new allies, this deluxe expansion focuses on the warring House Baratheon, where three brothers, united by ambition, are divided by duty and religion. With increasing unrest in Westeros, religious fanaticism has taken hold of the realm. The Red God of the East has crossed the sea and seized the minds and hearts of many, including Stannis Baratheon, who rejected the gods of his parents when he watched their ship torn apart in Shipbreaker Bay.

Those who have rejected the Seven alongside Stannis include the devout and ambitious

Alester Florent

(Fury of the Storm, 7). His true belief is debatable, but he may still serve a purpose in your pursuit of power. Melisandre sacrificed this Lord to the flames for favorable winds on Stannis’s journey to the Wall. If you can make the same show of force, when Alester Florent leave play you may choose and kneel an opposing character, so long as you have a R’hllor character to perform the proper ritual. While Alester could not fool the devout priestess of R’hllor, none would ever doubt the dedication of

Selyse Baratheon

(Fury of the Storm, 8). This Lady is perhaps the most fervent worshipper of the Red God, able to use her wealth and position to fund your cause by reducing the cost of each R’hllor attachment you marshal by three gold. This means that you can bring a

Glamor

(In Daznak’s Pit, 88) or

Ruby of R’hllor

(Across the Seven Kingdoms, 9) into play for free!

While the Baratheons have traditionally focused on maintaining power over other factions, Fury of the Storm introduces a variety of characters who find insight in the flames, mirroring the intrigues of the more courtly Houses of King’s Landing. The

Red Priest

(Fury of the Storm, 12) and

Acolyte of the Flame

(Fury of the Storm, 14) both grant you deeper insight into your opponent’s plans, while you can try your own hand at prophecy with

Nightfire Visions

(Fury of the Storm, 24). When you play this event, you may name a trait during the taxation phase. If your prediction proves true and your opponent reveals a plot card with that trait during the next plot phase, you draw three cards to help you better form a strategy to stand against their forces.

With these powerful followers and skills at your disposal, you are fully equipped to help one of your characters embrace their fate as

Azor Ahai Reborn

(Fury of the Storm, 20). While they bear this attachment, your chosen one is considered to participate in each challenge in which you control an attacking R’hllor character, helping them contribute to multiple challenges. And the attachment itself is not limited to R’hllor characters. You are free to choose any unique warrior in your deck, whether they align with the Lord of Light or not. You may proclaim that

Robert Baratheon

(Core Set, 48) is the savior of Westeros, giving you the power to intimidate your foes and claim renown on multiple challenges.

The Prince That Was Promised

Alternatively, if you choose to follow the Lord of Light, you may decide to build your deck around

Stannis Baratheon

(Fury of the Storm, 2) or another unique character if you truly believe they are 

The Prince That Was Promised

(Fury of the Storm, 45). This Prophecy agenda lets you name a champion once all agendas are announced. This character is then the only one who can gain power for your side, but after you win a power challenge by at least five STR, you may kneel your faction card to stand your chosen champion and draw a card. Or, if your champion is absent from your battleline, you may execute this same action to search your deck, discard, and dead pile for them and add them to your hand. Even if they should fall in battle for a time, you won’t have to fight the darkness alone for now.

In the case of Stannis, his faith already grants him insight into the future, making him impossible for your enemy to surprise him with event cards. This makes him a worthy choice as your champion, but you can create a deadly combination by equipping him with

Disputed Claim

(Lions of Casterly Rock, 26) to give him renown, doubling the rate at which he can accrue power. Then, you can move this power from Stannis to your faction card with

Fury

(Kings of the Isles, 26), to safeguard his claim if he falls to your opponent’s forces. Should Stannis be forced to leave play and then returned to your hand, you can reduce the cost to marshal him back onto the battlefield with

Dragonstone Port

(Core Set, 59). As much as your enemy may wish to destroy your champion, with the Lord of Light to guide him, he will come again to lead the realm into a new, glorious age.

Duty to the Realm

Stannis never asked for the crown, but it has fallen to him nonetheless. He has no choice but to assume his duty, stake his claim, and protect his subjects from the terrors of the cold and dark. Will you stand by his side as he embraces his destiny? 

Pre-order your copy of Fury of the Storm (GT52) at your local retailer today or online through the Fantasy Flight Games website here! Otherwise, be sure to look for this deluxe expansion when it hits shelves in the second quarter of 2019!

