House Tyrell Faction focus for A Game of Thrones the Card Game Second Edition LCG

In this faction focus we look at House Tyrell.  We will be looking at their strengths, and weaknesses and some of their best cards.

House Tyrell of Highgarden is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, being Lords Paramount of the Mander and the liege lords of the Reach. A large, wealthy house, its wealth is only surpassed among the Great Houses by House Lannister, and the Tyrells can field the greatest armies. Additionally, if they call the ships of the Redwyne fleet, the lords of the Shield Islands, and the coastal lords, they can command a navy that equals if not surpasses the royal fleet of King's Landing.
Highgarden is an ancient seat of rule and the heart of chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms; the Tyrells style themselves 'Defenders of the Marches' and 'High Marshals of the Reach', and traditionally, they have been Wardens of the South and Lords Paramount of the Mander. Their sigil is a golden rose on a green field, and their words are "Growing Strong." Members of the family tend to have curly brown hair and brown or golden eyes.

Lets take a look at some of their cards.....

We start firstly with some interesting cards that more to others then themselves.  Margaery is a 3 cost 3 strength intrigue and power challenge card, with the action that you can kneel her to give any other character plus 3 strength.  She is handy to keep standing to worry your opponent about when you are going to bump up your challenge.  Left and Right are both 2 strength 2 cost military icons,. but they benefit each other, when you control right left gets plus 1 strength and a power icon, and does not kneel when defending, and right gets plus 1 strength and intrigue icon and does not kneel when defending.

Courtesan of the rose is 2 cost 2 strength with intrigue and power.  Maester Lomys is 3 cost 3 strength with intrigue and the reaction that if you win an intrigue challenge he is involved in the defending player, that player must discard a card at random from their hand.  Paxter Redwyne is a 4 cost 3 strength intrigue character, who also provides you plus 1 gold a turn, and reduces the cost of the first event you play each round by 1.

Wardens of the reach are cost 4 strength 3, with military and power icons, they also get plus 1 strength for each "The Reach" location you control, and since there are several in the deck they can get strong quickly.  Garden caretaker is a 1 cost 1 strength power icon character that can be knelt to reducee the cost of Tyrell characters.  Olennas informant is cost 3, strength 2 but can be ambushed for 4.  When you ambush her in the challenge phase you can pick a challenge type and you get an extra 1 of that type, which with a heavy intrigue deck can devastate your opponents hand, or gain you more power faster to win.

The Rose garden is a 0 cost location that is limited, it can be knelt to reduce the cost of Tyrell cards by 1.  Highgarden is a cost 3 location that can be knelt and you pay 1 gold to stand and remove a character from a challenge.  This can be used on your own characters, if you want to bait your opponent into blocking then pull them out.  The Mander is a 3 cost location that if you win a challenge by 5 strength or more you can kneel it to draw 2 cards.

 The Queen of thorns is a strength 5 cost 7 card, with intrigue and power, and the reaction that after you win an intrigue challenge you may put a Tyrell character with cost of 6 or less into play from your hand.  This can be brutal, especially combined with Olennas informant who can let you then take two challenges to get multiple characters out fast. Randyll Tarly is cost 6, strength 5 and there to provide some serious military muscle, he has renown, and as a reaction after his strength is increased he stands up, so you can use him multiple times to attack and defend if you can boost him, which of course Margery can, as can the next weapon which is made for him really.... Heartsbane can be knelt to increase the users strength by 3, making Tarly strength 8, and stand again.

 The Knight of FLowers is cost 5, strength 5 with military and power, he also has renown, and when he attacks alone only one character can block him.  The art on that card is superb, just like most of house Tyrell.  Growing Strong is a 1 cost event, you choose up to three Tyrell characters in the challenge phase and give them plus 2 strength, so another way to increase Tarly and get him to stand.

The Bear and the Maiden Fair is a 0 cost event, you get to look at the top 5 cards of that players deck, and place up to 3 on the bottom of their deck.  This is good as it lets you know exactly what will be coming your way, and remove it if need be, for some time anyway.  Olennas Cunning is a 2 cost event, it is a reaction after you win an intrigue or power icon, the losing player names a type, character, location, event etc, then you search your deck for a card with a different type and add it to your hand.

The Tyrells are an excellent house, strong in intrigue, and gold, with some good military options when you get them.

To learn more about A Game of Thrones the card game second edition take a look here
Stick with us as we look at the Factions in future articles to give you an idea of how they play, and take a look at some of the upcoming chapter packs that add more to your game.

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