By Siege or Storm, A Look at Attacks on the Great Castles of Westeros (Spoilers Extended)

In this post I want to look at each of the castles the belong to the great houses and see how they have stood up against siege and storm (and sneak attacks, dragons and shadow babies).

#The Nine Strongholds of the Great Houses

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#1.)Winterfell

Winterfell is located on natural hot springs, double walls (80 and 100 feet tall) with a moat between.

• Winterfell has been assaulted 4 times:

• King Royce II Bolton, prior to the Andal invasion (burned)

• King Royce IV Bolton, prior to the Andal invasion (burned)

• Theon Greyjoy takes Winterfellwith 30 men (sneak attack, special situation)

• Ser Rodrik Cassel, on behalf the north/starks (siege, attack preparations, burned later by Ramsay)

• Stannis Baratheon will at least attempt to take the castle in some way in TWOW

#2.)The Eyrie

The Eyrie is thought to be impregnable, due to the Bloody Gate, Gates, of the Moon, three way castles in Stone, Snow, Sky and the vertical cliff face up to the Eyrie.

• We know of the following assaults on the Eyrie:

• Over the centuries, a dozen invading armies have smashed themselves to pieces attempting to breach the Bloody Gate

• Visenya Targaryen/Vhagar make Ronnel Arryn submit during the War of Conquest

#3.)Casterly Rock

Like the Rock of Gibraltar, it is actual rock, not a true castle, but ~2,100 feet high and two leagues wide.

• Lann the Clever tricked the Casterlys and claimed it for his own

• And while some of the below is probably Lannister propaganda, the fact remains that Casterly Rock has never been taken:

Casterly Rock has never been taken by storm or siege. No castle in the Seven Kingdoms is larger, richer, or better defended. Legends says that Visenya Targaryen, upon seeing it, thanked the gods that King Loren rode forth to face her brother Aegon on the Field of Fire, for if he had remained within the Rock, even dragonflame would not have daunted him. -TWOIAF, The Westerlands: Casterly Rock

• The northerners lacked the siege engines to assault Casterly Rock during the War of the 5 Kings:

Her men wanted to hear more of Robb's victory at Oxcross, and Rivers obliged. "There's a singer come to Riverrun, calls himself Rymund the Rhymer, he's made a song of the fight. Doubtless you'll hear it sung tonight, my lady. 'Wolf in the Night,' this Rymund calls it." He went on to tell how the remnants of Ser Stafford's host had fallen back on Lannisport. Without siege engines there was no way to storm Casterly Rock, so the Young Wolf was paying the Lannisters back in kind for the devastation they'd inflicted on the riverlands. Lords Karstark and Glover were raiding along the coast, Lady Mormont had captured thousands of cattle and was driving them back toward Riverrun, while the Greatjon had seized the gold mines at Castamere, Nunn's Deep, and the Pendric Hills. Ser Wendel laughed. "Nothing's more like to bring a Lannister running than a threat to his gold." -ACOK, Catelyn V

• It is theorized that Tyrion will take Casterly Rock later in the series using the sewers

#4.)Highgarden

Highgarden was supposedly built on a hill by Garth the Gardener. Three rings of white stone walls of increasing height, briar maze between the outer two walls.

• Sacked by the Dornishmen during the reign of Garth X

• During the War of Conquest, Harlen Tyrell submitted Highgarden to Aegon and was in turn granted the seat

• Euron possibly could threaten Highgarden in TWOW

#5.)Sunspear

Sunspear has two main towers and is surrounded by the Shadow City and the three Winding Walls.

