[TV/Books] Game of Thrones ***SPOILER Discussion***

[-aiko-]

It didn't show her learning how to use faces or make poison either. I would imagine training to be one the best assassins in the world would invlove more than stick fighting.

Which is what makes her entire arch ridiculous. I love Arya in the books, but show Arya makes no sense. They're using "well she was with the Faceless Men!" as an excuse to give her powers she should not have. Even if she had received sword training there is no way she would be at any level to spar with Brienne.

[eschatological]

Mmmmmmmmm, last we knew about book Arya, she had barely begun her time with the Faceless Men, and where she's at now is beginning the "blind fighting" training portion.

And, if you're the type who's read some of the preview chapters for Arya in The Winds of Winter, you know that she has, indeed, become initiated in the ways of the assassin badassery.

[EyelessCrow]

Which is what makes her entire arch ridiculous. I love Arya in the books, but show Arya makes no sense. They're using "well she was with the Faceless Men!" as an excuse to give her powers she should not have. Even if she had received sword training there is no way she would be at any level to spar with Brienne.

What makes you think Brienne has ever fought that particular type of swordsmanship?

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Which is what makes her entire arch ridiculous. I love Arya in the books, but show Arya makes no sense. They're using "well she was with the Faceless Men!" as an excuse to give her powers she should not have. Even if she had received sword training there is no way she would be at any level to spar with Brienne.

In case you missed it, she actually lost sparring with Brienne sword to sword. It was only Arya coming in full assassin style with her dagger, in a simultaneous kill shot as Brienne was about to land her sword, that she "won."

[Dug]

Brienne is confused when she duels her. It's a style she hasn't seen or encountered, and she asks her "where'd you learn that?". You can be a great swordsman and still be completely unprepared against a fighter that has trained in a completely different and superior fighting style.

Might not be that superior. Brienne did knock her down and if it was a true fight Arya would have been dead right then and there

[EyelessCrow]

Speaking of fighting other fighting styles. Anyone else find it strange that the Dothraki just decimate the soldiers? Don't get me wrong they were going to win. But the whole fight and their arakhs all finding the perfect spot to kill reminded me of Jorah vs Qotho and there was NONE of that. The Lannister soldiers may as well have been wearing rags.

[Dug]

Speaking of fighting other fighting styles. Anyone else find it strange that the Dothraki just decimate the soldiers? Don't get me wrong they were going to win. But the whole fight and their arakhs all finding the perfect spot to kill reminded me of Jorah vs Qotho and there was NONE of that. The Lannister soldiers may as well have been wearing rags.

The Dothraki have speed and mobility on their side while most westerosi forces are armored and slow.

[-aiko-]

In case you missed it, she actually lost sparring with Brienne sword to sword. It was only Arya coming in full assassin style with her dagger, in a simultaneous kill shot as Brienne was about to land her sword, that she "won."

I didn't say anything about her winning, just that she should not have the skill to even spar with her at that level.

Even though I disagree with her mastering anything with that little time for training, I'm willing to accept some of the 'sneaky' assassin shit she does like wearing the faces and knowing about poisons. The line I have to draw though is apparently becoming a master of the sword. It's poorly written fantasy.

[Fayenoor]

Speaking of fighting other fighting styles. Anyone else find it strange that the Dothraki just decimate the soldiers? Don't get me wrong they were going to win. But the whole fight and their arakhs all finding the perfect spot to kill reminded me of Jorah vs Qotho and there was NONE of that. The Lannister soldiers may as well have been wearing rags.

As the Dothraki pointed out to Tyrion -- "Your countrymen don't know how to fight". The Dothraki are a nomadic warrior clan - they live to fight. Sorta like the Huns (Attila) or Tartar (Timur). Light armor, guerilla tactics is their modus operai.

[Dug]

In a true fight, Arya wouldn't have been so playful and smug. I don't think she was taking it too seriously until she got knocked down.

True but in that same vein I don't think Brienne was going all out either. Arya is skilled now there's no doubt about it but Brienne, even fighting against an unfamiliar style, has been training for years and years. If the two should ever have to fight to the death my money is on Brienne.

Also, was anyone else scared when she pulled out the dagger that she'd accidentally cut through Bries armor? Arya has never handled valyrian steel before lol

[EyelessCrow]

The Dothraki have speed and mobility on their side while most westerosi forces are armored and slow.

So did Qotho, his arakh didn't do much against armor. Which was my point, they were going to get overrun even without being turned to charcoal. It just felt weird to me having heavily armored units...seem like they had none at all.

[PACOX]

Arya's fight is controveral?

