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_ _ _ __ _ _ ___ o
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|Game: Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring|
|Type: FAQ/Walkthrough |
|Author: Barry Willemsen |
|Updated: 2nd of January 2005 |
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1. TABLE OF CONTENTS
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[1] Table of Contents
[2] Legal Stuff & Contact Info
[3] Version History
[4] General Information
[5] The Interface
5.1) The Menus
5.2) The Game Interface
[6] Gameplay
6.1) Good... or Evil?
6.2) General Controls
6.3) Resource Management
6.4) General Hints'n Tips
6.5) Fate
6.6) Places of Power
[7] Playing the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth
7.1) Gameplay differences
7.2) Good Buildings
7.3) Good Technologies
7.4) Good Units
7.5) Good Heroes
7.6) Good Fate Powers
7.7) Good-Only Strategies
7.8) Good Campaign
[8] Playing the Minions of Sauron
8.1) Gameplay differences
8.2) Evil Buildings
8.3) Evil Technologies
8.4) Evil Units
8.5) Evil Heroes
8.6) Evil Fate Powers
8.7) Evil-Only Strategies
8.8) Evil Campaign
[9] Credits
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2. LEGAL STUFF & CONTACT INFO
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Copyright 2004 Barry Willemsen
-------------------------------
Before you read anything of the FAQ, please read this and make sure you agree
with the terms and conditions included in the text below:
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders. This may not be reproduced under
any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on
any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written
permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any
public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
In other words, just mail me for permission before placing this FAQ or pieces
of it on your site. You can find my e-mail adress in the Contact Info section
below.
Contact Info
-------------
If you discover a major error in this FAQ, would like to submit a strategy that
isn't included in here, or have a question about the game that isn't answered
in this FAQ, you can e-mail me at the following adress:
kryptondragon@hotmail.com
Of course, there are some restrictions on e-mailing me:
- Don't send me SPAM
- Make sure the subject line is recognizable. Weird topics will not be read
and deleted immediately.
- E-mails with questions that are answered (or soon will be) in the FAQ will
not be replied to.
- Don't ask for cheats or any other strategies: all tactics I know are in
this FAQ
- If you have negative things to say about this FAQ you can always send them
to me, as long as the mails remain polite and have a normal topic. I'll
rewrite some parts of the FAQ if I have to, and credit the one who has
located the error in the Credits section.
If you have some original strategies to submit or you know easier methods
to beat the campaign-scenarios, e-mails will be gladly accepted. I will put the
strategy/hint/tip in a highlighted spot with your name above it in the update.
Just remember that e-mails probably won't be replied to the first day
afterwards. I still have lots of things to do myself and I won't be able to
read my mail every day.
By the way, my FAQ is authorized to be on the following sites:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
3. VERSION HISTORY
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Version 0.6 - Posted on March 5th, 2004
Got the main part of this FAQ up. The aspects of playing the good
side are entirely completed.
Version 0.8 - Posted on March 6th, 2004
The first part of the Evil section is completed. I'm still
having some trouble thinking of strategies for the final levels
of the Evil campaign. Enhanced unit section a bit by adding in
population costs. Also corrected some minor errors.
Version 0.9 - Posted on March 23rd, 2004
This FAQ is just about completed. I only need to add walkthroughs
for the last four levels of the Evil Campaign. Might take a
while, though, my life's been pretty busy.
Version 1.0 - Posted on April 4th, 2004
Complete FAQ! I also got the first strategy contribution up,
you can find it in the Evil-Only Strategies section. Credit goes
to SThomas1317 for that.
Version 1.1 - Posted on April 13th, 2004
I got new contributions from Gene Y. AKA grenka. Also expanded
the Places of Power section by request of Manuel Vega 182002.
Added the ASCII art on top of this FAQ.
Version 1.2 - Posted on June 30th, 2004
New contributions by SThomas1317 and Aragorn1913 for the evil
side. Also corrected a mistake in the evil section which was
spotted by Aragorn1913.
Version 1.3 - Posted on August 13th, 2004
A small but good change. I forgot to mention that you can review
all dialogue from the same menu where you can access the hints
and objectives from. Thanks to Tyler AKA Morgawr2 for pointing
this out. Had a new strategy added thanks to seaspray_68. Also
found some small typos and corrected them.
IMPORTANT: I HAVE A NEW E-MAIL ADRESS. DO NOT SEND ANYTHING TO
THE OLD ONE ANYMORE COZ' THEY WON'T BE READ. PLEASE, HELP ME
WITH THIS.
Version 1.4 - Posted on August 20th, 2004
Got new contributions from Ryan, and Christo Acheson also known
as seaspray_68. The first contributed a strategy for the good
side, the second had a useful tip for those struggling to defend
the catapult in "The Siege of the Iron Hills". Thanks, guys.
Version 1.5 - Posted on September 26th, 2004
My copy was borrowed by a friend so some of the new contributions
have not been tested. Please mail me if they're false. Anyway, I
would like to thank Telcontar590 for contributing a Good and Evil
side strategy, Francis Estoesta for helpful tips with cinematics,
and Scott McCall for contributing a Good Side strategy to place
in the FAQ. Thanks, everyone.
Version 2.0 - Posted on January 2nd, 2005
Well, if you've looked at this FAQ before this update took place
the change should be evident: I updated the looks of the FAQ and
I hope it is generally easier to understand. Also I read through
the WHOLE thing in order to pick out any mistakes. Still, fact
remains that my first language isn't English and I may have read
past quite a few.
I DON'T PLAY WAR OF THE RING ONLINE ANYMORE. SORRY, BUT THE
COMP I'M RUNNING IT ON DOESN'T HAVE AN ACTIVE CONNECTION TO THE
INTERNET. MY "REAL" COMP NOW PLAYS 'Battle for Middle-Earth'
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4. GENERAL INFORMATION
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
First off, this is my very first FAQ, so don't think it will be wonderful. I'm
just trying to get gamers through the game with simple strategies, consisting
mostly of guerilla-attacks and Hit & Run tactics. It's supposed to get people
through the scenarios step-by-step. The game can be hard at some points, even
in Easy Mode. And since there were no FAQs contributed yet when I started
this, it seemed that I had nothing to lose...
"The War of the Ring" was developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by
Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (Vivendi Universal Games). It is a game based on the
popular "The Lord of the Rings" series, waging war in Middle-Earth on either
side of the field. Though very entertaining, it can be quite hard at some
points.
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5. THE INTERFACE
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
5.1) THE MENUS
---------------
Once you start the game, you have several things to choose from in the main
menu. These options are: Single Player; Multiplayer; Load; Options; and Quit.
Single Player
- - - - - - -
Starts a new, single-player game. When you select this option a new screen
appears with - again - several options to choose from:
GOOD CAMPAIGN: Command the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth and help aid them
in their struggle to destroy the One Ring.
EVIL CAMPAIGN: Command the Minions of Sauron and lead them to victory,
forever placing Middle-Earth under Sauron's dark rule.
SKIRMISH: Start a quick single-player skirmish game against one or
more computer-controlled opponents.
TUTORIAL: Play through four tutorials teaching you the basics of this
game; three for the Free Peoples and one for the Minions.
BACK: Return to the Main Menu.
Multiplayer
- - - - - -
Starts a new multiplayer game. This will give you an opportunity to compete
with up to 8 other players in a LAN game over the Internet through GameSpy or
at a specific IP address. The following game types are available (this goes
for Single-Player skirmish games as well):
RAZING: Here you have to destroy all the enemy buildings (including
Towers and War Posts) to win. It doesn't matter how many
units your enemy possesses; razing all buildings will gain
you victory.
SURVIVAL: This mode forces you to totally destroy your enemy: all of
his buildings AND units must be crushed in order to be
victorious. If all buildings of a player are destroyed in
this mode, a timer appears. The player without buildings
has to construct a Stronghold (for the Free Peoples) or a
Goblin Hovel (for the Minions of Sauron) before this timer
runs out or his units will be revealed on the map. If he
succeeds, his units become shrouded in the Fog of War once
again.
FAMINE: Each player in this mode starts of with a set amount of
resources, and resource collecting is turned off. In order
to win you have to destroy ALL enemy buildings and units.
This is a Deathmatch-type game.
CONTROL: This is the only mode that is limited by time. Now, players
have to control Places of Power to be the winner. Each
Place of Power in possession gains the controlling player
an amount of points. When the timer ends, the player with
the most points wins. If all other players are eliminated,
the survivor receives an instant win. This also applies in
situations where one player has more than 50% of the points
that can be collected.
CATAPULT: An Ancient Catapult is placed somewhere on the map. Players
must seek it out and try to control it by defending it
against enemies. The Catapult acts as a Place of Power in
this mode. In order for control to shift, all of a
controlling player's units near the Ancient Catapult must
be crushed. The real objective remains to destroy all enemy
buildings and units. However, With the Ancient Catapult,
accomplishing this is very easy, as long as YOU are in
control of the siege weaponry...
Load
- - -
Using this, you can load a previously saved game. Pretty self-explanatory,
isn't it?
Options
- - - -
On these pages you can shift the game's options to your likings. You can set
audio, video, and game options here. It also gives you an ability to adjust
the game's playlist to your liking, as well turning the worst violence in
the game ON or OFF by checking the "Mature" box.
Quit
- - -
Quits the game :(
5.2) THE GAME INTERFACE
------------------------
Once you're playing the game itself for the first time, the interface might
seem a bit overwhelming, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough. I'll
take you through available options here.
- The screen itself has been split into roughly 2 sections: the field of
battle and a lower part where you can select what you want to do.
- In the lower left corner of the screen, you see a miniaturization of the
map. Most of it is probably shrouded by the Fog of War, which takes away
your sight on enemy units and buildings when there's nobody of your team
there to see them. If you left-click on the Mini-Map, your sight will
immediately focus on that spot.
- Above the Mini-Map, there are three buttons: Menu, Chat, and Objectives.
Menu will return you to the Main Menu. Chat enables you to speak with
other players while in multiplayer mode. Finally, Objectives will show
you the things you have to do to complete a scenario, and also keeps track
of the hints you have gotten throughout the level.
- On the right side of the Mini-Map there are six small buttons. From top to
bottom they resemble: Look Here; Fight Here; Walk/Run Toggle; Combat
Alert; Fire Alert; and Idle Worker. Look Here tells your ally to look to
the spot you fired the event in. Fight Here does about the same, only it
tells your ally to send military forces into the area. With Walk/Run
Toggle you can decide what is the default for your units: walk (slow but
units can heal while walking) or run (faster, but you can't heal): Run is
the default setting. Combat Alert will take you the spot where your units
are battling enemies. Fire Alert will take you to a building that is set
ablaze. The last one, Idle Worker, automatically selects a Worker who has
nothing to do.
- The big box that appears next to the Mini-Map is called the Selection
Panel: when you select a Worker, the buildings it can construct are
viewed here. If you hold your mouse over certain buildings you get an
overview of it.
- Above the Selection Panel, you might see small round circles with white
stars in it. These are further explained in the Fate paragraph in the
Gameplay section (6.5). The little orb above these Fate circles will be
covered in that explanation as well.
- To the right of the Selection Panel, you'll see the Action Panel. When
you select a certain unit, all abilities and upgrades that have been made
on this unit will be shown here. In training-buildings, you can select
the units you want to create in the Action Panel. Note that some orders
in the action panel (like the hero Aragorn's Kingsfoil ability) have to
be activated by clicking on it. This is indicated by a gold line around
the ability's image.
- The last thing you should know is about the three little icons on top of
the Action Panel. From left to right, these are: Population; Food; and
Ore. All of these are explained in the Resource Management & Population
paragraph of the Gameplay section (6.3).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
6. GAMEPLAY
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Those who are familiar with the gameplay of Battle Realms (also developed by
Liquid Entertainment) will have little trouble adjusting to gameplay. Other
RTS-players should follow some of the later tutorials that handle the more
advanced aspects of the game. For gamers who are totally new to this genre,
there is also a tutorial that teaches the very basic of just about any RTS
game. The following section will roughly cover most of the game's aspects.
----------------------
6.1) Good... or Evil?
----------------------
In this game, you can help destroying the One Ring. Stride valiantly against
the ranks of Sauron and aid in the quest to destroy the One Ring. You will
command the brave armies of Gondor, seek out the help of Elves and Dwarves,
and command the greatest heroes of the Third Aera of the Sun on Middle-Earth
to finally free the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth from the dark threat that
resides in the east.
Of course, you may also choose for the darker side of Middle-Earth. You will
then command great hordes of Orcs and other foul beings and lead them to
victory in the thick of battle. If you fail, Sauron's wrath will be terrible,
allowing for the sneakiest backstabbing attacks to win this great war.
----------------------
6.2) General Controls
----------------------
I recommend people who don't know much about the RTS-genre yet to play all of
the tutorials. There, a Dwarf and an Elf will teach you all the basics you
need to know to play the game. The general controls of the game are listed
here. If you are familiar with this genre, I suggest you skip this section
and move on with the FAQ.
- You can select units by LEFT-CLICKING on them. If you hold the LEFT MOUSE
BUTTON, you can also drag a lasso around multiple units to select them. All
units and buildings in the game are selected this way.
- You can make a unit move to a certain spot by selecting it and RIGHT
CLICKING on the location on the map where you want him to go. If you do
this while a building is selected, you will set up a Rally Point, which
means that all troops trained in that building will immediately go there.
- To train a unit or make use of a special ability, you can left click the
corresponding button in the lower right corner of the screen (this will be
referred to as the Action Panel in the rest of the FAQ). If you click on a
unit multiple times, it will be queued up and will initiate as soon
as the one that was trained before it is completed. Note that you pay the
unit once you click the unit button, NOT when it actually starts its
training.
- When the cursor changes into something different (a sword, for example) you
can RIGHT CLICK to make the selected unit make the action that the cursor
indicates. A sword, for example, means an attack move.
For more on basic controls, play the first tutorial. You can access them from
the Single Player menu.
--------------------------------------
6.3) Resource Management & Population
--------------------------------------
Like every civilization, you'll need resources to thrive, as well as new
Population slots to expand your settlement. In Battle Realms, those resources
were Rice and Water. But here, you'll have to collect Food and Ore. This
section will show you how to collect resources (you could also learn it from
the tutorials, by the way):
Food
- - -
Everybody needs to eat, and the units in this game are no exception (only
the Slavemaster of the Minions requires solely Ore). You'll need massive
amounts of food to keep a steady stream of soldiers going, as well as to
upgrade them and enhance their abilities.
Food is always obtained from a Well. The Free Peoples have to build a Mill
over the well first to get food from it. The Minions of Sauron like flesh
better, and that's why their Workers have to build a Slaughterhouse on top
of a well to extract food from it. Food is dropped off at the Stronghold
(for the Free Peoples) or the Goblin Hovel (for the Minions).
Ore
- -
Ore is the other important resource. It is essential for weapons, armor,
and the construction of buildings. Unlike Food, Ore can be extracted from
an Ore Pile immediately, without a building on top of it. Assign Workers
on an ore pile to hack the valuable resource from it. Ore is, just like
Food, deposited in the Stronghold or the Goblin Hovel.
Your Ore gathering rate will improve once you buld a special extraction
building on top of it. For the Free Peoples, this is the Forge. For the
Minions, this is the Smelter. These buildings work in the same way as the
Mill and the Slaughterhouse do.
Population
- - - - - -
Population isn't really a resource. But, since it is needed to train new
units as well, it's very important and deserves to be listed here. It's as
simple as this: if you've maxed out your population slots, you cannot train
any more units until you have open slots again. To build a big invasion
army, you'll need to keep an eye on your population all the time, so you
can create new population slots for the new soldiers to be trained.
Good players can expand the population of their settlements by building new
Camps (or upgrading them to War Camps later). Each Camp adds 11 new slots
to your current population, while each War Camp upgrade adds another
four slots. Evil players, on the other hand, use a special unit to expand
their population. The Goblin Slavemasters know how to keep the Minions in
line, thus creating 12 new population slots per trained Slavemaster.
-------------------------
6.4) General Hints'n Tips
-------------------------
A few tips are listed here on single-player skirmish games. There aren't a
lot of them, however, and additional tips would be very welcome. You'll be
credited for it.
- One golden rule of the skirmish games is that you should never stay put
in your base. This game is absolutely war-based, and that's why you
should always keep recruiting a steady stream of warriors.
- Circling around enemy bases to see their weaknesses is a great tactic
to inflict maximum damage with just a small raiding party. It will give
you the element of suprise, and you might be able to destroy a key
production building, giving yourself a big advantage.
- Keep a constant attack on. Think of it like this: as long as you are
attacking your enemy, he's not attacking you. Of course, you should watch
out for other players, who will find your base undefended during your
big invasion. Always keep a few units back to protect your base.
- One of the biggest threats for you are the "cloaked" units (like Elves or
Haradrim). They can't be seen on screen without a detector unit (Ranger
or a Wraith) and can inflict significant damage without you killing them
off. Make sure you have detector units, on the offensive as well as in
your defensive ranks. Detector units placed in Towers will do well.
- You can do the same to your opponent. Little guerilla attacks with your
invisible units can actually destroy a whole invasion army. And as long
as you keep killing enemy detectors, you won't have any losses at all!
- Small things like Heroes or Fate Powers can decide the outcome of any
battle. Blinding your opponent at the right time will almost certainly
defeat him.
- That's why Fate is so important. It's another reason to keep attacking,
as you can only get it through battle. Fate is used to summon heroes and
to invoke Fate Powers.
- There are four types of weaponry in the game: crush, hack, and pierce
weapons. Crush is represented by a hammer icon, hack by a sword icon,
and pierce by a spear icon. The last type is hero, which can be seen by
the aura of light that swirls around a sword icon. Heroes do more damage
against all other types.
- [Thanks to Francis Estoesta]-> In a campaign, in cinematics where your
units die, you can skip the movie to keep those units alive, thus giving
you an advantage.
Remember, mail me if you know any other good hints.
---------
6.5) Fate
---------
You can get Fate through three different activities: exploring, expanding
your camp, and through battle. The last one is the fastest at generating
Fate, but perhaps the most perilous as well. Fate is represented by the blue
circles with white stars in them on the top of the selection panel. The
more circles you get, the harder it is to get additional Fate. The Fate has
numerous purposes:
Heroes
- - - -
All heroes except for Frodo (Good Side) and Gollum (Evil Side) cannot
be summoned without paying a price in Fate Points. They don't cost any
Food or Ore, but the Fate itself is going to be hard to acquire if you
don't keep the battle going. The Free Peoples and the Minions both have
their own heroes. They can turn the tide of a battle with their special
abilities and are usually a lot more powerful than normal militia.
Fate Powers
- - - - - -
The other things you can use Fate for are called Fate Powers. These can
give you an edge over your opponent and are great when you're about to
lose an important battle. The good and the evil side both have their own
Fate Powers. The powers differ in costs from two to seven Fate Points.
I hope that I've made myself clear enough and you all agree that Fate is one
of the most important things in this game.
---------------------
6.6) Places of Power
---------------------
On almost any map you can find a Place of Power. You'll immediately recognize
one when you see it, because it often looks like a majestic statue and light
will be glowing around it. To take control of one of these, you'll have to
move one of your units near it. The benefits of the monument will then shift
to you. If an enemy is controlling a Place of Power, you'll have to destroy
all enemy units around the monument to gain control for yourself. The Places
of Power for the Single-Player skirmishes are, in alphabetical order:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Ancient Fountain
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> Looks like a little water pit with a lion-like animal hanging above
it. Take it if you can, it'll reduce the time your survivors need to
heal before mounting a new attack.
==> "Built to quench the thirst of warriors and travelers long ago, the
waters of this fountain revive the weary soul. Adds a regeneration
bonus."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Dragon Skull
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> You can't miss it. It looks like a... well, a skull of a dragon. It
is one of the best PoP's in the game, this will make upgrades even
more cheap than a basic melee unit!
==> "The skull of what must have been a powerful ally of Morgoth, this
object radiates with an energy of innovation that makes purchased
upgrades less costly."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Elven Shrine
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> It's a white pedestal with some plants around it. This one comes in
very helpful: extra health is always nice.
==> "An abandoned shrine of Elven design, this relic still resonates with
the power to increase the maximum health of all units."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Enchanting Willow
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> A big, green willow tree. Nothing more, nothing less.
