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Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician. RabidWombat Send a noteboard - 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
All three are pretty good military tacticians. And I imagine Tuon wouldn't be too bad either. I would imagine that there are also other female generals amongst the Seanchan, but we haven't seen them. In the westlands soldering is pretty much a male dominated occupation.

NaCl(just because we haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't there)H2O


I disagree about Birgitte at least partially. Being a good general has three parts: leadership and morale, logistics and organization, and tactics. There is strong evidence that she is great at the first two. But her tactics are not that great.

You laud her for rescuing Elayne in another post, but she lost a lot of men doing it. A lot more then she needed. Any of the better generals would have found a way to place a number of hidden archers or kin to wipe out the BA with little or no loss. Further, Birgitte did not recognize the tactical advantage of trapping Arymilla against the gates. True, it was risky since there was another army in the field. It was a risk worth taking, though. Knowing which risks can be taken or need to be taken is what makes an average general great.

Together, Birgitte and Elayne make a formidable combination although not near the top tier. I wouldn't rate Birgitte by herself that high, though.

Like you I believe there are a number of women capable of being at least a good General. In addition to your list it would not surprise me if there were some veteran Maidens and more then a handful of Greens who could rise to the task of being a General, at least tactically, if they were called to do it. (Mat admitted that Joline knew about war for instance.) Elayne probably could be an adequate General in a pinch as well. (Although I probably should have counted her as one of those handful of Greens.)

The best chance of finding a great female general is still the Seanchen, though, as you mentioned.

RabidWombat
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Are women really bad generals? Sidious - 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM 1562 Views
I think that all we can conclude from this... Rand al'Thor - 01/10/2009 07:39:49 PM 858 Views
No. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM 1018 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... Shannow - 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM 1091 Views
Lol... too true Sidious - 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM 993 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains? fionwe1987 - 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM 1008 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance". RugbyPlayingAshaman - 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM 826 Views
Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice Rurouni_Kenshin - 02/10/2009 04:25:37 AM 797 Views
Re: Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice RugbyPlayingAshaman - 02/10/2009 03:48:13 PM 723 Views
but you are difficult to please Sidious - 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM 770 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please RugbyPlayingAshaman - 02/10/2009 03:46:56 PM 727 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please Sidious - 03/10/2009 06:17:21 AM 726 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light Sidious - 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM 724 Views
You can't have it both ways.... fionwe1987 - 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM 812 Views
Why not? Sidious - 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM 777 Views
Re: Why not? fionwe1987 - 02/10/2009 04:27:00 PM 666 Views
Re: Why not? Sidious - 03/10/2009 06:34:16 AM 787 Views
Re: Why not? fionwe1987 - 03/10/2009 07:40:16 AM 730 Views
Re: Why not? Sidious - 03/10/2009 05:07:51 PM 706 Views
Yeah Etzel - 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM 785 Views
Re: Yeah nossy - 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM 794 Views
I thought the same in the past... Etzel - 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM 765 Views
Gah! Hate! nossy - 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM 777 Views
Ah, come on... Etzel - 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. nossy - 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM 765 Views
Yeah, I can understand that! Etzel - 03/10/2009 12:23:25 PM 616 Views
Unless... Fanatic-Templar - 01/10/2009 10:49:55 PM 818 Views
Re: Unless... Sidious - 02/10/2009 05:07:14 AM 855 Views
Well, it's entirely hypothetical, Fanatic-Templar - 02/10/2009 06:31:32 AM 733 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... RugbyPlayingAshaman - 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM 848 Views
What about Mat and Ituralde? Rurouni_Kenshin - 02/10/2009 04:28:49 AM 798 Views
Re: What about Mat and Ituralde? RugbyPlayingAshaman - 02/10/2009 03:52:24 PM 733 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops beetnemesis - 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM 730 Views
Further... RugbyPlayingAshaman - 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM 760 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too Sidious - 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM 721 Views
Just one point ^_^ RugbyPlayingAshaman - 03/10/2009 12:51:50 AM 743 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it. beetnemesis - 04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM 699 Views
nope nossy - 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM 860 Views
Re: nope Sidious - 01/10/2009 09:32:38 PM 950 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin NaClH2O - 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM 1158 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though. Darth_Katie - 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM 751 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat. nossy - 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM 660 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general RugbyPlayingAshaman - 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM 801 Views
Right, which was what we were discussing at first. nossy - 02/10/2009 04:13:43 PM 738 Views
Yeah, I'm supporting your point about them both being generals RugbyPlayingAshaman - 02/10/2009 06:10:31 PM 753 Views
true, but she does pretty good NaClH2O - 02/10/2009 01:06:03 AM 796 Views
Oooh I forgot she's in charge of Elayne's lady guards. Darth_Katie - 02/10/2009 03:22:57 AM 678 Views
Egeanin or Leilwin nossy - 01/10/2009 10:35:53 PM 880 Views
A ship captain is like a calvary general NaClH2O - 02/10/2009 01:24:37 AM 731 Views
Right. Cannoli - 02/10/2009 01:36:59 AM 733 Views
Well said. (And its short and to the point.) RabidWombat - 02/10/2009 03:54:23 AM 851 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician. RabidWombat - 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM 781 Views
Isn't this more of an outgrowth or her respective specialty? RugbyPlayingAshaman - 07/10/2009 08:40:46 PM 708 Views
My opinion Cannoli - 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM 1157 Views
That's a poor excuse rAndy aL - 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM 684 Views
That's a poor argument Cannoli - 02/10/2009 04:02:53 PM 908 Views
Re: That's a poor argument rAndy aL - 03/10/2009 04:26:55 AM 767 Views
I disagree nossy - 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM 781 Views
Re: I disagree Cannoli - 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM 998 Views
Oh, puh-lease. nossy - 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM 932 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. Cannoli - 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM 751 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. NaClH2O - 03/10/2009 08:26:27 PM 643 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. nossy - 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM 3202 Views
I always know I've out-argued an idiot when they fall back on the tired old "RJ wanted it that way" Cannoli - 06/10/2009 04:42:11 AM 797 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph. nossy - 06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM 897 Views
um nossy - 08/10/2009 07:36:52 PM 1044 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst RabidWombat - 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM 848 Views
Men and football. nossy - 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM 770 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders. Cannoli - 06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM 861 Views
It's the only thing men are allowed to do in Randland CupofDice - 02/10/2009 03:09:19 AM 773 Views
My thoughts LordPerrin - 02/10/2009 03:12:46 PM 700 Views
.... Fantasy - 04/10/2009 03:38:44 AM 698 Views
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