A Dire Message Chapter Pack Review

Our staff has put together a first blush analysis of the newly released A Dire Message chapter pack. We’ve used a one through five scale; five being the best. The cards are listed in numeric order. Our reviewers are listed in alphabetical order. Let us know in the comments how you feel about the cards in this pack!

Total Pack Score: 64% (256 out of 400 possible points)

Top Cards:
Wheels Within Wheels
Flame and Shadow
Ser Balon Swann
Blackwood Elite
Mad King Aerys

Bottom Cards:
Dragon Ambassador
The Boneway
Northern Clansman
The Turncloak’s Task
With 4 reviewers this time around, all scores are effectively on a 5-20 scale. Now onto the reviews!

Robert Baratheon (12 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
The response is structured in the same way Starfall is; meaning if you win a challenge with multiple prized characters you still only get one power. However, he can claim power for other characters winning in other challenges. I have a hard time seeing people give up core Bob for this one though. Lack of a crest is really surprising and addition of King trait is not that big of a deal.
scantrell24 - 3 out of 5
This card was spoiled a while ago, so the comparisons to Core Set Robert have been made and countered many times. To summarize: the King trait, lack of noble crest, and Prized Two keyword are all downsides. Strength four is better than strength three. Artwork is badass but that won’t win you any games... I think he’ll find a place in some decks - maybe Noble Cause or Conquest. If Bara gets a couple more playable Prized characters then King Robert could earn another point.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
Great ability, but King interacts negatively with Stannis and the name of the card interacts negatively with the Core Set version. I think that it belongs in a Prized deck, but will be seen rarely outside of that theme.

kizerman86 - 3 out of 5
Bara Prized is becoming a thing, but it still looks too risky to me. This card presents several synergies, but they are kept in check by the drawbacks mentioned above. I like the choice it forces, but most decks would rather play the Core Set version.


Flame and Shadow (16 points)

emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
The prized 2 is a bit of a high cost but it’s probably worth the effect given that you can take key uniques before an opponent can use them against you. Potential in Joust is very high; not optimal in Melee.

scantrell24 - 4 out of 5
As with Mel’s Favor, you can kill the borrowed character for military claim or feed him to Harrenhal before this effect expires. Bara KotHH could make a comeback, although in a much different form than previous incarnations. I think the hefty price is fair for such a powerful card.

agktmte - 4 out of 5
Obviously a 5 if it had no influence cost, as such, it really only belongs in a deck that is built for it, but it is a very strong effect and the Prized 2 can potentially be mitigated immediately if you take a character that helps you win the ensuing power challenge or close out the game. Unlike Robert, I think that building a deck for 2 influence will be more common that building a Prized deck, so the rating is bumped a little higher to reflect that.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
If the KotHH errata didn’t exist, this card would easily be a 5. The “here and now” feel of this card begs for a rush deck, but the influence cost feels out of place for those builds. This card is just extra ammo for the already insane melee build, and can still grab the “No Attachments” characters that people are using to counter the current version.

Raider from Orkwood (15 points)


emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
Of all the versions of this card this is probably the best one. The military + other icon combo is so common the effect of this guy will almost always have some degree of utility. What’s more he’s a Raider which helps further support one of Greyjoy’s key themes.

scantrelll24 - 4 out of 5
We’ve known this was coming for a while, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. He’ll be a contender for space in almost every Greyjoy deck.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
We’ve seen all of these before, we know they can be good. I actually think the Military icon ones are the weakest since there are so many monocons already being used for that challenge. I also don’t think that Greyjoy gains as much from this ability as other houses. The raider trait is nice however.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
These specialist characters are great. The only thing worse than looking across the table to see Victarion or the Hammerhorn Raiders will be seeing this guy at their side. 2x in many Greyjoy decks.

Orkwood Captain (14 points)


emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
The cost, STR, icon and traits ratio is already a good start. Naval on both of the icons makes him better. The response is strong though the value of it is a bit subject to the meta. Definitely worth a bit of deck space, but the utility of the response is a bit subject to your opponents build.

scantrell24 - 4 out of 5
Sure, new Harrenhal makes responses to winning challenges less good, but this ability can be powerful against Lost Oasis, Meereen Tourney Grounds, Meraxes, Kingsroad, Great Wyk, LIV1, and all influence locations. Double naval enhancements are nothing to sneeze at either. Now I have to find room for another 3 cost non-unique in my Black Sails deck alongside Newly Made Lord and Enraged Crewman.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
Solid character with a good ability, but I think that it might be too redundant to see use outside of Black Sails. No negatives beyond the opportunity costs of using other characters instead.

kizerman86 - 3 out of 5
I like the ability, but the 3 cost slot is jammed tight for Greyjoy. It puts a huge focus on going first, but Greyjoy usually does that anyway. Auto-include at 1x in Black Sails, but its impact will vary quite a lot from game to game. I think influence locations will be the best target.

