Hobbits VS Wicked Witches- who wins?

Question

Fantasy Faceoff II, round 3- a band of stout hobbits meet a covenfull of wicked witches in pitched battle- who wins, and why?

Answer 1

Ok. This is a little bit difficult. If they are meeting in pitched battle, then we have to assume that the halflings are a "warband" similiar to the contingent of archers that the Shire sent to the aid of the King of Arthedain in the war against the Witch-King of Angmar. Hobbits have uncanny aim with thrown weapons and also with missile weapons, so the whole band is probably carrying bows, slings, and javelins. They are likely wearing leather jerkins and stout caps for armor. They display an unnatural resistance to magic, shrugging off most spell effects that cause changes to status, such as paralyze, confuse, blindness, etc, but spells that cause gross physical damage such as fireball would affect them normally.
Witches usually cast spells thru ritualistic or hermetic traditions, and require a good deal of advance preparation and ingredients or components. They are less likely to be able to use "vulgar" magic such as Evocation, which deals primarily with summoning, as in Summon Monster, Cone of Cold, Wall of Stone, Magic Missile, or Lightning Bolt. They tend to use a lot of spell foci and fetishes, which store and direct their spells, such as crystals, bone items, wands, brooms, potions, powders, and the ever-present cauldron. They tend also to be attuned to elemental forces, and as such are probably not fatally affected by exposure to water. (the only reason I can think of for this is that maybe you might find a rare witch who had specialized in Fire magic so long and to the exclusion of everything else that spells cast at her from its opposing element; Water, might do significantly more damage than normal). Because of the time involved you don't see many witches casting spells on the fly, or traveling as part of a hostile force, but if they do they work at night when their army sets up camp.
So, the best scenario here is if a hobbit warband chances on a witches coven while stalking another foe, and the witches react defensively, attacking the hobbits to either kill them or drive them from their secluded glade. Once attacked the hobbits would strike back, certain that the witches were allied with, and defending whatever foe the band was originally pursuing.
The witches would have no chance to begin active casting, and instead would rely on previously prepared items to attack the hobbits, or items such as wands with spell charges. Having no armor and no talent for evocation, the witches are at a sore disadvantage against weapons meant to kill, and no few of them would fall to hobbit arrows, sling shot, and thrown rocks. The hobbits would fare poorly against wands that fire area effect spells like Entangle, Fireball (the one Evocation witches do seem to have a talent for), Gust of Wind, Rock to Mud (cast under a hobbits feet, and then reversed once he sinks in to his knees), and Darkness. The hobbits have their natural dexterity to aid them, and are more martially inclined than their foes. The witches do have one magical talent that they excel at (other than Scrying), and that is Transmutation. If they can get close enough to a hobbit to physically strike him with a wand (and not get struck with a dagger or short sword pre-emptively) then she can change him into a harmless animal like a pig, or duck. However, that is more easily said than done, as any witch closing to melee range after the first hobbit is changed would be the target of every hobbit within bowshot. Plus, a witch is not usually the bravest kind of creature, and when about 25 to 50% of the witches had fallen against their stubborn, tenacious foes, the rest would flee, perhaps Transmuting themselves and escaping down bolt-holes or taking to the skies.
My vote goes for the hobbits to win, but they would be a singed, scarred lot afterwards.

Answer 2

Hobbits of course. Because Hobbits hold good and right in their hearts. They want the best for others and will fight for them. The wicked witches will have their own benefit in mind so not work as a team for the good but work with self in mind.

Even if they did win they would all want the power so end up killing each other. In fact all the hobbit has to do is wait anyway.

Answer 3

Although hobbits are highly accurate with projectiles and pretty slippery little things, I couldn't possibly imagine them taking the Minotaurs down. Even if Frodo was among them with the ring, and Sam and the ... other 2 after they'd taken the Ent draught (prob just roids), and lets even add another 16 hobbits from the Shire, and pit them against 7 minotaurs armed with giant clubs and axes. The hobbits will manage to find their targets with slings and mini bow and arrows possibly putting eyes out and hitting other sensitive parts but they do no more that drive the minotaurs into a rage. I'm not going to take you through a blow for blow account of things but I will ask you to try to imagine a cold January morning back from when you were a child, some first year seniors start playing on frozen puddles in the school yard, slipping and sliding - what fun! Then a group of 4th years who've just done PE, have particularly heavy bags and sadistic natures gather around them and let their bags fly! The hobbits die, perhaps Frodo puts the ring on and slinks away. Minotaurs win!

Answer 4

I'll put my money on the witches. Hardly a pitched battle, though, as the witches re-enact a scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the hobbits admit defeat, rather than die of boredom.

Answer 5

WItches would win in the long run, but they would have a hard time of it due to magical resistance of hobbits.

Answer 6

Hobbits are little sneaks, do not underestimate them.

They drank all that beer and will take a leak on the old witches, and they will shrink just like in the Wizard of Oz

Answer 7

The witches - they can cast spells over the hobbits. Witches rule!

Answer 8

The Wicked Witches would kick @ss!

Hobbits are little simpletons who would probably be to drunk and high to fight anybody let alone Wicked Witches with magical powers.

Answer 9

Witches! They have magic powers, while all the hobbits have is the power to get into really small places. Hope I helped!!

Answer 10

Witches definitely - but I'd prefer to drop the Wicked title....;)