On the blood-stained battlefields of Rokugan, the skill and prowess of the Lion Clan is legendary. From Matsu warriors to Akodo tacticians to Kitsu who utilize the past itself to overwhelm their foes in combat, the tools of the Lion clan are extensive. The clan serves as the Right Hand of the Emperor, and to face a Lion in battle is to face death itself. 

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce The Emperor’s Legion Clan Pack for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game!

The Emperor’s Legion spotlights the Lion Clan with 78 new cards (three copies of twenty-five different cards and one copy each of three different cards) for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game. Here, look for an emphasis on recursion, revenge, and righteousness.

Furthermore, if you pre-order The Emperor’s Legion from Fantasy Flight Games website, not only will you get free shipping within the continental United States, you’ll also receive five double-sided province backers. These province backers sit behind your province in the same sleeve to show off beautiful art by Amélie Hutt and Greg Lambrakis while the card is facedown!

Vengeance of the Lion

Like other Clan packs, The Emperor’s Legion features a new stronghold for its signature clan.

Kyūden Ikoma

 (The Emperor’s Legion, 1) has the highest starting honor in the game, reflective of the Lion’s upstanding dedication to the honor of the Rokugan. Furthermore, the stronghold allows you to bow it after one of your character’s loses a conflict as an attacker to bow one of your opponent’s non-Champion characters.

This stronghold adjusts how your opponent thinks about victory in battle. Even a small contingent of Lion forces attacking a province becomes a difficult decision for your opponent. Defending can ensure the Lion don’t break the province, but their mind may be on a larger battle down the line, and can you afford one of your best samurai to be bowed when the real conflict begins? Kyūden Ikoma is a difficult province to play around, and allows Lion players to exact vengeance on those who challenge them. 

Coordinated Warriors

A golden horde descending upon you is terrifying for any samurai of Rokugan. The Lion’s Bushi are known across Rokugan as fearsome warriors, a well-oiled machine that can tear through their foes.

Matsu Gohei

 (The Emperor’s Legion, 6) is an impressive warrior in his own right, but his true potential is unleashed when he is attacking with at least two other Bushi. Win or lose, Matsu Gohei will not bow as a result of conflict resolution as long as he is flanked by two other Bushi while attacking. This allows Gohei to contribute his three military skill to additional conflicts during the turn. Should you emerge victorious, Gohei and his brethren can utilize

For Greater Glory

(Core Set, 165) to ensure they can repeat their tactics during the next turn.

However, should your Bushi fall in battle, there is still a duty that must be fulfilled. Every Lion knows they will eventually

Embrace Death

(The Emperor’s Legion, 23), and find victory even in their ultimate defeat. After you lose a conflict in which you controlled an attacking Bushi, you may sacrifice that Bushi to remove a fate from an opponent’s character, or discard it if they have no fate. Your target doesn’t have to be participating in the conflict, meaning your Bushi’s last breath can throw a wrench into your opponent’s plans, and bring their most fearsome foe with them into the warm embrace of death. 

Reverence and History

The sacrifices of these Bushi are not forgotten. The Lion are more than just warriors, their strength comes not only from their moral code and training, but of a reverence for the past. Lion Shugenja can commune with the voice of ancestors long past for guidance and power in conflict.

Voice of the Ancestors

(The Emperor’s Legion, 10) is a four-cost Shugenja, and the longer he is on the field, the more Spirits of the Lion Clan aid you in conflicts. As an Action, you can play a Lion character from your dynasty discard pile at a discounted cost as an attachment to another character you control. The character from your discard pile becomes a Spirit and adds their military and political skill to the attached character. While the Voice of the Ancestors doesn’t have impressive skills on his own, he can utilize and recur your fallen samurai to strengthen the Lion legion.

But not all recursion comes from ghosts of the past. The Lion are numerous, and cutting down one can bring two more in their place. The

Ashigaru Levy

(The Emperor’s Legion, 4) is already a free character, and allows you to bring another Ashigaru Levy into play from your province or discard pile when they are played. It is important to note that the trigger occurs when the Ashigaru Levy is brought into play by any means, meaning playing one Ashigaru Levy can bring in another, and that Ashigaru Levy can bring in your third, a makeshift army springing up from the cracks of battle. With a single military skill, the Ashigaru cannot stand on their own, but an army of Peasants rising up can make a difference in the Lion’s many military skirmishes. 

Deceptive Legions

Like the other clan packs before it, each of the other Great Clans of Rokugan receives a new character in The Emperor’s Legion, many of which directly counter the Lion’s most iconic strategies.

