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New capital of the Seven Kingdoms


pdimmy

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If you could build a new seat of power anywhere in Westeros, where would the most strategic place be?

Personally, the land adjacent to the Sunset Seat and the Shield Islands, preferably around the Mander, would be a better capital than the area currently occupied by King's Landing,

PROS:

  • Easier to protect from foreign invaders from Essos. (Free cities, Blackfyres, Daenarys)
  • Much more accessible to the relatively more valuable regions (Reach and Westerlands)

CONS:

  • No direct hand in trade with Essos
  • Harder to reach the northern territories

What do you guys think?

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1 hour ago, Scorpion92 said:

I think once King's Landing is burned by Cersei, a new capital and royal seat will be raised near God's Eye using the building material from Harrenhal castle. It is a perfect spot right in the middle of Westeros and can be supported by fertile Riverlands.

That would just make it exceptionally easy to invade and difficult to defend.

 

1 hour ago, pdimmy said:

If you could build a new seat of power anywhere in Westeros, where would the most strategic place be?

Personally, the land adjacent to the Sunset Seat and the Shield Islands, preferably around the Mander, would be a better capital than the area currently occupied by King's Landing,

PROS:

  • Easier to protect from foreign invaders from Essos. (Free cities, Blackfyres, Daenarys)
  • Much more accessible to the relatively more valuable regions (Reach and Westerlands)

CONS:

  • No direct hand in trade with Essos
  • Harder to reach the northern territories

What do you guys think?

I was going to choose CL/Lannisport or an area close to where you picked, but honestly I'm gonna have to go with where KL is now. Trade from the Free Cities is going to head to Lannisport and Oldtown anyway, so proximity to them really isn't as important economically as being close to the nine free cities. Frankly KL has never really been exposed to foreign invaders. It's always been as part of a civil war (Stannis, Rhaenyra, Aegon II). The IB have burned Lannisport several times and raided the entire western shore numerous times even in the Targ era. Plus the location of KL enables goods to be shipped up or down the river, crucial when roads aren't efficiently built up. The only other location that fits that bill is Saltpans, and it lacks the protection of outlying islands (like DS and Driftmark) and might also lack the deep harbor that KL either had or built out.

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I've never understood why people think KL is an awful spot.

It has a deep, protected port that's perfect for trade. Sure, I suppose it's vulnerable if the Free Cities ever wanted to invade...but they never have before. You don't sacrifice trade on the off-chance the Free Cities try to get big on you. 

It's not central, but so what? Most capitals in the real world aren't. Washington D.C. was central when it was founded, but it's not like they moved it to Kansas when the nation expanded west. Plus they seem to have a pretty solid 'highway" system connecting everything. 

I don't see any real benefit to the God's Eye location. 

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Honestly I think it's in a good spot right now, somewhere else that could be good is where the river coming off from the God's Eye (call it the God's River) meets the Blackwater, this is still a decent place for nautical travel and commerce, but can facilitate overland trade between the Riverlands and the Reach, it is in a very fertile area, and the position allows for Riverrun style defences meaning it would be harder to attack than King's Landing. The city would also control the main overland route from the Crownlands and Stormlands to the Westerlands, which could be somewhat useful.

I would also agree that Saltpans/Maidenpool area would be a decent location.

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45 minutes ago, Lord Vance II said:

I've never understood why people think KL is an awful spot.

It has a deep, protected port that's perfect for trade. Sure, I suppose it's vulnerable if the Free Cities ever wanted to invade...but they never have before. You don't sacrifice trade on the off-chance the Free Cities try to get big on you. 

It's not central, but so what? Most capitals in the real world aren't. Washington D.C. was central when it was founded, but it's not like they moved it to Kansas when the nation expanded west. Plus they seem to have a pretty solid 'highway" system connecting everything. 

I don't see any real benefit to the God's Eye location. 

I have to agree with this. Great points on all accounts @Lord Vance II.  I mean Aegon wasn't "The Conqueror" because he was an idiot.

To answer the OP, purely hypothetically:  If I was not of the Targaryen line, I would re-establish the capitol at Old Stones.  It is geographically in the center of Westeros.  It is close to the Sunset Sea, but still accessible from the Narrow Sea via the Trident and the Blue Fork.  

PLUS

Alot of us agree that the decisive moment of the series will take place on the Blue Fork. Multiple theories based on the fact that Aegon subdued Torrhen Stark on the Red Fork, Robert killed Rhaegar on the Green Fork.  I don't know how defensible you could make it, but it would be rather poetic.

 

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1 hour ago, Ser Arthur Hightower said:

Honestly I think it's in a good spot right now, somewhere else that could be good is where the river coming off from the God's Eye (call it the God's River) meets the Blackwater, this is still a decent place for nautical travel and commerce, but can facilitate overland trade between the Riverlands and the Reach, it is in a very fertile area, and the position allows for Riverrun style defences meaning it would be harder to attack than King's Landing. The city would also control the main overland route from the Crownlands and Stormlands to the Westerlands, which could be somewhat useful.

