Hey guys,
Brand new player with an odd question that I have doubts will happen, but would still like to know.

Say that there is a late game power struggle. A player that you support this round is helpless and this victory will let the opponent win. They are deadly, but you can't let them win. So you throw in 2 characters to stop them. One badass and some fillers. This successfully shuts down the power challenge, but without deadly, you get shafted with the bill of one fresh corpse. Is that your call? The ''defending player" decides who dies from deadly challenges. You are the winner, but do you take the title of "defending player" from the player that was under attack and was at risk of the enemy claim value? Who decides who dies? Is it you, the protector of the realm, or Littlefinger, the snake you saved that decides that Ned Stark should die rather than your 1gold/1strength faceless, Tully soldier?

Rethinking this, I guess Greatjon Umber would be a great example of this. If it weren't you alone, then they would definitely pick. But if you are alone, is it the same?

If you defend the challenge because it was unopposed and your title supports the original target's, you become the defender for the purposes of passives and responses (everything but claim).

However, if you jump Greatjon into the challenge without using the "Support" mechanic to become the defending player, the "original" defending player would have the choice of which defending character (including your Greatjon) to kill for Deadly.

We must be selfish in our meta. I've never seen anyone actually defend a player they supported in a melee.

Slothgodfather said:

In mine, it mostly happens when Renown is involved or a prevention of the win is involved. There is always an ulterior motive involved.

I too might Support someone just because losing the challenge may get them in such a big hole they'd become prime targets for the other opponents trying to go for wins.

Or they have responses that depend on winning or losing the challenge. You can count on a Siege of Winterfell deck to defend military challenges for anyone they can, provided they can do so successfully.

Cool, thanks for the speedy help guys. You rock