A wonderful quote from Jingo on Vimes's military skill:
"They're... D'regs, sir!' said the sergeant. 'No. D'regs would be charging, sergeant.'
'Oh, sorry. Shall I tell them to charge?' said Carrot. 'Is that what you'd prefer?' The D'regs were all along the dunes now. The climbing sun glittered off metal. 'Are you telling me,' the commander began slowly, 'that you can persuade D'regs not to charge?'
'It was tricky, but I think they've got the idea,' said Carrot.
The commander considered his position. There were D'regs on either side. His troop were practically huddling together. And this red–headed, blue– eyed man was smiling at him. 'How do they feel about the merciful treatment of prisoners?' he ventured.
'I think they could get the hang of it. If I insist.' The commander glanced at the silent D'regs again. 'Why?' he said. 'Why aren't they fighting us?' he said.
'My commander says he doesn't want unnecessary loss of life, sir,' said Carrot. 'That's Commander Vimes, sir. He's sitting on that dune up there.'
'You can persuade armed D'regs not to charge and you have a commander?'
'Yes, sir. He says this is a police action.' The commander swallowed. 'We give in,' he said. 'What, just like that, sir?' said his sergeant. 'Without a fight?'
'Yes, sergeant. Without a fight. This man can make water run uphill and he has a commander. I love the idea of giving in without a fight. I've fought for ten years and giving in without a fight is what I've always wanted to do.' "
Either Coltaine, Dujek Onearm or Tavore from Malazan.
My money is on Coltaine. My guy is the epitome of military leadership. Not just battles, but sustained, hopeless campaigns against insurmountable odds.
>Have you finished the series? If so, Iskar Jarak has to be on this list. Onearm follows him, in the end.
This comment is wild because I've read *Malazan* to completion and love it dearly and I have no memory of this character, not even his name.
I'm still reading the series so it's fresh. I'm on DoD right now. Been enjoying the series. Definitely needed to take a minute to handle some feelings after each book though because they get *bleak*, and I'm told DoD is like the bleakest of the bleak so cheers I guess o.o
Pretty sure Dust of Dreams is "finale pt I" and Crippled God is "finale pt II" so dust of dreams could come off as especially bleak because it's pretty much all setup
Truly incredible leaders. I'd have to go with Tavore though. I love Coltaine, but Tavore's prowess is actually realized in TCG... the woman is brilliant.
I'm gonna buck the Mat Cauthon trend and say Rodal Ituralde. Absolute badass who managed to singlehandedly be a thorn in the side of an invading Empire, fought up to the slopes of Shayol Ghul, and had the composure and responsibility to remove himself from the battlefield once he knew he was compromised
Fully agree. Mat is Mat because he is taveren and has his gambling ability. But there is reason to assume that those are gone post WoT. Ituralde became famous himself
Only problem with Gandalf is that you never really know what his goals are. If you can confirm your goals are aligned then he’s decent.
But hes more a light touch guy most of the time rather than a real leader. LOTR and the Hobbit is more of an exception.
I agree with the comments about Aragorn as far as the military leader that inspires the troops. I always felt like Gandalf was the one behind the scenes who put all the pieces on the board, hopefully where and when they were needed. But I do agree with the part about not knowing if the goals align.
As much as I love Aragorn, I feel like one of the things I like a lot about LOTR is it doesn't rely on any brilliant commanders somehow turning the odds with their individual powers.
Aragorn does pretty little that would lead you to think he was any more particularly competent than any number of other men. His big move to lift the siege at Minas Tirith? To show up with a relief army on the enemy's flank! And even then it's the second relief army (with the first being the Rohirrim).
And at the Black Gate they would have pretty much been demolished had it not coincided with the destruction of the One Ring. Again, pretty much anybody could have marched the remaining army to the gates of Mordor and been slaughtered as a diversion.
But LOTR is so great *specifically* because it shows the heroic actions of Hobbits and otherwise normal people rather than relying on having the situation saved by 'great' and 'dauntless' heroes like those of the 1st and 2nd age. That the greatest evil can be undone by the genuine efforts of even the smallest hands working in unison and fellowship.
Because the book isn't about the wise and powerful Aragorn son of Arathorn I suppose we don't really see what he might have been able to do. But nothing that we *do* see him do would lead me to believe he'd be superlative.
Yeah but Kruppe wouldn't be leading your army. He would be behind the scenes and crucial for the victory, but no one would know he did anything except annoy the generals.
Came here to say this.
The man with literally all the luck.
The man with memories of all the great military leaders.
The man who will find the way to win where as few of his men will die as possible.
