Since this is my first card game, I have some questions, of which I hope you can answer and assist me with my first couple of games. Until now, I posess only the Core game.

Questions:

1. In the Marshalling phase: can i play as many cards as i want, if i have the amount of gold dragon tokens? Is there a cap of cards which can be in front of me, like X Characters and X locations?

2. Do I start the game with all of the Cards of a houses deck, i.e. Player 1 (Stark) with all of the cards of the Core game and Player 2 (Baratheon) with all of the cards of his house of the Core game set? Furthermore, when i buy an expansion, can i simply add the new cards to the deck? Or is there a cap then?

3. Response: There is a card which says: "If you win dominance, kneel 2 standing characters to claim 1 power for each character (a Stark card). Can i play this card in the action window of the stand phase? Like, I stand all my characters, then play the event card mentioned, kneel 2 characters and claim 1 power? The requirement is "If you win dominance..." - this is still the case in the standing phase, is it? Or may I only play this card, directly after winning dominance, so only in the dominance phase?

I surely have more questions, but I think this could be a little confusing either for you or for me, so let's start with these few! And thanks a lot for helping a bloody beginner out :-) I hope to learn this game quick to play it like the rules are and then becoming strategically better :-)

NavySushi said:

Thank you very much so far!

I'll play some more matches agains my buddy to see if we have other beginner questions which we cannot solve :-)

Your answers help me out very well, so far! Many thanks, mate

I'd just like to add that your plot deck does NOT count toward your deck size - at minimum you need a 60 card deck AND exactly 7 plots.

Note that the Core Set decks do not comply with the 60-card limit (they're too small). They are intended for discovering the game, not competitive play. Also note that your House card does not count toward the 60-card limit either. In expansions and chapter packs, you can find agendas: you can have only one (unless specifically stated on the card), it starts revealed like your House card and it doesn't count in the limit (you don't have to have one, though).

Guys, you are very helpful! Thank you very much.

We play very often now and learn by doing There are still some answers missing or questions pop out from nowhere!

1. How many plotcards are allowed in one deck? I assume 7 - can they be taken from any family (except the "family X only" of course)?

2. Princes of the Sun - new Shadows concept : "Only at the beginning of a phase" - is the start of the second player to begin with his marshalling a "beginning of a phase"?

3. "Winterfell Reserves" - Stark deck - "Response: After W.R. are declared as a defender, pay 1 gold to put the top card of a player's discard pile on top of his deck. - Do I HAVE to do it or may I ? What if i have not any gold left in the challenges phase?

4. What are boon attachments? What are they for?

5. If I am marshalling a card into play, can I directly use it? For example, Street of Steel - Kneel to lower cost of the next character with a military icon you play this phase by 1. Can i do that?

6. Bran Stark - "Plot: Kneel Bran Stark to choose and reveal a new plot card." - Is this after the first Plot is resolved? Like, Valar Morgulis, every character is killed and the I kneel Bran to choose a new plot?

7. What difference does it make, if i play a Location, which can be attached to a house card, as an attachment to the house card instead of as a location?

8. Bran the Builder's Legacy - "Dominance: Pay 3 gold to search your deck for a location ..." - can i count the 3 gold during the dominance phase to get 1 power and then pay the 3 gold to search my deck?

Sorry, if there are questions too stupid for you, guys. I don't mean to ask stupid ones, but we try hard to play the games as it should be played

Thanks in advance!

NavySushi said:

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NavySushi said:

ktom! This is fantastic!

Such a quick response, I thank you for your help!! I see there's still a road to go for us... :-)

Edit:

Two more questions from our last game :

1. Can ghost have attachments? There is no "No attachments" statement on his card... but a creature with a sword? I don't know...

2. A plot card (don't know which right now) says :"Name a plot card. If it is revealed, you get X" ... do the player have to know ALL the names of the plotcards to use this plot effectively?

