[Belethfacwen]

Well, if I'm understanding your post (Forgive me if I am not) you're generally saying that perhaps the Valar, contrary to what Sauron would think, sent the Istari in an order that did not correspond to their power. So this way, Saruman coming first, Sauron would assume he was strongest, etc etc. Well, it's kind of a given that they're all strong. But it Saruman was strongest, then doesn't that mean that he'd be likely to be the hardest one to corrupt as well? To me, it seems natural that if there was a strongest Istar, it'd have the strongest will to do good. So if Sauron did fall for this ruse of the Valar, and assume Saruman the strongest, you think he'd just be undaunted by this? Wasn't there a still fairly strong Istari that would have a little less tenor in the desire to do good? In a way, it seems to me that he's almost lucky he picked Saruman because he seemed pretty easily corrupted. As for Olorin and the others, (excluding Gandalf) we'll never know what they'd have done if Sauron had chosen them, I suppose.

By the way, I think they did all have staffs...

Thanks, nice post, by the way.