Quill & Tankard Regulars - Issue 17

Quill & Tankard Regulars - Issue 17

Well met, fledgeling Maesters and Rules Advocates, and welcome back to The Quill & Tankard. Today we continue our segment Citadel Custom. In earlier installments of this series we have looked at the Plot phase, the Draw phase, the Marshalling phase and discussed what happens when a card is brought out of Shadows. Now it's time to turn our eye on the centrepiece of the Game of Thrones, where the action is thickest and where it is truly decided if you win - or die: the Challenges phase.

Citadel Custom – Challenges, Chapter 1

Citadel Custom is a set of articles presenting game mechanics through illustrated gameplay examples. It is aimed at all players from initiates to self-proclaimed Archmaesters. Each article will consist of a short recap of the relevant rules, followed by a detailed example with a more or less complex starting situation.

The Challenges phase is undoubtedly the heart of the game. It is by its very nature the phase where most direct conflict between the players occurs. The Plot phase shapes the conditions under which players fight, the Draw and Marshalling phases provide them with the resources to do battle, the Dominance, Standing and Taxation phases deal with the aftermath of the struggle and order things to prepare for the next round of hostilities, but the Challenges phase is where the fighting is actually done, where the forces clash, the damage is dealt and the consequences suffered. It is usually the longest phase of each round, and the most convoluted, tactically as well as technically.

Rules Recap

Just like the other phases of the game, the Challenges phase is structured as a sequence of Action Windows: Framework Action Windows (FAW), which are dictated by the rules of the game, and Player Action Windows (PAW), in which players may take actions freely, as long as they control the appropriate cards. Any Phase: and Challenges: effects can only be triggered during a PAW. In a FAW, only Responses can be triggered (if their Play Restrictions are met). The gameplay example below follows the timing structure of the Challenges phase closely, so we can dispense with repeating it here. You can also find it in the FAQ on page 21.

For a recap on how player actions and framework actions resolve exactly, see the rules recaps in our earlier Citadel Customs here and here.

Starting Situation

House Stark vs. House Lannister
First Player: Lannister

House Lannister: 5 power on House card. 1 gold in gold pool.
Plot: Frey Hospitality (LotR)

In Play:
Tribeless Vagabond (OSaS)
Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core)
Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core)
Cersei Lannister (LotR) with 3 power
Shagga Son of Dolf (DB)
Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) with Widow's Wail (LotR)
Maester Creylen (FtC) with 1 power
Tommen Baratheon (SA) (knelt)

Golden Tooth Mines (Core)
Toll Gate (AE)
The Goldroad (Core)
Lannisport Treasury (LotR)

In Hand:
Tyrion Lannister (CoS)
Ser Balon Swann (TWH)
Lannisport Moneylender (LotR)
Lannisport Weaponsmith (Core)
I'm You Writ Small (Core)
Paper Shield (QoD)

House Stark: 4 power on House card. 0 gold in gold pool.
Plot: Battle of Oxcross (PotS)

In Play:
Ser Edmure Tully (LoW)
The Blackfish (LoW) with 2 power
Ser Kyle Condon (APS)
Robb Stark (Core)
Bolton Refugee (RoW)
Guard at Riverrun (LoW)
The Bastard's Elite (RoR)
Eddard Stark (LoW) with 1 power

Harrenhal (ODG)
Great Keep (Core)
Narrow Sea (Core)

In Hand:
Winter is Coming (Core)
Knight of the Tumblestone (Core)
The Price of War (KotS)
Catelyn Stark (LoW)
Endless Endurance (LoW)
No Quarter (TBC)
Osha (AKitN)


Fig. 1: Beginning of the Phase

Frey Hospitality (LotR) gives both players added incentive to not lose an INT challenge, while Battle of Oxcross (PotS) makes them really want to win a MIL challenge.
Lannister likes her position, overall. She even nurtures tender hopes of winning the game on that turn, if everything goes right. Stark has an impressive board presence, but is weak on INT, and Lannister intends to make him pay for it. Thanks to her loyal Clansmen, she reckons she can even go toe to toe with Stark in MIL. Stark has nice events in hand, but he needs to win MIL for them...
Stark furrows his brow with unease. He has good characters, and a surprise or two on his hand, but will it be enough? Those Clansmen do look scary, and Cersei...
He braces himself for the coming battle.

