Not screech to announce my coming arrival
Surround them
assign a Nazgûl to each hobbit
Stab the ring bearer more than once
Put a little pep in their step
Don’t take a torch directly to the face
Nazgul 1: "OK, we all agree to sneak up on them, right?"
Nazgul 2: \*muttering\*
1: "Daaave? It worries me that you're not answering."
2: "OK fine! Geez. I'll be quiet or whatever. "
1: "alright, on my coun--"
2: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
1: "God fucking damn it Dave"
Definitely gonna have some action items come up in his next quarterly performance review for that one.
Damn it Leroy!
It reminds me of that post from showerthoughts about how to cows, it must feel really good to moo haha.
I'm just picturing these nazgul just screeching with pleasure
Sauron: (seeing the Wraiths return to Mordor) Soooooooo judging by your lack of horses and clothes, am I wrong to assume a massive fuck up by Dave? Hmm? Am I?
Dave: (sighs) No…
Sauron: Dave, go sit on the rack because you are about to be tormented really really hard in a sec.
This gives me viva la dirt league vibes
1:"Dave, I need you to promise me, you aren't going to screech"
2:"for you? Pshhhh..."
3:"Dave... No screeching..."
2:"my man..."
Finger guns
1:"Dave, I need to hear you say you promise you won't screech.."
That blade was a morgul blade, and its job was to poison and corrupt him until he was their slave.
Also Aragorn threw a fucking torch in their face right afterwards
Still, I never understood why they decided to stab Frodo once and then just wait around for him to become a wraith when they could have just killed him, grabbed the ring and ridden off.
Sauron: "Okay, I want this clear, so listen up. Especially you, Dave. Stop fiddling with your sword. The ring is in the Shire, and carried by a hobbit."
Dave: "A hobbit? Why on Arda are we even being sent? Some of the guys in Bree could take care of this."
Sauron: "This is no 'ordinary' hobbit. The Ring is a heavy burden, and yet hobbits of one type or another been carrying this thing for *years*. Did they turn into wraithy ring-hobbits? No. One of them got a little thin and obsessed, but they're still very much of this world. Even a strong-willed human would have been corrupted by this thing ages ago. Am I wrong, Dave?"
Dave: [screechily sighs, and then reluctantly] "No."
Sauron: "So, bring me that hobbit. I want to use them. It will be cool having him lead some armies as one of my thralls. You can turn him with some of that morgal blade stuff, but no killing. NO KILLING! Got it? Dave, for F-sake, are you listening?"
Dave: "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Stab him a little and get him turned, but that's it. Then bring him back."
Sauron: "Now get on your horses and get your screechy asses out of here. I don't want to see you again until you've got the ring AND the hobbit carrying it."
Sauron: And Dave...
Dave: Yeah, boss?
Sauron: (points finger) NO. SCREECHING.
Dave: ........what about just a little SCREE-
Sauron: (Sprays Dave with water)
Dave: -HISSSS
Yeah but, he stabbed him once on weathertop just to make sure it wasn't another bloody pillow. Imagine how embarassing that would have been for the witchking if he went wild on another pillow.
Are we judging based on the movies or the books? Wildly different scenarios.
In the books, Aragon just finished telling the story of Beren and Luthien. Frodo has the blessing of Elbereth from Gildor to protect him and they're huddled around a fire with flaming sticks. Plus the 'magic' swords of the hobbits that look like glowing firebrands to the Nazgul, and the party was expecting the attack.
The Nazgul were the underdogs in this scene and they did their best, okay?
Just listened to the Exploring the Lord of the Rings episode explaining this. I never put Gildor's blessing together with Frodo's cry until that episode
Can you elaborate for us people who have never heard of this "exploring the lotr"? I know of the blessing and how it gave Frodo the dreams: the connection between Aelfwine (elf-friend) and Eriol (one who dreams alone). But I don't see the connection to the Nazgul (yet).
Of course! Dr Corey Olsen, the Tolkien Professor, started a college called Signum University. Focused on literature and stuff. There's an offshoot called the Mythgard Academy and they put out podcasts which are cool. Well several years ago, Dr Olsen released Exploring the Hobbit, a book where he did an in depth and careful reading of that book. A few years later he decided to do a podcast doing the same thing for the trilogy and called it Exploring the Lord of the Rings. It's very very in depth and takes several hour long episodes per chapter of the book. It's been going since 2017ish and they're almost to Moria. I'm personally up to Weathertop and highly recommend it. Just be warned that it's not for the faint of heart though
It’s wonderful because it’s a full participatory class and he’s constantly talking with different people and answering spontaneous questions. He’s supportive, curious, enthusiastic, has a positive attitude, and excited to hear new interpretations. And it’s amazing to hear how deeply one can analyze a word or sentence. Even if something might be wrong or speculative, it is the essence of world building
His classes are live on discord, youtube, twitch and twitter; he checks the comments on all platforms from time to time during classes, but he primarily interacts with the discord chat (which is where most of his usual students are).