NavySushi said:

Yes, Ghost can have attachments. I've known Ghost to carry a bow, decapitate Jamie Lannister using Ice, and one of my favourite things to do is honour him with a Lordship. All hail Lord Ghost!

NavySushi said:

You're thinking of Dragonstone Watchtower, a Baratheon Location. Yes, it does require you to name the plot card, and knowledge of all plot cards is essential (not only for this location, but in general it's good to know what plots your opponent might use). But if you're playing casually my playgroup house-ruled it so if you could describe the plot's effect so that all players were satisfied that they knew which one you were referring to, then you could claim the power for it.

Hell yeah, Circadia! I think here's the meet and greet of a bunch of players which are very skilled in this game, huh?

One more, if you'd let me :

1. Mutual enemies plot card : "... If you have more than one opponent, choose an opponent. Then you and that opponent ... " - is this only for melee game ("only if there are more opponents"?) or does it just mean, that if you have one opponent, there are no military challenges this round?

Hope this question sounds no so weird as it does in my ears right now

NavySushi said:

Oh man, that is awesome! I hope not to annoy you a lot, guys :-)

We've met some problems, regarding the time when an action or response can be triggered. How about this one:

1. Orphan of the Greenblood says :"Any Phase: Discard Orphan otG from play (cannot be saved) to choose 1 character. Until the end of the phase, that character loses military, intrigue and power icons."

So, let's get this straight. Can I play this card, after someone starts his challenge against me and declared his attackers, so that he looses one of his attackers? If so, what happens with the character i choose (who looses his icons)? Does he participate and will be knelt or is he standing because he could never participate because of lack of icons?!

It's a little tricky for us! During challenges, when may one play event cards with "Any phase", with "Challenge phase" and with "response" printed on it?

NavySushi said:

Yes, you can play it after he declares attackers but there's very little point because once attackers are declared, icons are pointless. They're just a restriction on entering the challenge, they don't prevent participation once the participant has been declared.

NavySushi said:

Twice: once after challenge type/opponent and attackers declared, and then again after stealth targets and defenders are declared. You can also trigger effects before and after every challenge.

Basic anatomy of a challenge:

1. Player's take turns triggering "Challenges" or "Any Phase" actions.
2. Active Player announces challenge type and opponent, and declares attacking characters
3. Player's take turns triggering "Challenges" or "Any Phase" actions.
4. Active Player assigns Stealth targets, and Defending Player declares defending characters
5. Player's take turns triggering "Challenges" or "Any Phase" actions.
6. Resolve challenge
7. Player's take turns triggering "Challenges" or "Any Phase" actions. (Note: this can count as #1 for the next challenge, too.)

As for Responses, they take place within other actions (that fulfill their play restrictions). So in #1, 3, 5, and 7 above, the sequence is: Player #1 triggers an action, all players can use Responses to that action, Player #2 triggers an actions, all players can use Responses to that action, etc.

In #2, 4, and 6 above, you complete all of the things requires as part of the game mechanic, then players can use Responses to any and all parts of the game mechanic. Specifically:

- In #2, the challenge type is announced against a particular play, then the attacking characters are declared, (then passives to any of that), then players can Respond to initiating a challenge and/or declaring/kneeling attackers in any order they want.

- In #4, Stealth is assigned, then defending characters are declared, (then passives to any of that), then players can Respond to declaring stealth and/or declaring/kneeling defenders in any order they want.

- In #6 (and this is the one people screw up the most), the challenge winner is determined, then claim is settled, then unopposed is awarded, then Renown is awarded, (then passives to any of that), AND FINALLY players can Respond to any of that in any order they want. NOTE: People are always going to want to Respond to winning/losing the challenge immediately - and before claim is settled - but that is against the rules. ALL parts of resolving the challenge must be completed before Responses to ANY part can be played.

Oh, wow! Those last 2 answers are really helping us!!! Never expected anyone explain that in such a clear way! :-)

Merci, for now... but i think there will be more