Darkstar

I like this version better than the new one with joust. Plus I'm pretty sure he can combo with Threat from the East. I don't know if that would be a viable strategy, but it would be fun to see.

Yep, he certainly works with Threat. Note that he doesn't work when you discard your hand to cancel Narrow Escape since you are discarding your whole hand, not any individual card.

yea this is a great card to at least include 1 of in a martell deck, i really like vengeful with renown and a way to get him into play without paying is always a plus

Note that he doesn't work when you discard your hand to cancel Narrow Escape since you are discarding your whole hand, not any individual card.

Hmmm, interesting. Can u give a prooflink?

I'll try to look up a link later if Staton doesn't find one first. But the thought behind it is that your "hand" is a seperate entity than a "card in your hand" even if one makes-up the other. Similar to how some search effects don't pair with "search the top X of your deck" rather than "search your deck".

When cards are typically discarded, such as with Threat from the East - each card is discarded 1 at a time the same way that when you "draw 3 cards" you are still drawing them 1 at a time (this is covered in the FAQ.). So when Darkstar is individually discarded from your hand he can trigger his ability. But when you discard your entire hand at once to cancel NE, he isn't discarded from your hand, as it was your entire hand at once that is discarded.

At least, that's the reasoning I expect to find whenever a prooflink is found.

@slothgodfather, thx. So some responses at discarding card i.e. The Brimstone (TbC) cannot be played after discarding hand?

Does this work if he has already been played? Can you dupe him?

@Wombate - if a player discards their entire hand to cancel a Narrow Escape, you are correct that you cannot trigger Brimstone or other similarly worded effects.

@SoNice - yes. It is no different than using At the Gates to dupe a maester that is already in play.

To back up what Staton & Slothgodfather are talking about, here's the relevant info from the FAQ regarding discarding your entire hand:

(4.12) The Hand Any reference made to a player’s “hand” refers to that hand as a single entity, and does not refer to any of the individual cards in that hand. Thus, it is possible to discard a “hand” of 0 cards. Further, if you do discard your “hand,” you are not considered to have discarded any of the individual cards that make up that hand (for the purpose of initiating other card effects).

Revealing your hand is not considered revealing any of the individual cards in your hand, and adding a card to a revealed hand is not considered revealing that card.
Note that it is possible, through card effects, to reveal individual cards from a hand that is revealed in its entirety.

I enjoy using this card with the scourge on an opponent and give them an icon back they don't need so I get a character into play.

I just came across this card today with a friendly melee session. I played a Martell deck (a friend's) and I masrhalled into play Darkstar. Then, the question arouse: ''If I had chosen to have Darkstar into play and through a drawing effect I had another copy-duplicate of him in my handin a following phase, and let's suppose I lost an intrigue challenge and the claim was Darkstar, what should happen then? 1) Would the Darkstar from my hand be discarded as an ordinary character or 2) would he be put into play through his triggered effect, as a duplicate? My friend contradicted the latter by saying that ''only in the marshalling phase you can put duplicates into play''. Personally, I think the text is exactly for this reason, to allow you to play Darkstar as a 'save response' from being discarded at any phase of the round. Please enlighten us!

Only because terminology matters so much, it is definitely not a "save response".   It is a passive effect that will take effect whenever possible.  Your friends comment is about playing a dupe during the marshalling phase.  That phase is the only time you can "play" characters/attachments/locations anyways.  However, put-into-play is a whole other ballgame and can be done whenever an effect allows.  As Darkstar's effect is not restricted to any particular phase, it works at any time he is discarded from your hand.  In your scenario, he would indeed be put into play and then immediately become a duplicate to the one that is currently in play.  

 

The only 2 times I can readily think of that his ability would not work is if you had Darkstar in your dead pile already (and not in play), then he cannot come into play because of the unique-dead-pile rules.  Also, if a player had the Fear of Winter plot revealed and you had already played your 1 card this turn, then Darkstar's ability would be ignored because you have already reached your 1 card limit and he would be discarded as normal.