I am trying to create a big selection of GoT decks that are as balanced as possible for multiplayer. Balance is important, but only as a "necessary evil" — the real objective is theme, which is very important to all of my players. So I am quite interested in creating "dedicated" theme decks that are balanced, fun to play, and (ideally) create interesting game states.

I have access to 1 of every chapter pack/deluxe box, and 3x core set, so I have a lot to work with. However, I'm pretty new to the game and would love some insight into deckbuilding. I thought creating a deck here might be a good way to gain and share that insight. I don't have a deck list yet, because this is the trickiest one I've thought of building and I want to bounce some ideas around before I throw cards together!

**Big Spoilers Follow** for anyone who hasn't read up to the end of Book 4, Feast for Crows. (No Dance with Dragons spoilers, at least not in this post.)

I'll start with the most important part, theme: a Martell deck based around Doran Martell and his Alliance (agenda) with House Targaryen. I want it to represent Doran's deceptively lazy scheming throughout Book 4, and the revelation that he's been plotting this whole time to bring back the Targaryens ("Justice. Vengeance. Fire and Blood. " <— best line in the book). I'd love the deck to have a "Doran feel," coupling unexpected "out-of-the-blue" effects with deceptive weakness/stagnation/laziness. It would be great to figure out a way to use Patience well, for example, and cards like He Calls It Thinking are obviously perfect. Some cards will have to be reserved for my other two Martell decks ( Sand Snakes and House Dayne ), but they're based on traits and easily-identifiable themes for the most part, so should be pretty clear cut.

Now, onto mechanics. In order to make the theme feel like a necessary part of the deck, it needs to leverage both the Targaryen cards provided by the Alliance agenda, and Doran Martell's ability to punish attackers for losing. The latter requires that they attack in the first place, knowing that Doran Martell is in play (see above, re: tricky). So I'm very interested in ways to pressure opponents into attacking, then changing the board state and punishing them with Doran once they do. Then it's "once burned, twice shy", and a bluffing game that lets me "play" events I haven't even drawn. Here are my thoughts thus far:

• tricks—unexpected mid-Challenge effects—that can turn a win into a loss after an attacker has committed, triggering Doran's ability (the "unexpected" means they'll need to be events or have ambush, as opposed to triggered abilities on cards in play)
• effects that force players to attack, or punish them for not attacking (a Martell/Targaryen equivalent to Riverrun or Battle of Oxcross )
• perhaps a "win by losing" subtheme, so the bluffing game gets a third door: "does Doran want me to attack him and win , attack him and lose , or not attack him at all?"
• light on military, maybe even light on power; heavy(-est of all decks, all houses?) on intrigue
• a double resource curve, since I need lots of influence for Martell events and Targaryen ambush
• ... oh yeah, and a way to win besides Patience (time will tell whether winning is in-theme for Doran Martell, but for now I'll assume so)

Thanks for reading this far, and your responses are already appreciated! Before I cobble cards together, does anyone have ideas on other mechanical themes I should look for to add to the above list, or specific cards that would work well with this strategy?

Every ambush card is House Targaryen only, which Alliance doesn't get around. You could use the event Ambush from the Plains though, which puts a Targ character into play.

Patience is best used with cards that have powerful "come into play" effects, like the Viper's Bannermen (maybe a better fit in Sand snakes?), and Flea bottom scavengers early on. Targ's Red Warlock would be good too if you make it a Summer deck.

To win challenges unexpectedly: Game of Cyvasse would fit and can be used after attackers and defenders have been declared to return the attacker to hand and give you a surprise victory. Rumors of War is another good surprise event as it gives a strength bump. Rusted Sword can be put into play mid challenge with influence. The aforementioned Ambush from the Plains helps here too. To force opponents to attack you, using the plot To the Spears! could be effective. You'll probably lose initiative and your opponent will want to go first to attack you and try to kneel out some of your characters. If he chooses you to go first, all the better, you get to attack without kneeling.

Red Vengeance, Vengeful characters and Taste for Blood will be the big cards for punishing challenges won against you.

The event Fights No Sword Can Win would fit thematically and might be pretty effective since you plan to be low on Military icons, but would require a few intrigue gambit plots. Wars Are Won With Quills would be another good one for an intrigue heavy deck.

One theme you could think about adding is Reinforcement events, especially if you do go for Summer as you'd have an extra event to use. You lose a challenge, pay a gold and get a character.

Hope some of that helps.

Ugh, it sucks that Ambush and "Targaryen only" go hand-in-hand. I considered flipping it to Targaryen running Alliance with Martell, but that excludes too many thematic Martell events.

(I'm just going to throw it in right here that I loathe this forum platform. There. That feels better. Venting helps me think.)

Ambush from the Plains is a great suggestion, and Red Warlock too. Reinforcements are definitely going in, as long as they don't make the deck feel too "martial" for ponderous Doran. I also have to watch that I don't make this the most annoying deck ever to play against, since many of the most thematic cards are heavily disruptive ( A Game of Cyvasse , He Calls It Thinking , Doran's Game , Someone Always Tells ...), while equally-thematic The Prince's Plans recurs them.

I think I want the theme of this deck to be that "three-door bluff" I hit on in my last post. With Doran in play, some standing influence and cards-in-hand, opponents won't know whether Martell "wants" them to attack and win (triggering surprise lost-challenge effects), attack and lose to surprise effects (triggering Doran), or not attack at all (because Doran isn't holding any surprises). Finding a way to make each option roughly even in probability would result in a great deck for mind games.

I will try to come up with some sort of deck list; I think I have enough to work with. Thanks for your help!