February 28, 2004

Bad Advice
Thorongil

One of the things I liked about the TT was that the battles are realistic. In the ROTK, The characters give somevery bad orders and advice.

When the orcs cros the Anduin, Farimer waits until the barges are almost unloaded to attack. Number one, this wouldn't have worked anyway because the orcs would have known that there were defenders (remember the TT fight in Osgiliath). What would the orcs think? "Hey, they all justabandoned their, 'last defence of the city,' we sure got lucky today!" No, they would have looked for a trap. Number two, if you know that you are outnumber, and do not want to be overwhelmed, you do not let half of the attackers into the city before you do something. Faramir, you are surprised you were overrun? No duh, you let 300 orcs into the city before you did anything. Also, all of the Hennath Annun troops were there, who all had bows in the movie. Maybe they could have done something!

Faramir not only obeys his father's suicidal orders, he also leads to other knights to their certain deaths. He is not even man enough to stand up to his father when other's lives are at stake.

Before Grond breaks the gate open, Gandalf tells the men to, "Stand your ground." Three trolls come in, and procede to kill everyone. Wouldn't the troops have done better inside of the second level? With the Witch King's entire army outside, how long could the troops hold out in the open outside of the gate? They would inevitably all die. Of courde, things were different in the book because Gandalf had the strength to face down the Witch King and his army.

When the Rohirrem come to the Pellenor, they first give the orcs time to orginize. They charge, kill the orcs, and see the oliphants. Mumak. Mumak. They charge, and half of their army dies. Only when they are behind the oliphants do the start to do well. If the had tried to flank the oliphants from the start, and then attacked when the oliphants were turning, maybe they wouldn't have lost 2,000 men (Of course, none of it mattered because the dead army was coming anyway.)

Finally, the last (I hope) and stupidist (I'm sure of this) thing anyone did in ROTK. Aragorn is leading the army of the West. He is entrusted with the lives of everyone that follows him (like any leader). Even though he knows it is hopeless, he draws the army up on the hills and arrays them the best he can. Then he charges? the enemy, leaving the cover of the hills and breaking up his lines. Of course everyone will die if you run away from your only cover and spread out your army. Some leader, as soon as he is in command of the army he throws all their lives away. I have been waiting for three years. "On one hill he stood with Gandalf, and there fair and desperate was raised the banner of the Tree and Stars. Upon the other hill hard by stood the banners of Rohan and Dol Amroth, the White Horse and Silver Swan. And about each hill a ring was made facing all ways, bristling with spear and sword."

3 years of waiting and we get a suicidal charge and a senseless battle. AAAAAAAAAARGH