Ten Towers (13 points)


emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Might a HoD mill deck be a real thing now? I’m not sure, but with this FFG seems to be telegraphing that they want mill to be a thing. The key, of course, is the unopposed challenge but Greyjoy has gotten a few extra tools for that. The question remains “will mill be a thing”? I’m on the fence.

scantrell24 - 4 out of 5
It pains me to do this, but they’re pushing Mill so hard that I think it’s reached the point of viability (though probably not quite tier 1). With Naval Escort as the restricted card and Ten Towers as your HoD location, it shouldn’t take more than 4 turns to deck your opponent. Larger than 60 cards decks like TLV and DWDW become even better if Mill does indeed break out.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
I am likely wrong and will be proven so by an enterprising deck builder, but I don’t see this being included in very many decks. Probably only as a House of Dreams location, but I’m pretty sure that a raiding deck won’t become a top 3 deck for Greyjoy.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
I agree with Scantrell here, there has been a TON of mill support over the last year. FFG also gave every house strong recursion around the same time, but the self-mill and recursion decks have died down a lot and this card couldn’t have come at a better time. The biggest problem with mill is the fact that you have to dedicate a solid amount of your deck to milling. Ten Towers lets you focus your deck on winning challenges, and letting it do the rest.

Ser Balon Swann (16 points)


emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
Almost as good as Greenfield. Shadows 0 cost cards are just so good for the ability to precisely time when you want effects to go off. The response isn’t super strong given the effect allows the opponent to choose, but it’s a free discard still and let’s you trigger other effects. Complements last year’s Kingsguard pack beautifully.

scantrell24 - 4 out of 5
This is a beautiful card even without the Response. ‘No attachments’ protects against Flame-Kissed. He triggers Jaime, Guild Halll, and Tyrion, and stands with Kingdom of Shadows. He’s got the best icon pair. What’s not to love?

agktmte - 4 out of 5
I want to rate this a 5 because I don’t see how this isn’t an auto-include for every Lannister deck, but it’s definitely not as good as the new Daenarys, so the bar for a 5 has been raised. I do think we will see a lot of this card however.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
This slots into almost every Lannister deck, for sure. Lannister now has the best chance of triggering Jaime for 3 cards without diluting their decks, but I’m not sure they need it. The art is awesome.

Wheels Within Wheels (20 points)


emptyrepublic - 5 out of 5
So this has been spoiled for a while and most people already have an opinion on it. Simply put it’s powerful. It’s plot rotation with effectively no condition on the timing. I can even begin to iterate all the potential things you can do with this. Prized 2 in Melee can be a bit dangerous but in Joust this could be a massive wrecking ball.

scantrell24 - 5 out of 5
Here’s another card that’s already been discussed at length. Wheels requires a deck built with it in mind, with the Maester’s Path and Defiance agendas fitting the bill nicely. As a sidenote, even though this card is broken, I’d advise against playing it in your test decks for Worlds / Stahleck because it will so obviously be restricted in the October FAQ.

agktmte - 5 out of 5
Probably broken. We saw a decrease in Harrenhal use at GenCon, but I think that with this card legal that is going to tick back up. Everyone should be considering counters to this card such as Paper Shield, Royal Decree, and Harrenhal.

kizerman86 - 5 out of 5
Not much I can add to the discussion here. Use it in tandem with The Maester’s Path while you can!

The Boneway (8 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Given that FFG is now trying to shift the meta away from character lite decks the value of this card is going to be lower. The play or reveal trigger condition is a particularly interesting as it’ll allow the controller to affect the tempo of play and introduces some disincentive to opponents to play prized cards.

scantrell24 - 2 out of 5
Most decks nowadays run at least 6-8 prized cards, especially after this pack. I can see it as the HoD location for icon manipulation decks that want a small board, but there are probably better options. I originally thought there was a great combo with Much and More, but that only works if your opponent plays the event.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
Situational at best, binder fodder at worst. Seems flashy, but if you build to take advantage of the effect, the opponent can just play around it and you are handicapped in that match. However, if you just throw it in without building for it, it can be totally unusable. I want to rate this a 1, but it has such a big effect I’m not sure it’s completely worthless.

kizerman86 - 1 out of 5
I loved this card when I first read it, then I realized I misread it. If it triggered when YOU played a prized card, it would be a 4 or 5. Ugh.

