Home ArticlesPack Reviews Dragons of the East: Deluxe Review Part 1

Dragons of the East: Deluxe Review Part 1

by scantrell24
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“Have you ever seen a dragon?” she asked as Irri scrubbed her back and Jhiqui sluiced sand from her hair. She had heard that the first dragons had come from the east, from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea. Perhaps some were still living there, in realms strange and wild.

“Dragons are gone, Khaleesi,” Irri said.

“Dead,” agreed Jhiqui. “Long and long ago.”

Viserys had told her that the last Targaryen dragons had died no more than a century and a half ago, during the reign of Aegon III, who was called the Dragonbane. That did not seem so long ago to Dany. “Everywhere?” she said, disappointed. “Even in the east?” Magic had died in the west when the Doom fell on Valyria and the Lands of the Long Summer, and neither spell-forged steel nor stormsingers nor dragons could hold it back, but Dany had always heard that the east was different. It was said that manticores prowled the islands of the Jade Sea, that basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti, that spellsingers, warlocks, and aeromancers practiced their arts openly in Asshai, while shadowbinders and bloodmages worked terrible sorceries in the black of night. Why shouldn’t there be dragons too?

 

Our staff has put together a first blush analysis of the newly released “Dragons of the East” chapter pack. Answers to frequently asked rules questions can be found on the individual card pages on thronesdb.com. Cards are listed in numeric order and scored on a scale ranging from one through five, with five being the best possible score. 

 

Matt Slade (Matthew Slarday on FB) has joined us for this review. He’s a Tokar loving Targaryen Loyalist who is really enjoying the attachment theme in the box.

 

Let us know in the comments how you feel about the cards in this pack!

 

Daenerys Targaryen (3.25 Average)

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Eight gold is a big investment for a character with only 5 strength, zero native keywords, and only one ability. I’d like her a lot more if the ability was “cannot be canceled” or if Dany had an immunity to protect her from counters (immune to events, cannot be killed, etc). You could voltron Dany up with attachments (Dragon Skull, Khaleesi, Seal or Queensguard or Mysha), but there are better voltron towers. You could jump in a surprise Milk, Strangler, etc. but Valyrian Steel does that better. I’m just not convinced that the support cards and the meta are right to really leverage Dany and her Dragons. Valar Dohaeris in particular is troublesome, although I’ve seen a slight increase in Wildfire over Valar D to beat Return to the Fields for initiative. 

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

8 gold is a brutal cost. You’d be foolish to set her up as you would be facing a very tough game when she is marched to the wall. Great Hall and Hizdahr are restricted, there are only a few plots with printed gold high enough to play (all with downsides). A sneaky open of A Prince That Came Too Late may work if the meta isn’t full of Barring the Gates and you don’t get Valared the next turn. She would be a much better design if she cost 7 gold and her ability cost a gold. Obviously, her ability is amazing. If you can trigger her twice in a game then she is slightly better than Core Dany who doesn’t see a lot of play right now.

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

Looking at the positives first, we have another Stormborn, with the same strength and icons as Core Daenerys, but a more impactful ability. Looking at the maths provided by Slade in the Womb review the odds look very high of getting a hit as long as you have a dozen or so eligible targets (accounting for the fact this searches 10 cards, not 5), and Targ have plenty of impactful attachments. Now for the elephant in the room, that cost! Setup is very unlikely unless Marched gets restricted or banned in future (can’t see that happening), meaning you need decent economy to get her out early. Unlike Slade, I’m happy enough to see her round 2, so a setup with economy plus At the Gates for Gates of the Moon, plus an econ location plot one would mean a 5-6 gold plot should be enough to play her out. Heir to the Iron Throne also looks a decent shout if you run something like Targ Wolf.

 

Quill & Tankard Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

The artist has watched the show, we sense. Even with the extra gold making her far less palatable for setup, we suspect this will outright replace the Core Daenerys – losing Insight is easily made up for primarily by the card advantage of the ability itself. Repeatable search is very strong, and the extra tempo she can provide early game by fetching hatchlings shouldn’t be overlooked either. Making Valyrian Steel decks more consistent or allowing you to diversify attachments a bit more in a regular ol’ deck, coupled with the card advantage and economy, make her a very good package all-round.



Drogon (3.1 Average)

scantrell24 – 3.5 out of 5

Let’s be real, you’re not dropping 6 gold ambush Drogon for this more expensive beatstick. I do fear his burn ability, which has the potential to wipe out multiple characters at once when combined with other non-terminal burn like Dragon Is No Slave, Dragonpit, etc. Drogon is reminiscent of Gregor Clegane for more reasons than just the high strength military icon; his ability is the kind of high ceiling low floor effect that can swing a game all of a sudden. 

