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I'm confused by inconsistencies regarding the dragons

posted 8 years ago by UpSideSunny (104)
20 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers ahead.

There are two things that make no sense to me.

Thing 1:

Is anyone else also upset at how easy they are to injure? First with a simple poke from a spear in Daznak, and now recently with the crossbow.

We were shown when they tested the crossbow that it penetrated an old dragons skull, however that was at close range. Furthermore, the skull was at least over 300 years old and had no scales and hard skin to protect it.

Bronn fired the crossbow from a considerable distance (compared to the test on the skull) and yet it still managed to injure Drogon. It is as though the arrow lost absolutely no power or speed despite the distance it was fired. We also see that Drogon has massive scales protecting his skin, so I find it very improbable an arrow not fired at point blank range would have done any damage.

We also know that about 300 years prior, 3 dragons were used by the dragon kings to unite the 7 realms. Are you telling me nobody had a spear or an large arrow to poke or shoot at the dragons with? Why were those dragons so indestructible yet we see currently they get their arses handed to them every time they come out to play.

Thing 2:

Also, why the hell is Denaeris going into war with 1 dragon when she has 3? Did we not just hear her threaten to jump on a dragon and fly all three over to barbecue the Red Keep a very short while ago? She is definitely alive to the fact that she can use all 3 at once (duh!). Jon snow convinces her that it would be wrong to do so since she would then be no different from those she seeks to replace (presumably due to how many innocents could be harmed).

Seriously though, if you are going to use a dragon, why not use them all and end it quickly? By not using the full might at her disposal and ending the fight quickly, she is actively allowing more of her soldiers to die in the battle.

[–] NorthernLad (472) 8 years ago

I think for the most part, they're trying to make the battle a little more even on both sides. Dany has dragons...and you're right, by all reasoning she should be able to come in and walk all over Cersei's army and take what is hers. BUT, they're making the dragons a little more fragile than they should be so this task can not happen so easily.

The answer to your second question...I wondered this myself. She has THREE dragons...where the hell were the other two? I think for the most part, they only used one because it was cheaper on the show's CGI budget. But in reality...she would have used all 3 and there would be nothing left of the Lannister/Tarly army.

[–] komrad (148) 8 years ago

Budget...Duuuuuh )))

[–] TexasJack (12516) 8 years ago

On the first thing, I would think the scenario we saw last night would be the best tactical situation for fighting with a dragon. See opposing forces lined up closely and then just swoop in and fry 'em, followed closely by cavalry to deal with the rest. Bronn's master archery in the middle of that kind of chaos seems unlikely.

I suspect the key behind Aegon's initial conquest 300 years prior was speed. Westeros just wasn't prepared to repel dragons. But given enough time to prepare, defending a castle or even a city might be a lot easier -- imagine 200 of those giant arrow launchers on the Red Keep, just blotting out the sky with arrows. This battle might have been an important lesson to Dany about her dragons.

On the second thing, I agree with you. Not sure why she held back. That's something she and her team (sorry Tyrion!) need to learn -- use overwhelming force. The plan all along should have been to hit King's Landing from every side and save the dragons to deal with the Lannister army in the open field as they marched to KL.

[–] xfool (967) 8 years ago

she cant control all 3 dragons and dragons cant distingish allies or foes so the other 2 could easily burn the Dothraki along with the Lannister army. Thats why in the past each dragon always have a rider.

[–] UpSideSunny (104) 8 years ago

That could be a possible explanation, but she obviously must have some control over the other two. Consider that the dragons are traveling with her army and not frying them alive. They are also flying openly around DragonStone. When the house of the undying attempted to steal them she also controlled the dragons. If she could do it then, it raises the question why she can't do it now.

[–] vivita (13) 8 years ago

Maybe they will need somebody to ride them, what about Tyrion and Jon????

[–] Otter (24464) 8 years ago

Yeah, I think Drogon was the only dragon she trusted to follow commands really closely and to only burn things very accurately. When she used the dragons against the armada that was invading Mereen it was okay if they just set fire to anything afloat, but in a battle like this her own men and the enemy are physically very close together so once things got going the dragon fire had to be very very precise.

She was very precise and strategic, BTW, and was smart enough to spend more dragon fire on the supply train than the actual army. Jamie is going to have a hell of a time putting together any sort of land army again, he's got no food and few weapons and nobody's going to join him voluntarily.

