‘Game of Thrones’ Fantasy League — Week 10

If you haven’t yet watched “Winds of Winter,” the finale in this season’s Game of Thrones, and don’t want the events of the episode to be spoiled for you in this recap of the Game of Thrones Fantasy League Week 10, don’t read any further!

This week’s big winner was the King’s Landing Queens, who scored a single-episode record of 440 points—almost all of it at the hands of Cersei Lannister. As the internet suspected, her plan all along was to use secret stores of Wildfire to blow up the Sept of Baelor in lieu of standing trial, a plan that earned her 145 points by eliminating five named players (Margery Tyrell, The High Sparrow, Loras Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, and Lancel Lannister) and a whole host of redshirt characters. But she wasn’t done there—she scored 10 points for some of her more profane remarks while wine-boarding Septa Unella, another 25 points for totally rocking her new high-collared, heavy metal dress, and a whopping 200 points for seizing the Iron Throne—the first player to do so. Well done, Cersei.

But the Queens had a few other scoring players in the game, namely Jaime Lannister with 10 points for a caustic remark to Walder Frey, and Theon Greyjoy who scored 50 points for setting sail across the Narrow Sea as part of Team Targaryen.

However, the Queens did fail to score maximum points this week by leaving 112 points on the bench, a decision that would cost them the championship. They underestimated the power of the sharp-tongued Lady Olenna (like so many do), so they missed out on her 62 points—25 points for forging an alliance with Ellaria Sand and Dorne, 27 points for verbally dressing down the fiery Sand Snakes, and 10 points for looking dashing in her black mourning attire. The Queens had also benched the Dragons Special Team, so didn’t pick up the 50 points earned when Team Targaryen set sail for Westeros.

Arya’s Army turned out another stellar performance this week with Arya herself leading the pack. She scored 80 points—40 for killing Black Walder Frey and Lothar Frey (then serving them in a pie to their father) and 40 for killing Walder Frey, the patriarch of the treacherous Frey family. Sansa Stark, who’s been outdone by Arya all season, did her best to make up for it by scoring 25 points this week—10 for uttering, “Winter is here,” and 15 for shutting down Petyr Baelish’s lecherous advances.

You never really expect it from him, but Samwell Tarly pulled down 20 points—five for his keen observation that “life is irregular” and 15 for being granted access to the expansive Citadel library. So many books (and one very familiar armillary sphere). Finally, Daenerys and Yara Greyjoy each scored Arya’s Army 50 points for being on Team Targaryen, and Jon Snow claimed 50 points for being named King in the North.

It wasn’t all roses in Arya’s Army this week, though. Loras Tyrell lost 25 points for renouncing his lordship. He earned back 15 points for swearing his service to the Faith Militant, which that leaves him with -10 points for this game. And Melisandre lost 25 points for being branded a kidslayer and forced to flee the North. Additionally, Arya’s Army missed out on the 25 points that the benched Ellaria Sand earned for the alliance between Dorne and Highgarden.

America’s Team played a great game as well, scoring 235 points. Most of their progress came from Qyburn, who had been scoreless up until this week’s 215 points. He split the point total for the explosion of the Sept (and all the murders that were part of that) with Cersei for 145 points, plus he earned another 20 points for tricking Maester Pycelle into a brutal stabbing death. He capped off the season with 50 points for firmly aligning himself with Team Cersei.

Bran was the only other scoring player on America’s Team, and he earned 20 points for slipping into a Three-Eyed Raven vision and showing us the still sort-of secret origin of Jon Snow.

Finishing last again this week (and for the season) is my own Harrenhal Halberdiers, with a solid 110 points—though not solid enough to be an effective competitor. The underperforming Tyrion Lannister finally performed with 85 points—10 for saying his cynical self found something to believe in (Daenerys, of course), 25 for being named Hand of the Queen, and 50 for sailing the sea on the side of Team Targaryen. Also, in a surprise bit of end-game play, the heretofore scoreless Missandei earned 50 points for being on Team Targaryen.

The Halberdiers did suffer at the hands of Daario Naharis, who lost 25 points when he was kicked out of the game for too much emotional attachment, and we slipped up by keeping Varys on the bench, because he earned 35 points—10 for showing up in Dorne and saying “Blood and fire,” and 25 for apparently inventing teleportation as he was nearly simultaneously in Dorne and on the Targaryen fleet. Yes, some time had passed between the meeting with Dorne and the fleet’s departure from Meereen, but the show did a bad job of conveying that.

Anyway, that brings this season of Game of Thrones and the Game of Thrones Fantasy League to a close. Here’s how it all ended:

Final League Standings

• Arya’s Army … 1203 points
• The King’s Landing Queens … 1091 points
• America’s Team … 860 points
• Harrenhal Halberdiers … 519 points

It’s interesting to note that if the King’s Landing Queens had played Lady Olenna and the Dragons, they would be tied with Arya’s Army for first.

Check out Emily Yoshida’s episode recap with full points totals and the rationale behind them over at The Verge. Emily’s done a great job of tabulating the scores and explaining each week’s results. She really made the game—and the show—very enjoyable. In fact, I can say that each of us who played in this Game of Thrones Fantasy League found that the game really enhanced the enjoyment of the show, and all of us team managers are really looking forward to doing it again next season. If you like Game of Thrones—or want to turn anything else you like into a fantasy league—think about giving Fantasizr a try.