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

Cool a 7 gold dragon! He’s got a decent ability but I don’t see him replacing 6-cost Drogon who has an arguably better abilities, costs 1 less and has Ambush. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

In a burn/aggro deck, this is a Mountain that can’t be Milked but loses renown. Using this Drogon’s reaction together with Stormcrows and/or Blood of the Dragon can annihilate an opponent’s board of chuds, and then they have to take claim too! I think the renown for Stormborn is a bit of a trap as you are unlikely to see him with either Stormborn Daenerys for long before a reset hits you. Also, chances are with that ability you want 5 cost Dany anyway! That said, overall this ability makes me want to try this card out, even with 6 cost Drogon existing. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Mass kill, yowza! This will be an easy 5 despite the boring repetition of the 3 gold version’s renown, just as soon as we check to confirm there isn’t an even better Drogon that kills stuff… oh. Oh, nevermind, middling rating it is.

Rhaegal (3.75 Average)


scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Stand is cool and all, but it’s kind of overdone by this point. I appreciate that Rhaegal can stand a non-participating character, but he has to win on attack only. I could see him in Targ Rains or a Dragon version of Blood (rather than the Dothraki version), but I don’t think either will be a top Targ deck. 

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

2 Icons, 8 STR and a strong ability – nice. The power level of the 7 gold Rhaegal and Viserion depends on how good Fire Made Flesh turns out which I feel will be crucial to get these big dragon versions into play. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

Standing huge characters is undoubtedly powerful, and you don’t even need to break the bank as you can always stand a cheap Dragon to get Rhaegal back up too. However, if you are on a budget and using a Stormborn then 3 cost Rheagal is probably a better call. Maybe run 1 of this Rhaegal, and use Fire Made Flesh to cheat him in. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

A mighty-fine wyvern we’ve got here. We really like how unlike Drogon and (spoilers!) Viserion, Rhaegal’s hatchling effect is scaled up to make a new, more powerful effect, rather than “here’s an unrelated effect, also it still has the old one despite a 7g character supporting a 7/8g character not being very good”. The actual stand here is very strong too, allowing you to commit large amounts of STR to a challenge with potentially no loss of tempo.

Viserion (2.75 Average)



scantrell24 – 2 out of 5

Viserion’s 8 strength is enough to push through most challenges even without the burn ability, which is more likely to result in unopposed than an actual strength reduction. He’s the least interesting of the Dragons.

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

Very similar in power to Rhagal. I feel like you will run 2 hatchlings and one big dragon with Rhaegal and Viserion. Can you rate a card 4 out of 5 if it is a 1x in some decks – I believe so as these dragons will scare your opponents into mistakes when they do come into play.

 

Von Wibble 3 out of 5

Another very scary card in a burn deck, as opponents really won’t want to risk opposing challenges even with a strength 6 character. As with Drogo, the stealth on Stormborn feels like a small bonus, though core Dany does synergise nicely with this Viserion as opponents have to have a strength 4 character to even count as defending the challenge. As with Rheagal, maybe a 1 of with 2 core and Fire Made Flesh. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 2 out of 5

A big body that reduces defensive STR a lot means Viserion is a good option for pushing through win-by-5 triggers, but there’s not much past that, and the stealth-granting doesn’t matter because if you’re on either Stormborn Daenerys, your cost curve probably necessitates the core set version still. If the -2 didn’t just have an effect on participating characters there’d be an angle of Viserion and Drogon forming an unholy tag team, but as it is it’s just kind of a beefed-up Unsullied for almost twice the cost.


Khal Drogo (3.75 Average)

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

I love the design. It fits Drogo from a lore perspective, it fleshes out the Dothraki jumper theme, and it feels distinct from Core Drogo.

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

Pure Dothraki is a theme that isn’t played too often. It’s a fun theme but there is the temptation to stick in Drogon, Second Sons, Aegon, Missandei etc… To make this Khal work, you need to go all-in with the Dothraki and build with Womb of the World and Fury of the Khalasar. I can see it working in Sea of Blood and Valyrian Steel. A build around card – maybe that build is better with Core Drogo. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

