Can anyone confirm how Walder works? If I understand correctly he automatically participates (as long as he's standing) on the winning side once a defender is declared. Since he has deadly that gives an opponent a deadly card but am I correct to assume that I still control it and thus control more deadly cards in the challenge assuming we were even before he entered the challenge? The opponent would be allowed to choose and kill a participating card so Walder himself most likely. What we have then is a free card that jumps in and provides deadly so long as I am winning and kills himself off when it backfires at no real penalty to me. This card is pretty poorly rated elsewhere and I was wanted to check and make sure I understood and also was wondering what kind of effects the new Joust / Melee keywords will have on it's playability. Appreciate any feedback.

Walder Frey jumps in once all defenders are declared (however many of them). You still control him, and the number of Deadly characters is counted by controller rather than side, so even if Walder jumps in on your opponent's side, he is included in your deadly count. If the attacker is still the player controlling the most deadly characters, the defender can kill any defending character, not just one he controls (so a defending Walder is a valid choice regardless of who controls him).

Thanks I just wanted confirmation. Wonder if it's a useful card now with joust...

Now that I think of it, he actually might.

Ratatoskr said:

He'd actually help protect you and the rest of the players from Robert Baratheon (TGM) as long as Walder Frey is standing when Robert is attacking.

i like using him in martell decks that rely on the 'if you lose by 4 or more....' conditions.

bbleers said:

I sincerely doubt he will see any more play with Joust around.

That makes a lot more sense - I'd always assumed if he joined in the challenge against me, then the deadly went against me as well.

Suddenly seems like a much more useful card.

Mighty Jim said:

Hehe who said he was useful lol? This guy sucks in the game and the books

I guess I had The Knight in mind specifically Ktom. A character would be less likely to defend with a weenie to prevent him from standing if Walder would be jumping in. I know that Black Wind does the same but there's really no danger to playing Walder and at 0 cost with a chance he may occasionally help I just though it'd be more useful.

ktom said:

It's about the Deadly. When I run a deck based on the Joust keyword, I will try to make sure that I win the challenges I declare with Joust characters, because otherwise, what's the point. So, when everything is normal, I will declare a challenge with a Joust character which I expect to win. Now Walder enters the equation. I expect him to jump into the challenge on my side, so hell provide me with Deadly, thus making it likely the challenge will be unopposed, which helps me gain power faster.

Ratatoskr said:

Deadly is counted by controller, not by side. Even if Walder jumps in your side, he won't provide you with Deadly, but his controller.

Khudzlin said:

Obviously, in my example, I'm acting on the assumption that the guy who runs the joust deck also runs Walder as a way to give his Joust characters Deadly.