Second Strongest Houses?

[cpg2016]

On 7/21/2017 at 8:21 AM, TMIFairy said:

IF we have enough data on that

My order of Bolton and Manderly was arbitrary and for all we know it could be Manderly and Bolton.

Can we really say that Blackwood is stronger than Bracken? And that either is more powerful than Frey?

Besides "hard data" - e.g. the number of soldiers - to judge a House's "power" we have "soft data" - impossible to quantify prestige, influence, etc.

E.g the Frey are a fresh House and whatever their wealth and military might is, they may be ranked behind other houses as long as the "hard data" is in the same ballpark.

And even the "hard data" is hazy - the Boltons have more soldiers but Manderly's are better equipped - so which is "more mighty"?

IMO the "power" of Houses simply CANNOT be determined by "scientific" methods. Much more an "art" than science.

It is like porn - you know it when you see it

 

We're pretty much told that Manderly is the second dog in the North.  They're wealthier and more populous than the Bolton's.  The Boltons have more prestige, as a traditional "Northern" house, whereas the Manderly's are immigrants.  We have no evidence that the Boltons can raise more troops.

Royce is also explicitly the second most powerful House in the Vale, if I recall correctly.

Yronwood is the second most powerful House in Dorne.  Before Nymeria's landing they were the chief petty kings in Dorne.  It's reflected in their title, the Bloodroyals.  Pretty sure this is explicit in the canon.

In the Reach, it's the Redwynes or Hightowers.  Sort of depends - the Hightowers can raise more men, the Redwynes more ships.  They're both fantastically wealthy; arguably they're both more powerful than House Tyrell but for the backing of the Iron Throne.

Stormlands... I agree with most other posters, probably a marcher House, though we aren't given a lot of color on the Stormlands.

Westerlands are a tough call as well.  The Lannisters are so much more phenomenally wealthy than anyone else it's hard to say.  Certainly no regional rivals in the vein of the Yronwoods.

Riverlands, almost certainly Harrenhal.  Littlefinger is explicitly one of the great lords of the realm once he's given the seat, which puts him on a social footing capable of wedding Lysa Arryn.  The Freys are unable to marry into the Tully family, and only bully the weak willed Tytos into allowing a Lannister match (which is considered a farce by most observers, in terms of equality of social station for bride and groom), so the fact that Harrenhal gives enough prestige to marry into a Great House is indicative.

[marsyao]

54 minutes ago, cpg2016 said:

We're pretty much told that Manderly is the second dog in the North.  

I cannot remember anywhere in the book address this, please address your source