On the one hand, we have a perfectly good Khal Drogo who fits really well in the same kind of deck as this one – aggro. Core Drogo’s extra military challenge can often prevent your opponent from establishing any kind of board. On the other hand, this Drogo lets you stay ahead of your opponent no matter how much of a board they build, and I think that makes it better in a deck that wants to steadily gain power without needing your opponent to have a limited board presense. Both approaches have risks, Core Drogo does badly if your opponent has anti mil tech or saves, whilst this one needs a turn or 2 to get established as you need other cards like Womb and BOMB to get going. Overall, given they cover similar areas, I think they are different enough to develop different styles, and on balance I think I like this one more. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

He looks a lot like aquaman here (must be why he has such command over the Dothraki Sea?). The two main issues here, despite the obvious power of the card, are firstly the seeming omnipresence of Barring the Gates right now (which essentially reduces him to, what, anti-Pinch/Ghaston tech?), and the fact that he creates a Dothraki swarm, but characters for characters’ sake is a bit one-dimensional and the best way to leverage a Dothraki swarm would be to, say, be able to initiate an extra military challenge each round… That said, we commend the design for at least giving pause for thought in the form a big, flashy effect that ties well to the Dothraki theme. Overall this is a highly pushed effect, and it’s a mark of how insanely-strong core Drogo is that this isn’t a 5. (An incredibly strong core set Khal Drogo beating out more interesting later versions? Nice to see 2nd edition ripping off abstract concepts from 1st edition as well as exact designs!)




Galazza Galare (2.5 Average)


scantrell24 – 2 out of 5

She reminds me of Alerie Tyrell but at a much higher price and without any positive traits. I don’t expect Galazza to see much play.  

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

Wow, what an unexpected character. At the time of writing, it wasn’t clarified how her ability worked (I’m going to assume the best that you can first look at the top 10 and then choose). As she is so unusual and difficult to rate; I’m going to do a direct comparison with core Littlefinger who has an extra STR, costs 1 gold less, provides an extra gold for remaining turns and DRAWS YOU 2 CARDS. the Green Graces ability is better than simply drawing 2 cards but it is reasonably similar as she only looks at the top 10 and there is a restriction (no 3, 4 or 5 gold chars). Even if your deck is built around chuds or key characters, I just don’t see how spending 6 gold on Galazza limiting your options for that turn (Galazza does nothing for you in later turns) helps you progress unless you have 12/13/14 gold that turn.

 

Von Wibble 3 out of 5

I agree with Slade on a lot of points except one – this ability is great for finding dupes, and you don’t need money to play those out. I think the chud option is often the better one though, and if Missandei is one of the cards then again you have value gained without having to spend the gold to play her. Overall worth a 1x in a deck with the right balance of characters.  

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

On the face of it, the comparison to Alerie Tyrell is interesting – Galazza costs 50% more gold and only triggers on being marshalled, but fetches either more characters or a bigger one, giving a more potent trigger. Seems fair, right, and Alerie’s a very good card. The problem is that when you move up from 4 to 6 gold, you really move up from looking for ‘support’ effects to ‘star attraction’ ones, and Galazza’s a little lacking. Her best case scenario is probably going to be serving as a flexible ‘4th copy’ of several big uniques, so that you can set them up with a duplicate before a potential reset.

Jhogo (3.4 Average)


scantrell24 – 3.5 out of 5

He’s good-ish, maybe worth a 1-1 split with the other Jhogo. When compared to Bastard of Nightsong, I feel like the extra attacker necessary should have freed up the challenge type, but alas, it has to be military on attack. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

Stealing power is good, you can bounce Jhogo in for a surprise close. The other Jhogo is good too. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

He’d be a 5 if the other Jhogo didn’t exist. As it is, stealth Jhogo helps you win challenges and is a bit cheaper, this one rewards you for winning challenges but costs more and requires you to commit a fair portion of your board to the challenge. Power claim is so good though, it makes this guy hard to turn down. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Now there’s the face of a man who enjoys his whipping. We’re going middling here because the effect is really nice, quite reminiscent of the excellent Bastard of Nightsong, and only requires Dothraki rather than other Bloodriders. That said, we don’t expect most decks to prefer him to the “stealth and large STR on attack” version, especially when the Stealth will often gain you a power anyway.



The Shavepate (3.1 Average)

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Shavepate’s ability makes a lot of sense for Targ, especially Meereen or Hizdahr decks, but I think he’s just a little too expensive to be feasible economically. It’s a Challenges action, so you can’t bring a Targ Loyalist in during marshaling and then use reduce the next character. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

Seems powerful at first glance. Everyone has ambush I hear you say. His 5 gold cost is somewhat prohibitive, works well with Hizdahr. Feels like there could be broken interaction with this character that creative deckbuilders will find. Not sure I would play him unless I build my deck around him. 

