Gollum Overpowering Gandalf?

The title begs the question: “Could Gollum really overpower Gandalf?” A Tolkien purist would say a resounding “NO!” – but don’t tell Monolith that!

Monolith games is currently working on an upcoming MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) for the XBOX 360 Live Arcade and Playstation Network called Guardians of Middle-earth. The game pits 20 different characters (called Guardians in the game) against each other with the task to destroy the other players Towers and eventually their Home Base, much in the same fashion as Defense of the Ancients or the insanely popular cult hit League of Legends.

One of the tasks the game designers have faced is how to balance the different Guardians and make the game run smoothly, no matter which character you decide to play. This week, Monolith as released a video showcasing two of the Guardians in the game: Gollum and Gandalf.

After watching the video, the idea behind how they balanced the two characters makes sense in a “gaming” way. Gollum is more adept at concentrated strikes and scurrying away before his opponent can attack. To be caught by an opponent could mean certain death for Gollum as his survivability is low. Gandalf on the other hand is more of a “tank” character: Absorbing damage easily while unleashing powerful attacks to wipe out his foes. His attacks are less powerful than Gollum’s more concentrated strikes, but Gandalf can take more of a beating than the wretched creature.

So if the two would go head to head in a one on one battle, would Gandalf be screaming “You cannot pass!” to the Gollum in his lane? Or will Gollum strike from the shadows, overpowering the Wizard who “Book” Gollum could only dream of getting near? That is up to the individual players to decide.