Because your analysis of the Forsakens' doings is excellent. And accurate. It's completely true that failure came down upon those Chosen who established bases of power. It's also true that getting one's mitts into the DR is a way bigger and better (and more efficient play) than having control over Illian, or making Andor somehow accept a king (and the DO). And yet...

It's not so much that Lanfear didn't set up a base or slew of cronies and adherents - it's that she didn't seem to have much going on aside from her efforts with Rand. Setting up an alliance that could rival and constrain the Messy-Demi-Semi trifecta is impressive. Yet she never meant to let them control Rand; nor did this ever come to anything.

I did not completely agree with the girl I spoke, nor did I share her low esteem for Lanfear. It's just that it became rather hard to debate her points much. It would've been nice to have you there at the time.

And still, a lot of those points hold up. For a super-powerful genius, Lanfear's bungling with Rand was really very off-putting. And since he was the focal point of virtually all her actions, it really does take her from scary, brilliant, and freakishly-deadly to cartoonish, silly, and one-note.

Of course, even as Cyndane, Lanfear hasn't exactly been a whirlwind of activity. She killed some random DF before going to the Cleansing - and then she fought Alivia to a stand-still (but didn't kill her). She told Graendal about Moridin, but got captured doing it. She thinks about killing Rand/LTT a lot, but she doesn't come across as a figure you have to be terrified of. And that's a shame.