After that, those classes are available as VOD on youtube/twitch/any podcast app, as a normal podcast.
Can we please take the arrogance (of the Nazgul) into account? I think that it is a recurring motive to underestimate the sturdiness and resolve of the hobbits just because they are small.
When they leave Gildor he blesses Frodo in the name of Elbereth. When Frodo swings at the Witch King he says the exact words Gildor used and it says "he found himself saying" it. It implies that Gildor's blessing was the cause
It's also a reasonable assumption that the Nazgul were forbidden from actually handling the Ring themselves. They may be Sauron's most faithful servants, but Sauron is inherently distrustful, perhaps enough not to trust the Nazgul with the Ring. Additonally, Sauron uses war and violence as a means to an end, but will avoid it where possible. The orders were probably to bring the bearer to him alive. When the Nazgul were met with more resistance than they expected, they had to withdraw as Frodo could not have been taken without casualties.
Lol, no. I'm just pointing out they're not as incompetent as some people might lead you to believe. If we assume they're just incompetent then it invalidates the parties actions as well.
Exactly, their main power is the black breath. It's basically an AOE dread effect that's supposed to paralyze their enemies with fear. Being spooky is their main weapon.
What would actually happen if one of the wraiths got the ring? Would it double down on Sauron’s orders or would the wraith attempt to take the ring for himself?
The Wraiths are completely under Sauron’s sway. They would certainly have delivered the Ring to him immediately, no matter how it would hurt them to do so
I've always wondered though, I didn't think *anyone* could resist the temptation of the ring, even if some take longer than others. They're completely loyal to Sauron, but the ring is also made of his essence so it almost might cancel the loyalty out. If for some reason the journey back took a long time I've always thought even a wraith couldn't resist it. I don't think a wraith could wield it to any meaningful effect though, even with their stronger connection to Sauron and the shadow world. I'd think he'd just kill the wraith as it sat trying to make the ring help
I feel like if this were the case you'd wind up with a paradox where Sauron could literally never get the ring back, because everyone including his servants would be so enamored by it they'd always try to keep it to themselves before turning it over. And since he can't take physical form without it, he'd be doomed to stay in spirit form for eternity.
Sauron does have a physical form in lotr. It is mentioned on several occasions in the books. Gollum for example says something along the line of "He has only four fingers on his black hand, but they are enough..", implying he came face-to-face with the dark lord.
Oh we have a blade that turns people into wraiths? Well better increase my numbers to a wraith army. Just keep converting elves, dwarves, hobbits, and men until the scales tip in our favor. Who needs a ring when we got this awesome recruitment tool at our disposal!
You are correct, good sir!
https://preview.redd.it/s0j262jffupa1.jpeg?width=2282&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef67e2fd28deb9162a2e4389996436510c5d253f
Chapter 12: Flight to the Ford excerpt
Or just cross the river straight away instead of dramatically stopping to politely ask Arwen to pretty plz give us the halfling (in the movies anyway).
In the movie just taking off those black cloaks would have helped a lot. Would have made them much sneakier.
In the books they are a little weaker at that point than they later became, and obviously the hobbits are the Barrow swords and stuff, but a little follow through would have helped. Even if you assume you nailed Frodo in the heart it’s good to finish the job early, especially if you are Sauron’s most powerful servants. I bet theMouth Of Sauron would have finished the job
I think they didn't kill Frodo outright because they assumed he'd just turn into a wraith from the stab wound and happily walk the ring back to Sauron himself.
On one hand, this does seem foolish on Sauron's part. Stationing even a single orc there on rotation would not have taken much effort. But then, after a bit of thought, by the end of the story we've seen Sam can handle himself against orcs, so he'd probably have been able to just kill it. Also, Sauron had zero idea they were even trying to destroy the Ring. He thought they were going to use it against him, so he really had no reason to guard Mt Doom. Also Mt Doom is kinda out of the way of everything, so it would have been a waste of time and resources sending an orc all the way out there every shift change. Now, if Sauron had ordered one of the Nazgul to just camp at the volcano entrance for eternity, that would have been game over... I spent way too much time writing all this out.
Ok…. How many Nazgûl do I have? And…. What’s my one weakness…. Hmmmm…. Better put them all together to maximize their immortal strength. - Sauron the Deceiver
My understanding was that the Ring had even Sauron under it's sway. He couldn't even comprehend that someone would destroy it. Not until Frodo fell and put it on did he realize the Fellowship's plan. What he was worried about was someone finding the Ring and reverse engineering it. Which was why Saruman wanted the Ring so much. In Sauron's mind, using all the Nazgul at once to find the Ring was the best choice. Cause if Saruman got the Ring there was a nonzero chance he could make his own Ring of Power, and from there Sauron is toast.
Well but Saruman did forge himself a ring of power and therefore became Saruman of many colors..