==> "A peculiar sort of tree, this willow sings a soft song that can lull
units into a drowsy state. Grants the controller a spell that slows
the movement speed and attack rate of enemy units."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Globe of Mastery
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> It's just the same as the Orb of Hasty Summoning: a pedestal with a
black claw that is holding high a green orb. It's only good if
you use a lot of heroes. Otherwise, you can live without it.
==> "This magical globe grants the power for Heroes to master their skills,
allowing them to gain experience faster."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Monument of Narsil
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> You all know Narsil, right, the Broken Sword? This PoP is just a big
pedestal with a giant, broken sword on it. Its effect will mostly be
seen in big-scale battles, because of more of your units will survive
them.
==> "This is a monument for the famed sword wielded by Isildur that
severed the One Ring from Sauron's hand, giving victory for The Last
Alliance. Grants a defensive Armor Class bonus to all units."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Orb of Hasty Summoning
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> It's just like the Globe of Mastery: a pedestal with a black claw that
is holding up a green orb on it. Again, this one's only good if you
use a lot of heroes. It will make it more worthwhile to purchase
heroes because the Fate cost is decreased by 1.
==> "A powerful device of unknown origins, this Orb allows heroes to be
summoned for less Fate cost."
=-=-=-=-=
- Orc Mask
=-=-=-=-=
==> It look's like block of clay at first sight, but at closer range you
can actually see an ugly Orc face there. The effect is very good, so
try to get it on early and bolster defenses around it.
==> "An ancient Orc totem that grants its controller an attack bonus."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Radagast's Aviary
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> It's like a witch-doctor's hut on three wooden legs. It has a roof of
straw and is entirely brown. Useful for scouting out enemy bases to
see their defense's weakness.
==> "A device used by The Brown Wizard to watch over far away lands, the
Aviary grants the controller a usable spell to reveal Line of Sight on
an area."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Radiant Monolith
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> Looks like a big, grey pillar with some patterns on it. It's quite
unique, so you'll recognize it fairly quickly. Its effect will be very
welcome in most games: more Fate Powers/Heroes!
==> "A magical and mysterious relic of ages past, the Radiant Monolith
increases the rate at which fate is earned."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Silent Watcher
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> Another unique Place of Power. It looks most like a giant doll with
big, dark claws. The LOS upgrade is only useful for scouting, IMO,
so you only need it a lot early on. Maybe for raiding purposes but
that's about it.
==> "The likeness of some hideous spy under Sauron's control, this statue
is infused with magic to grant all units an LOS bonus."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Spires of Siege
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> Looks a lot like the Claws of Gorgoroth from the campaign: a red
statue with four pins stretching up to the air. Very useful when
you're about to attack a base where you have to take out the Towers
quickly.
==> "This strange Spire allows greater damage to buildings."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Statue of Eorl
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> A normal statue of a fierce man with a beard. He has the outfit the
Rohirrim wear. Only worth holding if you have a lot of heroes.
==> "Founder and first King of Rohan, Eorl mounted his steed Felarof and
started the first band of Riders of Rohan. This statue grants a hit
point bonus to all heroes."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Steed of Rohan
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> An other Rohan statue which has the same colour as the Statue of
Eorl. It depicts a rearing horse. If you use a lot of hit'n run
tactics, this is the best PoP you can get.
==> "This statue of Felarof, whom the Rohirrim call 'Father of Horses',
grants a movement speed increase to all mounted units."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- Wretched Sentinel
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
==> I don't know exactly what it is, but it very much resembles a wolf
cut out from brown stone. Like the Monument of Narsil, its effect
can mostly be seen in big battles.
==> "A deformed and grotesque statue of a once-prominent defender of
Gondor who was corrupted by Sauron, its magic provides an armor
class bonus."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
7. PLAYING THE FREE PEOPLES
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Playing as the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth, you will take command over all
who withstand Sauron's rule. Your forces, ranging from Men, Elves and Dwarves
to the mighty Huorns, will stride valiantly, their hearts fulfilled with
only one, great ideal: the destruction of the One Ring and the downfall of
Sauron and his foul creatures.
The military units of the Free Peoples aren't very numerous, but they are
the absolute elite and will fight without conceding an inch. IMO, the good
campaign is a little easier than the evil campaign (though you might think
differently about that).
-------------------------
7.1) Gameplay Differences
-------------------------
The Free Peoples have several unique characteristics in this game. All of
them are listed below:
- The Free Peoples use a Mill to collect Food and a Forge to obtain Ore.
- The Workers of the Free Peoples drop their resources at the Stronghold.
- Workers and Heroes are trained in the Stronghold.
- Because the numbers of the good guys are small, your buildings have to
be built close to each other. The area in which can be built is marked
by a green decal on the surface.
- Different technologies, units, and heroes than the Evil Side.
- They use Camps and War Camps to expand their Population
- Their Towers can be equipped with a powerful Ballista, adding one powerful
shot per round.
- They have other Fate Powers than the Evil Side.
--------------------
7.2) Good Buildings
--------------------
The Stronghold is the place where the Workers and Heroes of the Free Peoples
of Middle-Earth are trained. It is also a drop-off point for Workers that
have collected resources. The Stronghold is the base of any settlement, and
one of the most important buildings to protect. The Stronghold is Level 1
upon first appearance, but you can upgrade it up to Level 5. Some buildings
and units require a certain Stronghold level before they can be purchased.
=-=-=
Camp
=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 400
BUILDING COST: 80 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
The Camp is a valuable building because it increases your maximum Population
by eleven. To recruit a fine army, you'll need lots of Camps, so plan their
placement carefully: they'll have to be well defended from the enemy, or
the foe's raiding parties will leave you crippled. The Camp can be further
upgraded to a War Camp upon reaching Stronghold Level 2.
=-=-=-=-=
War Camp
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 500
UPGRADE COST: 55 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
When a Camp is upgraded to a War Camp, your Population will be increased by
an additional four slots. Other than that, it functions just like a Camp.
Perfect when you run out of grounds to build new Camps upon.
=-=-=
Mill
=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 570
BUILDING COST: 50 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
A Mill must always be built on top of a well to function. This building is
used by your Workers to obtain Food and bring it back to a Stronghold. It is
one of the first structures to be built in any game. Food cannot be obtained
without use of a Mill.
=-=-=-=-
Foundry
=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 750
BUILDING COST: 80 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
Ore can be obtained from its deposit without any building on top of it, but
the use of a Foundry definitely speeds up the rate at which the precious
substance is gathered. Workers make use of it in the same way as the Mill:
you'll want to build this building immediately at the start of the game to
ensure you immediately have enough Ore to train your army.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Watchtower
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 400
BUILDING COST: 105 Food, 105 Ore
ATTACK POWER: 14
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: None, but four can be garrisoned inside for more shots.
RESEARCH HERE: - Ballista Tower
The Watchtower is a basic defensive structure to ensure the safety of your
camp. It is advised to build a lot of them, especially around buildings
that are vital for your survival (Stronghold, Camps). At the borders of your
settlement, they can be used to spot incoming enemies so you won't be
surprised by sudden raiding parties sneaking around. To increase the shot
rate of the Watchtower, garrison more units inside. Note that these units
cannot be mounted.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ballista Tower
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
HIT POINTS: 500
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
ATTACK POWER: Ballista=35; Normal=14
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: None, but four can be garrisoned inside for more shots.
RESEARCH HERE: None
When the player researches this upgrade for the Watchtower, a powerful
ballista is placed on top of the tower, bestowing one additional shot per
round upon it. The speed of the ballista is NOT measured by the number of
units that are inside the Ballista Tower.
=-=-=-=-=
Barracks
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 700
BUILDING COST: 60 Food, 105 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Gondor Swordsman
- Rider of Rohan
RESEARCH HERE: None
In this hall, newly recruited warriors of Gondor and Rohan train endlessly
to perfect their weapon skills. At the Barracks, players can train the
basic fighting units of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Dwarf Hall
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 750
BUILDING COST: 80 Food, 100 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: - Dwarf Axethrower
- Dwarf Shieldbreaker
RESEARCH HERE: None
This rough fighting area was designed specifically for the Dwarves, sturdy
fighters who are thoroughly enthusiastic when it comes to combat. Here, a
ranged unit, the Dwarf Axethrower, can be trained, as well as the Dwarf
Shieldbreaker, a powerful melee unit.
=-=-=-
Forge
=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 590
BUILDING COST: 75 Food, 100 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Iron Blades; Steel Blades; Dwarf Forged Blades
- Iron Plating; Steel Plating; Dwarf Forged Plating
- Razor Edge
- Flaming Axe
- Shield Break
- Dwarf Engineering
- Lookout Tower
In this forge, experts in the field of metallurgy are assembled to aid the
Free Peoples in their struggles against the Minions of Sauron. With the
experience of the Dwarven forges, these upgrades will prove to be the best
of the best. Wonderful inventions are crafted inside for the Barracks units,
the Dwarf Hall units, and for buildings.
=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ranger Post
=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 675
BUILDING COST: 95 Food, 110 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Ranger
RESEARCH HERE: None
The northern wanderers known as Rangers prefer to live in these small posts
to scout out the area around them. In the wilderness, they test their superb
detection skills before using them to aid the Free Peoples on the
battlefield.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Wilderness Outpost
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 600
BUILDING COST: 85 Food, 110 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Etched Blades; Mystic Blades; Runic Blades
- Improved Leather; Hard Leather; Studded Leather
- Camouflage
- Eagle Eye
- Elven Cloaks
- Eagle Fletching
In this building, ingenious Rangers and Elves gather to exchange tactics
and new attack plans. Sometimes, this results in great improvements for the
Rangers and Elven Archers. With some of the Wilderniss Outpost's upgrades,
both become truly fearsome opponents.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Elven Sanctuary
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
HIT POINTS: 650
BUILDING COST: 135 Food, 135 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: - Elven Archer
- Elven Lightbearer
RESEARCH HERE: None
This place of meditation was created as a resting point for the Elves.
Here, they could enjoy the silence of nature and practice their arts with
the bow to aim their projectiles at fast-moving targets. It is the place
where all the Elven combatants are recruited.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Nature's Haven
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
HIT POINTS: 680
BUILDING COST: 130 Food, 135 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Beorning
- Huorn
RESEARCH HERE: None
The mysterious home of the Beorning, the Nature's Havens can also call forth
the deadly Huorns from deep inside the forests. They are fearsome to behold,
and most deadly on the battlefield.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
House of Lore
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
HIT POINTS: 625
BUILDING COST: 95 Food, 100 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Strength of Nature; Strength of the Claw; Strength of
the Wild
- Nature's Protection; Nature's Defense; Nature's Shield
- Bear Form
- Savage Blow
- Dispel
- Light of Lothlorien
- Tree Form
The House of Lore is a building where those who practice magic can further
increase their abilities. The old scrolls residing within the library of
this majestic structure hold secrets beyond imagination, and using them
will bestow great powers upon Elven Lightbearers, Beornings, and Huorns.
-------------------
7.3) Good Upgrades
-------------------
First, I shall list the Forge technologies. After that, there are the
Wilderness Outpost and the House of Lore technologies.
Iron Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 2/5 - This doesn't make a lot of difference... yet. It
is needed for the later upgrades (which DO matter), so
buy it. Offense over defense, always remember that!
Steel Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Iron Blades, Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 3/5 - You might notice that battles are fought a little
faster than before once you've researched this upgrade.
And believe me, it gets better.
Dwarf Forged Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Steel Blades, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 5/5 - Now we're talking. Build up a nice force of Men
and Dwarves and go crush the enemy! You should have
bought at least one armor upgrade, however, or you
won't be able to enjoy your overwhelming power for
a long time.
Iron Plating
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 1/5 - Buy an attack upgrade before purchasing this.
This, again is one of the things you'll have to buy to
get access to the more worthwile upgrades.
Steel Plating
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Iron Plating, Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 3/5 - This is much better than the last one, since you
may have noticed that your units last longer in battle.
Dwarf Forged Plating
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Steel Plating, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Gondor Swordsmen, Riders of Rohan, Dwarf
Axethrowers, and Dwarf Shieldbreakers.
RATING: 4/5 - Mix this up with Dwarf Forged Blades, and some
missile units for back-up, and there you have one
unstoppable force!
Razor Edge
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes the Dwarf Axethrower's axes pass through the
initial target, hitting any enemies beyond.
RATING: 3/5 - If you're fond of the Dwarves and use them
a lot, this is a must-buy. Throw your axes and watch
an enemy army getting killed within a minute. A pack
of Axethrowers can thin out an enemy force, making
them a "shotgun" unit.
Flaming Axe
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Razor Edge, Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes the Dwarf Axethrower's axes burn, giving them
the ability to destroy and ignite buildings fast.
RATING: 3/5 - Again, it's a matter of using them or not. If
you do, buy this upgrade and send some raiding parties
consisting of solely Axethrowers to set a whole enemy
war camp ablaze.
Shield Break
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Dwarf Shieldbreaker an ability to smash foes
with such strength that it permanently decreases their
armor class.
RATING: 3/5 - With a lot of Shieldbreakers, mixed up with
missile units and some melees, you can crush just about
any force, unless you're hopelessly outnumbered. This
rocks if you use lots of Shieldbreakers!
Dwarf Masonry
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives buildings more hit points.
RATING: 1/5 - Isn't really needed, in my opinion. Is useful only
if you're under siege, but since you should be attacking
and not defending, you really wouldn't have much use for
it. Save your resources for better upgrades.
Lookout Tower
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Forge
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives towers a greater line of sight.
RATING: 2/5 - Not something you should get immediately, but still
useful for spotting those enemy raiding parties early on.
Ballista Tower
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Watchtower
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Equips the Watchtower with a powerful ballista.
RATING 3/5 - Can help you withstand a big attack when you place
it at key positions. Don't buy this for all Towers, though,
as you should be on the offensive mostly, not defense.
War Camp
=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Camp
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 55 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Creates a bigger camp, adding 4 Population Slots.
RATING 4/5 - Use this to get additional population when you run
out of space to build your Camps in. Gets an armor class
bonus as well.
Etched Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Rangers and Elven Archers.
RATING: 3/5 - If you like to do raiding with invisible Elves, you
need to buy this as soon as possible. Even if you don't,
this upgrade pays off by giving your prominent missile
units an extra power boost.
Mystic Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Etched Blades, Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Rangers and Elven Archers.
RATING 4/5 - You should be noticing the improvement by now: a
great upgrade. One more attack bonus to go.
Runic Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Mystic Blades, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Rangers and Elven Archers.
RATING: 5/5 - Expensive, but well worth it. With an armor upgrade,
several cloaked Elven Archers can now wipe out an entire
enemy base, as long as they keep killing detector units.
Improved Leather
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Rangers and Elven Archers.
RATING: 2/5 - Buy the offensive upgrades before purchasing this.
You need offense over defense, especially with archers.
Hard Leather
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Improved Leather, Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Rangers and Elven Archers.
RATING: 3/5 - They last longer, look at Improved Leather for
additional comments.
Studded Leather
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Hard Leather, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Rangers and Elven Archers
RATING: 4/5 - Mix it up with Runic Blades: now they last long AND
do a lot of damage. Combine it with their Elven Cloaks to
get the ultimate raiding unit!
Concealment
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Rangers can remain unseen as long as they do not move.
RATING: 2/5 - Not really needed, scouts will eventually be killed
anyway. Unless you find use for Rangers as a PoP defender,
which is kewl as armies without detector units will not
be able to take over your Place of Power!
Eagle Eye
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives Rangers an LOS upgrade, increasing detection ability.
RATING: 3/5 - Actually, it's pretty nice. Will help spotting that
annoying invisible enemies earlier. Arms and armor have
higher priority, though.
Elven Cloaks
=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 165 Food, 165 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes Elven Archers invisible, so they can only be spotted
by detector units.
RATING: 5/5 - THE raiding weapon. Keep killing those detectors and
you might find yourself wiping out a complete base with
only several Elven Archers!
Eagle Fletching
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Upgrades the range of Elven Archers.
RATING: 4/5 - Very good upgrade. Can keep them out of Tower range
while they shoot it to the ground. Very annoying for the
enemy as well because they cannot see you through the Fog
of War. Combine with Elven Cloaks.
Strength of Nature
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 2/5 - If you like those Huorns (I don't) then you should
buy this. Expensive, but needed for weak Beornings anyway.
Strength of the Claw
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Strength of Nature, Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 3/5 - Another attack upgrade to aid the Beornings and the
Huorns. If you use them a lot, buy it, or else leave it.
Strength of the Wild
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Strength of the Claw, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 3/5 - See Strength of the Claw for comments.
Natures Protection
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 2/5 - The same as attack, only this is slightly more
needed to keep the Beornings alive for them to mend
wounds instead of dying pathetically.
Natures Defense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Natures Protection, Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 3/5 - Again, this is needed to keep Beornings alive.
Natures Shield
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Natures Defense, Stronghold Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Beornings and Huorns.
RATING: 3/5 - See Natures Defense for comments.
Bear Form
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Beorning the ability to transform into Bear Form.
RATING: 3/5 - Bears are much better at fighting than Beornings, but
they lose their healing ability in this form. Thus, it does
not have a very high priority.
Savage Blow
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Bear Form, Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: While in Bear Form, the Beorning can give a devastating
blow that knocks back all enemies in front of him.
RATING: 3/5 - Useful to fight your way out of crowds, and does
damage all units in front of him. Nice if you have lots
of Beornings with Bear Form.
Dispel
=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: The Elven Lightbearer gains the ability to cure units
from hostile, disadvantageous spellcasting.
RATING: 3/5 - Units do not get hit by special magic a lot, but
this is very helpful once they do. Reasonable buy.
Light of Lothlorien
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: This spell can be cast by the Elven Lightbearer to sear the
flesh of all enemies in the affected area with a blinding
light from above.
RATING: 4/5 - Can damage large invasion armies to stop it in its
tracks, weakening it so you can defend your settlement
without too much losses. Good when used offensively as well,
if you don't mind to micromanage a bit.
Tree Form
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: The Huorn gains the ability to plant itself into the ground
so he can entangle foes with its roots. In this form, its
regeneration rate is also substantially increased.
RATING: 3/5 - Very good for defending small passes and such places.
While the planted Huorn stops its enemies in its tracks,
some missile units behind it can finish off foes easily.
Stronghold Level 2
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Stronghold
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
UPGRADE COST: 115 Food, 105 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor and +250 HP for Stronghold. Is needed for some
buildings to be built.
RATING: 5/5 - All Stronghold upgrades have high priority, because
without them you cannot access the better units and
upgrades.
Stronghold Level 3
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Stronghold
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 120 Food, 120 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor and +250 HP for Stronghold. Is needed for some
buildings to be built.
RATING: 5/5 - All Stronghold upgrades have high priority, because
without them you cannot access the better units and
upgrades.
Stronghold Level 4
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Stronghold
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 135 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor and +250 HP for Stronghold. Is needed for some
buildings to be built.
RATING: 5/5 - All Stronghold upgrades have high priority, because
without them you cannot access the better units and
upgrades.
Stronghold Level 5
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UPGRADE AT: Stronghold
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 130 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor and +250 HP for Stronghold. Is needed for some
upgrades to be researched.
RATING: 5/5 - All Stronghold upgrades have high priority, because
without them you cannot access the better units and
upgrades.
---------------
7.4) Good Units
---------------
Here, all units of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth are listed. They all
have their own little history and comments with them. There are no heroes,
however. They can be found in the next paragraph.
=-=-=-=-=-
Worker
=-=-=-=-=-
HIT POINTS: None given
ATTACK POWER: None given
ARMOR CLASS: None given
ATTACK TYPE: None given
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 35 Food; 1 Pop
UPGRADE AT: None
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Workers don't have any special abilities.
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"A Worker's life is harsh, and the burden of feeding an
entire army dwells heavily upon their shoulders. Yet
each of them knows, that it is through their hard work
that the Forces of Good sustain their never-ending war
against the tyranny of Sauron and other entities of evil
intent. And thus, they work with glea for their lords,
hoping that their children's children will prosper in
fields of green once again in the following Era."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
There is little to say about Workers as their role is
prey for many an intelligent creature's common sense:
you CANNOT win without Workers. They build training and
upgrading structures, gather resources, and it would be
wise to keep them away from any hostilities.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Gondor Swordsman
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 155
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=10; Maximum=13
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Barracks
COST: 50 Food; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Forge
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Gondor Swordsmen don't have any special abilities.
