Shoot your shot at the kingsmoot

[astarkchoice]

2 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

That wasn't just the Old Way though, it was the fact that the Seven Kingdoms were not united, plus there were Hoare Kings who bothered to do things like trade, but they don't seem to care about that.

They did until balon in fact they do wayy better when they trade. Iv posted brfore but it think  they punch above their weight for westeros economy between  selling cheap thrall/slave mined minerals, fishing and most importantly raiding  east then selling on the  rare/precious goods onwards through merchants acting as middle men so westerososi lords can feign ignorance where they got such an item at outragously low price!

[Qhorin Halfhand and Yoren]

Throwing morals out the table as the OP insists:

I will go with a modified part of Euron's plan which seems better than the alternatives here and in the series. So make a similar pitch.

Euron's excessive ambition might end up costing the Ironborn but his way will also make them a more considerable force. So I would have a less arrogant strategy than controlling Westeros.

Order to weaken the north and raid/burn and not caring about retaining it, but undermining it, for what comes next and use as few men as possible for would be needed elsewhere. 

Capture the Shield Islands and Arbor Islands, and then focus on sending the iron fleet to ally with Daenerys Targaryen. Presumably I don't have dragon binding horn.  Daenerys is the one leader which is likely to be willing to allow us to grab a bigger slice of Westeros, especially as we help conquer it with her dragons and dothraki and Unsullied. And our fleet being used to carry Daenery's army. Trying to get her to marry me would be a play I would follow.

Avoid Euron's excessive cruelties of course, and have lower ambitions than capturing all of Westeros.

Daenerys would be at this stage more  willing to compromise with bad behavior such as raiding that would be beneficial in her conquering. And if after we have succeeded using the old way in creating a larger kingdom, we have to abandon it, then it will be a less bitter pill for the Ironborn to swallow.

If I have the dragon binding horn then there are more things that could be done. Indeed, allying with Daenerys is just stage one of what must be a more complicated strategy. Advice to gather strength, raid some of the free cities of Essos, and put allies in charge, and use Dragons to crush resistance and make examples of those who would oppose us.

Develop the diplomacy game. Put the smarter more literate part of the Ironborn in charge of recruiting from westeros others to help them build a more significant diplomatic force. Then as we are getting ready to invade to try to influence houses in Westeros to break their allegiance from the Iron throne, or their own great houses, promising to elevate smaller houses up, or retain their lands. Promise more land and wealth and that the Ironborn will be a significant force in the new Westeros. Try to organize marriage alliances with Ironborn elites and other houses.

Raid, conquest and diplomacy to gain more land, to settle the Ironborn in parts of Westeros, ideally riverlands or the reach, and to then the Ironborn in charge of the people in other teritories not to be primarily settled but controlled. For the Ironborn to become a more considerable force we would also have to demographically expand, so invest in sanitation techniques, and promote fertility. In a hundred or so years the Ironborn slice of Westeros would be a considerably stronger and richer and more numerous place.

There is also the issue of the Others I avoided here. Daenerys dragons are going to be useful to have around. Being islanders and sailors and controlling primarily territory nearer to the coasts and islands will result in us avoiding more of the damage than most of the other great houses. The other strategies that avoid sending the fleet to Daenerys might in fact end up getting the world destroyed by the Others.

The most optimistic scenario would have the Greyjoys as the new other half of the royal family and a Greyjoy/Targaryen dynasty.

 

Edited February 25 by Qhorin Halfhand and Yoren