Lord of the Rings Tier List

[Parrhesia]

Please feel free to debate, and tell me if I forgot anyone.

I won't deny I stole this idea off some thread hijack. I believe it was OxR who came up with the idea. Availability etc. are all counted. Anything that happens exclusively in the films does NOT count.

Let the record show I placed Hama on the list before even remembering the Fellowship.

CLIFF LEE TIER

Tom Bombadil

WINGSPEAR!BARST TIER

TOP TIER

Sam

Gandalf (White)

HIGH TIER

Gimli

Eomer

Glorfindel

Gandalf (Grey)

Theoden

Aragorn

Elrond

MID TIER

Boromir

Legolas

Gamling

Treebeard

Merry

Isildur

Faramir

Erkenbrand

King of the Dead

Grimbold

LOW TIER

Haldir

Gil-Galad

Elendil

That guy who's like the only other Gondorian Ranger with a speakin Damrod (?)

Arwen

Denethor

Hama

Eowyn

Rohirrim Generic

BOTTOM TIER

Pippin

Frodo

Gaffer Gamgee

Gondorian Generic

Bilbo

Smeagol

WENDY TIER

The distinct lack of any support on the walls of Helm's Deep

Edited July 7, 2010 by Yossarian

[Balcerzak]

I remember the original. Best thread de-railment ever. I'll revisit this list more when it's not 1 AM.

[Parrhesia]

I remember the original. Best thread de-railment ever. I'll revisit this list more when it's not 1 AM.

Can you remember which topic it was? It went on for a couple pages and we managed to sort something out. Last thing I remember was that I humiliated myself by confusing Witch with Lich and personally making a disclaimer I have only played WC2 and 3 before it got locked.

[Integrity]

Gaffer Gamgee over Frodo. He dispensed worlds of wisdom to Sam before the game ever starts.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say Sam wouldn't be GAR tier without the Gaffer.

[Balcerzak]

Can you remember which topic it was? It went on for a couple pages and we managed to sort something out. Last thing I remember was that I humiliated myself by confusing Witch with Lich and personally making a disclaimer I have only played WC2 and 3 before it got locked.

The fun started here:813336[/snapback].

Edited July 6, 2010 by Balcerzak

[Parrhesia]

The fun started here:813336[/snapback].

Thanks.

*Added a couple more guys to the list*

@Integrity: Any stat boosts he might have given Sam don't get credited towards his own placement. That performance is purely for Scouring of the Shire, in which he is still a great unit there but you're gonna walk out of the main campaign with uber!Sam with Sting, at least.

[Integrity]

@Integrity: Any stat boosts he might have given Sam don't get credited towards his own placement. That performance is purely for Scouring of the Shire, in which he is still a great unit there but you're gonna walk out of the main campaign with uber!Sam with Sting, at least.

Items don't count, eh? Well then Frodo shouldn't even be tiered because all he does is provide the convoy and you could just have anybody else carry the Ring.

Also, Eowyn needs to go higher. Being the only unit able to kill the final boss is worth more than anything Faramir ever did.

Let's put it this way: the game is totally unwinnable without Eowyn. What more do you need?

Edited July 6, 2010 by Integrity

[Parrhesia]

Let's put it this way: the game is totally unwinnable without Eowyn. What more do you need?

I dunno, on average a --/14 Theoden will be able to take the WK pretty easily. Failing that, you can just feed everything to Merry, but then again, that means you're fucked for Frodo/Sam's bit.

Frodo can fight, just crappily. Who better to take the occasional paralysis?

Edited July 6, 2010 by Yossarian

[Narga_Rocks]

so, is this not about the books but the game? Also, why FftF? I mean, it's not wrong, but it invites spam and other things unique to FftF. If this is about the books, I could move it to Entertainment. If this is about the games, I could move it to Other Games.

Of course, if you are just making stuff up when you are taking about levels, then it is best here. So, um, is this list based on anything real or just on whatever crap people can come up with?

[Parrhesia]

so, is this not about the books but the game? Also, why FftF? I mean, it's not wrong, but it invites spam and other things unique to FftF. If this is about the books, I could move it to Entertainment. If this is about the games, I could move it to Other Games.

Of course, if you are just making stuff up when you are taking about levels, then it is best here. So, um, is this list based on anything real or just on whatever crap people can come up with?

Books, and the first statistical insight to make sense in the context becomes canon.

[Defeatist Elitist]

Boromir up. Sure, some players suck and get him killed, but he's super awesome. I mean, the BOSS that most people lose him against (which is like his worst boss) pretty much 4HKOs him, which is super awesome. The generics can't even hit him.

[Parrhesia]

Bumped to below Legolas, above Gamling.

Any objections to Gandalf the Grey above Glorfindel? Glorfy's essential for that one chapter, but he doesn't really do anything after that beyond 'not replace Pippin'.

[_____]

Didn't you guys know that you unlock Sauron for Trial Maps if you beat the game 10 times, kill off every character but Frodo, and have his Ring Corruption meter maxed? He's not even on the list...!

[-Cynthia-]

Merry up. If we're considering books over movie, the fact that he has a Westernesse blade (gotten from Tom Bombadil at Barrow Downs) is actually what kills the Witch King, not Eowyn's vagina. She's just there for flanking purposes. He also was pretty much responsible for the whole Ent march thing (Pippin was just being a doofus as usual).

