WoT Favorites: Blademasters

[Dionysus]

The polls are all done, if you haven't voted in any of them you better do so quickly. On Sunday, April 9, the finals will begin.

 

The tenth poll question is Who is your favorite foreigner?

 

note: Loial isnt really a foreigner to Randland, but Ogier are seperate societies, and I havent been able to place him in a poll question yet, so I made this one specifically to put him in, and some more of the Aiel which have been under represented (Aviendha).

 

Poll 1: Who is your favorite Forsaken

 

Poll 2: Who is your favorite Military Leader

 

Poll 3: Who is your favorite Aes Sedai

 

Poll 4: Who is your favorite Land Ruler

 

Poll 5: Who is your favorite Post-Breaking Pre-Rand Character

 

Poll 6: Who is your favorite Blademaster

 

Poll 7: Who is your favorite of the original travellers

 

Poll 8: Who is your favorite warder

 

Poll 9: Who is your favorite Asha'man

 

Poll 10: Who is your favorite foreigner97

[Guest cwestervelt]

Tam al'Thor. Even after 15 plus years of not holding a sword he still hadn't lost his edge.

 

I don't know that Rand and Lan really don't belong on the list as neither of them have actually been awarded blademaster status. On a technical basis, Rand "earned" his when he bested Turak, but he was definitely outmatched and should not have survived that.

[Dionysus]

Ya, I was wondering about Lan but on the WoTMania Encyclopedia (where I got all the names) they have Lan listed under the Blademasters. Perhaps someone will know for sure, it is perhaps possible that Lan just doesnt use his heron mark sword because his current sword is more important.

 

Also, was Ryne from Newspring a blademaster?

[Guest cwestervelt]

I don't think he was. Just that he was better than Lan with the sword. His only mistake was that he didn't know you gave up when you were dead.

[Nygma]

I think Lan is definitely a blademaster.

 

He is acknowledged as the best of the warders. Granted, that's not just swordmanship, but it is a big part of it.

 

He tells Rand he could make him worthy of his blademaster blade given enough time.

 

He defeated 6 men in NS, a feat he himself considered possible only in stories.

 

Besides Ryne, he also defeated Toram Riatin, who was definitely a blademaster.

[Moric]

Oh yes... Aan'allein is most definetly (spelling?) a blademaster. The proof has already been provided and the sword of the Malkieri King is probably much more important to him than one with the Heron mark. And a lot cooler to.

 

But I still think Tam al'Thor is the better character. Granted, Aan'allein would probably be the better swordsman (for those of you thinking that THAT is honorable). But Tam al'Thor has more to him BESIDES the sword than Lan Mandragoran has. Raising an orphan found on the battlefield as his own, for example. And how he took Rand al Thor's fear of "a dark rider" so seriously and his Two Rivers-stubbornes (spelling?) too for that matter. Have loved that character from the beginning.

 

Moric of the Singing Wind Sept of the Miagoma Aiel

[alCal]

Couldn't really decide whether I liked Lan or Tam the most, but I ended up picking Lan. He is one of my overall favourites, and his history is so...

Can't find the word, but him beeing the uncrowned king of Malkier makes him very special. And cool.

[Moric]

I dunno... Sometime's it's almost TOO special, you know? Well, I still like the character. But Tam is a more... down-to-earth character. I like that a lot.

 

Moric of the Singing Wind Sept of the Miagoma Aiel

[alCal]

Yes, Tam is clearly one of the most likable characters bacouse of his down-to-earth manor. But I can't help thinking Lan is one of the coolest in the series. He's a warder, borderlander and an uncrowned king. As you say, sometimes maybe a bit too special, but since RJ hasn't really made a big deal about it, he's still my favourite blademaster. Tam as number two.

[Guest cwestervelt]

I think Lan is definitely a blademaster.

 

He is acknowledged as the best of the warders. Granted' date=' that's not just swordmanship, but it is a big part of it.

 

He tells Rand he could make him worthy of his blademaster blade given enough time.

 

He defeated 6 men in NS, a feat he himself considered possible only in stories.

 

Besides Ryne, he also defeated Toram Riatin, who was definitely a blademaster.[/quote']

 

I think it was Bashere that considered 6 men impossible. I don't have my books with me right now, but if I remember right, it is made in the first chapter of Lord of Chaos. Bashere is asking Rand why he practices against six, and Rand mentions how some past blademaster (Jearom I think) defeated six without taking any injury. Bashere's comment was to the effect of "That only happens in stories." I'm only mentioning this because, while it is a technicallity, it makes Bashere's statement true. Lan defeated six during New Spring, the Novel, but he took several wounds doing so. The uninjured makes the statement about stories true.