For example,

Shosuro Denmaru

(The Emperor’s Legion, 17) is a Scorpion Commander who can morph the state of the battlefield. While this impressive Bushi is on the field, the base glory of each honored character controlled by your opponent is 0. This is an extremely favorable advantage for the Scorpion, especially against the easily-honored Lion Clan Samurai. This ability only affects honored characters, meaning high glory characters are still susceptible to the Scorpion’s dishonorable tactics like

Way of the Scorpion

(Core Set, 185). While the lion prefer a straightforward battle, the Scorpion can use this to their advantage, manipulating events and conditions to ensure they can sever the Right Hand of the Emperor should the need arise.

Roaring Might

Though they take many forms, all clans of Rokugan fear the might of the Lion. From their fearsome Bushi to their reverent Shugenja, the Lion overwhelm their foes with coordination and skill. Will you join the ranks of the Emperor’s Right Hand?

Discover the path of the Lion in The Emperor’s Legion (L5C27), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or through our website with free shipping in the continental US!

Take a look at the latest products from Fantasy Flight Games, now available at your local retailer or online through our webstore!

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth

Embark on your own adventures in J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic world with The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth, a fully cooperative, app-supported board game for one to five players! You’ll battle villainous foes, make courageous choices, and strike a blow against the evil that threatens the land—all as part of a thrilling campaign that leads you across the storied hills and dales of Middle-earth.

Each individual game of Journeys in Middle-earth is a single adventure in a larger campaign. You’ll explore the vast and dynamic landscapes of Middle-earth, using your skills to survive the challenges that you encounter on these perilous quests. As you and your fellow heroes explore the wilderness and battle the dark forces arrayed against you, the game’s companion app guides you to reveal the looming forests, quiet clearings, and ancient halls of Middle-earth, while also controlling the enemies you encounter. Whether you’re venturing into the wild on your own or with close companions by your side, you can write your own legend in the history of Middle-earth.

Pick up your copy of  Journeys in Middle Earth (JME01) at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!

Allies and Adversaries Sourcebook

Wherever you travel in your Star Wars adventures, the Game Master needs to ensure there are plenty of memorable and exciting Non-Player Characters. After all, while the worlds and locations of Star Wars are iconic, it’s the individuals that make this universe so unique. Allies and Adversaries is the perfect resource for bringing these characters to life in Star Wars Roleplaying!

This sourcebook profiles heroic Rebels, evil Imperials, and galactic scum and villainy drawn from all three Star Wars Roleplaying game lines, along with a host of brand new individuals who have never been pro led before, and is fully compatible with Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion, and Force and Destiny. In all, over 130 NPCs are fully statted throughout the book for your use in any Star Wars Roleplaying campaign! 

Pick up your copy of the Allies and Adversaries Sourcebook (SWR12) at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!

Throughout the ages, one clan has held dominance over the hallowed halls of the Emerald Empire’s courts. To face a Crane Courtier in a battle of wits is to invite death, and the Iron Legion of the Left Hand are just as deadly on the battlefield. The Crane know they are the mightiest clan in Rokugan, and any who stand against them face a group of samurai armed with sharp blades and sharper words. 

Now, the Crane are receiving a set of brand new tools in Masters of the Court, a new clan pack for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game! Masters of the Court spotlights the Crane Clan with 78 new cards (three copies of twenty-five different cards and one copy each of three different cards). Here, you can look for an emphasis on the Crane’s skilled Duelists, their well-spoken Courtiers, and their ability to lock down their opponents with powerful conflict cards.

Join us today as we preview some of these new Crane Clan tools from Masters of the Court!

For the Glory of Rokugan

Glory is a double-edged blade in the world of Rokugan. While honoring the Crane’s high-glory characters paves the road to victory, dishonor can lead them down a path of ruin. Luckily, the

Maker of Keepsakes

(Masters of the Court, 7) is in no such danger, as she simply cannot receive dishonored status tokens from any source. With two glory, this Shugenja can easily become a five military, five political skill powerhouse who at worst can be downgraded to her base stats. The trappings of dishonor hold no sway over the Maker of Keepsakes, who will bring the Crane to glory no matter the cost.

As the Clan Pack’s name suggests, the Crane dominate the courts of Rokugan, their army of courtiers cutting down lesser samurai with their words alone, ending conflicts before a single blow is struck. The

Benevolent Host

(Masters of the Court, 10) is a generous samurai, but as your opponent is lulled into security, they become outnumbered by the Crane. After you play the Benevolent Host, you may put another Courtier in one of your provinces into play, giving them a fate if they cost two or less.

