What If...The Army of the Dead did not come to the aid of Aragorn?

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What If…The Army of the Dead did not come to the aid of Aragorn?

June 28th, 2009 at 3:49 am -

Would the battle have been lost?
Could the footsoldiers of Gondor and the Horsemen of Rohan have taken the day?
Could Sauron’s forces have taken Minas Tirith?

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19 Comments

L-W
June 28, 2009
#1

Aragorn would have never reached the port of Pelargir and subsequently driven away the Corsairs of Umbar, and as a result their slaves would have remained in captivity, he would not be able to reinforce the troops of Pelenor in time and the allies of Sauron would have supplemented the considerable army of the Dark Lord just as the strength of Rohan and her Captains began to wane and falter.

With more troops thrown into the battle, the armies of Sauron would have easily captured Minas Tirith, or at the least would have caused such irreversible damage to the city and her defenders that any counter-attack would have been rendered impossible.

Without the necessary diversion, it is unlikely that Sam and Frodo would have made it across the plains of Mordor intact.
chewie6000
June 28, 2009
#2

well if the sutuation was real, I think that minas tirith would be lost. However, whatever happened the free men were always going to win as it was part of the story that they won- it wou;ld be imposible for them to loose. i think
Thepocalypse
June 28, 2009
#3

Sauron’s army would have overtaken the Gondorians and captured Minas Tirith. The undead were really the only hope they had.
Captain Epic
June 28, 2009
#4

Basically I was going to say what everybody else said.
TheSorrow
June 28, 2009
#5

Yeah there isn’t much else to say about this anymore.
Diana
June 29, 2009
#6

It would be more interesting if Sauron pulled back all of his forces if he acquired The One Ring then reenacting The Last Alliance…..I’d like to imagine what will happen if Aragorn poses as Isildur and Legolas as Elrond…..going all over again to challenge the dark lord

Well on this scenario, Rohan forces will be utterly crushed by the Haradrims….and the Lich King’s fel’ beast will feast both on Theoden and Eowyn….

If the Knights of Dol’ Amroth are present then Gondor has a chance against the Corsairs
Jwlynas
June 29, 2009
#7

There are other forces in the world that are as effective at the Army of the Dead. Bookwise they were morale-destroyers, but nowhere (as far as I’m aware) is it ever mentioned they actually kill people.

Aragorn, with the aid of some of the other forces, could well have found other allies. Levies from the smaller towns, some of the more benign spirits of the world. Radagast the brown and the other wizards, Ents, Eagles.

It would have merely taken tactics beyond “Sit here behind the big walls and take ouyr hits like gentlemen. Make sure the Rohirrim, the Horse lords, stay on the move, attacking the flanks and wherever the supplies may be, make sure the elves (What few there were left by that time) are used well. Start making allies and impressive speeches to other races.

It was a winnable battle, though the casualties would have been even larger without the Army of the Dead to strike fear into the corsairs
Skrunks
June 29, 2009
#8

“….and the Lich King’s fel’ beast will feast both on Theoden and Eowyn…”

Methinks you got the wrong villan.
Pondering Fool
June 29, 2009
#9

@Diana
“….and the Lich King’s fel’ beast will feast both on Theoden and Eowyn…”

Mean, the Witch King? Though it would be interesting seeing the Lich King in the LOTR universe….

- pondering fool
L-W
June 29, 2009
#10

“There are other forces in the world that are as effective at the Army of the Dead. Bookwise they were morale-destroyers, but nowhere (as far as I’m aware) is it ever mentioned they actually kill people.”

Timing was the key here, and I doubt he would have found a force capable of breaking the Corsairs so quickly in such short order as the Grey Army. If he attempted to muster a conventional army (Considering he just came off the mountain trail), then not only would he have lost the few precious days that Gondor literally hung by, but the odds of securing the Port intact in a pitched battle would decrease significantly.

The dead were the crux of the battle, they determined the final blow of the battle.
Diana
June 30, 2009
#11

Stand corrected……Sorry for the error
hotshot
June 30, 2009
#12

Damn,i don’t wanna think if sauron would win the war.Like in lotr conquest
Matapiojo
June 30, 2009
#13

“Bookwise they were morale-destroyers, but nowhere (as far as I’m aware) is it ever mentioned they actually kill people.”

A loss in morale is all it takes.

Just take a look in the history of our world’s many wars and you will find just how devastating failed morale can be. A fall in morale could be just as damaging to an army as a weapon of mass destruction.
Thepocalypse
July 1, 2009
#14

“Just take a look in the history of our world’s many wars and you will find just how devastating failed morale can be.”
Indeed. Take WW2 for example. The simple dropping of Allied propaganda into villages controlled by the Axis caused doubt among the people as to whether the motives of their leaders were so legit and aided in the downfall of the Nazis.
Diana
July 2, 2009
#15

Propaganda is no longer an effective warfare today and on the future……
Jwlynas
July 5, 2009
#16

“Indeed. Take WW2 for example. The simple dropping of Allied propaganda into villages controlled by the Axis caused doubt among the people as to whether the motives of their leaders were so legit and aided in the downfall of the Nazis.”

Of course this was offset by an effort by american and british pilots to firebomb at least one city, causing hatred rather than fear and prolonging the war in many quarters
masterchiefwins
July 13, 2009
#17

My answer is simple. The Witch King would have pwned Aragorn.
masterchiefwins
July 13, 2009
#18

Sry for double post. I just got this new what if idea. What if… the Witch King switched universes with the Lich King (Arthas)?
AHEM
December 11, 2009
#19

The battle would almost certainly have been lost, though I maintain some hope that the war against Sauron could have still been possibly won, though the situation would have become a good deal grimmer. If the Witch King had still be slain, then at least some victory would have come of the battle, but not nearly as much. If Frodo/Sam/Gollum managed to destroy the One Ring anyway, then Sauron would have still fallen, but their chances would have been reduced.