I would also agree that Saltpans/Maidenpool area would be a decent location.

Who put that notion forth?

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3 hours ago, Universal Sword Donor said:

That would just make it exceptionally easy to invade and difficult to defend.

Easy to invade and defend from who? If Westeros is united, it is perfectly far away from the sea from foreign invasions. And I do not think that there will be Seven Kingdoms in the end of the series, it will be one united Westerosi kingdom.

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13 hours ago, Scorpion92 said:

Easy to invade and defend from who? If Westeros is united, it is perfectly far away from the sea from foreign invasions. And I do not think that there will be Seven Kingdoms in the end of the series, it will be one united Westerosi kingdom.

But Westeros is never at peace. And never will be. 

I like where KL is located. It is a place which could be political, commercial and maritime capital all in one sort of like London. It's location is naturally defensible. Located at equal distance from the bread baskets of Reach and Riverlands. Far away from Ironborn. A lot of advantages. 

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Add me to the list who thinks KL is perfect location for a capital of Westeros..

aegon the conqueror didnt just wake up one day and decided he will have KL has his capital ..he had the whole westeros map painted in a table and he had put lot of thoughts on choosing it...

Its features are better explained by above posters ..

And LOL at daenerys as foreign invader and protecting westeros

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17 hours ago, Lord Vance II said:

I've never understood why people think KL is an awful spot.

It has a deep, protected port that's perfect for trade. Sure, I suppose it's vulnerable if the Free Cities ever wanted to invade...but they never have before. You don't sacrifice trade on the off-chance the Free Cities try to get big on you. 

It's not central, but so what? Most capitals in the real world aren't. Washington D.C. was central when it was founded, but it's not like they moved it to Kansas when the nation expanded west. Plus they seem to have a pretty solid 'highway" system connecting everything. 

I don't see any real benefit to the God's Eye location. 

a- its poorly fortified
b- its basically the first port of call for Essos
c- the crownlands is one of the weakest regions in Westeros

If I was a Westerosi king and I could choose the capital city without any repercussions, than I'd choose CR. Its heavily fortified (ie impossible to breach even with dragons), its rich and its as far from Essos as possible

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21 hours ago, pdimmy said:

If you could build a new seat of power anywhere in Westeros, where would the most strategic place be?

Personally, the land adjacent to the Sunset Seat and the Shield Islands, preferably around the Mander, would be a better capital than the area currently occupied by King's Landing,

PROS:

  • Easier to protect from foreign invaders from Essos. (Free cities, Blackfyres, Daenarys)
  • Much more accessible to the relatively more valuable regions (Reach and Westerlands)

CONS:

  • No direct hand in trade with Essos
  • Harder to reach the northern territories

What do you guys think?

That place would literally be next to the Iron islands.

Good luck not having your city raided regularly.

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16 minutes ago, Falcon2908 said:

That place would literally be next to the Iron islands.

Good luck not having your city raided regularly.

The Shield Islands would act as a buffer zone and you could supplement the Royal Fleet with the ships from the Lannisters and the Arbor. I think it would be a place to actually discourage insurrections by the Ironborn. Maybe it would help in encouraging them to change their pillaging ways?

A strong grip on the major naval powers of Westeros would make it easier to keep the other regions at check. 

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2 hours ago, pdimmy said:

The Shield Islands would act as a buffer zone and you could supplement the Royal Fleet with the ships from the Lannisters and the Arbor. I think it would be a place to actually discourage insurrections by the Ironborn. Maybe it would help in encouraging them to change their pillaging ways?

A strong grip on the major naval powers of Westeros would make it easier to keep the other regions at check. 

Any city on the western seafront means less trade and integration with the rest of the world. In the future while Westeros gets more developed Eastern cities would have an edge over Western ones.

Anyways Oldtown is close to the location you described. If not KL better be Oldtown. It was the historic first city of Westeros before KL. It has the biggest university and the natural Headquarters for the new Church(If KL is destroyed). With the Faith and the Citadel based on the town I think it would make a better capital than a completely new city.

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5 hours ago, devilish said:

a- its poorly fortified
b- its basically the first port of call for Essos
c- the crownlands is one of the weakest regions in Westeros

If I was a Westerosi king and I could choose the capital city without any repercussions, than I'd choose CR. Its heavily fortified (ie impossible to breach even with dragons), its rich and its as far from Essos as possible

a- evidence? Tyrion has trouble with manning the fortifications, not witht he fortificatins themselves.

b- that is a huge plus. First port of call = fastest trade.

c- Not sure if that applies anymore. For one, the Crownlands include this pretty big city... ;) They may be weak from military point of view, but economically they have a huge potential.

 

 

In any case, main thing for the capital should be trade, external and internal - so Blackwater or Trident estuaries are probably the best.

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