TolkienMovies.com
July 5, 2001

Re: Regarding Warfare
Obi-Gandalf Olorin

In reference to Gror's comments on armour type and usage, I believe he may well need to reread the original text. For example, the armour of the Men of Minas Tirith is described in great detail. In my mind, the swords mostly in use were of the broadsword-variety, except for the scimitars of the orcs and Haradhrim, the clubs of the Olog-Hai, or the Elvish daggers or Dwarfish axes. Great helms were very much in abundance, except amongst Elves(with cloaks and chain-mail, perhaps), Orcs, and swarthy men. True, the dwarves would wear the finest-quality mithril coats IF they could get hold of them, whilst the orcs wore whatever they laid their hands on...

Tactics were often simple throughout, with the dark hordes of Sauron following typical hordish behaviour of charge-and-charge-again until it gets too dnagerous, or a mighty captain is felled (eg the Witch King on the Pelennor), while the Rohirrim followed the style of almost all horse-mounted troops, with the brave, awe-inspiring and fear-instilling charge on their war-horses. At no time were ordered formations experienced during the Age of Gunpowder seen, except pehaps in the defiant stand of the Hobbit Bowmen during the Scouring of the Shire...