Gauging the Gank Squad via Great Grand Gauntlets *Nods to Harbinger19*

[big_adventure]

If Earendil shooting magic lasers out of his forehead at Ancalagon is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I think that we can all agree on this point.

[Beadle]

Did everybody forget about the Switching Machines?

[big_adventure]

Did everybody forget about the Switching Machines?

It's not that we forgot, it's that even Earandil's forehead laser is no match for them - that part of the thread clearly got moved to "curbstomps", intentional or not.

[Sharpandpointies]

Losing to a song of power seems to result in incapacitation, as far as it goes from what can be concluded off it. Considering what losing that fight did to him.

He still has to, you know, sing that stuff, which puts it of somewhat limited utility in various of these fights.

I would say what you can conclude off of Sauron and Finrod going at each other with such things: Losing or not contesting effs you up and takes you out. Finrod's magic was enough to let him legitimately contest Sauron in a duel of that sort of magic as far as benchmarking a "who am powerful enough for it to register on". It was a one person focused thing.

I've zero issues with this. It's...vague...in what it does, and whether Fingon was trying to keep defenses up/illusions still working (something else to note), or if Finrod winning would have resulted in Sauron getting smooshed, but it's not a crazy leap to that or anything of the sort and makes sense (especially given, yes, his sister is perfectly capable of 'offensive magic' of the sort that blows up evil lairs). The fact that it DOES establish him in the area of 'You Must Be This Tall' is absolutely true. Dude could flat-out contend with Sauron in what humans would consider a 'magical duel' (and the Eldar would likely say 'no, that's not magic, it's just another way to fight').

As you say, it's *wiggles hand* for straight-up fights. In this case, though, he has fifteen other people as armored shields, so it might have some use.

It's worth noting on speed that Feanor charged his way across significant land mass distance in pursuit of his enemies and there's not especially any mention of a horse (that would itself have needed to be some kind of silly magic horse) that I can recall. (before one notes "well realistically there would have to have been", recall that his half brother is the guy repeatedly leaping around serial mid fight explosions and otherwise pounding on the gates of Angband so hard they hear it in its depths and all that nonsense. The immediate ruling family of the Noldor were on some bemusing crack, I'm saying)

I'm not saying he has vast superspeed or anything of any significant measure, but certainly it wouldn't be out of place to put him over/on something like that outrunning traffic while on foot that Cap, T'challa and Bucky were doing in Civil War, as far as measuring it against performances.

Valid point, and I am totally hip to the idea of First Age, second generation Eldar who lived in the Undying Lands, learned from the Valar, were hallowed by the holy light of the Two Trees, etc being CBPH or more. Given Húrin's performance and the fact that Húrin...isn't them, it's pretty logical.

If Earendil shooting magic lasers out of his forehead at Ancalagon is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I would never contest this.