[–] Kawada_Kira (7282) 8 years ago

I'm pretty sure Jaime will be taken prisoner now; I don't see how he can escape the circumstances he's in and make it back to King's Landing. His army has been beaten and he himself is surrounded by Daenerys' whole army. He can hardly swim away while he's all armored up, and once he gets pulled out of that water he has no escape.

[–] Otter (24464) 8 years ago

I have a terrible suspicion that Tyrion will be the one to fish Jamie out, and it will cause major problems between Tyrion and Danerys.

Especially if Jamie doesn't stay a prisoner

[–] seguso (27) 8 years ago

"Is anyone else also upset at how easy they are to injure? "

strange, I had the opposite impression. They were not injured by arrows, they looked too invincible. LIke there wasn't any match.

[–] DarthJJ (355) 8 years ago

I think it would be more about training the dragons and the horses before taking them into battle. Can she control what all three dragons do at the same time? If not the other two would just be wildly shooting flames at anything that moved. So it maybe better to take only one in at a time until she can "remote" control the other two. It would have been cool to show the other two circling very high over the battlefield learning.

The next thing the horses would need to be trained not to bolt when the dragons start to shoot their fire. In the real world horses get scared when near fire and bolt home. So much so that horses will run into a burning barn. The Lannister war horses would have bolted at the first pass of the dragon as they were not use to seeing the unknown animal and the fire would have triggered their flight. It should have been far more chaos then what they showed.

Last, I think the ultimate reason why not three dragons... CGI budget...

[–] Xcalat3 (3754) 8 years ago

//Last, I think the ultimate reason why not three dragons... CGI budget... //

this: I'm sure they could have used all three at once and disregard the fat that she would not have been able to control them.

[–] TexasJack (12516) 8 years ago

Everyone keeps talking about CGI budget -- is that really an issue?? Is the series being produced by The Little Sisters of the Poor all of sudden?

I want my dragons and I want my direwolves dammit!

[–] Cookie.L.A. (2117) 8 years ago

<< Everyone keeps talking about CGI budget -- is that really an issue?? Is the series being produced by The Little Sisters of the Poor all of sudden? >>

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[–] winslow (1318) 8 years ago

The budget doesn't seem to be as big an issue with this scene, but more about what they can get on film. HBO released a "behind the scenes" video yesterday, and one of the most difficult things to pull off was making the fire look like it was coming from the air. They had to rig a lot of precisely timed explosives, some of them with stunt guys standing over them and really getting lit on fire for 12 seconds.

[–] [deleted] 8 years ago

Her tactics are pathetic. If she doesn't want to kill them all the best strategy would have been to scorch the land in front of the armies creating a firewall that stopped them moving forward... Lay siege to their flank with your army and wait for night fall. In the dark of night attack with the dragon and burn them the leaders. Game over and limited loss of life.

[–] Benjobuff (406) 8 years ago

Her horrible leadership and military tact has been eye opening this year. Meanwhile cersei, has really proved herself a great strategist. I'm not sure I want danaerys and her horde of invaders to win anymore. If she has to rule through fear, and not strategic tact or money.

[–] Cookie.L.A. (2117) 8 years ago

<< Her horrible leadership and military tact has been eye opening this year. Meanwhile cersei, has really proved herself a great strategist. >>

I think this has potential humor. Danny is a bit of an innocent on some levels. I don't mind seeing her brought down a peg or two. Maybe this will make her realize she needs someone like Jon at her side?
.

[–] Cornelia123 (784) 8 years ago

The thing that bothered me was that after a few minutes it was very clear that she had won the battle, and therefore she could have easily left the Dothraki to finish the Lannister army off....but no, she swooped down again, needlessly imo, in the direction of Bronn with his Huge Crossbow.....and the arrow just missed her and the dragon.....so what does she do....she swoops down AGAIN in the direction of Bronn....and surprise, surprise.....the dragon gets hit. Like why bother doing all that when you are already clearly winning the battle?

Pretty stupid, imo. She put her dragon at risk, her 'child' as she says, and herself, which isn't very smart of her to do. She better start breeding them or she'll be left with nothing.

[–] taeempy (83) 8 years ago

We don't know who can ride the dragons. Not just anyone can hop on and direct the dragons into war. Only Dany at this point is capable of doing that since she is a Targaryen and that seems to be the blood tie to controlling the dragons.

It's possible down the road since Jon may also have Targaryen blood, he may be able to hop on a dragon and lead it into battle.