There are plenty of valuable targets for this ability, from the upcoming

Arbiter of Authority

 (Bonds of Blood, 34) to the always popular

Guest of Honor

 (Core Set, 51). With careful deckbuilding, the Benevolent Host never works alone, overwhelming your opponent with the steel wordsmiths of the Crane.

Masters of the Court contains an ideal target for the Benevolent Host in the form of the

Winter Court Hosts

(Masters of the Court, 12), a massive six-cost group of Courtiers whose elegance and grace is unparalled in the land of Rokugan. With a massive seven political skill and three glory, the Winter Court Hosts are worth the investment for their skill alone. However, the Winter Court Hosts can also provide additional card draw during conflicts they are participating in, provided you are more honorable than your opponent. With the Winter Court Hosts on the field, you will always have additional gifts for friends and foes alike. 

Gossip and Celebration

Of course your opponent will have their own gifts to provide in the form of brutal conflict cards. If you can anticipate the actions of your foe, you can spread

Gossip

(Masters of the Court, 22) to ensure your opponent’s plans are always disrupted. Gossip is a limited card that allows you to name a card that your opponent can’t play until the end of the phase. Cards like the Lion Clan’s

For Greater Glory

(Core Set, 168) can be vital to their Great Clan’s success, and Gossip ensures you are safe from these high-impact cards for a short while.

To further push your advantage, the Crane can hold a

Festival for the Fortunes

 (Masters of the Court, 25). A steep investment, this event honors each character on the field. While this includes your opponent’s characters, careful planning can ensure your clan comes out on top during the festival. At one influence, the Festival for the Fortunes can be an important event in any clan’s deck, including the Phoenix, who often rely on high glory characters to give them the edge in conflicts.

Using their impressive legion of Courtiers, you can press the Crane’s biggest advantage with

Courteous Scheming

(Masters of the Court, 24). This two-cost event allows you to initiate a political duel, with the winner able to declare an additional political conflict during the phase. This allows the Crane to go all in on their biggest strength and stressing your opponent’s political defenses. Can any Great Clan truly stand up to the Crane in the courts of Rokugan? 

Sharp Blades, Sharper Words

Whether they are spreading gossip about their foes or hosting the Winter Court itself, the Crane are a difficult foe to overcome. Will any Great Clan stand up to their might when Masters of the Court releases in the second quarter of 2019?

Serve the Empire with beauty and grace by purchasing Masters of the Court (L5C18), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!

War rages across the stars, as the Rebel Alliance seeks to overthrow the evil Galactic Empire. The Emperor and his apprentice Darth Vader direct Stormtrooper legions against the uprising, while Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker lead efforts to restore peace and justice. Bounty hunters and smugglers find opportunity in the turmoil. Civilians, droids, and creatures everywhere simply try to survive. In these turbulent times, even rogues can find themselves joining the conflict and becoming heroes that determine the fate of the galaxy.

Allies and Adversaries brings these characters to your games of Star Wars Roleplaying in a complete codex of over 100 characters, each fully statted for easy use in campaigns of Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion, and Force and Destiny!

Join us today as we preview some of the iconic NPCs featured in Allies and Adversaries!

The Beast

Chewbacca is recognized around the underworld as Han Solo’s more respectable Wookiee first mate, unflinchingly loyal even though he might be a reluctant partner in Han’s wilder schemes. Chewbacca’s loyalty is well-earned: he believes he owes Han a life debt, driving him to protect Han in return. The two met on Mimban, where Solo helped the

Wookiee escape Imperial imprisonment and joined a criminal gang on an ambitious heist. The two stayed together afterward and became an inseparable team.

Chewbacca is a fierce combatant. He plays up his appearance and reputation as Han Solo’s muscle, while Han relies on the Wookiee’s reputation for strength and violence to intimidate his enemies. Chewbacca also certainly has Rebel sympathies. While Solo ostensibly makes the big decisions for the pair, Chewbacca has considerable influence and often guilts his partner into doing the right thing.

Chewbacca is almost always encountered with Han Solo, though the Wookiee sometimes has missions or tasks of his own in which the PCs might be involved. Chewie is constantly working on the Millennium Falcon and can often be found wherever the ship is berthed while Han takes care of other business.

