[Ithekro]

There will be new battle themes come the end of The Hobbit. There will be Dwarven themes for sure.

I don't expect the Battle of Five Armies until the second film...but that will be something to see. And considering some of the other stuff they might throw in, I hope to see the full White Council taking on the Necromancer's tower. Cause who doesn't want to see Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White fighting on the same side in battle?

I think Games Workshop's version of LoTRs miniatures game had a scenario creator for if the Fellowship was formed not all that long after the Hobbit with Bilbo carrying the One Ring to Mordor. You again could form the Fellowship of Nine, but with different Free peoples of Middle Earth. You had to have Bilbo of the Shire and Gandalf the Grey (who would be Bilbo's version of Sam for the trip). It was hoped to mix and match races instead of just reforming the dwarves to escort Bilbo Baggins. I think I had Legolas of the Wood, Gloin of the Mountains, His son Gimli, Aragorn the Ranger, Theoden of Rohan, Denethor of Gondor, and Saruman the White (he was interested in the Ring but had not yet turned - he gets the 'tempted one' roll that Boromir has in the regular Fellowship).

It would basically have to be after Aragorn comes of age (2951?), but before Theoden becomes King of Rohan (2980) and before Denethor becomes Steward of Gondor (2984). Also Theoden and Denethor need to be old enough to carry a sword like a hero...so 2971 (Denethor is 41 and Theoden is 23 and Bilbo has had the Ring 30 years)? Everyone else is viable already by the time of the Hobbit.

(Note that Boromir is about 41 in the Fellowship of the Ring and Eomer is about 28 in the Two Towers, Eowyn is about 24 years old...Aragorn is of course is 87 in the Fellowship of the Ring.)