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Spoilers from "The Spoils of War" (Game of Thrones, S07E04) ahead!

At the beginning of S07E04 of Game of Thrones it looks like Daenerys is out of ships. Euron Greyjoy destroyed half her fleet en route to Dorne and the other half is stuck at Casterly Rock with the Unsullied. How did she transport all those Dothraki onto the mainland to attack the Lannister army?

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    You live on an island. You brought 100,000 people (plus many horses) with you to the island on boats. Lets say you lose 50% of your fleet, you still have boats with a capacity of 50,000 people (plus horses). Then you send (at most) 8,000 unsullied to Casterly Rock, you still have a fleet to support 42,000 people (plus horses). You still have enough boats to carry 42,000 Dothraki men and horses to Westeros. Plus, who lives on an islands and doesn't keep a boat around? numbers based on estimates at Vaes Dothrak
    – Kallum Tanton
    Aug 15, 2017 at 8:25
  • @Jayraj Perhaps call it "How did the Dothraki get here in Eastwatch"? That way people know it's an episode specific question.
    – Kallum Tanton
    Aug 15, 2017 at 8:26
  • That's the thing though, we never see signs of any ships around Dragonstone, nothing in the harbor. In fact we never even see Dragonstone's harbor, probably due to budget constraints
    – Jay
    Aug 15, 2017 at 8:26
  • @Jayraj I agree, but I think that's just a production limitation. Since it isn't important to the scenes that are being played out, they don't waste time and money on rendering them. They would have to make sure they appeared in EVERY outdoor scene where the camera pointed in their direction - that would be a tedious exercise post-production.
    – Kallum Tanton
    Aug 15, 2017 at 8:29
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    half her fleet en route to Dorne and the other half is stuck at Casterly Rock with the Unsullied How do you know this? Where did you get this proportion of 50% of her fleet in one place, and the other 50% in another, leaving 0% with Dany, at Dragonstone? Seems like pure speculation, and therefore a flawed basis for a question. A much more sturdy proposition is that she did not lose half her fleet to Euron, and her other half is stuck at C. Rock - why is that more sensible? Because the Dothraki sailed to Westeros.
    – Ghoti and Chips
    Aug 15, 2017 at 9:11

3 Answers 3

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In S07E04 Tyrion says

We still have enough ships to carry the Dothraki to the mainland.
(about the 26 minutes mark)

That's all we know for sure.

According to Tyrion's attack plan mentioned in S07E02 (around the 23 minute mark), only the Iron Fleet is travelling to Dorne at the moment it's attacked and destroyed by Euron (we also only see the Ironborn fighting).

In S07E03 (around the 51 minute mark) Varys says

Your Grace, he's already destroyed a good portion of our fleet. To send our remaining ships after him..."

and this is after the Unsullied left for Casterly Rock - as Varys says

They will be there soon

just a minute later in this same episode - but before Varys learns they were intercepted there by Euron's ship.

This means Dany still has a portion of the fleet anchored off Dragonstone - these would be the "remaining ships" Varys mentions. After all, they can't risk the ships destroyed by Euron or the ones sent to Casterly Rock, so he must be talking about some other ships, ones that are available to them at that moment. These are most likely Dany's own ships, the ones she took from the Slave Masters in Mereen. These are the ones she uses to take the Dothraki to the mainland in S07E5.

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    This answer is the correct one. When Tyrion is defending his plan as still viable, he specifically states they have enough ships to ferry the Dothraki. It doesn't get simpler than that.
    – PoloHoleSet
    Aug 15, 2017 at 20:09
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    Oh, I missed that. Fair enough
    – Jay
    Aug 15, 2017 at 20:38
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The ships destroyed were the Greyjoy ships, I believe she also received some ships from the Dornish (before they died), or they were left over from when the sons of the harpy burnt her fleet.

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    Welcome to Movies & TV! We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a short answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed.
    – Paulie_D
    Aug 15, 2017 at 9:14
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The majority of the Dothraki are already on the main land.

Disclaimer: I don't have much evidence to back this up; the show has not expressly shown the Dothraki camps on the mainland near by Dragonstone. But, I do have logical reasoning to back up this claim.

Dragonstone isn't large enough to house and maintain an entire Dothraki hoard of 42,000 warriors plus family. Nor does it have the supplies a Dothraki hoard needs to survive; Dragonstone is a harsh landscape with little to no vegetation for horses to eat, and little to no fresh water for horses to drink.

Tycho Nestoris: "How much wheat and barley and beef and pork do you produce on Dragonstone to feed your 4000 men and your 32 ships"

Stannis Baratheon: "None"

Season 4, Episode 6, The Laws of Gods and Men

While we do see some Dothraki with Daenerys when she is at Dragonstone these are only her Bloodriders and personal guards. The majority of the Dothraki hoard need to have camps on the mainland in order to feed and water their horses as well as take care of their families.

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  • What's your proof Dragonstone is small, though? I assume we're talking show only, and if you look at S07E03 around the 7th minute (the conversation between Varys and Melisandre on the cliff) it looks very large and lush. Likewise around the 36th minute, when Tyrion accuses Jon of looking much better brooding than him :)
    – NyaNya
    Aug 15, 2017 at 20:31
  • @NyaNya Dragonstone may look "lush" in the sense that there's some overgrown grass, but there's no scene that shows food sources, farms, or anything that would be required to maintain a large population.
    – DariM
    Aug 15, 2017 at 21:40
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    @DariM True, but nor is there any scenes that show Dothraki having a camp on the mainland. I find this whole Dragonstone landing maddeningly vague, but that's what the show is like these days... teleportation, out-of-character actions and giant plot holes. I'm just saying this answer is pure speculation, there is nothing in the show to support onewho's claim.
    – NyaNya
    Aug 15, 2017 at 21:44
  • @NyaNya That depends on whether the books serve as a fallback for things the show doesn't explicitly specify. The books are clear to detail that Dragonstone relies on trade and shipping for food/supplies.
    – DariM
    Aug 15, 2017 at 22:02
  • @NyaNya Actually wait,the show does have a scene that mentions Dragonstone's lack of food production. When Stannis is negotiating with the Iron Bank. Tycho Nestoris: "How much wheat and barley and beef and pork do you produce on Dragonstone to feed your 4000 men and your 32 ships", Stannis: "None"
    – DariM
    Aug 15, 2017 at 22:10

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