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Manderly's Navy and Heavy Horse


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In Davos last chapter in ADWD we learn that Manderly is hiding a very large fleet along the white knife, and he also commands the largest heavy horse cavalry in the north. From the scenes we got from Winterfell and what we already knew it is clear that at some point Manderly will turn sides, but I think his great flip that he has been planning may all be for naught. As we've seen the North is in the middle of a ferocious snow storm and I would think heavy horse and Navy will be of little use in such thick snow. Manderly's forces seems better suited for battles in the south, and I hope he saves them for that instead of using them in the north only to have the horses sacrificied for food like the ones in Stannis' camp.

Will Manderly's forces make an impact or will this be a magnificent Frey/Bolton slaying plan that comes crashing down?

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I can see what your saying and unfortunately it sounds very possibly, but I bloody hope the Freys/Boltons don't get yet another one up and remain in charge in the north, they need cut down like, the north remembers and all that.

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A navy on a frozen river and heavy armored horse in deep snow sound like a recipe for disaster to me, and I for one can't stand the thought of reading another book with these scumbags controlling the north and Winterfell. So lets hope Mel can light one hell of a fire to let Manderly's forces kick some major Frey and BOlton ass

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Yeah I was wondering the same thing once I finished "Dance." At first, I thought Manderly might switch sides too early and get his men, and himself, killed early. However, during the Theon chapter when Bolton men kept turning up dead @ Winterfell, and the Frey's were all accusing Manderly, Manderly seemed very confident in himself and his plan, even though his mouth almost cost him his throat. And it seems like Wyman keeps defying Roose and Ramsay on purpose w/ no regard for his safety. I know he has men w/ him, but they are still outnumbered.

So maybe he has a really good plan that he's very confident in. But in ASOIAF, I get maybe 1/25 guesses right/

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When things got physical with Wyman Manderly and the Freys right before the call to arms, it was as if Wyman was finally commiting himself to a plan. He seemed unafraid to defy all. "He would have grown up to be a Frey", He was asking for it. Why? I would not be surprised that given the story time lapse that word had reached Wyman that Rickon was securred and that the host that Glover was leading from White Harbor had traveled up the river or along the River and is approaching or has approached the vicinity of Winterfell. The good thing about blizzards is that it is very hard for scouts in a defensive situation to detect incoming enemy troops. Also, remember Wyman telling Davos of the old Stark King that re-took Whiteharbor in the middle of a fierce blizzard long ago from slave traders who did not think anyone would approach in such weather. This time around, Whiteharbor might be approaching to help out Winterfell and the Starks.

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it is clear that at some point Manderly will turn sides, but I think his great flip that he has been planning may all be for naught.

NOOOOOOOOOO! Not the RW all over again. Please GRRM, give the North a break.

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Manderly's forces seems better suited for battles in the south, and I hope he saves them for that instead of using them in the north only to have the horses sacrificied for food like the ones in Stannis' camp.

Will Manderly's forces make an impact or will this be a magnificent Frey/Bolton slaying plan that comes crashing down?

Manderly's forces were born and raised in the North as well as their horses. Stannis will get Hosteen to send his forces against him, not knowing the surface of the lake between him and Stannis, and they fall through the ice under the weight of their armor and horses. Manderly's forces will be coming behind, and seeing an opportunity Manderly will take the Freys in the rear and push the Freys into the lake.

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Aegon has the golden company

The Martells have Dorne

Tommen has the Westerlands and the Reach

The Faith have relegious fanatics

Littlefinger has the Vale

But since Winter has come there is no greater ally to have than Wyman Manderly and the rest of the North. They know better than any of the other Kingdoms what it means to endure the winter. If Stannis can count on the North, then he has a real shot at the Iron Throne. Better still if he can free the GreatJon, if he can do that SHIT IS ON!

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I think Mandery plans or knows he's probably going to die, he definitely knows he's in danger and doesn't seem to care

Manderly certainly comes across to me as a man who expects to die and just doesn't care. Roose and Ramsay mention how Manderly brought no hostages. I think Manderly views himself as the hostage he sent knowing he's likely going to be executed. It is like he willing traded his own life for his son's. He also probably thinks no one will suspect a total betrayal on his part while he is the hostage which makes a surprise attack that much easier to pull off.

