Great War For Skyrim

In a world where the Dragonborn never was two armies strive for dominance.

All Factions At Full Power

The Companions Are Still Wolves

The Blades Will Never Find Out About Paarthurnax.

The Imperial Army:

Imperial Legion -

The backbone of the Imperial Army. Armed with light, medium and heavy troops as well as the elite Penitus Oculatus.

The Forsworn -

The Imperials knew they needed more men and so made a deal. Madanach once again sits on the throne or Markarth and the Imperials have themselves a highly mobile force of guerilla fighters and rangers.

Dawnguard -

It was the Imperials that gave their mother organisation, the Vigilant of Stendarr, official status after the Oblivion Crisis and with the Dawnguard as it's successor the Imperials have given them equipment and finances. Now not only does the Dawnguard fight the monsters in the dark but the enemies of the Empire as well.

Thieves Guild/Nightingales -

The Nightingales were laughing all the way to the bank before the Stormcloak uprising, the Imperials turned a blind eye to most of the criminal activity but now it's become to dangerous so to once again get back to the glory days they have signed a contract with the Legion vowing to be there spies and assassins.

Collage of Winterhold -

The Mages of the Collage are threatened with violence by the local Nords almost on a daily basis. All they want to do is continue the study of the arcane arts but they no longer feel safe in there beds. The Arch-Mage knows that the only thing that will bring them peace is Imperial success.

Thalmor -

The High Elves continue to put to death any Stormcloak sympathiser on sight as well as providing back up for the Legion.

The Stormcloak Confederacy

Stormcloak Guard -

Ulfric's loyal soldiers will fight to the death for there cause, heavily armed and lightly armoured they are a threat to any armed force.

The Companions -

After the handing over of the Reach to Madanach, Aela and the Grey-Manes have finally convinced Kodlak they must enter the fray on the side of the true Nords of Skyrim.

The Dark Brotherhood -

There has never been any love lost between the Brotherhood and the Empire and finally the Black Hand have deicded they are at there weakest and so have entered in to an agreement to provide the Stormcloaks with there services.

The Greybeards -

The threat of the dragons draws ever closer to Skyrim and the Greybeards recognise that the nation must be united if they are going to weather the storm to come and so have chosen to pledge allegiance to their former pupil, Ulfric Stormcloak to unite the Holds of Skyrim once more.

The Order of the Black Worm -

The Black Worm is one of the strongest magical organisation in Skyrim, it's necromancers are spread throughout all nine Holds and with Ulfrics desperation to find magical support he made a deal with the leader Malyn Varen. As long as the Necromancers left the towns and crypts of the Nord's ancestors they would be able to continue to practice their craft in Ilinalta's Deep uncontested.

The Blades -

Sickened by they way the Empire discarded their Order in just so they could cosy up to the Thalmor, the Blades have formed an alliance with the Stormcloaks. Not only will they protect the land of Skyrim from Dragons but also from the backstabbing Empire.

Imperial Army Vs Stormcloak Confederacy

Who Wins?

The courier that happens to always be naked.

@pr0metheus: @jwalser3: say what now?

How will this battle go? do they all meet on a huge empty field and just go Braveheart on eachother or is it more real life kinda war, planning, waiting assassinations etc

"I have a package to deliver.. your hands only"

:p

@nibbit: more a real world style, pitched battles only if you think that army would do it and why

Imperial Legion

The Forsworn - The most brutal and probably the best fighters throughout this list and since the legion will back them up with better technology they will probably be the last standing force if the rest were to perish.

Dawnguard - The residents of Dawnguard were never really equipped for battle,Although there residency would be perfect to lure non-nords for ambushes.

Theives Guild/Nightingales - I believe this will be the first to fall,they may be able to help lead ambushes,steal battle plans or maybe assassinate people for the legion but if this guild was to get into battle with another faction they would suffer high casulties.

Collage of Winterhold - They are going to Winterhold there ass in there collage and it will be there best defenable position because of it only having one bridge to defend. (This is the best place to defend and gives them a big advantage)

Thalmor - I cant really remember what they did other then sit there and be mad at people.

I'll do the Stormcloaks later i have a class now.

Good thread btw @jonny_anonymous

Stormcloaks

The Companions - Hmm,This is the the token group of like 6 people that could and would take an army head on and probably win. These will be one the final standings for the stormcloaks only because of there "other form"

The Dark Brotherhood - Depends really when they die,There only chance of survival is too stay hidden and carefully plan out assassinations and because of them not being so greedy as the Theive's guild they might do just that. If they tried to fight head on they would get decimated already shown in-game.

They Grey Beards - Here is there best shot at winning for the Stormcloaks,If they truely wanted to fight and didnt try to make peace just one of these men could take on 30 troops if not more by themselves and theres quite a few of these guys.

The Order of Black Worms - These will allow any dead to get right back up and keep fighting and when they die just get right back up again.

