Even if these guys are all great generals, they're not fighting any wars!
Yes yes, there's the war of "Light vs. Shadow" but that doesn't involve supply lines. It's a different type of war (for now, anyway)
Mat is a flat-out amazing general. Does have the skill to subvert an entire nation and dedicate its resources to his goals? Well, maybe, but it's not because of his military abilities.
tl;dr The Forsaken have been focusing on politics and espionage, not wars. Generalship doesn't come into it.
Yes yes, there's the war of "Light vs. Shadow" but that doesn't involve supply lines. It's a different type of war (for now, anyway)
Mat is a flat-out amazing general. Does have the skill to subvert an entire nation and dedicate its resources to his goals? Well, maybe, but it's not because of his military abilities.
tl;dr The Forsaken have been focusing on politics and espionage, not wars. Generalship doesn't come into it.
It might be the case that the women who were great generals (girls playing a boy's game, if you will) were destroyed by the women who were focused on politics, espionage or manipulation, while the men who were focused on politics, espionage or manipulation (a boy playing a game where the girls have the edge) were mostly destroyed with a few lucky straggles. On the flipside, once a man enters the arena of politics, espionage or manipulation (which is basically the setup for conditions in the 3rd Age) he is at a disadvantage while the arena is set for the women no holding military capability to thrive. This may be why there are actual permanent male deaths thus far while all the females have survived - the females had already culled the women without a certain amount of cunning during the War of Shadow.
Basically there are no generalized advantages or disadvantages - during the War of Power, where there massive amounts of troops, support systems and outright conflict, being a general conferred an advantage. Once society fell apart, and the infrastructure broke down there is very little advantage to having this sort of military knowledge - you are anachronistic in a manner similar to Aginor. Now, they're all on a level playing field but we see the Forsaken accounted above average in battle largely dead and beyond rebirth already because they weren't able to switch their strategy. That's part of why Sammael was getting angered - he sensed that he was being played, but wanted to do something, so he continued to take part in it.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
This message last edited by RugbyPlayingAshaman on 02/10/2009 at 12:19:19 AM
Are women really bad generals?
- 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM
1601 Views
No.
- 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM
1052 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM
1125 Views
Lol... too true
- 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM
1053 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains?
- 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM
1069 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance".
- 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM
857 Views
but you are difficult to please
- 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM
813 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light
- 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM
757 Views
You can't have it both ways....
- 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM
849 Views
Why not?
- 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM
814 Views
Yeah
- 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM
846 Views
Re: Yeah
- 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM
829 Views
I thought the same in the past...
- 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM
799 Views
Gah! Hate!
- 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM
811 Views
Ah, come on...
- 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM
801 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet.
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
801 Views
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
801 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM
888 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops
- 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM
771 Views
Further...
- 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM
802 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too
- 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM
754 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it.
- 04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM
739 Views
nope
- 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM
903 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin
- 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM
1197 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though.
- 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM
785 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat.
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
695 Views
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
695 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general
- 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM
842 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician.
- 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
811 Views
My opinion
- 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM
1209 Views
That's a poor excuse
- 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM
724 Views
I disagree
- 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM
810 Views
Re: I disagree
- 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM
1040 Views
Oh, puh-lease.
- 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM
967 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM
792 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM
3259 Views
I always know I've out-argued an idiot when they fall back on the tired old "RJ wanted it that way"
- 06/10/2009 04:42:11 AM
856 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph.
- 06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM
939 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst
- 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM
904 Views
Men and football.
- 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM
823 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders.
- 06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM
896 Views


