Yea the liberation of Skyrim is a just cause. I'd go as far to say Sovanngarde or death. But mostly because I think the Thalmor would end up boning the Stormcloaks. Every random Stormcloak/Thalmor skirmish ends the same way. Maybe the Stormcloaks would find a way though.

The stormcloaks don't plan on taking on the dominion alone as evidenced by Ulfric's last speech "Skyrim will lead Tamriel against the dominion"

Alone ? there is no chances for them to do so , but as Cecliff stated above me if they plan to attack dominion they will most likely try to make some temporary alliances against dominion

Silly question, really! Thalmor are a bunch of sissy's. Stormcloaks are savage warriors. Thalmor wouldn't stand a fat chance in my books.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvdf5n-zI14

No army could take them alone. Tamriel neeeeeds to unite and destroy the Dominion.

Oh then this really was a stupid question. But yea with help they stand a chance. I wasn't even thinking of Hammerfell. With the fleets they have a navy, and they have scouts if they ally with Khajit.

As for gameplay everybody is pretty much screwed against the Thalmor because of magic and their footsoldier's class AI which is one of the better in the games. I've spawned Legions, Stormcloaks, ect and the only ones who occasionally break through are the Alik'r.

But of course gameplay isn't lore.

Neither the Imperials or the Stormcloaks can fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

It would take the combined might of the Empire to beat the Thalmor.

Not the Dominion. Just the Thalmor.

and the whole Dominion.

Sorry I should probably just google this and read the lore, but -- what makes the Dominion so miltariliy formidable? Every race/faction has magic to some extent.

The Stormcloaks and the Empire can't beat the Dominion/Thalmor alone. It will take an alliance of Empire/Hammerfell or an alliance of the Empire/Skyrim/Hammerfell depending on the outcome of the CW.

Magic weapons glass armour

Magic weapons glass armour oeganisation numbers money and above all motivation to name but a few. A few isolated Stormcloak heavies may as individuals be formidable but they would be no match for the Thalmor army.

No, someone who all but already died at the beginning of the game won't win against the Dominion. Even with help.

Having your home nation as the second hardest country to invade in Tamriel behind Black Marsh also helps. Not to mention potential disaster for Valenwood intruders with the Wild Hunt.

Thalmor are a Wizard Culture, and have the magical edge over every race, if you go by averages. They are also driven, unafraid to use underhanded tactics, and have Valenwood and Elswyre(sp?) at thier beck and call. Thus filling in Niches. Even their basic guards appear to be spellswords. High Level battlemages have spells that effect whole armies (such as vampiric cloud). Spending the resoureces to put even simple damage enchantments on standard issue weapons would be worthwhile. As the Court Wizard of Windhelm says, Magic is Power, and the Thalmore have the difinite magical edge.

The Dunmer, at one time, could have filled this gap, but as a nation have been decimated by the red year and the war with the Argonians.

I don't think Stormcloaks could mount as effective an offensive as the Empire because even if Ulfric wants to lead his men to war, I doubt his men want to travel thousands of miles south to fight an enemy that poses no threat to Skyrim.

Your average Stormcloak is a guy who just wants to kick out the Empire and then go back to worship Talos in his farm. If Ulfric starts pushing them to fight in foreign wars in distant lands, it might seem like an Animal Farm type of a revolution to the common people.

Well the Empire has the Bretons to, atleast partly since the Altmer are the best, fill the gap with lack of magic. The Empire + Skyrim + Hammerfell + Another province will be enough to bring them down. But less than that they will probably fight eachother to a stalemate or the Dominion will win with very Heavy losses, or atleast take Cyrodiil completely and maybe hold it, or if the Empire had prepared well enough for a second Great war those who fought in the first might be enough, if they form an Alliance with eachother.

Nope not a chance. its not like they havent clashed with the thalmor before, they were fighting alongside the empire back then and still couldnt defeat them. one of the reasons i despise the whole rebellion thing. the SC are just giving the elves more power.

I feel like most of you clowns didn't even ready the "Great War" book you can find in Skyrim. Here is a link:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Great_War

I'll make the following points:

1) The current Emperor is a strategical genius.

2) Hammerfell refused to sign the White Gold Concordat and the Empire had to allow them to cecede or risk an on-going war. At the end of the War so many people wanted peace that had a treaty not been signed, civil war would have erupted across the Empire and not only in Skyrim.

3) Hammerfell resisted the Dominion on its own for 5 years before forcing them out.

4) Ulfric probably believes Skyrim can do the same.

5) Titus Mede II and everyone else knows that the Empire needs to be rebuilt before they can actually win a war against the Thalmor vs. end in a stalemate.

That's why when you read the dossier's found in game you see the Thalmor as conceding that they need Skyrim to stay at war for a long period of time so that the Thalmor are able to rebuild at a quicker pace than the Empire.

This is all a war of attrition. The 1st to be able to rebuild and go on the offensive should win the next war.

I should also add, that the reason the White Gold Concordat was signed is because the Empire WON the war. Had the Thalmor won the war, the Empire would have ceased to exist. Read your history folks.

I'd beg to differ our dragonborn can solo their armies....ow u was talking about someone else?

Forget the Dominion... What about the Thalmor's cloak'n'dagger predations?

The general obtuseness of Nords on such subtleties makes me doubt that they could mount any effective counterintelligence against them. Hell, they don't even know there are Thalmor fingers in the Stormcloak pie. The entire rebellion is caused by the Thalmor winding Ulfric up and setting him loose.

The Thalmor tells the Empire to jump. The Empire grumbles and jumps, giving the Thalmor a hairy eyeball while it does.

The Thalmor tells the Stormcloaks to jump. The Stormcloaks yell "NO! I won't do it! You can't make me!" while not even realizing they jumped anyway. The Empire then facepalms.

Look at it this way. The Stormcloaks and Empire can't win their war without the Dragonborn helping one side. How are they going to be able to stand up to the Thalmor.