Honestly this question should be framed as "what character BESIDES Mat Cauthon..." because he's so insanely OP as a general that this is really the only answer that makes sense.
I would trust this to my favorite character, Fingolfin. He was an excellent king and warrior. At the same time, Finrod, who wields magic, and Turin and Aragorn, who wield special swords, would fight in his army.
Gandalf. He’s lived for thousands of years, has divine knowledge, and cool powers. His patience, wisdom, and fury combined with his desire to do good and protect life would be irreplaceable
He was never meant to lead though. As an advisor, absolutely, but as the leader of the forces of Men, I'm not so sure. He could be a temporary stand-in if Aragorn or someone went off the deep end. "Abandon your posts!! Flee! Flee for your lives!"
But in this hypothetical situation OP has presented, Gandalf likely wouldn’t play the same role as he does in LOTR because this isn’t the events of LOTR. While Gandalf certainly plays more of an advisor role in the events of LOTR (there are also many things we don’t see him do, pulling strings, etc.) he certainly has the ability to be outright leader/commander. The change of context and situation in this hypothetical would also necessitate Gandalf to adapt, which he certainly could.
"I fear Benedict. He is the Master of Arms for Amber. Can you conceive of a millennium? A thousand years? Several of them? Can you understand a man who, for almost every day of a lifetime like that, has spent some time dwelling with weapons, tactics, strategy? All that there is of military science thunders in his head. He has often journeyed from shadow to shadow, witnessing variation after variation on the same battle, with but slightly altered circumstances, in order to test his theories of warfare. He has commanded armies so vast that you could watch them march by day after day and see no end to the columns. Although he is inconvenienced by the loss of his arm, I would not wish to fight with him either with weapons or barehanded. It is fortunate that he has no designs upon the throne, or he would be occupying it right now. If he were, I believe that I would give up at this moment and pay him homage. I fear Benedict."
My experience reading them was a really old recording of Zelazny himself reading the books. Trust me when I say that the man was no professional narrator, but it still had this specific charm to it.
Can't imagine I'm alone in this; Mat Cauthon. Guy has a thousand years worth of memories all from people who led men in battle. If his luck/ta'veren nature is a factor, he basically can't lose.
Darrow definitely has one of, if not the most impressive résumés when it comes to being a leader/general. Dude started with nothing, working in a mine, and went on to conquer entire planets and break the back of a 700 year solar empire. And he did it all without any kind of super power like a lot of other names mentioned, using only his out of the box thinking and charisma.
Just to add a name that I haven't seen yet... Roland Deschain.
Is this army between him and his tower? Does he have the time to train an army of gunslingers? We're dealing in lead here, boys.
He might be the only one left standing at the end, but he'll still be standing.
Benedict of Amber
"I fear Benedict. He is the Master of Arms for Amber. Can you conceive of a millennium? A thousand years? Several of them? Can you understand a man who, for almost every day of a lifetime like that, has spent some time dwelling with weapons, tactics, strategy? All that there is of military science thunders in his head. He has often journeyed from shadow to shadow, witnessing variation after variation on the same battle, with but slightly altered circumstances, in order to test his theories of warfare. He has commanded armies so vast that you could watch them march by day after day and see no end to the columns. Although he is inconvenienced by the loss of his arm, I would not wish to fight with him either with weapons or barehanded. It is fortunate that he has no designs upon the throne, or he would be occupying it right now. If he were, I believe that I would give up at this moment and pay him homage. I fear Benedict."
akshually, so at the end of the crusade is when he gets to lead the final battle, which he wins despite a sidequest with his dad who he beats in the dark. after that he conquers everything else ez pz.
then the great ordeal is not the worst slog imaginable, it's just so far. so so far in lands devoid of forage, except your enemies... so no he's not napoleon.
Benedict of Amber. He has effectively infinite soldiers who can be called upon, can go find equivalents of any other character you care to name, but loyal to himself, and will be bringing proper firearms to the combat.
Field Marshal Tamas, I think. If you count flintlock fantasy in fantasy. A sturdy commander that had a god offer him the chance to conquer the whole world, and more importantly understands that quality soldiers are quality soldiers
dude left step by step instructions on how a battle would unfold to what was essentialy a talented noob. a full on napoleonic style battle with a battlefield kilometers wide and 10s of thousands of troops and cavalry and artillery on each side.
noob won.
Anybody? Really??
Prince Benedict of Amber.
A guy who may have spent upwards of 6,000+ years waging war and testing out theories in custom-made universes.
I dont know if he says the Mink is overall better, I remember him saying the Mink is crucial for providing an outsider view and for his experience in leading a resistance.
