Arnor- Designed For Failure?

[Belegorn]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

The attacks on both realms are calculated, but Angmar's war against Arnor seems more directly "managed" to me, whereas it feels like the invasions of Gondor mostly involved Sauron giving the Easterlings a push in that direction and leaving the rest up to them.

Good point. Arnor was chosen because of it's disunion. How Sauron would have went had Arnor remained intact may have been a toss of the coin. Perhaps the indirect attacks, or the use of people inside the realms to cause disruptions may have been used anyways. He did make use of Dúnedain and clearly they are susceptible to his influence. He made a mess with them on Númenor. I think he'd have tried to slowly chip away in any case and yea Arnor did not fall so fast even though it did fall. It was around for nearly 2000 years and fighting about 600 years with Angmar.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Belegorn

Arnor did not fall so fast even though it did fall. It was around for nearly 2000 years and fighting about 600 years with Angmar.

Good perspective. Arnor lasted longer than the mighty Roman Empire!! That's not too shabby.

[Alfirin]

I'd go with the second, since if played correctly it might, theoretically leave Sauron with a Numenor like situation; an Arnor corrupted, under his control, and still pretty unified and undiminished. With that Sauron might actually be able to play on the pride of the Kings of Arnor enough to make them attempt to invade Gondor to try and claim it's throne as well. And if that happened Sauron would benefiet no matter what. If Arnor actually accomplished such a conquest, Sauron would rule all of the West and would have pretty much won everything. If not, the war would have likely weakened Gondor significantly; and Sauron could have simply had the WK sweep down from Angmar with his armies and take over while they were too damaged to put up sufficient resistance. Gondor is stronger than Arnor, and with it's indestrucable city probably always was, but I tend to think Unified Arnor was probably not so weak that an assault by them would be a cakewalk for Gondor to repulse.

[Belegorn]

I'm checking Appendix F and it seems that some of the other men that inhabited Arnor, were the Dunlendings who used to live by the White Mountains north of Dol Amroth, and went north to the southern Misty Mountains and from there to the Barrowdowns. The Men of Bree are their descendants, "but long before these had become subjects of the North Kingdom of Arnor".