which kingdom in westeros fields the best soldiers?

[Drexyon7]

Everyone is a soldier on the Iron Islands so I would rank them 1st for quality of the common soldier. The West would be second because equipment makes a HUGE difference. The Riverlands seem to have the worst...

[Veltigar]

The best fighters must be the Ironborn. But they are not the best soldiers, since they lack discipline. The question of who's the best soldier is not an easy one to answer (if you break it up in regions. If you can chose any entity than the Golden Company is obviously the best).

[LordFirkraag]

They Northmen were beating the Lannisters with lesser numbers. Against King Aerys, Ned was Robert's most important general even though other lords would have commanded more numbers.

Based on events in the books and Robert's Rebellion, it has to be the Northmen.

[Minsc]

Against King Aerys, Ned was Robert's most important general even though other lords would have commanded more numbers.

Ned probably had more troops in how Hoster, Jon, and Robert all had some lords stay loyal to the Targaryens while the entire North was loyal to the Starks. Also, Ned was Robert's best friend which is probably influential on whole he considers his most important general.

[Slender Aimry Hill]

They say each Ironborn warrior is worth ten on the mainland! D'you think it's true?

AYE!

[Roose The Weddingcrasher]

They say each Ironborn warrior is worth ten on the mainland! D'you think it's true?

AYE!

I believe Jory said the same thing to Arya. And I believe them both.

So what do we have? Each Ironborn warrior is worth 100 on the mainland? Sounds about right.

Makes Stannis' victory even more impressive btw.

[indomitable targaryen]

Its all about the Crannog men

[Jasta11]

I doubt there's enough of a difference to be significant in any way. Most soldiers are man-at-arms with only some training, when they're not conscripts, not enough to form a strong identity I think. It's nowhere stated that the North has the best infantry, the Reach the best archers and the Stormlands the best knights, for example. Given that, before Aegon, the borders of the various realms have been pretty stagnant, I doubt any has a serious advantage. It's up to who cammands them, far more than who those soldiers are.

Individually, perhaps the Ironborn win since many of them are warriors by trade, but raiding peasants and fighting battles against a disciplined army are two different things entirely. Hell, even their total mastery of the sea is disputable, as with proper tactics the Mannis has proven the Iron Fleet can be reduced to splinters.

[Djinn]

Heavy cavalry, Archers, Light cavalry, Sailors/Marines, Crossbowmen, Heavy Infantry, Regular Infantry/Spearmen, Light/Irregular Infantry,all these types of troops thrive on different grounds and conditions. One particular ground/condition might favor one and restrain another. Saying that this region likely produces better archer that another makes sense, but overall better soldiers? That really tricky. Unless you go by bias alone, and that would certainly cut out work(and sense) for you.

Usually wealthier regions should have better heavy troops because they would be able to have more of them and to professionalize a greater number, but there are always exceptions. Also the leadership shapes considerably the troops that someone has.

[AemonEightstrings]

It depends on terrain as much as anything but its prob between Dorne and the Northmen. On neutral ground, say the two armies meet in the reach, I'm giving Dorne the slight advantage. It's the most hostile culture of the seven kingdoms and history proves them to be far better strategists than the Northmen.

The ironborn have the best navy by far which imo makes them near as formidable as any of the seven kingdoms.

[Drexyon7]

Every single Ironborn character aside from the Reader seems to have combat abilities. Even Wex can hit a small target with a tthrowing knife.

I honestly don't see how the Ironborn lack discipline. Read the Broken man speech then look up the Old ways/Iron price and its pretty clear which group would be more disciplined.

[otherbeef]

Does it matter? The reach has the most/best knights and that is the difference maker

[65536ob]

on a 1v1 i think an iron islander would do best

the westerlands would have the best army of common soldiers before the series and the vale currently due to the losses the westerlands have suffered

[E-Ro]

No region has the best soldiers, they are all the same for the most part. Growing up in a hot or cold clime does not somehow make you a better fighter or make you more disciplined. Training does that. what really makes good soldiers is money. Money means you can pay and train professionals. As a result the westermen have MORE professionals, but not better ones. The northmen fight better in the cold, the dornish in the heat, and the ironborn fight best at sea. But that's about it. A man at arms from the north and a man at arms from the reach are the same.

[otherbeef]

No region has the best soldiers, they are all the same for the most part. Growing up in a hot or cold clime does not somehow make you a better fighter or make you more disciplined. Training does that. what really makes good soldiers is money. Money means you can pay and train professionals. As a result the westermen have MORE professionals, but not better ones. The northmen fight better in the cold, the dornish in the heat, and the ironborn fight best at sea. But that's about it. A man at arms from the north and a man at arms from the reach are the same.

I actually would imagine weather would be a detriment to skill. If northerners had to live through some particularly harsh winters, then they are focused on not starving, etc. rather than training at arms.

sort if like how many athletes today come from the warmer southern regions especially for outdoor sports like football and baseball

[jongtu]

Iron Born no brainer. Their whole culture is built on raiding and combat.

[E-Ro]

I actually would imagine weather would be a detriment to skill. If northerners had to live through some particularly harsh winters, then they are focused on not starving, etc. rather than training at arms.

sort if like how many athletes today come from the warmer southern regions especially for outdoor sports like football and baseball

Well, I suppose its possible. But when it comes down to it money really is the deciding factor, not climate. If the cold made men really great at war then the wildlings would be the best. But as we see their lack of training, discipline, and equipment makes them very weak to a force from the stormlands.

If you live in a cold clime but have money so that you dont have to farm then you can spend your time training at arms and you dont have to worry about farming, as you would have people that do that for you. Thats how these armies work for the most part. War was a rich mans game.

[The Fallen]

` If I'm going by the novels I like the North and the Reach. The northmen were beating Tywin and his pros with a numbers disadvantage. So much so that Tywin had to resort to breaking 'guest right'. And the Reach put a whoopin' on Stannis (just sayin').

As far as weather and terrain, the northmen did fine in the Riverlands. Stannis' southron men in a northern winter; not so well.

[Sullen]

The Northern Master race, obviously.

Duh.

OT: The Westerlands have the best equipped and trained men, but the Iron Islands have the best warriors... and the knights of the Vale are without match.

Basically...

Best Soldiers: Westerlands

Best Warriors: Iron Isles

Best Knights: Vale

[MotherAnduin]

Stormlands. The have a vast array of badasses in present times. Even though they have no natural borders and have enemies on all sides like pirates, Dornish, Riverlands and the Reach, they managed to stay independent for eight thousand years. How on earth did 35000 fend of 100000 for eight thousand years is anybody's guess.