Just how hard is it to kill a Troll?

[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

What's betting that Hurin, a qualified elf-friend and hero of the first age was himself in possession of a fantastically crafted and razor sharp blade? Surely he owned a master weapon, something so sharp and quick that while a load of trolls was a lot to kill, no lesser man could do simply because their blades would turn like Boromir's did. How old was Narsil again? Forged in the First Age by Telchar, well maybe a few of the great men of old had the sister-blades to the Sword of Elendil (which presumably was once the sword of Elros, who likely either received it from Cirdan or it was passed from his father Earendil down from the armory of Thingol himself - a noted dwarf-friend (until the incident of the Nauglamir and the Silmaril, naturally).

Anyway, we know Beren had a knife capable of shearing through the Iron Crown of Morgoth to retrieve a Silmaril, and we know there were great elf blades in those days as well, Orcrist, Glamdring, Sting. It seems likely that the blades can attribute quite a bit to how well somebody fights something like a troll.

Trolls were bred in mockery of Ents. Ents are made up of the 'bones of the Earth' as Treebeard said(I think), and can rip through stone. Trolls turned into stone when the sun came out . . . but I'd think they had a very 'stony' nature regardless, as like to a rock as an Ent is to a tree. (maybe in 'corrupting' Ents Morgoth fed them minerals but no good clean water, possibly some venomous black magic, who knows?). Anyway, stabbing a rock isn't all that easy. Even stabbing a tree is hard, for anyone who has ever tried to drive a knife into a good healthy tree, more than a majority of blades turn. Sting, on the other hand, slid into an oak beam with ease, and so too right into a Troll foot. I wouldn't doubt that it could probably puncture good metal armor with a well placed and strong blow. I wouldn't be sure about the stone doors and walls of Khazad-Dum, which are covered in warding runes and the like, and the same goes for other 'enchanted' blades, rune inscribed, but a good sharp blade of elder craftsmanship seems to be the key in killing large amounts of, or extra-powerful enemies. Even Pippin and Merry's barrow swords were of fine craftsmanship of a bygone era, and slew some tough adversaries.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Perhaps they are alike to Dragons, not hard to kill if you know how. Dragons were Week in the under belly, Smoug and Glouring's deaths are good examples of how one could do so. Until I realised Frodo stabbed the foot of the troll I often assumed it was so.

But then you must realise that there are many types of Trolls, mountain, forest and Cave trolls. So perhaps some are easier to kill then others. The trolls that the Dwarves and Gandalf dared not fight were mountain Trolls, SO perhaps they were stronger and harder to kill. Plus I don’t think Gandalf could have taken on three Trolls at once on his own, even with his power and the ring he bore.

But then again, this is an area in which many are confused by what happens in those a cursed films, As in the book Frodo simple stabs at the feet and the troll retreats.

Maybe Hurin had moderator privileges.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Yes, that would explain a lot, except perhaps the incest! :s

[The Barrow-Wight]

Let's stay on topic.

[symestreem]

Another possible explanation for the very tough hide of the Moria troll was offered at a movie blooper site. Remember, the chamber where they were fighting was dimly lit with reflected sunlight. The light was not very strong at all, but it may have been strong enough to harden the troll's skin just a bit.

[Boromir88]

It was pippin who killed the Hill-troll at the morannon and easy way to remember this was he was talking about getting even with Merry slaying the witch-king.

Hurin is no elf-warrior he is from the race of men, better then Turin, best mortal fighter right there.

Ecthelion, however was an elf-lord and a great warrior, I don't know if he slayed 100 trolls but he did slay Gothmog. Balrogs are very strong creatures much stronger then trolls.

I read a comment on another thread "the balrog Gandalf fought was kind of a wimp."
Whoever thinks this is an idiot, the Balrog that Gandalf fight was the most powerful enemy save Sauron. Saruman might of been able to slay the balrog but thats debatable.