What would you have done?

[Imladris]

From what I understand, Sauron was the Maia who served Melkor/Morgoth. As such (and this is pure speculation as I am only on Chapter Nine of the Silmarillion) he should have learned two things from Melkor:

1. Do not ever underestimate your enemy.

The Valar underestimated Melkor and Melkor understimated Ungoliant. They both almost died. As such, Sauron ought to have learned his lesson.

2. Pride is one's downfall.

Which to me goes hand in hand with number one.

If he had followed those two points, I'm sure he would have done much better. Not that we wanted him to do better. The pride of the evil ones are the blessing of the good guys.

Hopefully if I was Sauron I would have had an ickle bit of humility...

[yavanna II]

1. i would've given queen Beruthiel a ring.... and enslaved all her cats
2. I'd put a 100 ft wall round mt doom(hobbits aren't tall!!!!)
Wah.... I can't think of better things. I've a chemistry project going on....


I remember!
i would team up with Smaug & attack rivendell while Elrond and Galadriel still think I'm sleeping!

[Isowen]

I think saurons first mistake was not finding out about the hobbits and the shire. he saw them and thought they were capable of nothing, so he ignored them! even gandalf said "hobbits really are creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch" Shadow of the past, page 61, Fellowship of the ring
So I would not have doubted the hobbits as it may be my downfall lol!
next, i would block up all entrances to Mordor and position uruk-hai or orc or even trolls there, leaving only the black gate.
Then, I should probably make more rings of power or maybe something to fall back on should the ring fail to get back to me!
I like boromir88's idea of blowing up mount doom! though i dont think sauron would like to destroy part of his own land. And as you also said, I would have used Saruman more! Like get him to make more orcs and uruk-hai and just go and destroy all peoples of middle earth who are unwilling to fight for him!

[DarkRose]

First of all, I'd probably change that whole 'the ring can be destroyed if you chuck it into Mt. Doom' thing. I'd totally make it indestructable. Don't ask me how. But I would. :P

[dragoneyes]

I'd destroy the steps up to reach Cirith Ungol. I mean, if someone still manages to climp up there they're going to be so knackered they'd be easy meat for Shelob.

[Amrod the Hunter]

Destroy every place in Mordor where there aren't any Orcs (except Shelob's lair) and get better guards around MT. Doom.I mean,he knew that that mountain is his greatest weakness and he didn't have any guard there.I also would think of some better tactic to destroy Minas Tirith because his tactic was like cheese-it had too many holes.He trusted too much to Saruman,he forgoth about Aragorn and that is why he lost at Pellenor.

[The Saucepan Man]

Welcome to the Downs Amrod the Hunter.

I must, however, take issue with you on this:

... he forgoth about Aragorn and that is why he lost at Pellenor.

Sauron was only too aware of Aragorn. Aragorn made sure of that when he used the Palantir of Orthanc. It was this that prompted Sauron to make a move on Minas Tirith earlier than he might otherwise have done. What he didn't bargain for was the Rohirrim being free to ride to Gondor's aid and Aragorn's nifty use of the Oathbreakers to take the Corsairs out of the equation and turn up at the Pelennor unannounced.

Indeed, it was Sauron's preoccupation with the Isildur's heir, encouraged by the "diversion" (as film Legolas so helpfully puts it ) at the Black Gate, that caused him to make the mistake of taking his "eye" off Mordor, thus allowing a certain two Hobbits to slip into Mordor that much more easily.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Amrod the Hunter

Destroy every place in Mordor where there aren't any Orcs (except Shelob's lair) and get better guards around MT. Doom.I mean,he knew that that mountain is his greatest weakness and he didn't have any guard there.I also would think of some better tactic to destroy Minas Tirith because his tactic was like cheese-it had too many holes.He trusted too much to Saruman,he forgoth about Aragorn and that is why he lost at Pellenor.

I don't think Sauron saw the mountain as his greatest weakness (If it even was) because as was stated in the book, he couldn't conceive of someone trying to destroy the ring.
But to get back on topic, I think if he had not allowed himself to be baited into attacking Minas Tirith when he did, if he could have waited and consolidated more of his forces and allowed his Nazgul to act as his airborne survellance for a bit longer, he might... well, he STILL would have lost because Frodo was slipping in through the back door.

The only way he could have won would have been to admit that someone might just decide to destroy the ring and not use it to contest his own power.
Then he might have bumped up his defenses a bit more.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by DarkRose

First of all, I'd probably change that whole 'the ring can be destroyed if you chuck it into Mt. Doom' thing. I'd totally make it indestructable. Don't ask me how. But I would. :P

OK... this is good. Make it so that it never becomes a possible problem.
But, it still is something that can be stolen. I mean, that's the problem with rings of power... they're always being inconveniently hacked off of one's finger.
Does it need to be a ring? Perhaps make it something that wouldn't be out there, waving at the end of a arm, just inviting trouble.
Perhaps Sauron could have forged it into a tongue stud (Eww...), that way, they'd have to take off his entire head and then he'd be dead anyways and the ring...er... stud wouldn't be of any more use to him.
Or... make it into a bellybutton ring (Eww! Eww! Eww! Ewww! Ewwww!!!). Be the Lord of All Evil and a fashion trendsetter at the same time.

[Selmo]

If I were Sauron, I would have reviewed my past record of achievement, quietly retired, taken up knitting instead of world domination and lived a long and happy life.
.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Selmo

If I were Sauron, I would have reviewed my past record of achievement, quietly retired, taken up knitting instead of world domination and lived a long and happy life.
.

A retired Sauron... interesting concept.
Sauron clipping coupons and going to the early-bird dinner.
Yelling at the neighbor kids to stay off his lawn and when they didn't, torturing them.

I can see it.