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Strength of Iron Islands navy


Aldarion

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22 hours ago, nyser1 said:

Yes, there is trade at present (with who knows how many parties given their poor social reputation and political relations with all of the rest of the kingdoms).

 

More importantly and fundamentally, there is not enough on the Islands for the initial settlers to survive a winter (if even that far). Let alone to support a population of hundreds of thousands to over a million. As for trade - even if there were 24/7/365 C-17 Airlift drops of the daily things they needed to survive for hundreds of years on the medieval rock (produce, furs, textiles, grains,  timber, tools, minerals, fresh drinking water, herbs, spices, metals, etc). their economy would not be able to be sustainable just on Fish. Higher supply = lower demand which = lower value.

The merchant Theon traveled with was from Oldtown, if I recall.

For trade, The islands are rich with metal ores, there's some farming and there is mention of animals being grazed even on some of the smaller islands.

As for hundreds of thousands of population, where did you get the idea? We are told by an archmaester, and one who himself is an ironborn, that 7 of every 10 families are fishers. There's just some 300 longships apart from the iron fleet and with the average one having a crew of 30, it's fewer than 10.000 men on those. I wouldn't be surprised if the islands have fewer than 100.000 population in all.

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 5:24 PM, Tyrion1991 said:

 

I think everyone’s mostly talking about Euron rather than Clash. His thousand ships and plan to drink wine out of Lord Hightower’s skull. How he intends to take Oldtown with 9,000 men is a little past me. I am sure wicked Jack will find a way.

Besides how come the Ironborn Fleet wasn’t destroyed after Balons Rebellion? Shouldn’t they have a massive shortfall of able bodied and experienced soldiers and sailors? Not to mention ships since the islands are meant to be short on wood.

Braavos is notoriously bereft of forests and yet they are the foremost naval power of this world. No doubt the Ironman pay the iron price in iron ores, as they historically did under some peaceful kings.

As for able bodies, Theon hears of the "beardless boys" from Lord Goodbrother of Great Wyk's longships. So there's that.

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On 8/6/2019 at 4:49 PM, nyser1 said:

They can find food, awesome. However, there are significant details missing:

First off, the island is inhabitable. People needed to leave the mainland or come from another continent to get there. Once they got there they needed all of the materials needed to build shelter. Next, they would need materials to build/operate/maintain ships as well as to fish (even if they had initial supplies, they would dwindle). Thirdly, they cannot survive on fish alone. Fourth, how will they cook the fish? Fifth, as the population grows, so would the demand for all of the above resources?

No way the Iron Islands has the population it does. One of the lesser seen "fantasies" of the story.

1) Right the first men and the andals sailed to the Iron Islands. It's in the same book.

2) There was and is plenty of stone, mud, straw, et al to build stuff. Lordsport was completely rebuilt after RR and its meanest houses are made out of stone.

3) Yes the supplies have dwindled but they still exist. FFS they still have trees on the islands. They also have things they can trade for ship building materials. See: the rest of the IB economy

4) Right they also farm. We know this bc the peasants and thralls work on farms and often have to do the work of beasts of burden. Additionally, they can trade or barter for food in addition to stealing it. See last part of point 3.

5) Yes it would, and access to additional resources, say raiding or occupying nearby islands

6) Yes it's a bit of a stretch but no less than, say, CR having active gold mines for 8,000 years.

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On 8/7/2019 at 4:17 PM, nyser1 said:

Yes, there is trade at present (with who knows how many parties given their poor social reputation and political relations with all of the rest of the kingdoms).

More importantly and fundamentally, there is not enough on the Islands for the initial settlers to survive a winter (if even that far). Let alone to support a population of hundreds of thousands to over a million. As for trade - even if there were 24/7/365 C-17 Airlift drops of the daily things they needed to survive for hundreds of years on the medieval rock (produce, furs, textiles, grains,  timber, tools, minerals, fresh drinking water, herbs, spices, metals, etc). their economy would not be able to be sustainable just on Fish. Higher supply = lower demand which = lower value.

Right it's not. They also trade in fine metalwork and arms and armor

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