Technically this is not entirely true, the Imperials didn't conquer Valenwood as far as I know. Tiber Septim smartly used diplomacy to allow their government to exist.

Anyone else notice the massive influx of Nord-love on these boards since Skyrim was announced? I don't mind it, lol - just a remark. They tend to win over all the polls lately. This one makes a lot of sense, though, the Nords are fearsome warriors and a very determined and persevering race.

There are other ways to conquer than by the sword...

I voted Argonian. Considering that their territory has become bigger, I would like to think that they have a large population. That together with their stealth skills is sure to be deadly.

Hmm that is a good question.I think Dunmer would win but now theyre having some problems so im not so sure about that...Argonians and Bosmers could win too they are experts of guerilla warfare,arent they?And then the High elves are good at magic,who knows what kind of powerful spells they could create together?Nords would propably win with "shouts",but im pretty sure modern Nords dot know how to "shout".

Also kind of depends that on which land the war will be on mostly...If they would for example fight in Valenwood they would get slaughtered by Bosmers with bows and they would also send some local creatures to rip off your ass.They have the creatures on their side.And dense woods.

It would rule out the true definition of 'conquering', and in this case we are talking about an all out war. Diplomacy is not an all out war. So that rules out conquest in this situation.

In my opinion, the Khajiit offer even more variance and tactical advantage...

...and caught up in a civil war, not to mention being besieged by dragons (if that's unique to Skyrim or the other parts of Tamriel is yet to been seen though).

Dunmer ties with Nord with the most votes, which is also kind of funny, since they have no homeland. But they would totally win in an all-out race war! :laugh:

Yeah, I voted Nord. They have always been my favorite race, because they are the closest to my ancestors, in comparison to Imperials and Redguards that is. I'm quite interested in Germanic history, and the Nord history looks a lot like it.

Then we disagree on the "true" definition of conquering. I don't live as a conquered person, so it's hard for me to understand, but I can imagine it wouldn't take much (and wouldn't require physical force) for me to feel conquered. Diplomacy can can be used as an aggressive battle strategy. Remember the "diplomacy" at the end of World War I? The fighting ended, but many would argue the war did not.

If we include diplomacy as a strategy in war, I'd think the Imperials get another boost. Because of their subjugation of the Empire, their network is vast--couple that with the Imperial spy network and the status quo incentive, and you're dealing with some serious power.

i am by no means ignoring the khajiit they will be the most difficult challenge tamirel could throw at the argonians similar military tactics but more diverse in form and function. defeating them will be hell on nirn and may cost most of the argonian population but in the end i think the argonians ability to breath underwater and there resistence to poison and disease and the fact that they have a breed that can fly will ultimately give them the edge. that and there experience with guerrilla tactics the argonians have been fighting the dunmer for as long as mortal minds can remember. whereas the longest war the khajiit had was with the bosmer for 5 years.

Well it depends largly on the enviorment, IMO. But in most fights I'd say Orc or Redguard, becuase they are the most skilled warriors and I think Combat would win the day over stealth or Magic.

Then again, the Argoinians did overruna and enslave the Dunmer, and if they can't beat the argonianas, they're not beating anyone

I would homestly think imperial because they have huge outposts everyhwere and they are basically the Romans when it comes to ancient real-life people.

God, just FEEL all that Bosmer Love and Support... :lmao:

Hhah yeah me too.I'm finnish(not germanic race though,but we kinda share the same history with swedes.Vikings were afraid of finns haha.) and I also have some dutch blood in me so it kinda makes me wanna say that nords would win.

I say Altmer, Argonians and Imperials are high on that list.
Khajit are peaceful guys, arent they?

I agree that conquering is in many ways, but I disagree on diplomacy being a victory in this specific situation, especially if there has been no fight at all between two races. All out war means that every single nation/race is involved in a fight. In the lore it says Valenwood did not fight the Imperials and were allowed by Tiber Septim to have a government stay intact. I agree this is a form of conquest in a way, but it does not belong in an 'all out war'.

An all out war means most of the times 'death before surrender', and that would mean the only conquest possible is by force until the opposition has no longer the means to carry on fighting.

i think the khajiit would have a slight advantage with stealth seeing as how they can see in the dark. though argonians will really shine in the ambush department walk your army a little to close to a pond and you could end up being surrounded by an argonian army though same goes with the khajiits climbing ability any forest could turn into a death trap.

:laugh: I know, right? Its overwhelming!

Some convincing arguments being made for Imperials and particularly Argonians.. hmm...

:shrug:

The Imperials (history repeated)

or the Argonians (chased the Daedra right back into Oblivion)

Of potential pairings Imperials and Nords would dominate. the Aldmeri Dominion (Altmer and Bosmer) seems pretty lackluster

Victory belongs to the Char!.. oh sorry :lmao:

I believe the orcs would have a fair chance to win.

For me the reasons the Nords have a pretty good chance are:
1) Race brute strength, only the Redguards and Orcs are in the same department as the Nords
2) Nords have brought out numerous good Nord generals, the best being Tiber Septim, who sadly fought for Cyrodiil.
3) The Nords hardly give up a fight, and if you got a big army full of Nords, I wouldn't want to face them.

Orismers lag of brain could be a problem though

Another thing to consider is the "cause." Looking at history, the Romans generally had their honor and glory at stake, ensuring commanders fought for something other than just personal gain. It largely worked; the Roman Empire was one of the most expansive and quickly-moving empires in history. Here, I think, we can give a point to the Imperials and the Dunmer. Jump forward to the American Revolution and many will wonder how a rag-tag militia fought off the biggest superpower of the day. Generally speaking, it was a combination of guerrilla warfare and the "cause of liberty." Having that uniting factor really makes a difference. Here, the Dunmer, Argonians, and Khajiit get points.

I'd say, watching it play out, that the start of the war would be sheer chaos. By the end, it would come down to the Imperials and the Dunmer--both already worn and beaten by that point. In this regard, the Dunmer have an advantage, as they are intimately aware of setback and strife, but I'm not sure it would be enough to defeat the Imperial "machine."

That's why I think Redguard have the edge. They're equal or superior to Orcs as warriors and they're smarter (though Orcs do have their armorer superiority) plus they have the world's best Navy, which has always been an edge.