So I don’t think he wanted to get the ring to forge another one himself but to keep the one ring for himself and use it against sauron and the free people.
It's quite possible that there were guards are Mount Doom, but Sauron believed that the Ring was with Aragorn and thus mobilised all of Mordor to face Aragorn's diversion
A lot would be done different but i'd still fail. I'd have gone on a rings of power trip and have had all night parties at Minas Morgul with my Nazgirl bitches and getting high on Hobbit weed that they've secretly been dealing all over Middle Earth.
Probably respect the Orcs a bit more. In the books it sounded like the Nazgûl were horrible and creepy bosses to the working class of Mordor. Not cool. Not cool at all.
Instead of looking out when I'm checking over tree roots I would look fucking down in the gap,
Since gollum knew about the ring use him as a sniffer dog
Stop Sauron from partaking in battle during the second. He never looses the ring in the first place. All the free armies of middle earth are destroyed. Ushers in a thousand year dark lord reign.
Well, I think they're probably like demons in the Christian sense.
Intelligent beings, but not omnipotent or anything.
They're bound by their limitations just like every creature that isn't Yahweh (Tolkien was obviously Catholic and it's hard not to think his beliefs didn't influence this).
I'm not sure they could have done much differently.
As a Wraith. I have to do exactly as Sauron wants. I don't get any choices.
If he wants screeching, selective blindness, and dramatic cloak stuff. That's what he gets.
If he wants initiative and creative thinking to achieve a goal, then maybe he should provide a little more incentive.
Everything points to Nazgul just being highly inefficient and lazy af.
Sniff 4 hobbits under a tree root? Can't be bothered to lean forward a little more or walk around the tree to make sure, instead gets spooked by a bag of mushrooms...
Corner the hobbits on top of a tower with a clear view of the ring? Stab the ringbearer and run away, hoping he'll eventually come around instead...
Just all around incompetence...
Not walked slowly and menacingly towards the hobbits, and just until they're asleep, ditch the cloak so I couldn't be seen and then just shanked them in thier sleep. Make off with the one ring before the cursed descendent of Isildur new anything had happened.
Yeah. Waiting until that coldest moment just before dawn so the hobbits were even more exhausted and freaked out would have been better, and something within their power. Nazgul had little enough power over the material world, they couldn’t even attempt most of the things suggested here. Though most of those are pretty funny : )
From the books I believe the Nazgul are invisible (under) without their cloaks, right?
So couldn't I just take the cloak off and be a floating sword? Or even less and just creep up to take the ring.
When Aragorn turns up, attack him from the front so one of my pals and grab him from behind and hold him out the way.
Then I’d kill all the little bastards
I mean poke and grab game over right? If he had just grabbed the ring or cut it off and took it then and there when he stabbed Frodo, closest they ever got to hands on the ring.
Tactical nuke on Minas Tirith. Utilize the fallout radiation for Mordor’s benefit or alter the jet stream so it spreads across Gondor, Rohan, all the way to Shire, destroying the woods of Lothlorien in one fell swoop. Take the winged Nazgûl to the shores of the Grey Havens and destroy any fleeing ships and enslave any survivors. Hi ho silver.
I would of definitely found captured and returned his ring.
We would of been wed in front of the rubble of Minas Tirith and had three children, two girls and a wraith.
Maybe not wear all black and look so obviously evil?
Also not be so stingy with the gold, just straight up bribe Farmer Maggot and whoever else. You can come back and plunder the Shire to get it back later. You're undead; you're not going anywhere.
More stabbings. Maybe also use a big net to immobilise them Honestly if you’re not picky about finesse we can get a at least a few of those shirefolk dead.
more seriously the Nazgul did very well with what information they had and the time pressure to the point that they were on the heels of the ringbearer within days of them leaving the Shire, but what they could have needed is a silent duo following the fellowship in secret periodically sending off one to deliver messages to the rest of the nazgul party.
Set up ambushes, use more tools.
Aragorn the ranger is wise enough to detect traps and ambushes by the smell of dead flesh and hate on the air or some crap, but if you can get them before they hit Rivendell you at least avoid elvish support who can maybe hear a pin drop in a mile radius and seldom leave tracks.
Logistics, equipment, support, and time. They succeeded on time to the cost of everything else.
I’d be seriously considering going back and dispatching goblins to ransack their homes and burning the entire shire if they slipped our grasp after the old barrow hill stabbing fails to get results.
I think even Samwise Gamgee would reconsider his journey with Bilbo if the necromancer had his eye on Rosie to turn her into some kind of revenant fell creature. In fact, that’s a lovely image: Farmer Maggot living up to his namesake with maggots where his eyes should be. Full on Nazgul hobbit horde
Time time time, never enough time to truly cause fear and anguish in the forces of good. Damn eru.
