What if Boromir vs. Faramir

[afro-elf]

What do you think would have happened if

A) Faramir had gone on the Quest

B) What Kind of ruling steward would Boromir have been

c) the same for Faramir



A) This to me is the hardest of the 3 and I'll have to answer later.

B) While his father was more defensive, I think that Boromir would have been aggresive. I am uncertain how this would have boded for Gondor. Perhaps he would have made military service mandatory.

C) Since Faramir was on good terms with Gandalf, I feel that he made have fared better than his brother and father would have.
Perhaps early in his career he would have tried to form some sort of alliance with the free peoples.

I feel he may have been one of the best stewards.

I think Denethor was great stweward, except his arrogance denied him the wisdom of Gandalf and of course him going batty at the end.

[afro-elf]

I'm am racking the cerebral components to Ultima Thule, attempting answer the first question, because it alters so much.

[Nazgûl Queen]

well..... Faramir would have resisted the strength of the ring (as he says in TTT when he meets Frodo) so it would have been much harder for Frodo to get up his courage and go to Mordor....

Boromir wouldn't have died and wouldn't have met aragorn so it might harder for Aragorn to become king, seeing as Boromir is a very independent sort "Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no king"

[bropous]

Well, I think for one were Boromir to become Steward, he would have handed the Stewardship to someone else and declared himself King. If I'm not mistaken, Faramir tells the hobbits in Ithilien Boromir's attitude to the Stewardship.

Faramir would have continued the tradition of the Stewards and handed the Stewardship to his son.

As for Faramir going on the quest, he would have resisted the Ring's temptations longer, and who knows, he may have been more persuasive in logic to lead the Fellowship first to Minas Tirith. This may have thrown a hitch into getting Frodo across Ithilien and into Mordor.

[afro-elf]

Perhaps going to Minas Tirith Sauron would have poured his might there allowing someone to slip into Mordor.

[bropous]

I would imagine in that case, afro-elf, anyone trying to get into Mordor would probably have had to go far south to cut through the Mountains of Shadow where they bend back to the East, increasing the chances of getting intercepted. Had Sauron sallied forth to take Minas Tirith while the Fellowship were there, the fellowship would have had to work their way to the south side of Ered Nimrais into Belfalas and then east from there, via south Ithilien, but getting across the Anduin in that part of the country might have been tremendously perilous.

[bropous]

Sorry, meant to add:

The reinforcements from Khand and so forth would have been coming up in droves from the South, and I am sure that as additional units were readied in central and southern Mordor, plus Easterling troops coming through the Black Land, they would have issued forth through Cirith Ungol and not the Morannon. Again, just supposition from this most probably misguided EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMEDDCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO..... *wink!*

[afro-elf]

I thought of them going north through N. Ithilen as Sam and Frodo. ( or the P.C. Version AFRODO)

I guess, I thought of Sauron emptying Mordor making it easier to sneak in.


Why didn't Aragorn try the Morgul Pass to instead of the Black Gate with the Army of the West. I don't recall.

[bropous]

Well, had Aragorn issued to assail the Morgul Pass, Sauron could have unleashed a flanking attack on the exposed left flank of the Gondor-led army and simply rolled them up. Plus, the majority of Sauron's troop concentrations were near Barad-Dur, so the greater enemy would be pouring out of the Morannon. Aragorn was anticipating this by leading the attack to the Black Gates.

Now, of course, Gandalf had a hand in the plans, didn't he? Didn't he have some idea Frodo and Sam had entered Mordor and were possibly nearing Mount Doom, at least an inkling? Had Aragorn led the assault to Cirith Ungol, Sauron's gaze would have swept southwest more intently and may have "sensed" the Ring in his own lands. So, by making such an audacious move, and one which was sure to catch Sauron's sadistic attentions, they captured his sight to direct it solely at the army standing outside his very Gates, to the northwest.