 

I know Lan said he could make Rand worthy of the Heron Mark given enough years, but I never saw him as actually being a blademaster himself. Maybe it is just his lack of ostentaion, something the other blademasters (with the exception of Tam) all showed. Plus there is no mention of him ever having taken the tests.

 

I had forgotten about Toram Riatin though. Lan's defeat of Toram in single combat would qualify Lan as a blademaster. At least if there were witnesses to it and barring Fain's influence pushing Toram over the edge of reason having caused any breakdown of skill. I think the fight occurred at an inn, but I can't recall it very well. I'm rusty on the details around the Far Madding incidents of Winter's Heart. For some reason that is one section of the books that tends to be hard for me to recall accurately.

[hapazard]

After Knife of Dreams I just have to vote for Galad..

[Moric]

Neh... My objections to him are the same that Elayne Trakand has. ;)

 

Moric

[hapazard]

Didn't say favorite charactar.......

Don't care for his motives but killing Eamond Valda was god enuogh for me :D

[Moric]

Well... Sure... But I take their personalities into account as well.

But I have to agree... Killing Eamond Valda is a good thing in my book.

 

Still doesn't give much fore the topic, though... Blademasters? Fighting with SWORDS. Feh... Give me a good spear any day. ;)

 

Moric of the Singing Wind Sept of the Miagoma Aiel

[Kadere]

This one is hard because a) Rand is like the coolest cat around b) Tam al'Thor can kill a lot of Trollocs and c) Be'lal is a BADASS with his sword in Dragon Reborn, BUT I have to go with Lan because right now he's the best sword fighter we've got and we must all see the Crane fly again.

[Cam]

Tam al'Thor. Even after 15 plus years of not holding a sword he still hadn't lost his edge.

 

i seem to recall that tam took a wound from a few trollocs and needed to be healed or die...not waht i would call blademaster material...im sure he WAS back in the day but not so much now...

 

but come on, is there really a question? LANLANLAN!

[Guest cwestervelt]

I seem to recall that Lan took a wound from a few people in New Spring: The Novel.

 

Tam was surprised and outnumber by a group of Trollocs that had a Myrddraal somewhere nearby that was leading them. Considering the size difference between humans and Trollocs, and the tendancy for a single Myrddraal to take down even a couple of Aiel, taking only one wound is doing pretty damned good. At least as good as the "impossible" six on one where your oponents are human sized. To top it off, the wound wasn't much more than a scratch, the problem was that Thakandar forged weapons have a taint that makes them as good as poisoned. That is why Healing was needed. The wound itself was minor.

[joeybsmash]

i don't think that the books say this outright, but i think all the warders are blademasters. it is somewhat given to be understood.

[Dionysus]

They are very good with the sword usually, definitely not Blademasters in the sense we are talking though.

 

Alanna was going to bond Perrin, does that mean that he would have been a blademaster all of a suddenly? The bond has some benifits, but doesnt make them blademasters :)

[RJ Haran]

Lan did take wounds from a few people in New Spring, once when he was surprised and taking 6 people on at once, the other time when he was going against his old teacher, who he just discovered was a df, so was probly shaken a little by that. Also the person he was going against was a blademaster. Plus Lan was still in training. So yes Lan did get hurt a bit in NS, but I think this does not detrackt from his credibility as a blade master.

 

Sorry if there are some mistakes in there, It's been awhile since I've read NS.

[girl-in-the-army]

hello!! must be gotta be Lan, why no blademasters blade? well I think it's much like why a third degree black belt does not run about always in w white set of pajamas with a black belt, when your that dang good there is no need to show off or announce it to the world, just makes a bunch of little pansies who want to prove themselves bother you all the time, Lan knows he is good, nobody else needs to knw!!

[Artemis]

Come on people!!! Its gotta be Be´lal!!!

So...we meet again Lews Therin...

[Moric]

Hehe... "Your powers have grown weak, Kinslayer."

 

Nah, Tam al'Thor is still best. ;)

 

Moric

[Ozhammer]

Im thinking Tam al'Thor. He has no special bloodline (such as Lan or Toran or Suroth) and had to learn the sword with no experience, gaining skill and acceptance the hard way, by earning it.

The fact is that yes, he was injured when Trollocs attacked his farm, but he had the prescence of mind and muscle memory to kill a few. I think he is the most endearing character of all the masters, but I think if you look where he came from, his credentials are the most impressive.

[Moric]

Quite so.

 

M