 

Von Wibble 2.5 out of 5

Clearly there are some strong interactions with cards from all factions, and we know these well by now thanks to Flea Bottom. Second Sons is the most obvious one in Targ, thought the 3 cost instead of 1 at least makes this fair. The low strength doesn’t help either. I think he’s for a low curve banner deck, and has a lot of jank potential. High gold Stark banner Dragon for recurring Ramsey anyone? Also, in a deck with discard to do X effects, he is letting you still play the discarded character, which seems decent as long as that character is cheap enough. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

“Any character gains ambush” is a strong selling point, especially when ‘pate is non-loyal and Return to the Fields remains a common plot. The repeated card advantage is very strong, and will invite play with specific card combinations. That said, we think he’s a bit too pricey – both his own cost and the fact that you can’t reduce the cost of the cards you bring in with him – to necessarily make generic GoodStuff lists.



Rakharo (3.25 Average)

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Just as Jhogo is a slightly worse Bastard of Nightsong, Rakharo continues the theme by being a mediocre Gunthor Son of Gurn. It is known. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

But he shares the name as the best-worse character in the game. Intrigue claim added to Military challenges is good but everyone has plenty of draw now. Good cost slot for a Dothrak deck. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

The 6 cost Rakharo is a nice finisher or surprise intimidate but otherwise not that good. This one is at a good cost point and has a nice ability, I think a lot of decks will prefer him. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Unlike Jhogo the issue here isn’t the other version – 6g Rakharo has gained some value as an un-Yorenable voltron backup for Targ Valyrian Steel, but predominantly sees play for his Bloodrider trait more than anything else – but just that he’s kinda “meh, fine”, perfectly playable without being exceptional or veering away from the middle of the road. If you’re playing the Dothraki swarm deck being pushed by this box he’ll probably find room as a 1x, but he’ll be on the periphery of most decks.



The Titan’s Bastard (2.0 Average)

scantrell24 – 1 out of 5

Why do we keep getting 3 gold characters who kneel for their abilities? This feels like a lose-lose. Either you’re overpaying for the body, or you’re overpaying for the ability. Por que no los dos, FFG?

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

There are 15 Mercenary Characters (6 in Targaryen) including Second Sons, Daario and Stormcrows. 3 cost is awkward and kneeling for the ability is expensive. Maybe you would consider putting 1x TTB in a deck which has many mercenaries in. 

 

Von Wibble 2 out of 5

With the kneel cost, and the return to hand being quite slow, I think you just run Flea Bottom in a deck that wants this guy as a rule. The icons and strength for the cost are good and I want to like this card, but I can’t – what a Bastard…

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

With a duplicate you can use him as repeated claimsoak, which is nice? Beyond that he recurs Daario, any Second Sons you aren’t getting back with Flea Bottom already, and…that’s mostly it. The recursion is neat, and he’s just cheap enough that you’re fine not using him in challenges (albeit only just) but it’s limited enough that we can’t go higher than a 3.



Barsena Blackhair (1.5 Average)


scantrell24 – 1 out of 5

Why am I wasting another card to turn a bad card into an ok card?

 

Matt Slade 1 out of 5

Looks like a cool design at first glance but ultimately an awful character. The only weapons you can really play on her are in this box and I don’t see Water Dancer being played. 2 card combos for a minor boost are not worth it. 

 

Von Wibble 2 out of 5

A 2 cost 2 str bicon is a good start point for any card, even if the ability is situational, but Targ have plenty of options with good icons and strength that actually have text! The problem is that almost every weapon in the game has restrictions on who can use it! In a Valyrian Steel deck you are using Water Dancer’s Sword, and in a deck with Lannister cards you will use Widow’s Wail, and that’s about it – I’d say you can consider 1-of in the former. Also, maybe once in a blue moon someone will use Pinch on her to win a challenge?! So, a low rating for now, but if she has access to even 1 more good weapon it goes up. Which is asking a lot given the lack of releases to come I suppose. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 2 out of 5

Our first instinct was to rate her as a comfortable 3, but then we actually looked at the list of weapons. Targaryen only have 3 in the entire cardpool, and 2 of those can only go on Dothraki characters… She’ll make it in to Valyrian Steel decks most likely, as she’s cheap enough that you won’t be devastated not to get a Weapon on her, but she won’t be vital even there. At least she’s got a manic expression.

Captain Groleo (4.25 Average)

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

Economy isn’t quite as scarce as it used to be (Lannister gold mining inflation?), but Groleo is still a value and will likely show a return on your investment. 

