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Further... RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM
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.


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
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Are women really bad generals? - 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM 1540 Views
I think that all we can conclude from this... - 01/10/2009 07:39:49 PM 834 Views
No. - 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM 992 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... - 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM 1064 Views
Lol... too true - 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM 955 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains? - 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM 974 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance". - 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM 799 Views
Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 04:25:37 AM 773 Views
Re: Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 03:48:13 PM 698 Views
but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM 744 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 03:46:56 PM 700 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 03/10/2009 06:17:21 AM 700 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light - 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM 699 Views
You can't have it both ways.... - 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM 787 Views
Why not? - 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM 743 Views
Re: Why not? - 02/10/2009 04:27:00 PM 644 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 06:34:16 AM 765 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 07:40:16 AM 707 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 05:07:51 PM 678 Views
Yeah - 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM 734 Views
Re: Yeah - 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM 769 Views
I thought the same in the past... - 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM 742 Views
Gah! Hate! - 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM 753 Views
Ah, come on... - 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM 725 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet. - 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM 741 Views
Yeah, I can understand that! - 03/10/2009 12:23:25 PM 590 Views
Unless... - 01/10/2009 10:49:55 PM 798 Views
Re: Unless... - 02/10/2009 05:07:14 AM 827 Views
Well, it's entirely hypothetical, - 02/10/2009 06:31:32 AM 708 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... - 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM 822 Views
What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 04:28:49 AM 773 Views
Re: What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 03:52:24 PM 710 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops - 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM 699 Views
Further... - 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM 737 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too - 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM 694 Views
Just one point ^_^ - 03/10/2009 12:51:50 AM 719 Views
nope - 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM 827 Views
Re: nope - 01/10/2009 09:32:38 PM 920 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin - 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM 1129 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though. - 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM 721 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat. - 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM 635 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general - 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM 774 Views
Right, which was what we were discussing at first. - 02/10/2009 04:13:43 PM 717 Views
Yeah, I'm supporting your point about them both being generals - 02/10/2009 06:10:31 PM 729 Views
true, but she does pretty good - 02/10/2009 01:06:03 AM 772 Views
Oooh I forgot she's in charge of Elayne's lady guards. - 02/10/2009 03:22:57 AM 656 Views
Egeanin or Leilwin - 01/10/2009 10:35:53 PM 852 Views
A ship captain is like a calvary general - 02/10/2009 01:24:37 AM 706 Views
Right. - 02/10/2009 01:36:59 AM 713 Views
Well said. (And its short and to the point.) - 02/10/2009 03:54:23 AM 826 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician. - 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM 755 Views
Isn't this more of an outgrowth or her respective specialty? - 07/10/2009 08:40:46 PM 681 Views
My opinion - 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM 1122 Views
That's a poor excuse - 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM 661 Views
That's a poor argument - 02/10/2009 04:02:53 PM 884 Views
Re: That's a poor argument - 03/10/2009 04:26:55 AM 745 Views
I disagree - 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM 759 Views
Re: I disagree - 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM 969 Views
Oh, puh-lease. - 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM 906 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM 726 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 08:26:27 PM 618 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM 3173 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 768 Views
um - 08/10/2009 07:36:52 PM 1012 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst - 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM 816 Views
Men and football. - 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM 736 Views
It's the only thing men are allowed to do in Randland - 02/10/2009 03:09:19 AM 750 Views
My thoughts - 02/10/2009 03:12:46 PM 674 Views
.... - 04/10/2009 03:38:44 AM 668 Views

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