Why do Stannis solidiers follow him so blindly?

[Señor de la Tormenta]

Im not talking about Lords, who of course seam not aware they got one single neck.

Im talking about fighters; Once they got under his banner they follow him with hard discipline. Hard to understand, since there are no big rewards coming from him, not big plunder, not "easy" missions. This is a man who cuts the balls of the rapers.

You might say many turn their backs in BW, but as Salladar and Davos addmits, it was more the lack of ships the reason why he could not bring more defeated men to DS.

It kind of amazes me how most of the host he takes north are lordless, but anyway follow him, without a single complain, in a foreign land, without plunder, with a hard weather, far for their homes... he makes them fight frightening enemys as gigants, march trough blizzard, without food etc, etc, and they are still loyal, without any signs of mutiny or disobedience. The same goes for the garrisons defending his castles south in Dragon Stone and Storms Ends.

DS seams to have fallen in a blood bath in his name, and he is not even there!

You might say this is because they are queens men who belive he is AA, but this started far ago. Similar conditions happened in Roberts Rebelion when he was only 17 during Storms Ends siege, and most of the men remained loyal. Also, followers of the seven as Rolland Storm, Andrew Estermont or Davos himself follow him with the same loyalty.

What really amazes me more, is he is no Robert. He is not a carismatic, charming leader who inspire loyalty in his men because of it.

Its something more I would like to discover

between us all.

Thanks to Victor227, we got this from Ashas POV:

Whatever doubts his lords might nurse, the common men seemed to have faith in their king. Stannis had smashed Mance Rayders wildlings at the Wall and cleaned Asha and her ironborn out of Deepwood Motte; he was Roberts brother, victor in a famous sea battle off Fair Isle, the man who had held Storms End all through Roberts Rebellion. And he bore a heros sword, the enchanted blade Lightbringer, whose glow lit up the night.

[Jon of the Dead]

The northmen follow him for the Ned's little girl, I think. And to bathe in Bolton blood.

[Undead Ned With No Head]

They have no other choice if you stick with a rebel this long u get executed when the crown finds you.

[Señor de la Tormenta]

They have no other choice if you stick with a rebel this long u get executed when the crown finds you.

Besides the stupid florent, who was saying in Joffreys face he was a bastard, all the others who stayed in KL after BW got pardoned. There were no executions.

[Tetrarch42]

I think to some degree it's just them following their lords' orders. Stannis also likely takes a harsh view towards desertion.

But also, I believe Stannis is more inspiring and leadership worthy than people make him out to be.

Even Asha notes that his eyes have an iron ferocity which communicate that he will never relent or surrender. Many of his troops likely take after him in this way. In fact, even Ser Godry who is a thoroughly desipcable character and brute is noted by Asha to "not lack for courage".

[Ser Pigeon Pie]

I believe it is more of a moral thing for them; they feel they're doing what is right rather than what will win them glory and wealth. Which is why they follow a leader who has the same resolve as them. Those Stannis has promised money to have left or been killed and those that remain are doing it for justice more than anything

It's gonna get pretty interesting if he is successful aquiring sellswords across the water. I wonder if his reputation for not paying his sellswords will precede him, via someone like Salladhor Saan and will actually hinder the chances of getting sellsword companies to join him. I know I wouldn't follow someone who is apparently stingy and cheap..

[Rickeen Baratheon]

I don't know the quote, but, I'm sure they follow him because he is very capable and they believe in him.

[Rhymes with Weak]

If you're gonna follow someone unto death, it might as well be Stannis Baratheon.

[Tetrarch42]

Also, seeing that Stannis is a man completely devoted to justice without much regard for normal traditions or propping incompetent people up on pedestals they may expect some form of reward in Stannis' Westeros.

"Then we will make new lords", and all that.

[Mad Monkey]

It's kind of like people who try to help Nigerian princes who want their help smuggling money out of country. At some point in the process, after they have made the third or fourth "security release payment" via Western Union only to hit another snag, they start to realize that it's not likely that they'll ever see a penny of that money ever again. You would expect them to just give up and cut their losses, but many of them just keep paying because they can't bring themselves to admit that they've been swindled.

Stannis himself is also an inspiring figure in his own way. He is strong, dependable, and honest -- something that is hard to come by among Westerosi nobles. I wouldn't be surprised if many of Stannis's men actually admire him as a person; not the kind of person they would have a beer with, maybe, but the kind of person they want steering the ship of state if anything problematic were to happen. It's kind of like the reason why smallfolk preferred Randyll Tarly to Lord Mooton in AFFC; Tarly is a reprehensible person but he keeps his shit together and that's something that people can grow to crave. Order, stability, integrity.

On top of that, Some of Stannis's men are bound to him by blood (the Florents, mostly) while others are bound to him by faith (the queen's men) and still others have realized that even if Tommen pardons them chances are they won't be able to gain the high status that they would get if Stannis were to win. For example, if Justin Massey defected to the Lannisters he may be spared but he probably won't get to marry a Lord Paramount's daughter; he may even have to forfeit some of his family's lands.

