Weapons of Choice for each race

[ms Greenleaf]

In this thread I am going to compare diffferent races and different weapondry because this is in the elvish guild I will start with elves. For those who don't like the movie i warn that it will have references... If anyone ahas anything to add please do.

Elves- The usually weapons of elves seem to be bows and knifes (in the movie those are the only weapons used.) Interestingly bows are do not always have to be weapons of destruction they can be used as a source of getting food. Knifes the other choice weapon of elves are used for close up fighting. Knifes can be used for making arrows, and again for non-violent perpusses. In conclusion elves are a species who do not always spend there time inwar. Most of the time they have more important matters to attend to.

Dwarves- like elves have a weapon "(the axe ) that can be used for non-violent purposes. Like cutting up fire-wood (sorry ents). This shows dwarves have some non-violent non-destructive concerns such as working the ground for mithril and othermetals

Hobbits- in their complete lack of usual weapons (the hobbits in TLOTR had to be suppplied with knifes which due to the size of hobbits was the only possible weapons) show that they have no concern whatsoever with wars.

Men- Have a range of weapons but the most common is the sword (both Aragorn and Boromir)The sword reALLY has no other use outside of war, Of course men are usually involved in some war or battle with themselves in times that should be peace or against a greater evil

Now I am going to compare battle styles (from the movie) Boromir and the dwarf who have non-elvish training seem to make more hacking movements while the elvish trained Aragorn and the elvish elf Legolas look like they are dancing this may be somewhat to do with their genetic lightness of foot. So if anyone has something else to add...DO

[Anamatar IV]

But as we all know, weapons and battle tactics of the races are not limited to the movies.

Elves: indeed Legolas in the books and movies carried a bow and a long knife but as we know from The Silmarillion and the Hobbit they also used swords and spears. In Unfinished Tales there are several references of Elves using axes.

Dwarves: yes, Gimli did use an axe...but other Dwarves used other weapons. Yet again from the Silmarillion and the Hobbit we know that Dwarves used spears, swords, and mattocks (if you remember Lurtz' sword in FotR when he was fighting Aragorn-that was a mattock though it is said to be a scimitar.)

Hobbits: In lotr Hobbits used bows.

Men: different types of men had different arsenals. The men of Rohan used mainly spears when riding yet, as we know from Helm's Deep in the book, they used Swords many times. Eomer carried both a spear and sword when the Rohirrim came upon the three hunters. There were several archers in that company. The Rangers of Gondor indeed carried long swords and long bows for spears are not easily concealed. The Gondorians that fought on the Pelannor used swords and bows.

Orcs: Orcs used scimitars, short bows, spears, and axes. We are told of them using swords also.

Tactics:

If we are doing this discussion on the books (which I hope) then we know little about tactics because in the final battles of each book (lotr and the hobbit) Tolkien has the character from which the battle is being seen get knocked out. But we do know that Rangers of the South used surprise tactics. Elves of Lothlorien attacked from trees upon strangers. Rohirrim usually fought in cavalry form.

[ms Greenleaf]

We are doing a thread based on both the movie and the book which I mentioned in thread ideas ...i think. Thank you for your input i have not read Simillarion so I do not know all this other stuff. Something else someone who knows more on the subject might add is the material that different races used. Unfortunatly I do realize that this thread is a generalization but it had to be for my purpose:D

[Anamatar IV]

Ah well the movies dont know squat about LotR;)

Fellowship's weapons and tactics

Sam: Sam is rarely mentioned of fighting but indeed he used his barrow sword the entire journey. We are never exactly told of his tactics, though.

Merry: AGain, Merry used his barrow sword. What we know from TTT is that he is an inexperienced swords men since when he, pippin, and Boromir were fighting Orcs on Amon Hen Merry chopped arms and hands off of orcs where as a more experienced swordsman would have gone straight for the kill.;)

But Merry's sword may have been the deciding factor in the Battle of the Pelannor fields.

Pippin: barrow sword. AGain, little known about his tactics. off the top of my head I can only remember 1 time when we are given his direct combat and that is when he kills the troll outside the Morannon.

Frodo: Sting. He only used this is Moria for he never fought any other time.

Legolas: long white knife, bow of the Galadhrim. Legolas uses his bow until he runs out of arrows. He is always said to have keen vision and that helps him in battle.

Gimli: axe. He fights.;) all out and just keeps fighting.

Boromir: A long sword. Again, little is told of his tactics though we do know he was skilled with a blade.

Gandalf: Glamdring. All we know of Gandalf's fighting is he killed the balrog with Glamdring.

Aragorn: Anduril. We are unsure of his tactics but we know Aragorn's sword was the most useful sword in all of Lord of the Rings. It forced Sauron to make an early attack on Gondor while Frodo and Sam could get in easier.

[Maeglin]

I would just like to add one thing about the battle tactics of Hobbits in general. They use both ambush and surprise tactics, if you remember in the chapter "The Scouring of the Shire" they set up wagons to block the road and trap the ruffians/evil men in, and they also hid in the trees and shot their bows from surprise in the trees, such as when they shot Wormtongue. Their light feet helps them greatly in battle because almost nothing can hear them, and one other example of surprise is when Fatty Bolger raises the alarm call of Buckland, the Black Riders didn't expect this.

[ms Greenleaf]

Another thing about hobbits is that what they call a sword is probably what we call a knife?

[Maeglin]

Yes that is right, Sting and all of the Barrow Swords were really knives or daggers, but because of the hobbits' size they were just as good as a sword to them.

