Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-1600847-20161103125247/@comment-30317136-20161215132616

Shigeru Thalmor Slayer wrote:

YinyangElementofduality wrote: Didn't the source: Thalmor Dossier: Ulfric Stormcloaks say that both the Imperial and Stormcloaks victory needs to be avoided? "Ulfric's death would have dramatically increased the chance of an Imperial victory and thus harmed our overall position in Skyrim."

An Imperial victory HARMS the Thalmor

"A Stormcloak victory is also to be avoided, however, SO EVEN INDIRECT AID TO THE STORMCLOAKS MUST BE CAREFULLY MANAGED."

The Thalmor are USING the Stormcloaks You do realized that what you quoted from the Thalmor Dossier doesn't say that. Beautiful words but what the Dossier says in a strategic view scale is; We want the Empire to keep fighting against the Empire, therefore we don't want neither the Stormcloaks or Imperials to win.

Side tracking a little, the Clever Neutrality I stated is in fact the worst of the worst situation for the Thalmor because either side winning the civil war benefits the Thalmor a little. But clever neutrality will cause the Thalmor to suffer loss of untold amount of strategic edge they spent over 190 years building up... all gone instantly. Poof! gone in wisp of smoke like that.

The Empire already lost to the Thalmor for at least 730 times the moment the Civil War broke out and the Stormcloaks started losing to the Thalmor for the 1st time. I estimate if the Civil war ends in...

Empire's favor.

Empire would have lost to the Thalmor around 910 times before the next war starts

Stormcloaks would have lost to the Thalmor 181 times and got destroyed on the 181th time.

Stormcloaks' favor

Empire would have lost to the Thalmor around 921 times before the next war starts.

Stormcloaks would have lost to the Thalmor around 180 times before they fight the Thalmor.

The Thalmor is most likely going to lose to Empire and/or Stormcloaks 1 time if the Dragonborn joins the Civil War, survive Dragonborn DLC and retain self-control.

Clever Neutrality

The moment the Guilds comes under the Dragonborn's control and disrupt the flow of Civil war, breaking the momentum the Thalmor created for the Stormcloaks and Imperials to dance to... International scale Strategic Loss. Void every single losses the Stormcloaks and Imperials suffered by the Thalmor's hands. Thalmor lose to Dragonborn 37 times. 36 tactical, 1 strategic equivalent if Empire accumulates 1842 losses to Thalmor + 36.

Dragonborn prepares the Guilds to deal with this in case the Dragonborn will not be returning or no longer under control of himself. Depending on how well you accomplish this... loss of Dragonborn becomes neligible.

Guilds follow the plan and cause the Stalemate to keep the damages from deteriorating. Disruption of Supply Line maps and strategic continuality... Thalmor lose 1 strategic, leading to roughly 54 tactical this snowballs to around 250+ losses equivalent. (1842+36+250)

Thalmor is now trapped in a LOSE SUPER BIG to LOSE SUPER BIG deathly stalemate. They can stall, it will make things worse, they can choose to fight as well, it will be just as bad. By all means try to assassinate the Dragonborn. If they fail, they are Effed super big time, there is no difference if they succeed because they are still EFFED just as horribly as if they fail. Bingo.

Created the most ideal situation. 4 choose 1.

1. Thalmor lose and gets obliterated.

2. Thalmor lose and gets obliterated

3. Thalmor lose and gets obliterated

4. Thalmor lose and gets obliterated.

Now that is what I call a fair game.