Ride for the True Queen

“I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons, khaleesi to Drogo's riders, and queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.”
   –Daenerys Targaryen, A Storm of Swords

Throughout A Song of Ice and Fire, much of the action centers on the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros—yet another saga unfolds across the Narrow Sea. On the continent of Essos, Daenerys Targaryen gathers supporters and soon, she will sail for Westeros to claim the Iron Throne for herself.

In A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, you may choose to push Daenerys’s claim to the throne, and today, guest writer Buz Hannon offers a few ways that you can make a deck that’s all about Daenerys.

Buz Hannon on Daenerys Targaryen

We’ve all got a different reason for first starting to play A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, don’t we? Some of us were fans of the books, others were fans of the show, others were fans of great Living Card Games®, and some of us are a mishmash of those and other factors. For me, I found out about the books because of the game, but I only became a fan of the game after reading the books. Simple, right?

Once I decided to get more serious about the game, I knew I would need to pick a house to start with. That choice was among the easiest I have ever made: House Targaryen. In my eyes, A Song of Ice and Fire is just a grand dog-and-pony show whose ultimate end is to place the true heir to the Iron Throne back where she belongs.

With the release of second edition, I was pleased to see that Daenerys Targaryen (Core Set, 160) had become the central figure for House Targaryen. In Nate French’s preview article, he even went so far as to define one of this faction’s themes as being “All About Dany.” That was music to this Targaryen loyalist’s ears! But how, you ask, does one go about building a deck that honors the Stormborn in the way that she deserves? After all, the Breaker of Chains deserves something truly special to accentuate her strengths. In this article, we'll explore a few gems in the cardpool that help us get the most out of Daenerys Targaryen.

Whenever you’re looking for a deck that aims at constructive synergy (loosely defined as using cards to make your other cards better), you should start with your in-house options. Fortunately, House Targaryen offers quite a bit in that regard. A look at Daenerys’s text box quickly reveals that she’s best while standing. Magister Illyrio (Core Set, 163) offers that for tuppence, and Waking the Dragon (Core Set, 178) also provides a free option to stand Daenerys. Since Waking the Dragon is a free event, you can always trigger it, not only activating Daenerys’s passive ability, but potentially letting you use her in another challenge! In tandem with the boosts provided by her Hatchlings— Drogon (Core Set, 161), Viserion (Core Set, 166), and Rhaegal (Core Set, 164)—that extra challenge could be enough to close the game.

While Waking the Dragon has the cost of pulling a character out of play, that may not be the worst outcome if you time it right. When you reveal your Valar Morghulis (There Is My Claim, 80) during the next plot phase, Dany will be safe and sound in your hand! You can always use Fire and Blood (Core Set, 177) to bring those Hatchlings back as well. And, if that wasn’t enough, you can use Waking the Dragon with Viserys Targaryen (Core Set, 167) to keep Daenerys free from troublesome attachments, like Milk of the Poppy (Core Set, 35)!

But Dany isn’t content with being the scion of her own House. The Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea won’t remain in the East—she’s coming to take her rightful place as Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. Sometimes, that means bringing in a Banner agenda. In the card game, adding a Banner agenda allows you to include non-loyal cards from another faction. Though really, I prefer to think of them not as non-loyal, but as truly loyal, since they’re working for their rightful monarch once again! A Game of Thrones: The Card Game allows you to banner with each of the seven other factions, but which of them add the most to a deck that features Daenerys? I’ll explore just one option: House Tyrell.

House Tyrell brings a few strengths to the table, and primary among these is its deck-filtering ability. Cards like The Bear and the Maiden Fair (Core Set, 197) are fantastic options to ensure that you draw into Daenerys Targaryen and other key pieces as fast as possible. What’s the use of centering your deck around Dany if you can’t find her? The honorable brothers Ser Horas Redwyne (No Middle Ground, 63) and Ser Hobber Redwyne (The King’s Peace, 43) also help you consistently find Dany and keep her standing. I even think they work better with Daenerys than with any of the Tyrell Ladies!