[ms Greenleaf]

thats what I thought Glor or anmatar or anyone do you know about the materials used ?

[Anamatar IV]

Actually they were all swords since they were all made for people other than hobbits. Sting was made for the Elves and the others made for men.:)

[Maeglin]

Yes but they weren't made as swords for Elves and Men, to Elves and men they were just knives and daggers. Ms Greenleaf I don't know much about the make of those swords, but I believe (I could very well be mistaken though) that Sting was made around the time of the Fall of Gondolin, while the Barrow Swords were made were made by the Numenoreans(or at least made by the elves for the Numenoreans) of Arnor. I don't remember any of that for sure, I'll have to check, but for now thats really just speculation.

[ms Greenleaf]

Yah another thing to do with the make is that the work of elves is very fine artistic


)( Glamdring, sting)as is that of the dwarves in I assume different ways

[Anamatar IV]

What people seem to not understand is that it was a Dwarf who created Narsil. Telchar, greatest of all blacksmiths. The Dwarves created very beautiful weapons and magical ones none the less. The Elves made swords that glowed when orcs were near but Telchar's mighty sword Narsil constantly shone with both the sun and moon.:)

[Ruveriel]

The half bows that the Orcs use are called Cross Bows.

[Ponte]

Originally posted by Anamatar IV
But as we all know, weapons and battle tactics of the races are not limited to the movies.

Elves: indeed Legolas in the books and movies carried a bow and a long knife but as we know from The Silmarillion and the Hobbit they also used swords and spears. In Unfinished Tales there are several references of Elves using axes.


That's right, during the first age the Sindar elves main weapon was the axe.

[Maeglin]

And I would think an axe to be more useful to the Sindarin Elves as well, especially since they lived in the woods.

[Anamatar IV]

Fights throughout the ages

I will start in the second age for I know nothing of the battles in the first.:(;)

The last alliance and the war on Sauron:

Men and Dwarves fought on both sides. Elves and Orcs fought against eachother. THe last alliance won the battle of od Dagorlad and then sieged barad durn for 7 years. We are told of this battle that the Dark Powers threw stones out of barad dur and used sorties.

[ms Greenleaf]

What people seem to not understand is that it
was a Dwarf who created Narsil. Telchar,
greatest of all blacksmiths. The Dwarves
created very beautiful weapons and magical
ones none the less. The Elves made swords
that glowed when orcs were near but Telchar's
mighty sword Narsil constantly shone with both
the sun and moon

Yes dwarves have always been good wwith metals

[Eöl]

I would just like to add one thing about the battle tactics of Hobbits in general. They use both ambush and surprise tactics, if you remember in the chapter "The Scouring of the Shire" they set up wagons to block the road and trap the ruffians/evil men in, and they also hid in the trees and shot their bows from surprise in the trees, such as when they shot Wormtongue.

If you consider their origins and how they came to Middle Earth, it is not very surprising that they knew much about battle tactics. They came over the Blue Mountains and actually had to fight their way into the land which they originally owned, obviously they won. Also, elves, used swords a lot. Despite the fact that you see Legolas only using knives, mostly all the battles in the First Age were fought with swords. And, the largest battle in the Second Age had many swordselves. The sword Arwen draws in the movie was used by Elrond himself!

[ms Greenleaf]

Although they are not traineed fighters they seem to adapt well to battles

[Scatha]

Originally posted by ms Greenleaf
Yah another thing to do with the make is that the work of elves is very fine artistic


)( Glamdring, sting)as is that of the dwarves in I assume different ways


Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting were of elven make, discovered (after Gandalf tricked the trolls to argue until morning) in the troll cave.

Dwarven make can be as magnificent as that of the elves.

[ms Greenleaf]

dxefinetly. Actually this thread might be useful for rpers if we want a knew subject under the same topic we might go to fighting styles or back to figting styles

[Aulë]

Originally posted by Anamatar IV
Frodo: Sting. He only used this is Moria for he never fought any other time.

Do not forget that he wounded Shelob with Sting.;)

Sam: Sam is rarely mentioned of fighting but indeed he used his barrow sword the entire journey. We are never exactly told of his tactics, though.
Sam used Sting against the orc with the whip in Cirith Ungol. But he was unable to deliver anything more than a flesh wound.

Dwarves: yes, Gimli did use an axe...but other Dwarves used other weapons. Yet again from the Silmarillion and the Hobbit we know that Dwarves used spears, swords, and mattocks (if you remember Lurtz' sword in FotR when he was fighting Aragorn-that was a mattock though it is said to be a scimitar.)
I think they used warhammers too.

[Brytta]

One must mention Túrin Turambar's sword, Gurthang.

Described as: 'Iron of Death', the name given by Túrin Turambar to Beleg's black sword Anglachel after its reforging in Nargothrond.

Gurthang, the bane of the father of dragons (Glaurung), noble Elf (Beleg), and great doomed man (Túrin).

[ElvishHellion]

Didn't sam use sting when rescuing frodo(when he thought he was dead?

[ElvishHellion]

Sry about the past post i didn't read carefully enough:(

[Frodorocks]

The Istari weapon of choice: a magical staff (unless you're like Gandalf and carry a sword as well)
Fighting style: magic, although we don't really know how they used the the staffs to fight in the books, in the movie they use them to pretty much throw people about.

[ElvishHellion]

In "the Hobbit" the dwarves useed bow and arrows

[ElvishHellion]

AM i right can anybody conclude to my findings??????

[Scatha]

Bow and arrows indeed, but also the dwarves are claiming to have invented the crossbow.

[ElvishHellion]

Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!:D