Two quick newbish questions:

If you have a couple of cards in play that have Renown, and a couple that do not: If I initiate a challenge, and win it, with a character that does not have renown...do all of my Renown guys still get power counters? Or, do I have to win a challenge with a Renown character, and then all of the other renown characters and that character get power counters?

Secondly, both players start the game with no power on their house cards right? Do you get your first power counters by winning power challenges, but then since your opponent has none, you take from the power pool?

divinityofnumber said:

From rulebook:

If you win a challenge (either as attacker or
defender), each of your participating characters
with the “Renown” keyword claims 1 power
after the challenge resolves.

divinityofnumber said:

No. Also, you should read about infamy keyword

1. So, if I initiate a military challenge, and win, my opponent has to kill a number of characters equal to the claim value on my plot card....but do I also get a power counter from the power pool for winning a challenge?

2. If someone chooses a military challenge, and say I have no characters in play. Do they get one power for winning a challenge, and then a second power for it being unopposed? And both of those would come from the power pool? The only time that power counters go from player A's house card to player B's is through power challenges...am I correct on all of this?

divinityofnumber said:

1. You only get a power counter if the military challenge goes unopposed.

2. Same as before. Your opponent claims 1 power for the challenge being unopposed. It's not a power challenge, is it? Military challenges let you kill characters, they don't let you claim power if they're not unopposed.

When you win a power challenge as the attacker you "steal" 1 power from your opponent's House Card. When you win an unopposed challenge you get one power from the power pool.

Ok. It is making more sense now.

1. So when the game starts, no one has any power counters. And, at the very beginning, the only way to get a power counter is to claim one from the power pool by having an unopposed challenge?

2. So no one has any power counters yet, and you win an unopposed power challenge, you just get one power counter from the power pool, since they did not have one for you to steal?

3. If your opponent has some power on their house card, and you win an unopposed power challenge, then you get one from the power pool for the challenge being unopposed, and one from their card onto yours for winning the challenge?

divinityofnumber said:

1. Well, it tends to be like this. There are other methods of getting power, though. Some cards add power to your cards. But yes, there usually are many unopposed challenges during the first round.

2. Yes.

3. Yes. Only Power challenges give you power when you win as the attacker. Military and Intrigue challenges don't get you any power UNLESS they're unopposed.

Also, remember that card or rule always will tell you what to do. Claim - you take counter from power pool. Move - you move counter from card to card.

Thanks guys, this really clears a lot up. I also didn't realize that characters have to have a military icon to be able to block a military challenge, I thought anyone could block anything, but some could just not initiate certain challenges.......

No wonder my first game took myself and a friend 5 hours....

*laugh all you want, it is completely true.

eloooooooi said:

There's always Dominance....

Something else that happens a lot in the first round is that the second player LETS a challenge by the first player go unopposed so that they have something to steal for their own power challenge.

ktom said:

~SHHHHH!! thats one of baratheon's best kept secrets

Lars said:

lol. Yes. I learned that tonight. I played Baratheon.

You probably know this already, but winning a power challenged does not let you move 1 power from your opponenets House card to yours, but instead lets you move a number of power equal to your claim. If you have a 2 claim plot you move two power (or up to two power I should say) from their House Card to yours.

dormouse said:

Indeed. I found myself forgetting about that while playing at first. So many of the core set plot cards have claim values of 1, that I would start not even thinking about it...and then all of a sudden saying to my opponent "Wait a second....lift up your plot card....." and then handing over one more power counter.