I didn’t understand that at all: Vardis’ disadvantage wasn’t honour but a lack of skill, he was simply atrocious. We have seen so many bad sword fighting by knights so far that I wonder if it wasn’t a deliberate choice to make them look so clumsy: Is it an illustration of their decline? Or is it simply the reiteration of the tired meme that knights were like this - awkward buffoons who hacked and slashed around wildly without finesse and brains?
Tyrion’s confession was unexpectedly hilarious - the highlight of the episode from my pov. Syrio’s scene was also a welcome commentary and done well. Robb has been dumbed down too much, imo. And where were the wolves when Bran and Robb were in the forest?
The melting point of the gold took me out of the story for a moment, but in hindsight, it was dramatically better to show a straight succession of events (from Viserys threat to his crowning) than to disrupt the climax with pedantic adherence to physics.
King Robert, in addition to all his other faults is going hunting, drunk, with all of thee companions, one a brother whom he alienates, another an in-law he constantly disparages. I suspect he’s not going to survive to hear about Ned’s discovery about the parentage of his heirs.
Vardis’ disadvantage was a full suit of heavy plate armor and a tower shield slowing him down and tiring him out against the agile and highly mobile Bronn. What looked like lack of skill was exhaustion and frustration.
Bronn’s motivations were a) he seems to like kicking ass and b) Tyrion and Bronn seemed to be developing a bit of a friendship on the road. Plus I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to have a Lannister indebted to you.
He wasn’t wearing full heavy plate - and even if he had, plate is less heavy than you seem to think; if well done (and a lord should be able to afford good craftsmanship), it can weight not more than 45 pounds; what Vardis wore during the duel was definitely lighter. And those guys trained hour after hour in armour to be ready to fight in battle - which they were quite able to do for long periods of time.
Showing him huff and puff after a minute or two is ridiculous - or would be, if he were a portrayal of a young medieval knight (and not some fantasy figure).
Besides, when you decide to use a shield, you integrate it into your attacking scheme, which he didn’t do at all. And you don’t swing around your sword in a way that you lose balance - that’s just idiotic.
Sure, he might have underestimated Bronn at first but after he failed to cut him apart after his first six attempts, he should have realised that repeating the same move over and over again won’t win this duel.
Bronn’s an opportunist in the best sense of the word - he gave up his room for Tyrion’s coin back in the inn; he joined up with Cat even though, as a common mercenary, he had no obligation to do so; and now a Lannsiter owes him his life.
Have you ever been in an actual fight? A real, full-body physical struggle? You get tired at a tremendous rate.
Look at a boxing match. Two men at the absolute peak of physical perfection stripped down to their boxers. Less encumbered and in infinitely better condition than any knight that ever lived. And take a break to rest every three minutes.
I have fenced since I was ten and added Medieval Sword fighting during my army days when I came into contact with martial artists who try to revive the old European techniques. Now, with forty, I am not at my physical peak anymore but I am still not exhausted after a little bit of sword play with another enthusiast.
Swordplay is the same as real, actual, adrenaline-fueled fights for your life?
How long are you going at it? What are you wearing? How heavy is your blade? How long do you actually keep at it? How long are your breaks between bouts?
Amateur boxing does a minute of rest per two-minute round. Professional does it per three-minute round.
And really, do you think that the fight was supposed to last the two minutes we saw, or was it supposed to be longer?
But you know what? Not really interested in arguing with a self-professed expert on the internet.
No, it’s just the Bronn didn’t fight the way the noble types thought he should have.
He didn’t do the whole ‘meet your enemy face to face and duel’ like you’re supposed to, he played smart and wore his enemy down. So, it’s not like he cheated, he just didn’t fight the way you’re “supposed” to.
Having finally seen the episode, I had to ask…did the spectators at the duel seem to be pretty…ugly? The women seemed unattractive and the men seemed kind of weak-looking and pasty. Or old.
I wonder if the people of the Vale (or at least the Eeyrie) are supposed to look kind of…I can’t think of the word.
Bronn ran away until Ser Vardis tired out then killed him. Maybe it wasn’t as clear on the show. Basically running = cowardly in their eyes, but Bronn was only concerned with winning.
If you’re not interested in an answer, why ask? Anyway, I agree that “expertise” can’t be judged on the net and is therefore not relevant.
But I think that you underestimate the physical abilities of our ancestors quite a bit – or overestimate ours. I’d need to take another look at sources that compare the level of endurance as stated in medieval texts (which should always be read critically, of course) with our performance. But to give an historical example discussed in a text available online, I’d like to point you to: “Fitness has fallen since the days of Ancient Greece”
When was it said that this is the style that is “supposed” to be fought? Bronn followed the Westeros rules for judicial duels apparently closely enough to win it his way.
This wasn’t a duel of honour, like the ones that were fought endlessly during the 16th and 17th century in Europe when trials by combat were already out of style or forbidden.
Btw, here is the original text by Talhoffer concerning judicial duels and the rules that should be applied. Far more complicated and strict than the Westeros equivalent.
I think you’re mischaracterizing her as being ruthlessly ambitious (like Cersei). Some people have trouble putting themselves in the shoes of a pre-pubescent noble girl in Medieval-esque times. Not surprising, considering that there are very few stories with pre-pubescent noble girls in Medieval-esque times marketed to adults and this is not a point of view most people are asked to consider often in their daily lives.
Imagine, if you can, growing up being told that marrying a rockstar would be the greatest thing that could ever happen to you. Not being a rockstar yourself – marrying one. And rockstars are few and far between, and you live in some remote isolated town. You’d have to be really, really, really lucky to ever get a chance to fulfill that dream, and you know this.
And then one day, a rockstar comes to visit you at your house (and not just any rockstar, the most successful one in the country), compliments you and treats you well, seems to be seriously attracted to you, and you learn that your parents have arranged for you to marry. This is the greatest day of your life! You are set to attain the pinnacle of achievement open to you! And marrying this rockstar will put you in a position to help your family, through the rockstar’s connections. And you will get to live in a lively, populous big city, with great night life and all kinds of exciting things happening all the time. This is going to be a great life!
So the rockstar shows some less-than-admirable traits…so what? You haven’t had much of a chance to hang out together, so you have no way of knowing how less-than-admirable those traits actually are. And once you are offered the pinnacle of achievement open to you and it’s in your grasp, you don’t want to let that go and settle for something less. Who would?
If your wildest dream is to run a B&B in Maine, and you find the PERFECT PLACE OMG!! except it has a leaky basement (you have no way of knowing it floods every week in this town, you’ve just moved here), and someone offers you a really nice house in Delaware instead, you probably are going to say “keep your nice house, I’m getting the B&B, I can deal with the basement.” And you would not be a ruthless evil bitch vapid cunt [insert a standard insult here], you would be reaching for your dream. That’s not snobbery or ruthless ambition, that’s taking what you most want when it’s offered to you.
You are missing the point, it doesn’t matter how light the armor was or how used to it the knights were or how great their physical condition was. Someone in plate armor with a shield is going to be slower and tire faster than someone without, it is that simple.
Of course he will. But you seem to miss my point: Vardis didn’t adapt his style to this simple truth, he fought wildly without brains. And since he also didn’t even try to use the shield he chose to his advantage, he showed a total lack of competence - which was my original point.
Her ambitions are one thing. Her behaviour towards her nanny – and her sister – is another. She seems not only exceedingly self-centered, but also kind of a jerk.