[quote=@Vhagar]
[@Dawnscroll] I have to admit, while your post is well written, I'm a little confused about what exactly is going on. I mean, the very first part... why on earth would there be Ironborn raiders on the riverbank if they're making a bolt for Torrhen's Square? Following that, how did the Ironborn Fleet of forty ships get magically reduced to twenty by the time they reached Torrhen's Square? And I mean, probably my main issue... you made the Ironborn fleet seem like a bunch of total amateurs. I mean, Ironborn longships are not small at all; they're 100 oars and stand up to Westerosi Galleys. The Ironborn raiders are renowned for their skills in ship-to-ship combat, they're talented and fearsome warriors - in your post you had a crew of Northmen cut through them like farmboys. 

I know that by this point this probably seems like I'm just picking holes in absolutely everything. I would like to clarify that this is not the case, it's just that there are some parts of this particular post that don't quite add up, in my eyes at least. I did ask that Jakkon's fleet isn't totally wrecked... (yes I know I said decimated in my actual post, I didn't know decimated meant 10%, but you got the general idea of what I was asking).
[/quote]

Simple: Guerilla tactics. Jakkon's mission led him up miles of river, deep into the North territory. That's miles of possible obstructions, sandbars, and enemy territory. That means you're sailing/rowing ships, one after another, AGAINST a current, and likely with little wind to work with. All the rangers had to do was stay a few hundred feet infront of you at any time, causing problems all the while. Dump felled trees into the river and let them float down, blocking your ships. Constant archer sniping on the people on the deck, or if none is visible, tar and fire arrows into the ship itself or the sails. Ropes tied across the riverbank, causing ships to lag and whack into each other. Take your pick of possible ways a group of organized people could slow down ships from sailing upriver.

While this is going on, riders are sent to warn ahead to Torren Square to warn them. Because... like you said, those are some pretty decent sized ships. People are going to notice. That means the fleet is prepared and ready well in advanced, and waiting for you. Did you bring all the food necessary for this voyage, forward in back? Or does it seem more likely that the Ironborn would hunt/forage/raid for additional supplies along the river as they traveled. 

You might have rowers, but you don't have the wind, and you don't have maneuverability. You attacked a lake, not the open ocean. Any idea how long it takes to turn a ship, let alone turn it around? Balls slow. Or the arc of travel necessary? Impossible to do on a river. The moment you entered that lake, you bottlenecked yourselves: impossible to retreat, and the leading ships getting smashed to bits by the navy already waiting. Ironwood Ships with trireme rams installed vs Ironborn Longships? Said Ironwood ships only needing to sail in one direction to do their damage?

Let's maybe also look at it from two scenarios: If you made a bolt for Torren Square, NO stopping.... you're tiring your rowers out. We know those aren't thralls, because thralls "toil at tasks such as agriculture and mining, which the ironborn despise." No mention is ever made of them as rowers. So, by the time you get to Torren Square, your fighters are demoralized, tired, and haggard from a guerilla fight. If they stop to rest, they're picked off at night by rangers who know the rivers and woods better than they do. See also, demoralized, tired, and frayed nerves. Ontop of that, theyre fighting a bunch of DEFENDING Northmen who are fresh and rosy-cheeked for this fight.

That journey of yours took weeks when you consider speeds and distance travel. More than enough time run you down into the ground.

And, well, I DID say Jakkon and his better warriors weren't on the ship. Every Ironborn isn't a uber fearsome warrior, just like every Northmen of the One-Hearth isn't a talented fighter (Tormin got hit by friendly fire for crying out loud). But Tormin's rangers are the badasses of the group and he had them to take the ship. That's not saying the North didn't take casualties. We just had more room to play with than you.

Also, if it isn't clear... Tormin ain't exactly a tame wolf. Won't matter if you're armored, when he bezerks, bai~

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