Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-25343239-20150319182007/@comment-76.169.111.91-20170722190721

This is late, but I need to say it. The Aldmeri Dominion would destroy the Stormcloak forces. As many have pointed out already, the dragonborn might die (Thalmor assassins) or be a Thalmor sympathizer (mine is). The bend will shout also only works on one dragon at a time... We need to take the dragonborn out of the picture, for now. Can the Aldmeri Dominion defeat Skyrim now or in 10 years? Yes. They have 3 major advantages in Skyrim. The keep and the embassy (both are on the coast and could serve as a landing point for Aldmeri Troops) are very well guarded. They also have far better weapons and armor (elven and glass), which they can afford because of the empire's payments to the Summerset Isles. The Stomcloaks have 2 major disadvantages; low manpower (Civil War, dragons, vampires, war with the Forsworn, and the bandit issue), and hatred of magic. Magic is hugely important in the Elder Scrolls series. Mages are vital to a good army structure. They can deal damage to groups (chain lightning), they can heal, they can slow down advancing attackers with frost spells (giving archers enough time to aim at the slow targets, and the very advanced wizards can use weather spells (and basically create a famine in Skyrim). The Imperials were not lying when they said that Skyrim would fall to the dominion.