[The Saucepan Man]

A point of clarification is in order: the Oathbreakers never came to the Pelennor. Aragorn released them after they frightened off the defenders at Pelargir.

Yes, I thought that was the case. I checked my Book before posting before and could find no reference to them at the Pelennor. But, since I was not sure whether there might be another reference of which I was not aware, I "fudged" my post by referring to their effectiveness against "Men pressed into Sauron's service". [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

The fact that the Oathbreakers were not present at the Pelennor is interesting in light of the condition which Aragorn set on their service (as posted previously by Sharkû):

And when all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever.

Clearly, Gondor was not clean of Sauron's servants prior to the victory at Pelennor Fields. So either Aragorn waived that condition and considered their oath fulfilled following the defeat of the Corsairs at Pelargir or they were not released from their oath until following the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Either way, rather than making a mistake, I tend to believe that Aragorn simply did not consider tham to be a suitable Army to take onto the Pelennor, for the very reason that they would not be effective.

Fear was indeed their biggest weapon, but not the only one. (Iarhen)

I would go so far as to say that it was their only weapon, certainly the only one they needed. Legolas tells Merry and Pippin in The Last Debate:

Pale swords were drawn; but I know not whether their blades would still bite, for the Dead needed no longer any weapon but fear. None would withstand them.

The Army of the Dead did not attack the Corsairs with their weapons but with fear:

To evey ship they came that was drawn up, and they passed over the water to those that were anchored; and all the mariners were filled with a madness of terror and leaped overboard, save the slaves chained to the oars. Reckless we rode among our fleeing foes, driving them like leaves, until we came to the shore.

The fear of the Dead drove most of the Corsairs to leap to watery deaths. Those who did not drown were killed by the living. Nowhere is it said that the Dead fought physically with the Corsairs.

Aragorn was certainly wise not to bring the Army of the Dead to the Pelennor. Imagine the fear and confusion that this would have caused amongst the Men of Rohan and Gondor, regardless of its effect on their enemies. To say that it would not be good for morale would be a considerable understatement.

And I would maintain that they would not be an effective force against those amongst Sauron's army who came from the Land of Shadow and who were themselves led by those masters of the use of fear as a weapon, the Nazgul.