- BGG rating
- 8.4
A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen
2019
Rules assistance for A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 45–60 min
- 14+
Rules assistant for A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen is a board game expansion released in 2019 for 2 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Eric M. Lang and Michael Shinall and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling.
About the game
The brotherhood of the Night’s Watch has pledged to keep Westeros safe from all the horrors that live north of The Wall. Forsaking any life they might’ve had before joining, they are entirely committed to their vows. Within their number are the Builders. They maintain the fortifications in and around The Wall, as well as all the arms and armor used by the Night’s Watch. Their forges create some of the best and hardiest gear, including the valuable crossbow. While there are the massive ballistae that act as siege weapons, as well as the Scorpions that are light enough to be taken to battle afield, they also create hand-held crossbows. They heavily train with them, becoming a fighting force of their own. Next month, Night’s Watch players will be able to add the Builder Crossbowmen to their forces. Let’s take a look at how they operate. Being the ones that built the crossbows, the Builders are also experts in their use, having trained intensely with them. This results in the to-hit number for their crossbow attack being a 3+ and rolling seven dice when at full ranks, and even when one rank has been destroyed. The power in these “little instruments of death” is so great that they can attack at Long Range and apply Sundering. The crossbows aren’t the only armaments the Builders have. They also can go into battle wielding longswords. While they are competent in their use, the Builder Crossbowmen would still prefer to reach out and touch the enemy at range. And, if an enemy wants to do them engage via a charge, the unit’s Ready! Aim! Fire! order lets them get an extra attack in before the enemy closes in. On the defensive side of things, the unit shows their weakness. With a Defense Save of 6+ and a Morale value of 7+, this is a unit that really does not want the enemy to attack them. Their moderate speed of 5 also means that they can’t outrun most enemy units wanting to chase them down. However, the Builder Crossbowmen would really hope that their last-ditch attack thins the enemy ranks as much as possible. The Builder Crossbowmen are a perfect unit for Night’s Watch players who want to add some ranged attack damage to their force. They should be kept well away from the enemy, but within range of their trusty crossbows. Supported by units able to take a melee hit if necessary, they can do a lot to bring victory to the Black. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- CMON Global Limited
- Dark Sword Miniatures, Inc.
Questions and answers
A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen is 45–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen are: Eric M. Lang and Michael Shinall. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game – Builder Crossbowmen as an expansion. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to an existing base game and usually cannot be played on their own. Check the box or publisher description for the exact base game required, and make sure your edition of that game is compatible with this expansion.