Many text in this game is not quiet clear for me. (May be I'm thinking too much)
Anyway, please answer my questions so I can play it correctly.

1. Declare defenders

The rule book said "must declare at least 1 defending character in order to be considered defending against a challenge"
Normally, I would understand that I have to declare at least one defender if I can.
But because of the word "in order to be considered" that make me confuse.

Let's say if I don't want my character to be considered defending against a challenge,
So, I don't need to declare any defending character, correct or not?

2. Next card you play

Many cards in core set contain a word "lower the cost of the next [symbol] card you play this phase"
Again, I would understand if the word just say "lower the cost of [symbol] card(s) you play this phase"
The word next make me confuse so much.

So, let's say again if I use the card that have this skill, is it mean that I can lower the cost of the next one card that have [symbol] only?
Or it is lower the cost of all cards that I will play this phase with have [symbol]?
(Clearly question : it's only lower one next card, or all card that will play in this phase)

3. Plot card "Planing ahead"

The text said "Skip the taxation phase this round"

This mean my opponent will skip their taxation phase also, correct?

4. Location card "Queen Cersei's chambers"

If I use this card and choose to play as an attachment of my house card, what is it benefit for doing that?

It is still consider to be Location card or Attachment card or both?

Can attachment card kneeling?

Thank you.

PCichigo said:

It is because of the rules for an unopposed challenge. If you do not declare defenders, you are not considered to be defending, so your opponent can gain a power for an unopposed challenge. And yes, if you don't want to declare a defender, you do not have to (unless a card effect would force you to).

PCichigo said:

It is written that way because you only get the benefit once, on the next card of the appropriate type you play. For example, some cards let you reduce the cost of the next [house sybol] character by 2, and some the next [house symbol] card by one. So if you use both of these cards back to back and then marshall an in-house location, you will reduce its cost by 1, but you can play a character next and reduce it by 2. If you played a character instead of a location it would have been reduced by 3, as the reducers stack.

PCichigo said:

Correct.

PCichigo said:

As an attachment, it cannot be discard by Fleeing to the Wall, or be knelt by Attack from the Sea, or discarded by cards like The Price of War or Compelled by the Crown. But it can be discarded by cards that can discard attachment. So you have to decide if it would be safer to play this card as a location or attachment. And you would still have to kneel the card to use the influence.

A little additional detail:

1. You do not have to declare defenders if you do not want to, even if you have characters that could be declared. You are never forced to declare defenders. Just be aware that if you don't, your opponent gets a bonus power for the challenge going unopposed. Of course, that might be the best thing to do in the situation....

2. Keep in mind that the symbol on those cards stand for House affiliations, so they lower the cost of the next card you play with that House affiliation.

3. Players share each phase - even though in Marshaling and Challenges they take turns being the active player. So one player can only skip an entire phase if all players skip it.

4. When you play the location as an attachment, it is only considered an attachment - even though it is still a printed location card. It can only be affected by cards that affect attachments. The benefit is therefore whether you think it will be easier to protect the card as a location or as an attachment.

Thank you for all reply, it is very useful for me

Somehow, the answer for question two is still not clear for me.
(Well, I am sorry, I know that I am not explain the question clearly enough)

So, I will make some clearly example... let's say...

- It's a Marshalling phase for me (playing house Stark).

- I play a location card "Northern Fiefdoms" on my table.
(The text said "Marshalling: Kneel Northern Fiefdoms to lower the cost of the next [Wolf symbol] card you play this phase by 1")

- I kneel "Northern Fiefdoms" to use the skill.

- Next I play a character card "Bran Stark" by paying 1 gold (Normally cost 2)

- Then I play a character card "Eddard Stark" by paying 3 gold (Normally cost 4)

- And I play a character card "Hodor" for free (Normally cost 1)

- At last I play an attachment card "Summer" and place on "Bran Stark" for free (Normally cost 1)

Are all of this step that I play is correct or not?

By the way the skill of "Northern Fiefdoms" can be use for character card, location card, and attachment card as long as that card belong to the Stark house, correct?

Thank you for all of your advice again.

PCichigo said:

No. This is not correct. When the location says "lower the cost of the next (Stark) card you play this phase by 1," it is being literal. It only works on the next ONE card you play from your hand that phase. So in your example, you kneel the location, then play Bran for 2-1=1. When you get to Eddard, he is no longer the "next" card you play that phase after triggering the Fiefdom and so his cost is not lowered at all.

The point of reference for "next" is activating the Northern Fiefdom. There is only one "next Stark card."

PCichigo said:

Yes. Because the Fiefdom specifies "next card" instead of "next character," it can be used to lower the cost of characters, locations or attachments.

For reference, here is the text of Dorne, a card that works the way that you thought the fiefdoms worked:

"Marshalling: Kneel Dorne to choose 1 Trait. Until the end of the phase, reduce the gold cost for you to marshall cards with that Trait by 1."

I see, thank you.

All questions are clearly for me now

What is the main reason to pay 1 gold to reduce 1 gold from next card ?

Roma4ke said:

Investment in the future. The next round, the location is still there.

So when you play it, you pay 1 gold to reduce the next card by 1 gold (net cost = 0), but every round after that, you essentially pay 0 gold to reduce the next card by 1 gold because the location is still on the table (net cost = -1).

Thank you very much!!