# Well, I guess it is inevitible...Balrog vs M1A2 Abrams... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988 "2017-06-14T23:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/1 "2017-06-14T23:47:23Z")
Fight! ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/2 "2017-06-14T23:53:54Z")
If its axe head was made of tungsten carbide or U-238 it might crack the Abrams’ armor, or at least disable the guns. And the tank can’t chase it around Moria. The Balrog wins. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/3 "2017-06-14T23:57:03Z")
> [@Marci\_Al](#): > > If its axe head was made of tungsten carbide or U-238 it might crack the Abrams’ armor, or at least disable the guns. And the tank can’t chase it around Moria. > > The Balrog wins. Could a balrog lift an M1 and just chuck it off the mountain? ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/4 "2017-06-14T23:59:33Z")
Not likely. The strongest balrog there ever was couldn’t even fend off an elf captain. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/5 "2017-06-15T00:13:31Z")
> [@Marci\_Al](#): > > . . . And the tank can’t chase it around Moria. . . . It’s like Batman vs. Captain America: everything depends on the venue. Out in a wheatfield, the tank pops the Balrog at long range. In a cramped, crowded forest, the Balrog can get up close, and will eventually figure out how to break the tank’s treads. (Combined arms: tanks aren’t for poop without infantry, artillery, and air support.) ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/6 "2017-06-15T00:26:19Z")
Is it a magical Abrams with the mana-ball canister round and runic wards add on armor package? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/7 "2017-06-15T00:30:09Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Is it a magical Abrams with the mana-ball canister round and runic wards add on armor package? What if it’s [this Abrams](https://latimesherocomplex.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/166145-ca-0606-jjabrams-jlc-02-c.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/8 "2017-06-15T01:10:37Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > What if it’s [this Abrams](https://latimesherocomplex.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/166145-ca-0606-jjabrams-jlc-02-c.jpg)? I think Balrog has lens flare immunity along with a +6 on saves vs reboot. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/9 "2017-06-15T02:18:04Z")
The Balrog just gets on top of the tank and allows it to absorb a lot of that heat and fire until it doesn’t like it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/10 "2017-06-15T02:32:08Z")
Balrog wins. Fire may not do too much to an M1A2 Abrams; the _crew_, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/11 "2017-06-15T03:47:59Z")
Does the Balrog have wings? ---
**Author:** ![dude\_robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/12 "2017-06-15T05:51:35Z")
What is a balrog? If it is those dragons from LOTR, didn’t dwarves kill them using magical guided arrows? According to the LOTR wiki, they are only twice as tall as elfs, so just big lizards with wings. It would surely die from a quick machine gun burst, right? The Abrams can just blast it away from hundreds of metres away using the fifty. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/13 "2017-06-15T19:40:14Z")
Since Balrogs are Maiar and can command nature to do their will (see the battle of wills between Gandalf and the Balrog over whether a certain door should be open or closed), the 'Rog would just command all the ammunition to explode. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/14 "2017-06-15T19:54:50Z")
Well, my last Diablo III character was a barbarian named “Abrams” (because he’s a tank, of course), and he was able to solo the lord of all demons. I don’t remember if there were balrogs in the game, but they can’t be any tougher than the Prime Evil. **dude robert** , Balrogs are demons, not dragons. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/15 "2017-06-15T20:26:26Z")
The Abrams might have pretty good mobility, but how is it traversing dungeons? Might have some problems crossing Durin’s Bridge? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/16 "2017-06-15T20:36:31Z")
My money is on the Balrog, he doesn’t have to cleave the tank, just heat it until it explodes. The tank shells will not kill a Balrog, though it might knock it down for a while, hopefully long enough for the crew to realize they should drive away fast. Or as Gandalf would tell them, “Fly you fools!” ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/17 "2017-06-15T20:40:51Z")
Does the M1A2 Abrams have wings? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/18 "2017-06-15T21:03:38Z")
Yes, but not attached to the tank itself. Rather, the tank’s wings are attached to the A10s that they’ll radio in for air support. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/19 "2017-06-16T01:41:22Z")
> [@dude\_robert](#): > > What is a balrog? If it is those dragons from LOTR, didn’t dwarves kill them using magical guided arrows? According to the LOTR wiki, they are only twice as tall as elfs, so just big lizards with wings. It would surely die from a quick machine gun burst, right? The Abrams can just blast it away from hundreds of metres away using the fifty. Black arrows are not guided :o And a Balrog is not a lizard, its a corrupted maiar and not sure how bound its form may be as compared to the limitations imposed on the Istari, so the .50 might be just a waste of ammunition. Since elves are taller than humans, Balrog might be 14 to 20 feet tall. And again, it isn’t mortal flesh and blood ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-guess-it-is-inevitible-balrog-vs-m1a2-abrams/788988/20 "2017-06-16T03:00:11Z")
Or, it might have mortal flesh and blood, but only as a sort of garment it wears over its true self.