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"The bulk of the Gondor Army was always a high amount of
skilled soldiers. No mere farmers or artisans, all have
been trained in the way of battle by the great Captains
of the Guard. Though only a grunt, many Gondorians find it
an honor to participate in war for the glory of their
lords. Whether they live or die, they will always follow
the code of the warrior."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Cheap, sturdy units that will form your main offensive
force in early-game. Excellent to gain an advantage in
numbers, for that small sprinkle of offensive force you
need to subdue your enemies. Don't ever send them in by
themselves, though. They'll die. Meh.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Dwarf Axethrower
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 140
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=9; Maximum=12
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Dwarf Hall
COST: 60 Food; 10 Ore; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Forge
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
- Razor Edge >>> The Axethrower's axes are sharpened to the
point where they are no longer earthly,
resulting in the ability to pass through
and do damage to multiple units.
[Passive Ability]
- Flaming Axe >> The forgery of the Dwarves and magical
lore of other Free Peoples converge into
a metal that perpetually burns with a
soaring flame, dealing more damage to
buildings and setting them ablaze.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Dwarves, dwelling in the deep halls beneath mountains, are
traditionally devoted to their masterfully crafted battleaxes
and other heavy, giant melee weapons or siege equipment. In
time, however, they learned that without ranged support,
their warriors would falter before the enemies' arrows, and
no matter how strong their pride or bravery, they could not
neglect this urgent development in warfare. However, isolate
and headstrong as they were, they would not abandon their
precious axes. The result was the Axethrower, a versatile
warrior which would cleave through enemies like a hot knife
through butter."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Though the role does not suit a Dwarf, Axethrowers are vital
assets in early conquests. Not the sturdiest of units, they
will need melee support to be truly effective. They aren't
even THAT abysmal at close-combat, they just have to be used
from a distance.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dwarf Shieldbreaker
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Forge, Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 305
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=10; Maximum=13
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Dwarf Hall
COST: 95 Food; 60 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Forge
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Shield Break >>> With this upgrade, Shieldbreakers learn to
bash their opponents with such power and
precision that the attack permanently
damages its armor, decreasing the victim's
Armor Class.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"With the wealth the Dwarven empires possessed, it came as no
surprise that other, lesser races would seek to plunder the
rough warriors' riches. Occasionally, Goblins from the Misty
Mountains would harass the Dwarves by wearing armor that
would stop most of their berserked blows. One particular
Dwarf, though, managed to strike back with such force that
a Goblin's shield and armor would crackle and break before
the sheer might. Even today this warrior is revered as the
idea of Shieldbreakers - hardened warriors which would learn
to strike precise blows at weak points in an enemy's armor -
was derived from his efforts."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Heavy enemies taking a heavy toll on your forces? Get a batch
of Shieldbreakers with the Shield Break upgrade and you're
set for kickass action. Enormous hitpoints ensure that they
will bash a lot before dying. Do have some missile units or
other melees to finish the job. Quite slow compared to other
units though, definitely not fit for hit'n runs.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Rider of Rohan
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 235
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=13; Maximum=16
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Barracks
COST: 85 Food; 30 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Forge
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Immune to Knockback >>> Riders of Rohan cannot be knocked
back by special attacks under any
circumstance.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"With the treading of Eorl the Young upon the vales around
the great river Anduin, recorded history of the Horse-Lords,
or Rohirrim, commenced. It was this trustworthy Lord that
truly tamed a prince among horses, a Mearas that went by the
name of Felarof. Ever since their Gondor allies gave unto
them the lands that are now known as Rohan, the Rohirrim have
sought to perfect the art of mounted warfare. When a true
rider of Rohan mounts his horse, the two beings are no longer
separated while the battle lasts. A rider would mourn the
death of his horse as much as that of a dear friend."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Very fast and quite useful even later in the game. The fact
that they cannot be knocked back may result in panic amongst
the defenders, fearing the daunting charge these horsemen
may enact. Perfect for scouting, very nice for hit'n run,
however, they are quite low on hitpoints for such a cost. As
a remedy, upgrade their armor class a bit if you want to use
them in late-game.
=-=-=-=-=-
Ranger
=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 2
HIT POINTS: 200
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=8; Maximum=11
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Ranger Post
COST: 50 Food; 40 Ore; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Detection >>> The Ranger is able to see hidden units, that
would prove invisible to others.
[Passive Ability]
Concealment > Allows a Range to hide, robbing him of any
kind of movement, though he will be invisible
for all but detector units.
[Recharge Time = 3 Seconds]
Eagle Eye >>> Increases the Ranger's line-of-sight, making
them more efficient at uncovering invisible
units from afar.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In the shadows of the trees and stones, the Rangers reside,
preferring their outdoors existence over that of a home in a
town. Surviving and strolling over the countryside, none but
the greater powers have seen more of Middle-Earth than these
descendants of Numenor. Some have sought refuge in Minas
Tirith, where they help the Steward of Gondor fending off the
plethora of attacks that the Minions of Sauron throw upon
them."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
A Ranger is a must for every offensive or defensive force, as
they are the only unit that can detect hidden units for the
Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. Put some in your Towers on the
defensive, and Conceal them on the offensive to keep them
alive. Of course, they can stand their ground, but without
upgrades they die quite quickly.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Elven Archer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
HIT POINTS: 180
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=14; Maximum=17
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Elven Sanctuary
COST: 80 Food; 75 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Wilderness Outpost
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Elven Cloak >>> By wearing these cloaks, Elven Archers
mold with their environment, rendering
them invisible to all but detector units.
[Passive Ability]
Eagle Fletching > Equipping the arrows with eagle feathers
allows Elven Archers to shoot from a far
greater range.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"The elves have always viewed heavy weapons like swords, axes
and greathammers with skepticism, preferring the serene grace
of the bow. As a result, every Elf is gifted with exceptional
archery skills. Combined with their racial traits, which are
increased eyesight and hearing, they become a most deadly
missile unit, especially when ambushing enemy units with
their crafty Elven Cloaks."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Probably the best unit for the Free Peoples. It has a huge
attack power, can become invisible to normal foes and can
upgrade their range. In groups, they can slaughter whole
enemy armies, if they manage to get rid of those pesky
detector units beforehand. Pretty expensive, especially when
buying all upgrades for them, but well worth your resources.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Elven Lightbearer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
HIT POINTS: 160
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=11; Maximum=11
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=0
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Elven Sanctuary
COST: 100 Food; 85 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Protection >>> The Lightbearer may cast a greenish glance
over an ally or himself which serves as a
protective hull against attacks.
[Recharge Time = 35 Seconds]
Dispel >>> Carrying out order and purity, these masters
of ancient lore may cast away any spell that
is disadvantageous towards their allies.
[Recharge Time = 10 Seconds]
Light of >>> The light of the Valar shines in the eyes of
Lothlorien the Elves, and for a moment the Lightbearers
can call down the Golden Forest's light, so
that it may sear the flesh of those with
evil intent.
[Recharge Time = 45 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In their era-spanning struggles against the vile Orcs and
other wretched creatures in service of the Dark Lord, Elves,
especially the Noldor descendants that traversed vales of ice
only to kill the servants of darkness, have slowly developed
eyes which shine with the fierce, piercing light of purity,
and only by looking into them the vile creatures would shout
in agony and flee from the Elven wizards."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
I don't like Elven Lightbearers very much. They are killed
way too fast for such a cost. But, I have to admit that their
spells sound very nice: Light of Lothlorien helps weakening
an enemy army before it gets to your own ranks, especially if
hostile troops are cluttered. You had better cast Protection
on the Lightbearer itself, as it will probably not last very
long without it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-
Beorning
=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 3
HIT POINTS: 235
HIT POINTS BF: 420
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=7; Maximum=10
ATTACK POWER BF: Minimum=17; Maximum=20
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ARMOR CLASS BF: Minimum=2; Maximum=5
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
ATTACK TYPE BF: Hack
TRAINED AT: Nature's Haven
COST: 100 Food; 70 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Healing Herbs >>> In their knowledge of nature, Beornings
may use special herbs to heal themselves
or their allies. In bestial form, this
knowledge disappears.
[Recharge Time = 7 Seconds]
Bear Form >>> Allows the Beorning to change himself into
a Bear, increasing their ability to fight,
yet diminishing their healing properties.
[Recharge Time = 20 Seconds]
Maul >>> Only available in bear form, the Beorning
deals knock-back damage with every swipe
of a claw.
[Passive Ability]
Savage Blow >>> The Beorning can, in bear form, strike
with such force that it knocks back all
enemies in front of him.
[Recharge Time = 15 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"The Beornings were isolatory Men of the North, guarding the
mouth of Garrock and the mountain paths of Rhovanion against
the minions of the Dark Lord. Their name was derived from a
powerful combatant named Beorn. This warrior possessed a
spell that would turn him into a giant brown bear at wish,
and his descendants may do so as well. This legacy has kept
the Orcs and Goblins from the Misty Mountains far from
invading their homeland."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
There are two ways you can go with Beornings: one his the
most straightforward. Buy Bear Form and Maul for them, then
wreak havoc upon the enemy as they are complete powerhouses
in bestial form. Or you can keep them in a weaker human form
and use them as support, to mend the wounds of any allies
that have taken damage in battle.
=-=-=-=-=
Huorn
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 4
HIT POINTS: 235
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=14; Maximum=17
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=4; Maximum=7
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Nature's Haven
COST: 235 Food; 200 Ore; 5 Pop
UPGRADE AT: House of Lore
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Tree Form >>> Allows the Huorn to clamp itself into the
soil, roots growing in a radius. Any
enemies passing through are entangled and
kept in place.
[Recharge Time = 25 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Basically, Huorns are downgraded Ents. They seem to have
planted themselves into the ground, alive though unable to
move. Elves and Ents claim that they move around in shadows,
where the living beings that they hate so much cannot see
them. Their hearts are rotten, corrupted, yet in all their
hatred and blossoming rage, they hate the Dark Lord more
than any other. Under the command of the Ents, they have
joined forces with the Free Peoples to help rid Middle-Earth
from the scourge of the Dark Lord."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Ouch! Expensive. They have decent hit points and a very good
starting Armor Class, yet you cannot discard the fact that
their cost is HUGE and their movement SLOW. I recommend the
use of Huorns on the defensive. Position them near Towers so
that they may entangle enemies, and the manned defensive
structures can shoot them without suffering damage.
-----------------
7.5) Good Heroes
-----------------
The Heroes are the special units with unique abilities that can lead your
troops into battle. Whenever you train a hero, his picture appears on the right
edge of the screen. Clicking on it will select that hero, while double-clicking
immediately focuses the camera on the unit. All heroes are immune to knockback.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Frodo Baggins
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 305 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=15 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 150 Food; 100 Ore
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Heroic Aura >>> Shortens the time heroes near Frodo need to
recharge their respective abilities.
[Passive Ability]
Mighty Sting >> Allows Frodo to do extra damage versus Orc
units with his Elven blade Sting.
[Passive Ability][Cost = 1 Fate]
The One Ring >> Turns Frodo completely invisible for every
enemy except for the Lord of the Nazgul and
the Black Riders, but slowly eats his Hit
Points away.
[Recharge Time = 0 Seconds][Cost = 1 Fate]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Frodo is the only hero for the Free Peoples that doesn't cost
any Fate Points. He is a great scout with his The One Ring
ability, but make sure he doesn't die by using it. Mighty
Sting will give him an edge against Evil players as well, but
only against the Orc units. Since Frodo is a scout and
shouldn't be fighting with the other heroes on the field of
battle, it would be better to save the Heroic Aura ability
for camp defense.
=-=-=-=-=
Gimli
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 460 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Capture >>> Allows Gimli to capture a hostile Tower and
bash all enemies residing in it out of the
buildings. Gimli himself mans the Tower
thereafter.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds][Cost = 3 Fate]
Sunder >>> Inspires the mighty warrior to slam the ground
with his axe, creating a shockwave that stuns
all enemies nearby.
[Recharge Time = 15 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Siege Aura > Gimli shares his knowledge of construction
with allies around him, allowing all units
affected to do more damage against structures.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Gimli is a friggin' melee tank, though I don't understand why
he has less hit points than Aragorn... whatever, this guy
makes breaking down enemy encampments a breeze. First, Sunder
is used to cripple the defense force, then the Dwarf takes
control of the nearest tower, ejecting detectors inside for
allies to slaughter. Finally, Siege Aura speeds up the razing
process considerably. Very good unit, though if you have no
need for sieging then maybe you should go with other Heroes.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Legolas
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 450 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=2 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Trueshot >>> Occasionally, Legolas may fire an arrow with
such force and precision that it deals more
damage and causes knockback to a single,
targeted foe.
[Recharge Time = 12 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Guardian Wind > When used, the Silvan prince temporarily
gives a defensive bonus versus enemy ranged
attacks to all units nearby.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds]
Elven Speed >>> Allows Legolas to drastically speed up any
allies near him, including Legolas himself.
[Recharge Time = 35 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
This Elf is the ultimate missile unit for the good side, his
abilities only accentuating his role as ranged support. A
small strategy/hint: if you ever need to defend against an
enemy force, position Legolas and ten to fifteen upgraded
Elven Archers in a narrow area. Use Trueshot to blast away
the leading enemy, Guardian Wind to guard your party from
enemy ranged attacks, and Elven Speed to decimate the entire
hostile army before it reaches you!
=-=-=-=-=-=
Aragorn
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 1
HIT POINTS: 485 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Kingsfoil >>> With the royal healing powers of this
plant, Aragorn may heal up to half the
total HP of a targeted, damaged ally.
[Recharge Time = 8 Seconds]
Anduril's Fury > Greatly increases Aragorn's attack, yields
even more damage versus enemy Heroes, the
Nazgul, and Wraiths.
[Passive Ability][Cost = 2 Fate]
Immunity >>> Aragorn cannot be blinded, stunned, slowed,
or poisoned while this ability is active.
[Passive Ability][Cost = 1 Fate]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Aragorn is arguably the best hero after Gandalf. Always play
offensive if you choose him, and as soon as you get two Fate
Points buy Anduril's Fury: his attack power will go INSANE,
even for a Hero. Thereby, you can heal your powerhouse units
with Kingsfoil, which recharges so quick that it is just too
00ber for this game. Add in Immunity against all kind of
status changes and you're set for divide and conquer.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Gandalf the Grey
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Stronghold Level 5
HIT POINTS: 450 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Stronghold
COST: 4 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Flash >>> Blinds all enemies near Gandalf, stunning
them so they may be killed more easily.
[Recharge Time = 20 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Rain of Fire >>> Powerful ability that will invoke a shower
of fireballs to fall from the skies in the
radius selected.
[Recharge Time = 60 Seconds][Cost = 3 Fate]
Fire Shield >>> Enshrouds an allied unit in a halo of fire
that deflects some of the damage taken back
onto the attacker.
[Recharge Time = 15 Seconds][Cost = 1 Fate]
Negate Ability > Temporarily prevents enemies from using any
of their special abilities.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Nodoubtedly Gandalf is the most powerful Hero for the Free
Peoples of Middle-Earth. Not that we would have expected any
less for a single unit that costs you a Stronghold Level 5
and four Fate Points, but the Grey Wizard's well worth all
you have to pay. Starting out with Negate Ability, which may
dispel invisibility for a short while (!), Gandalf becomes
even more powerful once he gains Rain of Fire. With this
attack he may burn an entire enemy base down to cinders just
by himself! Then, there's Flash for any units that would
like to make him pay for what he did, so the Wizard can get
away quickly. And if Flash didn't affect anything, he still
has that great attacking power, with which he can slaughter
small armies in conjunction with Fire Shield...
---------------------
7.6) Good Fate Powers
---------------------
The Fate Powers of the good side are different than those of the evil side, and
thus they gain a separate section away from the others:
=-=-=-=-=
Blind
=-=-=-=-=
COST: 2 Fate Points
EFFECT: A flash of light on the battlefield that blinds
enemy units, making them unable to see anything at
a distance.
The Blind power is best used on large groups of cluttered
enemies, so you may annihilate them without losing a lot of
valuable troops. Can also buy you some time to train extra
units when your camp is on the brink of destruction.
=-=-=-=-=-=-
Brambles
=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 3 Fate Points
EFFECT: A remnant Elven spell of ancient times that allows
the player to rapidly grow a thorny patch of
dangerous brambles on a chosen spot. The magical
brambles will tear the flesh of any enemy moving
through the patch.
This power can be very annoying for your enemy when placed on
a spot he needs to pass through to get to your camp. It isn't
very cheap, however, and you should place it with care. If
there are no good spots, you'd better save your Fate Points
for something more useful.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Heroic Legacy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
COST: 3 Fate Points
EFFECT: Transforms a player's Hero into a legend for all
time by sacrificing his ability to reform at the
Stronghold. This adds incredible battle power that
is worthy of song and tale throughout the lands.
There is only one level where this is very good, and that's
the Helm's Deep scenario of the Good Campaign. In skirmishes,
this isn't a very good idea, because your Hero will still die
eventually and you won't be able to recruit him at the
Stronghold again. Only useful for desperate end-game attacks
where you need all the power you can get.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Blessed Wind
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 2 Fate Points
EFFECT: In rare moments of seemingly Fate-inspired inter-
vention, even an element as simple as wind can
grant the champions of a just cause a devastating
force behind their missile attacks. Adds Knockback
to the attack of ranged units.
Actually, quite nice, I've noticed over time. Its efficiency
was quite daunting to behold as I totally destroyed an
oncoming army with seven Elven Archers. They just keep being
beat back. The moment is short-lived for two Fate Points,
though.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Summon Giant Ent
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 7 Fate Points
EFFECT: Summons a Giant Ent, protector of Fangorn forest
to fight for the player. Ancient and wise, yet
powerful and battle-hardened, this severed
creature reluctantly uses his natural gift of
great strength against any would-be foes.
Although this creature is very strong and can take care of
whole armies by itself, the price of this power is very high
and amassing an amount of 7 Fate Points at a single time is
quite hard. When you are invading the last enemy on the map,
and have accumulated enough points, you can use the power to
add the "finishing touch" to your campaign. Note that the
Giant Ent only lasts a set amount of time before being
withdrawn again.
-------------------------
7.7) Good-Only Strategies
-------------------------
A list of common strategies that are used by the Free Peoples. Credits to
all of you who mail me other working strategies:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Start-Game Rohirrim Rush
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Works best on another Free Peoples player. You need to be very
quick for this to work. The core factor is to upgrade your
Stronghold and building two Barracks as quickly as possible.
Then train some Riders of Rohan and rush to an enemy camp.
Circle around the camp until you find their resource spot,
then attack the workers around there. When fighting evil side,
you can go for Slavemasters to decrease their population
capacity.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Cloaked Elves Infiltration
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I use this strategy most of the time. Groups of five upgraded,
cloaked elves run around a camp, first killing any detector
units in their sights, afterwards destroying other enemy units
and finally the buildings. It's hard to do when the enemy has
detector units in his Towers, so make sure to upgrade your
Elves.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nature's Defense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This defensive strategy requires some Huorns with Tree Form
and several missile units, Dwarf Axethrowers with Razor Edge
would do very good. As soon as an enemy army approaches,
spread your Huorns and use Tree Form to entangle foes and stop
them in their tracks. Use the missile units to do significant
damage while the opponents can't move. Make sure to have a few
melee units which can stop any enemy ranged units from killing
your expensive Huorns.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tactical Offense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
You need some standing melee units like Swordsmen or Shield-
breakers and the Riders of Rohan for this. Armor upgrades are
required here, as the infantry has to last as long as possible
for this strategy to work. Whenever you encounter an enemy
army, wait for the foe's infantry to attack your own infantry.
Keep your cavalry out of sight, though. Now ride around the
battle with your Rohirrim and attack the archers from the
flank, increasing your infantry's chance of winning,
especially when you have some missile units yourself. Doesn't
work when facing Elven Archers who are cloaked.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Elven-Rohirrim Rush
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[-- Contributed by Ryan --]
Say you have about nine Riders of Rohan and about ten Elven
Archers, and you are outnumbered by quite a bit. First, you
send a volley of all your archers so the enemy foot soldiers
come to shield it, becoming huddled in the process. Then, send
your unseen cavalry and take out some enemies. Retreat with
your cavalry to an area out of the opponent's LOS. Send a new
volley of arrows with your archers, repeating all steps. The
enemy will be in chaos, and eventually your cavalry will be
able to pick them off.