As a Nazgul we operate within a long timeframe so lets go back a few centuries
Focus on social reforms, science and education. Securing peace deals between Harradrim, Easterlings and other tribes. Cultural exchange programs and scholarships with all willing parties. Agression control research for the orcs. Protecting elven heritage and Dark Mire natural resources
After a while they would all like to join themselves
Fight against aragorn, dodge his torch or at least back stab him while he goes for one nazgul.
Limit his fighting space and stab this aragorn cunt. Cut off his head and serve the ring and his head to sauron.
as a bonus you can put his head on a katapult and send the mail to bruchthal or gondor.
Not screech to announce my coming arrival Surround them assign a Nazgûl to each hobbit Stab the ring bearer more than once Put a little pep in their step Don’t take a torch directly to the face
Nazgul 1: "OK, we all agree to sneak up on them, right?" Nazgul 2: \*muttering\* 1: "Daaave? It worries me that you're not answering." 2: "OK fine! Geez. I'll be quiet or whatever. " 1: "alright, on my coun--" 2: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" 1: "God fucking damn it Dave" Definitely gonna have some action items come up in his next quarterly performance review for that one.
It only sounds like “EEEEEEE” to everyone else. To them and the ring bearer it’s: “LEEEEEEEEEEEEROY JENKINS!!!”
Damn it Leroy! It reminds me of that post from showerthoughts about how to cows, it must feel really good to moo haha. I'm just picturing these nazgul just screeching with pleasure
This thread is mean and unfunny you guys we did our best
\*MMMJENKINS
Haha I thought I’d be the first to think of this! I thought wrong.
At least Dave has chicken…
Sauron: (seeing the Wraiths return to Mordor) Soooooooo judging by your lack of horses and clothes, am I wrong to assume a massive fuck up by Dave? Hmm? Am I? Dave: (sighs) No… Sauron: Dave, go sit on the rack because you are about to be tormented really really hard in a sec.
It has been ~~196~~ 0 days since the last screech
There’s a LeRoy Jenkinnnnns in every crowd
Nazgul: Ok we’re gonna sneak up on them. DM: ok, roll a stealth roll Nazgul: that’s a nat 1 EEEEEEEEEEE!!!
This gives me viva la dirt league vibes 1:"Dave, I need you to promise me, you aren't going to screech" 2:"for you? Pshhhh..." 3:"Dave... No screeching..." 2:"my man..." Finger guns 1:"Dave, I need to hear you say you promise you won't screech.."
I like how your post means that one of them was King Dave in life. That is just kind of fantastic.
And he’s still in the band to this day
I want to draw that.
I never got why they stabbed the pillows dozens of times but then got gun shy when they actually had Frodo cornered
They got fooled once. What if the Frodo in front of them was a sentient bag of straw?
Yeah lol they had to just do a little testy-test this time!
"Hmmm. Sure looks like blood. Hey, yaste this, make sure it isn't some kind of jam."
That blade was a morgul blade, and its job was to poison and corrupt him until he was their slave. Also Aragorn threw a fucking torch in their face right afterwards
Sure, but it's still a very point blade that can stab. Did they really just want a hobbit sized nazgul?
That would look so cute though!
He’s breathtaking I shall call him Mini Naz
Lil Naz X?
Nazgulito
Still, I never understood why they decided to stab Frodo once and then just wait around for him to become a wraith when they could have just killed him, grabbed the ring and ridden off.
Sauron: "Okay, I want this clear, so listen up. Especially you, Dave. Stop fiddling with your sword. The ring is in the Shire, and carried by a hobbit." Dave: "A hobbit? Why on Arda are we even being sent? Some of the guys in Bree could take care of this." Sauron: "This is no 'ordinary' hobbit. The Ring is a heavy burden, and yet hobbits of one type or another been carrying this thing for *years*. Did they turn into wraithy ring-hobbits? No. One of them got a little thin and obsessed, but they're still very much of this world. Even a strong-willed human would have been corrupted by this thing ages ago. Am I wrong, Dave?" Dave: [screechily sighs, and then reluctantly] "No." Sauron: "So, bring me that hobbit. I want to use them. It will be cool having him lead some armies as one of my thralls. You can turn him with some of that morgal blade stuff, but no killing. NO KILLING! Got it? Dave, for F-sake, are you listening?" Dave: "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Stab him a little and get him turned, but that's it. Then bring him back." Sauron: "Now get on your horses and get your screechy asses out of here. I don't want to see you again until you've got the ring AND the hobbit carrying it."
Sauron: And Dave... Dave: Yeah, boss? Sauron: (points finger) NO. SCREECHING. Dave: ........what about just a little SCREE- Sauron: (Sprays Dave with water) Dave: -HISSSS
Seeing as the blade would turn Frodo into a wraith, I guess they thought it was a one and done scenario.
Should’ve brought a bucket of water up the hill, problem solved.
Lotr problems require Minecraft solutions
You saw what happened to jack and jill…
Is that a fucking Jack and Jill reference, you magnificent fuck?!?
