Saruman leading Siege of Minas Tirith

[Stravo]

Many of the equipment and tactics we saw at Helm's Deep were conspicuously absent from the Siege of Minas Tirith. The question now rises what if Saruman were the one leading the assault on Minas Tirith and the orcs were replaced by Uruk Hai and the catapults were supplemented by those Ballista like siege engines that fired hooks for ladders to swing up on the walls. What would the ride of the Rohirrim been like if they ran into Uruk Hai pikemen? Most importantly what would happen if the Mordor forces had access to gunpowder bombs?

Whoch leads to an interesting question - was Saruman smarter than Sauron technically because he could cook up somethng like gunpowder and breed 10,000 superior Orks in a few months.

[Crazedwraith]

Well if the Rohirrim charged in to an Urak Hai Pike wall, they should be slaughtered but as TTT shgowed us that might not be the case. It should go simillarly to what we saw in Rotk only without the Rohirrim be so effective Mirnas Tirth should be well and truly sacked before aragorn arrives.

[Demiurge]

Equal numbers, then? What about the trolls and evil men?

[CJvR]

catapults were supplemented by those Ballista like siege engines that fired hooks for ladders to swing up on the walls

Those assault ladders are vastly inferior to proper assault towers. The only reason they worked at the Hornburg was the disorganized defenders and the poor design of the fortress.

What would the ride of the Rohirrim been like if they ran into Uruk Hai pikemen?

Short? Painful? A well organized and equipped pike-phalanx is something the cavalry should avoid charging. But Saruman's troops were optimised for fighting horsemen, Angmar's was optimised for streetfighting where the pike is useless.

Most importantly what would happen if the Mordor forces had access to gunpowder bombs?

Considering the effectiveness of the catapults they did have it would not have mattered much.

Whoch leads to an interesting question - was Saruman smarter than Sauron technically because he could cook up somethng like gunpowder and breed 10,000 superior Orks in a few months.

No probably not. He was however much shorter on resources and had to find new ways of doing things since he didn't have the troops for the conventional solutions.

Sauron had millions and Ortanc would barely top top the gatetowers of Barad-Dur, and Sauron built Barad-Dur while Saruman was given Ortanc! There never was any comparison except perhaps in Saruman's wet dreams.