I admit that I see characters from a raw power point of view, like Dresden apparently.  Jim goes into more detail though, and it is interesting, and makes one have to look at things differently than a straight forward 1 on 1 fist fight. 

sapph42: You’ve talked about beings who were on similar (or greater) power levels as Mab – Titania (obviously), Drakul, and Ferrovax to name a few. However, I believe that list was generated before Changes. Where does Odin fall on that list? Hypothetically (assuming they exist), where would entities such as Zeus or Quetzalcoatl fall?


Jim: Your question presupposes a linear hierarchy–which isn’t surprising, since the series has come from Harry’s viewpoint, and Harry is a straight-lines kind of thinker. Power is a much more nebulous thing than that, and something that is problematic to quantify. I think a reasonably simple argument could be made that Molly is a /much/ more powerful wizard than Dresden, for example. And in many situations, she probably is. Dresden tends to think in terms of “who would win this slugfest” when he’s dealing with the supernatural world because, well, of all the slugfests.
Odin isn’t gonna slugfest with you. He /could/. But that isn’t the Allfather’s style. Odin saw you coming last year, and he made his countermoves to what you’re doing right now a week and a half ago. For guys like him, fights are what happen when you /fail/ to win with /real/ power–knowledge and forethought.
Of course, sometimes everyone’s knowledge and forethought cancels each other’s actions out, and then it’s time to get all Monday Night Nitro. No one in the Dresden Files universe is really sure how that would shake out. But everyone on that level knows that they might be about to find out


Reading his comments make me think that Odin may not have hit the Titan with everything he had.  He acted deliberately.  He knew she'd claim his weapon, setting her up.  He also wanted Dresden to end up with the Eye which wouldn't have been the case if he'd struck her down. 

"In Proven Guilty, Gregor was mentioned as the male leader of a small coven Charity Carpenter joined when she fell in with him when first found her magic as a teen and young woman. Gregor resented the White Council and their Wardens warning him and his little group of misfits to heed the rules of Magic or risk execution. He went on to teach them forbidden things on the darker side of magic.[29]

Several of his students started to vanish one by one. Charity realized why; he was exchanging them for power. Gregor realised she knew and chained her to a pole as an offering for the dragon Siriothrax in exchange for more magical power. Michael Carpenter rescues her, slaying the Dragon"

So this Gregor could still be alive?  I wonder if he's a member of the Black Council, or even Cowl.  He could still be out there. 

In the books Harry has had some gaps in his memory, and other things that suggest he may have had his mind messed with.  Eb as the Blackstaff does have the authority to mess with Harry's mind if he deems it necessary.  This could be a pretty big deal from a story perspective if Harry finds out that his grandfather has messed with his mind, so it would make some sense. 

If I had to guess it would be memories removed, blocked or altered.  He'd have done it to protect Harry, or because he thought he was doing the right thing (sounds a lot like Harry).  If so I think Eb would restore them when he's about to die.

Lord Raith has magical protection that Eb says may have come from a big demon, although he wasn't sure.  According to Jim, Drakul didn't want the Black Court vamps to have huge numbers.  He preferred a small, elite group of followers.  (If memory serves.  I don't like stating something as fact without the source link)

Here is what I think happened.  Drakul had a problem.  He didn't like the Black Court growing out of control the way it was.  They were hated, feared, and noisy.  They were drawing unwanted attention to him.  He prefers to live in the shadows, and work quietly.

So he wants them to get cut down, but he doesn't want any of his loyal supporters to know that he's behind it.  So he makes contact with Lord Raith, and cuts a deal.  "You make public their vulnerabilities in a way that cannot be traced back to me, and I will grant you protection.  Or you could refuse and I will kill you"...  Easy decision for Raith.

This is where I think Raiths magical protection is from, Drakul.