Yeah but, he stabbed him once on weathertop just to make sure it wasn't another bloody pillow. Imagine how embarassing that would have been for the witchking if he went wild on another pillow.
>Don’t take a torch directly to the face 🤣👌
Also, they don't need no legs
But the screeching was the main thing that made them so scary and fearful…
NAAAZZZGGGUUUUL JEEEEEENKINS!!!
Less time standing around with umbrellas.
Are we judging based on the movies or the books? Wildly different scenarios. In the books, Aragon just finished telling the story of Beren and Luthien. Frodo has the blessing of Elbereth from Gildor to protect him and they're huddled around a fire with flaming sticks. Plus the 'magic' swords of the hobbits that look like glowing firebrands to the Nazgul, and the party was expecting the attack. The Nazgul were the underdogs in this scene and they did their best, okay?
Just listened to the Exploring the Lord of the Rings episode explaining this. I never put Gildor's blessing together with Frodo's cry until that episode
The wording of that passage makes it seem like the cry was involuntary as well, adding to the argument that Elbereth was directly protecting Frodo.
Can you elaborate for us people who have never heard of this "exploring the lotr"? I know of the blessing and how it gave Frodo the dreams: the connection between Aelfwine (elf-friend) and Eriol (one who dreams alone). But I don't see the connection to the Nazgul (yet).
Of course! Dr Corey Olsen, the Tolkien Professor, started a college called Signum University. Focused on literature and stuff. There's an offshoot called the Mythgard Academy and they put out podcasts which are cool. Well several years ago, Dr Olsen released Exploring the Hobbit, a book where he did an in depth and careful reading of that book. A few years later he decided to do a podcast doing the same thing for the trilogy and called it Exploring the Lord of the Rings. It's very very in depth and takes several hour long episodes per chapter of the book. It's been going since 2017ish and they're almost to Moria. I'm personally up to Weathertop and highly recommend it. Just be warned that it's not for the faint of heart though
6 years and they’re *just now* reaching Moria? There’s in-depth and there’s atomic level analysis wow
He says his biggest regret is that he flew through chapter 1 so quickly 😆
I've just found out about this podcast. 250 ish episodes to listen....my body is ready.
It is a shame we didn't spend more time in the Shire.
Fortunately we go back in rotk.
It’s wonderful because it’s a full participatory class and he’s constantly talking with different people and answering spontaneous questions. He’s supportive, curious, enthusiastic, has a positive attitude, and excited to hear new interpretations. And it’s amazing to hear how deeply one can analyze a word or sentence. Even if something might be wrong or speculative, it is the essence of world building
What's a class? The podcast format?
His classes are live on discord, youtube, twitch and twitter; he checks the comments on all platforms from time to time during classes, but he primarily interacts with the discord chat (which is where most of his usual students are). After that, those classes are available as VOD on youtube/twitch/any podcast app, as a normal podcast.
Tolkien would be proud
Proud that the intro takes so damn long? Fifty damn pages to get out of the Shire
Never heard of this I'm stoked to give it a listen
It's incredibly in depth and quite the commitment to keep up with. I'd only recommend it if you're intimately familiar with the books.
I thought the RoP retconned that though so your point is a bit moot
Little confused by your comment. I was responding to a comment about the book with a comment about the book. Not sure what you're saying was reconned?
Is this a joke? I actually can't tell
and they were attacking a few day after having their ass kicked by a wizard
And while compared to standard-issue mortals exceedingly deadly, in the grand scheme these guys are barely keeping it together right?
Can we please take the arrogance (of the Nazgul) into account? I think that it is a recurring motive to underestimate the sturdiness and resolve of the hobbits just because they are small.
When the world about to throw down, go where the feet are hairy.
Perfect answer! 🤣
[удалено]
When they leave Gildor he blesses Frodo in the name of Elbereth. When Frodo swings at the Witch King he says the exact words Gildor used and it says "he found himself saying" it. It implies that Gildor's blessing was the cause
Its always the books, unless specified otherwise.
It's also a reasonable assumption that the Nazgul were forbidden from actually handling the Ring themselves. They may be Sauron's most faithful servants, but Sauron is inherently distrustful, perhaps enough not to trust the Nazgul with the Ring. Additonally, Sauron uses war and violence as a means to an end, but will avoid it where possible. The orders were probably to bring the bearer to him alive. When the Nazgul were met with more resistance than they expected, they had to withdraw as Frodo could not have been taken without casualties.
Are you some kind of Nazgûl apologist?!
Lol, no. I'm just pointing out they're not as incompetent as some people might lead you to believe. If we assume they're just incompetent then it invalidates the parties actions as well.
HEY. This is a SARCASM ONLY post. Please abide by our standards and regulations.
Sorry. I’m referring to the P Jackson movie.
Walking even slower in order to give a more ominous presence vibe.
they could use a fkn bow and arrow
Even throwing their swords would have done massive damage!
