New images and details of the Stannis Loyalty Baratheon Heroes box have been revealed giving Stannis new characters to reinforce his position. From a brand-new pony to father figures, and to a fool, there are several new tools at disposal to change up the game for the Baratheon’s loyal to Stannis. Let’s not waste any more time!
I want to talk about a few subjects when breaking down the reveals for these new characters. I want to rank them on Rules, Themes, and Creativity. How competitive are they but also how fun and flavourful? How well do they represent their characterisation in the books/show? Is the model a great design in terms of look but also synergy?
Stannis Baratheon, King at the Wall
After a cataclysmic defeat at the Blackwater for the Stannis party, I truly believed the character’s future (and all those surrounding him) was over. In the show he came back fiercely taking the North by storm, which was even more impressive in the books. A cavalry Commander for Stannis Baratheon is inspired by the slaughter he gave to Mance Rayder’s forces during the siege of The Wall. With Mance dominating at the top of tournament tables, it feels very poetic to get Stannis in this way, but is it enough to topple the King Beyond the Wall?
On The Double! Ride Them Down! Muster. Stannis mustered his forces quickly after convincing the Iron Bank to fund his campaign to claim the Iron Throne. Stannis then marched on the double to get to The Wall before Castle Black falls landing at Eastwatch by the Sea and force marching to the fight declaring the cavalry to ride them down to subdue the raiders. Stannis is never out for the count; Tywin made it clear he was the bigger threat than Robb and this is due to his stubbornness to stick around and be a thorn in the side. Stannis at The Wall played a political game for a little bit by trying to manipulate characters by inciting them to act to the truth, such as inciting Jon to join the war and become Warden of the North, but also to the Free Folk. I think this Commander fits perfectly with the theme of the character.
In terms of rules however, it looks fun, but it is not competitive. Champions of the Stag are slow, free charges, additional manoeuvres, and extra movement value offsets this, whilst also helping to utilise their abilities better. They can be overshadowed however by the ever-present Flayed Men. At a competitive level there is a slightly better use of incite on the Flayed Men, but stubborn tenacity is slightly better on the Champions. How you use the cards will decide how well which unit will perform. Stannis does not change the argument over which heavy cavalry is better for the faction. However, making a themed list around Baratheon cavalry is now possible and very fun.
The model looks good, it will likely be elevated by a good paint job and is perfect for free hand artists to take a shot at it. However, it feels slightly off, I don’t know if it is the expression or the pose, but something is off. Hopefully a paint job will cure this for me.
Final Score: 8/10
Justin Massey, the Smiler
A character not featured in the show but is quite important in the books. Justin is an adviser to Stannis and sits high in his councils. The name ‘The Smiler’ was coined by Stannis for Justin’s insincerity behind his readied smile, a.k.a a wannabe Petyr Baelish at face value. Justin aspires to become Warden of the North if Rickon is not obtained, he works towards a marriage with Asha Greyjoy, and in the pre-released chapters for Winds of Winter he is sent to raise another army of mercenaries in Braavos to fight in Stannis’ or Shireen’s’ name.
Seeing how Justin hopes to become Warden of the North he will need to play the part. In the books he acts as Stannis’ envoy to the Northern lords and scouts the Bolton siege of Moat Cailin. His rules are familiar to Stark players as similarities between him and Robb are there in Tactical Reposition and Sudden Retreat. Regroup and Reform is a Free Folk card and plays into the idea of Justin trying to become the leader for the north, but he did also have hopes of marrying Lady Val at one point. Stark forces have great morale so bringing an inspiring Presence makes a lot of sense. Precious Supplies ties to him overseeing the baggage train for the march to Winterfell. I do believe that Justin should have had something tying into his political ambitions and thought this might have been his NCU variant but there was none. This was close to perfection.
Rules. Tactical Reposition for Baratheon’s is a god sent for the slow-moving force, but the morale change really doesn’t do too much. Sudden Retreat is so good to avoid combat, a popular combo I have seen is Stark Outriders avoiding combat but holding on to an objective by retreating an inch every time. This could be utilised in the same way or keep one of your weaker units alive. After playing against Free Folk, Regroup and Reform is amazing for getting the Raid Leaders into combat for some great buffs. With Baratheon’s I am unsure how this will be used, if you are saving a model from a dying unit then you have bigger problems. Perhaps it is to buff a unit with multiple attachments, however the best attachments are the commanders. Precious Supplies is a very strong card, giving the Stannis side access to some healing.
I think Justin Massey is perfect for Neutrals. Considering he is being sent to raise an army of mercs this would fit a theme. Place him in a unit of Stormcrow Archers, improving their bad morale statistics and giving them better positioning to shoot. Regroup and Reform a Red Priestess into the same unit, Sudden Retreat it if it is ever caught in a charge and heal it with Precious Supplies where needed.
The model is glorious, the hair, the pose, the huge cloak. Justin is a large man with pink cheeks, blue eyes, and a mop of thick straight hair, white blond and pale as flax. The fair knight has a neatly trimmed blond beard. His tunic displays the triple spiral of House Massey. The model matches the description! I do think a NCU version should be made in the future with a toned down from combat feel. I am only marking Justin down for the rules, it doesn’t fit with Baratheon’s and won’t integrate with the faction. There is nothing fun in the rules nor are the rules so good to warrant being picked for tournament play.
Final Score: 7/10
Stannis and Justin are very thematic commanders with some fun rules to change up the Baratheon faction. Whilst Stannis may compete for a strong list, Justin is left behind with the Joffrey Baratheon’s and Erik Ironmakers. The models are outstanding and will only get better with a layer of paint. We will speak more on the other characters in the box in a future article as I have a lot to say, and this article would be essay length if I let loose. Baratheon Heroes 3 Commanders Review – ASOIAF Miniatures Game
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