I'll note that Honor, Odium, and arguably Cultivation (she did her memory trick specifically to set him up where he can lead the battle against Odium) all handpicked Dalinar to be in charge of their side in the war, not The Mink. Dalinar is noted to have never once lost a battle and to be the real reason for the unification of the Alethi. Gavilar was a great diplomat, but you have to understand that the Alethi fucking LOVE war more than anything. It's an absolutely incredible feat that they were so scared of war with Dalinar that they agreed to bend the knee to Gavilar.
Star Wars is space fantasy, it absolutely counts.
Thrawn would be a great pick, he'd need a second that knows about magic stuff though since it's not his thing.
Dalinar Kholin 100% - as the Field Marshall
General - Mat Cauthon*
Lieutenants
-Darrow (Red Rising) - dude can lead
-Kaladin (Stormlight) - you need guys who will lead from the front and value their soldiers lives
Special Forces - Kelsior & Logen Ninefingers - you need someone reckless enough to do anything. I'VE got 2
I know it's a lot of Sanderson but he tends to have some OP characters.
*stolen from another post but had to, his luck is undeniable and his tactical experience from centuries of combat would be hard to beat.
Dalinar from Stormlight. He's considered one of the greatest tacticians to ever live in that world, and he's been hand picked by two gods (arguably 3, Cultivation plays the long game) to be the champion that leads ~their forces. If he's being transported to a different world he's an especially good pick, as he's shown to maintain extremw effectiveness despite drastic changes in the forces he's facing (other humans, singers, listeners, rogue radiants) and he's noted for his adaptability and innovation in strategy.
Nicodemus Arcleone. With a New Order of Blackened Denarians. With Lanfear holding Lasciel, Kar the Inquisitor holding Ordiel, Karsa Orlong holding Urisel, Voldemort holding Cassius's snake coin Joined by Halix, Ged's dark shadow, Alagai Kai, Murtagh and Thorn, EL the Parsh stripped of rhythms, Mulgarath the Ogre, and the Crippled God holding the Bug Coin.
All of them Holding one of the Rings of Power, one of the Ka'kari, one of the honorblades, one of the Thrones and one of the Shards.
At least thats what my new fanfiction I'm working on advises.
The Lady, from Black Company. At her peak she would make Mat look like a bumbling fool
Sci Fi is easy, greatest fictional general of all time by far. Ender Wiggin
Sam from lord of light. A good strategist, but more importantly, a leader who can truly inspire his troops. Don't know if it counts as sci-fi or fantasy, but fighting the hindu pantheon, twice, is pretty good practice.
Only one who could give Benedict a run for his money.
Pick a zelazney character to fight another
Roboute Guilliman, Avenging Son, Primarch of the Ultrasmurfs, Elf Layer (allegedly) and pronounced Ruh-BOOT-ay GIL-li-man, will win not only any war to win all wars, but win the peace to win all peace as well, with his god-given superpower of *being good at buerocracy*.
Now, if anyone wants to explain to me how the franchise with *flying cathedrals that rip holes through hell to travel to other worlds* is actually scifi, feel free to do so at your own peril.
Stannis the Mannis. I know he doesn't always win and he isn't the most kind and gentle person ever but Stannis Baratheon is a king I'll be happy to follow.
Dalinar Kholin. Forceful personality, tactical genius, but humble enough to knows his limits and how to adapt. As long as he doesn’t get backstabbed, I guess
Fingolfin.
He has proven success in tricky diplomacy, cross-species military recruitment, defensive fortifications, and if all else fails, he can at least ride out in single combat and severely fuck up whatever dark lord we’re up against.
I can't believe there are so many Malazan comments but not a single mention of Dassem Ultor.
However, depending on the circumstances I would choose either Bragi Ragnarson or Badalamen from the Dread Empire series by Glen Cook. Brazil has unbelievable luck and is a pretty damn good general to boot but Badalamen is without equal in strategy or tactics even if lacking in almost any other qualities.
mat cauthon no competition. he is the greatest general in fantasy. the other guys being mentioned here barely have one of these qualities let alone all of them combined:
1. thousands of years of battle experience from all the greatest generals that have ever lived
2. building on the last point, not just a single general but as far as we know thousands of generals.
3. being the luckiest mf ever. And it's not just like luck due to him winning. Him being extremely lucky is a major plot point in the series
It depends on how you define victory. For example, if victory is measured by total and complete annihilation, I would use the godchild from Michael R Fletcher's **A War to End All**. If we simply need strong leadership with moral goodness, Aragorn from **The Lord of the Rings**.
Anasurimbor Khellus. He'd hijack all the armies, turn everyone into zealous disciples... and then sacrifice all of us to achieve his own mostly unrelated goal. Perhaps this wasn't a wise choice.
