Free Folk Tactics and Positioning?

Chase-On the Table Gaming

Chase-On the Table Gaming

New member
Huge fan of the Free Folk, and I've previewed both some of the tactics and abilities of they have to offer. [See Videos Below]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLhhDzpmNBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v94eEjww6U


That being said, while the game of A Song of Ice and Fire is literally all about positioning your units, the Free Folk seem optimally primed for using formations to maximize their effectiveness and minimize their attachments being picked off.

Does anyone have any interesting formations they are currently using (or are theory crafting) that they think would work well with the Free Folk? I'd love to do a deep dive, and maybe make a video on the topic, but I am not sure where to start!
 
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JeppeP

New member
You want fun positioning?
yes it is probably true that Free Folk can't use Neutral units BUT
you block LoS by base not by model so you can easly hide a Giant behind a single unit of raiders and the nights watch scorpion can not hit the giant.
 
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JaySonic

New member
I have a question. The nights watch scorpion's single hit. You can't roll defense and deals automatic wounds. So if someone hits a giant with it, do the giants still only take 1/2 damage or would they take 100%?
 
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caladancid

New member
Here's a question I've been working on with the Free Folk. Is it better to mass up the giants for one big hit and take down a unit at a time (which can make it quite difficult to get back points if that is the goal) or to stiffen up the rest of the rather...not so great...line of FF infantry? My thoughts so far have been to spread the giants out, but I am not sold on those results.
 
Oakwolf

Oakwolf

Member
caladancid said:
Here's a question I've been working on with the Free Folk. Is it better to mass up the giants for one big hit and take down a unit at a time (which can make it quite difficult to get back points if that is the goal) or to stiffen up the rest of the rather...not so great...line of FF infantry? My thoughts so far have been to spread the giants out, but I am not sold on those results.
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It depends on the scenario. See the giants as massive pillars around which your rather unreliable clansmen run around. They are both anchors and hammers. So you have to apply those pillars where it'll force the opponent to deal with them, or make it so they loose precious time if they avoid them. It can also depend on the enemy forces, you have to keep an eye where threats are deployed. There's nothing worse for Flayed men to be charged by a Giant, and they'll have to flee or it'll tarpit them for too long. As such, Giants are excellent to hold objectives, but you have to keep an eye on what can counter Giants too.

Something really important for Free folk is deployment. They often have enough units to fill a whole table edge. This is great for saturation, but less so to manoeuvre and react to enemy movements. Giants, are quite unique so far because they have a small tray. Wherever you place them in your line will give nearby units some room to pivot and move about. Have a plan before the game starts. It's harder for FF to adapt once the game is on.

I like to have Spearwives around Giants, because they are fragile, worth 1VP and so really benefit from the Giant's protection. Once the Giant is engaged, they can still shoot in the melee, and the Giant won't care much. As i said, there's more room to manoeuvre around Giants and Spearwives enjoy that too. If needed, they can charge in to support. Trappers are another good combo as it creates a zone of death around the giant, and Cave Dwellers will appreciate the Giant's damage output, hopefully reducing enemy ranks to trigger more bonuses.
 
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caladancid

New member
Oakwolf said:
It depends on the scenario. See the giants as massive pillars around which your rather unreliable clansmen run around. They are both anchors and hammers. So you have to apply those pillars where it'll force the opponent to deal with them, or make it so they loose precious time if they avoid them. It can also depend on the enemy forces, you have to keep an eye where threats are deployed. There's nothing worse for Flayed men to be charged by a Giant, and they'll have to flee or it'll tarpit them for too long. As such, Giants are excellent to hold objectives, but you have to keep an eye on what can counter Giants too.

Something really important for Free folk is deployment. They often have enough units to fill a whole table edge. This is great for saturation, but less so to manoeuvre and react to enemy movements. Giants, are quite unique so far because they have a small tray. Wherever you place them in your line will give nearby units some room to pivot and move about. Have a plan before the game starts. It's harder for FF to adapt once the game is on.

I like to have Spearwives around Giants, because they are fragile, worth 1VP and so really benefit from the Giant's protection. Once the Giant is engaged, they can still shoot in the melee, and the Giant won't care much. As i said, there's more room to manoeuvre around Giants and Spearwives enjoy that too. If needed, they can charge in to support. Trappers are another good combo as it creates a zone of death around the giant, and Cave Dwellers will appreciate the Giant's damage output, hopefully reducing enemy ranks to trigger more bonuses.
Click to expand...