The movie made it seem like Eowyn did more of the work though.

[Anouleth]

Frodo needs to go up. Admittedly, his movement speed in Mordor is a pain, to the point where Sam needs to Rescue him half the time, but his durability is insane. Even in a clusterfuck like Moria, you can have him tank the Trolls, since they only have like 10 display hit on him and 5HKO, and later on he can just spam the Vial and keep everything stunned.

[Balcerzak]

Cynthia, much like the question "Do Balrogs Have Wings?" the question of "Who Really Killed the Witch-king?" will rage eternal, and have no clear solution.

I present some counter-discussion, however

There are several reasons to believe that the barrow blades were particularly harmful to the Nazgul. A major piece of evidence is the effect of Merry's blade on the Witch King, as discussed in question III.C.4 (which should be read as part of this entry). A related quote comes from Letter #210, where Tolkien compares that case to what would have happened if Sam had "[sunk] his blade into the Ringwraith's thigh" on Weathertop: "the result would have been much the same...: the Wraith would have fallen down and the sword would have been destroyed." It may be significant that Tolkien says "fallen down": he seems to think that any stab (even an unskilled one) would have that effect (while not slaying the wraith entirely).

(source)

Note, Tolkein seems to express the conclusion that just stabbing a Nazgul with a barrow blade is only likely to make a wraith fall, and not slay it entirely.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Balcerzak

[Parrhesia]

Merry up. If we're considering books over movie, the fact that he has a Westernesse blade (gotten from Tom Bombadil at Barrow Downs) is actually what kills the Witch King, not Eowyn's vagina. She's just there for flanking purposes. He also was pretty much responsible for the whole Ent march thing (Pippin was just being a doofus as usual).

That's why you trade the W. Blade to a trained Theoden. Two-rounds easily. Unequipped Merry or Eowyn takes the hit on Enemy Phase. Easy win.

... Hmm, that's true. Should he get credit for Talk ing to Treebeard? I don't think so, but, I'm no expert.

Frodo needs to go up. Admittedly, his movement speed in Mordor is a pain, to the point where Sam needs to Rescue him half the time, but his durability is insane. Even in a clusterfuck like Moria, you can have him tank the Trolls, since they only have like 10 display hit on him and 5HKO, and later on he can just spam the Vial and keep everything stunned.

Yeah, with those growths, sure, but pre-Moria what's he going to train on? He can probably get a couple kills in Moria itself but before and after that he's pretty much easy meat for anything.

[-Cynthia-]

That's why you trade the W. Blade to a trained Theoden. Two-rounds easily. Unequipped Merry or Eowyn takes the hit on Enemy Phase. Easy win.

... Hmm, that's true. Should he get credit for Talk ing to Treebeard? I don't think so, but, I'm no expert.

Pelennor Fields is close to Endgame though, and by then Theoden's dropping off. Sure, he's good for the Helm's Deep chapters, but Theoden follows the archetype of " decent prempromote paladin joining in middle of game with bad growths". He's like Zealot. Better off using him to lure the WK at this point in the game, and finish it with a trained Merry/Eowyn. I would say to just use Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli, but they start on the other side of the map and someone has to kill all those Mumakil.

Merry shouldn't get credit for recruiting Treebeard I guess, since giving credit for recruitment isn't standard.

@Bal Way I remember it, Eowyn didn't actually do much at all, but I haven't actually read the books for quite some time. Though it might have also been the fact that Merry is not a Man (hobbits are not of the race of men).

Edited July 7, 2010 by -Cynthia-

[Defeatist Elitist]

Merry up. If we're considering books over movie, the fact that he has a Westernesse blade (gotten from Tom Bombadil at Barrow Downs) is actually what kills the Witch King, not Eowyn's vagina. She's just there for flanking purposes. He also was pretty much responsible for the whole Ent march thing (Pippin was just being a doofus as usual).

The movie made it seem like Eowyn did more of the work though.

I agree. Eowyn is not necessary in order to kill the Witch King, you simply need someone who is not a man. Has anyone tested whether men just do not deal damage to the Witch King, or will he just not end up being killed by one? I want to know whether non-human males fall into the category of "man". If they don't, Eowyn just got more useless.

Also, a thought, I heard if you lose a whole bunch of characters the Valar will come save you and join and they have impossible stats.

[Parrhesia]

Hm, I'd forgotten about the whole "NO MAN CAN KILL ME" (Well, actually I just thought it was trash-talk). Yeah, Merry up (and the Horn of Rohan or whatever it's called is a definite bonus) to below Theoden, Eowyn down to below Haldir.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Yossarian

[Defeatist Elitist]

I'm debating doing one of these for the Silmarillion. The problem of course will be the fact that there are hundreds of characters, so yeah...

[Fenrir]

I know narga already asked this, but is this about the books or some sort of game, the answer confused me. I'm assuming it's not directly from books or else Aragorn would be in Top tier.

[Defeatist Elitist]

I know narga already asked this, but is this about the books or some sort of game, the answer confused me. I'm assuming it's not directly from books or else Aragorn would be in Top tier.

It's the books man.

[Erk]

I love you all to the point of extinction.

[Fenrir]

aragon > gimli.