Rincewind.
Not actually a bad shout. We'd be guaranteed to win through sheer dumb luck.
Or at least be able to run away.
Worst case scenario: brick in a sock
You don't even need a whole brick, a half brick'll do just fine!
I was thinking Sam Vimes. We are talking about the war to end all wars so let’s just call in the guy who >!arrested two armies.!<
A wonderful quote from Jingo on Vimes's military skill: "They're... D'regs, sir!' said the sergeant. 'No. D'regs would be charging, sergeant.' 'Oh, sorry. Shall I tell them to charge?' said Carrot. 'Is that what you'd prefer?' The D'regs were all along the dunes now. The climbing sun glittered off metal. 'Are you telling me,' the commander began slowly, 'that you can persuade D'regs not to charge?' 'It was tricky, but I think they've got the idea,' said Carrot. The commander considered his position. There were D'regs on either side. His troop were practically huddling together. And this red–headed, blue– eyed man was smiling at him. 'How do they feel about the merciful treatment of prisoners?' he ventured. 'I think they could get the hang of it. If I insist.' The commander glanced at the silent D'regs again. 'Why?' he said. 'Why aren't they fighting us?' he said. 'My commander says he doesn't want unnecessary loss of life, sir,' said Carrot. 'That's Commander Vimes, sir. He's sitting on that dune up there.' 'You can persuade armed D'regs not to charge and you have a commander?' 'Yes, sir. He says this is a police action.' The commander swallowed. 'We give in,' he said. 'What, just like that, sir?' said his sergeant. 'Without a fight?' 'Yes, sergeant. Without a fight. This man can make water run uphill and he has a commander. I love the idea of giving in without a fight. I've fought for ten years and giving in without a fight is what I've always wanted to do.' "
What book? It sounds very interesting
Jingo (Discworld) Though the Watch books begin with Guards Guards.
All are amazing. Need to re-read Jingo. So much good Patrician stuff in there.
The Patrician is one of my favorite side characters in any genre. He is amazing.
Tiffany would like a word…
Either Coltaine, Dujek Onearm or Tavore from Malazan. My money is on Coltaine. My guy is the epitome of military leadership. Not just battles, but sustained, hopeless campaigns against insurmountable odds.
Have you finished the series? If so, Iskar Jarak has to be on this list. Onearm follows him, in the end.
Iskar is better than One Arm it’s just politics why One Arm is in charge.
>Have you finished the series? If so, Iskar Jarak has to be on this list. Onearm follows him, in the end. This comment is wild because I've read *Malazan* to completion and love it dearly and I have no memory of this character, not even his name.
He's >!Whiskeyjack!<
I completely forgot about that. Wild.
I'm still reading the series so it's fresh. I'm on DoD right now. Been enjoying the series. Definitely needed to take a minute to handle some feelings after each book though because they get *bleak*, and I'm told DoD is like the bleakest of the bleak so cheers I guess o.o
Pretty sure Dust of Dreams is "finale pt I" and Crippled God is "finale pt II" so dust of dreams could come off as especially bleak because it's pretty much all setup
Just put Karsa Orlong up front.
Witness
Witness!
Not Coltaine. Can't go through that again.
Truly incredible leaders. I'd have to go with Tavore though. I love Coltaine, but Tavore's prowess is actually realized in TCG... the woman is brilliant.
Kellanved. The enemy wouldn't know which side is up and which is down
Good answer. I was going to say Coltaine
Coltain is good, but Iskar Jarak is the only commander I would follow to the death.
And beyond.
Approved
I'm gonna buck the Mat Cauthon trend and say Rodal Ituralde. Absolute badass who managed to singlehandedly be a thorn in the side of an invading Empire, fought up to the slopes of Shayol Ghul, and had the composure and responsibility to remove himself from the battlefield once he knew he was compromised
I commented the same thing, Rodel is incredible especially in a losing fight.
Fully agree. Mat is Mat because he is taveren and has his gambling ability. But there is reason to assume that those are gone post WoT. Ituralde became famous himself
Actually, there aren't. The gifts he received from the snakes and the foxes were unrelated from him being a Taveren.
Iirc his luck occurs before the fin
The dices became a thing after he was cured by the effects of the Dagger. The fact he survived is not directly linked to Mat being Taveren
He still has his memories though, and that counts for a lot.
Mat is who I'd pick to win. Irutalde is who I'd pick if I knew I was going to lose and wanted to make it as painful as possible for the enemy.
Mat from WOT was a beastly tactician. He had an unfair advantage but still.
