If I reveal the Plot "At the Gates", can I choose Qyburn as my Maester and, if so, does he go directly into Shadows?

No, you cannot put him into shadows. Shadows is not an "in play" area. What you can do is put him directly into play but you won't be able to trigger his response.

I assume that putting a card in shadows is "playing" a card, not "put it into play". Is that true? That would be the difference between At the Gates (only says "put it into play") and for example Fear of Winter (text: each player cannot play or put into play more than 1 card). I said that because putting a card in shadows counts against the limitation of Fear of Winter

Yeah, it's awkwardly worded and counter-intuitive in terms of game mechanics. I think the main problem is that putting a card into shadows = playing. This is why it's restricted by Fear of Winter, but then players can also put a card into shadows revealed by Val (which technically requires that the card be "played.")

On the other hand, putting into play is *always* face up and never counts as played. So At the Gates throws Qyburn into play face up and he can't trigger his ability.

Thank you Twn2dn!

Twn2dn said:

Just to clarify further, the restriction created by Fear of Winter is not so much play vs. put into play; it's playing or putting into play a card from hand. Val's ability allows you to draw a card, which means the card goes into your hand, and is then played - from hand - as your next response or action.

Fetching a Maester with At the Gates would not count against Fear's limit since the card is being put into play directly from your deck and not from your hand.