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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? - 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM 1599 Views
I think that all we can conclude from this... - 01/10/2009 07:39:49 PM 889 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 1123 Views
Lol... too true - 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM 1051 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains? - 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM 1067 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance". - 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM 857 Views
Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 04:25:37 AM 834 Views
Re: Ishamael's destroyed Civilization twice - 02/10/2009 03:48:13 PM 755 Views
but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM 811 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 02/10/2009 03:46:56 PM 769 Views
Re: but you are difficult to please - 03/10/2009 06:17:21 AM 757 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 847 Views
Why not? - 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM 812 Views
Re: Why not? - 02/10/2009 04:27:00 PM 729 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 06:34:16 AM 824 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 07:40:16 AM 769 Views
Re: Why not? - 03/10/2009 05:07:51 PM 740 Views
Yeah - 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM 844 Views
Re: Yeah - 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM 828 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 810 Views
Ah, come on... - 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM 799 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet. - 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM 799 Views
Yeah, I can understand that! - 03/10/2009 12:23:25 PM 651 Views
Unless... - 01/10/2009 10:49:55 PM 852 Views
Re: Unless... - 02/10/2009 05:07:14 AM 891 Views
Well, it's entirely hypothetical, - 02/10/2009 06:31:32 AM 767 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals... - 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM 886 Views
What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 04:28:49 AM 841 Views
Re: What about Mat and Ituralde? - 02/10/2009 03:52:24 PM 764 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops - 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM 769 Views
Further... - 02/10/2009 12:14:44 AM 800 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too - 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM 754 Views
Just one point ^_^ - 03/10/2009 12:51:50 AM 779 Views
nope - 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM 901 Views
Re: nope - 01/10/2009 09:32:38 PM 990 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin - 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM 1196 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though. - 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM 783 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat. - 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
Right, which was what we were discussing at first. - 02/10/2009 04:13:43 PM 772 Views
Yeah, I'm supporting your point about them both being generals - 02/10/2009 06:10:31 PM 789 Views
true, but she does pretty good - 02/10/2009 01:06:03 AM 836 Views
Oooh I forgot she's in charge of Elayne's lady guards. - 02/10/2009 03:22:57 AM 716 Views
Egeanin or Leilwin - 01/10/2009 10:35:53 PM 916 Views
A ship captain is like a calvary general - 02/10/2009 01:24:37 AM 772 Views
Right. - 02/10/2009 01:36:59 AM 774 Views
Well said. (And its short and to the point.) - 02/10/2009 03:54:23 AM 900 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician. - 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM 811 Views
Isn't this more of an outgrowth or her respective specialty? - 07/10/2009 08:40:46 PM 744 Views
My opinion - 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM 1208 Views
That's a poor excuse - 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM 721 Views
That's a poor argument - 02/10/2009 04:02:53 PM 978 Views
Re: That's a poor argument - 03/10/2009 04:26:55 AM 805 Views
I disagree - 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM 808 Views
Re: I disagree - 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM 1039 Views
Oh, puh-lease. - 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM 965 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM 790 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease. - 03/10/2009 08:26:27 PM 680 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 854 Views
um - 08/10/2009 07:36:52 PM 1085 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst - 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM 902 Views
Men and football. - 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM 823 Views
It's the only thing men are allowed to do in Randland - 02/10/2009 03:09:19 AM 813 Views
My thoughts - 02/10/2009 03:12:46 PM 732 Views
.... - 04/10/2009 03:38:44 AM 738 Views

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