Renly Missed an Easy Opportunity

[Impbread]

On 6/17/2021 at 4:32 PM, Trigger Warning said:

Stannis is currently marching through a blizzard to besiege a humongous castle with no supplies and a handful of men, if the series has taught us anything it's that Stannis putting himself in shit positions is entirely in character. Of course this monstrosity of a castle will probably miraculously fall as castles in the series tend to do but that's not really the point. 

I hope so,  but I think Stannis' run is done. Winterfell will be taken back by Jon or Sansa. The reason the East has stayed out of the fighting is because they will be the primary reason Sansa retakes the north. Peter will do anything to please her. Plus if he is planning on marriage with her he will rule the east and north until sweet robin comes of age.

[Minsc]

On 6/17/2021 at 9:29 AM, Canon Claude said:

In hindsight, he should have known that something was up at Storm’s End. Stannis is many things but he isn’t stupid, especially not where war is concerned. Why wouldn’t Renly assume that Stannis had some kind of ace in the hole when he besieged Storm’s End and warned Renly that he had one last chance to come over to his side? It was 5000 foot against a giant fortress and 20,000 cavalry. Stannis wouldn’t do something that stupid unless he had a plan, and Renly should have known that.
And really, all he had to do was say yes and he would have become Stannis’ heir. It’s not like Stannis was going to have any more kids anyway. And even if Renly doesn’t want to wait for Stannis to die, he could easily have him killed at some point after the war is over.

So based on the unlikely factor that Stannis might have a magical ace (remember magic is thought dead) Renly should abandon all face and surrender to Stannis?  

On 6/17/2021 at 12:52 PM, Nathan Stark said:

Yup. Renly was so keen on beating his big brother he forgot to actually secure his victory first. I know a big heroic of knights in shining armor riding forth to do battle appeals to image-conscious Renly, but he should have listened to Catelyn and brought his infantry. It would have taken longer, but he could have beseiged the beseigers.

Why?  The added infantry doesn't add much more of an advantage than Renly already outnumbering Stannis 4 to 1 with his cavalry. 

 

On 6/17/2021 at 12:52 PM, Nathan Stark said:

and Renly was getting ready to charge into the sun, an added complication.

Being massively outnumbered by superior troops is an even greater complication.

On 6/17/2021 at 12:52 PM, Nathan Stark said:

And of course, Stannis was a seasoned battle commander

So are Randyll Tarly and Mathis Rowan.  Furthermore, Tarly has actually commanded a battle on land while Stannis's only major battle experience is at sea.