Who will win the battle of Winterfell?

[The Drunkard]

Would be extremely funny to see the reactions IF the Boltons come out triumphant.

http://dorkshelf.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads//2013/03/Game-of-Thrones-Season-3-Stannis-Baratheon.jpg

[Vvornth]

Looks like everybody expecting a Stannis victory, and I do too.

Would be extremely funny to see the reactions IF the Boltons come out triumphant.

I considered that just because of the WTF factor and GRRM being GRRM. The thing however is that this kind of events complicates the plot more than it ties up. With only 2 books the strongest evidence for Stannis pulling this off is simply because there's just not any time for a protracted situation in the North.

[The Emberheart]

I'd love it if a twist takes place here, a case of when two dogs are fighting for a bone, a third runs away with it. I think that if the Boltons realise that they cannot win, they'll sacrifice some of their forces, giving Stannis a good enough fight to plausibly have taken WF fair and square, only for the Boltons to spring a trap of some sort. Boltons are cruel and sneaky, what if Ramsey hides out in the crypts with the other half of Bolton's men, purposely giving false info on the total number of their total forces or drawing forces away from other places to this end, striking when Stannis his forces are drunk on victory and wine and caught with their pants down?

[aryagonnakill#2]

^If the Boltons hide in the crypts they aint ever coming out. The Kings of Winter would see to that.

[intheswamp]

I could see Stannis winning the battle, but losing the war when he realizes the Northern Lords have other plans in mind.

[aliunde]

^If the Boltons hide in the crypts they aint ever coming out. The Kings of Winter would see to that.

Like the Weeping Angels of old? Creepy.

If Stannis were to legitimate Jon as Jon Stark, he would automatically become the rightful heir to Winterfell, de jure overthrowing any claim which could possibly be made by any of the other Stark children. There's no way the Northern Lords are unaware of this.

That is, until R+L=J becomes an established canon fact.

[Amris]

I considered that just because of the WTF factor and GRRM being GRRM. The thing however is that this kind of events complicates the plot more than it ties up. With only 2 books the strongest evidence for Stannis pulling this off is simply because there's just not any time for a protracted situation in the North.

I get you. You may be right. But the funny thing is that the exact same reasoning led me to the opposite result :D

My thought was: We still have Rickon, Bran, Sansa, Jon, Arya and Nymeria with her giant wolf pack in the game. Supposedly they'll have something to do with the Boltons' demise. Now if Stannis 'cleaned up' up the Bolton mess what are all those Starks and their wolves in the story for?

So my conclusion was that Stannis is in the way and has to go. And since we only have two books left ...

GRRM said 'you don't hang a giant wolf-pack on the wall unless you intend to use it'.

[Lord Damian]

I think a Northern coalition, not Stannis and not the Boltons. The Great Northern Conspiracy and they will re-establish a Stark as King in the North. Rickon shall be his name.

[Brother Seamus]

I think a Northern coalition, not Stannis and not the Boltons. The Great Northern Conspiracy and they will re-establish a Stark as King in the North. Rickon shall be his name.

something like this, I agree, and it leads to Stannis turning very dark. Stannis ends up a "bad guy" before it's all over.

[Ser Falione]

WINTERFELL HUIS CLOS

Anyone read this? It's long, but enthusiastically detailed. If you just want the easy-read guide, click.

I love the amount of crazy mystery and insanity that is unfolding in Winterfell at the end of ADWD. It used to be home to my favorites :crying:

[Koult45]

WINTERFELL HUIS CLOS

Anyone read this? It's long, but enthusiastically detailed. If you just want the easy-read guide, click.

I love the amount of crazy mystery and insanity that is unfolding in Winterfell at the end of ADWD. It used to be home to my favorites :crying:

Just ran across that yesterday. Crazy how much time was put into it.

[Glad Komrad]

Rickon shows up and eats Ramsey. He then eats Fat Walda, just because, who could resist? Finally, he attempts to eat Roose Bolton, but cannot stomach the rot. Nevertheless, Roose is so shocked and chagrined at his near cannibalization that he surrenders. Stannis freezes to death outside the main gates of Winterfell. Rickon declares himself King of the North. Rickon eats Stannis once he thaws out.

