Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-120.28.157.86-20140406014559/@comment-26893431-20170225215048

Sports72Xtrm wrote:

Blademaster Jauffre wrote: The Empire is massacring the Stormcloaks, I'm yet to hear of anything similar when it comes to the Stormcloaks beating the Empire. Killing a few squads sent to Winterhold is nothing in comparison. That's because you are taking Galmar's hyperbole about the Stormcloaks' casualties of war out of context and dismissing any actual evidence that the Stormcloaks could be beating the Legion. Yes some Stormcloaks died during the civil war, and Galmar who trained these men used the word "massacre" to express his sentimentality over their loss. But that is no way indicative of the Empire dominating the Stormcloaks in the Civil War.

Take Bryling, an Imperial loyal thane, and her conversation with her unbiased housecarl, for example:

Bryling: "What news have you heard from the war, Irnskar?"

Irnskar: "You won't like it, my lady."

Bryling: "I'm well aware that I won't like it. But it's my duty to keep my people safe. Tell me."

Irnskar: "Possession of the holds change on an almost daily basis, but I can report that Haafingar is still secure. Your people are safe."

Bryling: "I'm not just talking about my subjects. I'm talking about my people: the proud Nords of Skyrim."

Irnskar: "I told you you wouldn't like the news." If the Stormcloaks were being dominated, then how is it that they are able to take whole Holds from Tullius on a daily basis?

Further corroborated by her talks with Falk Firebird:

Bryling: "There's something that's been troubling me, Falk. I am hesitant to share it, but I feel that I must."

Falk: "Speak your mind, Bryling. You're among friends here."

Bryling: "You know that I support the Empire, as we all do. However, I fear General Tullius is underestimating the Stormcloaks. Too often the general has lost good soldiers because he did not take Ulfric and his men seriously. If this continues, and the worst comes to pass, Solitude will pay the price. The Empire is headquartered here, after all."

Falk: "We don't have the luxury of hanging back to see who wins before choosing our friends, Bryling. You know this. And besides, no Nord with a shred of honor would consider it. We're no cowards. Have faith, Bryling. When this war is over and Ulfric is dead, you'll see that you were jumping at shadows, and nothing more." Where more than once has Ulfric's strategies have got the better of Tullius. And if the Legion's casualties are but a paltry sum, why does it concern Bryling so much?

Thus your claim that the Stormcloaks are being "massacred" by the Legion is inaccurate. If anything, they are giving as good as they are getting. Not bad for a divisive rebellion against an Empire with supposed more abundant allies and resources. If Ulfric wins the war, I'm optimistic with what he could accomplish with all of Skyrim's resources at his command. Uhm what? Unless if you have anything to point out -- on the Stormcloak side -- that the casualties are lower than "getting massacred'' your claim is simply false. You use Imperial Thanes, who don't even see the combat, nor direct any of it, as an argument against Galmar, who is the second in command of the Stormcloaks. If Galmar says they are getting massacred, they are getting massacred. Period.

Aside from that, Irnskar is, as you said her housecarl, and he only gets to know what he knows through rumors, is he a reliable source? Not really. Especially that if what you claim is true about Holds changing hands often, than the same thing applies to Ulfric, since he also loses Holds, if both sides loses Holds and gains Holds, this argument is void and the Galmar argument still stands. Aside from that, I'm fairly certain that Tullius or Galmar would have mentioned the loss of Holds and the gaining of Holds, either in their talkings with Rikke/Ulfric or the Dragonborn, but nope, nothing.

What? Ulfric's strategies? It merely says him underestimating the Stormcloaks, that has nothing at all to do with strategies, just with underestimating soldier quality. Do you know how that works? It's when you assume the enemy is so petty that sending 20 soldiers to kill of 50 would be succesful, despite it failing miserably. Nothing to do with tactics.

I'm not the one claiming they are getting massacred, Galmar is. I do hope you realise that the Legion in Skyrim is locally recruited, like the Stormcloaks, and consists mostly, if not entirely, out of scouts and skirmishers? The fact that the Stormcloaks are having a tough time with that shows that they are petty. All? Perhaps you hadn't noticed, but Skyrim is an economical crisis during the Civil War, one that it won't recover from without trade through the Empire, and specifically, the East Empire Company.