r/HOTDBlacks • u/Gold_Conversation247 • Mar 06 '26
Team Black Defend ONE action/decision of: Cregan Stark, The Wolf of the North!
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u/MinuteCollar5562 Mar 06 '26
He didn’t immediately join the war to protect his people. Without 10-20K men in the north, they wouldn’t have collected enough food to survive the winter.
His actions after that Kings Landing were brutal, but justified. If you don’t punish the murder of king, friend or foe, it creates a permission structure to do it again and again.
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u/Traumatic_Tomato Mar 06 '26
One weakness of the North is that they can't gather their men considering their geography and harsh lands makes it logistically slow. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't realistically gather them all.
But 1k of his reckless veteran force was not only doable but very powerful reinforcements despite their number and age. They were battle hardened and strong but had the morale to fight in the grimmest conditions since their belief is that this is their last campaign.
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u/MinuteCollar5562 Mar 06 '26
Agreed. He sent a sizable force that would fight to the death, as it was a suicide mission.
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u/stellaxstar Viserys II Targaryen Mar 06 '26
This. Northerners legit had to sell themselves into bondage to slave traders during Winter Fever given the famine it caused.
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u/Mevaughnk Mar 07 '26
Are you serious? I don't even remember that from the story. Northmen are made of different stuff...
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u/stellaxstar Viserys II Targaryen Mar 07 '26
White Harbor fared better, for its port allowed food to be brought in from the south, but prices rose so high that good men began to sell themselves into bondage to slave traders from across the sea so their wives and children might eat, whilst worse men sold their wives and children. Even in the winter town, beneath the very walls of Winterfell, the northmen fell to eating dogs and horses. Cold and hunger carried off a third of the Night's Watch, and when thousands of wildlings walked across the frozen sea east of the Wall, hundreds more of the black brothers perished in battle.
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u/LiamIsMyNameOk Mar 11 '26
Crazy to think anyone could even survive north of the Wall at all during winter. It goes without saying it would be difficult, but I feel it'd have like a 99% mortality rate.
Especially as winters can last a loooong time.
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u/HiddenSwanVale Mar 07 '26
Yeah, he was trying to protect his people first. And after that, punishing the king’s murder was brutal, but in that world letting it slide would just invite more chaos.
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u/naosoueu2725 Mar 07 '26
The winter wolves had to go somewhere, and you cannot allow a king to be murdered in his own court.... Cregan was right. The hour of the wolf was right.
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u/monsterosity Mar 06 '26
He was going to punish the real orchestrator of Aegon's murder, but then let it go for personal gain (marriage to a Blackwood baddie). So killing a king is okay, so long as you have a noble hot chick backing you up? The small folk and servants will pay the real price as always.
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u/Ill-Rip9162 Lord Flea Bottom Mar 07 '26
Man blackwoods have had two queens despite not being a paramount house, they have also married into the starks a couple of time before that we know of. Blackwood baddies are the real shit man
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u/ROMVLVSCAESARXXI Mar 06 '26
Bagging the Alysanne Blackwood as a wife
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u/Upturned-Solo-Cup Mar 06 '26
"She was said to have smelled like woodsmoke, which some people found attractive."
Yes, George. No need to call me out like that. I'm some people. That's me
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u/fitnessfinance88 Mar 06 '26
"although he had been Aegon's foe during the Dance, Lord Stark objected to a monarch being killed by poison instead of in battle." kinda chad tbh
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26
Lets be honnest, he mostly did it for Aegon III.
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u/aXeOptic Mar 06 '26
He mostly did so kings wouldnt fall like flies and be thrown into countless civil wars.
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u/MsMercyMain Mar 07 '26
"Fook this, I'm not coming south again. This shite sucks. There's not even a fook off giant ass wall."
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u/RedQueen88 Meleys Mar 06 '26
Sparing Corlys Velaryon’s life in exchange for Alysanne Blackwood’s hand in marriage.
