Lots of great answers here, and all are totally legit. But my personal opinion... 👉#3 | not a significant effect. Sam finds a way to get it done regardless of what happens at Minas Tirith.... because Sam is a LEGEND!!! 😅
1 year ago (edited) | 34
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields definitely helped and more than you might realise. By causing Sauron to strike early, it emptied the Morgul Vale of most of the Witch Kings forces. There was very little left in Minas Morgul. This means that after the orcs of Cirith Ungol had basically slaughtered each other, there's few forces down below to be brought up to search for whomever set off the watchers alarm system. This then allows Sam and Frodo to disappear into the gulley below Cirith Ungol. Would that have happened if the Witch Kings forces hadn't vacated Minas Morgul. I state categorically: not a chance. The slopes of the Morgai and Ephel Duath would have been crawling with orcs, not just a sniffer and his guard. The march to the Black Gate and Morannon just continues the overall theme by funneling the remainder of Sauron's forces out of Gorgoroth and into Udûn, thus clearing the way for Sam and Frodo to take the track to Mt Doom. I feel that whilst other ideas might have some merit, they also have flaws.
1 year ago | 10
While it might not have been as “strategic” a victory it’s ultimate completion nonetheless allowed for Aragon and the remain men of Gondor and Rohan to march on the black gate which is what really helped Frodo and Sam. As a response to the assault on basically the front door Sauron moved the bulk of his force or enough to outnumber the assaulting men by a large majority. To the area around the black gate clearing the wide open plains of Mordor allowing Sam and Frodo to just stroll on through. If the army didn’t move Sam and Frodo had very little of no hope of staying disguised the entire way to mount doom and up it’s slopes. Fool a couple orks but fool thousands no someone who had smelt or been like hey wtf you doing and the ruse would have been up.
1 year ago
| 44
The whole plot was to make Sauron think that Aragorn was the ring bearer, which he played into by almost immediately marching out to the Black Gate with barely 6-7,000 men, probably less than a quarter of Sauron’s forces. Quite a brave and risky gamble!!
1 year ago
| 93
It was massively important in that it opened up the option of marching up to the Black Gates. If Minas Tirith is lost, all those orcs are still spread throughout Mordor in the way of Frodo and Sam rather than defending the gates.
1 year ago
| 14
Obviously worked as a distraction as in a deleted scene Aragorn uses the orb thing to make Sauron think he has the ring so him marching on the black gate worked perfectly as a distraction
1 year ago | 3
I don't think it ultimately made a difference. Sam would have found a way regardless.
1 year ago | 2
Mordor suffered heavy casualties, but so did Gondor and Rohan. They only survived because of the Men Under the Mountain. The battle itself didn't affect Frodo and Sam's journey too much except maybe make the area around Mordor a little less defended. It wasn't until Frodo and Sam went into Mordor did their biggest help come in, and that was Aragorn marching on the Black Gate.
1 year ago
| 22
The plan to destroy the ring was a HUGE gamble that almost failed numerous times and everything hinged on hoping that Sauron never suspecting them to destroy the ring. Although it was still their best option, they still got extremly lucky.
1 year ago | 9
It was very important. Saving Minas Tirith meant that Sauron remained focused on the fighting with Gondor, specially when they tricked him into thinking Aragorn was the ring-bearer, what with him immediately marching to Mordor with but a fraction of Sauron's forces. Sauron simply never believed anybody would possess the Ring and willingly part with it in such a way that would destroy it... and in that he was right since even Frodo had his moment of weakness right, but he still underestimated them in that they did get that far. Ultimately, he truly thought they'd try to use the One Ring against him, which gave him tunnel vision towards the Black Gate, and made Frodo and Sam's journey INSIDE Mordor significantly easier. Odds would have been against them otherwise.
1 year ago | 6
Also massive: he saved Gondor from collapse, and tens of thousands of lives. Even without Saurons power, thousands of orcs could wreak havoc on the people of Gondor once Minas Tirith was lost.