AUTHOR: Works best if you group the Elves and Rohirrim first,
of course.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Easy Elimination
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-- Contributed by Telcontar590 --]
When you first start off quickly build a Mill, a Foundry, a
Barracks, and two Camps. Then train at least eight Gondor
Swordsmen and Frodo. Next upgrade to Stronghold Lvl 2, and
research the first two upgrades for the Swordsmen while you
look for the enemy camp. Even if the upgrades have not been
finished you can still attack the enemy base, and wipe them
out.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Concealed Annihilation
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-- Contributed by Scott McCall --]
Take a large group of Elven Archers and some Rangers. (Archers
must have Elven Cloak ability and Rangers need Concealment).
Send in your Rangers and take out any Detector units, then
tell them to hold position and use Concealment. then use your
Elven Archers to take out any Melee units. This is a good
strategy as your Elves usually die when they take out the
detectors and most of your Rangers die trying to kill off all
the normal enemies. This way they take out the detectors and
then kill the rest of silently, without hassle.
AUTHOR: Also, you should make sure you conceal as soon as the
detectors are dead... or risk losing them all which
isn't good. Try to lure the detectors away if pos-
sible. Needs micromanagement, but may very well make
some levels utterly painless.
More strategies to come... (I hope)
------------------
7.8) Good Campaign
------------------
This is a walkthrough for the Free Peoples' campaign in the War of the Ring. It
contains story and gameplay spoilers, so if you want to figure everything out
for yourself, skip this section.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Grey Ledge
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Third Age 3018
"The Iron Hills echo with the sounds of clashing steel, as the
Dwarves defend their homeland against a wicked Orc onslaught.
With the help of Gimli, son of Gloin, they prepare to rid the
cliffs of the savage infestation. Gimli and his warriors must
gather their forces, climb the nearby peaks, and crush their
enemies under the weight of the mountain."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gimli -> Sunder => 2 Fate
-> Siege Aura => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Dwarf Worker => Stronghold Lvl 2
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Dwarf Hall -> Dwarf Axethrower
-> Dwarf Shieldbreaker
Forge => Iron Blades
=> Iron Plating
---------------------------------------------------------------
The first level of this Good Side Campaign isn't hard at all.
When you start off you see a little cinematic on how some Orcs
demolish a Tower. Gimli will give a small speech, and after
that it's your turn. The screen will list your objectives as
soon as you get control. The main objectives are:
- Construct an encampment for reinforcements
=> Construct a Mill
=> Construct a Foundry
=> Construct a Dwarf Hall
=> Construct a Watchtower
=> Upgrade the Stronghold
=> Construct a Forge
- Destroy the main Orc encampment
- Kill the Orc Captain
- (OPTIONAL) Use the boulders on the cliffs to crush the
enemy
Click the objectives screen away and view your camp. You start
with three Dwarf Workers, three Dwarf Axethrowers, two Dwarf
Shieldbreakers, and the hero Gimli. Note that your encampment
will not be attacked in this scenario, unlike the other
levels. So just take it easy and try to get familiar with
these Dwarves a bit.
To start off, assign two Dwarf Workers to build a Foundry on
top of the nearby Ore deposit and use the other one to
construct a Mill at the well. In the meanwhile, train another
four Dwarf Workers at your Stronghold. In the end, make sure
you have three Workers gathering each resource. We will use
the single Worker left to build new structures.
I suggest you commence the construciton of a Dwarf Hall, and
after that an additional Camp, creating a total amount of
three camps and a population of 43. Start the recruiting of
new Axethrowers for your army, and upgrade the Stronghold to
the next level. Use your idle Worker to construct a Forge
next. As soon as the Forge is completed, you should research
the two upgrades available there (Iron Blades and Iron
Plating).
With the Forge, you may also train Dwarf Shieldbreakers. While
you build your army, use the Worker to construct a Watchtower
to complete the first objective.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Construct an encampment for reinforcements.
Although you could probably finish the scenario with less than
the amount of troops I suggest here, it is still advised that
you train an army of about seven Axethrowers and seven Shield-
breakers. Together with Gimli, you can now start your campaign
to drive the Orcs from the Iron Hills. With your troops, head
down the hill to the east.
Keep going east and you should meet an enemy patrol consisting
of some goblins and an orc archer. No threats here. Head
futher eastward until you can't continue, then north, climbing
the cliff path. There are some enemies here, but you can
dispose of them quite easily. Continue to follow the cliff
path, killing the spawning Orcs as you go.
At the end of the path, you should see some boulders on the
edge of the cliff and the Orc camp that is beneath them. Get
a unit and right-click a boulder to push it off the cliff,
destroying anything in its rolling path. Do the same with the
other boulder here. Now head back to your camp and train
reinforcements as you see fit. Run down the east hill again.
This time, go directly north. You should pass some water here,
with an enemy patrol somewhere. Kill them and head up north.
You'll arrive at a little Orc encampment. Try to focus on
destroying the Tower here as quickly as possible. It should
come down quickly with help of Gimli's Siege Aura ability. By
crushing this structure, you can easily defeat the remaining
foes and bash their structures to dust. The Place of Power is
yours now: it is a fountain that provides your army with a
regeneration bonus.
By now, you should have two Fate Points. You should use them
to purchase Gimli's Sunder ability, which will temporarily
stun all enemies around him when used. Very useful when facing
a bigger army than your own.
As soon as you destroy the Orc encampment return southwards,
towards the pond, as there are Orc archers on the top of the
cliff. Get out of their range and wait for your forces to
heal. When your forces are healthy again, you can run through
the pass, neglecting the archers for now. Kill any enemies you
encounter, then move up the hill to the east. Enemies reside
here as well, but their numbers are small. Explore this cliff
entirely to find the Orc Archers that were firing arrows at
you while you guided your forces through the pass. Defeat
them all for sweet revenge.
Now, you need to shove the boulders off the cliff again. Use
all of them to weaken the Orc camp beneath to the brink of
annihilation. When you're done and healed, head back to the
pond again. Train any reinforcements if you need to do so.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Use the boulders on the cliffs to crush the enemy.
Use the small strip of land on the northern side of the water
to get to the second Orc encampment. There shouldn't be a lot
of resistance here after flatting it to the ground with your
boulders, so just crush everything, preferably without losses
on your side. Cross the water and head for the south directly
afterwards. Destroy any resistance here. Make sure your units
are healed before continuing: the main, most difficult Orc
encampment lies west of this point.
It would be wise to cast the Blind fate power on the enemy
army before engaging in battle, this way you won't suffer many
losses. After the majority of the army is killed, go for the
Tower. Destroy any remaining buildings and fight your way to
the middle of the camp. There, the Orc Captain is waiting for
you.
The Orc Captain is as strong as a normal hero, you'll have to
focus all your forces on him to take him out quickly. You can
use Gimli's Sunder to give yourself an easier time dealing
with him. This way, the wretched Orc should be dead quickly.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Kill the Orc Captain.
The only thing left to do now is raze the enemy camp. Destroy
remaining buildings and victory will be yours. Note that you
don't have to destroy the War Posts if you're in a hurry.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the main Orc encampment.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Siege of the Iron Hills
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The Dwarves have spilled Orc blood for hundreds of years in
many major wars, and now another such battle is about to
begin. The Orcs have come from the west to besiege Thorin's
Gate, the common entrance to the Iron Hills. The King under
the Mountain has sent his kindred from the mines to defend his
realm. Under the leadership of Gimli, son of Gloin, the Dwarf
forces intend to complete the construction of an ancient
weapon to rid their home of the Orcs."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gimli -> Sunder => Available
-> Capture => 3 Fate
-> Siege Aura => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Dwarf Worker => Stronghold Lvl 2
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Dwarf Hall -> Dwarf Axethrower
-> Dwarf Shieldbreaker
Forge => Iron Blades
=> Iron Plating
=> Shield Break
---------------------------------------------------------------
This level starts with a cinematic wherein Gimli explains what
kind of situation you're in. The Orcs seem to have taken over
Thorin's Gate, and the King under the Mountain has assigned
you to drive the Orcs away. To this end, Gimli seeks to
complete the construction of an ancient weapon, a relic from
the Battle of the Five Armies. Your starting objectives are:
! Gimli must survive
- Establish an encampment
=> Destroy the Goblin Expansion
=> Construct a Stronghold
=> Construct a Dwarf Hall
You start off with Gimli and six Dwarf Axethrowers. Take them
all to the northeast and start demolishing the camp. Gimli's
Sunder can prevent losing a lot of precious units on your
part. After the majority of hostile troops is dead, go for
their Towers and destroy them. Now you just have to destroy
the remaining enemy buildings to use the area for your own
purposes.
As soon as all enemy presence is cleared, four Dwarf Workers
run into your new camp. Use them to build a Stronghold close
to both the well and the ore deposit. Then use three Dwarves
to build a Foundry and one for a Mill, while you train another
three Workers in your Stronghold. You've probably had to fend
off a Warg attack by now. Raiding parties will be common in
this scenario, so be on your guard and use Sunder to maximum
effect to deal with enemies painlessly. Let none escape.
Once you have three Workers on ore and three on food, use the
Dwarf left to build a new Camp. Construct two Watchtowers in
the same spot as the enemy Towers were. In the meanwhile,
upgrade your Stronghold. After that, build a Dwarf Hall to
complete the primary objective.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Establish an encampment.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Ancient Catapult
=> Find the Ancient Catapult
=> Complete its Construction
Don't go exploring yet. You will need a big army to defend the
Ancient Catapult while you complete it. Build a Forge right
away once your Stronghold reaches the next level, so you may
build Dwarf Shieldbreakers to aid in your struggles. Just keep
collecting resources and research all upgrades in the Forge
(Iron Blades, Iron Plating, Shield Break).
While you research all this, it's time to gather your forces.
Notice that the enemy has altered their raiding parties: they
consist of three Orc Slashers now. You need to kill them all
before they get a chance to flee. Sunder can help a lot here
to bring them to a halt. To get the needed population needed
for your grand army, build another Camp and upgrade both
Camps in your settlement to War Camps. Population should be
62 by then.
You will need two armies in this level: one to explore the map
with and find and defend the Ancient Catapult, and another to
defend your main camp while the main army strolls around the
map. The exploring army should consist of Gimli, six Dwarf
Axethrowers, and seven Shieldbreakers. The defending party
needn't be very big, three Axethrowers and Shieldbreakers
will do (together with your Watchtowers).
Once you have done all this, you need to take the exploring
group to the southwest portion of the map. It's very easy to
find the Ancient Catapult, just head up the hill in the west
and there it is. While you explore, use a Dwarf Worker to
construct one additional Camp. Start pumping out Workers and
send them to the Ancient Catapult in groups. Make sure they
don't run into any Orcs or they'll be dead meat. Put as much
Workers to hammer the Catapult together as you can.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Christo Acheson (seaspray_68) has a useful tip:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In the Iron Hills if you go to the catapult, then north until
you hit the river, you should find a Beorning. Though he is in
Bear Form he doesn't have the BF ability...
AUTHOR: This is something I hadn't figured out and I thank
the contributor for this. As we all know, Beornings can heal
other units, something very useful in defending the Ancient
Catapult. You should do this quickly with an exploration
party before the greater raids against the catapult defense
commence. Notice that this might not be the case on all
difficulty levels. and not tested by author.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Francis Estoesta has added a tip to make this even better:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
To get a Beorning in Bear Form, skip the movie while the unit's
still in his bestial mode. After the movie aborts, you will see
that it is still a Bear.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Now, for defending the Catapult. It won't be much of a problem
if you have assembled the force I have told you to. The grand
Ancient Catapult is on a plateau which has only one entrance:
the eastward hill. So, send your exploring party down the hill
and await any Orc raids originating from the north. These
raids will consist of more units than they ever used against
your camp, but with your units and Sunder it shouldn't be too
hard.
Once you have collected three Fate Points, you should purchase
the Capture ability for Gimli, for use in later levels.
The raids will get more crowded every consecutive time. Keep
defending and using Sunder. Once the Catapult is completed, a
cinematic should initiate, one that shows the incredible power
of the ancient remnant. An objective is completed.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Ancient Catapult
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Destroy the Orc encampment's buildings.
This is as easy as it could possibly get. You just have to
endure one more raiding party while you use the Catapult. Two
well-aimed projectiles will destroy the Orc camp. Once all
buildings are turned to cinders, you will be victorious.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the Orc encampment's buildings.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Pursuit of Gollum
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"Gollum, the wretched slave to The One Ring, has managed to
slither through the grasp of the Elven-king Thranduil and
retreat deep into the forest of Mirkwood. Thranduil has sent
Legolas to recapture the pitiful, corrupted creature."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Legolas -> Trueshot => 2 Fate
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
N/A N/A N/A
---------------------------------------------------------------
In this level, you finally get to control an other hero than
Gimli. Legolas, the Silvan Elf Prince, a great archer. This
forest is a bit of a maze: in certain situations you don't
know whether you can pass somewhere or not, especially when
ambient lighting casts dark shadows over some chunks on your
route. Once it starts you will see a cutscene about Gollum
and Legolas, along with the following objectives:
- Find and capture Gollum
! Legolas must survive
Before you do anything in this scenario, I must warn you that
your starting units are the only ones you get. Although it is
possible to get a few reinforcements by completing an optional
quest, it is strongly recommended that you retain the Elves
you start with. You'll probably have to heal at several points
in the level to do this.
Direct your starting units, Legolas and four Elven Archers, to
the north: there are two paths here. Take the left one. Soon,
you're interrupted by another scene with Gollum jumping around
the woods. Afterwards, you'll be attacked by some Giant
Spiders. These are very common throughout the level so you'd
better get used to them falling from trees and stuff in a
pathetic attempt to catch you off-guard.
Go west where you can and more spiders appear. Dispose of them
quickly. Continue going westward and you should eventually
reach an area where you have to make a choice again: will you
go northwest, or southwest? The way to go is the northern one,
but I advise you to take the soutwest one first. This will
give you the opportunity to complete the sidequest, which will
provide you with extra units should you be succesful. To the
southwest it is, then, and when you've been walking for a
while you will be interrupted by a cutscene again. Some
Rangers seem to be in trouble.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- (OPTIONAL) Rescue the spiders' captives!
Now, don't you go running to those Rangers at once. They'll
survive for a while. First, continue west slowly and look at
all those things that resemble eggs. Those things ARE eggs.
You should destroy them all before helping the Rangers, plus
any fully grown Giant Spiders hanging out around the egg area.
You don't want an enemy army on your tail while you attempt to
rescue those Rangers, do you?
You should have gotten 2 Fate Points by now. You can use these
to purchase the Trueshot ability for Legolas, an ability that
will prove quite useful in later stages of the campaign.
Once all eggs are dead, run to the Rangers and kill spiders
guarding them first. Then, select any unit and right click the
cocoon of a captured Ranger. The unit will then free the poor
guy. A little cutscene is viewed and when this is over the
Rangers seem to have joined you.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Rescue the spiders' captives!
Now, backtrack all the way to the big tree where you had to
choose between the northwest and southwest paths. Let your
units heal. Afterwards, take the northwest path. After a
while you'll be ambushed by a group of spiders. It shouldn't
be too much of a hassle with your extra forces. Head north
until you run into an enemy Wraith. Kill it, then head west.
There, a little (guess thrice) spider ambush is waiting for
you. Continue your way west after shooting them to pieces.
You'll get to an open area with some spiders and a Wraith.
Kill them, then attack the cave where the spiders are coming
from to stop the continuous pouring of enemies. Once it is
destroyed, kill any remaining enemies and follow the path to
the southwest. You will be slowly lead south, but you should
keep going west whenever you can. At some point, there will
be another cutscene about Gollum's tracks. You should reach a
Place of Power after being forced south a little more.
There are some spider eggs around this place again, so kill
them before they hatch. Crush any remaining opposition to take
control of the Place of Power. This is an Elven Shrine, a
place of magic that increases the maximum amount of HP your
units can have. Heal if your units need it, then continue your
way west.
More spiders here... dispose of them. This time, the forest
leads you to the north in a bended curve. Keep going west like
always to get to finally reach Gollum. Once again, a cutscene
takes place. There are Orcs in Mirkwood! Some of them see you
and attack. You'll get control again.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Kill the Orcs
Just kill the three Orc Slashers, that's all, really. If you
wish you can experiment with Trueshot just to look cool. Once
they're gone Legolas decides that Gollum will have to wait:
Orcs in this part of the forest is bad news!
OBJECTIVES COMPLETED:
- Kill the Orcs
- Find and capture Gollum
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Bridge of Osgiliath
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The army of Mordor has slowly pushed its way west to the
ancient, abandoned city of Osgiliath. Near the western bank of
the river Anduin, the men of Gondor and Rohan have gathered to
prevent Sauron's forces from gaining a foothold. Boromir, heir
to the Steward of Gondor, leads the attack."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Boromir -> Horn of Gondor => Available
Faramir -> Trueshot => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Worker => --Stronghold Lvl 3
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Barracks -> Gondor Swordsman
-> Rider of Rohan
Ranger Post -> Ranger
Forge => --Steel Blades
=> --Steel Plating
=> Lookout Tower
Wilderness Outpost => --Mystic Blades
=> Improved Leather
=> Concealment
=> Eagle Eye
---------------------------------------------------------------
This level is a little harder than the ones you faced before,
in my opinion. In the cutscene, Boromir will give his men a
nice speech, after hearing that there are enemy forces in the
city of Osgiliath. Your first objectives are:
- Prevent Sauron's forces from taking over Osgiliath
! Boromir must survive
! Destroy any barricades in your way
You start out with a decent army (3 Riders of Rohan, 4 Gondor
Swordsmen, 4 Rangers, and 4 Rohan Archers), two heroes, and
three Workers. Assign two of these Workers to build a Foundry,
and the other one to build a Mill. Train four more Workers
from your Stronghold. Make sure there are three gathering ore,
and three picking up food, and that you have one idle to build
your structures with.
While you do all this, you are attacked by a group of Goblin
Spearmen. It doesn't pose any threat, but for pity's sake, do
not lose any men if possible. Boromir's Horn of Gondor can
blast enemies around him away. Now upgrade your Stronghold to
level two.
Use your Worker to construct a Wilderness Outpost and research
Concealment there. You can now use your Rangers to scout
without enemies seeing them. Once your Stronghold is upgraded
you should build a Forge and a Barracks, then start training
a lot of Riders of Rohan. Build an additional Camp and upgrade
it to a War Camp to reach the needed population capacity.
Keep training those Riders of Rohan: you'll need at least
sixteen to have any chance at recapturing Osgiliath and to
repel any enemy reinforcements. In the meanwhile, research
each and every upgrade, except for Lookout Tower. First those
at the Forge, then those at the Wilderness Outpost. There
should be no trouble with resources in this level as their
deposits are quite stocked.
Once you have amassed an army of at least 16 fully upgraded
Riders of Rohan, move this force south to destroy the first
barricade. Leave your heroes and all units on foot at your
base: they aren't mobile enough for this strategy.
Direct your cavalry further south once the first barricade is
destroyed, reaching a big open area. To the east, there is
another barricade with enemies behind it. First, kill the
enemies in front of the construction, quickly crush the darn
barricade and crush the enemies behind it. Heal if you need
to, then head over the bridge once you're sure you can handle
a new wave of enemies.
Boromir says there is another bridge, at the other end of the
city in the east. You can run all the way there, but it is
advised killing each and every enemy in the city: this will
make the final objective of the mission a lot easier. Track
down all Orcs and heal when you can. When you get to the
eastern part of Osgiliath, you'll find a small Orc camp with
harsh defenses, so be on your guard. Destroy the camp with
the Riders' crush attack, but don't let a unit tread upon the
eastern bridge yet.
You can send in reinforcements from your camp now, if you
lost too much units in that heated battle. Note that you might
have activated a sidequest about Rohan Archers in the city,
but I don't know exactly how to trigger it. It is optional,
so it doesn't matter a lot anyway. Make sure there are some
Workers among your reinforcements. Protect them well from any
unslain troops that might still reside within Osgiliath.
Direct your army to the eastern bridge, and make your units
walk on the stones: there will be a cutscene with Troll
Stonehurlers decimating your forces from somewhere you can't
reach them. Boromir decides to destroy the bridge, so the army
of Mordor can't cross it. This is where you need those Workers
for.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Use Workers to destroy the supports of the bridge.
Select a Worker, and right-click one of the bridge supports,
the two marble footholds on either side of the bridge. It'll
be easier if you use several Workers at once. When the last
support is destroyed, you'll be rewarded with victory. There
will be a 'funny' cutscene with enemy forces falling into
the river Anduin.
OBJECTIVES COMPLETED:
- Use Workers to destroy the supports of the bridge.
