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Whos the greatest New reb/rebel millitary commander?
Note im not asking for the greatest Tactition but who you fell was the best all-round commader.

Probably Admiral Ackbar. After that, Carlist Rieekan and Traest Kre'fey.

Ackbar did so much for the Alliance, damn his fish soul to hades. He was almost the equal to Thrawn IMHO.

Solo was a pretty good General. How many other guys do you know that would have the balls to take the Falcon head to head with a SSD and win.

Ackbar. Most accomplished naval flag officer known in the GFFA, too.

Developed the B-Wing, defeated the fleet at Endor, defeated two of the Emperor's Grand Admirals, captured Coruscant, and orchastrated the Yuuzhan Vong's first major defeat at Ebaq 9, the turning point of that war.

I'm tempted to say Wedge, but this one goes to Ackbar.

Ackbar. I mean, really!

I'm going to have to say Ackbar as well.

Wasn't it stated in "The Last Command" that Bel Iblis is better than Ackbar? It's been years since I've read it.

It was stated that Bel Iblis thinks he's better than Ackbar. We all know how much someone's opinion of themselves is usually worth.

Demiurge wrote:Wasn't it stated in "The Last Command" that Bel Iblis is better than Ackbar? It's been years since I've read it.

No. When Thrawn attacked Coruscant, Admiral Drayson was in charge. That's the guy you're thinking of. Garm Bel Iblis was considered a much better commander than Drayson.

I don't think Ackbar was even on Coruscant at the time.

Ah yes, Drayson. That was the one. Ackbar was away from Coruscant at the time.

I think that Bel Iblis is a better tactician and is a good task force commander while Ackbar is a better CinC. Bel Iblis's failure to build up a large navy while Ackbar had a significant one to contribute to the Rebellion speaks much. Ackbar is better at the politics of the CinC of the New Republic Navy while Bel Iblis made a better task force commander doing the actual fighting.

The two aren't directly comparable.

Wasn't Ackbar actually under arrest for treason (stupid Fey'lya ) at the time?

Alyeska wrote:I think that Bel Iblis is a better tactician and is a good task force commander while Ackbar is a better CinC. Bel Iblis's failure to build up a large navy while Ackbar had a significant one to contribute to the Rebellion speaks much. Ackbar is better at the politics of the CinC of the New Republic Navy while Bel Iblis made a better task force commander doing the actual fighting.

Ackbar, in fact, was never very good at politics. Mon Mothma shielded him from much of that, which caused him no end of trouble during his career after Mon Mothma resigned.

I'm not so sure if Bel Iblis is a better tactician or taskforce commander, either.

Alyeska wrote:I think that Bel Iblis is a better tactician and is a good task force commander while Ackbar is a better CinC. Bel Iblis's failure to build up a large navy while Ackbar had a significant one to contribute to the Rebellion speaks much. Ackbar is better at the politics of the CinC of the New Republic Navy while Bel Iblis made a better task force commander doing the actual fighting.

The two aren't directly comparable.

Proof? Bel Iblis has outfought Daala...oh wow.

Ackbar's defeated two Grand Admirals and the momentum of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Proof? Bel Iblis has outfought Daala...oh wow.

Ackbar's defeated two Grand Admirals and the momentum of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.

Like Thrawn, sometimes I wonder if Ackbar is overrated.

He won Endor, but only after someone reminded him about the basic value of cover against superior firepower. I'm not sure anybody really knows how Ackbar won after the DS2 blew up - for the Imperial commander, it is very hard to win with a force that has lost all heart to fight, because no one would execute even a winning strategy in that condition.

I'm not really sure whether he can take credit for Thrawn. If you won because the enemy was assassinated, an assassination you did not plan, is that credit really yours? If Thrawn died of a heart attack instead, could he really take credit?

I have no idea how he might have stopped the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. SO that might be a credit.

Oops, that's three Grand Admirals--Endor.

Ackbar didn't necessarily need to be reminded of the value of cover against an enemy.

