The Incredible Leaping Balrog!

[Wayfarer]

Non-Wingers seem incredibly fond of claiming that, if balrogs had wings, they would have somehow used them to a tactical advantage. Instead, they seem to like jumping around a lot.

I have a question.

If you were over ten feet tall, would you go jumping around above deep precepices?

What do you expect, hummingbird acrobatics?

I mean, come on. you're in a canyon (or a big room, which is close enough) And you're fighting people on the ground. Without projectile weapons (which is what makes dragons effective ariel units, firebreath).

Sure, you can swoop down on them occasionally, but after each pass you A) end up heading off in another direction, and have to make a long, slow turn B) hit a wall. neither are incredibly effective for striking terror into the hears of your enemy.

Furthermore, the balrogs were armed. Of course, thsi brings um another debate- did the balrogs wear belts and scabbards? somehow I doubt it.

Now, stay with me here... if you have both hands full, or even one, you're not going to be swooping down very well. Especially if you're using a whip. or a mace. or an axe. A sword or a spear might work, but I wouldn't place any stock In it.

Final point, falling balrogs. has it occured to anyone that in two of the almost every case the balrog had somebody hanging onto and cutting into it? The exception i can think of is on Zirak Zigil. And I always got the impression that gandalf _THREW_ him down. If you take a bird and pitch it into the ground, what are the chances of it's breaking into flight and saving itself? I'll experiment and get bact to you.

[Kirinki54]

Originally posted by Wayfarer
If you take a bird and pitch it into the ground, what are the chances of it's breaking into flight and saving itself? I'll experiment and get bact to you.

No cruelty to birds, please! Remember, they might have Big Brothers with Wings!

And (I DO NOT side in the wing debate!) it will be hard to duplicate the high high fall from Zirak-zigil by a second-long thrust against the ground anyway.

By the way, did Balrogs have legs? I never saw Tolkien mention them?

[Darth Tater]

This thread is extremely redundant. There are a number of threads for the discussion of the great balrog question all over this board. Please, look before you post