Those are good thoughts, thanks. Giants are for sure the best option for holding objectives, Raiders vanish real quick under any sort of effort.

One thing I do disagree on is the lack of reaction ability. With Val, Tormund, and Raid Leaders I have found FF to be the easiest faction to whip around units and react to hot spots. Now, when I get there I don't always have the success I want haha but maneuvering hasn't been the issue.
 
D

Darkfine

New member
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]I attempted to start a thread discussing my thoughts on the faction but for whatever reason it isn’t working and this one seems the most relevant.

My group is relatively new to the game and in an effort to minimize mirror matches I decided to be the lone Free Folk player in the area.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]A decision I sort of regret now. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]I understand and find it an interesting idea how the Free Folk are suppose to function in the context of the games design but in practice I feel like the concept doesn’t work. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]For starters the idea that there is an entire faction with weak leadership in a game where it is an important(sometimes the most important) stat is very odd.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Which leads to my next observation, Freefolk are the only faction so far who get arbitrarily punished in certain missions. Mainly I refer to Dance With Dragons and Feast of Crows. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]In Dance as soon as you pick an objective up one of your greatest assets vanishes as your speed is locked to two inches. All that is required now is for that 2” movement unit to receive a charge from almost anything and lose a leader 8+ panic. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]I don’t really think I need to go into Feast of Crows much, if you are playing FF and run into that mission you might as well scoop and grab a bite to eat that round.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]I’d like to address the cards next.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]The faction deck is sort of a mess. Most of the cards therein require full stop conditions to be met to play the card at all. When I sit down and play a game with my Stark faction my cards either always work and get better if a condition is met or require a condition “get charged”, something that happens as a matter of course. Meanwhile I sit with a hand of dead cards most of the time with Free Folk. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]For those with the opinion I should play better I’d offer that having multiple units engaged against one is more a testament to the ability of your opponent. My group has been playing rank and file for around a decade or more and it isn’t as simple as saying “I’m going to gang up on unit A”.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]That isn’t to mention the fact that if you want to play more than one or two giants half your base deck is largely dead before you ever draw it. Which means that any additional monster action in Free Folk would require a second base deck to be viable (which could very well happen I’ll grant you).[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Next I’d like to talk about Mance. His Meticulous Planning card to start, its just got to be the best 20th card to draw ever. I’d mention the fact that you lose three cards in advantage to use whatever effect you tutored for but fortunately you are often left sitting on dead cards so might as well...[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Then there is Meticulous Planning, the only card I’m aware of that has a built in counter spell. Never mind there has to be more than active unit, even if they choose the nominated target to activate what do you get? Best case scenario is a Dweller or FoB attack? Maybe a wounded Giant? Meanwhile Lannister have access to a card that says “you can’t activate that unit” or better “I get to pick what unit you activate”.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]To summarize, other factions have access to similar yet superior tactics cards and on the whole never have a dead hand of cards. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]One of the factions perceived strengths is their low cost and large numbers. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Firstly I’d submit that there are a few different Stark/Lannister lists that get close or even match the number of activations a FF list can get. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Secondly, even if we start the game with two or three more activations a turn or two of combat quickly sees that disappear. Especially against factions that can secure a round one charge. Numbers only matter when you start talking about whole numbers and not decimal points.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Lastly I want to talk about giants. The only combat unit currently in the game with less than twelve wounds. At first blush they seem pretty good, until you compare them to the seven point offerings of other factions. Mountain Men, Veterans, Berserkers, Knights, Flayed Men and anything with the right card/NCU influence have huge damage ceilings. I’ve on multiple occasions seen units tabled with a charge, 12+ wounds. Giants come in with 4, a third of the time. Even if you are living the dream and have a Giant with 4 wounds you still aren’t killing a unit outright with a charge. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Basically, as threatening as giants can be they are very easy to contain and manage. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]So there we have it, a faction with terrible leadership in a game designed around the stat, who’s numbers account for little and who’s cards are second rate at when they work. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Looking forward to the hero box 1 I’m not filled with much hope. There are some neat things in it and it opens up several new tactics and approaches to playing the faction but does nothing to address the inherent, and in my opinion crippling, flaws of the faction.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]I’d enjoy hearing what your experiences have been like with the Free Folk,[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]Thanks for your time!

Apologies for the formatting, on mobile and it isn’t cooperating.[/FONT][/FONT]
 
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