Tactical discussion: Combatting Attack Trolls

[Snorri Swifthammer]

Also the trolls greatness weakness is the fact they aren't the brightest crayons in the box. If their stupidity could be used against them by luring them into traps or bad tacital situations(outnumbered or consricted) that might be an effective strategy.

[alatar]

Lure them into a boxed street then pepper them from above with arrows, bolts, whatever. Take out their eyes first, then you might be able to have the trolls attack each other accidentally.

In the non-PJ world I would just have a White Wizard at the door, and that would be the end of that (sigh). Or maybe just a little sunlight bounced down to the gate from some mirrors would turn the first trolls through the gate into stone, plugging it up.

In the PJ world one could:
- have Legolas crush them with falling oliphants (one dead Oli at the gate would have been a big help).
- drop flaming Stewards on them from the Citadel of Gondor ("Hi. You're the new Steward," <pour oil> <ignite> <jump>, "Next!") as the force of impact from the same has got to do some damage, even to Trolls. They would be like self-guiding 'smart' bombs, and the flames can't hurt either.
- have Arwen the She-Elf say something dire then flood them with Minas Tirith's sewage system.
- intentionally collapse a stone building on them.

One of the first three trolls through the door goes down, and so I would repeat the same action (can't remember what it was).

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by alatar

Or maybe just a little sunlight bounced down to the gate from some mirrors would turn the first trolls through the gate into stone, plugging it up.

Ah, but weren't they sunlight resistant?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Ah, but weren't they sunlight resistant?

Oops! Scrap the mirrors idea; looks like it's going to take something brighter like one of those Galadriel's phials.

[Snorri Swifthammer]

I present my fool-proof plan...

EDIT- Done with MS Paint. Imagine the sarcasmo-meter if I had photoshop

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by Snorri Swifthammer

I present my fool-proof plan...

EDIT- Done with MS Paint. Imagine the sarcasmo-meter if I had photoshop

Hmm, might have a practical application, but Tooks are in short supply (being Fallowhides, the least numerous of the three Hobbit strains), so you'd need an alternative bait.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Neurion

No. They were covered by the Great Darkness

Not sure that it's quite as clear cut as that. Did you read the articles I linked to?

[Neurion]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Ah, but weren't they sunlight resistant?

No. They were covered by the Great Darkness (which came across more as the Great Overcast in the films).

[alatar]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Ah, but weren't they sunlight resistant?

Just another thought on this. Did PJ, who took a moment to show 'Bilbo's trolls,' ever say anything about any trolls being sunlight affected? The troll in Moria may or may not have been. Just thought that the Uruk Hai didn't appreciate the sunrise and 'Gandalf glow' when they were so rudely interrupted at Helm's Deep, and so again I would think that some bright wizardy lights would have made the Gondor trolls a bit more susceptible to the other traps, weapons, tactics mentioned above.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by alatar

Did PJ, who took a moment to show 'Bilbo's trolls,' ever say anything about any trolls being sunlight affected?

I think that was mentioned briefly in the first movie by Bilbo himself, telling the story of the trolls to the children. I'm sure the reference was easy to miss, especially for first time watchers with no knowledge of the book.