Great Episode, But Their Tactics And Plan Almost Make Me Hate It

Published April 29, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey guys,

love the show and loved this episode. That said the horrible tactics almost ruined it for me. I think the double D’s needed to get rid of the dothraki and unsullied armies so that whatever final battle we have it is a fight for the seven kingdoms by the seven kingdoms (at least on protagonist side, golden company excluded). Even then they should have at least had the defenders of Winterfell have a plan that made tactical sense, and still get overrun for the same result. First off, the defenders really don’t have it too bad. Normally in battle we give the defenders a 3 to 1 advantage because they have the advantages of cover and protection over the attackers. This alone brings the odds in just numbers to within a winnable fight. The dothraki win the Leroy Jenkins award for the battle by rushing headlong into the advancing Army of the Dead. Now the only plausible good reason to do this would be is they were supposed to be a hail-mary punch through the footsoldiers and hit as many of the white walkers as you can to take out a huge chunk of the AotD by surprise. If this was the plan though, they should have formed up in a wedge instead of the line they used. They gave up all the advantages of the defense by meeting them on the open field. It would have been way better to have them attack from a flank when the AotD starts to bunch up on an obstacle and cut them down more efficiently.

Speaking of obstacles, Big D as a combat engineer knows that an obstacle is not an obstacle unless its observed and covered by fires. In fact the defenders do a horrible job using obstacles to shape the battlefield and force the AotD into attacking where the defenders can funnel them down and rain fire down on them by trebuchet, dragon or arrow. And speaking of dragons, where the heck were they for this fight? They were pretty much no help at all, and I know they were waiting on the night king or protecting Bran or whatever, but you NEVER hold your highest casualty producing weapon in reserve, especially when you’re on the defense and grossly outnumbered. I’m sure if Ramsey Bolton or Tywin Lanister (heck even Stannis who could never win a battle) had been in charge, at least they wouldn’t have come up with such a crappy plan and might have even beaten the AotD straight up. Ok rant over. And on the awards for the battle the NK gets the Zap Brannagan award for his strategy of sending wave after wave of his men against the enemy.

Air Assault Red Leg, Fort Campbell KY. -Out

Side note. They’re bringing Saving Private Ryan back to theaters for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and it is a 90’s movie. Late 90’s. Big-D can we get another round of war movies featuring the 101st?

Regards,
Tyler

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