Tywin the Great or Tywin the Small

[Knight Of Winter]

Tywin has two children who are worth much on the marriage market, and they were both removed from it in various ways. How was he supposed to make an alliance with the Tyrells before Robert died? (note: Tywin did intend to make use of C + J in SoS when they were available)

He could have promised Mace stuff while Robert lived I guess, but that's idiotically insinuating you want the king dead, so ...

Dorne is out of consideration as a serious ally, and the rest are tied to the lannisters via the Cersei-Robert marriage.

Since he's the power behind the IT, he could have easily done just what Tyrion did - broker marriages for Tommen, Myrcella and most important of all - Joffrey. He could also remarry himself - after all, he's still the head of one of most powerful houses in Westeros. For lesser houses - he could always offer Genna's or Kevan's children for marriages.

Prior to RR, he also could have not insult Tullys (thus not only refusing, but humiliating potential ally) by offering Tyrion instead of Jaime as Lysa's husband.

But that's beside the point, for now. I was replying to Naathi Prince who suggested Lannisters don't need allies - and just tried to explain why I find this idea faulty.

[Naathi Prince]

Since he's the power behind the IT, he could have easily done just what Tyrion did - broker marriages for Tommen, Myrcella and most important of all - Joffrey. He could also remarry himself - after all, he's still the head of one of most powerful houses in Westeros. For lesser houses - he could always offer Genna's or Kevan's children for marriages.

Prior to RR, he also could have not insult Tullys (thus not only refusing, but humiliating potential ally) by offering Tyrion instead of Jaime as Lysa's husband.

But that's beside the point, for now. I was replying to Naathi Prince who suggested Lannisters don't need allies - and just tried to explain why I find this idea faulty.

Kevan and Genna's children either were married off already or were too young for marriage. Tywin is usually criticized for being unfeeling, and you burn him for his most sentimental move, remain a widower after the death of his beloved wife? Not to mention the threat created by a second marriage, if he married Maergery himself, what is there to prevent his son with the black widow from contesting Jaime's claim to Casterly Rock with support from the Tyrells?

[Knight Of Winter]

Who has allies in this war? The Starks have only the Tullys, Renly has only the Tyrells, and everyone else has no one.

Starks and Tullies would have been joined by Arryns (as Bronze Yohn wanted and urged Lysa to do), if not for LF's influence of Lysa - factor which Tywin couldn't have foreseen.

Great alliance between Renly/Tyrells and Starks/Tully was seriously considered, until Mel's shadowbaby put and end to it. Again, not something Tywin might have predicted.

Maybe even Dorne would join anyone who promised them justice for Elia and favours after the war.

[Chaircat Meow]

Since he's the power behind the IT, he could have easily done just what Tyrion did - broker marriages for Tommen, Myrcella and most important of all - Joffrey. He could also remarry himself - after all, he's still the head of one of most powerful houses in Westeros. For lesser houses - he could always offer Genna's or Kevan's children for marriages.

Prior to RR, he also could have not insult Tullys (thus not only refusing, but humiliating potential ally) by offering Tyrion instead of Jaime as Lysa's husband.

But that's beside the point, for now. I was replying to Naathi Prince who suggested Lannisters don't need allies - and just tried to explain why I find this idea faulty.

He couldn't arrange marriages for Robert's children while Robert was alive. He likely intended to go to KL himself after defeating the Starks in GoT, as it was he had to send Tyrion to do the job.

He did offer Jaime as Lysa's husband. I'm not sure he was being truthful that he really had offered Tyrion's hand to all the people he said he had either, it was more buttering up to get him to accept the marriage Tywin wanted for him.

[Naathi Prince]

Starks and Tullies would have been joined by Arryns (as Bronze Yohn wanted and urged Lysa to do), if not for LF's influence of Lysa - factor which Tywin couldn't have foreseen.

Great alliance between Renly/Tyrells and Starks/Tully was seriously considered, until Mel's shadowbaby put and end to it. Again, not something Tywin might have predicted.

Maybe even Dorne would join anyone who promised them justice for Elia and favours after the war.

The Arryns have no blood ties to the Starks, only the Tullys. The Starks alliance with the Arryns is just as tenuous as Tywin's alliance with Robert, it dissolves on the death of Jon Arryn just like Tywin's dissolved on Robert's death.

A potential alliance is not the same as an alliance, and Dorne has no ties to the North.

[Knight Of Winter]

He couldn't arrange marriages for Robert's children while Robert was alive. He likely intended to go to KL himself after defeating the Starks in GoT, as it was he had to send Tyrion to do the job.

He did offer Jaime as Lysa's husband. I'm not sure he was being truthful that he really had offered Tyrion's hand to all the people he said he had either, it was more buttering up to get him to accept the marriage Tywin wanted for him.

Since I'm not sure we're talking about same time period, I'll clarify my meaning. Tywin could have married off:

pre-RR: himself, Jaime, Cersei (to someone other than king/crown prince)

post-RR: himself. Also Lancel, Tion, Martyn and Willem when they were old enough to be engaged

post Bob's death: himself, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, Lancel, Tion, Martyn, Willem

A potential alliance is not the same as an alliance, and Dorne has no ties to the North.

That was my point - families other than Lannisters had "potential" alliances which would have been realized if not for unforeseeable circumstances (Mel's baby and Lysa's crush on LF). Meanwhile, Lannisters had none, all because Tywin's way too rigid standards for his kids's spouses. And the very reason they won the war was that Tyrion seized up first opportunity for alliance that arose.

The Arryns have no blood ties to the Starks, only the Tullys. The Starks alliance with the Arryns is just as tenuous as Tywin's alliance with Robert, it dissolves on the death of Jon Arryn just like Tywin's dissolved on Robert's death.

Vale's bannermen seem to disagree on that one - as at least some of them, led by Bronze Yohn, wanted to enter the war on Stark's side.

[Chaircat Meow]

Since I'm not sure we're talking about same time period, I'll clarify my meaning. Tywin could have married off:

pre-RR: himself, Jaime, Cersei (to someone other than king/crown prince)

post-RR: himself. Also Lancel, Tion, Martyn and Willem when they were old enough to be engaged

post Bob's death: himself, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, Lancel, Tion, Martyn, Willem

Come on.

He did have marriages lined up for Cersei and Jaime but they fell through. He didn't marry Cersei off straight away after initial failure and it worked out really well for him, as she got to marry the king after all.

Kevan's sons weren't valuable enough to win any big alliances.

After Robert is dead Tywin has about three weeks before he knows the Reach has declared against him. During this time he was in the field, fighting a war. He sends Tyrion to king's landing to do the job he intended to do himself if he defeated the Starks quickly, and so Tyrion takes care of marriages, a job Tywin takes over in SoS.