First Age Gank Squad vs Helm’s Deep

[Sharpandpointies]

Tempted to make a thread for the gank squad...

Would need to figure out some fun scenarios or matchups...

We could get an even worse group together. This one is actually a little hampered by people like Mablung and, in a straight-up fight, Beren (due to lack of decent armor in his standard kit, not skill or feats, because he's perfectly capable of physically beating all hell out of high-end Noldor with his bare hands).

Also, Beren doesn't have his wife with him.

Edit: You know what's funny? We don't have Galadriel in this group, either. I mean, she was around and active in the First Age, being Third Age Noldor just like Finrod (her brother). She just doesn't turn up a lot, mostly because she was hanging out in Doriath with Melian and Lúthian, and they kind of eclipsed her.

...you don't hear that phrase often used wrt Galadriel, but there it is.

[Sharpandpointies]

Alternative III: Group arrives at gates, Beleg and Túrin use their 'keys' to open said gates. By cutting through them.

[Aragorn] Well, that was unexpected.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

I kind of want to see Galadriel there now to see what she’s say to the Gank Squad.

[Sharpandpointies]

I kind of want to see Galadriel there now to see what she’s say to the Gank Squad.

She's polite with her close uncle (everyone with half a brain and some sanity is), ignores her half-uncle, ignores most of half-uncle's kids other than Maedhros and Maglor, (who will likely get a polite greeting and an acknowledgement that one of their adopted sons is still doing well and married her daughter) and otherwise informs them all that they're making a terrible mistake, and should sit down and talk about the situation before doing anything rash (which Finrod finds particularly amusing, coming from his rather rash little sister).

If anyone argues, she'll point out that she's been here for more than six thousand years longer than them and certainly has a better grasp of the particulars.

Most people here are sensible enough to listen, and the important one* that won't listen is likely to be all distracted by her hair and disinclined to argue on the hope he gets a strand or two of it.

....the more I think about this, the worse it gets, because now we have TWO Maglors wandering around Middle Earth.

* I mean, there are others who are snotty or dickish enough not to listen, but everyone knows that Celegorm and Cúrufin are assholes and there's a fair contingent of the gank squad likely just looking for an excuse to kick their rears. With good reason.

[Harbinger19]

We could get an even worse group together. This one is actually a little hampered by people like Mablung and, in a straight-up fight, Beren (due to lack of decent armor in his standard kit, not skill or feats, because he's perfectly capable of physically beating all hell out of high-end Noldor with his bare hands).

Also, Beren doesn't have his wife with him.

Edit: You know what's funny? We don't have Galadriel in this group, either. I mean, she was around and active in the First Age, being Third Age Noldor just like Finrod (her brother). She just doesn't turn up a lot, mostly because she was hanging out in Doriath with Melian and Lúthian, and they kind of eclipsed her.

...you don't hear that phrase often used wrt Galadriel, but there it is.

I considered adding Luthien & Huan, particularly if the Gank Squad lost but figured the former would just wave her hand & knock down the walls or put everyone to sleep or something magical the Rohirrim otherwise have no defense against.

And I recall the latter being said explicitly to not be able to be overthrown by blade or bolt, causing stone-splitting rockalanches with his baying, so...

And yeah, Galadriel was mostly a side-character in the First Age, but as least she can content herself with being better than Celeborn, who stayed home doing the dishes while she was out accomplishing things.

[Sharpandpointies]

I considered adding Luthien & Huan, particularly if the Gank Squad lost but figured the former would just wave her hand & knock down the walls or put everyone to sleep or something magical the Rohirrim otherwise have no defense against.

And I recall the latter being said explicitly to not be able to be overthrown by blade or bolt, causing stone-splitting rockalanches with his baying, so...

If Lúthien and/or Huan is included in this (and persuaded to actually do something), it's an auto-win for their side in far, far more easy ways.

1. Huan - Huan murders everything in Helm's Deep, solo, potentially quicker than Fingolfin.
2. Lúthian - Lúthian sings a spell that puts everyone to sleep (yes, in the entire Helm's Deep, she has feats for this kind of thing), wanders in, drags everyone out of the Hornburg, blows the horn and declares herself victor. <-- This is by far the less violent method.

And yeah, Galadriel was mostly a side-character in the First Age, but as least she can content herself with being better than Celeborn, who stayed home doing the dishes while she was out accomplishing things.

I rather like Celeborn, myself.

Celeborn wasn't called The Wise for nothing; his sole appearance in LotR has him doing something Galadriel doesn't like to do, and he does it freely: admit he's wrong. He has a ton of backstory reasons not to like Dwarves - being a refugee from the sack of Doriath, himself - but ended up setting that aside for the greater good. Dude was on the White Council, and also kicked plenty of rear in the Second Age in the war against Sauron.

Also, dude got Galadriel to marry him. ^_^

In the First Age, they both kind of did about the same amount of stuff, other than Galadriel travelling more.

[Harbinger19]

I feel you Sharp, I’m just in the habit of joking with my Dad (who read the books but not as much as I have and dug the movies) that Galadriel wears the pants in that relationship. For someone of that age Celeborn struck me as pretty down-to-earth & low-key.

[Pendaran]

EDIT - sure, why not, alternately Fingolfin finds a weak area of the gates or wall - the culvert, perhaps - and kicks it in).

It's not as though the gates of Helm's Deep are going to be comparable to the gates of Angband for one thing.

[Sharpandpointies]

I feel you Sharp, I’m just in the habit of joking with my Dad (who read the books but not as much as I have and dug the movies) that Galadriel wears the pants in that relationship. For someone of that age Celeborn struck me as pretty down-to-earth & low-key.

Dude was pretty awesome.

Not gonna hate on your dad for loving the movies, a lot of people did (and Fellowship, for all of its flaws, was pretty awesome).

It's not as though the gates of Helm's Deep are going to be comparable to the gates of Angband for one thing.

Not. At. All. ^_^

Did he actually break them down? Or just make them boom like drums? Been a while. Vaguely remember 'smote upon the gates', which is somewhat different than 'smote the gates' (lots of smiting, but the qualifier is important); however, I could be wrong!

Certainly it was loud enough that Morgoth, down in his basement, could hear it...which is pretty freakish just in its own right, given Angband's size.

Either way, the gates are coming down. Either Fingolfin kicks 'em in, or the Iron Twins chop through them. Flip a coin.

[Pendaran]

He didn't actually break them down, but the fact that they shook and that they could hear it all through Angband is indeed basically insane.

[Sharpandpointies]

He didn't actually break them down, but the fact that they shook and that they could hear it all through Angband is indeed basically insane.

That's what I remembered - they booonged like drums and shook.

Now, Angband is a place that a massive, bullying coward capable of raising up mountains with his power set up to be his combination hidey-hole and compensation tool. The gates are big enough for dragons to pass through as part of an army. The fortress itself is basically built into three mountains bigger than Everest.

So, these gates are pretty freakishly huge. And well-made, likely of stone or metal, and far better than anything Helm's Deep can provide.

I'm pretty cool with an enraged Fingolfin doing SOMETHING to break in here, assuming the group doesn't just snicker-snack the gates with Anguirel and the Deathiron.