[Growltigger]

Narf, there were no mountain armies in the LOTR. I suppose the nearest thing to it would be the dwarfs of the Lonely Mountain. You dont hear much about them (other than Gloin at Elrond's Council and Balin's tomb in Moria) other than a mention that Sauron sent an army of Easterlings to attack Esgaroth, Dale and the Lonely Mountain and that King Brand of Dale (son of Bain son of Bard the bowman who killed Smaug) and Dain Ironfoot died fighting them.

The Dead lived under the White Mountains and like the movie, owed Aragorn an oath of fealty. He used them to kill the Corsairs of Umbar. They were not undead, but were ghosts (obviously with the power to kill people)

In the book, Minas Tirith was undermanned because the rest of Gondor could only send 3000-4000 men to help, and were keeping most of their forces back to combat the Corsairs. Once these were eliminated, Aragorn could marshall 30,000 odd Gondorean solidiers, stick them in the boats and sale these up to the Pelennor as late reinforcements, and it was these that really knackered up Mordor's troops, as they were getting on top of the men of the city and the rohirrim

[ January 07, 2004, 10:31: Message edited by: Growltigger ]