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What would you have done differently if you were in command of Winterfell?

posted 6 years ago by whynotwriteme (7725)
21 replies | jump to latest

I would have set up a few huge bonfires of pitch-soaked trees in a perimeter about half a mile from the castle so I'd know exactly what was happening out there. I'm sure the Red Woman could have helped keep them burning as long as necessary. I'd have dug more than one fire trench around the castle. When the Dead showed up without the Night's King and the undead dragon, the living dragons would have gone out on napalm runs immediately. Then I'd open up with the mangonels as soon as the dragons were clear. The cavalry would only have been sent out when the dead were sufficiently dispersed and the riders would be backed up with infantry.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Shards of dragonglass all over the ramparts.

Ordered Drogon to burn the wights when they were just standing there.

I got the idea that there wasn’t much time. That the time from when the wall fell until the siege of Winterfell was within a week.

[–] whynotwriteme (7725) 6 years ago

The dragons could have helped with all the heavy lifting. They could even have just swung their tails to cut down trees for the bonfires. That would have speeded things.

[–] ATG6 (3000) 6 years ago

They had seven years to get ready.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

They didn’t plan for an ice dragon and the wall coming down in minutes

[–] Kingswood (1260) 6 years ago

I like the bonfire idea.

Not nearly enough time for multiple trenches. However, I'd have placed the trench another 100 feet further out from the wall...(see below for why).

Definitely needed more dragon strafing at the beginning...maybe have them overhead when the Dothraki charge? They could have started taking out the horde from behind as the Dothraki assaulted their front.

Speaking of the Dothraki charge, they should have fired off the trebuchets at least 5-6x before they took off. Unless, as some are saying, that was the plan but the undisciplined Dothraki tanked it by taking off before they were supposed to.

I also wouldn't have put that much of my force outside the walls. I'd have placed the unsullied outside, but behind the 'dragons teeth' trench barrier. All the men of the north would be set manning the walls, so they are fresh and ready to start fending off the inevitable wall climbers.

Knowing that they had at least one (or more) wight-giants that could be used as battering rams, I'd have definitely reinforced the main gate. I'd have also put 20-30 stout soldiers with dragon-glass pikes guarding it should the giant(s) break thru.

Other than that, I think they had a pretty decent battle plan.

[–] TexasJack (12516) 6 years ago

Not nearly enough time for multiple trenches.

They had over 100,000 men available to dig. They should have had a dozen trenches.

[–] Kingswood (1260) 6 years ago

They had over 100,000 men available

A) Where are you getting that number? Was it mentioned during the one of the earlier episodes?

B) I'd venture to guess they had maybe 100,000 people total at Winterfell (men, women, children) with many of them assigned other important tasks in preparation for the attack

C) They had about a week to dig the 1 trench as it was, not seeing them having time to dig 2 more

[–] keithmovies (627) 6 years ago

I think they didn't have a very long time to prepare for a confrontation at Winterfell. This would limit their options.

Ideally Winterfell would be surrounded by a deep and wide moat - this would be a good barrier because I don't the Wights can swim. But recognizing their time limitations, I would stick with the flaming pitch trenches surrounding the castle - one ring that is 30 feet wide and three feet deep. A detachment armed with powerful crossbow catapults capable of firing flaming darts should be posted on the ground behind the trenches as well as on the battlements. Another detachment will be archers with flame and dragonglass tipped arrows that can provide a barrage of missiles against the enemy. Winterfell forces should also be equipped with fire grenades that explode in the ranks of the enemy after being thrown at them. Melisandre can exercise the "Fire Sword" spell for all defenders; swords, which retains the power of such weapons with rushing soldiers into overwhelming forces of Wights. Infantry would provide perimeter support within the fire ring to prevent any Wights managing to traverse the pits.

[–] Kingswood (1260) 6 years ago

Another detachment will be archers with flame and dragonglass tipped arrows that can provide a barrage of missiles against the enemy.

It is odd they didn't make more of these ...as a matter of fact, I'd have spent close to 100% of my weapon-making manpower on dragon glass arrows. Volley after volley of those as the horde charges the castle would have killed almost as many as the dragons did.