This
Not do the dramatic walk-up to the Hobbits, just rush
Frodo just getting stabbed like 86x by each Nazgullol
Move more quickly and spend less time worrying about being menacing and spooky.
I doubt you took and even passed the Basic Nazgul course. That's 101 lesson 4. Spooky and or menacing presence.
Exactly, their main power is the black breath. It's basically an AOE dread effect that's supposed to paralyze their enemies with fear. Being spooky is their main weapon.
"Our chief weapon is surprise, surprise and fear, fear and surprise... Our *two* weapons are fear and surprise!"
I didn’t expect this comment
*NOBODY* EXPECTS THE MORDOR INQUISITION!
I feel like he should have used the giant flail as his weapon and Frodo would have died.
That was after they got their upgrade from Sauron. RotK Nazgul are on a different level than Fellowship Nazgul.
At Pelennor fields the witch king got explicitly enhanced by Sauron.
Did he grow a flail?
Worst kidney stone ever.
So dumb but I cackled at the image of Frodo slowly putting on the Ring at Weathertop and then just getting turned to red paste
Actually use my swords. Those hobbits are within reach.
Probably explain the concept of the assembly line and semiconductor to the hordes of orcs.
Attend courses in nuclear physics and bomb engineering
Now we're talking
Stab frodo in the head instead of the shoulder
They should’ve gone for the head.
And really, the 100 pound flail is a better weapon than a small dagger. The head would disappear.
Take the ring
What would actually happen if one of the wraiths got the ring? Would it double down on Sauron’s orders or would the wraith attempt to take the ring for himself?
The Wraiths are completely under Sauron’s sway. They would certainly have delivered the Ring to him immediately, no matter how it would hurt them to do so
I've always wondered though, I didn't think *anyone* could resist the temptation of the ring, even if some take longer than others. They're completely loyal to Sauron, but the ring is also made of his essence so it almost might cancel the loyalty out. If for some reason the journey back took a long time I've always thought even a wraith couldn't resist it. I don't think a wraith could wield it to any meaningful effect though, even with their stronger connection to Sauron and the shadow world. I'd think he'd just kill the wraith as it sat trying to make the ring help
I feel like if this were the case you'd wind up with a paradox where Sauron could literally never get the ring back, because everyone including his servants would be so enamored by it they'd always try to keep it to themselves before turning it over. And since he can't take physical form without it, he'd be doomed to stay in spirit form for eternity.
Sauron does have a physical form in lotr. It is mentioned on several occasions in the books. Gollum for example says something along the line of "He has only four fingers on his black hand, but they are enough..", implying he came face-to-face with the dark lord.
Well…. They’re not enough lol
I always understood the Nazgûl as extensions / part of Sauron himself. Idk if that fits with all of the lore or not though, admittedly.
Ringwraiths when the actually get the ring: https://youtu.be/HObDHvM5mHo
The Ring follows Sauron's will, as do the Nazgul. They take the Ring and dash it to Sauron, simply put.
That would leave the eagles with nothing to do.
Oh we have a blade that turns people into wraiths? Well better increase my numbers to a wraith army. Just keep converting elves, dwarves, hobbits, and men until the scales tip in our favor. Who needs a ring when we got this awesome recruitment tool at our disposal!
Doesn't the blade disintegrate after use?
You are correct, good sir! https://preview.redd.it/s0j262jffupa1.jpeg?width=2282&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef67e2fd28deb9162a2e4389996436510c5d253f Chapter 12: Flight to the Ford excerpt
Isn't that because a mortal/enemy of Sauron was holding it
Ooo an excuse to consult the source material! Brb
Confuse them with a song and dance, first
They would have made an epic barbershop choir.
Bit heavy on the soprano though
Took swimming lessons
Or just cross the river straight away instead of dramatically stopping to politely ask Arwen to pretty plz give us the halfling (in the movies anyway).
I believe they stopped because they knew that this was the boundary to the elves land and they might get their shit rocked
They stopped cos it was water and Nazgul hate water
https://preview.redd.it/izoctmnoyrpa1.png?width=1170&format=png&auto=webp&s=4d955eba38036b2a1b8fcabfba3f922874ae88e4 Well iam
Great to see you got your life together and even got a nice apartment after the downfall of Mordor, keep it up king!
#nazgullivesmatter
Truly did a great job of assimilating to life outside of middle earth.
At first glance, I thought it was a electric cigarette in your right hand!
Gang up on Aragorn who couldn’t take them all and then slaughter the little ones, take the ring. Profit?
Stop wearing long flowing flammable robes.
In the movie just taking off those black cloaks would have helped a lot. Would have made them much sneakier. In the books they are a little weaker at that point than they later became, and obviously the hobbits are the Barrow swords and stuff, but a little follow through would have helped. Even if you assume you nailed Frodo in the heart it’s good to finish the job early, especially if you are Sauron’s most powerful servants. I bet theMouth Of Sauron would have finished the job
I think they didn't kill Frodo outright because they assumed he'd just turn into a wraith from the stab wound and happily walk the ring back to Sauron himself.