- Prevent Sauron's forces from taking over Osgiliath.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Orcs in Mirkwood
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The effort to recapture Gollum was thwarted by the invasion
of Orcs. Alarmed by this evil presence so close to his
father's kingdom, Legolas pushes into the deeper, darker
parts of Mirkwood to prevent the Orcs from mounting an attack
on his people."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Guardian Wind => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Elf Worker
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Ranger Post -> Ranger
E. Sanctuary -> Elven Archer
Wilderness Outpost => --Mystic Blades
=> --Hard Leather
=> Concealment
=> Eagle Eye
=> Elven Cloaks
=> Eagle Fletching
---------------------------------------------------------------
Now you're Legolas again. In the starting cinematic we see
that the Orcs have gained a stable foothold in Mirkwood as
Legolas hastens himself towards his camp and commands his
workers to start expanding. Then you get control. The main
objectives for this level are:
- Construct an encampment
=> Build a Mill
=> Build a Foundry
=> Build a Ranger Post
=> Elven Sanctuary
- Destroy the Orc encampment
This isn't as easy as it may appear. You start with 4 Elven
Archers, 2 Elf Workers, 3 Elf Wardens, and Legolas. Train five
more Elf Workers and command the two already there to build a
Foundry upon the ore deposit. Use the first one that finishes
training to construct a Mill. Like in the previous levels,
make sure you have three on ore, three on food, and one to
build. Note that you cannot upgrade your Stronghold during
this scenario.
In this level, your encampment will be attacked from two
sides: most commonly via the plains north of your settlement.
From there, raiding parties consisting of mostly Warg Riders
are organised. You will also be attacked by Orc Archers from
the southern cliffs. In order to defend your camp, place all
your units except for Legolas on the northern side. Leave
Legolas south to deal with the archers: Trueshot works very
well, here.
Now that you have your economy and defense set up, it's time
to build an offensive force yourself. The first thing you
should build is a Ranger Post and a new Camp, stewing your
population capacity up to 43. Afterwards, construct an Elven
Sanctuary and fill up those slots with solely Elven Archers.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Construct an encampment.
While training those archers, use your Worker to build a
Wilderness Outpost. When it's completed, immediately start
researching the Elven Cloaks upgrade. This will allow your
Elven Archers to turn completely invisible, except when enemy
detector units like Wraiths are around. After the cloaks, go
with Eagle Fletching, upgrading archers' range.
Research everything at the Wilderness Outpost that could help
enhance the performance of your Elven Archers; they will be
your main attacking force during this level. When ready, take
six cloaked Elven Archers to the north until you run into new
enemies. This is the small camp: the main one is located in
the far northeast. Make sure you kill all the Wraiths first,
there is a total of four of them in this area.
Once you've killed the Wraiths, there's nada to worry about
anymore. Since the other enemy troops can't see you, they are
easily vanquished. Destroy this outpost in whole. You can
eventually train additional Elven Archers to replace those
that died on the field of battle. When all is destroyed you
should wait for your units to heal, and prepare to continue
the hostile path northeast.
If your elves run into an enemy patrol, just kill the Wraiths
first. Once all Wraiths in the vicinity are destroyed, you
will turn invisible to the other enemies again. Heal whenever
you want. Definitely heal before you enter the main enemy
encampment, or you'll be crushed in seconds.
Entering this camp from the west side, you'll see two Towers:
one in the north, which doesn't pose any trouble as long as
you're invisible. The second, in the south, can be hazardous,
however, as it contains a Wraith. Since you can't kill this
detector without destroying the Tower first, you'll have a
hard time dealing with the entire camp defense. Focus all of
your missiles on the Tower, destroy it, and kill the Wraith
that comes out.
There are several other Wraiths in the area. Always kill them
first, of course. To get rid of them quickly search the north
part of the camp for a Shadow Lair and destroy it: the enemy
won't be able to train any more pesky Wraiths this way.
With all the detectors gone, doom is basically spelled out for
your opponent. Destroy all remaining buildings in the base to
start the final cutscene. Legolas says something about Dol
Guldur, the Dark Lord's stronghold in Mirkwood. You're gonna
learn to hate that name, believe me.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the Orc encampment.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Assault on Dol Guldur
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"Suspecting that Gollums escape and the Orc infestation of
Mirkwood are no coincidence, Legolas searches for the root of
this evil. His search leads him to Dol Guldur, the nearby
stronghold of Sauron."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Elven Speed => 2 Fate
-> Guardian Wind => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Elf Worker => --Stronghold Lvl 4
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Ranger Post -> Ranger
E. Sanctuary -> Elven Archer
Wilderness Outpost => --Mystic Blades
=> --Hard Leather
=> Concealment
=> Eagle Eye
=> Elven Cloaks
=> Eagle Fletching
---------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, I HATE this level. I hate it, hate it... It's
really annoying, because you'll be under attack non-stop from
two sides - with only a few good units at your disposal. Then,
you have to invade a giant fortress with an ambush lurking
around every corner, and finally drive a Nazgul away. Hard...
quite hard, yet not impossible.
In the opening film you can see an army passing your concealed
Rangers. As you can see, you'll have to handle Trolls and
Haradrim in this scenario as well as normal Orcs. As if that
weren't enough, you see how Legolas scouts out the area and
views how the Nazgul releases his army from Dol Guldur. Your
objectives are:
- Banish the Nazgul atop Dol Guldur
! Defend your encampment
The latter will prove to be hardest. Act quickly and assign
Workers to build the ordinary resource structures. Put three
Workers on each resource and hold one or two idle to build
new structures with. Build every structure available as fast
as possible and start pumping out units for defense. Make sure
you research Concealment for your Rangers, so they can detect
those Annoying-As-Hell cloaked Haradrim Slayers while they
stay hidden themselves. Build Watchtowers to assist in
defense, and position Rangers in them to increase firepower
and make your troops more efficient at dealing with cloaked
enemies.
Soon, the first wave of enemies will come, just as a signal of
what you'll have to deal with. They should be disposed of
rather easily with these preparations. The true onslaught is
about to start. From the southwest, dozens of Haradrim Slayers
invade your camp at a time, while Bonecleavers and Orcs
terrorize the southeastern part. Use abilities like Trueshot
and defend your camp, while you build new Elven Archers for
your counter-attack. Make sure they are cloaked and preferably
upgraded to the max. Let them sneak through the enemy ranks
and head southeast.
After a while you should see the camp that was shown in the
cutscene at the start of the mission. There are several hated
Wraiths here so be sure to take them out first. When all the
Wraiths are gone, destroy the main Orc encampment. This isn't
hard if you've got all your Elves clenched together. If not,
train more from your base. The attacks will come to a halt
once you have crushed the entire enemy camp. If you've gotten
this far without losing rejoice, because the hardest part of
this mission is ovah! OVAH!. Buy Elven Speed for Legolas if
you haven't already.
Heal your cloaked Elven Archers by standing still. Train any
reinforcements as you see fit. When you think you're ready,
advance to the north, to Dol Guldur, where the Nazgul awaits
your cloaked arrival. As you can see, the massive structure is
defended quite: there are Orc Archers on each ledge. Luckily,
they can't see you as long as there are no Wraiths. Which
could prove to be your biggest problem as you can't see any
Wraiths before they sense you.
That's the big problem you're dealing with here in short: the
Wraiths seem to have the Greater Perception upgrade, enabling
them to see your elves while they remain safely within the
center tower of the stronghold. All those walls and ledges
don't help in spotting them either. I hope you now know that
you should be on your guard when you get to these cursed
walls.
As you get to the main gate, shoot the Wraith that is lurking
upon the courtyard. Deal with the archers on top of the main
gate later. Walk to the right, staying outside of the walls,
and kill any Wraiths as soon as you see them. There are a lot
of Giant Spider ambushes here, so watch for them dropping from
the higher levels of the stronghold! This section still isn't
too hard. Unless you throw your comp out of the window out of
frustration. Direct your Elven Archers up the outer wall.
From this wall, you can shoot the units in the courtyard as
well as those strolling upon the wall itself. You should know
what to do with Wraiths by now. Follow this wall to the west,
while shooting any enemies you encounter. Heal if you need to
(don't hesitate to train reinforcements) and get down from the
wall at the far end, into the courtyard. There should be no
more enemies here, since you've shot them all from the wall.
Head up the ledge that leads to the top of the dungeon.
On these ledges, we get to the dangerous part. There are
Wraiths inside that dungeon, so you can't see or kill them
until you've walked into an ambush of those bloody spiders.
Make sure to have five Elven Archers or more all the time to
ensure you make some progress. When you're about to get to the
top of the dungeon, stand still. Don't tread upon the platform
itself, stay on the ledge right beneath it.
From here, shoot the Nazgul. You should be able to see him
from there, but he isn't able to see your archers. Once he's
dead, you're finally done with this level. Congrats!
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Banish the Nazgul atop Dol Guldur.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lothlorien
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 3019
"After unintentionally stirring the Orcs of Moria, the
Fellowship seeks refuge in the Elven forest of Lothlorien.
With the aid of the Elves, the Fellowship must protect the
sanctity of Lothlorien and drive the Orcs back from these
sacred lands."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aragorn -> Kingsfoil => Available
-> Anduril's Fury => 2 Fate
-> Immunity => 1 Fate
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Elven Speed => Available
-> Guardian Wind => Available
Gimli -> Sunder => Available
-> Capture => Available
-> Siege Aura => Available
Boromir -> Horn of Gondor => Available
Frodo -> The One Ring => 1 Fate
-> Mighty Sting => 1 Fate
-> Heroic Aura => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stronghold -> Elf Worker => --Stronghold Lvl 4
Mill
Foundry
Camp => War Camp
Watchtower
Barracks -> Gondor Swordsman
-> Rider of Rohan
Dwarf Hall -> Dwarf Axethrower
-> Dwarf Shieldbreaker
Ranger Post -> Ranger
E. Sanctuary -> Elven Archer
-> Elven Lightbearer
Nature Haven -> Beorning
Forge => --Steel Blades
=> --Steel Plating
=> --Flaming Axe
=> Shield Break
=> Dwarf Masonry
=> Lookout Tower
Wilderness Outpost => --Mystic Blades
=> --Hard Leather
=> Concealment
=> Eagle Eye
=> Elven Cloaks
=> Eagle Fletching
House of Lore => --Strength of the Claw
=> --Nature's Defense
=> --Savage Blow
=> Tree Form
=> Dispel
=> Light of Lothlorien
---------------------------------------------------------------
Once this level starts you see our beloved Fellowship running
through the golden trees of Lothlorien. They are all of a
sudden surrounded by Orcs, but saved by the Elves. The Elf
Warden explains that you should recapture two great Mallorn-
trees to drive the foul forces of darkness away. Legolas
points out that there is a Huorn which needs you help in the
north. So, your starting objectives are:
- Mallorn-trees of Galadriel
=> Find the first Mallorn-tree of Galadriel
=> Find the second Mallorn-tree of Galadriel
=> Hold both Mallorn-trees of Galadriel for three minutes
- (OPTIONAL) Find and aid the Huorn
Something they didn't mention in the cutscene is that there is
a whole army of Orcs on your tail. So, start setting up
everything quickly. You should train some more Workers and put
them to use harvesting resources. You'll have to assign more
Workers to ore than to food. Use one Worker to build a
Wilderness Outpost and a House of Lore.
Now, for your defense. The Orc army will try ot attack from
two directions: the northwest and the east. I recommend taking
Legolas, Boromir, and two Hobbits to the eastern exit, with a
few Elf Wardens for melee support. Put the other heroes and
any forces left in the northwest. The first attacks should be
blocked easily. You'll be informed when the true Orc Horde is
about to arrive on the scene.
Obviously, you'll need more units to withstand the Orcs. Start
training lots and lots of Elven Archers, make sure you have at
least five on both sides of your camp, preferably more. Train
one Beorning for both sides as well: they can heal your units,
and will prove nice assets in your war effort. Finally, train
some Gondor Swordsmen from the Barracks and research for them
Iron Blades at the Forge. In order to spot enemy attacks
early, purchase the Lookout Tower upgrade from the Forge as
well.
Time for upgrading! You needn't buy things from the Forge
anymore, but the Wilderness Outpost and House of Lore both
have a lot of upgrades, ready to be purchased. Of course,
start out with Elven Cloaks for your archers and upgrade their
range thereafter. After that upgrade their attack power and
only then armor class. You have tons of resources at your
disposal so the cost shouldn't prove much of a problem.
In the House of Lore, go for Bear Form immediately. You don't
need Dispel and Light of Lothlorien because you shouldn't use
Elven Lightbearers: they die far to fast and you can spend
your resources on better units. After Bear Form, go for raw
attack power. Finally, upgrade the armor class of your
Beornings to the max. While researching all this stuff, you
can go and help the Huorn, if you wish.
To help out the Huorn, take your entire northern defense and
make sure the eastern defense sustains the northwestern raids
for a while. The Huorn is battling close to your encampment,
on the north-northeast side. Hasten your units to that spot.
Kill the Orcs without letting the Huorn die to complete this
task. It isn't very hard if you use your heroes well.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Find and aid the Huorn.
Now you can train Huorns. They are expensive, yet excellent
fighters. I trained a pair for each of my defenses. You'll
need to build some extra Camps and upgrade them to War Camps
for enough pop cap. Note that once you have helped the Huorn
out it automatically learns Tree Form: this ability will be
very effective in repelling the Orc Horde.
That Orc Horde should arrive soon now. It might look a bit
overwhelming at first sight, yet if you use your heroes'
abilities well, you will repel them without too much losses. A
good thing to use here is Tree Form: this will entangle all
hostile units in the Huorn's radius, making them easier to
eliminate. For the northern part of your camp, use Gimli's
Sunder and Aragorn's heal ability (Kingsfoil) to prevent
losses. In the east, Elven Speed can help defeating the enemy
more speedily, while Horn of Gondor will take multiple foes
out of battle and huddle their forces. Once you've repelled
the Horde, heal everyone.
It's time to find those Mallorns now. Train reinforcements and
take your northern defense further to the north. they will
encounter an enemy camp with a big army around it, but with
help of your heroes they shouldn't take much damage. Destroy
the camp in whole, heal, and head over the bridge (you should
train more troops if you lost a lot of men in the last battle)
Proceed northwards to find the first Mallorn Tree.
Take your eastern defense to the northeast, after you have
healed them and trained some fresh troops, of course. They
will also encounter an enemy camp, much like the one in the
northwest. Elven Speed works well, here. Apply the same
tactics as in the last battle and heal your units. Continue to
head northeast and find the second Mallorn-tree.
You'll have to hold both Mallorn-trees for three minutes now.
Losing one of them means resetting the clock to three minutes.
The first two and a half minutes should be no problem at all:
some Orcs Slashers and Goblin Spearmen, which are easily
disposed of with your armies. The last thirty seconds can get
quite tricky if you aren't used to commanding two armies at
once. In that case, it would be wise to assign number hotkeys
to both armies.
The last army will consist of Troll Bonecleavers as well as
those normal Orcs and Goblins. Make good use of your heroes,
Kingsfoil, Sunder, and Elven Speed and keep those Mallorns
under your control until the timer reaches zero. Once the
timer disappears, you'll be rewarded with victory.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Mallorn-trees of Galadriel
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Liberation of Upbourn
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3019
"On his journey back to Edoras, Erkenbrand, master of Westfold,
is horrified to discover the town of Upbourn has been over-
taken by Orcs. The foul creatures run loose about the town,
defiling barrows, slaughtering horses, and setting the town
ablaze. Erkenbrand calls his men together and prepares to ride
against the loathsome invaders."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gandalf -> Flash => 2 Fate
-> Fire Shield => 1 Fate
-> Negate Ability => Available
-> Rain of Fire => 3 Fate
Erkenbrand -> Might of the Rohirrim => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
This level is fairly tricky, but fortunately not as annoying
as Assault on Dol Guldur. In the opening cutscene, Erkenbrand
points out what you have to do. This would make your starting
objectives look like this:
- Purge the Orcs from Upbourn
=> Reclaim the Great Hall
=> Destroy the Orc war camp
=> Restore sanctity to the defiled barrows
- (OPTIONAL) Save the horses
This is one of those levels wherein your camp gets attacked
from two sides, this time from the northwestern and the north-
eastern entrance. The heaviest onslaughts will arrive through
the northeastern one, however.
First thing you should do is set up your resource structures
as always. Use enough Workers to ensure a steady income of
food and ore. Space is limited in this area, so I recommend
only building a Ranger Post, an Elven Sanctuary, and a
Wilderness Outpost. Upgrade your Stronghold to the final level
as well. After that, it's time to set up good defenses.
To make sure your encampment survives the first attacks, build
a Watchtower near each exit. Put Rangers in them to detect
those annoying (yes, they're here again) cloaked Haradrim. Put
Erkenbrand and some Riders of Rohan at the northwestern exit,
while positioning Gandalf and the other cavalry in the north-
east. This should repel attacks for a while. Remember to train
more Riders of Rohan at the Barracks should you lose units in
these skirmishes. Try to keep Erkenbrand and especially
Gandalf alive, they're going to play a grand role in the final
assault.
With this set up, start training five Elven Archers and give
them the Elven Cloaks upgrade. Upgrade their attack and range
as well. Send this little army through the eastern exit, up to
the north. Soon, you should see corrupted ground. There are a
lot of guards here, but since the enemy has forgotten to place
a Wraith at these barrows, they can't see you. Time for some
Orc slaughtering! Destroy the three War Posts in this area to
restore sanctity to the barrows.
Up north is the main gate of Upbourn. There is a Wraith here,
so be sure to take it out quickly. It's easy to kill the other
guards afterwards. Choose the eastern path and go north
whenever you can. Kill any Orcs you encounter: no detectors at
all here, so it should be easy. Proceed up north to find the
stables. You have to act quickly now, make sure that the Orcs
don't kill any of the horses. You should be able to kill those
two before they can do a lot of damage. For each horse that
survived, you gain a Fate Point. These can be used to buy all
of Gandalf's abilities.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Save the horses.
From the stables, head south and take the first path to the
west. Cross the little stream and kill the Orc Slashers that
guard the northern path. It's time to reclaim the Great Hall.
There are some Orc Archers here, and there is a good ole' Orc
Captain. You only have to kill the Captain to conquer the
Hall. Since it can't see you, this should be done in no time,
even though he has a lot of hit points for a mere Orc. Kill
all archers behind him as well. Now head back to the main
gate.
Take your entire army to the main gate now, Erkenbrand, the
two Rangers inside the Watchtowers, Gandalf, don't forget
any. From there, take your army west and then up the north
path, until you find the Orc war camp. It doesn't matter if
your camp gets attacked during this time, as long as you
destroy the Orc camp you won't be in trouble.
This Orc camp is very well defended: it has fully manned
towers with Wraiths in them and some tank-like Trolls to clear
out your troops. Use Might of the Rohirrim while your cavalry
is still together to get maximum effectiveness. To breach
their defense, make use of Gandalf's Flash ability. Cast
Fire Shield on the White Wizard himself. When the defenses are
gone, use Rain of Fire in an area with lots of buildings in it
to set it entirely ablaze. Continue doing this until every
last bit of Orc presence is gone. You beat the scenario!
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Purge the Orcs from Upbourn.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Helm's Deep
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3019
"Saruman has unleashed all of his forces from Isengard to
assault the Hornburg within Helm's Deep. His forces have
crushed all resistance on their march toward the stronghold.
As the foul army draws near, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas
prepare the defense."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Aragorn -> Kingsfoil => Available
-> Anduril's Fury => Available
-> Immunity => Available
Gimli -> Sunder => Available
-> Capture => Available
-> Siege Aura => Available
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Elven Speed => Available
-> Guardian Wind => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
N/A -> N/A => N/A
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, the famous battle ;) It actually isn't too hard here: you
only need to position your troops in the right spot and make
sure no units die because of them engaging an enemy army all
by themselves. It's you against the game miraclous AI in this
scenario. You can see your priorities in the objectives
screen:
! Gimli must survive
! Legolas must survive
! Aragorn must survive
- Protect the Culvert
Your first task is to protect the Culvert (the place where the
stream meets the Deeping Wall) for five minutes. To do this,
position all available archers including Legolas on the wall
above the Culvert. Place Gimli behind the Culvert and lend him
some of the troops that arrive as reinforcements. Put the rest
of your soldiers upon the wall to protect your archers.
Note that the screen has changed view. I usually play on the
normal view, which can be accessed by pressing 5 on the Num
Pad. Your choice.
