Perched atop the Iron Throne, Robert Baratheon and the allies of House Baratheon must stand ready to defend their power, for war is inevitable in Westeros! Always prepared for battle, House Baratheon sends skilled warriors and inspiring commanders to lead hordes of veteran soldiers into battle. With chivalrous knights, sneaky smugglers, and crafty rangers to lend their skills, this Great House stands ready to meet any threat.

Fantasy Flight Games recently announced the upcoming release of the House Baratheon Army Expansion. With this exciting expansion, a brand-new army enters Battles of Westeros for the first time!  Containing 110 detailed plastic miniatures, this substantial expansion allows you to choose from eight stalwart commanders and six potent unit types with which to wage war.

While you can learn more about this massive expansion at FFG's website, we're pleased to present an overview here at Game Trade Magazine, along with an exclusive closer look at Alliance battles that support multi-player games of Battles of Westeros.

~ A Monumental Army ~

Charge into battle alongside Renly, Stannis, or even King Robert Baratheon and other commanders from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Complete with unique abilities to influence the battle, these leaders give Baratheon players a wealth of tactical options on the battlefield.

Smash your opponents with skillful Baratheon units. The Honorable Knights of Nightsong seek to test themselves in battle, refraining from taking advantage of an enemy in a weakened state, while the well-rounded Storm’s End Sentinels Pursue their adversaries. Meanwhile, the devout Army of the Light are Zealots who refuse to retreat from any battle.

~ Introducing Epic Battles ~

The bloody struggle for King’s Landing takes place in the first multi-stage Epic Battle, the "Battle of Blackwater". Testing even the bravest of generals over three stages, this scenario recreates one of the largest and most important battles in the War of the Five Kings. Choose your side and reenact the deadly Battle of Blackwater.

The first Epic Battle in Battles of Westeros takes place on the stunning Blackwater map board. This new map board features terrain printed directly onto it. Wage war over a large river and fortified city, and with the Epic Battle special rules, you can use wildfire to destroy attacking ships and catapults to defend the city walls.

~ Creating an Alliance ~

Gather your friends under your banner and march to war in Alliance battles for up to eight players! Divide the players evenly into two armies and elect each team's Lord, whose main function is to divvy up resources. The remaining players act as Bannermen, and each team's Lord distributes all of the available  commanders as evenly as possible. Each player controls his assigned commander (or commanders) on the battlefield for the duration the game. With a command structure established, you're ready to begin the fight.

With multiple players ordering units about the battlefield, some slight alterations to game phases are needed to ensure things move smoothly. In the Marshaling Phase, Leadership cards are drawn from one common deck by the Lord and then distributed among the Bannermen. If a player receives fewer cards than his allies, he is allowed to draw one more Leadership card. Additionally, teams share a common pool of order tokens and players can use these freely. During the Command Phase, any player on a team may choose to act, but each army can still only make one action before the opposing army becomes the active army. Then, in the Regroup Phase, each player can choose to keep one order token and one Leadership card from his hand to carry over to the next turn.

House Stark clashes with House Lannister in "The Mane Force", a battle plan specifically designed as an Alliance battle. With over sixty units in the fight, this confrontation is so massive that it requires two map boards to play! Can the Lannister forces overwhelm their enemies, or will House Stark claim victory? Find out when you and your friends team up for battle using the innovative rules in the House Baratheon Army Expansion.
As war draws near, House Baratheon and the armies of the black stag assemble to defend the Iron Throne. Be part of the struggle for power with the House Baratheon Army Expansion.

Look for this massive Battles of Westeros expansion to arrive in the second quarter of 2012.