Chewbacca is a fearsome foe or ally, and thanks to his life debt, he can spend a Destiny Point to reroll a skill check when aiding Han Solo. Aside from loyalty, Wookies are known for their dramatic temper and tendency to rip arms off. With the Wookiee Wins ability, Chewbacca can spend a triumph during Brawl checks to inflict the Maimed critical injury!

Whether you cross paths with Chewbacca as a friend or foe, he is a force to be reckoned with during any adventure.

Rule Through Fear

Wilhuff Tarkin is one of the Emperor’s most highly trusted officers and one of the most influential members of the New Order. Chancellor Palpatine was instrumental in drawing Tarkin into politics and into positions of increasing authority. Tarkin served as a captain and admiral in the Grand Army of the Republic, and once led his home world of Eriadu in the Seswenna sector. Tarkin has advocated ruling through the fear of force more than through force itself, which he included as a key part of his Tarkin Doctrine.

Grand Moff Tarkin’s influence reaches far beyond the Death Star project. As one of the galaxy’s most powerful political and military commanders, he may become involved in virtually any major Imperial situation. The completion of the Death Star occupies much of his attention, but his support of additional projects, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn’s TIE defender, can lead him to other weapons development and manufacturing facilities in the galaxy. If Rebel PCs become too effective or popular, he may personally lead a force to deal with them.

Going toe to toe with Tarkin can be an intimidating affair: his Commanding Presence can add advantages and successes to his allies and disadvantages and failures to his enemies. Tarkin’s strength comes from his ability to rule through fear, and any characters that oppose him will have to take on an inspired Imperial legion.

The Scarred Hunter

A disgraced Wookiee in exile, Krrsantan fled Kashyyyk by volunteering to fight for the Xonti Brothers. Without Krrsantan’s consent, the Xonti Brothers grafted mechanical enhancements to Krrsantan’s body, making him practically invincible in gladiatorial bouts. Enraged, the black-furred Wookiee fled, eventually becoming an elite bounty hunter hired by the likes of Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader. However, much of his time is spent partnered with Doctor Aphra, who has promised him a lot of credits and a lead on the Xonti Brothers. Krrsantan has sworn to repay the brothers in kind, in some twisted version of the traditional Wookiee life debt.

Large even for a Wookiee, Krrsantan has black fur braided and decorated with gold baubles to distract from his many scars. The largest, which cuts across his left eye, is allegedly from the blade of legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Krrsantan wears a traditional armored harness and pauldrons in the style of Wookiee warriors from the city of Kachirho. He revels in hand-to-hand combat, even engaging in gladiatorial bouts to the death for fun.

Black Krrsantan can turn up anywhere in the galaxy, but he’s most often found in or around spaceports that house extensive criminal networks. There, he might hunt down any number of scum on behalf of galactic power brokers. His work with Aphra often sends him to archaeological sites, museums, and universities. If someone has hired Black Krrsantan to hunt the PCs, he forces a confrontation the moment he feels the odds are even or better. He prefers to fight barehanded, throwing, punching, and choking enemies into submission. Krrsantan prefers direct confrontations, using his bowcaster only if outnumbered.

Taking on Krrsantan in a direct fight is highly inadvisable—with his Pit Fighter ability, the fearsome Wookiee can add 30 to any critical injury roll stemming from a Melee or Brawl check!

Strength in Numbers

Banthas are found on thousands of worlds across the galaxy, with hundreds of variant species demonstrating this mammal’s adaptability. They are able to thrive in a variety of environments, including marshy swampland, verdant forests, harsh deserts, and even polar tundras. Easily domesticated, banthas are used as beasts of burden and as a food source. Banthas are also used as mounts in numerous cultures throughout the stars.

Banthas are most commonly encountered as mounts or as herd animals. PCs may be tasked to guide a herd from one area to another, possibly requiring a variety of tasks to manage the herd and to help any banthas that are caught in distress. When used as a mount, the bantha can be a formidable opponent in close combat. Given their ability to carry a heavy load, banthas can also be utilized to carry PCs armed with heavy weaponry or aid in rapidly moving weapon emplacements.

Banthas can be easily domesticated and can also be used bear the weight of encumbering gear. It’s a slow moving method of travel, but one that is necessary when moving lots of equipment. 

Friends and Foes 

All these characters and more await you in Allies and Adversaries, a codex featuring the iconic characters of the Star Wars galaxy. Which of these characters will you cross paths with on your next adventure?

Enter the Star Wars galaxy with Allies and Adversaries (SWR12), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!