Originally posted by thefallen544
Elrond is an Elf Lord. But I don't think his combat ability was to the same par as say Glorfindel who was at near Maia like levels of power. As such in a stright out fight I don't personally think Elrond could win. His skills lie more in healing, farsigh and council.
Originally posted by thefallen544
The rings of Power were not offensive, they were passive defensive rings. They inspired others, slowed the aging of the world and the realm and/or aided in the healing powers of those that held them. They did not allow the user to WTFOwn a Balrog. The Rings are powerful but it is a different kind of Power.Gandalf got his ring Narya the Great from Cirdan the Shipwright, when Gandalf and his order arrived at the Grey Havens from the West. Cirdan percieved in him to be the greatest in spirit and the wisest and as such entrusted the Red Ring to him.
IIRC, in the novel, at Weathertop, the nascent fellowship (Aragorn and the Hobbits) were confronted by 5 Nazgul and not the Witch King
balrog wins
as someone mentioned there really have not been instances of a balrog being killed without killing there opponent
Elrond is not on par with a maia
Originally posted by bogen
balrog would melt his face litrally.Gandalf on the other hand was a god like wizard and he realisticly couldn't die, i don't think illuvitar would allow it.
Realisticly Gandalf could easily die. I think there's this preconception people have that just because Gandalf was a Maiar and a wizard that he is instantly invinsible. Realsiticly he was an old man (with all due respect), that's what he was, no stouter than your grandfather. No I lie, he was physically stronger as he had the aid of Narya but then again he never wore it openly til the War of the Ring was over so it's hard to say whether it aided him. Seems so because when he was contructing the defence of Minas Tirith he gave the men there great courage and hope.
Originally posted by nenarye
The balogs were some of the most powerfull Maia, more so in the movies, because PJ made Durin's Bane about 10 times bigger and added wings. Like I said, Elrond would die.
Peter Jackson didn't make the Balrog in the movie 10 times bigger. Balogs were said to be 3-4 times the height of the average man and he wasn't far from that.
Lupin's points I all agree on.
Ninya was the strongest, as stated in the ROTK. But in saying that, Narya proved to be the most important during the War of the Ring. It helped Gandalf in many ways, in preperation to and during the siege of Minas Tirith.
Oh and Elrond would stand not much of a chance against the Balrog. As other people have already said: the Balrog was a Maiar. It takes someone of equal rank or similar to defeat him. In the movie when Boromir asks "What is this new devilry?" Gandalf replies "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run." The high elves did it back in the first and second ages, but Middle Earth was way way different back then. Back then the world was new and there was a overall higher quality in the elves that made them great warriors, councellers and generally better in every way than the elves in the third age. Even though Elrond WAS from the first age he lived through the second and third and also he was not anymore involved with wars and battles and so his skills were not up to defeating a balrog and as Lupin said he specialised moreso in healing, foresight and council.
Originally posted by Aule
Vilya was the most powerful of the Elven rings, not Narya. And I quote from Rotk "The Grey Havens" 'Elrond wore a mantle of grey and had a star upon his forehead, and a silver hard was in his hand, and upon his finger was a ring of gold with a great blue stone, Vilya, mightiest of the Three" Narya was known as "Narya the Great" but Vilya was the most powerful of the three Elven Rings.
This is very true. It is also worth noting that in the Unfinished Tales, Nenya was described as "chief" of the three. There are obviously numerous contradictions in the unfinished works, but it appears as if Tolkien may have been reconsidering Nenya's position to the other rings, given it's final bearer, Galadriel.
We could also discuss the difference between the mightiest and being chief. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Mightiest seems fairly straightforward, but chief could mean many things.
Gandalf said that the Balrog is beyond any of you (the fellowship). Elrond < all the fellowship.
The balrog also drove out the entire dwarf population in moria. Could Elrond do that? 😕
And Elrond doesn't really have any "magical powers". Sure he has some healing stuff, but have you ever seen him launch fireballs or something? Therefore, he would probably burn to death upon touching the balrog.
Personally, I think the Balrog would win, but I don't think it's nearly as one-sided as everyone thinks. The Elf Ecthelion was able to kill the lord of the Balrogs, Gothmog, in single combat, although he himself was killed. It should also be noted that before that battle, however, Ecthelion killed three other Balrogs.
So, it's possible for a powerful Elf to defeat a Balrog.
Wait, didnt Elrond fight in the War of Wrath? I think he was to young but if he did he most certainly killed a balrog then. And who knows, Elrond very could well kill a blarog, as NO ONE has ever actually seen him fight. Elrond, having had around 5000 or more years to perfect his swordsmanship and stuff, could possibly kill a blarog. I give it a good fight with no determined winner. But yes, the Witch King of Angmar WAS at Amon Sul, he just stood in the back, even in the novel. He didnt even try to fight, he just stabbed Frodo. Either him, Khamul, or Morgomir, but Im pretty sure it was him, as in the novel at Minas Morgul "and Frodo cringed at the cry, grabbing his shoulder" I think it said that or something, I just remember that the Witch King WAS there.