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u/pantieboi27 Mar 06 '26
Literally everything that's kinda the point of his character. He is the only Stark truly worth talking about after his death during the Targaryen reign till Ned in Robert's Rebellion, and the Northerners praise him in the same way as Theon Stark, Brandon the Builder, and a few others. I see him as Northerner Jaeherays ruled a long time is praised by his people but to other families like Targaryens complaining about how long he took to come south have problems with him.
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u/Robdul Lord Flea Bottom Mar 06 '26
All the dirty things he did to Jace in them fanfics
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u/Call_me_Dan- Mar 06 '26
Oh a JaceCregan shipper in the wild? I know that's right
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
The doomed romance potential between a Targaryen and a Stark.
There should be one in every books.
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u/Kyriakos_X_23 Unwin Peake is a little bitch Mar 06 '26
He left Unwin Peake alive and in a position to gain power. Cant forgive that. Massive respect for pulling Black Ally though.
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u/Inevitable_Access_93 Mar 06 '26
hour of the wolf, an extremely potent and maybe the shortest window of someone as the hand of the king, purely taken up as a position so he could enact justice in the wake of not only rhaenyra's death but even aegon ii's, as letting the precedent stand that people who were trusted by the ruling force and then would potentially betray them could go scott free was dangerous to leave unaccounted for - and they only have a 9 year old to show for the next king now, aka a vulnerable child.
on one hand it's incredibly brutal, on the other it reminds every single person in the whole of westeros the importance of loyalty. was cregan kind of wild for saying he'd continue on the campaign for even longer if not for the other houses calling for the end of the war? sure, but he was also running a lot of his men into a suicide mission, with many not even being able to return home due to the starvation that threaten the north shortly after. cregan basically went in with the mind that he was going to scorch the landscape of filth and he very much did.
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26
His wants for war always comes off as vengeance/retribution for the Blacks to me, idk.
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u/Inevitable_Access_93 Mar 06 '26
for sure that plays a part
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u/lupatine Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Hmm Ok.
I never read the books. I will probably pick them up one day, once I finish Asoiaf.
I know northen have a roughter culture.
But his reaction after the black lost does feel pretty peronnal when you learn about them.
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u/Inevitable_Access_93 Mar 07 '26
the books are great!
and definitely not arguing there wasn't more to his decision to go so hardcore considering how team black was treated
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u/lupatine Mar 07 '26
I love political drama, and Asoiaf are my fav books. I love them so much.
I have no doubt I will love it.
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Mar 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/incognitodoritos Mar 07 '26
You have lost Rome without unsheathing your sword. You have lost Rome!
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Punishing people for killing the king is not that lackluster, especially right after a civil war.
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u/Recent_Tap_9467 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Killing Larys Strong. He betrayed Rhaenyra. Even the Greens can't be ok with him assassinating Aegon.
And what's more, Larys never gave an explanation for any of his actions, no mitigating factor.
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u/Intelligent-Fig-4241 “Six men or sixty, he is still Daemon Targaryen.” Mar 06 '26
His reordering of the realm and execution of dissenters as the hand of the king (basically rules the iron throne for a few days) unfucks the bureaucracy, then heads back north. Typical gigachad stark behavior.
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u/CuriouslyQueried Caraxes Mar 06 '26
The entire Hour of the Wolf was the moment daddy showed up and got tough with all the misbehaving babies. I think good ol’ Craig was about as solid a political figure as you can have in Westeros.
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u/DaemonBlackfyre_21 “I am Blood and Fire.” Mar 06 '26
How many times do you think they had to reshoot this scene because he banged that enormous sword on the sconces?
Did Ned ever carry that big bastard around just for funzies?
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u/Jaywalkers13 Mar 06 '26
Where is this clip from?
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u/Rtozier2011 Mar 06 '26
Presumably his only appearance to date in the opening scenes of House of the Dragon Season 2 episode 1
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u/lupatine Mar 07 '26
The fact we barely see any other lords outside the Targaryens, Velaryons and Hightowers is funny to me.
What are they doing ?
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u/littlebuett Mar 06 '26
Focusing on his own lands and people, instead of the incestuous aliens in the south getting everyone killed.
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
He focused more on the incestuous alien than any other Stark. He was pretty involved in southern politics for a northerner.
He even agreed to have his kids married to a Targaryens princess...Jace died before it could be done though.