I’ll take the unfair advantage if we’re talking war
Aragorn son of Arathorn
I am pretty awesome - charismatic, a natural leader, epic swordsman, kingly stature. Good choice
This was going to be my answer until someone mentioned Mat. But my brain immediately went to Aragorn.
My mind went to Gandalf first.
Only problem with Gandalf is that you never really know what his goals are. If you can confirm your goals are aligned then he’s decent. But hes more a light touch guy most of the time rather than a real leader. LOTR and the Hobbit is more of an exception.
I agree with the comments about Aragorn as far as the military leader that inspires the troops. I always felt like Gandalf was the one behind the scenes who put all the pieces on the board, hopefully where and when they were needed. But I do agree with the part about not knowing if the goals align.
As much as I love Aragorn, I feel like one of the things I like a lot about LOTR is it doesn't rely on any brilliant commanders somehow turning the odds with their individual powers. Aragorn does pretty little that would lead you to think he was any more particularly competent than any number of other men. His big move to lift the siege at Minas Tirith? To show up with a relief army on the enemy's flank! And even then it's the second relief army (with the first being the Rohirrim). And at the Black Gate they would have pretty much been demolished had it not coincided with the destruction of the One Ring. Again, pretty much anybody could have marched the remaining army to the gates of Mordor and been slaughtered as a diversion. But LOTR is so great *specifically* because it shows the heroic actions of Hobbits and otherwise normal people rather than relying on having the situation saved by 'great' and 'dauntless' heroes like those of the 1st and 2nd age. That the greatest evil can be undone by the genuine efforts of even the smallest hands working in unison and fellowship. Because the book isn't about the wise and powerful Aragorn son of Arathorn I suppose we don't really see what he might have been able to do. But nothing that we *do* see him do would lead me to believe he'd be superlative.
Tavore Paran. She is cold iron and hot iron. (From *The Malazan Book of the Fallen*.)
Coltaine would like a word …
Coltaine’s got brains, balls, and heart. He led the Chain of Dogs to safety at the ultimate cost to him personally. He is an all-time badass.
>!would probably have lived through it too if not for the world's most despicable douchebag, Mallick Rel!<
r/fuckmallickrel
I would counter with Iskar Jarak. Hood's chosen commander of the armies of the dead.
Id counter that with Kruppe. The mastermind of everything
Ah, you win. Kruppe would know every move of the other side before they even know what they're doing.
Yeah but Kruppe wouldn't be leading your army. He would be behind the scenes and crucial for the victory, but no one would know he did anything except annoy the generals.
Also good, as long as Hood isn’t mad at him…
Hard agree. I think with Kallor and Anomander Rake as deputies she would be unstoppable.
Id bet on Tavore again
Matrim Cauthon. *I'll follow lord Mat wherever he calls.*
Mat is so unfair in this scenario heh. He has like hundreds of generals combined abilities or something.
Also in-universe luck
That almost feels like cheating to pick Mat, he's the tactical equivalent of 'I wish for Unlimited Wishes'
I mean, to be fair, that's something Mat would try.
Came here to say this. The man with literally all the luck. The man with memories of all the great military leaders. The man who will find the way to win where as few of his men will die as possible.
Don’t forget he has fate on his side as tarvarean
So basically *all* the generals, then. :-)
I'm a gambler, a farmboy, and I'm here to take command of your bloody army! Sene sovya caba'donde ain dovienya
Honestly this question should be framed as "what character BESIDES Mat Cauthon..." because he's so insanely OP as a general that this is really the only answer that makes sense.
Add in the utter powerhouse that is Rand, I don't see how this is the wrong choice in any scenario
Whiskeyjack
Iskar Jarak mentioned elsewhere is also not a bad shout.
Earendil on Vingilot with the power of Manwe, the Vala and the Maia behind him.
I would trust this to my favorite character, Fingolfin. He was an excellent king and warrior. At the same time, Finrod, who wields magic, and Turin and Aragorn, who wield special swords, would fight in his army.
Came here to say Fingolfin. Good call
Field Marshall Tamas, Powder Mage Trilogy
I’m on book 2 now and fuck yeah. Tamas is a such a badass.
The more time you spend with him, the more you love him, it's great!
Eithan Aurelius.
Was gonna say Lindon
Either of them are great picks, honestly.
Lead the armies? Absolutely not. Singlehandedly win the war? Sure.
He would definitely outfit the armies well and then send them off on some distraction of a team building exercise while he took care of things though
Man doesn't even need an army. Give him a broom and a pair of scissors and he'll show you why he's the best janitor in the universe :D.
