Yeah, I think a magic circle is fine for blocking "regular" magic, but not Eye-of-Balor caliber magic.

Really-major circles might work -- the one for MacFinn was supposed to be able to handle hugely-powerful beings (honestly -- from Harry's description -- much more-powerful than a mere Loup Garou! (*)).  The ones the Denarians cast, to capture & hold Ivy.


(*) Come to think of it, that Circle was really weirdly over-powered.  Who'd use demigod-binding magic for a werewolf!!?!

They got the specs for Demonreach max security - that's the circle they use for the heavy hitters like Ethniu....

They might be fewer than they were, but I wouldn't want to screw with them.

They are fewer in the same way an antelope herd that just got chased by lions is fewer - there had been 100, and averaged 30 mph. Now they are 75, but average speed is 33 mph. Fewer, but the average antelope is faster than the average before

I think it remains to be seen how formidable they remain; the modern White Council may be a bit of a Paper Tiger.  A few formidable members, like Eb & most of the Senior Council, many of the Wardens, a few others...  But (particularly with the influx of very-young & inexperienced Wardens) the overall combat fitness of the WC is surely reduced in the post-VampWar era!   Certainly there are many WC wizards who are little to no use in combat, nor even much use for logistics/support.

Their numbers are down after their wars. They are likely not as strong as they once were. But consider the survivors now are blooded veterans. The young wardens who survived the wars are now considerably more dangerous per man than before, and many of their opponents have also been weakened.  The Blamps have never recovered from Dracula - sure, the survivors are the stronger deadlier ones... but so few. The Ramps are GONE. The Whites lost a number of high ranks in the Deeps, and they do not infect, they breed, and Lara is even less an open warfare type than most.  The Fomor were hurt in the battle of Chicago - with few wizards involved, their big gun taken away. And trying to take out a noncombatant former KOTC might draw attention. Plus... the surface powers that be will now know more about them.  Who isn;t damaged? Outsiders? The WC was not going to be such a deterrent to them already

Dragon's Breath are commercially available shells - I think pyrophoric magnesium powder. Nothing magic there, you can buy them yourself. Actually when they tried to make holy bullets, of engraved silver, the church said their inaccuracy meant the lead bullets were the Devil's work.... when actually, it was merely the harder silver didn't take rifling well.

Wonder, though, if you could get a chip of mordite in a bullet.... would that affect an Outsider? Supposed to be anti-life, yet the Mistfiend was alive

lThe problem with having power is knowing when to act and when not to. Act to soon and you can trigger bigger problems.
In the grand scheme of things how strong is the white council. I know everyone thought it was going to win against reds but how strong  do you think it is. In the real world the US can beat any nation but it rarely uses its army. Same with all the major powers cause the other may use the small power to fight as a proxy

If you want the military analogy, it is not that you can beat anyone, it is that you cant beat EVERYONE. You can beat the toughest guy in the biker gang - but there are 15 in the bar, you get in a fight, you get your ass kicked. 

I thank you for the update, but I am afraid I have reached the point of "I believe it when it is actually printed and shipped"

Naw, they still want him dead, doesn't matter if he has pissed them off since or ever has.  Its like Carlos, he drank the kool aid big time, a lot of has to do with getting mangled because he tried to have sex with the Winter Lady, I suppose he blames Harry for that.. Or is it jealousy?  Think about it, Harry gets to play in a lot of different sand boxes, while Carlos who has always walked the straight and the narrow, can't or in the case of Molly almost loses his manhood while trying.. Which may be his problem...

But there is the "want him dead" and "willing to kill him/have him killed" and a difference between the two. They are not sending Eb out after him. Yet, at least. 

He already has, there are those who want him dead..

Not since he got kicked out. Hasn't peeved people off since. They wanted him dead before, still want him dead, and will want him dead until they die, which Marcone has noted happens a lot to Harry's opponents, whether he wants them dead or not.