Locked in a Cell (12 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Event based Ghaston Grey effect that doesn’t have the limitation the errata gave to the location. The cost to trigger is not quite as steep as the location (you get to keep the noble in play), but since the event is one time use I’m not sure if the prized 2 cost is worth it. Prized 1 might have made this more interesting.

scantrell24 - 3 out of 5
The influence cost is steep, but KotHH decks will love having another challenge control event in their arsenal. Icon control packs Valar and the Aftermath now, so they can keep the opponent’s board manageable at all times.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
Ghaston decks slot in 2 of these, I’m pretty sure. I’m not sure how many Martell KotHH decks are going to find room for it, but the effect is huge.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
I also think this event will be good in a Ghaston Grey build, since you have the nobles anyway, it gives you ability to 2-for-1 your nobles, but Prized 2 actually feels steep in that deck. I think the influence cost is entirely too high along with the Prized. I think this will see play, but probably best out of a Dark Wings, Dark Words running Ghaston Grey.

Northern Clansman (9 points)

emptyrepublic - 2 out of 5
As usual with this Bannerman they are mostly useless on their own. Though it is a Clansman so might it make a splash in a Lannister Clansman deck? The second passive effect might make it worth it, but otherwise I don’t expect to see this guy much.

scantrell24 - 3 out of 5
Renown and stealth are two of the best keywords in the game, but there aren’t many obvious synergies between Stark/Bara or Stark/Lanni.

kizerman86 - 2 out of 5
This bannerman gains the best keywords, but the houses that grant them aren’t natural pairs. My grade will increase as soon as a solid Conquest deck can use it, but for now I’m not feeling it.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
This is my favorite of these Bannerman. I think a 2-cost, 2-STR, 2-icon, Stealth and Renown guy is awesome. The problem of course is actually getting that all turned on. A strong card for draft, but weak in joust. Possibly best in a Lannister Clansmen deck that uses some dual house Baratheon characters. That seems the most likely deck for this to actually do some work.

Blackwood Elite (16 points)

emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
I’d play this in Joust, probably not Melee. The cost to benefit ratio justifies the Prized 2 even with the passive effect. The Tully sub-theme has gotten quite a bit of love lately and it feels like the theme can really come into its own. If this had stealth instead of deadly it’d probably have been a 5 for me.

scantrell24 - 4 out of 5
What a beast. What a roller coaster of a textbox. With cards a like this, we’re going to see some very high stakes challenges.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
Tully Seige is going to be nuts, especially when the Blackfish’s Vanguard comes out. If Tully gets any support other than efficient characters and Riverrun, it will be insane.

agktmte - 4 out of 5
Not sure how to rate this. I don’t know whether its military claim requirement is that large of a drawback. I think not, in which case this is great, but I don’t know if it’s quite a 5. I think we’ll be seeing this in a lot of decks and Tully decks will be coming back soon and have some teeth to them.

Mad King Aerys (16 points)

emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
Madness indeed and extremely Nedly! Not appropriate for any Targ deck but looks like a lot of fun. The card can take care of its own threats. Having nobles on the board isn’t hard at all, but if you do you need to get rid of this guy quickly before they get taken out. Feels like this really should be Prized 2.

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5
First, I’d like to give props to Bruno for concocting a card that is equally Nedly and practical. Cannot be killed and renown make a powerful combination. The Mad King’s character ability doesn’t trigger until the Dominance phase, and he kneels to trigger, so it’s balanced (unlike that of a certain other Targaryen family member).

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
Amazing design! I love when a card feels natural, and this is as natural as it gets. Spending 4 gold, then waiting until Dominance to use it seems tough but target kill is great. Between Aerys and Dany boards will be decimated fast. Targ Heir gets another solid tool, although I’m not sure if you can really make room for more than 1 copy.

agktmte - 4 out 5
Higher cost makes it a little harder to use than the new Daenarys (obviously my new standard for a 5 card), but target kill is very nice, even if conditional (and potentially unusable). He’s a solid character without the effect however, and no other versions to use instead (which is why I rate it higher than Robert). I think this works great in a Cannot Be Killed deck with the new Dragons and also the Heir deck we’ve been seeing lately will almost certainly slot one of these in. I also like that this provides both an incentive and a disincentive to run nobles. Very interesting.

