Battle under Farthen Dur II

Last time I was of course referring to the population of Tronjheim, not Farthen Dur. Also I have discovered most criticism in Wikipedia originates at anti-shurtugal.com

Description of the battle

This battle is much simpler than the Burning plains. The Varden/dwarves are waiting at three holes they have dug out the enemy. We are led to believe that the three holes emerge over rather flat terrain. At dawn the Urgals come out in three parts and attack the three different formations. We are led to believe that three symmetrical rather independant battles take place at the same place in the same time, kind of like the battle of Kilkis-Lahanas in the second Balkan war. The first wave is burned by tar. The next waves face and defeat the pikemen of the front line then storm the hastily built defences (suffering losses all the way) and then face the main body of their enemies. The Varden/dwarves are driven back towards Tronjheim, which is rather empty. Eragon and Saphira fly at crisis points to plug breaches in the three formations and attack the Urgals from unexpected directions (without any strategic consequences, the Urgals are not turned back). After several hours Eragon, Saphira and Arya are called to Tronjheim to stop Urgals from tunneling in: This is a trap. Eragon, with Arya's help, kills Durza but both are seriously wounded. The Urgals turn on each other and break their formations fleeeing into the tunnels. Over the next three days the dwarves and Varden hunt them. On the third day Ajihad is killed by Urgals who, under the control of the Twins, capture Murtagh and defect to Galbatorix.

Critique

Durza, Ajihad and Hrothgar display bad generalship from the strategic level. More likely though it was Paolini who at the age of 15 or 18 when he wrote the scene did not know how a battle was really waged. The Urgals charge on despite the prepared defences, the dwarves do not use the hillsides of Farthen Dur to their advantage, war machines are completely absent, too much needless killing takes place. On my next installment (probably on Friday) I will give a critique by side which, I must say will not be pretty. Nasuada proves a way better general at the Burning Plains than her father at Farthen Dur...