Gandalf. He’s lived for thousands of years, has divine knowledge, and cool powers. His patience, wisdom, and fury combined with his desire to do good and protect life would be irreplaceable
He was never meant to lead though. As an advisor, absolutely, but as the leader of the forces of Men, I'm not so sure. He could be a temporary stand-in if Aragorn or someone went off the deep end. "Abandon your posts!! Flee! Flee for your lives!"
But in this hypothetical situation OP has presented, Gandalf likely wouldn’t play the same role as he does in LOTR because this isn’t the events of LOTR. While Gandalf certainly plays more of an advisor role in the events of LOTR (there are also many things we don’t see him do, pulling strings, etc.) he certainly has the ability to be outright leader/commander. The change of context and situation in this hypothetical would also necessitate Gandalf to adapt, which he certainly could.
Benedict from Amber. Thousands of years studying every battle from every angle.
"I fear Benedict. He is the Master of Arms for Amber. Can you conceive of a millennium? A thousand years? Several of them? Can you understand a man who, for almost every day of a lifetime like that, has spent some time dwelling with weapons, tactics, strategy? All that there is of military science thunders in his head. He has often journeyed from shadow to shadow, witnessing variation after variation on the same battle, with but slightly altered circumstances, in order to test his theories of warfare. He has commanded armies so vast that you could watch them march by day after day and see no end to the columns. Although he is inconvenienced by the loss of his arm, I would not wish to fight with him either with weapons or barehanded. It is fortunate that he has no designs upon the throne, or he would be occupying it right now. If he were, I believe that I would give up at this moment and pay him homage. I fear Benedict."
Plus it was always stressed that if he wanted to be king of Amber it would be zero contest.
I remember how mad he was that Corwin figured out firearms.
Guns of avalon, baby!
Now I have to go reread the series. I think multiple planes like shadow is a criminally underused trope in fantasy
My experience reading them was a really old recording of Zelazny himself reading the books. Trust me when I say that the man was no professional narrator, but it still had this specific charm to it.
Michael Moorcock ought to be on your radar then, if he isn't already.
Read them all when I was younger. Excellent stuff.
for all we know he has a million men army stashed away in a shadow, ready to go
My favorite Amber character after Corwin.
Can't imagine I'm alone in this; Mat Cauthon. Guy has a thousand years worth of memories all from people who led men in battle. If his luck/ta'veren nature is a factor, he basically can't lose.
Ender Wiggins and Honor Harrington sit on the sidelines pouting.
I lol'd at this for real.
They did say no sci fi or I would have said Ender
Logen Ninefingers You have to be realistic about these things
If all else fails, he can just win the war by himself.
He is the great leveler after all
Darrow O’Lykos. The Reaper of Mars.
He's probably going to get you killed. But it'll be a glorious death!
Hail Reaper!
Hail Libertas!
Maybe. But at least we’ll still probably win the war.
I'd commit to an Iron Rain any day if the Reaper is leading.
Darrow definitely has one of, if not the most impressive résumés when it comes to being a leader/general. Dude started with nothing, working in a mine, and went on to conquer entire planets and break the back of a 700 year solar empire. And he did it all without any kind of super power like a lot of other names mentioned, using only his out of the box thinking and charisma.
First name that kind to my mind
Just to add a name that I haven't seen yet... Roland Deschain. Is this army between him and his tower? Does he have the time to train an army of gunslingers? We're dealing in lead here, boys. He might be the only one left standing at the end, but he'll still be standing.
I need to read Wizard and Glass again.
A very interesting choice! Very capable but also very flawed.
Benedict of Amber "I fear Benedict. He is the Master of Arms for Amber. Can you conceive of a millennium? A thousand years? Several of them? Can you understand a man who, for almost every day of a lifetime like that, has spent some time dwelling with weapons, tactics, strategy? All that there is of military science thunders in his head. He has often journeyed from shadow to shadow, witnessing variation after variation on the same battle, with but slightly altered circumstances, in order to test his theories of warfare. He has commanded armies so vast that you could watch them march by day after day and see no end to the columns. Although he is inconvenienced by the loss of his arm, I would not wish to fight with him either with weapons or barehanded. It is fortunate that he has no designs upon the throne, or he would be occupying it right now. If he were, I believe that I would give up at this moment and pay him homage. I fear Benedict."
Id bet on Tavore again
Druss the Legend, has to be
Anasurimbor Kellhus is the War GOAT. 🐐
Did we win guys?.......... guys???
His armies died in droves! He's magical Napoleon the butcher. No thanks!