Tyrell also brings a wealth of diversity to your Lady trait. While you won’t be able to run the Lady-in-Waiting (The Road to Winterfell, 23) as she’s loyal to House Tyrell, you can find that such capable characters as Brienne of Tarth (Ghosts of Harrenhal, 83), Alerie Tyrell  (Lions of Casterly Rock, 37), and Margaery Tyrell (Core Set, 181) are good on their own, while also providing excellent targets for trait-limited cards like Bodyguard (Core Set, 33) and Seal of the Hand (Core Set, 32).

Further, these Ladies let you consistently trigger Offer of a Peach (Ghosts of Harrenhal, 84). Combined with our queen, Offer of a Peach is amazing, since it can protect her from incoming attacks, while provide some tricks when used on offense. For instance, you could attack with Daenerys, and then pull her back after your opponent has over-committed or under-committed to the challenge. What’s more, when Daenerys stands again, you can use that surprising reduction of STR to bring characters into range of instant death with your Dracarys! (Core Set, 176). All of Renly’s gifts are tainted, indeed.

I’ve included a decklist here for you to look at as we finish the Store Championship season. You may wish to tweak it to your own liking, but it offers a great starting point if you’re looking to pilot a deck that’s all about Dany! Thanks for reading, and remember: ride for the True Queen!

Smoke and Roses

Total Cards: 61

Faction: House Targaryen

Agenda: 1

1x Banner of the Rose (Core Set)

Plots: 7
1x A Noble Cause (Core Set)
1x Blood of the Dragon (No Middle Ground)
1x Close Call (True Steel)
1x Marched to the Wall (Core Set)
1x Summons (Core Set)
1x Varys’s Riddle (Across the Seven Kingdoms)
1x Summer Harvest (Called to Arms)

Characters: 32
1x Alerie Tyrell (Lions of Casterly Rock)
1x Brienne of Tarth (Ghosts of Harrenhal)
3x Daenerys Targaryen (Core Set)
1x Doreah (Called to Arms)
2x Drogon (Core Set)
2x Garden Caretaker (Core Set)
2x Magister Illyrio (Core Set)
3x Margaery Tyrell (Core Set)
1x Quaithe of the Shadow (Tyrion's Chain)
3x Rhaegal (Core Set)
1x Ser Hobber Redwyne (The King's Peace)
1x Ser Horas Redwyne (No Middle Ground)
1x Ser Jorah Mormont (Core Set)
2x Targaryen Loyalist (Core Set)
3x Viserion (Core Set)
3x Viserys Targaryen (Core Set)
2x Khal Drogo (Core Set)

Attachments: 6
2x Beggar King (Called to Arms)
2x Bodyguard (Core Set)
1x Crown of Gold (The Road to Winterfell)
1x Seal of the Hand (Core Set)

Events: 13
3x Dracarys! (Core Set)
2x Fire and Blood (Core Set)
2x Funeral Pyre (True Steel)
2x Offer of a Peach (Ghosts of Harrenhal)
2x Waking the Dragon (Core Set)
2x “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” (Core Set)

Locations: 10
2x Illyrio’s Estate (Core Set)
1x Plaza of Punishment (Core Set)
1x Shadowblack Lane (The Road to Winterfell)
3x The Kingsroad (Core Set)
3x The Roseroad (Core Set)

Buz Hannon has been playing A Game of Thrones: The Card Game since 2012. A self-styled Shagga player, he loves looking for intriguing deck combinations that push the edges of what the cardpool allows. Formerly of the Tulsa meta, that beautiful land that birthed the “OKTarg” screen name, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and dreams about attending tournaments whenever his four young boys will allow! His career highlights include losing to Matt P in the Tulsa Regional Finals and going 2-4 at the most recent KublaCon. You can find him lurking CardGameDB and anywhere else the game is being discussed!