User blog comment:Zippertrain85/Why the Stormcloaks are right./@comment-3217145-20130508040546

Am I the only one who considers the claim of "cheating" irrelevant? The way he handled Torygg was freakin' genius. For one, he managed to cut off the head of the Imperial snake right out the gate, before the war even started. Skyrim instantly shattered into a bunch of smaller factions with no legitimate figurehead to keep them together. Notice that the goal of the Civil War is going city-by-city and turning them; that's what they call "divide and conquer."

But not only that, the way he did it was flawless politics. Using not only an ancient Nord dueling tradition, but ancient Nord magic, then returning to his ancient Nord city, tying him in with all of Skyrim's most cherished lore and the emperor/banned god Talos himself. What would have happened if he'd just raised a flag and said "hey guys, imma revolution now, BYOB?" Nothing. Torygg would probably have told the other Jarls to shut him up, and more than half would have done it. Balgruuf, for example, would have had no reason to hesitate in putting down a dangerous upstart if the Stormcloak army wasn't a real threat.

I still hate him, but I have enormous respect for him. Any other way of starting a fight against the Empire would have gotten him crushed.