the strongest nations of eorzea

[MoofiaBossVal]

Limsa would be the strongest as it is the only one with a notable navy, which as Alfred Mahan told us is a requirement for being a superpower. They are the only ones with the logistics and capability to perform long distance campaigns.

If you disregard navies, then Ishgard would be the strongest. Their infantry wear chainmail (better than everyone else wearing leather or just clothes), and also make use of big cannons. They are also the only city state with decent anti-air capabilities with the dragonkiller cannons and their Dragoons.

[Erinellza]

This is too biased, Gridania is much better than that.

[Raven2014]

This is too biased, Gridania is much better than that.

Not to mentioned not very thought out as well. Gridania army isn't weak, it's just lack offensive power and more defense oriented with the healers they have, so it's contradictory to say they also week defensively because they're defensive oriented.

Also U'lduar is hardly the most defensive city. Unless you want to take it down in 3 days. The things is in the middle of a desert with very little way to sustain itself. Sure it's rich, but you can't eat coins in a siege. Gridania can hold out for years, U'lduar can last about a month top (it already had a food crisis before the calamity). Also I don't know why he say Kal-E-Senna as "not very smart" while she's constantly portrait as the wisest among the three. Her action sometime is constrainted by the whim of the elemental, but in term of vision she's the one who have the most foresight. Merlwyb is a head strong leader that had made a series of shortsighted decisions that she has been trying to fix in the last 2 expansion while Nanamo ... eh, let's not about Nanamo. And if you think the Syndicate is a good governance, that would be like mega corporation and mafia organization can be good governance.

[HanWenqing]

Gridania has their big tree. It kept them from perishing during the Calamity. Find that out with one of the 90 quests in Razam Dah (sp)

Yes, but I remind you that this is a huge cost and that even now the spirits of the forest have not yet recovered

To be quite honest between the cost and the gain I really find that the spirits of the forest are useless and weak

[HanWenqing]

Limsa would be the strongest as it is the only one with a notable navy, which as Alfred Mahan told us is a requirement for being a superpower. They are the only ones with the logistics and capability to perform long distance campaigns.

If you disregard navies, then Ishgard would be the strongest. Their infantry wear chainmail (better than everyone else wearing leather or just clothes), and also make use of big cannons. They are also the only city state with decent anti-air capabilities with the dragonkiller cannons and their Dragoons.

This is a very important element but alone it is useless Limsa is currently weak, it has the least loyal army in Aeorzea, the biggest fleets are not entirely loyal to Limsa.

Limsa doesn't have a big army and has a depressed economy, they will never be able to invade Ul'Dah or Isghard which have their own fortified cities and an inhospitable environment.

The only big advantage Limsa has is that they can repel invasions by the sea

[Xlantaa]

I think Gridania doesn't need walls because the woods is not a good place to fight with armies. Also, I think the Elementals will destroy anything that can harm the forest. So, Gridania has good natural defenses. The leader is probably the wiser of all and not bad at command.

I would add the one with best defenses is indeed Ishgard. It is surrounded by nothing and only a bridge connects to the land. Also, it is pretty high, so only attacks by air may be a menace (such dragons or imperial dreadnoughts).

[HanWenqing]

Not to mentioned not very thought out as well. Gridania army isn't weak, it's just lack offensive power and more defense oriented with the healers they have, so it's contradictory to say they also week defensively because they're defensive oriented.

Also U'lduar is hardly the most defensive city. Unless you want to take it down in 3 days. The things is in the middle of a desert with very little way to sustain itself. Sure it's rich, but you can't eat coins in a siege. Gridania can hold out for years, U'lduar can last about a month top (it already had a food crisis before the calamity). Also I don't know why he say Kal-E-Senna as "not very smart" while she's constantly portrait as the wisest among the three. Her action sometime is constrainted by the whim of the elemental, but in term of vision she's the one who have the most foresight. Merlwyb is a head strong leader that had made a series of shortsighted decisions that she has been trying to fix in the last 2 expansion while Nanamo ... eh, let's not about Nanamo. And if you think the Syndicate is a good governance, that would be like mega corporation and mafia organization can be good governance.

Gridania is weak because it has been isolationist for a long time, their people are peaceful, they don't really have a defensive posture. Gridania has never reinforced any key place because they don't want to displease the spirits of the forest.

