So it's been a while since I played the game and I forgot how to play some rules...

Made a sloppily scrap deck Lannister Shadow for my friend who doesn't even play regularly and I lost 0-2.

The same deck was used and tweaked by another friend who does play but used mine temporarily since he's still waiting for his cards in the mail and I lost 0-4.

I played Greyjoy, Martell, Baratheon, and Stark.

Kneel is so broken for Lannister I get kneeled every turn, especially with that cheap, broken combo of Castellan of the Rock and Alchemist Guild Hall and City Plots.

On to the questions...

1) When do Shadows come out exactly? Is it at the beginning of each phase before attackers and defenders are declared? If so, that means I can't "jump" a character out of shadows to be declared as a defender unless specified?

2) If I have 0 strength, can I still be declared as a defender? Or do I have to have a character who has >0 strength and then I can add the 0 strength character?

3) It's Winter. I have higher initiative, but let the opponent be the First Player. He wins Military and has a carrion bird. I have Winter Reserves in hand and lose. Which Response comes first?

4) Tywin can "store" gold and not return it to the gold pool at Taxation phase and carry over next round?

5) KOTS Joffrey--Does the gold on Joffrey return to the treasury pool?

6) Can I boost the strength of a character I marshalled before Ser Ilyn Payne kills it? Or does Ser Ilyn Payne instantly kill the character once I play it?

7) Dominance won I can put the power on an infamy card?

8) Can Not Be Bribed, Can Not Be Bought can that be used to stand a character knelt by one of the City Plots?

XcentricX said:

Check out the latest FAQ . Alchemist's Guild Hall has been errata'd to a Limited Response, meaning there is no combo with Castellan of the Rock.

XcentricX said:

The Shadows rules document is here. You may bring one card out of Shadows at the very beginning of each phase before absolutely anything else is done (short of Responses to bringing cards out of Shadows). This includes before you count income in the Marshaling phase - even for the First Player. So no, you cannot bring a character out of Shadows as a "surprise defender" in the middle of the challenge phase - except for Ser Mandon Moore whose ability specifically allows it.

XcentricX said:

You can declare a character with 0 STR as a defender. It will not oppose the challenge (you have to have a participating character and a total challenge STR greater than 0 in order to oppose a challenge) without some other effect, but you can declare it.

XcentricX said:

Well, considering the fact that Winter Reserves is a Challenge phase effect, not a Response, you're going to end up SOL. You cannot play the Challenge phase effect until all challenge Responses to the challenge are played. And if your opponent uses his Carrion Bird to get rid of the White Raven, the requirements for Winter Reserves will not be met.

XcentricX said:

Taxation only empties your gold pool. It does not take gold off of Tywin, or any other character. Keep in mind that the gold on Tywin, or any other character, does not count toward your STR in Dominance, by the way.

XcentricX said:

See above.

XcentricX said:

After you take an action - like playing a character - every other player will have the opportunity to take an action of their own before you can take another one. So Ser Ilyn Payne will have 1 shot at your character before you get a chance to trigger an effect to boost its STR. (BTW: Payne doesn't "instantly" kill anything; his controller must choose to trigger the effect.)

XcentricX said:

Yes. Any time you would claim or move power to your House card, you can put it on a card with Infamy instead. Not that there's much Infamy in the LCG environment....

XcentricX said:

Plot cards count as card effects, so yes - it works.

1) I used Scouting Vessel on the defender. Can the opponent add strength with Seafarer's Bow?

2) If Aeron is in play and I attach a duplicate, and he dies, can I trigger his ability and leave the duplicate in play?

3) After I declare a defender, my opponent plays Insidious Ways. I use my declared defender to play To Be A Kraken. I cancel the event but am I also out of the challenge? If so, I lost the challenge? Or does my strength still count since I am not "removed" from the challenge?

XcentricX said:

Well, you can add STR to the character if you want, but the effect of Scouting Vessel doesn't say "lower the STR;" it says "this character does not count its STR." So no matter what the STR count on the character is, it doesn't contribute to the player's challenge STR.

XcentricX said:

No. Aeron's ability only works when he dies. If you use a duplicate to save him, he never actually died.

XcentricX said:

Why do you think you are out of the challenge? Because the character stands? Once a character is legally declared as a participant in a challenge, it cannot be removed from the challenge - except by an effect that specifically says "remove from the challenge" or by an effect that removes the character from play. Your character is still participating and still counts its STR.

1) A character has Milk of the Poppy. It is chosen to die for claim. It is saved with an event or location. Is the attachment still on the character?

2) When playing Tag Team Format, can Agenda's be played. Suppose my teammate wanted to play with The North Agenda. 4 of them. So does that mean the team needs 38 power to win?

3) How does the Honor Guards work? Can they be put into play after defenders are declared?

4) During Melee, a challenge is redirected. The attacker had used stealth, but can it still target a new character to the new challenger.

XcentricX said:

Attachments are discarded when the card they are attached to leaves play. Since the saved character never actually died and never actually left play, there is nothing discarding the attachment, so it stays, too.

Take another example. The attachments Lightbringer and Nymeria save the characters they are attached to from being killed. If Milk of the Poppy was discarded in your scenario, these attachments would be one-shot deals, right?

XcentricX said:

You would be allowed to use Agendas in the "Two on Two" variant. If the Agenda changes power totals necessary to win, it would be added (or subtracted) from the appropriate team's victory total.

XcentricX said:

Well, they can, but you wouldn't be allowed to be declared as defenders since the opportunity to declare defenders is already passed. You can use an Honor Guard's ability to put it into play the same as any other Challenge Phase effect. But the effect does not make them participants in a challenge, so you have to time it so that they can be declared as attackers or defenders like any other character would be.

Honestly, with the question "How do the Honor Guards work?", the answer is "Not well."

XcentricX said:

Depends on how the challenge was redirected. If it was redirected with Crown Regent, you cannot "redo" Stealth because the redirect comes before Stealth was ever assigned in the first place. The only chance to assign Stealth is against the redirected defender. If the challenge is redirected with Lord Commander, you can "redo" Stealth as explained in the FAQ. If you jump in to defend for someone you support, the attacker cannot "redo" Stealth, as detailed in the Core Rule book.

Kraken Tattoo and Drowned Disciple. Does the character get +3 STR since 3 cards were discarded from the deck? Or just +1 STR? What happens in Melee? If there are 3 other players, would the character get +9 STR? Or just +3 STR?

XcentricX said:

Each discarded card is a separate trigger for the Response. You can trigger the attachment 3 separate times for Drowned Disciple - for a total of +3 STR. Having "Intimidate" 3 separate times doesn't change anything.

ktom said:

Just to make sure the second part of the question is clear: each discarded card is still a separate trigger when you have multiple opponents. So in the scenario of 3 opponents in a melee game the attached character would get +9 STR.