J C wrote: > 3) Vlad is not invincible as a physical fighter; he is just very > lucky, and very skilled. He knows how to pit his unorthodox stance > against people who've never experienced it before--and let's face > it--not many who deal with it once deal with it a second time. This > means that his opponents will always be caught off-guard the first > time. Only one that survives or does his homework really well (like > the Jhereg will and have) will know what to expect. Also, we have > seen a *top-notch* Dragaeran swordsman stymied by Vlad's ability. > But it must be pointed out that Vlad has had more close calls than an > entire generation might have. He's been wounded innumerable times, > and extremely badly at that. He keeps coming back, for the most > part, because he knows Aliera. Without her, Vlad would have been a > very interesting footnote in Dragaeran history. All that works well for attackers who aren't prepared for him. But now he owns a Great Weapon. He will soon become much better known than he ever was before.