 

Matt Slade 5 out of 5

Played in Qohor and Valyrian Steel decks which both get attachments into play outside of marshalling easily – triggers with your opponents attachments. Fantastic economy card where he can easily gain 2 gold the first turn he is in play. The only question is do you play 3x of this chud or lower. I will start as a 3x.

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

In an attachment heavy deck he’s easily a 2 of, often triggering twice per round. In other decks he’s still worth considering if the mets is Qohor or VS heavy as he triggers off opponents attachments. There’s not much else to say, he’s strong if a little dull, like most good economy cards. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

A rare first edition reprint we approve of, because it’s interesting to evaluate how much more different his value is in the game as attachments have changed. He’s obviously not for every deck, but for the Valyrian Steel and Qohor builds you probably don’t just include him, but include multiple copies – high praise indeed for a cheap unique econ character.



Blue Graces (1.4 Average)


scantrell24 – 2 out of 5

It’s like a setup-able Fire and Blood, but early in the game you don’t need the ability, so the Blue Graces are probably military claim soak until turn 3 or 4 at least, and thereafter a failsafe should a key character die. Maybe new Dany decks want one copy just in case.

 

Matt Slade 1 out of 5

Another cool design at first glance. Not required in TPTWP decks. If you are relying on one (or two) big characters, can you recover after they have been killed/discarded anyhow? If you don’t subsequently draw the 6+ you have removed your own character for no benefit. Fire and Blood and Meereenese Markets are available to Targaryen decks too. I like playing Voltran decks but I don’t see myself fitting these in as they are too slow for the recovery.

 

Von Wibble 1.5 out of 5

I suppose the best use of these is to remove a dead guy after you have drawn the next copy, so that you can marshall them again. I’m not sure that’s worth a further loss to your board stat ethough, especially given that if you play other 2 costers you are getting more impact in your challenges. Removing from the game also prevents Flea Bottom and Shavepate shenanigans. I think I’d just stick to Close Call to be honest. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 1 out of 5

We don’t understand why a product can be so terrified of recursion in one card and then in the same product print the Shavepate? Good job they made them loyal and ally to discourage play everywhere! But yeah this is obviously terrible, next.



Dothraki Handmaiden (3.1 Average)



scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

Much like the Bara box equivalent Acolyte of the Flame, Dothraki Handmaiden will see play just as a blank 2 for 2 bicon with the Dothraki trait. She rounds out the curve and icon spread nicely for Dothraki decks. On occasion you might even gain a small advantage from her ability. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

Another cool design but this time a card that is actually good in some semi-viable decks. Obviously best in a deck with Dany and many attachments (8 gold Dany deck ). The attachments facedown have no attributes so don’t work with Qohor but they are still attachments and can trigger Valyrian Steel. Perhaps another smart deck-builder will break this card.

 

Von Wibble 2.5 out of 5

I’m not a fan. The plusses are that attachments on this character can’t be claimed for intrigue or removed using effects such as Red Priest, but the negatives are that you are putting your attachments onto a card that can easily be killed, or worse, stolen. The one thing I like is that in a VS deck she triggers the agenda, and can let you trade a situational attachment for money or a card, even if your deck doesn’t run or find Dany.  

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Statline is acceptable enough that in Dothraki-heavy decks you’re happy to run her as a blank body (and in decks where you’re using the effect, she can pull her weight in challenges to an extent too). The effect, while niche, is relatively interesting. She offers a safe haven of sorts for any attachments intended for Daenerys prior to her arrival, but also for any attachments you turn up with a Meereen trigger. Her best use will probably be for very, very easy Valyrian Steel triggers, letting you spend 0 gold on any attachment to get a gold or card. That said, she is, um, ‘evocative’ of R2-D2 from the Star Wars LCG, so she loses points for unoriginality.



Horselord (3.0 Average)

scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Not as good as Orkmont Reaver or even House Dayne Escort from their respective boxes, but still acceptable. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

Good in the Dothraki initiating military with 2+ characters deck. Some niche uses outside of that – first military dothraki chud with 2 icons.

 

Von Wibble 3 out of 5

As a companion (not Companion) to Jhogo or Rakharo from this box this is a solid choice, with the added benefit over the Breaded Waffle of having the option of a power challenge. A good choice in a Dothraki heavy deck, not the best option otherwise. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

The words more than one of us used was “basic chud”, and that about sums it up – it’s sad in a way that this late into the game, cards like this are still playable? We will at least give credit for a lot of the Dothraki in this box – Horselord, Jhogo, Rakharo – working together to encourage going more “all-in” on military challenges, which in turn encourages using this box’s Drogo rather than the Core one. Consistency of mechanical design!



