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Here's the full quote, from Question of the Week 14. Shannow Send a noteboard - 15/11/2009 07:30:29 PM
Week 14 Question: Military strategy in the War of Power must have been odd, indeed. How do the concepts of capturing and holding territory even make sense in a world where forces can Travel?

Robert Jordan Answers: Good question, though not all of the forces involved could use gateways. (Rafo! Rafo!) Think of the ability to Travel in terms of moving troops via aircraft, and you will begin to get the picture. Even with the largest possible circles, there are limits to the size of gateways and thus limits to the front along which you can move troops out through it, the numbers you can commit simultaneously. Of course, you can use multiple gateways, but each is still only so large and can admit only so many soldiers at a time.

So-called front lines were very fluid, but you couldn't fling your forces in anywhere without regard to what would be surrounding them or how you were going to re-supply, reinforce or withdraw them. Although no one has shown it so far in the books, there are ways to interfere with the making of a gateway - and ways to defend against interference - so the battle would take place on many levels. Yes, any area you hold can be attacked by your enemy, and you can attack any area that he holds. (Part of the result was great destruction and a great fall-off in the ability to produce high tech items. By the time the Bore was sealed, soldiers were already much, much more likely to ride horses and carry swords than to ride armored vehicles or aircraft and carry shocklances, which had all become very rare.) But holding an area is not impossible so long as you can successfully disrupt your opponent's attempts to make gateways into it. Even if he manages to get those first soldiers in, if you can disrupt his ability to reinforce, re-supply or withdraw, it becomes another Dien Bien Phu for him. Of course, if you fail, then it becomes Gettysburg or Waterloo, a bloody fight that will be decisive for somebody. At least until the next "decisive" battle is fought. Remember, that designation is always given after the fact, by historians."
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I was disapointed too and needless to say, shocked. *NM* - 14/11/2009 09:31:45 AM 317 Views
I was initially... - 15/11/2009 02:03:14 AM 682 Views
Oh it made sense just so unexpected. Graendal and Semirhage. - 15/11/2009 01:27:17 PM 628 Views
Here's what I would have done... - 15/11/2009 02:45:32 PM 670 Views
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We don't actually know that... - 15/11/2009 04:05:10 PM 693 Views
Re: We don't actually know that... - 15/11/2009 06:02:28 PM 671 Views
From Question of the week 14 - 15/11/2009 07:34:19 PM 650 Views
Disagree - 15/11/2009 08:14:28 PM 678 Views
What if he makes multiple gateways at the same time? - 15/11/2009 08:21:48 PM 689 Views
I agree. *NM* - 15/11/2009 08:50:54 PM 280 Views
But RJ answered this - 15/11/2009 09:47:57 PM 699 Views
You're ignoring a key sentence... - 15/11/2009 09:58:03 PM 718 Views
Re: You're ignoring a key sentence... - 16/11/2009 06:47:47 AM 674 Views
The issue is that it is easier to make a gateway than to block one - individually. - 15/11/2009 10:04:22 PM 748 Views
I don't think so - 16/11/2009 07:12:05 AM 837 Views
Problem is... - 16/11/2009 07:45:41 AM 662 Views
I agree with Sidious... - 15/11/2009 04:12:04 PM 664 Views
The quote exists. I'll get it for you and post it in a couple of hours. Gotta go to church now. - 15/11/2009 04:13:35 PM 648 Views
Ok, later - 15/11/2009 04:17:07 PM 670 Views
Here's the full quote, from Question of the Week 14. - 15/11/2009 07:30:29 PM 722 Views
Here's the way he should have done it... - 15/11/2009 06:19:18 PM 641 Views
I don't think I would put too much faith in that.... - 15/11/2009 09:32:22 PM 653 Views
Moghedien and Cyndane didn't attack Graendal, in fact... - 15/11/2009 09:36:03 PM 792 Views
That wasn't what I said.... - 16/11/2009 12:42:53 AM 610 Views
Re: That wasn't what I said.... - 16/11/2009 07:14:08 AM 974 Views
I guess you could see it that way - 16/11/2009 08:48:23 PM 728 Views
My bad... - 16/11/2009 02:22:35 AM 643 Views
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