Commander Competency (SPOILER HEAVY)
I thought i would open up a new discussion seeing as this discussion has spanned multiple threads.
Who is/was the most competent commander during asoiaf?
NOTE: This isn't who is the best warrior or sword fighter but Commander of an army.
There are a myriad of options so i will analyze each and organize them into tiers.
First Tier: (Needs to show: ingenuity, logistical understanding, supreme command effectiveness)
Tywin Lannister- Maybe the most successful of all commanding Generals in asoif. Tywin since his youth had shown a keen eye for warfare. He restored his family honor from near ruin through direct military intervention agianst his own vassals. His brothers had always lived in the shadow of his success. And from what we know Kevan, Tygett, and Gerion had their own redeeming qualities but could never escape the shadow of Tywin's success. This shows that although Kevan was competant and Tygett had martial prowess that neither had the commanding abilities that Tywin possessed. Tywin IIRC also was the longest serving hand in which although he didn't witness any military grievances during his stint he was said to be the true ruler of the seven kingdoms. During the War of the 5 Kings his military superpower was humanized but i believe that is more so due to incompetency in leadership under him rather than a direct slight to Tywin. Tywin showed that he could make up for the lack of expertise of his men on the battlefield when he planned the RW. To me the plan was genius. Tywin was well aware of Robb's success' and had to pioneer an opportunity that would give his men the upper hand because he knew he could not simply defeat the Northern and Tully forces in the field of battle. While some commanders would have thrown in the towel or simply beat themselves down by utilizing the same failing tactics Tywin looked at the bigger picture and found the weak spot in the Northern Army. Although the RW wasn't a military confrontation it was most definitely a strategic success which would resonate throughout the kingdoms.
Stannis Baratheon- He held out Storm's End from most of the entire army of the Reach. Captured Dragonstone the last remaining targaryan stronghold during the rebellion. He led a host of pirates and sellswords to capture Kingslanding and only narrowly failed thanks to quick thinking from Littlefinger and reinforcements from the Reach. He outmaneuvered and beat Victarion Greyjoy, the most competent naval commander in the 7 Kingdoms, during the Greyjoy rebellion taking Old Wyk from the Ironborn. In each conflict that he was involved in he showed his strength in strategy and his competency in heading an army under dire circumstances and overwhelming odds. It would interesting to see Stannis lead a host that actually has the advantage considering to this point he has made lemonade from lemons.
Tier 2 (Needs to show: decisiveness, battlefield success, and a relative understanding of logistics)
Robert Baratheon- I know i will likely catch flack for placing him so low on the list. While reading i had always envisioned Robert as inspiring, and a love for battle. Although this would seem to put him in the first of tiers i believe he is more of a product of his environment. Even in his older age in the first book Robert can be seen as a extrovert which enjoys the company of his friends. During the dark times which saw his beloved kidnapped, he united all those against Kings Aerys. To me this is not much of a distinction. Aerys was on his way to pissing off every royal family in the kingdom, i find it hard to believe that another commander could have done the same in uniting the realm against a mad king. Robert, however, showed a sense of recklessness during the rebellion, not the poise of a fine tuned commanding General of the first tier. Well enough of the negativity. Robert defeated Grafton in what would be the first significant battle of the war. He also defeated his own vassals of fell, cafferan, and grandison showing great poise and a understanding of logistics by attacking each one by one. He managed to escape after being outmaneuvered by Randyll Tarly in Ashford. At what looked to be his coup de grace at the Stoney Sept he received support from the Riverlords and the Stark host, and managed to pull out the victory, although this can be seen as a slight to Jon Con's humility rather than Robert's commands on the battlefield. During the Greyjoy rebellion he largely allowed Paxter Redwyne and Stannis to lead the counter attack against the Ironborn.
Brynden 'The Blackfish' Tully- Fought in the war of the Ninepenny Kings and proved his effectiveness in battle, gaining glory. During the the rebellion i really wasn't able to come up with any info on the Blackfish but Hoster led the Tully bannermen so he might have been #2 in command? Or he could have been in the vale during this time I am not sure. But during the War of the 5 Kings he is arguably the best commander at Robb Stark's disposal. He goes head to head with Addam Marbrand coming out victorious and clearing the path for Robb and the Northern Army.
Jaime Lannister- To me his is a young blackfish. Fabled warrior and excellent commander. Jaime possesses much of the same traits that made his father so feared. Since his dilemma, he has become a well rounded commander capable of winning battles in a multitude of ways, including not raising a sword, which i consider quite impressive.
Tier 3 (Needs to show: battlefield authority, relative knowledge of strategy)
Randyll Tarly- Known to Kevan Lannister as the best soldier in westeros, Randyll Tarly is no slouch. He handed Robert his only defeat during the rebellion despite its indecisiveness, and was the leading commander during the Siege of Storm's End.
Ned Stark- The number two man during the Rebellion. Ned led the Stark forces at the victories at the Battle of the Bells and the Trident, also lifting the siege of Storm's End. He was also a commander during the Greyjoy rebellion.
Tytos Blackwood- During the War of the 5 Kings he saves Edmure and Riverrun during a Lannister siege. He commanded the recapture of Raventree from Lannister forces which showed to be a success. Showed his moxie during the siege from Jonos Bracken.
Roose Bolton- A master manipulator of epic proportions. Roose is one of the top commanders the North has. He is open to all options and not afraid of underhanded tactics and harsh sentences.
Addam Marbrand- Top commanding General under Tywin. He plays an integral part in harrassing and reporting information to Tywin. During the siege of Riverrun he displays his ingenuity and military mind by coming up with a plot to open the gates from the inside under the cover of darkness.
Robb Starke- I am not as high on Robb Stark as some. He arguably has some of the best Generals at his disposal, and although the North's Army had handed the Crown forces some serious defeats it is more than likely that Roose Bolton, Great Jon, and the Blackfish have more to do with these victories than direct leadership from Robb. Now what Robb does well, however, is listen to the advise (in all but one instance) of his superiors which is an admirable trait in a young commanding General.
Tier 4: (Roleplayers)
Kevan Lannister
Jason Mallister
Balon Greyjoy
Victarion Greyjoy
Edmure Tully
Great Jon Umber
Walder Rivers
Paxter Redwyne
I probably left off a few but this is the just of it.
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