Triple Threat Match!

[Skulli]

Inspired by feliciano182's thread about a "who would win" scenario, I propose a 3 way war.

The Companions vs. the Dark Brotherhood vs. the College of Winterhold.

Assume these three organizations declare total Jyhad on each other and plans for warfare are put in motion. Which group is left standing when the dust settles and the smoke clears?

Have fun!

 

[The Laoch]

College of winterhold, if they were controlled by human players they could be healing each other and shooting chain lighting. I feel the DB would lose first ,and the companions could slug it out to the end, but could up short since many have fur armor.

 

[Skulli]

Honestly, those are kind of the results I expected too.

Unless the DB infiltrated one of those halls while the occupants were sleeping and engaged in some throat cutting action, either other faction should make short work of them in the open.

To beat the mages, the Companions would have to get toe to toe and interrupt casting, where cloth wearers would fold like a cheap tent.

From range it'd be spells vs. archery and I agree that favors the wizardly types.

 

[Zyphur]

The college just because there's a lot more of them I think; and they're mages.

 

[Psiberzerker]

So now Tamriel is hosting the Wrestlemania? Again, why are they fighting a war with each other, 3 way, or otherwise? The DBH are not an Army, they try to avoid direct confrontation, hence all the sneaking around. I would wager in the extremely unlikely event that this ever happened, they'd fare about as well as any other non-combatant faction taking on the Fighter's Guild, and Mage's Guild. That's like pitting the Salvation Army against the Illuminati, and the Samurai.

So, that leaves the Companions, and the CoWH. One has Magic that goes right through Armor, the ability to Summon Daedra from Oblivion, and various other capabilities. The other has Steel, and 1 Archer. Not much of a contest. And finally, CoWH outnumbers the Companions 15-10. The DBH has at most 8, counting the Listener (You can be a member of any, or all, so I gave the handicap to the DBH, they need it the most.)

Also, this matchup has been done before, to death.

 

[Redguard Illusionist]

DB might be the weakest in a straight up fight, but that's not their game anyway. One benefit they have going for them is that their members aren't exactly publicly known, not like how people recognize Companions or members of the College. If even one of them can escape the carnage of the initial battle, he/she could wait until nightfall and slit throat after throat while the "winners" are sleeping or infiltrate it and do it from the inside because for being such prominent guilds, the companions and college really take just about anyone. Don't underestimate Cicero, haha he's pretty damn annoying but he might be the baddest mofo in the game. He'd just have to make it out of the initial battle alive. No one knows how many DB members there are so it's not like they'd be able to count bodies

 

[Skulli]

I may have not been specific enough, I apologize.

Rather than implying a head to head one off scrum, the "war" I meant to explain better, is more of a protracted engagement...all three sides have time to plan and conspire, whenever possible dictating the terms of engagement and tactics accordingly.

For example, the DB may attempt to sneak into the Companions hall, or the Companions may try to separate the mages and pick them off in 3v1 type combat.

Based on tactics and best use of each group's strengths, who do you feel would have the most advantages or eventual success, and why/how?

As for "why" these groups would go to war...well why not? Skyrim is all about combat and rivalries, and besides, this is all just hypothetical anyhoo!

LOL, I just got an image of a half dozen werewolves running wild through the College!

 

[Redguard Illusionist]

Ah, I pictured all 3 squaring off in an big empty field or something haha. I want to say DB, but the Imperial dudes were able to infiltrate the DB and kill most of them off and they don't even seem that tough. Haha, I think the problem with the DB was that everyone sat around while you were the only one who ever left so they were cornered rats by the time someone came charging in. That would have to change, if they weren't lazy butts and each one actually left the sanctuary to do infiltration work, I'd give the edge to the DB, but they'd have to be much better organized and work as a collective group better than they do in the DB quest line (not sit around and watch one guy do everything).

The Companions aren't strangers to war. They have the experience, they have armor, they have big weapons, and the circle members can turn into werewolves. Obviously they're in the mix.

I think the Mages may actually the weakest group, I think people are forgetting that they're not all destruction mages. restoration, illusion, alteration mages might be annoying, but they're not really going to be a threat.

If DB acts like they do in the game then they're just asking to get stormed by The Companions or the College and either faction will be able to take out the DB in a straight up fight. If everyone acts like they do in the game then I think the Companions. Farkas killed like 6 Silverhand members that all had silver weapons? Neither the DB nor the College have anything silver.
If we're allowed to think what "would" happen if every guild lived up to their potential then the DB cause they only need to have a couple members infiltrate each guild and go from bed to bed slitting throats one night.

 

[Psiberzerker]

That's all well, and good, but you can't argue with the numbers. 15-10-7 at maximum strength. Not to mention how Stealth, Magick, and primarily Steel Tier armor effect each other. Who among the Companions, or DBH have ANY Magic Resistance? Festus? Yeah, that's about it. So, it's 15 Wizards, and their Atronachs against 5 Assassins in Light Armor with Daggers, 1 Wizard, 1 Archer, a Vampiric Alchemist in a 12yo body, and a whole bunch of Melee fighters (Including Angbjorn) Just on Strength of Numbers, and Battle Tactics, the College is at least equivalent of both of them combined.

Winterhold Wins.

 

[Skulli]

Hmmm....maybe the DB and the Companions could form a tentative truce and come at the College from two theaters of operation!

Otherwise, sadly, I must agree, 1v1, the mages would always prevail.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Somebody set it up, I'd love to see it.

 

[Skulli]

I could just imagine a DB assassin kidnapping a mage, and torturing him/her for secret ways in, schedules and routines!

Or a pack of lycanthropes romping through the Sanctuary and fighting over Mothers bone marrow!

 

[Psiberzerker]

I could just imagine a DB assassin kidnapping a mage, and torturing him/her for secret ways in, schedules and routines!

Or a pack of lycanthropes romping through the Sanctuary and fighting over Mothers bone marrow!

Who did the Black Sacrament? If we're going to suppose outside actions by scripted NPS that have no such scripts (The Dark Botherhood don't even Backstab, it's not progammed in) then somebody is going to explain to me why the remnants of a faction in hiding to prevent being wiped out are challenging 2 of the 3 most powerful guilds in Tamriel? Otherwise, you can just make up whatever you want to say how the side you like would win, against all the odds. The only way to decide this imperically is by the numbers, and the Brotherhood has the worst. Least numer of people, least number of Wizards (1) or Fighters (Also one) and least actual weapon skills.

 

[Psiberzerker]

And besides, if we're counting what the Faction members should be able to do instead of what they do in game, then Phineas (Master Conjurer) gets 2 Dremora Lords, and Drevis can just Frenzy the Companions to kill each other. Those two alone could take them out.

 

[Psiberzerker]

 

[MrDSL]

Whoever wins is clearly going to be the group I decide to fight along side.

Case closed..