Brown Ben Plumm (3.75 Average)


scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

He’s like Core Jorah-lite. Cheap, comes in and does his thing, then rides off into the sunset. Plumm will see a lot of play as a 1x chud. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

A 1x in a deck that wants to setup a 7 gold character. Works well with Fleabottom.

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

1 cost makes him great for setup with solid icons, I think he’s a 1-of in every Targ and Dragon banner deck. Keeping hold of money is fairly common for Targ as they like to have options in challenges, and you can always use him as mil claim if the sacrifice looks to be likely. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

Simple and efficient cheap beef. Thematically probably an improvement on first edition, giving him that Mercenary edge; but we do miss the flavour text.



Womb of the World (3.75 Average)


scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

Whether Dothraki are competitive will largely depend upon the power level of their centerpiece location, Womb of the World. I like that it’s an any phase action, which gives the element of surprise. If you really need the character to stick, you could even trigger Womb in draw, then marshal the character normally in marshaling. Overall, I want this to be good, if only for Targ to have more interesting options than burn (thankfully it’s not the primary theme of this expansion). To be honest though, Womb is no Braided Screamers from 1st edition. 

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

If half your deck is dothraki characters then you have ~97% chance of seeing one. if one quarter of your deck is impactful dothraki characters, then you have a ~78% chance of seeing one. The odds are in your favour with this location and it certainly plays into the dothraki discard theme – is this theme any good, the fishbowlers are telling me it is brokenly good. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

In a Dothraki deck this is a must-take, and combined with other tempo advantages like BOMB this just makes the challenge phase easier for you, and the maths a nightmare for your opponent. Expensive but worth it. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Flashy and fun, albeit with art that makes us less nostalgic than Groleo and Plumm’s did. We’re not convinced it will see competitive play as it’s a touch overly-random and is, as with Drogo, negatively impacted by Barring, which probably approximately cancels out the Drogo synergy when evaluating power level. That leaves us with a location where you pay 4 gold and a card to essentially draw 1 additional character each round, plus get an additional boost of tempo of between 2 and 6 gold. Which is… fine? And while JC ponders the playability of Dothraki jumpers on a more macro level, Drakey is working on his philosophy degree, pondering why the Womb of the World produces such short-lived creatures…

Pentos (4.4 Average)

scantrell24 – 4.5 out of 5

Super easy and repeatable draw + economy for Valyrian decks. If I understand correctly, you HAVE to put the attachment into play in order to get the draw, even if you don’t want to, so it’s not perfect, but an obvious 3x with exactly that one agenda. 

 

Matt Slade 5 out of 5

Works better with the more expensive attachments like Crown of Gold and Queensguard. It feels like one trigger gets you close to break even, 2 triggers and it’s paid for it’s cost, slot space and more. 5 out of 5 in attachment heavy decks.

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

Unlike a lot of attachment tech which benefits Qohor and VS evenly, I’d say this one is better in VS which runs more attachments. You lose some of the ambush potential but most of the best options are known about anyway. I agree with Slade that 1 trigger is pretty much all that is needed to break even. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

So it’s a 2 gold non-limited location that is economy and card draw, round after round? Great! …Well, except you need to draw an attachment each round, and even in Valyrian Steel that’s not guaranteed. Fun when you topdeck Crown of Gold and get it for free, though… We’re torn between a 3 and a 4, with the ‘fun’ angle of the flakiness giving it just enough to push us up to a 4. Also small rules quirk: if you use a draw-then-discard effect, for example Cersei’s Informer, and draw an attachment, you can discard that attachment, then trigger Pentos to put it into play and draw another card. *Probably* not enough to get the Informer to see play, mind…

Khaleesi (2.6 Average)




scantrell24 – 3 out of 5

Khaleesi is like a Seal of the Hand that can’t go on Lords, but can raise claim instead of standing attached character. Targ already has plenty of stand, including Rhaegal for Daenerys, so I expect the claim raise to take precedence most times. For multiple uses of Khaleesi there’s always the Spare Boot trick.

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

“Lady only” is quite a restriction so it’ll be a dead card in some games (yes I know, discard it for some positive effect). The timing of the reaction means you can trigger it and then replace it with another attachment (maybe not a Queensguard) using Qohor. Stand is everywhere but claim raise is rare in Targaryen, is claim raise essential in a Dany focused deck? 3 gold is expensive but there are new ways to get a discount on attachments.

