How skilled is a Fade?

[Last_Light]

I was just wondering if anyone Knows how skilled a Fade is with a sword comparable to other characters or just average soldiers?

 

Cause in the earlier books they are made out to be very fearsome and possibly as skilled as a Bladesmaster. But then later on it seems just about anyone can take on one (ok maybe an exaggeration).

 

This just randomly popped in my head and I was wondering if there was any outlined answer or whether it was just based on ones opinion.

[Durinax]

uhm I like to think of them on a warder level of swordsmanship, but it is true how they seem to be killed fairly easily later in the series, one thing I dont get is why cant an AS just blow them apart,

[Leatherleaf]

Indeed, fades are supposed to be extremely skilled, maybe some as much as a blademaster. Likely, fades too have varying degrees of skill, some are probably better at one-on-one, some better at commanding, etc. I can't remember in which book (it might have been in the Stone of Tear) but a fade had killed several Aiel warriors. But we also know of examples in which fades have been killed rather swiftly.

 

I think that the fear of fades is stressed early on in the series, because they are some of the strongest enemies our heroes face early on. Also, fades have certain abilities, such as their shadow blending and eyeless gaze, that make them rather terrifying. Not to mention that their thakan-dar wrought blades will kill with a slice unless an Aes Sedai happens to be available to heal.

 

As Rand, Mat, and Perrin get more skilled though, fades seem to fall out of the limelight. They no longer are much of a match for the tripod nor for Aes Sedai and Ashaman, and are just slightly worse than trollocs in a true battle between soldiers and shadowspawn.

[Impressive Bosom]

I was just wondering if anyone Knows how skilled a Fade is with a sword comparable to other characters or just average soldiers?

 

Cause in the earlier books they are made out to be very fearsome and possibly as skilled as a Bladesmaster. But then later on it seems just about anyone can take on one (ok maybe an exaggeration).

 

This just randomly popped in my head and I was wondering if there was any outlined answer or whether it was just based on ones opinion.

The impression I always had is that it wasn't the Fade's skills with a blade that made them so fearsome - though indeed it is significant - but rather their inhuman speed, superior reach and the fact that they were so hard to kill while even a scratch from one of their blades could be lethal... that's a tough combination to beat regardless of how skilled you are with a blade.

 

Better to just balefire them from a distance.

[Owayn The Traveller]

They can definitly do long division. Fairly good at monopoly also.

[OptimusPrime]

I always imagined that very single Fade is identical other than the versions of Shaidar. Height, appearance, skill... In EotW when Moiraine deals with loads of Trollocs there were several Fades IIRC and they seemed to move in exact unison. Saying that its a looooong time since I read EotW so I could be wrong.

[Saguin Venart]

It seems like

Book 1: "OH NO A FADE, WERE ALL DOOMED!"

Book 11:

"Oh look fades, lets see how many the children can kill with crayons."

        "Oh no not children with CRAYONS, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

  and their screams shook the towers of midnight.

[OptimusPrime]

True, true. That makes me think of

 

BOOK 2: Hunt these boys!

BOOK 3-11: Lets go for the hardest one, the other two dont stand a chance yet.