[Man-of-the-Wold]

Well, I think it may be said that my basic premise above has not been refuted, which is that the destruction of the Witch-King lends a plausible explanation for why nothing else is reported about the other eight Nazgul being personally involved that day on the battlefield of Pelennor.

Whether Gothmog was a reference to the next Nazgul-in-charge is immaterial, provided that one or more Nazgul was still there and still functional as a General. (In that case, Gothmog should be a Nazgul, since I find it unlikely that an Orc or Man could really direct forces comprised of the other race, and I see no need to "invent" any other Mouth-of-Sauron-type character)

It is likewise plausible (without evidence one way or the other) that not all eight were even in the neighborhood of the Pelennor. Nevertheless, given that at least a few were there less than 48 hours before (and were deterred by Imrahil's charge), it is doubtful that all eight were to be found entirely somewhere else.

I agree that none was directly in charge of day-to-day operations against Lorien or other strategic targets, but it is certainly arguable that one or more Nazgul went between Barad-dur and Dol Guldor to give orders and to provide cunning and terror to drive those largely orc-comprised armies.

The reference to Khamul and two others being in charge of Dol Guldor refers generally to the period after Sauron reestablished himself in Mordor 68 years earlier. After the Nine were assembled as the Black Riders in pursuit of the Ring, I feel that no Nazgul was permanently stationed at Dol Guldor during the War of the Rings.

Some repliers questioned my point about the Nazgul not being effective against a determined charge of men. This is not to say that they wouldn't and couldn't have fought and killed some of the good guys, and that they and their fell beast would not have been imposing and daunting.

But they were not invincible, and the unnerving effect of their captain's fall makes any decision to stay well behind the lines seem relatively prudent, for any other Nazgul. The power they wielded was possibly very much needed to keep the Morgul and Morrannon forces and allies driven to advance and fight. Sauron's soldiers were not typically willing and self-motivated.

To say that the Ulairi work through fear is a bit tame. Their power is through sheer terror, despair and a loss of will that they inflict on their victims. Warriors at the point of battle have already conquered fear and are wrath. The Nazgul will simply not have the opportunity to work their spells.

The point about the scattering of the Rangers at Sarn Ford needs to be qualified by consider three things. Those Rangers were (1) Caught unawares by a charge of heavily armoured horsemen, (2) Did not likely have horses, and (3) Were essentially unarmed.

This last point will no doubt raise eyebrows, but in contrast to the weopon-happy films, good arms were a remarkable feature for any inhabitant of Eriador, consider that Thorin & Co. originally had only knives, Gildor's troupe is not armed, and the Hobbits long daggers are very intimidating to the only crudely armed Ruffians.

Having good solid weopons is not necessarily pointless, but rather very expensive and conspicuous. This is why Rohan's military and Saruman's armory are so significant.

When we meet Strider (besides possibly a hunter's bow) he has only a broken sword, which he may have mostly kept hidden. (Why he bothers to carry around and jeopardize such an hierloom is actually a weak story point!)

Of course, he and his fighting-age compatriots had access to horses and first-class arms, which they might use when assembling with Elrond's sons for a strike against threats in Eastern Eriador, which I assume kept the non-Grey-Company Rangers and Rivendell busy throughout the War of the Rings, hence the ease with which Sharkey's motley crew moved into the Shire and threatened Bree.

Otherwise, the Ranger's were essentially undercover cops, keeping watch on The Shire, Bree and whatever other odd settlement remained in Arnor's domain. When they needed to act against a handful ruffians or bad actors, it was certainly done subtly and did not necessitate major weopons.

For a Northern Ranger (on patrol) to be carrying around a serious sword or spear would have been tremendously noteworthy, blown their cover, and alerted Sauron's spies to no end about who they were.