The War of the Ring - The Prelude to War

[@GirlNextGondor]

This is the kind of Tolkien content the internet needs more of. Seeing the factions laid out helps contextualize the events of the books in new way. Great work!

[@DarthGandalfYT]

Hey everyone. 21 videos, 14 months. Welcome to the War of the Ring. I'm glad you made it this far. There's a couple of technical issues near the start of this video - sometimes Sony Vegas likes to delete clips when rendering. And I also apologise if you can hear cars in the background. I live on a busy road, literally, on the road, send help. Thanks for watching.

[@jonashornke5012]

Absolutely worth the waiting even with those "issues" thanks for those great videos!!:))

[@brethilnen]

No useful advice this time lol

[@jonaszhaat9043]

Great video as usual. Waiting for the War of The Ring

[@istari0]

I watched this entire video waiting for useful advice and then you let me down. Very disappointing! 😁 As always, great video. Being able to see the disposition of the forces of Sauron and the Free Peoples before the war started was excellent.

[@ThePalaeontologist]

Good work. Glad you reiterated the point that Sauron could not really 'lose' strategically. He could just sit in Mordor and fling large armies at the free peoples. His main military mistake, strategically, in my opinion, was his frantic attempt to mark all the map at once (I'd be curious to see what would happen if Sauron focused much larger forces against fewer strongholds for instance; e.g. Erebor especially, regardless of what had happened there before) As you point out, Sauron could not be assailed in this time. If Sauron wanted to really humiliate the Men of the West he could just not even open the Black Gates when they arrived there, and they'd be just stood there. Unless they brought some artillery they wouldn't even be able to do anything. Even if they did, they'd probably not get very far anyway. One Ring, Frodo and Sam aside, the grim situation is that Sauron can sit there and literally respawn his armies however long it takes. The slow attrition and decay over time will make final victory for Mordor inevitable. The One Ring, as you say, was their last hope of destroying Mordor. Even if the free peoples crushed army after army, Mordor could come back eventually. If not for the One RIng being destroyed when it was, Sauron would have counterattacked Gondor and Rohan after wiping out Aragorn's host at the Morannon. Sauron believed Aragorn had gone mad with power and believed the One Ring was with him. Aragorn wanted it to seem mad enough for Sauron to think the One RIng had encouraged his decision to march on Mordor with 6,000 men (over 7,000 before some men turned back) 1/7th of the host marching to Mordor, peeled off and hesitated to go to the Black Gates, along the way, as Aragorn fully-understood. However, Sauron didn't realise that at the time.

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

Sauron had true patience, able to outwait or slowly wear down his enemies over millennia.

[@elliotcrossan6290]

Incredible then that he still lost :P

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

@@elliotcrossan6290 even the very wise cannot see all ends

[@elliotcrossan6290]

@@grandadmiralzaarin4962 tell me, friend. When did Sauron the Wise abandon reason for *madness?!*

[@tspoon772]

I guess if you live forever then thousands of years mean nothing to you

[@Steven-dt5nu]

I like how you presented this one. Dig the music too.

[@FA-ft9sq]

Criminally underrated channel. I like your niche and you deserve more views.

[@elliotcrossan6290]

Fascinating video mate. I look forward to the War of the Ring series!

[@goshlike76]

What a marvelous analysis. I enjoyed it.

[@khayreeluqman]

When need that advice at the end it makes every video a classic 😂

[@toddfeather5760]

Can’t wait for next video and hope to see more content soon keep up brilliant work

[@goshlike76]

I would only add, regarding your map, that the whole eastern side of Anduin, from Ithilien up to Rhovanion was de facto controlled by Sauron. The fellowship can even see some of the orc encampments east of the river as they proceed.

[@sageofcaledor8188]

Great video!

[@michaellittle4595]

Hey Darth Gandalf just saw your video on what if Feanor survived I enjoyed it and I agree completely that Melchor would’ve won a lot sooner with that hotheaded king in charge. May I suggest you a video on what if Feanor would have listen to cooler counsel when he learned of the death of his father in the theft of his Jewels and not pursuedMelkor and let the Valar handle it instead. I would be very interested in seeing a video that you did providing that subject. Yours truly Mimi and I enjoy all your videos keep the good work up.

[@ryancarter1080]

I just thought of something. the dwarves in the first age and early second age were very active and actively take part in the affairs of middle earth but after the fall of Ost-in-Edhel suddenly they do nothing. they don't join the numenor in defeating sauron in the war of elves and sauron. when Gundabad their holy site is taken by orcs they don't try and reclaim it despite having the power to do so. When the orcs drive away their mannish allies who provide them with their food they do nothing and allow the orcs to drive the humans away and slowly starving the dwarves causing their numbers to dwindle. when the power of the orcs of the misty mountains increases and they begin to take the dwarven strongholds one by one moving southwards closer to Khazad-dum they do nothing and allow it to happen. The odds of a species like the dwarves to allow somebody to disgrace, steal and humilate them so is unlikely so why were they so paralyzed throughout most of the second and third age? I believe this is when sauron gave the dwarves their rings of power and while the rings couldn't control the dwarves it could influence their thoughts and actions which was why the dwarven kings did nothing as their realm collapsed around them.

[@HowieChicago]

thanks for the content

[@thomasquayle2517]

I was hoping to hear your take on the capture of eastern Osgiliath (said to have happened in Denethors youth) and Thorongils attack on Umbar

[@shanenolan8252]

Thanks

[@brethilnen]

Great video

[@christosvoskresye]

The weakness of Gondor really begs the question of how Sauron was defeated by Gondor + the elves in The Last Alliance and even how Sauron had been defeated by Numenor.

[@DarthGandalfYT]

The truth is that Gondor at the end of the Third Age was a mere shadow compared to Gondor and Numenor at the heights of their power.

[@christosvoskresye]

@@DarthGandalfYT Yes, but they still would have been a tiny fraction of the whole of Middle Earth at any time. Either they once caught lighting in a bottle -- like, for example, the Spanish when they conquered most of the Americas or Alexander when he conquered the Persian Empire -- or Sauron was simply not able to develop and deploy the other men who served him, maybe because he lacked the time, maybe because he lacked the foresight to know with what magic/technology and skills they should be armed to compete with the Numenoreans.

[@ingold1470]

Is this LegendofTotalWar's LOTR channel?

[@zdhim2714]

Wha's the music used in the video ?

[@phoenixmilburn8759]

Man to think Sauron has just been at War and Plotting for like God I genuinely don't know like 12 thousand years plus just to lose to a couple of Hobbits and Twisted evil Hobbit i mean if Mellkor saw that thru the gate of night Sauron better be Skurd for not winning going into the void because he's gonna get in some knee deep shit

[@gexscallopini]

Great video but the bass drum in background was really annoying.

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

So the the forces of light in the North seem to be in a much better posistion then that of the South.

[@Isichernit]

First!