^Yes, Helm's was good... but no more of these elves showing up out of nowhere! That was too much. The Dead Men of Dunharrow should be sufficient. I'm looking forward to it like my reward for getting through exams now... gotta have SOMEthing to pull me through. Although I suppose greater skiing time is also good...
And I second the battle of the Pellenor Fields being the greates battle ever... prompting me to compose a top 10 list of LOTR battles! this will be fun for me, so shut up.
10. The Destruction of Numenor
The greatest Kingdom of Men, from where the line of Kings of Gondor originated, with their long lives, fell because of Ambition. Sauron, having manipulated his way into a position as royal advisor, convinced King Ar-Pharazon that he could successfully attack the Gods of Valinor. They lost because of... Highlight of the Battle: Manwe, sorrowfully, appealed to Iluvatar, God of Gods, asking him to stop the Numeanorean fleet of thousands of ships. In response, Iluvatar opened a rift in the Belegear sea, and the fleet, along with the land of Numenor, was swallowed up and destroyed.
9. The Fall of Gondolin
-The hidden city was betrayed by Maeglin 'Sharp Glance', who gave its location to the enemy and urged its destruction. Gothmog, leader of Balrogs, was present in command of the conquering forces, As Dragons, Orcs and Balrogs stormed the walls and destroyed them utterly. Maeglin was killed by Tuor, when the traitor was attempting to kidnap the elf-princess Idril Celebrindal. Tuor broke his hand and threw him from the window of the Keep. The Elves lost their great fortress, fleeing through a tunnel designed by Idril. Highlight of the Battle- The Hero Turgon and his men Slay Gothmog, and proceed to retake the main square, slaying countless Balrogs and even a Dragon in the process.
8.
The Witch King of Angmar from his northern realm had long been a chief opponent of good in Middle Earth, destroying the fortress at Amon Sul and killing the last king of Isildur's line until Aragorn, utterly defeating the Dunedain. Hundreds of years later, he would prove the downfall of Arthedain, capturing Fornost and again harrying the Dunedain. In response, Cirdan assembled a fleet of Gondoran ships, and summoned all the good men of Arnor, Lindor and Gondor to attack the Witch king. They took him in Fornost, and assaulted him from the hills, and routed his forces utterly. Highlight of the Battle: Elf-lord Glorfindel, on his white horse, overtakes the fleeing forces of the Witch-King, and no orc or man under the enemy's sway, save for the Witch King himself, would escape his Wrath. A sure slaughter.
7. Battle of the Five Armies
-As seen in the Hobbit, the battle was fought between the armies of Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Men and the Trolls. They were there chiefly for the taking of the horde of the Dragon Smaug, save for the Trolls, who wished to avenge the death of their leader. The men, Elves and Dwarves fought against the Orcs and Trolls and forced them to fight on two fronts, pinned in a valley from both directions. But the trolls were able to send part of their force through a mountain pass to assail their enemies from higher ground, and the men, elves and dwarves were forced to regroup. The Eagles came in in support of the Men/elves/dwarves, but the battle was going badly. As things were looking their worst, on came Beorn, wading through the enemy forces and destroying them as he went, cutting a path to Bolg, leader of the enemy force, and slaying him. The Orcs and Trolls, seeing their leader slain, dispersed and fled. Highlight of the battle: Thorin Oakenshield's heroic press in an attempt to destroy Bolg, only 12 dwarves against a might host of evil creatures. Thoring went against Bolg in single combat, but though he fought well to have done as he did, he failed, and was mortally wounded by a spear. He lived only long enough to see the victory.
6. The Battle of Tum-Halad
-Morgoth attacked Nargothrond, and though the city had advance warning, they underestimated the Dark One's forces. Orcs on wolves assailed the fortress, and Glaurung, the first Dragon, destroyed all who opposed him; none but Turin Turambar could survive him. The king of Nargothrond was killed, and nearly all the men of the city enslaved or killed. Glaurung's orcs looted the caves and chained the maidens. Highlight of the Battle: Turin's brief stand against Glaurung while wearing the Dragon-helm. Foreshadowing of glory to follow.