Start killing Orcs that attack the Culvert. Use Elven Speed if
there are lots of them to kill them before they reach the wall
base. Make sure your archers are defended by reinforcements,
and maybe Aragorn; use them to kill enemies that gain a
foothold on the Deeping Wall. Split your newly acquired troops
into one group which will defend the wall, and another group
to defend the Culvert together with Gimli.
Once you have collected three Fate Points, use the Heroic
Legacy fate power on one of your heroes. This will make them
very effective in the end of this scenario. Normally I would
not recommend this, yet as all of your heroes have to survive
this battle, there's no loss in sacrificing their ability
to reform at the Stronghold for such power.
When you've survived this for five minutes, a movie triggers
wherein an Orc blows up the Culvert with Saruman's freebie
mines. Your troops will now gain an armor upgrade for your
defending skills. A new objective appears.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Protect the Culvert.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Kill 80 Orcs.
A second timer triggers, counting down from three minutes. You
need to kill 80 Orcs before the timer runs out. It shouldn't
be very hard if you've got Gimli and reinforcements to protect
the Culvert from inside. Your archers and Legolas will kill
a lot of enemies as well, especially when enhanced with Elven
Speed. Make sure your archers are defended by few melee troops
on the wall, though. Aragorn can go and help Gimli.
After killing 80 Orcs, your men receive an attack upgrade. The
cutscene shows a giant ram trying to crush the main gate. When
you get control, direct every archer in the Stronghold and
especially Legolas to the main gate and attack that ram, for
if it crushes the gate you might as well restart! Get the rest
of your melee fighters together and position them next to King
Théoden, who also resides behind the main gate.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Kill 80 Orcs.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Defend the Hornburg until dawn.
Your melee fighters should stay behind the protective walls
and only counterattack at times where the enemy army is so big
that your archers can't handle it. As long as you destroy the
ram, you should be alright. Watch out for Uruk-Hai knocking
back your troops, take them out of battle with Trueshot or
Elven Speed from Legolas. Sustain for 10 minutes to start
Théodens heroic attack. Unfortunately, he will be killed
together with Aragorn if you don't send more troops to help
him. So, direct your entire army out of the gate and kill all
enemies you encounter.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Defend the Hornburg until dawn.
Soon, yet another cutscene starts. Gandalf comes runnig from a
nearby hill with Riders of Rohan and Erkenbrand on his tail,
to aid the defenders. The Huorns of Fangorn Forest have joined
the counter-attack as well.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- The Return of Gandalf
=> Defeat the Orcs besieging the Hornburg
This mission is basically over. To make it even more certain
that you're going to win summon a Giant Ent to aid you in
battle, for style. Use all the troops at your disposal to
clear the battlefield of any Orc presence. On the east side,
the Huorns should be able to deal with the Orcs easily. Once
you have killed every single enemy left on the map, the ending
sequence triggers.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- The Return of Gandalf.
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Minas Morgul
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 3019
"Minas Morgul, the Tower of Sorcery, has terrorized Gondor for
over a thousand years. Aragorn seeks to cleanse the city of
the remaining Nazgul that haunt its walls, and return the
tower to its former glory as Minas Ithil, the Tower of the
Moon."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gandalf -> Flash => Available
-> Fire Shield => Available
-> Negate Ability => Available
-> Rain of Fire => Available
Aragorn -> Kingsfoil => Available
-> Anduril's Fury => Available
-> Immunity => Available
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Elven Speed => Available
-> Guardian Wind => Available
Gimli -> Sunder => Available
-> Capture => Available
-> Siege Aura => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
This level is very difficult. And very annoying as well. It
requires you to be able to do several things at once: create a
good defense, set up economy at the same time, scouting out
the map, and finally decisive offensive tactics. The best way
to play this level is to just take the units you think are
best for your own strategies. After an opening cutscene you'll
see a shitload of objectives.
- Sanctify the Tower of Sorcery
=> Destroy the War Posts around the Tower
=> Control the Orb of Energy
=> Control the Orb of Reforming
- Sanctify the Graveyards
=> Western Graves
=> Eastern Graves
- (OPTIONAL) Remove the Orc presence
- (OPTIONAL) Destroy the Troll Reinforcements
You get control, your heroes are running towards your camp,
and you're in trouble. Send them to the middle of your camp.
Quickly start setting up a good economy, you should know how
to do that after all those scenarios. Build structures with
your Workers as you see fit. It is very important that you use
units for defense that you have developed special strategies
for, not just pick them at random. For example, my defense
heavily relied on cloaked archers together with my heroes,
while yours may consist of heroes, Shieldbreakers, and
Axethrowers with Razor Edge.
Now, things can get very tricky. Your camp will be attacked
from every possible side. Place your troops in the middle of
your camp. That way, they won't take much time getting to new
raiders in time. Make sure you always have Rangers with your
acts of defense and, moreover, in Watchtowers. These can spot
invisible units, making your defending work somewhat easier.
Use the abilities of your heroes to their greatest potential
as well. Sunder, Kingsfoil, and Elven Speed are the best.
Upgrade your Stronghold and start training Elven Archers,
cloaked and upgraded, of course. Then start heading north with
these. You will see a big road. You can destroy the Troll
Reinforcements here, but I don't recommend it. It will most
probably cost you valuable archers. Instead, head further
north, to the bridge which leads into Minas Morgul. The Orc
encampment where the assaults on your camp originate from lies
here.
Although destroying Orc presence is an optional objective,
completing it will make the attacks on your encampment cease.
Thus, it would be wise to destroy this enemy camp entirely. It
may take several tries, because this war camp is the best
defended of all you've encountered so far, but it's worth the
spendage of troops. Whenever you see a Wraith, kill it, even
when it's in a tower. Do everything step by step. To increase
your potential at destroying this camp, summon a Giant Ent
when you have acquired the needed Fate. The points rack up
fairly quickly as you're fighting all the time.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Remove the Orc presence
You could head further into the city now, but I advise to
return your archers to your camp, heal, and train troops until
you've reached your maximum pop cap. Minas Morgul is full of
Wraiths, which are summoned from the cursed graveyards. Elven
Archers aren't very effective because of that. Take your
entire military force, including heroes, and head into the
city while keeping them together.
Search the blackened terrain and buildings to find one War
Post in the east and one in the west. The Wraiths attacking
you here shouldn't pose any real threat for your forces and
heroes. Destroy each red War Post to sanctify both of the
graveyards. It will stop the stream of Wraiths spawning to
attack you.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Sanctify the Graveyards
Heal, then head further north. Do not enter the corrupted
terrain around the Tower of Sorcery yet. Instead, have your
units go west, around Morgul's plateau, to find the first
Place of Power you need to control. Slay the enemies here,
there aren't a lot around here as you have already sanctified
the graveyards. Once you control the first Orb, take your
force to the eastern one. Crush all resistance around this
Place of Power as well.
Once you enter the terrain around the Tower, you will receive
a message saying that the dark spell cast around this place is
draining your units' health. Great. To put an end to this,
destroy the four purple War Posts around this area. You can go
for minimum losses by quickly destroying one of the War Posts
and returning to normal grounds to heal afterwards. Use
Kingsfoil if one of your heroes is about to die.
Note that sometimes, the Lord of the Nazgul will use his
Shadow Walk ability to instantly travel near your forces. In
that case, quickly run back to healthy grounds and kill them
there. Anduril's Fury will do a LOT of damage against those
Black Riders, by the way. Keep your heroes alive and make
use of Elven Speed for maximum damage.
When all War Posts around the Tower of Sorcery are destroyed
and you control both Orbs, you will be rewarded with victory.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Sanctify the Tower of Sorcery
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Pass of Cirith Gorgor
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3019
"Sauron has amassed a legion of minions to push forth from the
Black Gates. Aragorn leads the soldiers of the Free Peoples of
Middle-Earth against the evil forces. However, he does not
know the peril that awaits."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gandalf -> Flash => Available
-> Fire Shield => Available
-> Negate Ability => Available
-> Rain of Fire => Available
Aragorn -> Kingsfoil => Available
-> Anduril's Fury => Available
-> Immunity => Available
Legolas -> Trueshot => Available
-> Elven Speed => Available
-> Guardian Wind => Available
Gimli -> Sunder => Available
-> Capture => Available
-> Siege Aura => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
As it is the final level of the Good Campaign, I doubt I need
to tell you that this level is difficult. But, unlike Minas
Morgul, it's fairly exciting and quite enjoyable. In the
opening cutscene, Gandalf tells Aragorn that the enemy is
completing three Claws of Gorgoroth. Why?.. you'll know soon
enough. Let's just start with your objectives:
- Eliminate the final enemy encampment
Sound simple? It isn't. You start off with a camp and a good
amount of fresh soldiers. Put your units, including your
heroes, a little bit to the south-southwest of your camp. All
the attacks on your encampment in this level will come from
the south, the southwest, or the southeast. Note that you
won't be attacked in the first minutes (as the enemy is
completing their Claws of Gorgoroth).
Make use of the little uninterrupted time you have to put up
a good economy. The only buildings you have to build for your
military force are an Elven Sanctuary and a Ranger Post. Start
training Rangers and Elven Archers as these are built. Upgrade
your Stronghold to the final level and research all upgrades
for your archers. You might also want to train some more
Barracks units to increase your numbers. I din't do it, but
it can be relieving to have your cheap units take the damage
instead of those expensive Elven Archers. Upgrade your Camps
should you run out of space to put new ones.
Soon, there will be another cutscene. It appears that Sauron
has succeeded in summoning a Balrog, an incredibly grand
demon that originated from the ancient realm of the greatest
evil that ever existed blah blah :P. As if that weren't
enough, the Claws of Gorgoroth mentioned in the opening
cutscene lend it terrible offensive and defensive powers. Now,
you need to kill this Balrog. Good luck.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Kill the Balrog
=> Capture the Claw of Power to weaken attack
=> Capture the Claw of Protection to weaken defense
=> Capture the Claw of Renewal to weaken regeneration
Now, waves of attackers start coming out of the enemy's camp,
sometimes several parties at once. They should be dealt with
quite easily with your upgraded troops and heroes. Remember
that Kingsfoil can heal units that would die otherwise. The
only true problem to deal with right now is the Balrog.
You can't possibly expect to capture all three Claws... just
take all your forces and move west. Head north when you can.
You will then see a little Orc encampment. Destroy it, this
will make the last part of this mission easier to complete.
Head back south and train reinforcements. You should be able
to intercept any attackers that are headed for your camp. Note
that these attackers look like they'll eat you up, but they're
actually not very hard as long as you use your heroes'
abilities. Gandalf's Flash and Gimli's Sunder spring to mind.
Head further west until you arrive at the next encampment.
There are some Stonehurlers on the ledge above this camp so
beware. Totally raze this camp and capture the Claw of
Protection. By now, the Balrog should be well on its way
reaching your forces. Retreat back to your camp and get ready
for a serious battle. Heal, train, and wait for the demon to
arrive.
Once it arrives, cast Fire Shield on Aragorn. Don't use any
Fate Powers, rely on your heroes and troops. Elven Speed can
ease the pain a bit. Use Kingsfoil on your heroes only. Rain
of Fire and especially Flash can help a lot in this battle.
The Balrog should fall rather quickly as you have decreased
its armor by capturing the Claw of Protection. Do not, in ANY
circumstance let it alone for a while, as it will regenerate
in seconds.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Gene Y. AKA grenka has an alternate strategy to deal with the
Balrog which may be more to your likings:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
At the beginning of the scenario quickly build two to four
Rangers and a few Gondor Swordsmen. Then take all of your army
(except some Swordsmen and a couple of Rangers to defend your
base) to the first Claw of Gorgoroth. The Rangers are needed
for the enemy Haradrim Slayers. If you use Gandalf's Flame
Shield and Aragorn's Kingsfoil abilities it would prove a lot
easier to conquer at least two Claws of Gorgoroth. Then, the
Balrog will come... Defend the road. Position Aragorn, Gimli,
and Gandalf on the road along with any other melee units, and
have the Balrog come closer. When the Balrog arrives cast the
Brambles Fate Power on his path and retreat your units a little
further backwards. When the Balrog passes the Brambles hit him
with all of your forces, and make sure to use your heroes'
abilities. Gandalf's Flash can be of quite good use here. The
Balrog should be easy to kill this way.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Kill the Balrog
With that completed, it's time to move on to the Black Gates.
The normal waves of attackers start bashing you again. Train
reinforcements and buy any upgrades you haven't purchased yet.
Repel the attacks on your camp as normal. Your forces should
be made up of cloaked and upgraded Elven Archers and some
heroes, including some Rangers and Riders of Rohan to get
sufficient numbers and protection against cloaked enemies.
With your offensive force ready, move to the spot where the
little Orc camp was you destroyed before. Head north from
here, onto a small ledge that will take you directly to the
south of the Claw of Renewal area. It is protected by lots of
troops, together with Black Riders, so watch out not to lose
too many units yourself. If you do, retreat to the ledge and
train additional units to fuel your war effort.
It's time for the final part of this mission. Trust me, this
isn't going to be a walk in the park because that final
encampment is very, very, very heavily defended. To get there,
simply move west from the Claw of Renewal. You should know
when you arrive because Stonehurlers start throwing boulders
at you once you get there. These have Unstoppable Force, by
the way :O.
Move into the camp after casting Fire Shield on one of your
heroes. Make sure you destroy the Towers and the Wraiths in
them before you attack anything else. The Wraiths in this
scenario are very annoying, they keep casting Perpetual
Darkness as soon as they pop out of a Tower, then they try
to garrison within a new one. Speed is your greatest ally
here. Kill normal resistance here too. It is vital to use
your heroes' abilities here, especially Gandalf's.
It shouldn't be hard anymore when the frontline of defense has
been breached. Remember that Rain of Fire sets buildings on
fire, which can be helpful when aiming for a quick, decisive
victory. Otherwise, summon a Giant Ent (you should have gained
enough Fate by now) to complete the job. Raze all buildings
of this enemy war camp to gain victory.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Eliminate the final enemy encampment
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
8. PLAYING THE MINIONS OF SAURON
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Playing as the Minions of Sauron, you stand for everything that is evil in the
realm of Middle-Earth. Under your command, hundreds of bloodthirsty Orcs and
other riff-raff are spawned from their tormenting pits. You may even enlist
the aid of the mighty Nazgul or the Wizard of Many Colors Saruman to stain
the fields of battle with the blood of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.
The military force of the Minions of Saurons consists of hordes of Orcs, dozens
of Uruk-Hai and legions of powerful Trolls. They play very different from the
normal RTS games, and their campaign can give you some trouble. But, once you
have mastered the art of destruction, I can assure you - you won't play the
Free Peoples ever again...
-------------------------
8.1) Gameplay Differences
-------------------------
Sauron's Minions have several unique characteristics in this game. All of
them are listed below:
- The Minions use a Slaughterhouse to collect Food and a Smelter to obtain
Ore.
- The Workers of the Minions drop their resources at the Goblin Hovel.
- Workers are trained at the Goblin Hovel, Heroes at the Fortress of Mordor.
- You can only build your structures on corrupted land. Corrupted land looks
like it's been scorched and can only be created by ordering a Slavemaster
to place a War Post on normal terrain.
- Different technologies, units, and heroes than the Good Side.
- They use Slavemasters to expand their Population
- Their Towers can be equipped with Poison Arrows, doing damage to each hit
enemy over time.
- They have other Fate Powers.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Goblin Hovel
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
HIT POINTS: 700
BUILDING COST: 225 Food, 225 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: - Goblin Worker
- Goblin Spearman
- Goblin Slavemaster
RESEARCH HERE: None
Inside this horrible residence, Goblins are kept safe from the dangers of the
outside world. It is where the Goblin Workers, corrupted slaves under control
of the Dark Lord, drop off the resources needed to keep the evil armies under
the banner of the Lidless Eye running. In case of emergency, there are all
sorts of improvisory spears for self-defense. Special trained Slavemasters
learn to keep the whole bunch of horrors in line, thus creating additional
population slots. It is an important building that has to be protected at
all costs.
=-=-=-=-=
War Post
=-=-=-=-=
HIT POINTS: 500
BUILDING COST: 65 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 0
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
The War Post's sole purpose is to corrupt beautiful green soil into the
blackened grounds Sauron's minions can build upon. They can only be built by
Slavemasters and are needed for expanding your settlement. If you don't have
any War Posts, you cannot build structures. They are weak and are always in
need of protection.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Fortress of Mordor
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 700
BUILDING COST: 75 Food, 90 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: - Gollum
- Grishnakh
- Saleme
- Lord of the Nazgul
- Saruman
RESEARCH HERE: - Fortress of Mordor Level 2
- Fortress of Mordor Level 3
- Fortress of Mordor Level 4
- Fortress of Mordor Level 5
Fortresses of Mordor are vital assets for war. Without them, no advanced
upgrades can be researched, nor can some powerful units be accessed. In here,
the Heroes of the Minions are given everything they desire. In order for your
settlement to have any chance of surviving, this massive structure has to be
built as soon as possible. It can be upgraded up to level 5, adding new Hit
Points and an armor class bonus with each improvement.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Slaughterhouse
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 530
BUILDING COST: 50 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
All those evil creatures like Orcs and Trolls do not eat grain. All they want
is meat... preferably fresh, of course. The Slaughterhouse is a structure
that domesticates animals, only to slaughter them later for food. To keep the
beasts inside alive, the Slaughterhouse needs a constant flow of fresh water.
Therefore, it can only be built atop a well.
=-=-=-=
Smelter
=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 725
BUILDING COST: 80 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 3
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: None
The Minions soon found themselves without ore, which was used in huge amounts
to create the weaponry for the hordes of Mordor. Thinking of new methods to
strip Ore from the ground, the Goblins designed the Smelter. Its purpose was
to mold the Ore and change it into packs that could be transported far more
easily, increasing the amount of ore the Goblin Workers could carry. The
Smelter has to be built on top of an ore deposit to function properly.
=-=-=
Tower
=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 350
BUILDING COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
ATTACK POWER: 14
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None, but four can be garrisoned for higher shot rate.
RESEARCH HERE: None
This defensive structure was built to ensure the survival of important new
war camps. Black towers, carrying the emblem of Sauron, able to garrison
units inside, far from danger. You'll need a lot of them to protect the
vital areas in your war camp (Goblin Hovel, War Posts). At the borders of
your settlement, they can help in spotting oncoming raiding parties from
afar.
=-=-=-=-=
Orc Mound
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 675
BUILDING COST: 55 Food, 110 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Orc Bowman
- Orc Slasher
- Uruk-Hai
RESEARCH HERE: None
The ancient tales of the Elves told how Morgoth, the Enemy, of whom Sauron
was only a general, bred the twisted race of Orcs. He took them into the
dark dungeons of his stronghold Utumno and tortured them until they were
the opposite of all that was once Elf: ugly, bloodthirsty, and without mercy.
Inside the Orc Mound, Orcs are taught how to handle their weapons in brutal
training sessions. With more advanced technology, the Uruk-Hai can also be
developed and trained within this structure.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dark Arsenal
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 575
BUILDING COST: 70 Food, 105 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Curved Blades; Serrated Blades; Wicked Blades
- Iron Fittings; Forged Fittings; Steel Fittings
- Savage Influence
- Goblin Frenzy
- Raven Fletching
- Flame Arrows
- Poison Arrows
Orcs aren't exactly competent forges, but they tend to use anything they can
get to defeat their enemies. Most of their time, the researchers inside this
dark laboratory design wicked upgrades for the Orcs to use in battle, causing
more pain to enemies or intoxicating them. The Goblins can be upgraded here
as well, allowing for increased speed. It is a much needed structure to turn
normal Orc soldiers into ravaging killing machines.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Beast Lair
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 675
BUILDING COST: 95 Food, 100 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 2
UNITS TRAINED: - Warg Rider
- Giant Spider
RESEARCH HERE: None
Often finding themselves slaughtered by the Free Peoples because of their
enemies' control over animals, the leaders of the Orc ranks decided to take
a shot at raising their own beasts. As the Orcs of the Misty Mountains did
for ages, they started to raise the ferocious, wolf-like Wargs in massive
numbers. In greater settlements, the offspring of the mistress Spider of
Cirith Ungol helped the Orcs in their war effort.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Breeding Pit
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
HIT POINTS: 550
BUILDING COST: 90 Food, 100 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Fearsome Strength; Overwhelming Strength; Monstrous
Strength
- Ritual Tattooing; Ritual Scarring; Ritual Branding
- Paralyze
- Spray Venom
- Target Practice
- Unstoppable Force
- Sweeping Axe
To increase their effectiveness in battle, Sauron's minions often tortured
beasts, turning them truly wicked. Menacing around the battlefield, these
monsters played a decisive role in many a war. Inside the Breeding Pit,
both the Warg Rider and the Giant Spider can be upgraded. In more advanced
settlements, the huge Troll warriors can be trained to act more efficient
here as well.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Shadow Lair
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
HIT POINTS: 725
BUILDING COST: 110 Food, 105 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Wraith
- Haradrim Slayer
RESEARCH HERE: None
A special structure was needed for minions of Sauron that preferred or needed
places dark of shadow for their training. Created mostly out of vile shadow
itself, the Wraiths may receive great abilities at detecting hidden enemies.
