Random Card Talkin' - The Balrog, Durin's Bane 

Music is "Esper World" by Nobuo Uematsu from Final Fantasy VI

in some other versions, Balrog is either a boxer or a guy with claws.

"And anyway if the Balrog had wings why didn't they just FLY the ring into Mordor?" - Dan Olsen

I still think one of the Balrog's cards should've gotten wings in the art. The thing got 3 of em, may as well go both ways and annoy both camps at once.

The LTR scholars I've seen are on the "definitely no wings" camp and I agree with them. When Sauron finally gets the Nazghuls, tolkien makes a huge deal about the forces of darkness finally getting aerial forces. And the idea that balrogs had "vestigial" wings is just very crazy when you consider their origin.

Given the pitch-blackness of Moria I could see different conflicting accounts rising from different stories of the Balrog, whether it had wings or not, even if the balrog itself is the source of some light, it also seems to be the source of yet more darkness. We can be sure that Balors have wings, though, and if modern depictions of Balrogs are based on Balors which are based on Balrogs, maybe that's just the natural evolution of the thing.

I _knew_ this would be about the wing thing the moment I saw this video pop up

I dont understand how anyone can be on the wings camp when the most iconic scene about these creatures is one falling down an endless ravine. Like.... Cmon

That the Ralph Bakshi secret lair didnt include Cosplay Balrog is down right criminal. Though not as criminal as the the value of said secret lair!

Part of the reason it doesn't have wings in the magic artwork could be that they didn't want the cards to have flying in any case, but it would be weird for a winged creature not to fly

It annoys me much more to see the Balrog portrayed as a physical, fleshy creature than the stupid wings debate. It’s an amorphous demon made of shadow and flame.

Definitely my favorite min card talking vid

Lord the Pit, who is based in the Balrog, has wings and can fly

I'm firmly in the "No Wings" camp but it's very funny to see this debate continue to rage on across nerd fandom and all the various points and arguments people bring up.

Wings or no, I love Durin's bane in my Prosper deck, sac 5 tresures and cast it alongside a removal spell.

To me if a balrog is able to fall of of a cliff, then it cannot have real wings. Wins of show / fire look cool, so Ill never say no to those, and no wings is good too.

From my perspective, whether they can fly is a debate. Whether they should look like they have wings isn't, the text says so. Depiction wise though they tend to be too physical and not enough shadow and flame.

Okay, but have we considered the possibility that Gandalf *WAS* telling them to literally fly? Maybe he was fed up with them being so plain and powerless, and was basically using a wizardly form of "git gud?"

Balrog's are spirits of shadows and flames. I imagine it as a vague fiendish shape bursting into living flames moving across its body. To my understanding, It does not have a proper shape or form and this is a feature that makes it fearsome and challenging to beat. Where do you strike when you can barely distinguish a couple eyes burning in a 45 feet tall shape changing form at every step. You can also imagine that the shapeshifting can allow it to bestow itself wings when needed. I figure this idea to match the shadowy concept of the Balrog. A pool of flaming shadows wielding a whip and a lightning bolt as a sword, changing shape and flowing or pouring across the landscape more than walking or flying. Why did not Mithrandir fear that it would run after the ring bearer ? Because the balrog knew that there was no taking the ring back before killing Mithrandir. Mithrandir is holding back his powers at all time to stay under Sauron's radar. Confronting a balrog, this necessity becomes obsolete. Why did it fall into the shadows instead of flying back up ? The Balrog had no choice. He knew that Mithrandir would relaease his full might to save the ring bearer. The only question was would he rather fight Mthrandir at full power with Legolas, Gimli and Elessar on his heels or would he take the fight to the deep shadows of the abyss where the Balrogs were stronger. He made the best choice and had a real chance to kill the maia that went through death to destroy his enemy and be reborn to an upper level of existence.

I'm willing to believe "Some Balrogs have wings." The Balrog fought in Moria likely didn't because, you know, it fucking fell, but I could believe other balrogs do, if they exist. Which, this video is worded like they do?

Whichever camp you fall under, Balrogs didn't have FUNCTIONAL wings. Given Tolkien's poetic language, and the fact the wings served no purpose, the best bet is wingless Balrogs. Counterpoint though: just LOOK at Durin's Bane in the Jackson films.

neeeeeeeerrrrrds

None of the MtG cards have flying so Wizards made the right call with this one. Ludonarrative and all that...

voice didfrerent :(