Please can i get clarification about this :

Player A has 1 gold and is marshalling first

Player B has 'ice Fisherman' and it is winter

Player A has a 2 cost character and a location that reduces the next character by 1. If he subsequently kneels the location to reduce the cost of the next character could Player B swoop in and steel the gold ? i think this is yes. Can Player A spend the gold first and then kneel the location ?

Thanks

Yes, each player has the opportunity to play an action that doesn't require gold cost when the active player is marshaling. To avoid this, spend all gold on the first char, then reduce others till they are free.

Yes, each player has the opportunity to play an action that doesn't require gold cost when the active player is marshaling. To avoid this, spend all gold on the first char, then reduce others till they are free.

I understand but let me put another way. If I had a 2 cost character to play and only 1 gold, could i pay the gold and kneel my location to reduce in order to get the character out ?

No. You pay gold to put a card into play or to pay a specific cost. You can't forecast the gold you are going to pay for a future card. Unfortunately, in the specific scenario you mention, after you kneel the reducer, the player with Ice Fisherman can then trigger them to steal the gold before you can use it.

Paying gold in and of itself is not a player action. It is a cost to play an action.

I have another example i need to be clear on please :

I am playing as Targaryen with the core Daenerys T106 in play and am 1st player

I have Shadow Politics in shadows and have gold prior to the marshaling phase

Could i bring Shadow Politics out of shadows by paying the gold cost. Complete my marshaling and then as soon as it goes to the next player who counts their gold could i trigger shadow politics, win the challenge and then trigger Daenerys to take the gold ?

Does this work mechanically ?

This one is possible, because Shadow Politics allows a player to declare a challenge as a standard player action. You don't have to declare the challenge right away, you have until the end of the phase.

Is current playing convention that Shadow Politics allows an Intrigue challenge during a non-Challenges phase? The word "additional" gives me some doubts.

"Response: After Shadow Politics comes out of Shadows,choose a player. That player may initiate an additional challenge against an opponent of his or her choice as a standard player action this phase." - AGoTCards

I hear ya - the "additional" has caused a few questions over time. The word "additional" becomes necessary if Shadows Politics comes out of Shadows during the challenges phase but it shouldn't be taken to preclude a challenge outside of a phase where an intrigue challenge could normally be played.

The key phrase is "as a standard player action this phase." So whatever phase you're in when the Response is activated (since it's clearly not limited to a particular phase), you can make an intrigue challenge in addition to whatever intrigue challenge you could already make. Even if that's zero, you're still making one additional challenge more than what you would normally include.

Additional is not a limiting word.

Anyway - that's my take on it.

Couple of things:

Yes, Shadow Politics allows you to make a challenge outside of the Challenge phase. As doulos2k says, the reason is because you get to start that challenge as a player action. You don't need a "declare challenge" framework step, so the "additional" can be added on to "nil" as well as to "X challenges per phase."

As for the original setup of using Dany to steal all of your opponent's gold in the Marshalling phase, Khudzlin is correct that it is mechanically possible. However, if your opponent is paying attention, it'll never work in a practical sense. That's because in between you declaring attackers and me declaring defenders, and between me declaring defenders and resolving the challenges for that Shadow Politics intrigue challenge, all players are allowed to take PLAYER ACTIONS. It is still the Marshalling phase and I am still the active player, so in those places for player actions, I can take all the marshaling actions I want, including playing cards from my hand. So I'm going to spend all the gold I want, either before declaring defenders or resolving the challenge, BEFORE Dany ever has the chance to steal all my gold.

So yeah, it is possible mechanically for Player A, but it is also completely avoidable mechanically for Player B.