Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-109.92.245.62-20131121212935/@comment-12277465-20140512211037

Well the Empire was always going to win. I mean it's right at the beginning of the game. The only reason the war didn't end there was because a wildcard showed up at precisely the wrong moment. And that same series of events is the only thing that would ever lead to a Stormcloak victory.

Basically, the Stormcloaks could beat the Empire and then effectively fight the Thalmor...but only if the Dragonborn's on their side. If he didn't exist, they wouldn't be able to beat the Empire, and they would stand less than no chance against the Thalmor.

Besides, the Dragonborn could take on the Thalmor without support from either "side". He has potential access to the Daedric armies of Hermaeus Mora, a significant portion of the dragons, under Paarthurnax, the Greybeards, if they could be convinced to fight, the Companions, the Thieves' Guild, the College of Winterhold, and potentially the Dark Brotherhood, albeit a crippled one. Oh, and the Telvanni, as an honorary member of their House. Possibly the Forsworn, if they were sided with, although the degree to which they'd be useful is...debatable. The Dawnguard, almost certainly -- the Thalmor may not be vampires, but they're close enough. And we might throw a rebuilt Volkihar faction into the mix, too. We know Valerica and Serana are both still alive, and they might find some way to keep the family intact even with most of them killed during the battle.

And all of that isn't even including the fact that the Dragonborn almost certainly will have a personal army eventually. I mean, he has the funds to buy basically anything and anyone, and enough connections to build his own horde of Dwarven animunculi if he wanted to.