[Yregwyn]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

Maybe, but I think you also need to consider circumstances. Gandalf met "B" on a narrow bridge where there was no room to dodge. He destroyed B's sword in a moment and dropped B into the gulf a moment later - it was only his being surprised by the whip and unable to avoid it that made the struggle even close.

War may be a science, but individual battles often turn on the simplest of circumstances. Except for that one chance of failing to avoid a whip (a simple slash of his sword to cut the whip-cord before being dragged in would suffice), and we would be saying how Ecth had to resort to desparation and kamikazi to >barely< kill B at the cost of his life, while Gandalf snuffed out Big-B with a swift 1-2 punch (parry sword; break bridge; End-of-story ... all done, no hu-hu) - and practically without breaking a sweat!

Good point. But.....the 1-2 punch as you put it would not have killed the Balrog just dumped him in a under ground lake. I think the breaking of the flame sword was more Glamdring then anything though, but i agree the bridge made it alot more complicated. Although the bridge wasnt the hard part for Gandalf it was chasing the wet Balrog who was running scared from him. He pursued him for what 8 days? Then finally cornerd him on Durin's Tower and 2 more days of fighting after that. No bridge it would have more then likely been over in minutes. In Ecth's defence he had only 1 arm (depending on what version we look at), for either part of or the whole fight.