The Blades - I dont really know what to say about them considering there arent any Blades left and i never learned about the lore of the blades but they were the best armoured and equipped faction i saw.

Conclusion

The Legion have a big number advantage over the Stormcloaks but that as long as they cant draw reinforcements any numbers they have can be countered by the The Order.

The Legion also have the best place for defense (The Collage of WH) which gives them a big last stand advantage.

Stormcloaks can win if they -

Secure the Collage (Hard)

Kill the Forsworn (Hard)

Distract/Trick the Legion into dividing there troops from there general (Medium)

Kill the General (Hard)

Killing the General would cause most of the legion to go A-Wall.

Legion can win if they -

Kill the Greybeards (Almost Impossible)

Kill the Necromancers (Very Hard)

Kill Ulfric (Very Hard)

All-in-all I'd side with the Legion because they have less to do to secure a win while they have a greater number advantage and a good last stand position. If they can draw reinforcements it will be good and bad for them as the necromancers can use there own troops against them. If the Legion kills the Necromancers they should secure a win and killing the necromancers will be easier then everything the Stormcloaks have to do.

I think the Dark Brotherhood gives the Confederacy a pretty good chance to win. Using them as small raiding parties or to assassinate the Imperial's leaders will be a huge advantage. They can silently assassinate some of the more powerful players in the Imperials before they even know they are there.

OP clearly doesn't understand the fact that Ulfric is a Thalmor double agent and will betray team 2 by destroying itself from the inside out.....Team one ftw

The greybeards could potentially take entire holds on their own. They're supposed to be completely ridiculous in terms of power.

@pr0metheus: Thanks duder, yea the first time I seen the Collage in Skyrim I thought id would be amazing to see something like a Siege of Winterhold where the makes where blasting guys from the walls. Oh and great break down.

@ancient_0f_days: Considering I wrote a whole blog about that on here I think it's pretty obvious I know that.

killing the graybeards.. good luck with that lol

@jonny_anonymous: Wow.. I am already imagining throwing fireballs from that height. Awesome :D

And tell me you fell off at least once when running on that narrow road leading to college.

O man this is a sweet encounter with so many variable outcomes imo.

Will have a think about it & respond later :)

The Imperial Army

In terms of power the 2 armies would be almost balanced, The Stormcloak Confederacy would be slightly stronger on the field, but since Thalmor and The Imperial Legion are clearly the most experienced in battles and wars, they would definitively came up with a better strategy.

To be able to count on the Thieves Guild is also a great advantage, since they operate and influence things in a more significant scale, while The Dark Brotherhood can only assassinate single targets.

Lastly, The College of Winterhold is clearly more versatile and stronger than The Order of the Black Worm, they have better experts of Destruction and Recovery, and they could also enchant weapons and armors, so The Imperial Army would make the most of them.

@princearagorn1: haha yea I did but it was always near the end at that last corner

Going by lore don't the greybeards solo this?

@irs:

That depends if they are bloodlusted or not.

If they are not then I do not see how they could contribute to the war as there oaths say not to get involved and what not.

if they are then I see them causing a huge mess for the legion until assassinations bring them down, remember for all there untold power they still die when you stab them.

I say the legion takes this based on the fact that they have more resources available and frankly can you think of a scenario where You could take a well guarded Markath or College? those two fortress can hold off all of the Stormcloaks forces with relative ease.

and if the Thalmor actually decide to help the Legion full out then this is a curbstomb. The Thalmor are threatening to take over all of Tamrile if they decide to dedicate there army to helping the Legion Skyrim is toast Greybeards or no Greybeards

The Imperial Army & its Allies FTW.

Mainly due to the huge numbers advantage.As already mentioned with the Thalmor on board they not only have the huge numbers advantage but possibly the best trained Fighters with equipment & weapons to match.Add to this the high number of Thalmor Wizards in the ranks imo any battle in the open or even siege attack will be a victory for the Imperial/Allies army.

People seem to be forgetting when I say Greybeards I mean ALL the Greybeards and that includes a certain scaly one

@jonny_anonymous

One dragon agist said massive army?

he is good but not that good.

also The blades would have to notice him if he plays a major part in battles!

The Blades Will Never Find Out About Paarthurnax

Still,he is no world eater. He can be brought down like any other dragon.

He's pretty darn close. Wasn't Parthurnax Alduin's right hand man for a long while? Granted, I haven't played through the main quest in a while, but I recall Parthy being right there at the top f the food chain in terms of Dragons.

J'zargo stomps EVERBODY!

@pr0metheus: @cjdavis103: hmm I did say that didn't I...

@jonny_anonymous

you did but how the heck can they miss a DRAGON on the battlefield?

this is just the fractions not the hero's of each

@cjdavis103: Magic?

So the Blades are still on the Stormcloaks side?

Yea, there just cool with Parth

@jonny_anonymous so they should be ;)

Always thought the Blades were a delusional bunch.Hated aving to kill Paa during that quest :(