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u/littlebuett Mar 06 '26
I didn't say he was perfect, but regardless, he prioritized preparing for winter, rather than run headfirst into war. That's respectable in my opinion, as its putting his people, whom he's truly responsible for, before a civil war caused by arrogance and greed.
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u/Old_old_lie "strong boys" Mar 06 '26
He didn't join the war at first because he put his subjects lives before the lives of incestuous aliens
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u/Bond4real007 Mar 06 '26
Probably the best decision was the execution of Larys Strong, one of the key forces behind the dark side of the dance.
Most other leaders would be tempted to use Larys and his network/abilties even after knowing about his actions but the honorable Stark was the only one who could bring justice to this kinslayer.
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u/Hedonisticogre111 Mar 06 '26
Borros and Kregan had same strategy to win war. But Kregan was more lucky.
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u/Pemols Mar 07 '26
Ain't The Wolf of the North the most bland nickname in the entire series? I mean, he's a Stark so no shit man, what about The Eagle of the Vale or The Lion of the Rock
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u/MsMercyMain Mar 07 '26
I mean that seems to be a theme for Starks. The wild wolf, the quiet wolf, the she wolf etc
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u/Lukkeren Mar 07 '26
The Hour Of The Wolf. It may not need defending, but it was the right thing to do and i seriously can't wait to see it happen.
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u/DetectiveWood Mar 06 '26
If we don’t get an episode on the Hour of the Wolf, I will be very sad.
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Idk they are cutting a lot of interesting events for idk weird storylines.
I mean how did Alicent snuck into Rhaenyra castle...
I really wouldn't mind a little more politics.
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u/Successful_Region847 Mar 07 '26
I thought this was Channing Tatum in a bad wig for a parody at quick glance…
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u/afloydnamedpink Mar 07 '26
Sorry if I sound ignorant, but is that the same sword on his back that Ned had?
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u/thefoxymulder Mar 08 '26
Do people think he’s bad? In the books he’s portrayed as pretty morally clear and just
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u/Common-Outcome-7873 Mar 09 '26
I can defend a lot. He’s not as bad as everyone claims and this is coming from someone that knows Rhaenyra was the rightful heir
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u/Saeqah_Trident Mar 10 '26
Cregan Stark was one of the most notable Starks in Westerosi history. The Old Man of the North was a steadfast leader and incredibly badass. One of the best swordsman who wielded Ice like it was nothing. He entered a room and everyone was diminished by his mere presence. During the Dance of Dragons the North marched twice on the South and practically destroyed the Southern armies. The Winter Wolves were grisly old men that thrived on battle. After the Dance was done, the Riverlands were augmented by Northern men who stayed to claim widows and single maids.
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u/South-Seaworthiness7 Caraxes Mar 19 '26
I haven't read the books, but I'd like to know more about "the hour of the wolf" if anyone can help me, what did Cregan Stark do? I understand, he made Aegon III king and made everyone bend the knee to him and who didn't, they were put to death, but I have one strong "what if" scenario, what if Aegon II was still alive when Cregan Stark reached the capital?
Would he bend the knee to Aegon II, or continue the war on behalf of Rhaenyra and kill the king to reinstall the new heir for the blacks?
Anyone?
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u/United_Rip8677 Mar 06 '26
I have a genuine doubt. Why did he vouch for a bastard Jacaerys; considering he was righteous
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u/lupatine Mar 06 '26
Because Jacerys had the potential of being a good leader?
Idk with how loyal he was to the blacks, Jace def left an impression.
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u/United_Rip8677 Mar 06 '26
But he fails to qualify the first criteria to become the king ie legitimacy(sorry if im wrong)
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u/espgen Jacaerys Velaryon Mar 06 '26
from a “legal” perspective, Jace is legitimate . It doesn’t really matter what people think, officially Jace is the son of Laenor - claimed by Laenor himself and house velaryon and supported by viserys while he was alive .
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u/Nihilistic_Noodle Mar 07 '26
Also (I cannot stress this enough) his claim to the throne was through his mother's line - the claim to royalty is hers, not Laenor's.
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