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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 1563 Views
I think that all we can conclude from this... - 01/10/2009 07:39:49 PM 859 Views
No. - 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM 1019 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... - 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM 1092 Views
Lol... too true - 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM 993 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains? - 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM 1010 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance". - 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM 826 Views
Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 04:25:37 AM 798 Views
Re: Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 03:48:13 PM 725 Views
but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM 771 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 03:46:56 PM 729 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 03/10/2009 06:17:21 AM 727 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light - 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM 724 Views
You can't have it both ways.... - 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM 813 Views
Why not? - 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM 778 Views
Re: Why not? - 02/10/2009 04:27:00 PM 667 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 06:34:16 AM 788 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 07:40:16 AM 732 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 05:07:51 PM 707 Views
Yeah - 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM 786 Views
Re: Yeah - 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM 796 Views
I thought the same in the past... - 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM 766 Views
Gah! Hate! - 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM 778 Views
Ah, come on... - 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM 764 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet. - 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM 766 Views
Yeah, I can understand that! - 03/10/2009 12:23:25 PM 617 Views
Unless... - 01/10/2009 10:49:55 PM 819 Views
Re: Unless... - 02/10/2009 05:07:14 AM 856 Views
Well, it's entirely hypothetical, - 02/10/2009 06:31:32 AM 734 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... - 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM 848 Views
What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 04:28:49 AM 801 Views
Re: What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 03:52:24 PM 734 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops - 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM 731 Views
Further... - 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM 763 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too - 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM 722 Views
Just one point ^_^ - 03/10/2009 12:51:50 AM 744 Views
nope - 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM 861 Views
Re: nope - 01/10/2009 09:32:38 PM 951 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin - 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM 1158 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though. - 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM 753 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat. - 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM 660 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general - 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM 803 Views
Right, which was what we were discussing at first. - 02/10/2009 04:13:43 PM 739 Views
Yeah, I'm supporting your point about them both being generals - 02/10/2009 06:10:31 PM 756 Views
true, but she does pretty good - 02/10/2009 01:06:03 AM 799 Views
Oooh I forgot she's in charge of Elayne's lady guards. - 02/10/2009 03:22:57 AM 679 Views
Egeanin or Leilwin - 01/10/2009 10:35:53 PM 882 Views
A ship captain is like a calvary general - 02/10/2009 01:24:37 AM 732 Views
Right. - 02/10/2009 01:36:59 AM 735 Views
Well said. (And its short and to the point.) - 02/10/2009 03:54:23 AM 852 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician. - 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM 781 Views
Isn't this more of an outgrowth or her respective specialty? - 07/10/2009 08:40:46 PM 709 Views
My opinion - 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM 1158 Views
That's a poor excuse - 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM 684 Views
That's a poor argument - 02/10/2009 04:02:53 PM 908 Views
Re: That's a poor argument - 03/10/2009 04:26:55 AM 768 Views
I disagree - 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM 781 Views
Re: I disagree - 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM 999 Views
Oh, puh-lease. - 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM 933 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM 753 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 08:26:27 PM 644 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM 3204 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 797 Views
um - 08/10/2009 07:36:52 PM 1045 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst - 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM 848 Views
Men and football. - 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM 771 Views
It's the only thing men are allowed to do in Randland - 02/10/2009 03:09:19 AM 774 Views
My thoughts - 02/10/2009 03:12:46 PM 702 Views
.... - 04/10/2009 03:38:44 AM 701 Views

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