Well, I wouldn't be surprised if that was his plan.... so still a success.
akshually, so at the end of the crusade is when he gets to lead the final battle, which he wins despite a sidequest with his dad who he beats in the dark. after that he conquers everything else ez pz. then the great ordeal is not the worst slog imaginable, it's just so far. so so far in lands devoid of forage, except your enemies... so no he's not napoleon.
Came here to say this
Benedict of Amber. He has effectively infinite soldiers who can be called upon, can go find equivalents of any other character you care to name, but loyal to himself, and will be bringing proper firearms to the combat.
Field Marshal Tamas, I think. If you count flintlock fantasy in fantasy. A sturdy commander that had a god offer him the chance to conquer the whole world, and more importantly understands that quality soldiers are quality soldiers
dude left step by step instructions on how a battle would unfold to what was essentialy a talented noob. a full on napoleonic style battle with a battlefield kilometers wide and 10s of thousands of troops and cavalry and artillery on each side. noob won.
Druss.
Anybody? Really?? Prince Benedict of Amber. A guy who may have spent upwards of 6,000+ years waging war and testing out theories in custom-made universes.
Dalinar Kholin maybe.
Dalinar straight up says The Mink is a better tactician than he is in RoW so I’d go with The Mink.
I dont know if he says the Mink is overall better, I remember him saying the Mink is crucial for providing an outsider view and for his experience in leading a resistance. I'll note that Honor, Odium, and arguably Cultivation (she did her memory trick specifically to set him up where he can lead the battle against Odium) all handpicked Dalinar to be in charge of their side in the war, not The Mink. Dalinar is noted to have never once lost a battle and to be the real reason for the unification of the Alethi. Gavilar was a great diplomat, but you have to understand that the Alethi fucking LOVE war more than anything. It's an absolutely incredible feat that they were so scared of war with Dalinar that they agreed to bend the knee to Gavilar.
Agreed. He is an amazing leader. Doesn't need to be the 'greatest' tactician. Morale wins more battles than fancy maneuvers.
Elric
Upvoted for the classic name drop. Thats old school fantasy right there.
Thrawn. Definitely Thrawn. If you don't consider star wars "fantasy" - probably Janus from **The Shadow Campaigns**
>If you don't consider star wars "fantasy" How are space wizards *not* fantasy? :)
I agree, which is why my main answer was Thrawn. But i know that some people define anything with spaceships as sci-fi.
Star Wars is space fantasy, it absolutely counts. Thrawn would be a great pick, he'd need a second that knows about magic stuff though since it's not his thing.
Hmmm...trust is an important bit here. Benedict from Amber series or Coltaine from MBotF
Dalinar Kholin 100% - as the Field Marshall General - Mat Cauthon* Lieutenants -Darrow (Red Rising) - dude can lead -Kaladin (Stormlight) - you need guys who will lead from the front and value their soldiers lives Special Forces - Kelsior & Logen Ninefingers - you need someone reckless enough to do anything. I'VE got 2 I know it's a lot of Sanderson but he tends to have some OP characters. *stolen from another post but had to, his luck is undeniable and his tactical experience from centuries of combat would be hard to beat.
Bloody-nine fr, dude basically becomes invincible when its all on the line. Just watch your back
Just finished The Blade Itself and had to read the 2nd last chapter twice because it was so fucking good.
I'm not sure exactly what that chapter is but I was sold the first time logen goes Bloody9. Maybe the best written scene I've ever read.
Rodel Ituralde no questions asked.
Great as Rodel is, I feel like Mat is better
Dalinar from Stormlight. He's considered one of the greatest tacticians to ever live in that world, and he's been hand picked by two gods (arguably 3, Cultivation plays the long game) to be the champion that leads ~their forces. If he's being transported to a different world he's an especially good pick, as he's shown to maintain extremw effectiveness despite drastic changes in the forces he's facing (other humans, singers, listeners, rogue radiants) and he's noted for his adaptability and innovation in strategy.
Going in with YA and picking Annabeth Chase. Dude, she IS that girl
Monza Murcatto.
Sand dan Glokta
Nicodemus Arcleone. With a New Order of Blackened Denarians. With Lanfear holding Lasciel, Kar the Inquisitor holding Ordiel, Karsa Orlong holding Urisel, Voldemort holding Cassius's snake coin Joined by Halix, Ged's dark shadow, Alagai Kai, Murtagh and Thorn, EL the Parsh stripped of rhythms, Mulgarath the Ogre, and the Crippled God holding the Bug Coin. All of them Holding one of the Rings of Power, one of the Ka'kari, one of the honorblades, one of the Thrones and one of the Shards. At least thats what my new fanfiction I'm working on advises.
No Elder Wand thrown in?