There are 30 Coins but we've only seen a few of them, and they all seem to grant their host unique abilities.  Marcone had a Coin and nobody knew, not even Mab.  So it has me wondering if any on the Senior Council have a Coin.  Jim said that all of them have a secret ability that they haven't let anyone else know about.  A Coin would be a pretty good secret weapon to use.  If Marcone could keep it secret I imagine a wizard with hundreds of years of knowledge, and experience could to.

Of the Senior Council members, who do you think would be most likely to have a Coin?

What unique ability would you like to see a Coin give it's user?

With the attack on Arctis Tor the assumption was that Thorned is working for Nemesis, and that Nicodemus is not...  What if it's the opposite?  What if Thorned and his allies actually attacked Arctis Tor because Leah was a danger to all of reality.  I think of this because Jim said that "Mab thought she was doing the right thing"...  he did appear to put an emphasis on "thought"...  So what if Mab was screwing up, and those that attacked were trying to actually stop Nemesis?

Perhaps this is where things get turned on their heads.  Nicodemus is the Enemy of reality while Thorned and who he's with is not.  Maybe when Cowl was speaking of the White Council being rotten to the core, this is what he spoke of?  Freaking A this could mean that Harry has been wrong the entire time..  The Black Council are the good guys, the White Council is corrupted, and we have all been duped. Cowl couldn't outright tell Harry because nothing, not even Angels know if someone is Nemfected. 

I wonder if Nicodemus had planned on getting the Eye, and that's what Skin Game was about.  Either a trade, or using the Holy Relics to defeat Ethniu, and get the Eye for himself...  Maybe the Eye could be used to break them from their Coin's or so he could kill someone?  Lucifer did lock them in the Coins because they were most likely to betray him, maybe Nicodemus is planning just that. 

He didn't get the Eye but he could be planning on blackmailing Dresden for it in the future.

So Jim said that Carlos is the type of wizard to beat Harry.  The fencer vs the weight lifter.  I know Harry has gotten some grief for his magical abilities, relying too much on pure power vs skill.  I will say though that Harry can absolutely beat wizards who have better magical talent. 

Dresden over the years has become a battle hardened fighter.  He's been beaten to the point of near death.  He's faced magic, guns, hand to hand, and other various combat.  He's often on his own, with little backup.  He hasn't had wardens by his side helping him face these threats.  He's been on his own for most of it, outclassed, and relying on pure grit to survive at times.

He's had to rely on more than just magic.  With all that he's learned I think he will combat other wizards by taking them out of their element, and using their instincts against them.

For example I see Harry using the Marcone approach.  Marcone had crafted bullets meant to punch through a wizards shield.  I see Harry (who is an expert in crafting magical items) using a wizards instincts against them.  Harry is losing fight, pulls gun other wizards inner dialogue "how pathetic", raises shield, enchanted bullet strikes shield, sending surge of power that travels through the wizard, horribly injuring them, but not killing.  Or his bullets may be similar to Lucio's swords, traveling through the shield. 

Carlos reminded Harry that wizards don't fight fair, and I think Harry will probably say those exact words to Carlos after beating him someday. 

Eb might be a different animal altogether.  He's been fighting for centuries and probably knows every trick.  Still, he's a wizard and has grown accustomed to fighting a certain way.  Harry might use something more modern to catch him by surprise. 

I guess my point is that Dresden understands his own limitations, and as Worf said on Star Trek when you're outclassed, and outgunned all you got left is guile.  Harry has fought the nitty gritty.  He knows what he can, and cannot do, and because of that he is a bit humbled by others abilities.  He knows Carlos is better on a technical level.  He won't face him on a level playing field, won't fight to Carlos's strengths.  He will exploit his weaknesses. 

Now that Harry is out of the White Council, and knows they may be targeting him, I expect Harry to prepare for it.  Before he always had the Council to fall back on as a last resort.  No longer.  He knows they may be coming for him, and he will arm himself accordingly.  I expect to see an improvement from him, some new tricks, and some new tools