 

Von Wibble 1.5 out of 5

With loyal and Lady only this can’t go on many characters, but it is impactful enough on the ones you can use. Solid enough in a voltron Dany Qohor deck, maybe an option in a banner Wolf or Rose? I can see it being a discard for X in many games though. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 4 out of 5

Loyal and lady only really does limit the usefulness of this, but it’s clearly intended for Daenerys and will do great work there. Claim raise is definitely the more valuable effect, as there are many ways of standing and very few of raising claim, but the versatility only helps. We see it primarily being used for power claim, helping the decks push to victory before disruption can handle them, although marauding killer Dany may well be a thing too. Being able to use it in Qohor to trigger it then sacrifice it is a fun trick that helps increase the value of both the card and the agenda choice – a nice card, all-round.



Dragon Egg (3.5 Average)



scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

Insight is the best part, especially for a faction that bleeds cards and loves voltron. Cheating in a Hatchling to turn around and cheat in a Big Dragon will be fun when it happens too. 

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

Forget about Daenerys, put this on Core Khal Drogo with a queensguard. 2 gold is pricey for one keyword but it’s multifunctional with Dany/Qohor and there are ways to get a discount on the gold cost.

 

Von Wibble 3 out of 5

Insight is nice even with no other text, especially on a character that can make multiple challenges. For that reason I’d say if you choose a Dany to put this on, go for the Stomborn that doesn’t already have insight, the 8 cost in this box. Alternatively, as Slade says above, a big guy with Queensguard will do.  

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

Well you can’t say they didn’t go hella “on the nose” with the theme. That said, the dragon-fetching isn’t really the point of the card – rather it’s a 2 gold Insight attachment, which will make great strides to justifying running the 8g Daenerys over the 7g one. Or failing Dany, just stick it on a Queensguard character and it’s a pretty easy voltron to set up.



Pit Fighter’s Blade (2.1 Average)


scantrell24 – 2 out of 5

In aggro decks I’m more focused on punishing the opponent and winning by attrition than stacking up power tokens. I mean, I get why it grants renown thematically, but from a practical perspective I’m not interested. Maaaybe a 1x in Qohor like Disputed Claim. 

 

Matt Slade 2 out of 5

Hmm conditional renown for 1 gold. Put this on a braided warrior. Could be good in the right deck.

 

Von Wibble 2.5 out of 5

If put on a character who usually does only military anyway it’s a good option. Barseena would be a good option if you run enough of both cards to see them, but we aren’t talking the benefits of Left and Right here so I don’t think many would run 3 of both. Barristan and Bloodriders make a good option for this as cards with military icons and no renown that won’t just be claimsoak. A nice choice for the attachment agendas, and not a bad banner card either. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 2 out of 5

It’s kinda sad that the last two attachments, in what may well be the penultimate box of the entire game, essentially amount to granting a core set keyword. And it’s also kinda weird that equipping yourself with a weapon doesn’t boost your strength. And it’s also competing with an attachment that already gives renown, and does so on any challenge. Unlike Warrior’s Braid it’s at least a weapon, for the 5 Targaryen characters that actually have No Attachments Except Weapon. One for the Barsena Blackhair voltron decks.

Fire Made Flesh (2.8 Average)



scantrell24 – 2 out of 5

It’s cool but not actually good. Non-setup and 2 gold isn’t saving you much trouble if any. Shame, because the artwork is killer. 

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

This is super cool. Upgrading Viserion from 2 gold to 7 is wonderful, shame that you will get VD’d next turn (or Dual’d). You have to run a deck with multiple versions of the same character which many people have an unnatural aversion to. 2x of each hatchling and 1x of the big dragons with 2x of this event seems like a reasonable starting point. 

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

If your deck is running either Stormborn Dany then this seems an easy choice to gain economy as well as a tutor effect, nice! I agree with Slade that going for 2 Hatchings and 1 big, plus 2 of these seems about right. I disagree with him that I think a Galazza or 2 to find a dupe and protect yourself at least from VM (and have a card you care about less in the Duel) seems a decent shout also. Even if your opponent uses VD, the sheer power of those big dragons for 1 turn can swing games. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 1 out of 5

Someone at FFG has grand visions of us getting a Dragon Egg, hatching it, then growing the hatchling. Unfortunately they forgot to make the process rewarding. If you get the perfect scenario, you’re paying 4 gold (Egg + Flesh, potentially rising to 5 gold if you skip the Egg and just marshal the Hatchling) and 2 cards to end up with 1 card that costs 6 or 7 gold. So even in the best-case scenario, the efficiency isn’t amazing. Then you factor in the fiddliness of having to run multiple versions, hoping you draw them in the right order; the additional 2 gold and a card to then upgrade them; and the fact that it’s a marshalling action and so fully-telegraphed for the challenges phase; all is combined to make this card far more cute than it is good.