[–] sgreen4 (27) 6 years ago

it's like they had no idea wtf they were doing. I know they didn't have a long time to plan but I don't know why they didn't get ready while Jon Snow was out and and about travelling the world. they could have been building moats and forts and traps and ditches and all kinds of stuff. They are fighting a mindless opponent, traps would work for them. They could have build a bridge with a hole in it and those creatures would have ran right on it.
There was no reason to charge at them. Didn't they know that there were outnumbered by more than 10 to 1 ? How could they not know that !?
They should have been pouring hot oil down the walls and burning those guys. I would kept mostly everyone in. The others should have spread out more. Jon Snow and Dany should have flown ahead earlier to see what was going on .

[–] necramonium (224) 6 years ago

I was wondering about that, castles always had oil in stock for when they were under siege. Maybe that don't use it in the GOT universe. Can't remember a siege in the game where the used it as well.

[–] TexasJack (12516) 6 years ago

Burning oil barrels were sent over the side of The Wall when the wildlings attacked.

[–] chrisjdel (2714) 6 years ago

Yes, I definitely thought they should've done that. The pendulums that the Night's Watch used to sweep the wall face clear of climbers would've been nice too. Possibly not enough time to set that up. Which was the main problem here. With only a week or ten days at most, you have to prioritize. The trebuchets were of so little use (and they should've known that ahead of time) I wouldn't have bothered tasking men to build them at all. Have them work on something more useful - like a system for pouring burning oil on the wights trying to do their World War Z pileup thing.

I think the original plan as conceived by Jon was to have their combined armies face the white walkers at The Wall. The dead breaking through and getting south of it before they could organize didn't seem likely - and wasn't until an ice dragon entered the picture.

[–] Kingswood (1260) 6 years ago

You sure it was oil?

[–] ATG6 (3000) 6 years ago

I kept pleading for the burning oil, but it never materialized.

[–] mcqueen (1150) 6 years ago

stab the night king at the beginning

[–] BrunoAntony (1198) 6 years ago

Used the Dothraki for hit and run attacks around the main army to break up that huge surge.

Place the fire trench before the spiked perimeter, then have the Unsullied behind that.

Have one dragon sitting on the wall of Winterfell like a flamethrower, while the second dragon flys around and defends against the Night’s King.

[–] chrisjdel (2714) 6 years ago

Have one dragon sitting on the wall of Winterfell like a flamethrower, while the second dragon flys around and defends against the Night’s King.

Now that's a good idea! Put him high enough atop the castle that he can spin around like a napalm sprinkler and take out most of the wights before they ever reach the wall.

[–] MillerJones (539) 6 years ago

I agree with you

I mentioned this in another thread using multi trenches like they did world war so if they can do it under far worse conditions then why can't these in the show also the multi trenches doens't need to be the whole way around on in sections also setup traps.

The dragons was a waste they could of been used for so much more and what happened to that wolf I remember seeing it charge then don't remember seeing it again doing anything.

The other thing that annoyed me is when the white walkers was just stand their blocked by trench yet no one is even trying to kill them plus when they do climb the walls which looked really low they didnt do anything until they reached the top.

Which season was it they had the gun powder stuff this should of been used.

When they fired the catapults I laughed these should of been like bombs with dragon glass just like modern day shrapnel bombs.

It was lazy writing

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Which season was it they had the gun powder stuff this should of been used.

Yes, I was thinking of that stuff too, that green liquid wildfire that Tyrion used to defeat Stannis, and Cersei used to blow up all her enemies at King’s Landing. I think Cersei used it all up, and only Qyburn knows how to make it.

[–] chrisjdel (2714) 6 years ago

There's another group called the Alchemist's Guild that makes wildfire. They don't share the secret with anyone. Qyburn being a former Maester wouldn't know how. Apparently the stuff is volatile like nitroglycerin while being mixed so it's done in small batches very carefully.

Given that week to ten days, however long it was they had to prepare, there wouldn't be enough time to hire some Alchemists and stockpile large amounts of it. Otherwise I'd say create a wildfire minefield - bury casks of it at regularly spaced intervals across a cleared area. Make it big enough for a good sized chunk of the Night King's army and wait for them to fill up the kill zone. Then set them off. No electronic or radio controlled detonators - so you'd either have to do it with quick match of some kind or have one of the dragons provide the flame. Place the barrels close enough together and you only have to fire up one of them, sympathetic detonations will trigger the rest in a chain.