On the other hand he may have a plan of sorts. Most of the North doesn't like the Boltons and plain hates the Freys. If Manderly keeps pushing and provokes the Freys to start a fight he may force people to choose sides. Ramsay essentially raping and beating "Ned's daughter" under the roof of Winterfell isn't exactly winning Northern loyalty. He may succeed in fostering a revolution against the Boltons and Freys just by mouthing off. That's still likely to get him killed but it isn't pure suicide.

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manderly 100% has accepted his death. he talks to davos about his body being a prison. now he has some son and heir back he can die a happy man knowing he is repaying the starks for his ancestors being able to settle at white harbour. i think right now though he is just trying to sow discontent. if he had been killed by the freys roose bolton would have had to punish them which would have pissed off the freys. or he might not have which would have pissed off the northern lords even more. they only leverage he has is the captors. it might get to a point where they say it isnt worth it, our lords wouldnt want this so we will fight you anyway. and manderly dieing might be the spark.

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The North is a great prize - hence Stannis and Roose fighting over it.

For it to be a prize, it needs to have plenty of men left to make its ruler a powerful player in Westeros.

Hence, the 50 ships in the navy, and the thousands of Manderly troops are merely part of that prize. It serves no purpose if it is simply expended on winning the North for the Starks, leaving them with no power once back in control.

The Bolton's end is nigh, and once the Starks return, Manderly's forces will slot in nicely into the new Northern Army of 30,000 plus men.

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Manderly was making his proposal sound good to the Hand of a Southorn King (Davos). What will be better to convince Davos to go find Rickon than a Navy and Heavy Cavalry. These are the major benifits finding Rickon gets too Stannis. But that doesn't mean they are the only things that Manderly has.

Offcourse he will have Man at Arms and Light Cavalry to fight in the north.

Though only 400 years old in the north the Manderlys are acting like true northmen. So will they in Battle !

We seriously cant expect Manderlys to act that stupid !

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Lord Wyman Manderly strikes me as purhaps the most intelligent, loyal and cunning friend the Starks have had in the North. Lord Wyman was mentioned by Maester Pycele to Osha as a possible safe haven for the kids. This is for a reason.

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I'm very pleased to see the northern discontent for the Boltons. The only problem (and its probably the biggest problem that any region has in the entire series) is going to be the onslaught of The Others.

W/o the problem beyond The Wall (for now), I could definitely see Stannis gaining ground with the northern lords to remove the Boltons and Freys while re-instating the remaining Starks. Heck, they could even gain allies amongst the Ironborn. Asha has already stated that she prefers an alliance with the north vs the south and would be content to settle for some coastal lands in the north to tie their pact (ofcourse there is that whole Euron Crow's Eye thing that kinda hampers that idea...though I do not know that he has many supporters left at Pyke while he is enjoying the riches of the Arbor).

I am just hoping for a swift reversal of fortune for both the Freys and Boltons since I hate those families the most.

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Though only 400 years old in the north the Manderlys are acting like true northmen. So will they in Battle !

We seriously cant expect Manderlys to act that stupid !

Just a small point, but the Manderlys have been in the north for a thousand years, by all accounts I've seen.

Lord Wyman Manderly strikes me as purhaps the most intelligent, loyal and cunning friend the Starks have had in the North. Lord Wyman was mentioned by Maester Pycele to Osha as a possible safe haven for the kids. This is for a reason.

I completely agree. Wyman has (pretty quickly) become one of my favourite characters in the books due to his actions in ADWD.

Now, I know very little about naval warfare, but the dreadfort sits on the edge of the Weeping Water. How hard would it be to take a fleet of ships up a river, and take a castle, in a snowstorm?

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Just a small point, but the Manderlys have been in the north for a thousand years, by all accounts I've seen.

I completely agree. Wyman has (pretty quickly) become one of my favourite characters in the books due to his actions in ADWD.

Now, I know very little about naval warfare, but the dreadfort sits on the edge of the Weeping Water. How hard would it be to take a fleet of ships up a river, and take a castle, in a snowstorm?

I never thought of a two pronged attack. I do not know how many men Bolton left to defend the Dreadfort but if there are any survivors from Winterfell like say, OLD NAN or Beth Cassell that could give whitness that it was Ramsay that razed Winterfell and not Theon, then that might help spread even more dissent towards the Boltons. i think that Wyman is resolved to die though, he was relieved that his heir was back and he did tell Davos that he is now a prisoner of his own body. I think Lord Wyman and his men, win or lose, will go down fighting in Winterfell against the Frey/Bolton faction. The main host to be lead by Glover will act either on Winterfell as support or maybe on the Dreadfort. All this, once Rickon is securred ofcourse.
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