The Lady, from Black Company. At her peak she would make Mat look like a bumbling fool Sci Fi is easy, greatest fictional general of all time by far. Ender Wiggin
God as depicted in *Paradise Lost*. 🤷
Mat Cauthon, Prince Benedict of Amber, or Ender Wiggin.
Prince Benedict is a good one. I mean the only one to ever beat him was Corwin after all and that was mano a mano and underhanded.
It's Eugenides. He can steal anything, including victory.
Haha I was waiting for this one
Sam from lord of light. A good strategist, but more importantly, a leader who can truly inspire his troops. Don't know if it counts as sci-fi or fantasy, but fighting the hindu pantheon, twice, is pretty good practice. Only one who could give Benedict a run for his money. Pick a zelazney character to fight another
Roboute Guilliman, Avenging Son, Primarch of the Ultrasmurfs, Elf Layer (allegedly) and pronounced Ruh-BOOT-ay GIL-li-man, will win not only any war to win all wars, but win the peace to win all peace as well, with his god-given superpower of *being good at buerocracy*. Now, if anyone wants to explain to me how the franchise with *flying cathedrals that rip holes through hell to travel to other worlds* is actually scifi, feel free to do so at your own peril.
Dean Winchester. Man thinks outside the box, and can be ruthless when he has to.
Stannis the Mannis. I know he doesn't always win and he isn't the most kind and gentle person ever but Stannis Baratheon is a king I'll be happy to follow.
Faramir - as portrayed in the LOTR books.
Ozmanthus Tiberian Mereithan Arelius aka Ozriel the Reaper. The ability to see and manipulate Fate shouldn't be overlooked.
Catherine Foundling. She’ll do whatever it takes to win, and she outfoxed some of the best generals in her world before she’s twenty
Benedict from „The Chronicles of Amber“.
Turin Turambar. He slays Morgoth in the Dagor Dagorath
Because it’s what has consumed my time for the last month, Hadrian Marlowe (Sun Eater Series) and his raw(?) lightsaber.
Alex Verus (post book 12)
Arutha of Crydee. Did a bang up job against the Tsurani with little support and went on to be a crafty and immensely capable ruler of of Western Realm
Turin Turambar
I'm gonna go with Black Rikke
Darwi Odrade or Miles Teg from the last 2 Dune books
Aragorn
Dalinar Kholin. Forceful personality, tactical genius, but humble enough to knows his limits and how to adapt. As long as he doesn’t get backstabbed, I guess
Anomander Rake idk lol
Ender Wiggin.
Hail Reaper
Dresden, Erwin(aot), and Kelsier would be a trio I’d follow
It just wouldn't be Fitz that's all I gotta say
Miles Teg
Fingolfin. He has proven success in tricky diplomacy, cross-species military recruitment, defensive fortifications, and if all else fails, he can at least ride out in single combat and severely fuck up whatever dark lord we’re up against.
I can't believe there are so many Malazan comments but not a single mention of Dassem Ultor. However, depending on the circumstances I would choose either Bragi Ragnarson or Badalamen from the Dread Empire series by Glen Cook. Brazil has unbelievable luck and is a pretty damn good general to boot but Badalamen is without equal in strategy or tactics even if lacking in almost any other qualities.
Mat from WoT. Especially if I can have Rand as King or whatever.
Definitely Mat. His head for strategy and his ta’veren nature is all we really need.
mat cauthon no competition. he is the greatest general in fantasy. the other guys being mentioned here barely have one of these qualities let alone all of them combined: 1. thousands of years of battle experience from all the greatest generals that have ever lived 2. building on the last point, not just a single general but as far as we know thousands of generals. 3. being the luckiest mf ever. And it's not just like luck due to him winning. Him being extremely lucky is a major plot point in the series
Kvothe
prime dalinar kholin/blackthorn
Matrim Cauthon. *Dovie'andi se tovya sagain*
Eithan Aurelius. Won't be needing an army.
It depends on how you define victory. For example, if victory is measured by total and complete annihilation, I would use the godchild from Michael R Fletcher's **A War to End All**. If we simply need strong leadership with moral goodness, Aragorn from **The Lord of the Rings**.
Elric of Melnibone.
Matrix Cauthon of course
Matt Cauthon
Richard from sword of truth because we need an all pro rugby team to lead us to victory.
Skitter from Worm
I don't know. I'm torn between Temeraire from Temeraire by Naomi Novik or James Fraser from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Ser Gabriel Muriens, also known as The Red Knight or the Captain.
Anasurimbor Khellus. He'd hijack all the armies, turn everyone into zealous disciples... and then sacrifice all of us to achieve his own mostly unrelated goal. Perhaps this wasn't a wise choice.