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Date
III 1856
Location
Fought on the plains between southern Mirkwood and Ered Lithui
Race
Men
Divisions
Dúnedain, Northmen and Easterlings
Cultures
Fought between an alliance of Gondorians and Northmen of Rhovanion against an invading force of Wainriders
Family
The Dúnedain were led by Narmacil II of the House of Anárion

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About this entry:

  • Updated 5 May 2026
  • Updates planned: 1

Battle of the Plains

Gondor’s disastrous first battle with the Wainriders

Map of the Battle of the Plains

This map shows the forces of Gondor using white arrows, and the invading Wainriders in black. Green arrows represent the Northmen of Rhovanion, allies of Gondor.1

(1)King Narmacil II leads out the armies of Gondor and their allies to meet the invading Wainriders on the plains southward of Mirkwood.
(2)The main battle is a decisive victory for the Wainriders; King Narmacil is slain, and the Gondorians are forced into retreat.
(3)With the Northmen forming a rearguard, the surviving forces of Gondor escape southward into Ithilien.
(4)The Northmen eventually flee the enemy; one branch escapes northward, eventually reaching Dale, where they merge with the Men who dwell there.
(5)The greater part of the Northmen follow their leader Marhwini into the Vales of Anduin, where they give rise to the people known as the Éothéod.

This map shows the forces of Gondor using white arrows, and the invading Wainriders in black. Green arrows represent the Northmen of Rhovanion, allies of Gondor.1

(1)King Narmacil II leads out the armies of Gondor and their allies to meet the invading Wainriders on the plains southward of Mirkwood.
(2)The main battle is a decisive victory for the Wainriders; King Narmacil is slain, and the Gondorians are forced into retreat.
(3)With the Northmen forming a rearguard, the surviving forces of Gondor escape southward into Ithilien.
(4)The Northmen eventually flee the enemy; one branch escapes northward, eventually reaching Dale, where they merge with the Men who dwell there.
(5)The greater part of the Northmen follow their leader Marhwini into the Vales of Anduin, where they give rise to the people known as the Éothéod.

A battle fought in III 1856, in which the armies of Gondor and their allies the Northmen faced the invading Wainriders. The battle was a disaster for Gondor; King Narmacil II was lost, as was Marhari the lord of the Northmen. After the battle, all of Gondor's eastern possessions fell under control of the Wainriders, who remained a constant threat for nearly another century.


Notes

1

The disposition of the Northmen before the battle is not described. On the map shown here, their arrow shows them joining the Gondorians from their homes in the plains, though in practice their route to the battle might have been less direct than this implies. It is plausible, for example, that they would have joined with Narmacil's army in Ithilien and then marched northward as part of a combined force.

See also...

King of Rhovanion, Lord of the Éothéod, Marhari, Marhwini, Narmacil II

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 5 May 2026
  • Updates planned: 1

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