It's gonna get pretty interesting if he is successful aquiring sellswords across the water. I wonder if his reputation for not paying his sellswords will precede him, via someone like Salladhor Saan and will actually hinder the chances of getting sellsword companies to join him. I know I wouldn't follow someone who is apparently stingy and cheap..

The thing about that is Salladhor Saan left Stannis's service apparently just a week or two before Stannis's windfall courtesy of Tycho Nestoris. If he had only held on for a few more days Stannis would have been able to pay his debts to him in full. Even now, I think that Stannis will try to pay Saan for his past services if it's at all practicable for him to do so.

As far as future sellswords goes, Stannis won't be paying on credit this time; he can pay hard cash now and any of his promises are now backed not only by his own integrity (somewhat tarnished, I'll admit) but by the Iron Bank of Braavos.

[DaarioKnowsBest]

I always thought Stannis had some of the least loyal grunts of all the Lords

[Rhymes with Weak]

I always thought Stannis had some of the least loyal grunts of all the Lords

How so?

[Tetrarch42]

How so?

Yeah I don't get this at all. The only two people so far to be insuborinate are Davos and that Florent who tried to end the war by trading in Stannis. Both were acting in Stannis' best interest.

[Mad Monkey]

Stannis's crew is currently sitting in the middle of a nightmarish blizzard, slowly starving and freezing to death. The northmen might be there for Arya but the southerners are there because he asked them to come. If that's disloyalty...

[Whitering]

Because Stannis will sleep on a stone bed, eat thin onion soup with a bit of bread, etc...

He is not attracted to the easy life, he does not take more than his men, they can identify with him. He is a Lord by right, but not a man to abuse that position by stepping on top of the men below him.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

Because Stannis is a light that shines so very brightly. They at least have to squint, you know.

[Audrey Arryn]

Isn't it the Queen's men?

[GallowsKnight]

For the rewards. Yes Stannis doesn't let his men plunder or rape. But he does reward service openhandidly, especially to lowborn. There's Davos from Fleabottom to Hand of the King and major lord (Lord of Rainwood), Ser Clayton Sugg is another commoner in a position of trust and importance. Additionally he couldn't pay Salladhor Saan but he still made him Lord of the Blackwater and able to "tax" any enemy ship that passes (i.e. a royal privator).

But if you're one of the guys following Stannis and he actually wins you gonna get a big bump up in the world. Major lords might become Lord-Paramounts (i.e. Florents for the Reach, Massey for the Iron Islands), Minor lords will gain great castles and more lands (Velaryons, Meadows etc). Landed Knights will be made Lords (Davos), sworn knights might get lands, men at arms will be knighted and given positions in the household.

All the common footsoldiers will reap from this too. They won't get castles, but certainly hides of land that are their own (see for a none Stannis example the men garrisoning Harrenhal formerly under Gregor Clegane), along with possibly tax and hunting benefits. They're improving the lot of their family for generations.

If they win...

And right now if they run they've got nowhere to go and the threat of beheading hangs over them.

[Net-Viper X]

The thing that surprises me about the loyalty of Stannis's men is that there aren't more of them. I would think anyone that craved stability and justice would be loyal to Stannis, I know I am. He just needs to cut ties with the red woman, she is like a cancer for his cause.

The thing about that is Salladhor Saan left Stannis's service apparently just a week or two before Stannis's windfall courtesy of Tycho Nestoris. If he had only held on for a few more days Stannis would have been able to pay his debts to him in full. Even now, I think that Stannis will try to pay Saan for his past services if it's at all practicable for him to do so.

As far as future sellswords goes, Stannis won't be paying on credit this time; he can pay hard cash now and any of his promises are now backed not only by his own integrity (somewhat tarnished, I'll admit) but by the Iron Bank of Braavos.

Hell, Stannis will likely pay the debt back even if its not practical, because not paying it back is something Robert would do. We know Stannis isn't going to allow that.

[Mad Monkey]

Hell, Stannis will likely pay the debt back even if its not practical, because not paying it back is something Robert would do. We know Stannis isn't going to allow that.

Well, by practicable I mean, "If Stannis can even find Saan before either one of them dies," I don't think anything short of that would stop Stannis from paying his debts though.

The thing that surprises me about the loyalty of Stannis's men is that there aren't more of them. I would think anyone that craved stability and justice would be loyal to Stannis, I know I am. He just needs to cut ties with the red woman, she is like a cancer for his cause.

That's not necessarily true though. There are probably a lot of people in Westeros who are sick of the fighting and want it to stop. Backing a claimant that isn't already on the IT basically means that you want the war to continue, even if it's for a just cause. Stannis is definitely a good choice if you want justice but if you want a chance to rebuild and prepare for winter then siding with Kevan and Tommen also seems viable, if only because Kevan is a sober administrator and Tommen is already on the throne.