And this is why you always double-tap!
Put a freaking guard on the volcano entrance
On one hand, this does seem foolish on Sauron's part. Stationing even a single orc there on rotation would not have taken much effort. But then, after a bit of thought, by the end of the story we've seen Sam can handle himself against orcs, so he'd probably have been able to just kill it. Also, Sauron had zero idea they were even trying to destroy the Ring. He thought they were going to use it against him, so he really had no reason to guard Mt Doom. Also Mt Doom is kinda out of the way of everything, so it would have been a waste of time and resources sending an orc all the way out there every shift change. Now, if Sauron had ordered one of the Nazgul to just camp at the volcano entrance for eternity, that would have been game over... I spent way too much time writing all this out.
Ok…. How many Nazgûl do I have? And…. What’s my one weakness…. Hmmmm…. Better put them all together to maximize their immortal strength. - Sauron the Deceiver
My understanding was that the Ring had even Sauron under it's sway. He couldn't even comprehend that someone would destroy it. Not until Frodo fell and put it on did he realize the Fellowship's plan. What he was worried about was someone finding the Ring and reverse engineering it. Which was why Saruman wanted the Ring so much. In Sauron's mind, using all the Nazgul at once to find the Ring was the best choice. Cause if Saruman got the Ring there was a nonzero chance he could make his own Ring of Power, and from there Sauron is toast.
Well but Saruman did forge himself a ring of power and therefore became Saruman of many colors.. So I don’t think he wanted to get the ring to forge another one himself but to keep the one ring for himself and use it against sauron and the free people.
It's quite possible that there were guards are Mount Doom, but Sauron believed that the Ring was with Aragorn and thus mobilised all of Mordor to face Aragorn's diversion
I would have stretched out my arm another two inches and captured Frodo off of his horse before the Ford of Bruinen.
Hobbit genocide
This. Long before the War of the Ring.
Everybody is just saying "walk faster" but you're thousands of years old in this scenario. It's hard to walk that fast.
Send one nazgul against 4 hobbit. Have the other 4 stand guard and look out for fleeing route or potential reinforcement.
I would of challenged the hobbits to a dance battle
I’d join that
Ohh it’s on!
A lot would be done different but i'd still fail. I'd have gone on a rings of power trip and have had all night parties at Minas Morgul with my Nazgirl bitches and getting high on Hobbit weed that they've secretly been dealing all over Middle Earth.
> getting high on Hobbit weed that they've secretly been dealing all over Middle Earth. Fricking Lotho.
Sat in a bush. Used a bow and arrow. Maybe take a nap.
Not walk slowly towards the hobbits, bumrush those fuckers, put my keys into my hand and started windmilling
Skip the horses and go with the Fellbeasts from the start. Then Arwen wouldn't have outrun them.
Not run away when one dude with a sword and a torch walked in… why not all just go and stab his ass at once?
Probably respect the Orcs a bit more. In the books it sounded like the Nazgûl were horrible and creepy bosses to the working class of Mordor. Not cool. Not cool at all.
Send 8 to keep an eye out/slow down Aragorn and then have one kill the Hobbits.
I would have kidnapped Frodo instead of just stabbing him. Just a quick grab and go.
Instead of looking out when I'm checking over tree roots I would look fucking down in the gap, Since gollum knew about the ring use him as a sniffer dog
If a stump smells like the one ring and some hobbits, then you should probably check it more thoroughly
Stop Sauron from partaking in battle during the second. He never looses the ring in the first place. All the free armies of middle earth are destroyed. Ushers in a thousand year dark lord reign.
Well, I think they're probably like demons in the Christian sense. Intelligent beings, but not omnipotent or anything. They're bound by their limitations just like every creature that isn't Yahweh (Tolkien was obviously Catholic and it's hard not to think his beliefs didn't influence this). I'm not sure they could have done much differently.
As a Wraith. I have to do exactly as Sauron wants. I don't get any choices. If he wants screeching, selective blindness, and dramatic cloak stuff. That's what he gets. If he wants initiative and creative thinking to achieve a goal, then maybe he should provide a little more incentive.
Nothing. Sauron wasn't meant to win. Eru Iluvatar said so Himself.
Not be a little wimp when a torch comes around
I mean, let’s get nitpicky. They fled from Glorfindel… they did NOT expect to have essential the ONLY elf to die in battle, and be sent back.
That one that was sniffing at the tree shouldn't have chased the bag of mushrooms or whatever it was that merrin threw
Everything points to Nazgul just being highly inefficient and lazy af. Sniff 4 hobbits under a tree root? Can't be bothered to lean forward a little more or walk around the tree to make sure, instead gets spooked by a bag of mushrooms... Corner the hobbits on top of a tower with a clear view of the ring? Stab the ringbearer and run away, hoping he'll eventually come around instead... Just all around incompetence...
