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Why didn't howland reed send any troops?


Falcon2909

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This guy, who's one of Ned's buddies, had sent exactly 0 troopers to join with the northern army. Even the traitor roose bolton who betrayed the starks sent some troopers!

wow what a 'friend' and a stark loyalist this howland is! (sending your kids to winterfell doesn't count)

also, he could have sent like 50 troops to moat cailin and they would have easily kept the ironborn there at a distance.

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Plot reasons to handicap the Starks further, along with Balon being a petty dumbass backstabbing the only ones willing to ally with him and help him get independence, the Vale knights not helping with them being too loyal to the mad Lysa, Theon taking a weakly defended Winterfell or Ramsay causing chaos and not being recognised and executed.

The excuses are most certainely Robb not having the time to fully assemble his forces and to south as possible, and the impossibility for ravens to join Greywater Watch and Howland not being with the Starks this time.

But it would also be unfair to say that he and the Crannogmen didn't do anything as they made a living hell of the Ironborn's life at Moat Cailin. Besides maybe they aren't suited for open battlefields.

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Besides house Reed don't really have any troops that would be useful in Riverlands. After all they have no cavalry or even traditional infantry. Or they would be only useful as scouts and guarilla warfare in the Neck. In fact they caused a lot of losses to Ironborn when they could use their own methods. But those ambushes, raids and traps would have been totally useless outside of Neck.

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Howland is the only Crannogman we even hear about until Meera and Jojen show up.  Perhaps there aren't that many of them and perhaps they really are better suited to defense than offense.  Though a few poison darts from trees probably could have helped during Robb's campaign.  It was clear that Robb felt the North was in good hands with the Crannogmen defending the land.  I get the feeling they don't venture forth very often at all.  Their very existence speaks of protecting secrets right where they are--that could be the most important purpose they serve?   

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I think it says a lot that Robb sent Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover to search for Greywater Watch and Howland Reed. It's hard to even find the crannogmen. They're probably best suited to keeping the Neck safe which is a major protection for the North.

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6 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

Howland is the only Crannogman we even hear about until Meera and Jojen show up.  Perhaps there aren't that many of them and perhaps they really are better suited to defense than offense.  Though a few poison darts from trees probably could have helped during Robb's campaign.  It was clear that Robb felt the North was in good hands with the Crannogmen defending the land.  I get the feeling they don't venture forth very often at all.  Their very existence speaks of protecting secrets right where they are--that could be the most important purpose they serve?   

Is Bowen Marsh a crannogman? I thought initially he was a bastard of House Reed, but it seems they are their own noble house. The "Old Pomegranate".  Edd Tollett makes me laugh 

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10 hours ago, Mark of the West said:

Is Bowen Marsh a crannogman? I thought initially he was a bastard of House Reed, but it seems they are their own noble house. The "Old Pomegranate".  Edd Tollett makes me laugh 

To be honest, I'm not sure he's a Crannogman.   I know he is from the same region, but I don't recall him ever being called a Crannogman.  Sorta thought Crannogman was a descriptor of a culture rather than a catch all phrase for the area.  I could be wrong, but that was my assumption.  But now that you bring him up a study of Bowen Marsh's character is in order.  

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47 minutes ago, Curled Finger said:

To be honest, I'm not sure he's a Crannogman.   I know he is from the same region, but I don't recall him ever being called a Crannogman.  Sorta thought Crannogman was a descriptor of a culture rather than a catch all phrase for the area.  I could be wrong, but that was my assumption.  But now that you bring him up a study of Bowen Marsh's character is in order.  

I think he is, house Marsh is from the Neck thus making him a crannogman if he's really from this house and he worships the Old Gods. This might add a layer of hypocrisy to his character with his prejudices against the wildlings not being too different from the ones his people are subjected to from southerners, especially the Freys, and other northmen.

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51 minutes ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

I think he is, house Marsh is from the Neck thus making him a crannogman if he's really from this house and he worships the Old Gods. This might add a layer of hypocrisy to his character with his prejudices against the wildlings not being too different from the ones his people are subjected to from southerners, especially the Freys, and other northmen.

The original correction has me thinking up a new research project which is kind of exciting.   Marsh's character doesn't really fit anything I know of the Crannogmen so I think it's worth taking a closer look at the identities of Marsh and conspirators in  general terms (Crannogmen) versus the identities they take on as Brothers of the NW.   Bowen Marsh is a weird one.  

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2 hours ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

I think he is, house Marsh is from the Neck thus making him a crannogman if he's really from this house and he worships the Old Gods. This might add a layer of hypocrisy to his character with his prejudices against the wildlings not being too different from the ones his people are subjected to from southerners, especially the Freys, and other northmen.

House March is not among the houses confirmed to be Crannogmen, there is speculation based on the house name and arms but no more then that.

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We get the literal answer in AGoT:

"The winter town is full to bursting, and this army of his will eat the countryside clean if it camps here much longer. Others are waiting to join him all along the kingsroad, barrow knights and crannogmen and the Lords Manderly and Flint. 

 "I've sent word to Howland Reed, Father's old friend at Greywater Watch. If the Lannisters come up the Neck, the crannogmen will bleed them every step of the way,

They sent troops but were instructed to stay behind to defend the Neck, which is exactly what they did.

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