Rather, Ackbar's instinctive reaction was to get the hell out of the ambush because he didn't want to lose the Rebel fleet, and didn't necessarily trust Han to get the shield generator down (remember in the EU that the Mon Calamari tend to have a low opinion of smugglers). This is a fairly reasonable reaction to the situation, and militarily logical.

Lando convinced him that their best bet was to close with the Imperials as protection from the Death Star and slug it out long enough to give Han a little while longer to get the shield down. Lando's response was psychological/emotional; from a purely military standpoint, given the lack of communication and the fact the mission was supposed to have succeeded by then, this was questionable decision. Ackbar's choice to stay and fight the Imperial fleet at Endor could easily have destroyed the Rebel fleet and possibly the entire Alliance even without the Death Star, but at the same time, Ackbar was faced with a serious quandary.

One option, to stay and fight, might result in the destruction of the Rebel Alliance to the Empire's overwhelming firepower. It might also (and in fact did) result in the destruction of the DSII, the death of the Emperor, and ultimately the defeat of the Empire.

Conversely, choosing to flee upon finding out the shield was still up could just as easily have doomed the Alliance when the last Jedi Knight was killed or turned, and one of the most successful leaders in the Rebellion (Leia) was also killed.

Alyeska wrote:Bel Iblis's failure to build up a large navy while Ackbar had a significant one to contribute to the Rebellion speaks much.

But what of the backing? We know that the Rebel Alliance had a lot more in terms of governmental backing whereas Bel Iblis had assembled what amounted to a private army. From what I understand, Bel Iblis financed most of his war out of his family pockets and whatever he could capute. The fact that he had a fairly sizable force, including no less than three respectable heavy warships is proof he was quite resourceful.

phongn wrote:I'm not so sure if Bel Iblis is a better tactician or taskforce commander, either.

I'm not sure of it either, but at the very least some of the raids he pulled against the Imperials were supposed to be John Wayne hero-shit. At the very least he's a damn good one.

Not to mention he was Ackbar's go to guy on a number of occassions IIRC.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Ackbar's defeated two Grand Admirals and the momentum of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.

And exactly when was Bel Iblis able to do any of that? He never had the resources of the Rebel Alliance as rebel, and was relegated to fleet commands or the beach for most of the time of the NR period. And so far as I know, remained beached during the Vong Invasion (supposedly because he had alienated the government, badly).

As has been noted, Thrawn's defeat was fluke that had little to do with Ackbar's actions. And Endor was again, far more a group effort and had he had his way there would have been no Endor.

Ackbar's good, no doubt about it, but he's not the be all, end all of rebel commanders.

Stormbringer wrote:But what of the backing? We know that the Rebel Alliance had a lot more in terms of governmental backing whereas Bel Iblis had assembled what amounted to a private army. From what I understand, Bel Iblis financed most of his war out of his family pockets and whatever he could capute. The fact that he had a fairly sizable force, including no less than three respectable heavy warships is proof he was quite resourceful.

Nitpick: It was 6 Dreadnaughts, I think

The Rebellion owes Palpatine their very survival. Weren't for the stupid overconfidence, shortsighted planning and other peculiarities of the Emperor, the NR would have never come to existence.

Hey? How voted other? And who did they mean?

Crazedwraith wrote:Hey? How voted other? And who did they mean?

Look at the post above yours.

Rogue 9 wrote:

Crazedwraith wrote:Hey? How voted other? And who did they mean?

Look at the post above yours.

What? *reads post* ah crap! palpys not a NR commnader murazor you moron!

Wedge. His accomplishments aren't as great as Ackbar, nor as far-reaching, but he did do a great deal.

He built an elite squadron from the remmants that fought the Battle of Yavin, a showpiece case for the Alliance that gained such a reputation of infalliability that it was rotated for every major campaign the RA and subsequent NR relied upon. Later on as a general, he helped defeat the Empire in Dark Empire, and as a task force commander, continued to keep the peace in the NR, even when tasked to such silly battles as in the one at The New Rebellion.

Last but not least, his return from retirement in the NJO ultimately ensured the NR surivival when his campaign against the YV culminated in the Battle of Borleais, whoose successful defence prevented the fragmentation and surrender of the New Republic.