User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 463: Black Carpet, Review./@comment-1776824-20151123213644/@comment-25111584-20151124073512

@God: No, go away. Just disable blog comments. Otherwise you might as well use shitty RWA. e_e

@Rai: The main point is that you believe that Mavis not making any tactical blunders. Here's the blunder:
 * Mavis thinks that the only effect of Natsu being captured is a reduction in FT's power.

That is absolutely flawed thinking. Mavis knows how FT thinks. If a precious member like Natsu is held hostage, FT immediately throws in the towel. Yeah, I know that Alvarez Empire holding some random person hostage should also make FT surrender, but I'll just believe that FT has matured somewhat. Anyway... Natsu's capture means instantaneous defeat for FT and Mavis not considering that is serious stupidity.

As for sending Gray and Laxus to extract Natsu rather than to the south... I completely agree that Graxus heading South would be a huge boost for the forces there, but what you fail to realize is that freeing Hargeon is just one battle in a war. A major battle, but still just a battle. Natsu's capture is a loss of the entire war. If the in-universe opinion is that Natsu can hold out for some time against Zeref, surely an extraction mission would not be considered impossible? Especially given the fact that it is an extraction operation rather than a rescue operation? And that Natsu is on the frontlines rather than deep in enemy territory? We might say that Graxus might not be able to rescue Natsu, but that's an out-of-universe perspective. If Mavis believes that Natsu can hold out, it would be stupid for her to believe that Graxus can't save him. For any strategist worth their salt, Avoiding losing a war >>>>>>>>>>>>> Winning a battle. The southern battle might well prove too much for the heroes without Graxus, but do you mean to say that Mavis considers Natsu's battle against Zeref's army to be simpler than the souther battle?

Simply put:
 * Graxus extracting Natsu at the cost of the southern battle >>>>>>>>>>>>> Graxus winning the southern battle at the cost of Natsu's capture''
 * Graxus getting captured alongside Natsu is no more disadvantageous than Natsu getting captured, but Graxus and Natsu escaping from Zeref is far more likely than Natsu defeating Zeref.

Mavis thinking otherwise is the tactical blunder.

Again, the emphasis is on Graxus bringing Natsu back rather than reinforcing him. And you do realize that, for the getaway, I mentioned people like Jet, Carla and Panther Lily? Let the first one be somewhat useful, yeah?