The Haradrim needed dark places to master the art of hiding, making them
truly fearsome assassins. None but these two creatures know how to exit the
Shadow Lair again after entering it once...
=-=-=-=-=-=
Black Vault
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
HIT POINTS: 575
BUILDING COST: 85 Food, 75 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: None
RESEARCH HERE: - Jagged Point; Hooked Point; Barbed Point
- Alloy Mail; Shadow Mail; Dark Mail
- Greater Perception
- Darkness
- Perpetual Darkness
- Poison Dart
- Assassin's Cloak
- Morgul Blade
This structure houses the elite of Sauron's alchemists and metal workers. All
upgrades made inside this building are to increase maiming capacity, not
the chance at a clean kill. Special techniques from outer lands such as Harad
and Rhun are acquired in here as well, and though they are very expensive to
bestow upon the Minions, the expendage is often quite useful. Finding the
weapons created at the Dark Arsenal not fit for them, the savage Uruk-Hai
will only accept upgrades from the Black Vault.
=-=-=-=-=
Troll Den
=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
HIT POINTS: 950
BUILDING COST: 125 Food, 135 Ore
ARMOR CLASS: 1
UNITS TRAINED: - Troll Bonecleaver
- Troll Stonehurler
RESEARCH HERE: None
Though 'persuading' them wasn't without problems, the Trolls have proven
their worthiness to the Dark Lord without fail, time and time again. The
massive warriors have been known to destroy entire armies while only in a
small patrol. Now, these tanks have been made even more useful as they can
now withstand the daylight. The Troll Den is the only structure large enough
to house these huge, vile creatures.
------------------
8.3) Evil Upgrades
------------------
First, I shall list the Dark Arsenal technologies here. After that, there are
the Breeding Pit and the Black Vault technologies.
Curved Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 2/5 - This doesn't make a lot of difference... yet. It's
needed for the later upgrades (which DO matter), so buy it.
Offense over defense!
Serrated Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Curved Blades, Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 3/5 - You might notice that battles finish a little faster
once you've researched this upgrade. And believe me, it
gets better.
Wicked Blades
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Serrated Blades, Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 5/5 - Now we're talking. Build up a nice force of fresh
Orc Bowmen and Slashers and go destroy an enemy camp.
Absolutely devastating when attacking in hordes!
Iron Fittings
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 1/5 - Buy an attack upgrade before this. This, again,
is one of the things you'll have to buy to purchase the
greater upgrades.
Forged Fittings
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Iron Fittings, Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 3/5 - This is much better than the last one, since you
might have noticed your units last longer in battle.
Steel Fittings
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Forged Fittings, Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Goblin Spearmen, Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers.
RATING: 4/5 - Mix this up with Wicked Blades and some units from
the other training structures and nobody will have the
strength to stand against your armies!
Savage Influence
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Slavemasters may crack their whips to speed up nearby
allies.
RATING: 1/5 - Not needed at all in my opinion. The only thing I
can think of to use this is to speed up your resource
production. Otherwise, useless.
Goblin Frenzy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Upgrades the speed of Goblin Workers, Goblin Spearmen, and
Goblin Slavemasters.
RATING: 2/5 - Better than Savage Influence, since it speeds up your
resource production for all time. But I suggest you buy
the military upgrades first.
Raven Fletching
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Upgrades the range of Orc Bowmen.
RATING: 3/5 - I don't use Orc Bowmen a lot, but increased range
means you might get in an extra shot per archer, thinning
out enemy forces more quickly. Useful.
Flame Arrows
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes the Orc Bowmen shoot flaming arrows, causing fire
damage to all things they hit.
RATING: 4/5 - Expensive upgrade, but ideal for raiding. Go round
a camp with several of Bowmen with these arrows and soon
all buildings will be on fire, rendering your enemy
helpless.
Poison Arrows
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes your Towers shoot poisonous arrows, intoxicating all
enemies that are hit by its projectiles.
RATING: 3/5 - This upgrade is quite needed. Since you can't get
that powerful Free Peoples' Ballista, this'll have to
do. Can be infiuriating to opponents when all their forces
die due to poisoning.
Fearsome Strength
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 85 Food, 85 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 1/5 - One of those upgrades you'll have to get to access
the better, later upgrades. I don't use these units that
much, but if you do, don't hesitate and buy this upgrade
quickly.
Overwhelming Strength
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 135 Food, 135 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 3/5 - You might notice the difference in battles now. Can
get even better...
Monstrous Strength
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 185 Food, 185 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 5/5 - This'll make your Trolls behemoths that cannot be
stopped. Very expensive, but also very worth it if your
forces are made up mainly of these forces.
Ritual Tattooing
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 85 Food, 85 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 1/5 - The armor upgrade for your beasts. Same story, needed
for later upgrades.
Ritual Scarring
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 135 Food, 135 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 3/5 - This'll make them last longer again. If you like
raiding with Warg Riders, this will ensure lots of damage.
Also helps defensive Giant Spiders used for support.
Ritual Branding
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 185 Food, 185 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Warg Riders, Giant Spiders, Troll
Bonecleavers, and Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 4/5 - If you've ever wanted tanks which obviously just
won't die on the battlefield, give this upgrade to your
Troll warriors. They are monstrous indeed, immortal if
you play your game right...
Paralyze
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 100 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Giant Spiders' attacks paralyze foes, making them unable
to move.
RATING: 4/5 - The only thing that makes those spiders worth buying,
I think. Put lots of these in your defense and make them
all attack different enemies. They won't even have a chance
to retaliate before they die!
Spray Venom
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Paralyze, Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes the Giant Spider spray venom, paralyzing all units in
front of it.
RATING: 1/5 - Bad upgrade. You need a constant flow of venom, and
this move will deplete it. It's better to just focus on
a single strong unit and keep paralyzing it.
Target Practice
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Increases the range of the Troll Stonehurlers.
RATING: 3/5 - Great when combined with Unstoppable Force. I prefer
Uruk-Hai as my main ranged unit, but if you like Trolls,
purchase this.
Unstoppable Force
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 160 Food, 160 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes Troll Stonehurlers' attacks do area damage.
RATING: 4/5 - The best upgrade for your Stonehurlers, giving them
an area-of-effect attack. This will, together with attack
upgrades, decimate an oncoming enemy army before you can
say "Flausnihillipiffillicationary".
Sweeping Axe
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Troll Bonecleaver a special attack that knocks
back all units in front of it.
RATING: 4/5 - If you have lots of Bonecleavers, get it now! Will
make them slice through forces as a hot knife through
butter! Very, very nice.
Jagged Point
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 2/5 - Get it now. I don't know about you, but I myself rely
heavily on both of these troops. They become quite
destructive once all these upgrades are purchased.
Hooked Point
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Jagged Point, Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 3/5 - Just like Jagged Point. Makes your Haradrim do some
real damage with their assassin cloaks.
Barbed Point
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Hooked Point, Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Attack for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 5/5 - Makes your Haradrim and Uruk-Hai almost invincible
because they kill detectors so fast. Uruk-Hai will be able
to kill enemies before they reach them because of their
Knockback Arrow ability.
Alloy Mail
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 1/5 - Attack upgrades have higher priority, but this is
quite needed as well. Just so they won't die because of
one simple enemy detector.
Shadow Mail
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 3/5 - Will make them last even longer. Very useful, but
you still need to buy attack upgrades first.
Dark Mail
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 5
UPGRADE COST: 175 Food, 175 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: +1 Armor for Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai.
RATING: 4/5 - Makes Haradrim Slayers the best units for the army
of the Minions, even better than Trolls, because they can't
be seen except by detectors. Combine with Barbed Point to
get maximum effectiveness.
Greater Perception
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Wraith an LOS upgrade, improving detection range.
RATING: 3/5 - Good for the Wraiths in your Towers. Will take care
of annoying Elven Archers faster.
Darkness
=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 75 Food, 75 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Wraith an ability to slow enemy units.
RATING: 2/5 - Not really needed, but is required to get the next
upgrade, Perpetual Darkness, which IS useful at times.
Perpetual Darkness
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Makes the Wraith able to slow and blind enemies.
RATING: 3/5 - The best weapon against raiding parties. Cast it on
the right moment and they will just stand there while your
Towers finish them off.
Poison Dart
=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 50 Food, 50 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Gives the Haradrim Slayer the ability to fire a poisonous
dart, doing damage to an enemy over time.
RATING: 2/5 - Might seem pretty good, but is actually very hard
to aim in the thick of battle. Also costs 25 Food and
25 Ore each time, so it's fairly resource-draining.
Assassin's Cloak
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 150 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Cloaks from the far land of Harad make the Haradrim Slayer
invisible to enemies, except for detector units.
RATING: 5/5 - Same as Elven Cloaks for the Free Peoples, plain and
simple. Five to ten Haradrim Slayers can, when combined
with attack and armor upgrades, wipe out an entire base
using this.
Morgul Blade
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 125 Food, 125 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: The weapons of the Black Riders become poisonous, doing
damage to an enemy over time.
RATING: 2/5 - If you have a lot of Black Riders, buy this as soon
as you can. If you don't use them, don't buy this. Very
effective in large numbers.
Fortress of Mordor Level 2
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Fortress of Mordor
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
UPGRADE COST: 100 Food, 105 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Increases HP and armor class of the Fortress. Is needed for
certain upgrades to be purchased as well.
RATING: 5/5 - All Fortress of Mordor upgrades have high priority,
because without them you cannot use the better units and
upgrades.
Fortress of Mordor Level 3
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Fortress of Mordor
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
UPGRADE COST: 105 Food, 120 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Increases HP and armor class of the Fortress. Is needed for
certain upgrades to be purchased as well.
RATING: 5/5 - All Fortress of Mordor upgrades have high priority,
because without them you cannot use the better units and
upgrades.
Fortress of Mordor Level 4
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Fortress of Mordor
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
UPGRADE COST: 110 Food, 135 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Increases HP and armor class of the Fortress. Is needed for
certain upgrades to be purchased as well.
RATING: 5/5 - All Fortress of Mordor upgrades have high priority,
because without them you cannot use the better units and
upgrades.
Fortress of Mordor Level 5
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPGRADE AT: Fortress of Mordor
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
UPGRADE COST: 115 Food, 150 Ore
UPGRADE EFFECT: Increases HP and armor class of the Fortress. Is needed for
certain upgrades to be purchased as well.
RATING: 5/5 - All Fortress of Mordor upgrades have high priority,
because without them you cannot use the better units and
upgrades.
---------------
8.4) Evil Units
---------------
Here, all units of the Minions of Sauron are listed. They all have their own
little history and comments with them. There are no heroes, however. They can
be found in an alternate paragraph.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Goblin Worker
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: None given
ATTACK POWER: None given
ARMOR CLASS: None given
ATTACK TYPE: None given
TRAINED AT: Goblin Hovel
COST: 35 Food; 1 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Goblin Workers don't have any special abilities.
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"The Goblin Workers' lives are mainly made up of completing
miserable tasks of slavery in service of their Dark Lord
Sauron. Most soldiers think of them as personal lackeys and
command them around, threatening to cut them to pieces and eat
them should they not obey. And so they live their wretched
lives, day after day."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Goblin Workers are naturally the backbone of any war camp.
Without them, no resources. Without resources, no army. With
no army, you lose. So make sure you keep them safe from the
enemy and they'll collect Food and Ore for you from the
Slaughterhouse and the Smelter.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Goblin Spearman
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 85
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=7; Maximum=10
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Goblin Hovel
COST: 35 Food; 1 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Goblin Spearmen don't have any special abilities.
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In times of emergency, whenever the Goblins needed to defend
themselves, they usually just grabbed a spear off the wall
and attacked any trespasser with it. The Dark Lord soon saw
the potential of these soldiers in great hordes and started
recruiting them for simple, menial tasks. They obey without
question, and are therefore reliable guardians of food stores,
as long as they are well-fed themselves."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
What the Goblin Spearmen lacks in strength, it makes up for in
speed and cost. They're very nimble and are quite overwhelming
in large numbers. Always train some of these at the start of
any skirmish to help counter early raiding parties. Later in
the game, they become utterly useless.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Goblin Slavemaster
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 300
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=3; Maximum=3
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=1
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Goblin Hovel
COST: 95 Ore; 0 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Savage Influence - Allows the Slavemaster to crack his whip,
speeding up all allies nearby him at the
cost of a small portion of their health.
[Recharge Time = 36 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Slavemasters are specifically trained Goblins that excel at
commanding others around. They get luxuries the other Goblins
can only dream of, though there existance remains a miserable
one compared to the Workers of the Free Peoples. They make
sure the Goblin Workers don't evoke in riot, and also have to
keep an eye on the soldiers so they won't eat their poor
slaves. They are quite important to any settlement, for they
are the only creatures with the knowledge of how to corrupt
land with special War Posts."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
You'll need a lot of these, believe me. Each Slavemaster adds
12 Population Slots to your total population capacity. The
Savage Influence ability can be useful sometimes but don't
rely on it, as it eats health away if overused. Slavemasters
are best placed in Towers as long as they aren't needed for
placing War Posts on the terrain.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Orc Bowman
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 125
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=8; Maximum=11
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Orc Mound
COST: 50 Food; 10 Ore; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Flame Arrows - The Orc Bowmen attain fiery arrows, enabling
them to set enemy buildings ablaze with several
succesful hits.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Roughly, the Orcs came in two sizes: the bulky, slow Orc that
was suit exceptionally for melee combat; and the skinny,
nimble, goblin-like Orcs that learned to use primitive bows
made of wood or bones. Though by far not as advanced as Elven
archers, they are hazardous in hordes of thousand a piece:
they'll basically shoot anything they can hurt or kill that
is not evil."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
These are the basic ranged units for the Minions. They aren't
at all strong or in any way enduring, but still deal moderate
damage and are needed as missile support early-on in the game
before you can access the later, more advanced ranged units
such as the Uruk-Hai and Troll Stonehurler.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Orc Slasher
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 180
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=10; Maximum=13
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Orc Mouth
COST: 65 Food; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Dark Arsenal
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Orc Slashers don't have any special abilities.
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
The Orc melee fighters have made up the bulk of Sauron's army
for ages. They are not masters of the blade, nor are they very
technical in their ways. Nonetheless, Orc Slashers are without
fear of death and will follow their masters no matter how
harsh their toil. Perhaps death is to be preferred over life
for those tortured creatures, created in the dungeons of
Morgoth's stronghold Utumno.
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
The Orc Slashers will be the main unit in your army throughout
the game. They are about as strong as Gondor Swordsmen, and
can be upgraded to exactly the same attack and armor class
level. These will serve as a shield for your best units, used
to lure enemy scouts and such, nothing out of the ordinary.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Warg Rider
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Goblin Hovel
HIT POINTS: 205
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=10; Maximum=13
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Beast Lair
COST: 65 Food; 35 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Immune to Knockback - Warg Riders cannot be knocked back.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"The Orcs of the Misty Mountains have long forged an unusual
alliance with the wolf-like terrors known by those who dwell
upon Middle-Earth as Wargs. In exchange for the fresh meat of
their enemies' carcasses, the Wargs carry these Orcs into
battle, savagely destroying all in their path. Sauron soon
recognized the might of these riders in his campaign to
destroy Rohan and forced them into his ranks."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
The natural swiftness of this unit makes it perfect for hit'n
run tactics, wherein their Immunity to Knockback has its uses
as well. It's just as strong as a normal Orc Slasher, but it
deals crush damage and it just looks far cooler. Devastating
when used against enemy footmen.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Giant Spider
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
HIT POINTS: 210
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=6; Maximum=9
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Beast Lair
COST: 75 Food; 70 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Paralyze >>> Giant Spiders can use their venom to render
enemies paralyzed, disabling any kind of
movement.
[Passive Ability]
Spray Venom > The Giant Spider sprays venom to paralyze all
units in front of it. Notice that the spider
loses its ability to paralyze units for a
while until its venom has been replenished.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
Distant kin of the monstrous Shelob, the mistress of spiders
who roams amongs the dark caves in the pass of Cirith Ungol,
these Giant Spiders are horrific in every possible way. They
are not very capable fighters, but they may utilise special
venom that can paralyze and - in exceptional cases - kill.
They have mostly acted as a support unit for the armies of
the Dark Lord.
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
Giant Spiders aren't worth recruiting until you have purchased
the Paralyze ability from the Breeding Pit, which will make
them valuable support units in base defense. Let each of your
spiders attack different enemy units: they won't be able to
make an offensive move, while your more capable battle units
slaughter them.
=-=-=-=-=-
Wraith
=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 2
HIT POINTS: 140
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=7; Maximum=7
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=2; Maximum=2
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Shadow Lair
COST: 60 Food; 50 Ore; 2 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Detection >>> The Wraith is able to see hidden units,
which would otherwise be invisible.
[Passive Ability]
Darkness >>> Enshrouds enemies in darkness, slowing
their movement.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds]
Perpetual Darkness > Enshrouds enemies in an even greater
darkness, blinding them and therefore
halting their movements.
[Recharge Time = 30 Seconds]
Greater Perception > Gives the Wraith an LOS upgrade,
increasing detection range.
[Passive Ability
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Wraiths are the lonely souls that wander this earth, evil of
intent, those who have not found peace in death. A good
example form the Barrow Wights haunting the barrow downs near
the Old Forest in Eriador. Often mortally wounded by a Morgul
blade at the end of their lives, these ghouls have the ability
to see each and every form of life by their aura, thus
making a very good detection unit for Sauron."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
You need one of these in every one of your Towers to ensure
the vanquishing of cloaked enemies. Their Darkness abilities
make them useful on the battlefield itself as well, though
they won't last long without melee defense. Perpetual Darkness
will form quite an annoying barrier for your opponent.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Haradrim Slayer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
HIT POINTS: 250
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=14; Maximum=17
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Shadow Lair
COST: 85 Food, 60 Ore
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Poison Dart >>> An attack that intoxicates the selected
enemy, doing poison damage over time.
Note that this costs 25 Food and Ore for
every different projectile.
[Recharge Time = 6 Seconds]
Assassin's Cloak > Makes the Haradrim Slayer invisible to
all enemies except for detector units.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In the days of the Third Aera of the Sun, sages recall the
brown-skinned appearance of the Haradrim warriors, and the
ferocity they employed in the plethora of battles they fought
alongside the Dark Lord. Master assassins and trained in the
handling of multiple weapons, The Witch King recruited them
amongst his own ranks of Orcs and Trolls. Their banner was
red, a slithering black serpent of shadow stood crawling upon
their flags. Often the Haradrim made use of war paint to
enhance the intimidation their appearance set forth."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
These guys seriously, ultimately rock. Attack power equals the
Elven Archers' and - in response to the Free Peoples' Elven
Cloaks - they can become invisible as well. Combine this with
the ability to poison enemies at a cost and there you have the
main late-game unit for the Minions of Sauron.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Troll Bonecleaver
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
HIT POINTS: 640
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=19; Maximum=22
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=2; Maximum=5
ATTACK TYPE: Hack
TRAINED AT: Troll Den
COST: 200 Food; 175 Ore; 5 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Sweeping Axe >>> Allows the Bonecleaver to swing his weapon
with great force, knockbacking and damaging
all units in an arc in front of him.
