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Tyrion's prowess in battle is one of the more ridiculous things in all of ASOIAF


StannisBamfatheon

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What makes Tyrion during the Blackwater more logical is that Mandon Moore stayed right next to him all the time. If I remember correctly, there is a passage in ACOK which goes like "Ser Mandon was a white shadow, never leaving his side".

I think this is a strong case of Tyrion being an unreliable narrator. It's clear that Mandon was protecting Tyrion and helping him kill these people (since he is his sworn shield), but Tyrion doesn't really take note of it while he is in his "battle rage". If you are looking through his POV, it isn't incomprehensible that he feels like an invincible storm when there was actually an armored Kingsguard protecting him all the time.

It was different on the Green Fork, where he lost Bronn shortly after the battle began. But there he was on horseback (which is already a considerable benefit), which removed his disadvantage due to his stunted legs (don't forget that Tyrion's upper body is relatively strong). And even then, when he meets his first mounted opponent he is overwhelmed right away and survives only through luck.

So yeah, some people may think it is ridiculous (and I agree that it's on the line). But I think it can be explained sufficiently if you care to look at the text - which is the case with the few other "ridiculous" things in the novels (Dany getting her Unsullied, Jon getting elected etc.)

Which is odd when you think about it. Mandon wanted to kill Tyrion. Couldnt he have just let his guard down a lil and let Tyrion be taken down by one of Stannis' men?

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Little boys aren't fit to raise big dogs, let alone wolves. Hell, small dogs even. My mini-puddle's brother bit out a piece of meat out of palm of his owner, because he was agressive and didn't get proper discipline. It was all "how cute he is when he's angry" while he was a pup. Would you give bullterrier to 5 y.o., or 7 y.o., for that matter, to raise? With big dogs you need a strong will, common sense and preferably experience. Ned obviously read the script, and even so, look at poor Luwin. Mangled by Shaggydog.

I used to breed Akitas, by no means a small or pacifistic dog. We placed quite a few to families with children with never a problem. Actually small dogs are unsuitable for young kids as they are fragile and kids are often not gentle.
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I used to breed Akitas, by no means a small or pacifistic dog. We placed quite a few to families with children with never a problem. Actually small dogs are unsuitable for young kids as they are fragile and kids are often not gentle.

Sigh, of course families with children can have big dogs. But they can't have these children be responsible for training these dogs! That's insane. I grew up with dogs. I was naturally very involved with them, but my mother was responsible for training, I was just helping her. We had a bullterrier among others. If my mom bought her when I was five, gave her to me and said "Hey, you're responsible girl, you wanted a dog, that's on you to get her to obey commands, not to attack people, not to get into trouble. And by the way, if you disagree, we'll put her to sleep" - well, my mom would be fit to be locked up then. And that's a dog, you know their behavior and they are specifically trained to obey humans. Still many breeds of dogs require a strong willed person who can bend them to their will at the age when an animal matures and challenges its owner. I know few people with Central Asian Sheperd dogs where these dogs only obeyed one person, ignored the rest of the family or even kept them in fear. Direwolves are completely unpredictable, nobody knows how they are with children and humans, if they can be even made to obey, how agressive they are, etc. And they'll grow up to be what, size of a small horse? I don't remember.

ETA: it is also exactly a creature you want running around Red Keep, yes sir. I mean, if Rickon's or Bran's wolf tears apart a servant at Winterfell, well, too sad, but no big deal ultimately, but what if Nymeria didn't like some high born kid waving his hands too agitatedly? Well, we know what DID happen!

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I never reacted adversely to Tyrion prowess in combat, mainly because I always view his killing and surviving as being clumsy and full of luck rather than due to any natural skill. I mean, Tyrion has most likely recieved some basic training by a master-at-arms, since he comments on having his own distinctive armour back in Casterly Rock, and he is an avid reader, so be probably knows the dos and don'ts of battle. Furthermore, in both his big battles he's mainly been ahorse (very large advantage that negates his stunted legs) and facing walking opponents. And he was in high-quality armor, something the regular men he was facing probably wasn't. And during the Battle of the Blackwater he was shadowed by Mandon Moore almost all the time, and later also Balon Swann, both of whom are deadly combatants wearing white armor, something that is like to draw the opponents like moths to a lamp. The dwarf next to them would probably be overlooked or dismissed most of the time. And one should not dismiss the chaos of battle in which skilled men may die as easily as unskilled men, while the dwarf survives it all.

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he was shadowed by Mandon Moore almost all the time, and later also Balon Swann, both of whom are deadly combatants wearing white armor, something that is like to draw the opponents like moths to a lamp. The dwarf next to them would probably be overlooked or dismissed most of the time.

This is actually some solid reasoning, coming from a "This is ridiculous" guy.

Will say this is one instance where the show treated it 100% better in both battles.

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