Siege of Angband

The Siege of Angband was a 400 year-long Ñoldor blockade of Morgoth's forces at his fortress of Angband, beginning after the Dagor Aglareb in the late First Age. Though called a siege, the Elves and accompanying Edain were neither able to wholly encircle Angband nor assault it, and thus their watch functioned as a modest containment rather than as a true siege.

History

After the Elven victory of Dagor Aglareb, the Elves set an armed guard upon Morgoth's realm as well as they could manage, both to keep as close an eye as possible on the movements of Morgoth's forces, and to engage them in battle far from the realms of Elves. As both the flanks and northern side of Angband could not be guarded due to the terrain, Morgoth could send out various forces of Orcs into Beleriand past the guard. However, the Ñoldor had grown strong enough that these raiding forces posed no significant threat, and a vigilant watch was kept on the passes of the Iron Mountains. These raids enabled Morgoth nonetheless to capture and coerce Elves into his service, which would later prove disastrous to the Ñoldor and their allies.

For the next four hundred and fifty years, the Siege kept the peace throughout Beleriand, and no force of Morgoth's managed any successful attack upon any of the Elven kingdoms during this time. The Orcish raids decreased steadily in number, and after the Battle of the Firth of Drengist, they effectively ceased altogether. The watch was further strengthened by the appearance of the Edain, a group of hardy and noble Men who appeared in Beleriand shortly after the creation of the Sun. The Elves welcomed them as allies, and they aided the Elves by regularly scouting many of the most treacherous passes of the Iron Mountains.

Though considered by Fingolfin, the Elves never planned or executed a true assault upon Angband. The Elven kingdoms had prospered greatly during the time of the siege, and most were unwilling to engage in a seemingly needless battle which, even if triumphant, would be exceedingly costly. Morgoth was not idle during the Siege: he spent the time creating an unprecedentedly powerful force to rebut the Elves. The Siege was ultimately broken in FA 455 by the sudden incendiary terrors that began the Dagor Bragollach, and no similar leaguer was ever re-attempted.

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