A Dire Message Is Now Available for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game

A scrap of leather fluttered down into her lap. When she read the dry brown words, her black mood grew blacker still. Dark wings, dark words. The ravens never brought her glad tidings.
   –George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

A Dire Message, the final Chapter Pack in the Conquest and Defiance cycle for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, is now available at your local retailer and online through our webstore!

You’ll find the conclusion of the Conquest and Defiance cycle in this Chapter Pack, expanding the cycle’s major themes even further. A host of new and powerful prized cards await, as well as vital support cards for multi-House decks. Even as A Dire Message continues these new themes, you’ll also find new, prized versions of iconic characters and locations, including Robert Baratheon, the Iron Throne, and Mad King Aerys.

Among these new cards, House Martell finds plenty of new ways to outwit their opponents and control enemy characters!

Outwit Your Opponent

Unlike the northmen of House Stark, who slay their enemies in battle, or the schemers of House Lannister, who use their intrigues to kneel enemy characters, many of House Martell’s most potent effects use clever tricks to return enemy characters to their owner’s hand. With cards like A Game of Cyvasse (A Change of Seasons, 57) or Ghaston Grey (Forging the Chain, 34), House Martell keeps troublesome characters out of play, and you’ll gain more tricks to continue this theme in A Dire Message.

Your first method for returning opposing characters to your opponent’s hand is Locked in a Cell (A Dire Message, 109). This event is prized, and it bears the text, “Any Phase: Kneel 3 influence or kneel a Noble character to choose a character without a crest. Return that character to its owner’s hand.” The versatility of this event is nearly limitless, since you can play it at almost any time. You may wait until your opponent declares only one defender, or play it after he declares a challenge with one attacker. You can even combine Locked in a Cell with Blood Orange Grove (The Champion’s Purse, 30) to target enemy characters that do have a crest!

Even with the many tricks and powerful events at the Martells’ disposal, it’s possible that your opponent might still rush past you to build a formidable board of characters. At that point, it’s good to have The Boneway (A Dire Message, 108) in play. Whenever your opponent plays or reveals a prized card, you may trigger The Boneway to have each player choose up to three characters that he controls. All unchosen characters are returned to their owners’ hands. By resetting each player to three characters whenever your opponent plays a prized card, you can ensure that your opponent faces you on equal terms. You may even discourage your opponent from playing prized cards altogether, depriving him of his most powerful tools, and clogging his hand with prized cards. If that happens, Doran Martell (Spoils of War, 10) is sure to help you gain some additional power from your Intrigue challenges.

Claim the Throne

The coming of A Dire Message marks the thrilling finale of the Conquest and Defiance cycle. Whether you band two Houses together in a single deck, or use your prized cards to establish victory, you’ll find the cards you need in this Chapter Pack.

Pick up your copy of A Dire Message at your local retailer today!

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