5. Battle under Stars, or 'Dagor-nuir-Giliath'
-Morgoth, Sauron's leader, makes his first assault upon the Elves of Beleriand and their leader, Thingol. The Orcs enjoyed very brief success due to surprise, but were eventuallly routed. Highlight of the battle: Feanor, creator of the Silmarils, is isolated from the rearguard and forced to do battle with no fewer than EIGHT Balrogs I'm pretty sure it was eight... price check?). Feanor fights for a long time, but is eventually mortally wounded by Morgoth's general and leader of the Balrogs, Gothmog.
4. The War of Wrath
-The great kings of Valinor had finally had enough. Heralded by King Manwe's steward, Eonwe, the Gods crossed the western sea to Middle Earth and made their war on Morgoth one final time. They drove the Orcish hordes north to the gates of Angband, where gathered the whole might of Morgoth for a final stand. Morgoth unleashed his greatest weapon, the winged dragons, which seemed for a while to turn the tide. But Earendil, silmaril shining on his brow, came with his ship in the sky, against the greatest of the dragons, Ancalagon the Black, and smote him, and the Wyrm's fall shattered the massive towers of Angband, the Thangodrim. Morgoth, defeated, fled into his caves, but was found and chained, and the two remaining silmarils taken from him, and he was hurled into the void, forever imprisoned. Highlight of the Battle: Ancalagon's fall.
3. Battle of Sudden Flame, or Dagor-Vreged-ur or Dagor-Bragollach.
- Without warning, Morgoth ended the siege of his Capital at Angband. Two of the sons of elf king Finarfin fell immediately, and Finrod required rescue by Barahir, for which he gave Barahir his ring (important in the story). Morgoth attacked so suddenly and with such devastation that the elves could not mount a sufficient defense, and were unable to band together to mount any counter offensives. The sons of Feanor were driven from their positions, and the siege was lost. Highlight of the Battle: The single greatest duel ever. Fingolfin, King of the Noldor Elves of Middle Earth, hearing that the battle was lost, rode alone to the very gates of Morgoth's capital, and challenged the dark lord. Fingolfin, with silver mail, crystal shield and His enchanted sword, Ringil, avoided the massive and deadly blows of Morgoth's great mace, Grond, wounding the dark lord seven times, and severing his foot. But Fingolfin would tire, and Morgoth pressed on. Three times was the Elven King crushed to his knees, and finally he fell backwards, and lay on the earth. Morgoth approached, and put his foot on Fingolfin's neck, crushing it. The body King of The Noldor was rescued by Thorondor, and laid to rest on a mountain top.
2. THe Last Alliance of Elves and Men
-Shown briefly (and not nearly gloriously enough) at the outset of the Fellowship of the Ring movie. Sauronn had gathered hordes the sheer size of which was unseen for a thousand years, since the war of wrath, and taken Minas Ithil, and made it Minas Morgul. The alliance pushed his forces, which had reached Imladris (Rivendell) back to the black gate, where they fought for days. Oropher, the leader of one of the armies of men, rushed forward at the gate before the Elven commander Gil-Galad had given the order, and was separated from the rest of the force, driven into the marshes nearby, where they were destroyed (thus the dead marshes, as seen in movie #2). Thranduil took control of his force of men. At the final battle stood Elendil with his sword Narsil (shards of Narsil seen in movie #1, soon to be seen reforged as Anduril in movie #3...though it should have been reforged in movie #1, they screwed up), Elrond, Gil-Galad with his great spear Aeglos, and the lord Cirdan, against Sauron and the Ring of Power with his nine Wraiths. Sauron slew both Gil-Galad and Elendil, Shattering Narsil, but was eventually defeated by Elendil's son, Isildur. Highlight of the Battle: Isildur picks up a piece of Narsil, and cuts the ring from Sauron's finger, whose spirit flees. The war is won, but Isildur fails to destroy the ring...
1. The Battle of the Pellenor Fields
-The war for Middle Earth comes to a head! Highlight of the Battle: DERNHELM VS. WITCHKING. Just wait and see...