Arya, the girl thats been fascinating with fighting her entire life? Who was given a custom sword designed around her straights and style? Who was given private lessons from a duelist? Who traveled with one of finest fighters in Westeros? Who had to fend for herself on the road? Who trained with a house of assassins while blind? Arya literally spent most of life learning to fight.

Where questioning that Arya?

Brianne is a badass but she is used to fighting other knights and swordsman well beneath her ability. Longsword v longsword, Brianne would have destroyed Arya. Unrestricted duel? Brianne isn't ready for Arya.

[Deleted]

Arya's fight is controveral?

Arya, the girl thats been fascinating with fighting her entire life? Who was given a custom sword designed around her straights and style? Who was given private lessons from a duelist? Who traveled with one of finest fighters in Westeros? Who had to fend for herself on the road? Who trained with a house of assassins while blind? Arya literally spent most of life learning to fight.

Where questioning that Arya?

Brianne is a badass but she is used to fighting other knights and swordsman well beneath her ability. Longsword v longsword, Brianne would have destroyed Arya. Unrestricted duel? Brianne isn't ready for Arya.

You're wasting your time using logic and common sense, it's not worth it, some (most) here are only there to nitpick for the sake of nitpicking...

[BloodyAngel12]

Dany used a common US tactic of *Shock and Awe* by using a dragon it demoralises her enemies.

[Gallahadd]

I don't know why she would want to kill Brienne, she isn't on her list. What reason would she have to want her dead?

Don't forget, she took the Hound off her list before he died. They had come to a sort of uneasy truce, I could easily see her wanting revenge. Just because Brienne isn't on the Death List, doesn't mean Arya doesn't want to take a try at fucking her up, just means she's not actively chasing her down.

That was my least favorite part of the episode tbh. When did Arya suddenly become a sword master?

Well, she was trained a bit during season 1 with Syrio, it's been implied she was training regularly up until she went to the House of Black and White AND then she trained with the Faceless men.

That's a pretty solid training regime, in my books!

Might not be that superior. Brienne did knock her down and if it was a true fight Arya would have been dead right then and there

If it was a true fight, Brienne would have been dead 15 seconds in, when Arya had Needle right at her throat. You could see that neither was taking the fight seriously until Brienne landed that kick. Before then Arya was toying with her.

[Kellorion]

The doth raki are horsemen, they know to excell at that, like Cosak's and mongol, they be rampaging brutes but not mindless rampaging brutes. Also this is the first time we've seen them in massive action.

[Deleted]

Those are Tarly troops she's talking to, wouldn't have bothered with Lannister troops, prob killed them all. Hmmm...how much is left of the Lannister army? Part of them entered King's Landing before hostilities?? Wonder if Randyll & Dickon Tarly are still alive. Randyll probably is feeling a bit guilty about Olenna n he did fight for the Targaryens against Robert Baratheon..then again he is a total prick..but not stupid to commit suicide..Daenerys will probably offer him to be warden of the south too..

How the F does Jon know what Bran saw when Jon is still on Dragonstone...did Bran warg into Jon? Uh...that went so well with poor Hodor...

Does Rhaegal come to Jon's aid when Drogon roars? Like Drogon came to Daenerys aid at Meereen's arena when she was in distress

Did 3yedRvn ward into King Aerys II n that drove him mad??..and his "Burn them all!" means all meat for the Night King's army should burn?...kinda burning legion mentality then...no meat for the void lords

[Dug]

If it was a true fight, Brienne would have been dead 15 seconds in, when Arya had Needle right at her throat. You could see that neither was taking the fight seriously until Brienne landed that kick. Before then Arya was toying with her.

Which ultimately is bullshit imo. I'm not saying Arya shouldn't be skilled but to be on the same level or even better than Brienne as a duelist is just... absurd imo. She can be a master assassin and all that jazz but a tiny girl beating seasoned knights with ease is ridiculous.

[Deleted]

It's hundreds of pages back now, but I dealt with both Aegon and Tyrion's actual ancestries in painstaking detail. Some folks are still around who read through it, so I won't make them read it again. Lemme know if you want it PM'd.

I lurk a lot on asoiaf-based forums so trust me, I've read a lot of really in-detail analysis regarding both theories. I doubt that you would write me anything new. But sure, PM it to me, I can take a look.

[EyelessCrow]

Which ultimately is bullshit imo. I'm not saying Arya shouldn't be skilled but to be on the same level or even better than Brienne as a duelist is just... absurd imo. She can be a master assassin and all that jazz but a tiny girl beating seasoned knights with ease is ridiculous.

So you are fine with dothraki being agile and taking out a much slower armored opponent, but a tiny quick, trained assassin (who actually knows where to strike) being able to take on a large fully plate armored warrior is suddenly ridiculous.