We have just purchased a Core set and have played Stark vs. Lannister for our first game. So far I love it. As a huge fan of the books and the HBO series, its easy to relate to all of the cards and characters. A few questions have surfaced however:

1. When is the best time to play the Valar Morghulis (Stark) plot card? Does this just wipe out the Stark characters or is it for all players? Seems that if this is played late in the game, it could hurt the Stark player just as well. My saving grace was that this also killed my Benjen Stark card which let me reshuffle my dead piles back into my deck.....
2. The Bran Stark (Core Set) card has a plot response that lets you choose and reveal a new plot. If you already choose your plot, why would you do that again? Is this for changing another players plot card?
3. Is a creature considered a character? Say a card says to kneel a character. Can I kneel a creature?
4. Can I attach an item to Ghost (Stark Core Set)? It does not say "No Attachments"?

A general question about the rules:

1. The rules talk about agenda cards and the one that is shown says, "If it is Winter....." and "If it is Summer...". Is the Winter/Summer options covered in an expansion set or did I just miss it in the rule book?

1. Everyone dies. Though it's in the Stark deck, it's a card everyone can (and does) use. The best time to use Valar is a complicated question, and it's difficult to answer. Does your opponent have a ton of characters and you need to stop him? Valar. Are you in a stronger position to bounce back from a wipe than your opponent? Valar. Would it be hilarious? Valar! [Also, a side note on Benjen Stark. Just know that when you use his ability, you are only shuffling in the characters already in the dead pile. Benjen and anyone else who is dying in that moment is still going to end up in your dead pile.]

2. Bran's probably the most complicated card in the Core Set. Generally the idea is to use him *before* everyone picks their plot. The best way to do this would be to use Bran and pick Valar. Everyone dies (including Bran). Then everyone, including yourself, picks a new plot, so you get the benefits of Valar without having to deal with the poor stats on it. You can also use Bran after everyone's picked their plots, but it's more effective before.

3. Yes, a creature is a character. "Character" is just a class of card, it's not as exact as the word might imply. I once played a game with someone who had a very hard time accepting that an Army was a Character. If the card has the shield on the middle left with its Strength, it's a character, regardless of what kind of entity it might be.

4. Yes, you can put attachments on Ghost. Note, though, that most if not all of the Stark attachments in the Core Set have to be given to a Stark character. Ghost is Neutral, and thus is not a valid recipient of the attachment.

5. Summer and Winter. Ignore that. There are cards that effect the season, and cards that are affected by what season it is, but you don't have any in the Core Set. It's a game mechanic that will become clearer as you get more cards.

Thanks for the response.