Gameplay Resolution

NB: With the colour coding, you can see at a glance exactly when each Challenge begins and ends. Red=MIL Challenge. Green=INT Challenge. Blue=POW Challenge.

FAW: Challenge phase begins. No player has cards in Shadows, so nobody brings any out.

PAW: Both players pass.

Then the time for challenges comes. As the First Player, Lannister becomes the Active Player first.

FAW: Declare Challenge type and Attackers. Lannister declares an INT challenge with Cersei Lannister (LotR) alone. Lannister needs Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) for the MIL challenges and wants to leave Maester Creylen (FtC) standing for INT defense. She figures that, with Toll Gate (AE), she can push the Challenge through even if Stark has Catelyn Stark (LoW) in hand. In fact, she *wants* Catelyn to jump in.

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Attacking Player declares Stealth targets. Defending Players declares Defenders. Since Cersei Lannister (LotR) doesn't have Stealth (yet?), no Stealth targets can be declared. Stark defends the Challenge with Bolton Refugee (RoW).

PAW: The phase has been rather languid so far, but now things are beginning to get interesting.
Lannister passes on Actions. There's no need to get all agitated. If things stay the way they are, she has won the Challenge. But things don't.
Stark triggers the ability on Catelyn Stark (LoW) and puts her into play, knelt, as a defender. That puts him ahead for the Challenge.
Lannister turns up the heat. She plays I'm You Writ Small (Core) and gives Cersei Lannister (LotR) Deadly. Since she still has Toll Gate (AE) to deal with Bolton Refugee (RoW), she figures she can make better use of the STR boost in MIL and attaches I'm You Writ Small (Core) to Shagga Son of Dolf (DB).
Stark dies a little inside. He's very aware of Toll Gate (AE), too, and knows Catelyn Stark (LoW) is a goner. He reckons that, if Cat has to die, he might as well make her death mean something, and plays Endless Endurance (LoW) on her to boost her STR and at least win the challenge. His eyes widen in disbelief as Lannister, smiling a smile you could shave with, plays Paper Shield (QoD) and cancels Endless Endurance (LoW). This is not good.
Lannister triggers Toll Gate (AE), stands Bolton Refugee (RoW) and removes him from the Challenge.
Stark, shaken, passes.
Lannister, feeling a little less confident than she lets on, passes. PAW closes.

FAW: Challenge Resolution.
- Determine Winner of the Challenge. Cersei Lannister (LotR) has STR 3, Catelyn Stark (LoW) has STR 3, so Lannister wins the challenge.
- Implement Challenge Result (i.e. Claim). Stark randomly discards Knight of the Tumblestone (Core) from his hand.
- Power for Unopposed is awarded. None, the Challenge is opposed.
- Renown is awarded. None.
- Passive effects (including Deadly) are resolved. There's two passive effects happening, Deadly and Frey Hospitality (LotR). Lannister is First Player, so she decides that Deadly is resolved first, and thus Catelyn Stark (LoW) is killed for Deadly. She enters the Moribund:Dead Pile state, but remains on the table for the duration of the Action Window. Because he has lost an INT challenge, Stark must also choose and kill a character he controls. He can't choose Catelyn, because a moribund card cannot leave play a second time. Bolton Refugee (RoW) would be an obvious choice here, but Stark wants to keep some INT on the table. He chooses and kills Ser Kyle Condon (APS). He, too, enters the Moribund:Dead Pile state and remains on the table for the duration of the Action Window.
- Responses to anything that has happened in the Action Window so far can be triggered. Since we're in a FAW, Lannister as the First Player has the first Response. She triggers Cersei's Response. Cersei Lannister (LotR) claims one power, and Lannister decides to give her Deadly.
Stark triggers the Response on Ser Kyle Condon (APS) and draws a card. He draws The Weasel's Way (TIoR).
Since a player has won an INT challenge, Lannister can trigger Maester Creylen (FtC). Lannister pays one gold and Creylen gains one power.
A character has died during the Action Window, so Stark can trigger Harrenhal (ODG). He kneels Harrenhal and looks at the top 3 cards of his deck. They are Street of Steel (Core), Syrio Forel (TftRK) and Nightmares (LoW). Stark almost faints. He can't keep himself from gawking at the cards. Quick, Stark, get a grip on yourself, or she'll know something is up. With a dry mouth, sweaty palms and a heart beating like mad, Stark picks Nightmares (LoW) and shuffles the other two cards back into his deck.
Lannister passes on Responses. Stark passes too.
- Moribund cards leave play. Catelyn Stark (LoW) goes to Stark's Dead pile. Ser Kyle Condon (APS), thanks to his Stalwart keyword, goes on top of Stark's deck.
INT challenge ends.