Dragon Ambassador (7 points)

emptyrepublic - 2 out of 5
Copy past most the remarks from previous versions of this card. Niche use that’s potentially interesting otherwise not very useful on its own right.

scantrell24 – 2 out of 5
The “multiple house” chuds come to a merciful end. I know there are fun, maybe even tier 1.5, decks out there with Longship Iron Wind that jump these guys into play, but they’re not my cup of tea. Deadly on an intrigue icon is nice, but good luck meeting both conditions.

kizerman86 - 2 out of 5
Not sure what deck will use this. Seems like a draft-only card, really.

agktmte - 1 out of 5
My least favorite of these bannermen. Even if you are using a deck with these houses that could take advantage of these abilities, I’m not sure this card would belong in that deck.

By Sword or By Guile (15 points)

emptyrepublic - 4 out of 5
I’m not sure if this card warrants a copy or two in every Targaryen deck but without a doubt it’ll make an appearance in many. In my view this is a “finisher” event. In early/mid game you need to control the board of your opponent and maintain card advantage; as such you don’t want to cancel military/intrigue claims. But at 10-12 power then this is a brilliant sprint to the finish to take the win.

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5
In Melee, I expect this will quickly hit the restricted list (although we’re still waiting on Mel’s Favor). In joust, it sees play as a 1x or maybe 2x in rush or “pressure rush” decks like Heir to the Iron Throne that give away lots of prized power. I generally don’t like cards that have no impact on board position, but three power is a significant amount.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
I agree that it will see much more play in melee, but a single copy can fit in many decks. I think burn will take advantage of slow starts and use it to close fast.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
I think that this has a lot of hype and will be played a lot as a result, but I think that ultimately players will decide it’s not quite as good as initially thought. With that said, it is still very strong and I think it has a lot of potential out of a burn deck to help finish or extend the game. It gives the slower control decks some reach which is very important. Also, in a Prized heavy deck it can help mitigate that downside. Outside of control and prized (and not all control decks at that) I think this card won’t make the cut.

The Iron Throne (10 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
I’m honestly not sure what to make of this card. Clearly, if you are slotting it you are intending to disrupt, as much as possible, your opponent(s) ability to trigger effects so presumably you are building around that. The ability for any player to manipulate it give is such a huge X factor that its hard to speculate what the impact might be. Very much on the fence until this sees some play.

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5
This new Iron Throne is both thematic and powerful; it captures the essence of the game by raising the stakes of every challenge, but it’s also a double-edged sword. I don’t think it’s an auto-include because you’ll want to build with it in mind.

kizerman86 - 2 out of 5
The ability is powerful, sure. I just don’t see it working in your favor as often as you would like. If you build a deck that runs just a few responses (not a good idea, IMO) then I guess it gives you an advantage but really it seems to benefit both players equally. An exception would be hyper-aggro decks and wall decks that shut down pretty much every challenge then hit back where they can win.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
Powerful, flashy, and fun. Seems like it’ll be a blast to play around when it hits the table, but do you really want to be the one that plays it? I think that if you build to take advantage of this (minimal responses) then you will have a weaker deck overall than if you don’t. There are however many decks that really only trigger responses to challenge wins (Stark murder and many other aggro decks) and this could potentially be a good card in those.

Sellsail Galley (12 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Being non-unique you could presumably field multiple copies of this in order to do a big grab of key characters, but you are using location space to do it. Is that good or bad? Depends on how much draw you can get into your deck. With strong draw this is not particularly necessary; weak draw perhaps one or two. Naturally, you need to have sufficient naval enhanced characters to justify it as well.

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5
I’m glad they’re still throwing an occasional bone to Black Sails decks. Heck, this might even see occasional play outside of Black Sails – it searches your deck or discard pile, not Hold, and it just looks for any naval enhancement.

kizerman8 - 3 out of 5
Search is king, and there are several great characters with naval icons that fit in builds other than Black Sails (Theon, Victarion, Wyman, etc…). I’m not sure it is worth a card slot in most decks, but I could see a case for it in some.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
I like the neutral Black Sails support, but winning by 4 as a trigger is not always easy, especially when telegraphed since you have to have it in play first. With that said, it is repeatable and non-unique, but it seems like a “win more” card. I’m not sure this actually helps you win a game if you aren’t already going to do so.

