This is an interesting topic. I'm not saying that his knowledge was defensive. I think most of his knowledge had something to do with military applications of some kind.
But when Avon chose to create or adapt something on his own initiative, it was invariably defensive and did not have a direct offensive capability.
I discount anything he did under Blake's orders. Those things I put squarely on Blake's shoulders.
Most things that Blake ordered him to do, like setting the reactor on overload, using bombs and mines, was almost always destructive/violent in some way.
In contrast, once free of Blake's influence, Avon did not go around blowing things up or committing mass violence/destruction when he was fighting the Federation. His were always very specifically targetted and accidentally or not, would have caused far less collateral violence/death/destruction than most of Blake's plans. That is why I don't count those actions as actions initiated by Avon. Because without Blake's influence, by his own character, Avon chose not to do things that way.
I count the adaptation of the cypher machine as Avon's idea both times. Blake could hardly have guessed that Avon knew about cyphers unless Avon suggested it to him that they should get one because he knew how to adapt it. Of course how someone chose to use what Avon created or adapted is another matter.
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But when Avon chose to create or adapt something on his own initiative, it was invariably defensive and did not have a direct offensive capability.
I discount anything he did under Blake's orders. Those things I put squarely on Blake's shoulders.
Most things that Blake ordered him to do, like setting the reactor on overload, using bombs and mines, was almost always destructive/violent in some way.
In contrast, once free of Blake's influence, Avon did not go around blowing things up or committing mass violence/destruction when he was fighting the Federation. His were always very specifically targetted and accidentally or not, would have caused far less collateral violence/death/destruction than most of Blake's plans. That is why I don't count those actions as actions initiated by Avon. Because without Blake's influence, by his own character, Avon chose not to do things that way.
I count the adaptation of the cypher machine as Avon's idea both times. Blake could hardly have guessed that Avon knew about cyphers unless Avon suggested it to him that they should get one because he knew how to adapt it. Of course how someone chose to use what Avon created or adapted is another matter.