• Rhaenys confronts Meria during the War of Conquest

• During the First Dornish War it was abandoned in 5 AC and burned in 8 AC

• The Young Dragon accepted the Submission of Sunspear in 158 AC after taking the castle by storm

#6.)Storm's End

Involving numerous gods, and legendary figures, Storm's End has a mythical story of construction, 100 foot high curtain wall that is 40-80 feet thick

• As of the beginning of the main series, Storm's End had never been taken:

Storm's End has never fallen to storm or siege, the histories tell us. Well can it be believed. -TWOIAF, The Stormlands: Storm's End

• During the coming of the Andals, attempts to subdue Storm's End were abandoned after 7 failed attempts (possible religious influence in the number)

• Gyles III conquered most of the Stormlands, but failed to conquer Storm's End after a siege of 2 years

• During the War of Conquest, after Argilac's defeat, the garrison at Storm's End imprisoned his daughter and opened their gates to Aegon

• Stannis Baratheon (at age 17) held Storm's End which was besieged by Mace Tyrell during Robert's Rebellion

• Stannis Baratheon takes Storm's End from Cortney Penrose in the War of the 5 Kings (shadow baby)

• Mace Tyrell/Mathis Rowan besieged a token force left by Stannis but abandoned it after Margaery is accused (Mathis Rowan stays behind with a token force)

• Arianne Martell is told by Haldon Halfmaester that the Golden Company has taken Storm's End

#7.)Pyke

Pyke is a very old stronghold with unknown origins, several towers connected by rope bridges.

• Pyke resisted House Lannister's assault, when the westermen invaded in 134 AC

• Taken by Robert I during at the end of Balon Greyjoy's Rebellion

#8.)Riverrun

Built where the Tumblestone and Red Fork meet, Riverrun is a strong but small three-sided castle, built so that it can be turned into an island)

• Riverrun has rarely been taken and never by storm:

Yet Riverrun is stout and well constructed, and its position at the juncture of two rivers, surrounded by deep waters on two sides, makes it exceedingly difficult to assault. Though besieged many times over the centuries, Riverrun has seldom been taken, and never by storm. Key to the castle's strength is the moat dug beneath its western wall, where the main gate stands. Many castles in the Seven Kingdoms have moats, but few are created with complicated sluice gates that allow them to be flooded at need. This gives Riverrun's moat a depth and breadth few others can achieve. With its moat fully flooded, Riverrun becomes an island, all but invulnerable to assault. -TWOIAF, The Riverlands: Riverrun

• Abandoned by Lord Tully (to join Agnes Blackwood's host) when House Hoare invaded the Riverland

• Submitted to Aegon Targaryen by Edmyn Tully during the War of Conquest

• Remained neutral during the beginning of the first Dance of the Dragons but ended their neutrality when Addam Velaryon and Seasmoke landed at Riverrun

• Besieged by Jaime Lannister at the beginning of the War of the Five Kings

• Taken by Jaime Lannister toward the end of the War of the Five Kings

#9.)Dragonstone

Dragonstone was built by Valyrians using arcane arts/ sorcery, built in the shape of dragon, grim place)

• During the First Dance of the Dragons, Dragonstone was:

• Infiltrated by Ser Arryk Cargyll

• control taken by Aegon II (coup in which he convinced numerous blacks to join/help the greens)

• Rhaenyra and her followers were defeated by Ser Alfred Broome

• During Robert's Rebellion, Stannis Baratheon successfully assaulted Dragonstone (the Targaryen fleet had been wrecked by a storm, but Willem Darry escaped with the Targaryen children)

• Ser Loras successful assaults Dragonstone in order to free the Redwyne Fleet to head to Oldtown (he is apparently "dying" of his wounds)

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Of these 9 strongholds, the only one that has never been taken (in any form) is Casterly Rock (unless you count Lann the Clever). With this in mind, I think the Tyrion captures Casterly Rock using the sewers theory makes a lot of sense.

Please let me know if I missed any other attacks or assaults on any of these strongholds. Also feel free to express any opinions you have on the above attacks or the strength of the individual seats.

Thank you to users: u/Thomaerys (Vhagar burning Sunspear), u/kelembribor21 (Storm's End submitting to Aegon) for mentioning things I forgot and users: u/Mathias_Greyjoy (Blacks/Greens) and u/fuckitandthrowitaway (rivers surrounding Riverrun) for pointing out errors.