[lancerman]

I really don't see any point in the Bolton's holding Winterfell any longer. Unless they are just there to get sacrificed to the Others. I think it makes more sense to have Stannis there as the first line of defense who has to heroically fend off the Others until they can get reinforcments from everyone else. Similar to how Stannis fended off the Tyrell's until the Rebellion was won. Seems like he'd be good in a role like that.

[NewJeffCT]

WINTERFELL HUIS CLOS

Anyone read this? It's long, but enthusiastically detailed. If you just want the easy-read guide, click.

I love the amount of crazy mystery and insanity that is unfolding in Winterfell at the end of ADWD. It used to be home to my favorites :crying:

Wow - they really did put a lot of work into that. I read Dance twice (once when it came out, then again in early 2012 after I re-read the entire series), but I had forgotten some of the details they brought up in there.

[bemused]

I think a Northern coalition, not Stannis and not the Boltons. The Great Northern Conspiracy and they will re-establish a Stark as King in the North. Rickon shall be his name.

As I probably stated earlier in this thread (I've said it in so many places)... I think Stannis will win his battle and Ramsay will arrive, believe Stannis is dead, and leave the battlefield in pursuit of his bride and his Reek. (Stannis will have taken Theon to the tree, where there will be revelations that lead him to send Theon with "Arya". Don't forget it would take some time for Massey to get the party in order, so Stannis has time to change his plan.)

I think the HM is Benjen, who will lead a resistance force into WF through the tunnel/crypts (I think he's been an integral part of the GNC.. in fact, he's the Stark glue that's holding them all together)

When Stannis arrives with his Trojan horse, WF is already taken.. but he will be welcomed in as an ally ,or potential ally.. Instead of him saving the North, the North will save him.

But I expect Roose to escape to the Dreadfort, and we won't see it's secrets revealed just yet. We will eventually.. the idea of the room containing their enemies' skins was planted early on (by Robb)..we see Ramsay wearing wolf pelts in Barrowton.. (and apart from what happened to Robb's head.. what happened to his skin? Eeeek....) ;) We'll need to go to the Dreadfort at some point, and I feel there will be a Bolton defending it.

ETA: Rickon may indeed become King in the North... but not yet. Either there will be another before him, or he will need a regent (a Stark, or someone of Stark blood) until he's old enough to lead, himself.

[aryagonnakill#2]

^There is also a line when Ramsay says he will make a pair of boots out of someone and Roose just offhandedly remarks that human skin is not tough enough to make boots, the implication being that he has tried. TWOIAF also notes a rebellious Bolton made a cloak of the skin of his Stark king.

[Kman2544]

Welp, according to the show, it's the boltons

[Ser Maverick]

I think Stannis has the clear advantage. Stannis has taken care of the Karstarks while Roose still has the Manderlys inside and who know who else that hates them inside. Stannis also just gained funding from the Iron Bank and sent his man to recruit 20,000 sellswords. I don't think this plot point was brought up for nothing. Also Stannis has two POV characters with him while Roose has zero.

[Wouter]

Welp, according to the show, it's the boltons

But

the showrunners also implicated that GRRM told them that Stannis will have Shireen burned. Either the implication is false, that is, GRRM told them Shireen will be burned (but not necessarily on Stannis' orders or with him even knowing about it) or Stannis has to at least survive the battle to live and give that order later.

Also, the situation in the show has been simplified: no Asha, no Umbers, no Manderlys, no Mormonts, no Freys, no hooded man...

I don't doubt that Stannis' end faith won't be very different in the books, but I still think he will win at least the battle with the Freys (and Ramsay?) in the snows.

[mbuehner]

But

the showrunners also implicated that GRRM told them that Stannis will have Shireen burned. Either the implication is false, that is, GRRM told them Shireen will be burned (but not necessarily on Stannis' orders or with him even knowing about it) or Stannis has to at least survive the battle to live and give that order later.

Also, the situation in the show has been simplified: no Asha, no Umbers, no Manderlys, no Mormonts, no Freys, no hooded man...

I don't doubt that Stannis' end faith won't be very different in the books, but I still think he will win at least the battle with the Freys (and Ramsay?) in the snows.

I wonder if they are going to do something similar to the Arya arc and mix up the timeline- maybe now introduce the Great Northern Conspiracy against teh Boltons, the Ghost, etc. If an army of Northman shows up to besiege Winterfell and ends up getting ahold of Sansa, Theon, and perhaps even Stannis, that would be interesting.