That was painful for Stark. Losing Catelyn Stark (LoW) hurts like hell. But Lannister isn't entirely happy either. She really would've liked to hang onto that Paper Shield (QoD). There's a pretty big MIL challenge coming up, and when charging into the ranks of standing Stark characters, there's always the very real possibility of running into a Lethal Counterattack (Core). But you've got to take some risks, right?

PAW: Lannister passes. Stark plays The Weasel's Way (TIoR), kneels Narrow Sea (Core) for the Influence, and draws a card. It is, of course, Ser Kyle Condon (APS), who'd just gone to the top of Stark's deck.

FAW: Declare Challenge type and Attackers. Lannister declares a POW challenge and kneels Cersei Lannister (LotR) as an attacker.

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Attacking Player declares Stealth targets. Defending Players declares Defenders. No Stealth. Stark deems that he can't afford to defend and lose one of his characters to Cersei's Deadly and lets the Challenge go through unopposed.

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Challenge Resolution. Nothing special happens here, so we can go over this quickly. Lannister moves one power from Stark's House card to his own and claims one for unopposed. She puts one of the two powers on Widow's Wail (LotR).
POW Challenge ends.

That was a risky play by Stark. Lannister is at 13 power now. Two more and it's over. Maybe he should've defended that POW challenge with The Bastard's Elite (RoR)?

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Declare Challenge type and Attackers. Lannister goes for the Big One, Lethal Counterattack (Core) be damned. She *wants* to win this challenge. She declares a MIL Challenge with Tribeless Vagabond (OSaS), Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core), Shagga Son of Dolf (DB) and Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) as attackers, for a total STR of 15 (Tribeless Vagabond 2 + Chella 3 + Shagga 3 + I'm You Writ Small 2 + Ser Jaime 3 + Widow's Wail 2 =15). Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) keeps standing as per his ability, all others kneel. Lannister leaves Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core) standing for MIL defense. The Clansmen, she figures, will be able to defend kneeling due to the ability of Shagga Son of Dolf (DB)...

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Attacking Player declares Stealth targets. Defending Player declares Defenders. Lannister has two Stealth characters. She must declare Stealth against Eddard Stark (LoW), or her claim would be 0. She declares the other Stealth against The Bastard's Elite (RoR). That's a fine play. The Bastard's Elite (RoR) is the card that Stark will have to choose to satisfy claim with, or Lannister will take control of it and keep it. That means that Stark will either have to let the challenge go through unopposed or lose 2 characters - The Bastard's Elite (RoR) for claim and the defender, whoever that is, for Deadly.
The maximum that Stark could muster for MIL defense is 15. Since he can't win the Challenge, he doesn't want to commit any resources to it either and lets it through unopposed. Ballsy! That puts Lannister at 14 power.

PAW: Both players pass. Whew! No Lethal Counterattack (Core)! Lannister feels slightly tense nevertheless. This is too easy...

FAW: Challenge Resolution.
- Determine Winner of the Challenge. Lannister has 15 STR, Stark has 0. Lannister wins the challenge.
- Implement Challenge Result (i.e. Claim). Stark kills The Bastard's Elite (RoR). It enters the Moribund:Dead Pile state and remains on the table for the remainder of the Action Window.
- Power for Unopposed is awarded. Lannister claims a power for Unopposed. 14 power now!
- Renown is awarded. None.
- Passive effects (including Deadly) are initiated. Deadly doesn't happen, since Stark has no participating characters. What does happen, though, is the control change of The Bastard's Elite (RoR). They've been killed, true, but they're still on the table, and their text is still active. Lannister takes control of them, albeit not for long.
- Responses to anything that has happened in the Action Window so far can be triggered. Again, Lannister as the First Player has the first Response. She triggers Widow's Wail (LotR) and draws a card - A Lannister Pays His Debts (Core). Doesn't look like she'll need it any time soon, but you never know.
Stark passes on Responses.
Lannister triggers Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core) and sends Great Keep (Core) back to Stark's hand. It stays moribund on the table for a very short while. One less gold for Stark next round.
Both players pass.
- Moribund cards leave play. The Bastard's Elite (RoR) goes to Stark's Dead pile. Great Keep (Core) goes to Stark's hand.
MIL Challenge ends.

