Beheading Ned - Theon Greyjoy

Warning: This article may contain spoilers from any and all of the books.

It’s time yet again for Beheading Ned! These articles will take you through Westeros and across the Summer Sea; building decks and discussing cards all in the name of A Song of Ice and Fire. This time around I want to look at another particularly Nedly card.

This guy has been in the books from the get-go and has acquired some mixed feelings from the readers. Starting off as a wolf, this character embarks on a long and dangerous journey of self-discovery. He is faced with difficult decisions and is burdened by the pressure of living up to his family name. For a while, he loses sight of whom he is and feels like he will never escape his torment. In the end, he rises again as a kraken and is ready to fight once more. I’m talking of course about the prince of the Iron Isles, Theon Greyjoy!

Now Theon is a character that you either love or love to hate. Or maybe you just hate him and his whole squid family, I don’t know. Regardless, he is a key character in the Game of Thrones, both the card game and the books. He starts out the series as the ward of Eddard Stark after the failed Balon’s Rebellion. Theon lived with the Stark family and grew up with the other children. He learned from their maester, trained under their castellan, and ate at their table. Although he was technically a captive, Theon was treated as well as any other member of the Stark household.

When Robb Stark called his banners and proclaimed himself the King in the North, he sent Theon to gather the support of his father Balon Greyjoy. It was here that Theon turned his back on Robb and joined with his father who began styling himself as King of the Iron Isles. Needing to prove his worth to his family and himself, Theon decided to besiege Winterfell and reign as its prince. This, however, was short-lived as Theon and his Ironborn were overthrown by the Boltons.

Jump ahead two books with little-to-no word on what has become of the fallen prince, and we find him in the miserable dungeons of the Dreadfort. Theon became the captive of Roose Bolton’s bastard son, Ramsay. The bastard of Bolton tortured Theon until the prince lost his own identity and became Reek. The story so far leaves us wondering where Theon is after his reunion with his sister.

That is my Reader’s Digest summary of Theon Greyjoy. With all of that in mind, the version of this kraken I found to be most Nedly was Theon Greyjoy (ACoS). So now that we have a background on this guy, let’s examine just what makes this version so Nedly.

First we’ll take a look at the basics. He has a military and a power icon, both of which are well deserved. Theon is a good fighter and has a thirst for power, but he definitely lacks the knowledge for an intrigue icon. If he was a little smarter, he probably would have realized it was hopeless to take and hold Winterfell. This card has a nifty war crest which fits well because of Theon’s constant influence in the war. And finally, there are his traits. I mean, come on. He actually has the ward trait. This trait has no interaction with the game (and don’t be smart saying you can use trait manipulation and A House Divided) as well as zero synergy. This trait is here simply because it is Nedly, and here at Beheading Ned, we tip our hats to the game designers for doing stuff like this. Oh, and he’s a lord. Nedly!

Alright, now let’s move on to his ability. The first part of his effect states that if you are playing a Stark House card; reduce the gold penalty on Theon Greyjoy by 1. This is Nedly because of Theon’s early allegiance to the Starks. The Nedliness here is pretty obvious, but at the same time fairly basic. The second part of his ability is where the real magic happens.

Theon’s response creates two different scenarios depending on the season. The first scenario says if it is summer and you win a challenge with Theon, stand a Stark or Greyjoy character. This effect is obviously one you would want to use on yourself in most cases. Now let’s examine this closely. Before summer ended, Theon was living and fighting alongside the Starks. He was Robb’s loyal companion and he helped save Bran from Wildlings. This part of his effect is beneficial to the Starks as it stands them up, giving them further support. But as summer ends and the cold winds start to blow, we see a different side of Theon and the second scenario. If it is winter and you win a challenge with Theon, kill a Stark or Greyjoy character. This effect is clearly one you want to use on your opponent. As the seasons change, so does Theon’s allegiance which leads to him attacking Winterfell and killing Stark men. Seems pretty Nedly to this writer!

Whether you love or hate Theon, the fact remains that he is a central part of Martin’s story. His cards share a love for the thematic like most Nedly readers. As always, please feel free to write any comments or questions you may have. Until next time, stay Nedly Game of Thrones.