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Sunday's epic battle on 'Game of Thrones' is similar to one of the most important battles in the history of Westeros

The King in the North bends the knee to House Targaryen

Sunday's epic battle on 'Game of Thrones' is similar to one of the most important battles in the history of Westeros

The dragons

The dragons

The Field of Fire gets its name from the insane and brutal amount of fire coming from the three Targaryen dragons. 4,000 men were burned to death by the dragons, and 10,000 more were burned so badly that they couldn't fight anymore. On the Targaryen side, less than 100 died.

We don't have numbers for The Loot Train Attack, but it was brutal. Dozens of Lannister men turn to ash and blow away. We're guessing that since Dany only brings one dragon to this fight, it's only a preview of the violence that could come if she throws Rhaegal and Viserion into the mix.

The houses

The houses

Targaryen and allies vs. The Rock and The Reach:

In The Field of Fire, Aegon, his sisters, their dragons, and their allies attacked an army of Lannisters and Garderners. By the end of battle, House Garderener was completely destroyed, and The Reach was given to House Tyrell.

In "The Spoils of War," Daenerys, Drogon, and the Dothraki ambush an army of Lannisters (The Rock/Westerlands) and Tarlys (The Reach). The Tarlys help the Lannisters take Highgarden in "The Queen's Justice," and now represent The Reach since all the Tyrells are dead.

So like The Field of Fire, The Loot Train Attack was a battle between of Lannisters and The Reach versus Targaryen allies/dragon(s).

Aegon's much smaller army of allies consisted of only 10,000 men, and included the ironborn and men from the Riverlands who surrendered to him earlier in the conquest. Daenerys has the Dothraki army at her side, having lost most of her Westerosi allies (Dornish, Tyrells, Greyjoys) to Cersei.

The location

The location

The Field of Fire doesn't have an exact location, but it did take place somewhere in the plains south of the Blackwater. In other words: near King's Landing and a body of water, coming from Highgarden.

In the show, Jaime and the Lannister forces start the march back to King's Landing from Highgarden. Although we don't know exactly where the Loot Train Attack took place geographically, either, we know the battle happened within eyesight of mountains and a body of water. And we know that Randyll Tarly said the gold from Highgarden already made it into King's Landing. Our guess: The Loot Train Attack takes place near or in range of where The Field of Fire did.

What is The Field of Fire?

What is The Field of Fire?

The Field of Fire was a major battle that occurred during Aegon's Conquest. It was a definitive battle that won the war for the Targaryens.

King Mern Gardener of the Reach and King Loren Lannister of the Rock combined their armies to try and defeat Aegon. They had 60,000 men. Aegon's army was outnumbered with only 10,000. But Aegon won the battle because he brought three dragons: he rode one, and his sisters rode the others.

4,000 men were burned alive by dragons alone, and 10,000 men were so badly burned that they were unable to fight. After the battle, Aegon used the swords of the defeated to make the most uncomfortable chair: the Iron Throne.

What is Aegon's Conquest?

What is Aegon

Centuries before the events of "Game of Thrones," Aegon I Targaryen started a campaign to invade Westeros. He wanted to take control over all Seven Kingdoms as the one and only king. The campaign lasted two years, and he won, becoming the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and king on the Iron Throne.

Before the Conquest, Westeros was divided into separate kingdoms, each ruled by a local king:

  • Kingdom of the North, ruled by House Stark of Winterfell
  • Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale, ruled by House Arryn of the Eyrie
  • Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers, ruled by House Hoare of castle Harrenhal
  • Kingdom of the Rock, ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock
  • Kingdom of the Stormlands, ruled by the House Durrendon of Storm's End
  • Kingdom of the Reach, ruled by House Gardener of Highgarden
  • Dorne, ruled by House Martell of Sunspear

Some of these names might sound familiar, and some may not.


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