New plot spoiled:

Very interesting plot. This is one way to use cheap uniques by splashing them on the board and then try and go all out for a win the round you reveal this.

You better not lose init on this one

Each phase is great if you can get an epic battle or an event that gives you a challange in another phase.

its is awesome in targ, they have the cheap uniques to make this card worth it.

and most of those cards are tricons...

How does this work if you end up switching into it? Does the game state remember the first challenge? Or is it just the first challenge after this plot has been revealed?

Staton said:

lol FAQ out the gate.

good question!

AFAIK there's only one first challenge in each phase

And wouldn't it be the same as for First Snow ?

Staton - Just like the River Blockade, it only looks at the very first occurrence.

Similarly with Painted Table, it must be the next triggered effect even if it can't cancel it.

Right, but does the Plot itself look at the first challenge or does the game state? The game state has a VERY bad memory from what we know about lasting effects and cards coming in and out of play.

Bleh. Almost playable at 3 gold and 5+ initative. Probably playable at 4/4/1.

In the CCG days (and plot power is almost to that point), there was a 4/4/1 where uniques always had renown and it was rarely played.

rings said:

4/2/1, Prove One's Worth. Not only the uniques had renown for the whole round, but it was only YOUR uniques, not a present for all other players like this... thing.

I know LCG cards are supposed to be less powerful than CCG overall, but this? This is weaksauce.

I think it's just the usual case of control >>> rush.

Staton said:

The game state can remember the first location effect, so it can probably remember the first challenge.

It can? So if your opponent marshals and uses street of steel, you then lay out River Blockade, it doesn't do anything until the next turn?

Staton, that is exactly what would happen. Once the first [whatever] passes, bringing in an effect that alters the first [whatever] -- First Snow of Winter, River Blockade, Men of Honor -- won't screw with the next [whatever].

Any ideas on who's depicted on the cover art for A Harsh Mistress? A tough-looking older woman, probably Northern from the way she's dressed. Someone else suggested Maege Mormont (which would be awesome!), and the only other character I could think that might fit would be Barbrey Dustin. Could also be a Wildling or from the Iron Islands, though I can't think of any characters (assuming it's a unique character) that would look much like her.

Looks like it is Maege.

http://cghub.com/images/view/226823/

HUZZAH! Long live House Mormont! Here we stand!

Silly pipedream: develop the Mormonts into a Sand Snake-like tribe for Stark. Maege and her insanely badass daughters, just messing **** up all over the place. I would play nothing else.

Less silly: more Mormonts! Give us Alysane Mormont, and maybe a new Dacey!

I believe Maege was the group design a card at last year's LCG days, so it would make sense for it to be her.

I wanted to make it to that but alas I was thigh deep in a swamp. I hope they have one this year.

Pretty sure that's Barristan and Eddard looking at Ser Hugh of the Vale.

Staton said:

Like alpha5099 had said, the way River Blockade works would set a precedent for this plot. The very first triggered effect of an opponents location in the round already happened, so after River Blockade is played it wouldn't be able to block the very next one triggered because it was not the first.

I think this was a recent discussion(at least I read it recently) where ktom's input suggested this was how River Blockade had worked. I think it makes sense based on the condition of RB's cancel effect.

rings said:

I have a Targ Ambush deck with KotHH, 3x Kingsroad Fiefdom and 3x Bay of Ice. It's certainly playable in that deck, but I don't think I'd actually play it because I don't have many uniques. Maybe in the previous version of the deck that ran the QoD dragons...

Interesting plot though I wonder which house will really benefit from it? Unlike the broken FCC equivalent card, this is pretty limited and can obviously backfire in your face... And I'm trying to think of a high initiative deck type that has a lot of uniques? GJ maybe? (at least because they can auto win initiative)

Siege could really run with this too but it's a little short on uniques ...may not matter though since a little bump goes a long way in that build (Roosevelt Bolton, Meleejon and Rickard Karstark suddenly leapfrog Robb and Blackaphise in flexibility value)

Bara knights maybe? I guess you could really exploit the powerful-but-not-normally-renown lords and knights for a major shove? Not sure how interesting that would be since bara already has renown adding cards and plenty of good renown characters already. Man and you better not need gold this turn

I have a kinda sick feeling in my stomach that Lanni and Martell may be able to best exploit this but I'm gonna go play with the deck builder a bit before crying wolf

For a moment targ dragons and sand snakes probably get the most.

Staton said:

What do you mean by switch into it? Do you mean reveal it after the framework action in the plot phase?

It's a passive, not a lasting effect since it does not trigger off a "When revealed." It operates the same way as First Snow of Winter. i.e. the plot will not have a memory that stays in effect until resolved.

While the plot is in the revealed state, it will check if the current challenge is the first challenge initiated that phase. If so, all uniques have renown. If you reveal this plot and then are forced to reveal a different plot before the challenges phase, the first challenge in that phase will not result in uniques having renown.