Overwhelming Numbers (3.75 Average)

scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

Pulling from the discard pile is what makes Overwhelming Numbers worthwhile. Combined with, ya know, Targ effects that discard, there’s some easy synergy. I actually think this could be some good card advantage and help win key challenges. 

 

Matt Slade 3 out of 5

For 2 gold and 2 Dothrakis in a challenge you will presumably win the challenge, trigger keywords, trigger win by x and keep some knelt Dothraki around if you have Khal Drogo in play. It’s nice to win challenges and, for example, Raiding Khakasar with one of the new bloodriders would be impactful. 

 

Von Wibble 3 out of 5

This card feels a bit like its win more in general, if you have 2 Dothraki in the challenge already then you already have a fair bit of strength after all. It can set up a bit of a trick if your 2 attacking Dothraki were fairly low strength to begin with, say, Irri and Jhiqui, and box Drogo can ensure you keep one of the characters. It’s worth a look in Sea of Blood to help the win by 5 and negate the cost too, and the threat of it could force play mistakes from opponents who would normally have enough strength to comfortably win challenges against you. Elsewhere I think burn events have more appeal. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 5 out of 5

We’re going on the high end for the blowout plays, for the especial value in melee, and for Sea of Blood decks where this can both be searched out and pretty much guarantee a trigger each round. If the Dothraki jumper theme becomes an established deck in the meta we think this event will be a huge part of why. The only thing that might give us pause (though not quite enough to stop it from being a 5) is that to get true value you need either this box’s Khal Drogo in play or multiple Dothraki in your discard. Preferably both.



Incinerate (3.75 Average)



scantrell24 – 4 out of 5

The strength of character that you can burn is limited only by the number of cards in your hand. Decks with Pyro Dany and Blood of the Dragon will love it. Otherwise it’s probably not worth it given the lack of “kill” at the end.

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

Wow. This really only goes in a deck with Pyro Dany (or maybe Yunkai is finally strong with this card). This is similar to a consuming flames but with greater potential if you want to kill someone stronger. Can help get an unopposed power if  Dany is not around. STR -4/-5 if you find it with Meereen. Probably 2x as you will want to still run CF, ADINS and Dracarys! Watch out for those Handy J’s.

 

Von Wibble 4 out of 5

With no limit to the number of discards this can burn the Mountain down, as long as you have a kill trigger somewhere. The problem is that you need a huge amount of draw if you want this to be doing a better job for you than, say, Consuming Flames, and if you discard a lot of cards then your opponent will know you have limited your other options for burn. That said, a 0 cost event with the potential to kill even the meatiest of voltrons can’t be ignored, and as such this goes into burn decks. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 3 out of 5

“Incinerate /ɪnˈsɪnəreɪt/ destroy (something, especially waste material) by burning.” – surely this should have a kill effect. Granted it would be highly above-curve if it did… Without one, we’re torn between the clunky need for multiple effects to really get value, and the prospect of cheap destruction of high STR Characters if you do have those other effects. Middle rating it is!

 

Fury of the Khalasar (4.75 Average)


scantrell24 – 5 out of 5

The “return to your hand” part is actually nice for dodging resets. You can be sure of having a character in hand to play on the next turn, and it can’t be claimed for intrigue if it’s on the board. Four reserve is the only downside, but Dothraki decks will be pitching cards left and right anyways. 

 

Matt Slade 4 out of 5

This is fantastic in a deck with many Dothraki. Not as good We Take Westeros but decent compared to the other deluxe box faction plots. You probably need 10 good Dothraki to make this solid. Your opponent won’t know who is coming into play either so they may make a mistake in Marshalling. 

 

Von Wibble 5 out of 5

In a deck running Dothraki and the new Khal this is going to be a 7+ gold 2 claim plot with no drawback. Prepare to face Dothraki aggro for a while once this box is out. Barring the Gates will be a popular choice as a counter for this plot. 

 

Q&T Curmudgeons – 5 out of 5

Highly-pushed alongside Drogo, but still a no-brainer for Dothraki decks without him. This into Vanquish (or vice-versa) creates a game-winning scenario very easily, and a nightmare for any opponent to deal with.

 

Targ cards Average: 3.17

Top Cards:

Fury of the Khalasar 4.75

Pentos 4.4

Groleo 4.25

Bottom Cards:

Blue Graces 1.4

Barsena 1.5

Titan’s Bastard 2.0

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Kennon

Poor, poor Barsena.

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