jarl the climber Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Boros Blount was actually an average fighter when he joined the Kingsguard but as he gets older his skills are declining and if he ever had any heart for fighting he has seemed to have lost it. Cersei and the other Lannisters in genreral seem to hold himm in contempt, Cersei locked him up and removed him from the Kingsguard, Jaimie and Tyrion had no real respect for him, Kevan noted that he was Tommens food taster and that perhaps that was all he was good for. Tywin did restore him but if he is a Lannister toady they really don't seem to want him. Trant is an average middle aged knight who has done nothing to distinguish himself, except for probably killing an unarmed Syrio. I don't think we have a clear idea why any of these guys were choosen. Ouside of Jaimie and Barristan none of the 7 at the beginning of the story were particularly noted, they seem to have been choosen almost for geographical balance. Oakheart from the Reach, Moore from the Vale, Trant from the Stormlands, Greenfields from the West. You figure someone like the Blakcfish would have been a good choice for a number of reasons but instead they pick these nobodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Oakheart and Moore were both pretty good not top tier but really good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Bronn Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Balon Swann was probably the best in Robert's kingsguard(except Jaime and Barristan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FCOS Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 The fact that there were 5 vacancies, and that Robert was a userper, meant he had to apoint some people for political reasons rather then pure skill. As most people have pointed out, both are reasonable fighters, but more then likely they were appointed to appease lords, and secure the throne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Balon Swann wasn't in Robert's KG he was the one who substitued Preston Greenfield in Joffrey's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastTymor Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Your mileage may vary, but Jorah implies that Boros was once a notable jouster: "I fight as well as any man, Khaleesi, but I have never been a tourney knight. Yet with Lynesse's favor knotted round my arm, I was a different man. I won joust after joust. Lord Jason Mallister fell before me, and Bronze Yohn Royce. Ser Ryman Frey, his brother Ser Hosteen, Lord Whent, Strongboar, even Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard, I unhorsed them all. As always with Jorah, caveat emptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Leftwich Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Kingsguard "5) Why were men like Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, Preston Greenfield and Arys Oakheart ever accepted as White Swords? Nobody thinks much of their skill.Sometimes the best knights are not eager to take such stringent vows, and you have to settle for who you can get. Other factors also enter into the choices -- politics, favoritism, horse trading, rewards for past service, etc. It's a plum appointment for a younger son, or a knight from a minor house. Less so for the Great Houses. Also, Robert had five vacancies to fill all at once, an unusual situation -- imagine the nominations we might get if six of the nine members of the Supreme Court all died within a few months.Institutions like the Kingsguard change over time. The original Knights of the Garter were warriors all, the strongest, bravest, deadliest men of their time, with an average age under thirty. The present Knights of the Garter are octogenarians, and their parades are processions of wheelchairs and walkers." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordQorgyle Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 He says even Boros Blount when Boros is the worst guy he citted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsay's Penguins Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Would have happened during Robert's Rebellion. Trant is a stormman and Blount is a crownman, both vital for Robert's success as king. Although that sort of disappeared... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Leftwich Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 And we have Stannis talking about Robert and Richard Horpe: All of you did not seem to include Lady Melisandre. The king’s red shadow. Stannis called to Devan for more lemon water. When his cup was filled the king drank, and said, “Horpe and Massey aspire to your father’s seat. Massey wants the wildling princess too. He once served my brother Robert as squire and acquired his appetite for female flesh. Horpe will take Val to wife if I command it, but it is battle he lusts for. As a squire he dreamed of a white cloak, but Cersei Lannister spoke against him and Robert passed him over. Perhaps rightly. Ser Richard is too fond of killing. Which would you have as Lord of Winterfell, Snow? The smiler or the slayer?” - ADwD p. 227 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw4950 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 trant wont be taking out any top tier guys, or likely any of the second tier either, but he is still a good fighter. blount on the other hand doesnt seem to impress many people. theres more to being kg than just strait skill though. as many people already said, robert wouldnt be quick to grab the best pure fighters when he just upended a long reigning family that still had supporters. jaime quickly became one of the most despised men in westeros by killing aerys without repercussion. im sure robert had the thought in the back of his mind that if he named a targaryen bannerman to the kg, they might attempt to kill him but simply view it as vengeance. targaryen kings had the privilege to basically pick the best of the best. robert didnt have that luxury right away. robert might have had a 'weak' kg but he also had a lot of great fighters around him, or able to be summoned quickly, to do his (or tywins) dirty work if need be. think of the cleganes for an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyenon15 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Meryn Fucking Trant whooped up on one of Ned's house guards at the Tourney of the Hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paramour Pounder Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Didn't Boros win Finest Archer at a tourney of sorts? Whilst Robert was still King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paramour Pounder Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 I believe it was in a Jaime chapter. When he first became Lord Commander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustaf Stark Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Meryn isn't that bad, he was actually pretty good in his prime. Robert probably knew this since Trant is a family of the stormlands, now Boros is a totally different story, he probably just befriended the right people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluetiger Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Didn't Boros win Finest Archer at a tourney of sorts? Whilst Robert was still King.No, he we don't know if he even participated in archery... Anguy from Dornish Marches won, defeating ser Balon Swann and Jalabhar Xho.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desire Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Horpe was spoken against by Cersci and they both report to the queen. Even though Horpe could slay those two at the same time with a blindfold on i would say Cersci had a say in there cloaks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingelheim Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 He's a good fighter from the Stormlands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukhasinov Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 The most likely answer is that the Trants and Blounts were important to Robert somehow during the rebellion, and appointing Boros and Maryn was a way for Robert to reward his supporters without costing him any land or cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dragon King Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 How the hell they were choosen.No skills in fighting .No achievements.They are useless.There were many better warriors ,knights than these 2.What do you think? Fighting skill isn't a fraction as important as loyalty. You can have a KG with the skill of Jaime Lannister but what good does it do if he sticks his sword in your ba...oh...wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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