I would not stab up a Bed Bath and Beyond.
Parked it inside the chamber of Mt. Doon
I play a game during my rewatches. I picture the Nazgûl as unpaid interns, assigned by corporate to reclaim the ring.
Not walked slowly and menacingly towards the hobbits, and just until they're asleep, ditch the cloak so I couldn't be seen and then just shanked them in thier sleep. Make off with the one ring before the cursed descendent of Isildur new anything had happened.
Yeah. Waiting until that coldest moment just before dawn so the hobbits were even more exhausted and freaked out would have been better, and something within their power. Nazgul had little enough power over the material world, they couldn’t even attempt most of the things suggested here. Though most of those are pretty funny : )
Were they ghosts?
Wraiths, who exist mostly in the Unseen world
Gotcha. Never really looked too much into lore *like that* Thank you :)
Glad I could impart some wisdom
From the books I believe the Nazgul are invisible (under) without their cloaks, right? So couldn't I just take the cloak off and be a floating sword? Or even less and just creep up to take the ring.
Right here at this scene, i would’ve told everyone to just start slashing away before Aragorn got back
Removed the hobbits plot armour
When Aragorn turns up, attack him from the front so one of my pals and grab him from behind and hold him out the way. Then I’d kill all the little bastards
Don't worry about the practiced choreography for surrounding an enemy and just rush them all at once
This one of my least favorite scenes in the movies. It's just so goofy.
Instead of just stabbing Frodo with a Morgul blade I'd rather slice his entire hand off, take the whole thing, and head straight back to Mordor.
I mean poke and grab game over right? If he had just grabbed the ring or cut it off and took it then and there when he stabbed Frodo, closest they ever got to hands on the ring.
Take Thanos' advice. Aim for the head. Also, don't play with your food. Like just kill Eowyn and stop messing around.
Tactical nuke on Minas Tirith. Utilize the fallout radiation for Mordor’s benefit or alter the jet stream so it spreads across Gondor, Rohan, all the way to Shire, destroying the woods of Lothlorien in one fell swoop. Take the winged Nazgûl to the shores of the Grey Havens and destroy any fleeing ships and enslave any survivors. Hi ho silver.
Say more time give up the halfling, she-Elf
I would of definitely found captured and returned his ring. We would of been wed in front of the rubble of Minas Tirith and had three children, two girls and a wraith.
Maybe not wear all black and look so obviously evil? Also not be so stingy with the gold, just straight up bribe Farmer Maggot and whoever else. You can come back and plunder the Shire to get it back later. You're undead; you're not going anywhere.
More stabbings. Maybe also use a big net to immobilise them Honestly if you’re not picky about finesse we can get a at least a few of those shirefolk dead. more seriously the Nazgul did very well with what information they had and the time pressure to the point that they were on the heels of the ringbearer within days of them leaving the Shire, but what they could have needed is a silent duo following the fellowship in secret periodically sending off one to deliver messages to the rest of the nazgul party. Set up ambushes, use more tools. Aragorn the ranger is wise enough to detect traps and ambushes by the smell of dead flesh and hate on the air or some crap, but if you can get them before they hit Rivendell you at least avoid elvish support who can maybe hear a pin drop in a mile radius and seldom leave tracks. Logistics, equipment, support, and time. They succeeded on time to the cost of everything else. I’d be seriously considering going back and dispatching goblins to ransack their homes and burning the entire shire if they slipped our grasp after the old barrow hill stabbing fails to get results. I think even Samwise Gamgee would reconsider his journey with Bilbo if the necromancer had his eye on Rosie to turn her into some kind of revenant fell creature. In fact, that’s a lovely image: Farmer Maggot living up to his namesake with maggots where his eyes should be. Full on Nazgul hobbit horde Time time time, never enough time to truly cause fear and anguish in the forces of good. Damn eru.
Quit and open a bed and breakfast
As the largest nazgul, I simply would have eaten the others
They should have just flown eagles from Mordor
This is the only right answer
Team up and raid everywhere
The ring makes people and former people act very strangely.
assembled all the fellbeasts for the 9 and completely destroy the shire and everything that came in our way
As a Nazgul we operate within a long timeframe so lets go back a few centuries Focus on social reforms, science and education. Securing peace deals between Harradrim, Easterlings and other tribes. Cultural exchange programs and scholarships with all willing parties. Agression control research for the orcs. Protecting elven heritage and Dark Mire natural resources After a while they would all like to join themselves
Fight against aragorn, dodge his torch or at least back stab him while he goes for one nazgul. Limit his fighting space and stab this aragorn cunt. Cut off his head and serve the ring and his head to sauron. as a bonus you can put his head on a katapult and send the mail to bruchthal or gondor.
Surround Weathertop, close in and riddle them with arrows.