1 year ago | 3
It also preserved Gondor which was kinda critical for other parts of the plot
1 year ago | 0
Even though it was only the 'first finger' of Sauron's outstretched right hand extended toward his enemies, the Free Peoples didn't have a choice. it was either fight on the Pelennor fields, or wait for the conquest to take them down one at a time. Only by uniting could they stave off a final defeat long enough for the Ring-bearer to finish his quest. Sauron didn't expect the level of resistance he met at the Pelennor Fields. He thought the contest would be a cakewalk due to Superior numbers. But I dare say he was shocked and had to reformulate his strategy because he found out that the heir of Isildur and Elendil lived and was taking up arms against him. Still, he wasn't afraid, but rather angry. "How dare these little insignificant people defy me?" That made him focus on Aragorn and the Captains of the West, to the point that he couldn't even fathom that the true threat to his power was slowly, inexorably, making its way to the heart of his realm, and would deal him his figurative death blow (Sauron's a Maia and can't technically die, but he can be reduced to a gibbering shadow that has no power in the world). In his arrogance, he didn't see the dagger until it was poised over his heart.
1 year ago | 1
Yes and one detail I like to add is that sauron was fighting a massive war all around middle earth. Sauron was engaging, lorien, the blue mountains, the dalelands and the grey havens as well. He had to believe that Minis tirith wasn't going to be the hardest battle. So when things did turn it was a big deal. He knew that denethor was mad. He knew it's allies were tied up fighting Sauruman. He knew that the harbors south of Gondor had fallen. He knew Osgilliath was in ruin. He had to figure Gondor was a goner. So when it wasn't it was a big deal. Suddenly the fight was on his doorstep. Where he figured there was assumed victory. This allowed the ring bearer and company to slip through an area that used to have a great legion of hungry orcs. While sam is pretty epic he needed the distraction. Otherwise several orcs would have found him and slayed him.
1 year ago | 0
While the battle did not directly help Frodo and Sam much, it was absolutely VITAL to the overall mission. Without this victory, there is no Battle of the Black Gate, which means that there is no diversion to draw out Sauron's forces while Frodo and Sam sneak through Mordor. Also, one thing that is understated is the importance of the Witch-king's death. Not only was he Sauron's chief lieutenant and military commander, but he was also the most powerful of the Nazgûl. Had the Witch-king survived the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and been there at the Black Gate, he would've caused many problems for the Eagles, and his presence may have inspired Sauron's forces to destroy the Host of the West more quickly. Also, if the Nine had been at Minas Morgul when Frodo claimed the Ring instead of above the fields of Dagorlad in battle with the Eagles, there's a good chance that they would have made it to Mt. Doom in time to kill Frodo, Sam, and Gollum and take the Ring back to Sauron, then it would be curtains for the Free Peoples.
1 year ago | 2
For Frodo and Sam, the most important part about the battle came before it - Gandalf duped Sauron into sending out his forces from Minas Morgul. Without that, Frodo, Sam and Gollum likely wouldn’t have been able to get past. The Witch King of Angmar nearly discovered them as it was.
1 year ago (edited) | 0
In my opinion, moderate or none. The victory in Minas Tirith served to save Gondor and show Sauron he wasn't invincible. But it hace little effect on Frodo's quest
1 year ago (edited)
| 1
I think the question is being misread here. The battle at the black gate was what massively distracted Sauron and made Frodo and Sams journey easier. Minas Tirith was significant in depriving Sauron of the Witch King and weakening his armies, but it wasn’t the pivotal distraction. That came later
1 year ago | 0
The Grey Havens
From our most recent vid on ⚔️The Battle of Minas Tirith⚔️ https://youtu.be/f9nHRtQtSyg
❓🤔 Question: How much of an effect did Gandalf's victory at Minas Tirith really have on the TRUE mission of Sam and Frodo sneaking to Mount Doom?
1 year ago | [YT] | 322