Lost Chapters
Marquis de Lafayette: Quartz Character
The Marquis de Lafayette was a wealthy French nobleman who came to America in 1777, at 19, to fight for American independence. He became a major general and one of George Washington's closest friends, was wounded at Brandywine, and helped trap the British army at Yorktown in 1781.
- Cost
- 7 crystals
- Type
- Character · Soldier
- Power / Health
- 5 / 5
- Color
- Quartz (Founders & Revolution)
- Rarity
- Rare
- Set
- Liberty & Lightning (Set 1)
- Keywords
- Swift
French aristocrat who crossed an ocean to join a revolution, proving teenage rebellion can sometimes change world history.
The real history
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was born in 1757 in Chavaniac, France, into a rich noble family. By 1770 his parents had died, leaving him a large fortune. Inspired by the American rebellion, he paid for his own ship, the Victoire, and sailed in April 1777, even though a royal order barred French officers from serving in America. He was 19.
Congress made him a major general, and he joined George Washington's staff. At the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 he was shot in the leg early in the fighting but stayed calm and helped organize the retreat. Washington praised his bravery, and the two grew very close. Lafayette spent the hard winter of 1777 to 1778 at Valley Forge with the army.
In 1779 he went home to France, where he helped secure 6,000 French troops for the American cause. Back in America, he led forces against the British in Virginia. In the fall of 1781 his men helped hem in the British army at Yorktown until Washington arrived, and the siege that followed ended with the British surrender.
In France, Lafayette helped write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The French Revolution later turned against him, and he spent years in an Austrian prison. In 1824 Congress invited him back as the young nation neared its 50th anniversary. His farewell tour, from August 1824 to September 1825, took him to all 24 states, where huge crowds honored him as the Guest of the Nation. He died in 1834.
Sources
- Marquis de Lafayette, American Battlefield Trust
- Lafayette in America: A Resource Guide, Library of Congress
- Farewell Tour, Lafayette College, Lafayette and Slavery
In the game's story
In the game's invented story, Lafayette is pulled from the winter at Valley Forge into the frozen foothills of the Rimefold, where Washington embraces him in front of the whole encampment. He learns the language of the frost-born faster than anyone, trades songs with them in Hoarlight and becomes the camp's go-between. His willingness to share the cold huts is one reason the frost-born come down the mountain.
How the card plays
Marquis de Lafayette costs 7 crystals and is a 5/5 Quartz Soldier with Swift, so he can charge the turn he arrives. When he enters play, he also builds 2 Steel Golem tokens. Each is a 1/1 with Guard, so it blocks without resting.
That makes him attack and defense in one card. Charge with Lafayette right away while the golems stay home to block your rival's counterattack. Check your field first: it holds 5 characters, and he wants three open spots for himself and both golems. George Washington, Freeworld Founder gives your other characters +1/+1, turning each golem into a 2/2 Guard. The Statue of Liberty gives all your characters +1/+1, and St. Augustine, First City builds another Steel Golem at the start of each of your turns.
- Playable in decks led by George Washington, and by any Traveler Leader whose colors include Quartz.
- In the Washington starter deck (1 copy). Deck code:
LC2-BhoCgAKBAYIBgwGEAYUBhgKHAYgBiQGKAYsBjAKNAY4BjwGQAZEBkgGTAZQBlQGWAZcBmAGZAZoCmwGcAZ0BngGfAaABoQFBjA - A deck holds up to 3 copies of this card.
Questions about Lafayette
How old was Lafayette when he came to America?
He was 19. He sailed in April 1777 on a ship he paid for himself, against a royal order, and Congress soon made him a major general.
What was Lafayette's farewell tour?
At Congress's invitation, Lafayette toured the United States from August 1824 to September 1825 and visited all 24 states. Thousands turned out at his stops to honor him as the Guest of the Nation.
Related cards
George Washington, Freeworld Founder7 crystals · Character · Legendary
John Paul Jones7 crystals · Character · Uncommon
Chips, Purple Hearted4 crystals · Character · Rare
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Deal Maker7 crystals · Character · Ultra-Rare
Abraham Lincoln, Emancipator6 crystals · Character · Legendary
Benjamin Franklin5 crystals · Character · Ultra-Rare
Free in your browser. No download.
Play Lafayette free