Either they are competent and capable or lame. Just because you don't have an emotional response to the results of their competence, you cannot call them lame!
Fair enough, you don't care about millions of deaths, you want a few deaths among the fifteen or so major characters you're reading about. The rest of the deaths are insignificant to you. But a Forsaken's, or any villains, competence can hardly depend on the number of people he kills who you care about!
Fair enough, you don't care about millions of deaths, you want a few deaths among the fifteen or so major characters you're reading about. The rest of the deaths are insignificant to you. But a Forsaken's, or any villains, competence can hardly depend on the number of people he kills who you care about!
I find it both appalling and amusing that you claim to care about the thousands of other deaths in the series. Really, to claim that you're devastated over the Seanchan populace, or other distance tragedies is insincere.
Or let's reverse the situation... let's have Rand destroy huge amounts of Shadowspawn and seriously reduce the Shadowspawn army, but fail to kill the Forsaken - who still number the original 13. I'm sure you'll do a bang up job showing that Rand has indeed been a deadly protagonist in that situation.
The world's destiny revolves around a few select individuals like Rand, Nynaeve and Egwene etc. Those are the real targets for the Forsaken, not the huge masses out there who have no emotional value to the readers.
RJ has chosen, so far, to not have any of the major protagonists killed. Personally, I don't see why they have to die to make the story interesting, but that's a personal preference. You can criticize RJ for not having major characters killed. But why heap scorn and blame on the Forsaken? Many of them have died after exciting fights where they've certainly done a great job, and it is a combination of unfortunate (for them) circumstances that lead to their defeats.
So who can one blame? If the Forsaken can't be killed for killing the Light, than who can?!
And while you don't care, they have also spread chaos in the world, resulting in who knows how many deaths.
It's useless, and not even their primary goal. They do it for amusement.
And all this despite being in a world that is far removed from the one they grew up in and having access to none of the technology they are used to.
Yeah it's so tough for them, being among the most powerful channelers in the world. According to Rand, Taim could destroy the farm as far as the eye could see, and Alivia could tear the Sun Palace apart. Yet these thirteen can't kill the protagonists, some of whom are little more than girls.
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Fan of Lanfear
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Are women really bad generals?
01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM
- 1539 Views
No.
01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM
- 991 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM
- 1063 Views
Lol... too true
01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM
- 954 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains?
01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM
- 973 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance".
01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM
- 798 Views
but you are difficult to please
02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM
- 744 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
Yeah
01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM
- 733 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
- 741 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

Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM
- 821 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops
01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM
- 699 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too
02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM
- 693 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it.
04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM
- 677 Views
nope
01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM
- 826 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin
01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM
- 1128 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though.
01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM
- 720 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat.
01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
- 634 Views

Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general
01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM
- 774 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician.
02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
- 755 Views
My opinion
02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM
- 1122 Views
That's a poor excuse
02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM
- 660 Views
I disagree
02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM
- 758 Views
Re: I disagree
02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM
- 969 Views
Oh, puh-lease.
02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM
- 905 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM
- 725 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
- 767 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph.
06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM
- 870 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst
04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM
- 815 Views
Men and football.
05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM
- 736 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders.
06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM
- 835 Views