They Lay With Lions (10 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Best comparisons with this are probably with City of Sin and Drunken Allegations. City of Sin doesn’t have as good stats and is dependant on the number of used City plots. Drunken Allegations is roughly on par regarding stats but allows your opponent to potentially kneel one of your characters. This one is hard to judge. Usefulness will depend on your cost/benefit analysis of the other plots with similar effects. Personally, I think this would be much more interesting if it was non-prized card (not just characters).

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5
The low initiative is a liability now that so many decks are turning to Bay of Ice for card advantage in the post-Rivers world. We’ve had on-demand kneel for ages from City of Sin and seen how powerful that can be, although this plot doesn’t scale upwards to kneel multiple characters. Ironically, Lannister decks might use it the most to take advantage of The Mander’s extra draw for having a prized plot.

kizerman86 - 2 out of 5
Spot control for a turn is good, but not worth a plot slot, especially with the low initiative. I agree with emptyrepublic, this plot should be able to kneel any card instead of just a character. Especially since the plot itself is prized.

agktmte - 2 out of 5
Useful plot answer to some trouble characters, but with Prized 1 what plot would you even consider replacing with this? City plots with City of Sin is a better option and I suppose a case can be made that you can use this in addition to the City plots, but why? It just feels weak for only affecting one character on one turn. I feel like there are better options for any deck except House of Dreams The Mander and possibly Defiance.

A Task in the East (12 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
The three “Task” plots are a mixed bag of utility. Potentially useful if you intend to splash some stuff out of house; otherwise there are plenty of other plots out there. Targaryen could at least fish out a Summer Sea with this plot without having to bring anything out of House. In the end plot only makes sense if the deck build allows for it. Stats are otherwise decent.

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5
Search is good. Conquest has proven better than expected. It will see a bit of play.

kizerman86 - 3 out of 5
Targ can grab the Snakeskin Veil to pair with Rhaegar’s Harp, in an effort to create a bulletproof Beric/Dany/Marwyn. Not much obvious utility here but the scope is broad enough that I’m sure people will find a strong way to use this.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
I think this might be the best of the “Task” plots, not because of its overall usefulness, but because I think it can provide some high impact plays for a couple deck types. Targ can grab a Martell card (great for an attachment with Beric or Daenarys, etc.) and Martell can grab a Greyjoy card (Newly Made Lord in KotHH maybe, Great Wyk in a HoD Scourge deck).

A Task for the King (14 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
See previous comments. Here a Baratheon player could fish a Narrow Sea or dual house Brienne. Lannister could fish out a dual house character like Randyll Tarly or Margery. House to card synergies seem useful here.

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5
Lanni/Bara have some synergy, especially with Holy characters.

kizerman86 - 4 out of 5
Agree with Scantrell, there is already a solid Lanni Conquest Bara holy deck, and Mel on demand is huge. There is also a fun combo with Head of a Dwarf, discarding Seats of Power and Narrow Seas to load up your opponent’s character, then stealing it with Mel’s Favor, Flame and Shadow, or stealing the power with the Lyseni Captain.

agktmte - 3 out of 5
Lots of dual house characters in these house combinations to use easily. However, nothing that really seems high impact beyond Baratheon grabbing Brienne or finding Meera in a City of Shadows deck. I rate this below Task in the East, but has overall better House synergy since these House pairs can actually create some strong Conquest decks.

The Turncloak’s Task (9 points)

emptyrepublic - 3 out of 5
Again, repeat previous comments. Though this plot seems to have no nascent effect like grabbing a cost reduction “Sea”. Synergies here seem a bit less obvious than the previous two plots.

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5
This is probably the weakest of the three plots.

kizerman86 - 2 out of 5
I can’t find a good reason to play this plot. Maybe in Stark Conquest Lanni to grab the Cache?

agktmte - 1 out of 5
I think this is definitely the worst of the “Task” plots, the pairings here are pretty lame. Other than some really crazy and inefficient decks, there is no need to grab a Lannister card in Stark or a Targ card in Greyjoy. Maybe to run Daenarys in Greyjoy? (Because, why not?) Not worth a slot in a plot deck.