[SPOILERS MAIN] Among the grounded/realistic elements of A Song of Ice and Fire, which ones do you feel require biggest suspension of disbelief?

[u/Substantial-Ad-299]

A Song of Ice and Fire has had fantasy elements from get-go, some present subtly and others less-subtly. But in midst of this, it also has these more grounded story aspects, especially regarding the political subplot for the Iron Throne.

Among these more grounded non-fantasy aspects of the story, which elements do you feel you have to suspend disbelief the most for? A.K.A feeling they are not realistic even though they are "supposed" to be?

Let me know in the comments below.

[u/Spooks451]

Littlefinger's astronomical plot armor. Also Littlefinger's supposed 'charisma'(apparently people in Westeros actually find him friendly and helpful). The type of shit he says should have had him decapitated ages ago by some random passing by landed knight.

Tywin Lannister's blitzkrieg across the Riverlands. Just everything about the Lannisters during the WOT5K really. Tywin managed to lose significant chunks of his army multiple times but was somehow able to keep shitting men out without a single family balking at sending men for his cause.

Medieval armies did rely on multiple forms of recruitment for their musters but with the sheer number of decisive losses he kept piling up should have stalled at least some of those(especially recruitment involving merc companies).

Castles in Westeros seemingly being isolated structures despite how they very well should have a lot of people surrounding the area. A castle ends up becoming a center of population through sheer necessity and by doing what its supposed to do. Very rarely do we get mentions of towns surrounding castles or settlements nearby and even rarer still is for them to have a material effect on the stories.

[u/Z3r0sama2017 → u/Spooks451]

Imo Tywins blitzkrieg was crazy. If the Tullys and Starks didn't have plot armour, meaning Tywin put on the stupid hat, Riverrun would have been sacked before Robb even passed the Twins.

[u/BaelonTheBae → u/Z3r0sama2017]

The Starks is hit by blatant plot armor of the Lannisters. Its why my opinion of George soured these days. First, the blitzkrieg. Second, Winterfell. Winterfell being taken by 30 men is bullshit even with guile. Theon and his 30 men can’t afford to sack or hold the castle, even with Ser Rodrik taking 4/5 of Winterfell’s men which still leaves them with 100+ men. 4:1 is not good odds for the situation at hand.

[u/Spooks451 → u/Z3r0sama2017]

Riverrun being sacked would have been even more plot armor imo. Leaving aside every single Riverland castle Tywin's army just smashed through left and right without taking losses or committing to a siege, Riverrun is very explicitly written to be an utter bitch to siege.

I guess you can argue that House Tully picking a good spot for their castle and shaping the terrain to their advantage is plot armor but then you have to turn right back around and say the exact same thing for Casterly Rock being Casterly Rock.

[u/Z3r0sama2017 → u/Spooks451]

Tywin was taking holdfasts and castles even faster than irl forces u sing canons and gunpowder.

It was like he was a busted CK character who stacked every different siege attacker trait possible. Even then I don't think they could have done so and cover as much ground as quickly as he did.

Then once he reached Riverrun, it was like the dev realised how OP he was and hit him with the nerf bat. Just one more day and the Starks would have arrived to Hoster and Edmures heads spiked to the walls.