Which Names Were Worth "1,000 Mail-Clad Knights?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Sauron, whose calculated cunning was very great, would have been extremely unlikely, in my opinion, to have ignored the symbolic victory the chance to wipe out these enemies afforded him.

And at the same time recognized the threat of a severe symbolic loss, even if the Rangers et al would gain little. That would be part of the foundation of his fears. (other parts including, of course, that all of a sudden Isildur still has an heir, that this heir has a stronger willpower than Sauron, and that he's coming with the Broken Sword in hand - another symbolic relic).