Gridania suffered an invasion from Ala Mhigo, and could not do much against the invader.

The mages of Gridania are quite powerful and some spearmen too but in general they prove to be the weakest.

Kal-E-Senna is naive compared to the other leaders, she thinks mostly about peace and protecting the forest, one could almost say that they are hippies.

Gridania has no defense structure and even worse, their lands have little chance of breaking the morale of the enemy troops. It is far from the freezing cold protecting Ishgard or the burning desert that protects Ul'Dah
Gridania has a mediocre economy also I precise what is a primordial aspect...

For example Ul'Dah is able to recruit mercenary troops / elite adventurers because it has large reserves

Ul'Dah has many commercial links in various parts of the world which is not the case for the others. As they say, money is the key to war

[HanWenqing]

I think Gridania doesn't need walls because the woods is not a good place to fight with armies. Also, I think the Elementals will destroy anything that can harm the forest. So, Gridania has good natural defenses. The leader is probably the wiser of all and not bad at command.

I would add the one with best defenses is indeed Ishgard. It is surrounded by nothing and only a bridge connects to the land. Also, it is pretty high, so only attacks by air may be a menace (such dragons or imperial dreadnoughts).

Does not Gridania have roads ? what prevents an enemy army from following such paths?

This is exactly what happened with the invasion of Gridania by the forces of Ala Mhigo, the enemy troops were advancing capturing village after village, of course Gridania launched counterattacks that proved bloody especially for Gridania

[TheMightyMollusk]

Ul'dah has plenty of money (assuming they can get the Monetarists to open their purses) and defensible walls, but being in the middle of a desert, they have the fewest useful resources at hand, and the city is full to bursting with refugees. If they get pushed back into a defensive siege, they can't hold. The Brass Blades are also notoriously corrupt and unreliable.

Limsa Lominsa has the only navy worth noting, but the pirate crews are often at each others' throats, so good luck getting them to actually work together for very long. A navy is also of limited use when the other nations' capitals are mostly land-locked.

Gridania has the most healers, but has no tanks to take the front lines in a conflict. Their main defense is the elementals, but they're capricious allies at best and are just as likely to drive the Gridanians themselves out of the forest too (and obviously they can't take it with them to fight elsewhere).

Ishgard has the most disciplined standing army, but also the least experienced at fighting anything other than dragons, and they're still recovering from the Dragonsong War.

Ala Mhigo doesn't really have an army so much as they have a bunch of resistance cells that they sort of wrangle together and try to point in the same direction, and the country as it is is mainly held together by Raubahn's force of will alone.

[HanWenqing]

Ul'dah has plenty of money (assuming they can get the Monetarists to open their purses) and defensible walls, but being in the middle of a desert, they have the fewest useful resources at hand, and the city is full to bursting with refugees. If they get pushed back into a defensive siege, they can't hold. The Brass Blades are also notoriously corrupt and unreliable.

Limsa Lominsa has the only navy worth noting, but the pirate crews are often at each others' throats, so good luck getting them to actually work together for very long. A navy is also of limited use when the other nations' capitals are mostly land-locked.

Gridania has the most healers, but has no tanks to take the front lines in a conflict. Their main defense is the elementals, but they're capricious allies at best and are just as likely to drive the Gridanians themselves out of the forest too (and obviously they can't take it with them to fight elsewhere).

Ishgard has the most disciplined standing army, but also the least experienced at fighting anything other than dragons, and they're still recovering from the Dragonsong War.

Ala Mhigo doesn't really have an army so much as they have a bunch of resistance cells that they sort of wrangle together and try to point in the same direction, and the country as it is is mainly held together by Raubahn's force of will alone.

Ul'dah has a huge army and numerous barracks all over Thanalan. Nothing would explain a lack of resources when they are the first economic power in Eorzea.
The Brass Blades are not part of the Uldian army, they are more like a police force.
The case of the migrants has already been solved by many actions taken by members of the cartel and Nanamo so it should not be a major problem anymore.

In case of an enemy invasion Ul'dah already has troops on its borders and will be warned quickly enough to prepare a counter attack, currently no army can bring Ul'dah to its knees except Isghard but since the Isghard troops are very far from Ul'dah we can easily say that in time Isghard will have no other choice than to declare a retreat