re: ASOIAF "What if?" *spoilers*

Dothraki never stood a chance.

1. They would have had to landed south between Highgarden and Storm's end. Both with armies large enough to hold them off and even defeat them.

2. King's Landing would have got them roasted as we all saw.

3. By the time they got North supplies and men would be short even with old Targaryen support. Which probably wouldn't get support anyways because of seeing what the Dothraki had done so far. Also the North would have froze them to death and they would be stupid enough to go beyond the Wall and get wiped the frick out.

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dude, winter is coming

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This could be spoiler-y for anyone not caught up with the show, maybe? If so tell me and I'll edit.

...and I don't think ANYONE, Dothraki, Westeros, anyone, is prepared for it. Purely from a military standpoint I think the Dothraki could have seized control. Could they have HELD it? Well, that's debatable. Still in theory-land, each kingdom/house has stores for the winter. Unless they intentionally destroy them to prevent the Dothraki from seizing them, I don't see how the Dothraki would be in that much worse shape than the currently ruling houses. Especially with the North actively rebelling against the Lannisters and Stannis still alive plotting to seize the throne. Without a unified front everyone stands to fall to the forces beyond the wall (whether it's wildlings or white walkers).

ETA:

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"Life from death" They weren't going to hatch without fire and a death of someone. Dany got REAL lucky

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I understood that to be related to the blood magic employed by the witch over Khal Drogo. I didn't think that played a role in the hatching of the dragons. Did I miss something? Again, show only.

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The blood magic is what helped them come to life

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Wow. Thanks. I don't know how I missed that. Embarrassing

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...and I don't think ANYONE, Dothraki, Westeros, anyone, is prepared for it.

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this is what makes the march of the wildlings and the white walkers that are coming behind them so terrifying

the andals are polishing the brass on the titanic

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...and I don't think ANYONE, Dothraki, Westeros, anyone, is prepared for it.


this is what makes the march of the wildlings and the white walkers that are coming behind them so terrifying

the andals are polishing the brass on the titanic

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The only "kingdom" which may be fully supplied for the winter would be the Vail. They have not fought in the war of the five kings as of yet. Hopefully htey are well provisioned and fully armed.

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I disagree with what your saying because the Dothraki don't storm castles they essentially run a scorched earth campaign and have no equal in the open field. The Dothraki also would have the largest force which is reported to be with 100,000 men with most of them on horseback. Then the Targaryens would have supporters in Westeros who would rise up to join their cause and you know how fickle the kingdoms are just ready to join the winning side. For example the Tyrells.

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Scorched Earth only works if you can besiege the castles and prevent resupply by sea. The Dothraki can do neither.

Alliances are great when you can get them, but an army of foreigners, speaking a foreign tongue, with foreign gods, burning and pillaging everything is not the best way to make friends.

Westeros isn't all open plains. Light Cavalry is a poor strategy in forested or mountainous areas like the North, the Stormlands, the River lands, Iron Islands, or the Mountains of the Moon.

No Dothraki army could ever take the Vale.

Dothraki are ill prepared for even a mild winter.

Compound bows lose their effectiveness in humid weather, making Dothraki horse archers far less effective against heavily armored knights.

Sure, you can harry the small folk and the lords dumb enough to leave their castles, but like Hannibal, unless you can storm the walled castles and cities, you're never more than a nuisance.

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In the war before people didn't siege storms end they were getting starved out. I can't remember if that was the Greyjoy rebellion or when Robert battled the Targaryens but Storms End was going to fall if Davos wasn't able to sneak in food for Stannis and his men.

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because Storm's End could not import the food due to being invested by sea, a capability the Khalasar does not have without a navy of fighting ships. Transports cannot effectively close a port to shipping. Storms End would have just imported food by sea and continued about their lives while the Dothraki starve and freeze outside the gates from burning everything.

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Illyrio who could provide them with mercenary forces

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this would be the only way but it would take a massive fleet. trade would basically grind to a halt because 90% of the ships would be engaged in the war

Thanks to this thread, I am just realizing something. Illyrio and Varys set up that marriage with the idea that they would make it to the 7 Kingdoms with a Dothraki horde to attempt to overthrow Robert Baratheon. Now personally, I think the knights of Westeros in their metal armor, castles, and modernized weapons would have won this war, but that it would have cost them a lot of supplies and men. But the victor doesn't even really matter. Whichever side won was sure to be severely weakened by the war and would be ill fit to fight off another threat. So a few year's pass and here comes Aegon Blackfyre "Targaryen" to claim the Iron Throne. Boom - Varys and Illyrio's original plan. Though it got torn to pieces when Drogo dies and dragons start flying around.

Y'all really think that a horde of unarmored light cavalry and mounted archers with no knowledge of siege warfare could overcome the knights and castles of Westeros?

Give me a fricking break

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Thanks to this thread, I am just realizing something. Illyrio and Varys set up that marriage with the idea that they would make it to the 7 Kingdoms with a Dothraki horde to attempt to overthrow Robert Baratheon. Now personally, I think the knights of Westeros in their metal armor, castles, and modernized weapons would have won this war, but that it would have cost them a lot of supplies and men. But the victor doesn't even really matter. Whichever side won was sure to be severely weakened by the war and would be ill fit to fight off another threat. So a few year's pass and here comes Aegon Blackfyre "Targaryen" to claim the Iron Throne. Boom - Varys and Illyrio's original plan. Though it got torn to pieces when Drogo dies and dragons start flying around.

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Illyrio didn't care whether they invaded or not. Either they do and westeros is weakened or they don't and Varys' plans are carried out and westeros weakened while also removing a threat to the throne.

It was a win/win for him