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Lannister declares she has no more Challenges. Stark becomes the Active Player.

PAW: Both players pass.


Fig.2: Situation before Stark's MIL Challenge.

Stark has now a predatory gleam in his eye. Nightmares (LoW) could totally turn this around. Now if only Lannister doesn't have another Paper Shield (QoD) in her hand...

FAW: Declare Challenge type and Attackers. Stark declares a MIL challenge and kneels Ser Edmure Tully (LoW), The Blackfish (LoW), Robb Stark (Core), Guard at Riverrun (LoW) and Eddard Stark (LoW) as attackers for a total attacking STR of 13. The feeling of unease that has gripped Lannister is growing stronger. What is he doing? Doesn't he see that he can't get through? Why isn't he attacking with POW instead? Something is wrong...

PAW: Lannister passes. Stark plays Nightmares (LoW) and blanks Shagga Son of Dolf (DB). Now that Shagga's text box is treated as blank, Lannister can no longer declare knelt Clansman characters as defenders during MIL Challenges. That means she won't win this Challenge.
Lannister's face turns ashen. There is a look of sheer terror in her eyes. She knows that it can all go to ruin. She won't win this Challenge now. Stark has his hand full of cards, and Stark decks are widely feared for running lots of powerful events that are keyed to winning MIL Challenges. And there's unique characters in there, and one with a War crest...
Both players pass on actions.

FAW: Attacking Player declares Stealth targets. Defending Player declares Defenders. No Stealth. Lannister declares Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) as defender, for a total defending STR of 5.

PAW: Lannister passes. Stark plays Winter is Coming (Core) and raises his claim by 1. And so it begins.

FAW: Challenge Resolution.
- Determine Winner of the Challenge. Stark wins the challenge 13 - 5.
- Implement Challenge Result (i.e. Claim). Lannister kills Tribeless Vagabond (OSaS) and Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core) for Claim. As usual, they enter the Moribund:Dead Pile state and remain on the table for the duration of the Action Window.
- Power for Unopposed is awarded. None, the Challenge is opposed.
- Renown is awarded. Eddard Stark (LoW) and The Blackfish (LoW) claim one power each for Renown. Cool! 3 power on The Blackfish (LoW)! House Tully characters won't kneel to attack now!
- Passive effects (including Deadly) are initiated. No Deadly, and no other passive effects.
- Responses to anything that has happened in the Action Window so far can be triggered.
Lannister triggers the ability on Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core) (moribund, remember?). Stark randomly discards Osha (AKitN).
Stark controls unique characters participating in his won MIL Challenge, so he plays No Quarter (TBC) and kills Cersei Lannister (LotR).
Lannister has just lost a Challenge, so she can play A Lannister Pays His Debts (Core). She kneels Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core) (still moribund, remember?) to pay the cost and kills The Blackfish (LoW).
Stark, having won the challenge by 4 or more STR, returns Endless Endurance (LoW) to his hand.
Lannister passes.
Stark triggers the Response on The Blackfish (LoW) and draws a card. Stark is luckier than he has any right to be - he draws Die by the Sword (LoW).
Lannister passes.
Stark is lucky that he has won this MIL Challenge with Ser Edmure Tully (LoW) participating. His War crest allows Stark to trigger two more of his events.
Stark plays the copy of Die by the Sword (LoW) he has just drawn and kills Ser Jaime Lannister (Core).
Lannister passes.
Stark plays The Price of War (KotS) and discards Golden Tooth Mines (Core) and Toll Gate (AE).
Lannister passes.
Stark triggers the Response on Robb Stark (Core) and kills Shagga Son of Dolf (DB).
Both players pass.
- Moribund cards leave play. Tribeless Vagabond (OSaS), Ser Jacelyn Bywater (Core), Cersei Lannister (LotR), Ser Jaime Lannister (Core) and Shagga Son of Dolf (DB) go to Lannister's Dead pile. Golden Tooth Mines (Core), Toll Gate (AE), Widow's Wail (LotR) and I'm You Writ Small (Core) go to Lannister's Discard pile. The Blackfish (LoW) goes to Stark's Dead pile. Note that Osha (AKitN) is already in Stark's Discard pile. Osha (AKitN) didn't leave play, but went from one out of play area (hand) to another (Discard pile). There is no moribund in this case.
MIL Challenge ends.

