View Single Post
Old 07-27-2011, 12:48 PM   #21
Puddleglum
Wight
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 145
Puddleglum has just left Hobbiton.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun View Post
So in Middle-earth math, one Noldo > thousands of Dwarves?
Not as such. I think it's more a matter of match-ups. The greatest of the Eldar had the particular skill/talent/whatever to match up with a Balrog's particular strengths and weaknesses (whatever they may be), the Dwarves apparently didn't (at least in the setting of the Mines). That doesn't mean that an Elf hero would match-up so well against the strengths/weaknesses of an army of Dwarves.

It may be as simple as the Elves having a defense (lacked by Dwarves) against the Balrog's primary attack methods. Or, to use a slightly wacky illustration,
  • Sissors (Dwarves) Cuts Paper (Elves)
  • Paper (Elves) Wraps Rock (Balrog)
  • Rock (Balrog) Smashes Sissors (Dwarves)
That is, in fighting, A Beats B and B beats C does *not* necessarily mean A beats C.

Of course, don't read too much into this illustration. In reality, Elves (esp Noldor) hold their own pretty well against Dwarves also.
Puddleglum is offline   Reply With Quote