Rahvin was killed in the most improbable way imaginable:
Rand attacks him with an angreal (which probably doubles his strength), and Rahvin reacts by still managing to draw Rand into a territory that provides Rahvin with a strategic advantage. One of Sun Tzu's famous truths is that you must try to choose the territory that suits your strengths rather than your adversary's. Full marks to Rahvin. Unfortunately, even Sun Tzu himself could not have predicted that Nynaeve - totally untrained in TAR - would somehow capture Moghedien - the most skilled user of TAR EVER - and entrap her in an adam.
Nor could he have predicted that while this happened on the other side of the continent, that these two would happen to find themselves in the TAR version of Caemlyn, of all places.
And now for the most unbelievable coincidence of all.
Not even Nostradamus himself could have predicted that all of these totally random events would happen to take place at EXATLY THE SAME MOMENT that he happened to draw Rand into TAR.
Faced with a massively improbable sequence of events of this magnitude, Sun Tzu, Karl Von Clausowich, or even Alexander the Great himself might as well have thrown in the towel before they even started planning the battle.
Same goes for Sammael, who did everything by the book, drawing his foe into a terrirory he had prepared beforehand, only for Moridin to interfere and save Rand.
Compared to these two male Forsaken generals, Semirhage's plan was absolutely idiotic, and certainly not properly thought through.
Based on these three examples, the males are already demonstrated as having greater aptitude for strategy than the female generals.
Rand attacks him with an angreal (which probably doubles his strength), and Rahvin reacts by still managing to draw Rand into a territory that provides Rahvin with a strategic advantage. One of Sun Tzu's famous truths is that you must try to choose the territory that suits your strengths rather than your adversary's. Full marks to Rahvin. Unfortunately, even Sun Tzu himself could not have predicted that Nynaeve - totally untrained in TAR - would somehow capture Moghedien - the most skilled user of TAR EVER - and entrap her in an adam.
Nor could he have predicted that while this happened on the other side of the continent, that these two would happen to find themselves in the TAR version of Caemlyn, of all places.
And now for the most unbelievable coincidence of all.
Not even Nostradamus himself could have predicted that all of these totally random events would happen to take place at EXATLY THE SAME MOMENT that he happened to draw Rand into TAR.
Faced with a massively improbable sequence of events of this magnitude, Sun Tzu, Karl Von Clausowich, or even Alexander the Great himself might as well have thrown in the towel before they even started planning the battle.
Same goes for Sammael, who did everything by the book, drawing his foe into a terrirory he had prepared beforehand, only for Moridin to interfere and save Rand.
Compared to these two male Forsaken generals, Semirhage's plan was absolutely idiotic, and certainly not properly thought through.
Based on these three examples, the males are already demonstrated as having greater aptitude for strategy than the female generals.
The advantage is that RJ made the male Forsaken generals formidible. At least he didn't have them die with humiliation like Balthamel and Aginor. It took teams of people to kill Rahvin, Sammael and Be'lal.
Still, I think there are some facts worth mentioning. Rahvin wasn't really a general. The more I read the BWB on him, the more it seems like he was a male Graendal. The book even hints at as much. He did make two critical errors though -
- He tried to fight Rand from his throne without moving because he thought Rand couldn't Travel.
- When Rand turned into a beast in TAR he stood there savouring the moment, smiling. He should have killed Rand immediately.
Sammael was thwarted by Moridin, so he was unlucky there. Still, he can't whine that he was killed by Mashadar - he knew before he went there that it doesn't differentiate between him and Rand.
Be'lal entered a monologue which is typical of classic villainy. But who wouldn't against a 3rd Age Aes Sedai? Too bad she's one of about two Aes Sedai who know balefire and can weave it.
I still can't understand Semirhage's plan. How did she think she could capture Rand while he was surrounded by the most powerful channelers alive? The only possibility is that she had prepared weaves to produce intense pain or death in some of the party, which would give her enough time to a'dam Rand, and perhaps use his strength to finish off the rest of the party. Osan'gar knew pain weaves like that, and I'm sure Semirhage could do ten times the damage. What a ridiculous gamble though.
Lanfear didn't even have a plan. She just saw Rand walk past her wagon and decided to attack him. Aginor blew himself up. Later he returned and destroy an empty room.
This is why I think a non-general sent the Trollocs after Rand in KoD. It's the dumbest plan ever. There is no way that army could kill 30 Ashaman and Aes Sedai and a group of the deadliest channelers in the Light. Rand didn't lose a single channeler, and not even one of them got injured. For all this Forsaken knew, Rand could have used the Choedan Kal on this army - he certainly still has the male Access Key. This attack could thus only have been 'brilliantly' orchestrated by someone like Moghedien or Graendal. Demandred and Moridin almost exclude themselves because of the low IQ of this military blunder.
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Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
This message last edited by Sidious on 01/10/2009 at 09:33:56 PM
Are women really bad generals?
- 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM
1448 Views
No.
- 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM
862 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM
962 Views
Lol... too true
- 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM
859 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains?
- 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM
847 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance".
- 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM
699 Views
but you are difficult to please
- 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM
653 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light
- 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM
600 Views
You can't have it both ways....
- 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM
680 Views
Why not?
- 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM
642 Views
Yeah
- 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM
628 Views
Re: Yeah
- 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM
660 Views
I thought the same in the past...
- 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM
652 Views
Gah! Hate!
- 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM
659 Views
Ah, come on...
- 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM
626 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet.
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
628 Views
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
628 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM
725 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops
- 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM
604 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too
- 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM
595 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it.
- 04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM
570 Views
nope
- 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM
753 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin
- 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM
1024 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though.
- 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM
611 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat.
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
536 Views
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
536 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general
- 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM
681 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician.
- 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
661 Views
My opinion
- 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM
1035 Views
That's a poor excuse
- 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM
562 Views
I disagree
- 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM
653 Views
Re: I disagree
- 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM
851 Views
Oh, puh-lease.
- 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM
803 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM
631 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM
3078 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
668 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph.
- 06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM
761 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst
- 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM
718 Views
Men and football.
- 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM
635 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders.
- 06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM
727 Views