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Declare Challenge type and Attackers. Stark declares an INT Challenge and attacks with Bolton Refugee (RoW).

PAW: Both players pass.

FAW: Attacking Player declares Stealth targets. Defending Player declares Defenders. No Stealth. Lannister defends with Maester Creylen (FtC).

PAW: Stark buffs Bolton Refugee (RoW) with Endless Endurance (LoW). Both players pass.

FAW: Challenge Resolution.
Again, let's go over this challenge quickly, since it's not complicated.
Stark wins the Challenge 4-3. Ser Balon Swann (TWH) is discarded for claim. Lannister must kill someone for Frey Hospitality (LotR) and kills Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core). The play restrictions for triggering Maester Creylen (FtC) are met (a player has won an INT challenge), but Lannister can't pay the cost - she didn't, in the end, **** gold and doesn't have any left.
INT Challenge ends.

PAW: Both players pass.

Having no standing characters with POW icons, Stark declares that he is finished with challenges.

The Challenge phase ends. There's a few passive effects that might have happened here, only they don't. Catelyn Stark (LoW) would've returned to Stark's hand if she hadn't been killed, Stark would've drawn a card for Guard at Riverrun (LoW) if he hadn't lost a MIL challenge (and if he wasn't draw-capped). Players who didn't win a MIL challenge would've killed one of their characters for Battle of Oxcross (PotS), only both players did win a MIL Challenge.

End situation:
House Lannister: 7 power on House card. 0 gold in gold pool.

In Play:
Maester Creylen (FtC) with 2 power (knelt)
Tommen Baratheon (SA) (knelt)

The Goldroad (Core)
Lannisport Treasury (LotR)

In Hand:
Tyrion Lannister (CoS)
Lannisport Moneylender (LotR)
Lannisport Weaponsmith (Core)

House Stark: 3 power on House card. 0 gold in gold pool.

In Play:
Ser Edmure Tully (LoW)
Robb Stark (Core)
Bolton Refugee (RoW)
Guard at Riverrun (LoW)
Eddard Stark (LoW) with 2 power

Harrenhal (ODG)
Narrow Sea (Core)

In Hand:
Great Keep (Core)
Ser Kyle Condon (APS)


Fig.3: Situation at the End of the Phase.

Stark has come within an inch of defeat this Challenges phase, but has managed, aided in no small part by a rather exorbitant string of lucky draws, to step back from the brink. Lannister has landed a few blows of her own, though. She has the slightly better hand now, but Stark has the vastly better board position. The outcome of this game will be decided largely by the plot decks. If Lannister still has Valar Morghulis to flip, she might claw her way back into the game. If not, we fancy Stark's chances to run away with this one.

So, let's wrap up this Citadel Custom. Would you have played things differently? Did Stark or Lannister blunder anywhere? We're looking forward to your comments in the comment section.

Antti Korventausta (WWDrakey) is a self-proclaimed Finnish AGoT philosopher and nitpicker, who also used to practice Quantum Mechanics, but found that it paled to AGoT in both interest and complexity. As a Stahleck regular and judge, he sometimes has oddly vivid dreams of understanding portions of the game. In AGoT, he'll play anything as long as it's suitably twisted... often ending up with something that has horns on it.

Helmut Hohberger (Ratatoskr) started playing AGoT in September 2010 and has never looked back (although his wife has, longingly). As a German, he loves rules - and I mean *loves* 'em. Try triggering a Response at the end of a phase on his watch, and he'll probably invade your country. He has actually read the FAQ, and was made a judge at Stahleck and at various other events. He sometimes answers rules questions on boardgamegeek and the FFG rules board. Some of his answers haven't even been contradicted, corrected or expanded upon by ktom - there is no higher accolade for a rules board morlock.

Every Maester needs a Raven on his shoulder. As a Finn, Iiro Jalonen (Ire) got pulled under the waves by Krakens years ago, and has never looked back. A self-inflicted Shagga and active member of the global AGoT community, he has always strived to know the rules of the game, in order to make them do ridiculous things.