The Army of the West

The Army of the West was the final military force assembled by the Captains of the West—Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer, and Imrahil—to march on the Black Gate of Mordor as a diversion, drawing Sauron's attention away from Frodo and Sam's quest to destroy the One Ring. Comprising some seven thousand men from Gondor, Rohan, and the southern fiefs, this deliberately outnumbered host served as bait in a desperate gamble that succeeded when the Ring was cast into the Cracks of Doom, leading to Sauron's fall and the destruction of Barad-dûr.

Composition and Purpose

After the victory on the Pelennor Fields, the Captains of the West held the Last Debate outside Minas Tirith. Gandalf argued that they could not defeat Sauron by force of arms alone; their only hope was to draw the Dark Lord's Eye away from his own land, giving Frodo and Sam a chance to destroy the Ring. The army they assembled was deliberately small—just seven thousand men, far fewer than the forces that had defended Gondor—but it was meant to challenge battle, not to win it. Aragorn contributed some two thousand men he had gathered from the southern fiefs after the capture of the Corsair fleet at Pelargir. Imrahil of Dol Amroth brought three and a half thousand. Éomer of Rohan led five hundred of his best Riders on horseback, plus another five hundred unhorsed but warworthy Rohirrim. A further five hundred horse, including the Dúnedain of the North and the knights of Dol Amroth, rode under the sons of Elrond. The main strength of the Rohirrim that remained horsed—some three thousand under Elfhelm—was sent to waylay the enemy in Anórien. The army marched out of Minas Tirith two days after the debate, on the second morning from that day.

The March to the Black Gate

The host moved north along the road from Minas Tirith, passing through Osgiliath and the Cross-roads of the Fallen King. They encountered only one serious ambush, near the place where Faramir had waylaid the Haradrim, but their scouts—led by Mablung of Henneth Annûn—gave them warning, and the trap was turned against the enemy. The Nazgûl followed the army from that evening onward, flying high but casting a deepening shadow of dread. On the fourth day from the Cross-roads, the army entered the desolation before Cirith Gorgor. Some of the younger men from Rohan and Lossarnach were unmanned by the horror of the place; Aragorn dismissed them with pity, sending them to retake Cair Andros if they could. With fewer than six thousand men, the Captains of the West came at last to challenge the Black Gate.

The Parley and the Trap

Aragorn drew up his host on two hills of blasted stone before the Morannon. He, Gandalf, Éomer, Imrahil, the sons of Elrond, Legolas, Gimli, and Peregrin rode forward with a guard of horsemen and the banner of the Tree and Stars. The heralds summoned Sauron to come forth. In answer, the Mouth of Sauron rode out, bearing Frodo's mithril-coat, elven-cloak, and sword as tokens of his capture. He offered terms: the West must withdraw beyond the Anduin, surrender all lands east of the river, and become tributary to Mordor. Gandalf rejected the terms utterly, seized the tokens, and commanded the Messenger to begone. At that signal, Sauron sprang his trap: the Black Gate opened, and a vast host of Easterlings, Orcs, and hill-trolls poured out, surrounding the Army of the West on all sides.

The Battle and the Fall of Sauron

The Captains formed a ring of defense on the two hills, with the sons of Elrond and the Dúnedain on the left, Imrahil and the men of Dol Amroth on the right. The Nazgûl descended, crying words of death. The first assault crashed into the ranks, and hill-trolls broke through, wielding heavy hammers. Peregrin Took was crushed beneath a falling troll-chief. But even as the battle seemed lost, the Eagles of the North arrived, and the Nazgûl turned and fled, hearing a sudden call from the Dark Tower. At that moment the earth shook, the Towers of the Teeth fell, the Black Gate was hurled in ruin, and a vast shadow rose and was blown away. The Ring had been destroyed. Sauron's power was broken, and his armies scattered in mindless flight. The Army of the West had fulfilled its purpose: it had held Sauron's gaze long enough for the Ring-bearer to complete the Quest.