Did Gandalf have a Plan "B"?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Raynor

Different times though; there were more elves at the time, and those with the blood of Numenor were more numerous and stronger. These would be able to deal with a mythical being such as Sauron, and all his magic. Sauron in LotR times, even if weakened, is still a mythical being, employing magic and forces that surpass M-E's ability to deal with him. Were it not for the ring getting destroyed, M-E would have fallen to Sauron, one way or the other. This is what normally would have happened, no wise in his tower could have plotted any other course around this, no matter how much M-E would have mobilized.

My point was that it had already been proven that Sauron could be defeated without the Valar galloping to Middle-earth's rescue. Actually, in the Third Age, it could still have been done with the use of the One. Good thing Gandalf was there to warn against that.

Speaking of the One, how would that have been dealt with? Would it have been a good idea to have given it an opportunity to influence the Valinorean forces? To have taken a germ of evil back with them? Even if the One had been destroyed, might not it have had time to work some evil? If you pull on one string in the history of the War of the Ring, you risk the whole garment becoming unraveled.

As an addendum. The Balrog in Moria was obviously too great for the Dwarves to overcome, but we don't see Aulë coming to their aid.