Could Gandalf have won the war alone?

[CSteefel]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Raynor's brought up a crucial quote. As long as the Ring existed, then some part of Sauron existed. You could throw all the Gandalfs (Gandalves? ), Aragorns, Gimlis and Legoli you liked at Sauron and beat him to a pulp, but as long as that Ring existed, some part of his incredible power existed, waiting to corrupt the unwary.

That's at the very heart of the difficult decisions made at the Council of Elrond. They could plan and make strategies, pool resources, get their powerful aides such as Gandalf or Galadriel out there to fight and connive and in some way to beat Sauron. They could even use the Ring as Boromir wants to do. But the real difficulty is that the Ring must be unmade to have any kind of effective victory - as long as that exists no victory could be complete.

Yes, this is the quote I could not remember (where are you guys getting these quotes, electronically or typing them in by hand?).

So we see the remark from Gandalf quoted by Raynor about the "great weakening of his power", and then we see this quote in which it is stated that even if he did not wear the Ring, the power existed. So clearly Sauron is strongest when he has the Ring, but still in possession of power perhaps well beyond the "typical Maia" even when he is not wearing it.

[The 1,000 Reader]

Seeing as this isn't Battle for Middle-Earth, there is no way Gandalf could have done it alone. Granted, orcs are pretty weak and pathetic, but with the rest of Sauron's army and the Nazgul, Gandalf would have gone down. While he likely could have defeated the crippled and combat-inept Sauron, he wouldn't have made it through the army between the two, full power or no.

Before anyone says "But they are Maia/Vala" Sauron was a Maia, and he got beaten by a dog. Then, with the one ring, he was defeated by a very old (even for his kind) man and an elven king who was not as strong as the ones of old when both were likely tired from fighting through Sauron's armies. Just because you are something does not equal victory whatsoever.

[ArathorofBarahir]

Weren't the Istari forbidden from openly challenging Sauron himself, as in ride into Mordor and challenge him directly. I thought that they were supposed to rally the free peoples and help them overthrow Sauron. Just a thought, probably wrong though.

[Raynor]

No, all referrences I know state that they were only forbidden to show their full power in their "contest of the growth of the Shadow":

Originally Posted by The Istari, Part Four, Unfinished Tales

And this the Valar did, desiring to amend the errors of old, especially that they had attempted to guard and seclude the Eldar by their own might and glory fully revealed; whereas now their emissaries were forbidden to reveal themselves in forms of majesty, or to seek to rule the wills of Men and Elves by open display of power, but coming in shapes weak and humble were bidden to advise and persuade Men and Elves to good, and to seek to unite in love and understanding all those whom Sauron, should he come again, would endeavour to dominate and corrupt.

Originally Posted by Tale of Years, Appendix B, LotR

It was afterwards said that they came out of the Far West and were messengers sent to contest the power of Sauron, and to unite all those who had the will to resist him; but they were forbidden to match his power with power, or to seek to dominate Elves or Men by force and fear.

Originally Posted by Letter #156

At this point in the fabulous history the purpose was precisely to limit and hinder their exhibition of 'power' on the physical plane, and so that they should do what they were primarily sent for: train, advise, instruct, arouse the hearts and minds of those threatened by Sauron to a resistance with their own strengths; and not just to do the job for them.