[Recharge Time = 12 Seconds]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"However strong Trolls were from the moment that the Enemy
created them in the dark depths of his stronghold, maybe as
a mockery of the Ents, daylight would come for them and kill
them eventually. Sauron dispersed of this weakness, and gave
the new Trolls cunning, and the Dark Lord called them the
Olog-Hai. Bonecleavers were weaponed with giant, scalloped
axes which they could swing to disastrous effect among the
enemy's ranks."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
These guys are extremely expensive, but well worth the pay if
used correctly on the battlefield. The "tanks" of Sauron's
army, they have been known to clear out small armies while
only in small groups themselves. The Bonecleaver is brutal in
every possible way.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Troll Stonehurler
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 3
HIT POINTS: 250
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=15; Maximum=18
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=0; Maximum=3
ATTACK TYPE: Crush
TRAINED AT: Troll Den
COST: 150 Food; 150 Ore; 4 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Breeding Pit
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Unstoppable Force >>> The Troll Stonehurler's boulders do
area-of-effect damage, increasing
their effectiveness against cluttered
enemy troops.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In the Trollshaws of Eriador, the Trolls not rarely needed to
defend their dens from creatures trying to invade territory
that was theirs by right. Most Trolls, who were unskilled at
fighting with true weapons, just grabbed boulders or ripped
trees from the ground and threw those at their enemies to
great effect. Sauron and his generals have only promoted this
kind of assault and now most Stonehurlers can throw their
boulders over a distance of over 1500 feet!
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
The Bonecleaver's cousin, the Troll Stonehurler is able to
damage multiple units once properly upgraded. At defense, they
decimate incoming enemy armies in a matter of seconds. Yet,
they are quite expensive for a single ranged unit.
=-=-=-=-=-=-
Uruk-Hai
=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 4
HIT POINTS: 240
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=14; Maximum=17
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=4
ATTACK TYPE: Pierce
TRAINED AT: Orc Mound
COST: 80 Food; 65 Ore; 3 Pop
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Knockback Arrow >>> Every arrow the Uruk-Hai fires causes
Knockback to hit enemies.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"In the year 2475 of the Third Era, a new Orc race spawned
from Mordor, to aid their Dark Lord in taking over rule over
Middle-Earth. With black skin, black blood, and diagonal lynx-
eyes these Uruk-Hai were, their length equalling that of
normal Men, and they could withstand the sunlight. Their power
and endurance by far exceeded the lesser Orcs, and also their
ferocity was greater than that of their normal kin."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
These are my favourite archers: ability to cause knockback
with every single arrow is very helpful, especially when
facing detectors. Thereby, their strength is the same as the
Elven Archer. Mix them up with cloaked Haradrim Slayers for
maximum efficiency.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Black Rider
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor
HIT POINTS: 450
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=18; Maximum=18
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1; Maximum=1
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: By using Bind Shadow on a Wraith with Lord of the Nazgul.
COST: 1 Fate
UPGRADE AT: Black Vault
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Morgul Blade >>> The Black Riders' blades become poisonous,
dealing damage to an enemy over time.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
UNIT HISTORY:
------------------
"Upon the twenty-third century in the Second Era of the Sun,
nine mighty wraiths arised, called Nazgul in the Black Speech
of Mordor, which simply translates into: 'ringwraiths'. And of
all creatures and equipment under Sauron's control, the Nazgul
were by far the most powerful. And the most sinister, as many
of their weapons ate away the soul of their victims, corrupted
Men's courage, and put a weight of lead upon vitality."
------------------
UNIT COMMENTS:
------------------
It's not a unit I like to use, I sometimes create them for fun
because I have too much Fate (?), but not incorporate them in
serious strategies. Their attack power is nice, however, and
Morgul Blade can be infuriating for enemies. You can create
one by casting Bind Shadow with the Lord of the Nazgul on a
Wraith at the cost of one Fate Point per casting.
----------------
8.5) Evil Heroes
----------------
The Heroes are the special units with unique abilities that can lead your
troops into battle. Whenever you train a hero, his picture appears on the
right edge of the screen. Clicking on it will select that hero, while double-
clicking immediately focuses the camera on it. All heroes are immune to
knockback.
=-=-=-=-=-
Gollum
=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 350 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=15 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=1 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Fortress of Mordor
COST: 150 Food; 100 Ore
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Sneak >>> Allows Gollum to travel while hidden, even
though his movement speed decreases whilst
using this ability. He can only be seen by
detectors.
[Recharge Time = 7 Seconds][Cost = 1 Fate]
Gollum's Mark >>> An ability that allows Gollum to mark an
enemy unit, so he may sense it even at
great distances.
[Recharge Time = 10 Seconds]
Surprise Attack > Triples Gollum's attack power if he makes
a succesful attack while sneaking.
[Passive Ability][Cost = 1 Fate]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Gollum is the only one of the Evil Heroes that doesn't cost
any Fate Points. He is a bit like Frodo for the Free Peoples:
an expensive, though excellent scouting unit. The Sneak
ability is very useful in exploring, but be careful not to run
into detector units. Gollum's Mark is great as you may track
an enemy unit up to great distances. When Surprise Attack is
purchased, you can easily kill enemies who aren't protected by
detectors. It nearly triples his attack power while sneaking!
Downside: the pesky creature becomes visible after doing it...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Grishnakh
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 470 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Fortress of Mordor
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Explosive Trap >>> Has Grishnakh hide an explosive on the
terrain. The player can activate it at
will, yet it will automatically explode
should too much time elapse without
player action.
[Recharge Time = 20 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Torch >>> Allows Grishnakh to whip a torch at a
selected building, setting it aflame
instantly.
[Recharge Time = 8 Seconds][Cost = 1 Fate]
Speed of the Wolf > Gives Grishnakh a speed boost in both
movement and attack rate for a short
amount of time.
[Recharge Time = 18 Seconds]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Grishnakh is quite the hero, with abilities focusing solely on
pillaging and offense. He can best be used against structures,
seeing that he has the ability to set them ablaze with the
Torch ability. Explosive Trap has to be timed carefully but is
very useful in ambushes. Speed of the Wolf can give Grishnakh
more attack power by boosting his attack rate. Or can help him
in running for his friggin' life.
=-=-=-=-=-
Saleme
=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 445 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=2 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Fortress of Mordor
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Poison Trap >>> Lets Saleme place a trap on the map that
spews a poisonous cloud when triggered by a
nearby enemy.
[Recharge Time = 15 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Blood Mark >>> Allows Saleme to tend to an ally's wounds
over time. She can also bind this to a War
Post to heal allied units near it for a
short duration of time.
[Recharge Time = 35 Seconds][Cost = 3 Fate]
Serpent Blades > These blades ricochet and seek their own
targets. Saleme can hit multiple targets
with a single throwing blade.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
I don't use Saleme very much, but her abilities and ranged
power make her an invaluable support unit for your army. The
ability to bind Blood Mark to a War Post is great: it heals
multiple units at once. Poison Trap is actually slightly
better than Explosive Trap because it isn't dependant on time
and - in some cases - luck. Serpent Blades is standard for her
and just allow her do more damage to an enemy army. Overall,
she is a nice hero, a bit underused maybe.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lord of the Nazgul
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 1
HIT POINTS: 450 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Fortress of Mordor
COST: 3 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Bind Shadow >>> At the cost of 1 Fate Point, the Lord of
the Nazgul may summon a Black Rider by
using this power on one of your Wraiths.
There can only be a maximum of eight
Black Riders present at one time.
[Recharge Time = 50 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Shadow Walk >>> Allows the Lord of the Nazgul to
instantly travel to grounds that are
corrupted by a War Post, also trans-
porting any Wraiths and Black Riders
near him.
[Recharge Time = 40 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Aura of Weakness > This ability decreases the armor class of
enemies near the Lord of the Nazgul.
[Passive Ability]
Ringsight >>> Allows the Lord of the Nazgul to see and
attack Frodo while he is wearing The One
Ring.
[Passive Ability]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
The Lord of the Nazgul is a very strong hero with his Aura of
Weakness, and it can turn those weak Wraiths into great combat
machines with Bind Shadow, even though the total cost in Fate
Points is quite high. Shadow Walk can be used when your camp
is under siege and he and his Black Riders are at the other
end of the map. Ringsight is only useful for killing Frodo,
but it's free, so meh.
=-=-=-=-=-=
Saruman
=-=-=-=-=-=
REQUIRED: Fortress of Mordor Level 5
HIT POINTS: 435 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK POWER: Minimum=20 (Increases at level-ups)
ARMOR CLASS: Minimum=3 (Increases at level-ups)
ATTACK TYPE: Heroic
TRAINED AT: Fortress of Mordor
COST: 4 Fate Points
------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
------------------
Prison of Ice >>> Allows Saruman to encage a single enemy
in an icy prison, taking that unit out
of battle for a small period of time as
well as dealing damage over time.
[Recharge Time = 25 Seconds]
Invisible Force >>> Enables Saruman to fire an invisible
projectile to a certain area, knocking
back and damaging all units in its
exploding radius.
[Recharge Time = 45 Seconds][Cost = 2 Fate]
Pestilence >>> Has Saruman invoke a disease on a group
of enemies that drains their health,
yet it does not kill any.
[Recharge Time = 50 Seconds][Cost = 3 Fate]
Twisting Influence > With his seductive voice, Saruman may
bend the will of any hostile, non-hero
enemy unit, forcing it to join his
army.
[Recharge Time = 90 Seconds][Cost = 3 Fate]
------------------
HERO COMMENTS:
------------------
Saruman is by far the best hero for the Minions of Sauron (and
the most expensive...). He starts off with the Prison of Ice
ability, which can turn the tides in a battle by freezing a
powerful foe. Invisible Force can do damage to a lot of units
when aimed properly in a crowd. Pestilence can really slow an
enemy army down by draining all health. Finally, Twisting
Influence is the best ability in the game, as it may force a
tough enemy unit like a Huorn or a Troll Bonecleaver to join
your army. Recruit him should you have the chance.
---------------------
8.6) Evil Fate Powers
---------------------
The Fate Powers of the evil side are different from those of the good side, and
they are all listed here:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Summon Bog
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 2 Fate Points
EFFECT: This dark incanctation can turn any type of land
into a festering bog, slowing the attack and
movement speeds of any enemy units in the bog.
This power can best be used for defensive purposes. Put your
missile units behind it, and slaughter the enemy while they
try to wade through your bog. If you have Uruk-Hai, you can
keep knocking your enemies back, so they won't get out of
there alive at all!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Murder of Crows
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
COST: 3 Fate Points
EFFECT: The will of Sauron can command a flock of crows to
sacrifice their bodies in the ranged fire of
enemies, protecting the units they surround from
ranged attacks for a mediocre period of time.
If your enemy likes a lot of missile units, use this power to
refrain them from doing too much damage to your army. It is
very annoying for your opponent as he doesn't kill any of your
units while you slaughter all of his missile users, leaving
him crippled.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Vile Surge
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 3 Fate Points
EFFECT: Surges a vile energy that rehabilitates the
soldiers of Sauron, raising their health
substantially.
One of the best Fate Powers for the evil side because it heals
an entire army if aimed properly. This can really help turning
the battle in your favor. It heals at once and without fail,
making this a versatile ability. Not very costly for such
obscene clerical force, either.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Summon Obelisk
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
COST: 4 Fate Points
EFFECT: This power lets the player summon an Obelisk onto
the battlefield that protects the player's nearby
forces, soaking up damage done to these units
until the Obelisk runs out of power or is
destroyed.
This ability is one that protects your units from damage until
the Obelisk is destroyed or its power runs out. This can be
used offensively as well as defensively, but it requires
proper aiming and quite a stagnant battle for maximum
effectiveness.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Summon Balrog
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
COST: 7 Fate Points
EFFECT: Calls forth a Balrog - a terrible demon of Morgoth
summoned from the deepest shadows. With a sword of
flame and a powerful slam attack, the Balrog's
presence strikes fear in the hearts of enemies on
any battlefield.
Just like the Free Peoples, the Minions of Sauron also have
their own enormous, 00ber monster. If you've already finished
the Good Campaign, you know what this thing is. It's very
costly, and should only be used for the "final push", sealing
your opponent's fate of losing. It lasts for a set amount of
time and then falls apart again. Expensive, but effective.
-------------------------
8.7) Evil-Only Strategies
-------------------------
A list of common strategies that are used by the Minions... Credits to all of
you who mail me other working strategies:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Slavemaster Defense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You always seem to have to many Slavemasters just lazing
around, susceptible to enemy raiders. Since you need a lot of
population slots, you'll have a lot of Slavemasters to look
after. To make them useful, place them in Towers to increase
the shot rate. You should also add a Wraith to make it nearly
impossible for the enemy to infiltrate your camp with cloaked
units.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Catapults
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
On maps with cliffs, you can use this strategy: place several
Stonehurlers on the edges of those cliffs, when you know an
enemy army is coming through shortly. As they cannot reach you
without running a very long way, their melee units will just
stand there, leaving you to deal with their missile units
only. This becomes even more fun when combined with the
Unstoppable Force upgrade.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Saruman's Trick
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You need Saruman to do this, preferably at a high level and
with both the Invisible Force and the Pestilence upgrades. Let
him walk into an enemy army alone, they will all attack the
wizard guilelessly. Now spread Pestilence around Saruman, so
all enemies get diseased. Then use Invisible Force around
yourself to create an opening to flee to your own ranks. Very
effective when trying to stop grand invasion armies.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Haradrim and Uruk-Hai Offense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You need cloaked Haradrim and Uruk-Hai for this, upgraded in
their attacking force and armor class. When encountering
enemies, make the Haradrim attack those units that cannot be
knocked back by your Uruk-Hai. The Uruk-Hai should then first
kill all detector units. This is a very effective way to take
out enemies with smaller numbers, and I have used it a lot in
skirmishes.
[-- Contributed by Gene Y aka Grenka --]
"In the Haradrim and Uruk-Hai Offense strategy, it would
be wise to take some additional Orc Slashers to defend
your Uruk-Hai with, especially when your Haradrim can't
handle all of the opponent's troops."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Super Offense
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[-- Contributed by SThomas1317 --]
Build an army of Troll Bonecleavers, Haradrim Slayers, and
Uruk-Hai. When approaching an enemy base, keep your trolls
away from your Haradrim Slayers and Uruk-Hai. Before the
battle starts make your trolls circle around the enemy base.
While your Haradrim and Uruk-Hai are distracting the enemy
army, direct your troops through the enemy base and use the
Bonecleavers to attack from behind. After slaughtering them,
destroy the base. You need all upgrades to do this, although
Assassin's Cloak is optional.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Stonehurler Death Trap
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-- Contributed by SThomas1317 --]
If you spot an incoming army, prepare your defenses. Use a
fixed force to attract the enemy forces to you. Then use Troll
Stonehurlers (preferably with "Unstoppable Force") to surround
the enemy. Since the enemies are cluttered, inflicted damage
should be huge. This requires you to keep your Stonehurlers
out of sight from the enemy or he might attack them instead,
messing the strategy up.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hordes of Mordor
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-- Contributed by Aragorn1913 --]
create a huge army of fully upgraded Orc Bowmen,Orc Slashers,
and Goblin Spearmen, then surround an enemy base in three
rings of units. first line is Orc Slashers, second line
consists of Orc bowmen, and third line are Goblin Spearmen.
Now send one unit from each side of the ring to attract
enemy. The chances are great that he will bring a whole mess
of units that you can slaughter with your great numbers and
advanced upgrades. After dispatching his army move into the
camp killing workers and destroying his buildings.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Warped Retreat
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[-- Contributed by Christo Acheson aka seaspray_68 --]
Get Saleme (must have Blood mark) and Lord of the Nazgul (must
have Shadow Walk). Get Slavemasters to place War Posts around
the map, then send the Lord of the Nazgul on the offense with
an army of Wraiths and Black Riders, and Saleme on the
defensive with Haradrim Slayers. If the Lord of the Nazgul's
army is suffering serious damage, have Saleme cast Blood Mark
on the camp's War Post and then Shadow Walk the Lord of the
Nazgul's army back to the base. When the army's recovered
Shadow Walk them to the nearest War Post where they retreated
from.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Place of Power Protection
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[-- Contributed by Telcontar590 --]
Place at least one War Post right next to the Place of Power,
and then build four Watchtowers close by it. Station one
Wraith and three other fighting units in the towers. Now you
can defend it without having to go back and forth each time it
is taken.
More strategies to come... (I hope, again)
-------------------
8.8) Evil Campaign
-------------------
This is a walkthrough for Sauron's Minions' campaign in the War of the Ring. It
contains story and gameplay spoilers, so if you want to figure everything out
yourself, skip this section.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Mouths of Entwash
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The Dark Lord's forces are pressing into Rohan. With their
supplies steadily dwindling, Grishnakh is ordered to send more
slaves to work their camps. Between these slaves and the
mighty army lies the maze-like Wetwang, which is heavily
guarded by enemy outposts. To ensure the safe passage of the
slaves through the marshes, Grishnakh assigns a troop of
soldiers as escort."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
N/A -> N/A => N/A
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor
War Post
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
---------------------------------------------------------------
The first scenario of the Evil Campaign. It isn't hard at all,
you should be fine. Watch an opening cutscene featuring
Grishnakh ordering a group of Orcs to ensure the safe passage
of the Goblin Workers through this swamp. Your objectives are
viewed as soon as you get control:
- Build an encampment
=> Use the Slavemaster to place a War Post
=> Construct a Goblin Hovel
=> Construct a Slaughterhouse
=> Construct an Orc Mound
=> Construct a Fortress of Mordor
- Get five Goblin Workers across the Wetwang maze
You start off with three Orc Slashers, five Goblin Workers and
one Goblin Slavemaster. Begin building your war camp by
ordering the Slavemaster to place a War Post right in front of
him. Once the terrain around it is totally corrupted, let your
Goblin Workers build a Goblin Hovel as close to both resources
as you can.
Next, assign three Goblin workers to build a Smelter on the
ore deposit, and order the other two to build a Slaughterhouse
atop the well. In the meanwhile, train another Slavemaster and
two Goblin Workers from your Goblin Hovel. Now make sure that
you have three workers gathering each resource. Use the idle
one to build a Fortress of Mordor, and after that an Orc
Mound.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Build an encampment
When the Orc Mound is completed, start recruiting twelve
fresh Orc Slashers and five Orc Bowmen. Note that you need two
extra Slavemaster to get the needed population slots. Once
they are all done with training, it's time to make your way
through the Wetwang maze.
Well, it isn't exactly a maze. Just wade through the water and
go up north, where you will meet four enemy Rangers, who
should be disposed of without any losses on your side. Heal if
you need to, then head further northwest. You'll encounter
three Gondor Swordsmen. Easy meat for your Orcs!
You now get a new message telling you to protect your Bowmen,
indicating that you can expect enemy ambushes around corners
from now on. Head northwest and then west to find the first
one, which consists of six Rangers. Three attack from the
north, and three from the south. Keep your Slashers around
your Bowmen and they should be killed easily. Now wait until
your units are healed and head further west.
Go south at the ruins. After a while, you should see three of
those nasty Gondor Swordsmen again. But once you attack them,
four others try to stab your archers in the back. Same
strategy as with the Rangers you faced earlier, just keep your
Bowmen safe and you should be fine. You can heal after this
as well, should your troops have need for it.
Time to head further south. Follow the path and you should see
two Beornings at the stream, and they are in Bear Form. You
might lose some units in this battle, just try to focus all of
your troops on a single Beorning at a time and you should be
victorious in the end. Remember that Beornings can cause
Knockback to the units they hit with the Maul upgrade. Heal
again, then wade through the stream.
Go to the west and there will be a campfire with some Swords-
men around it, they shouldn't be much of a problem since there
aren't any ambushes here. But remember to heal as much as you
need after this little skirmish, because after this you'll get
to a better defended area.
Head northwest, then just go north until you see the first
enemies. This is an outpost with a Tower as primary defense.
Don't charge in because that will lead to needless losses on
your side. Instead, try to lure groups of enemies to your
force with a single unit, slaughtering them one by one. Do
this twice or thrice and all enemies should be dead. You can
now go on and attack the Tower.
You will probably have earned three Fate Points by now. And
since you haven't got any heroes in this level, you can spend
them on Fate Powers. So when that Tower is about to kill one
of your troops, cast Vile Surge on them to keep as much as
possible alive. After destroying the Tower, head further north
and wade through the stream there. Proceed up north to find
the ending point of this map.
All you have to do now is send five or more Goblin Workers to
this spot. As you have cleared out the entire swamps, you can
just order them to go to the gathering point directly. Once
they get there, the first mission of the Evil Campaign will
be completed succesfully.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Get five Goblin Workers across the Wetwang maze
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Beacons of Gondor
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The Lord of the Nazgul has plans for an attack on Rohan, and
Grishnakh's soldiers have traveled to the Anorien Valley to
support the efforts. Grishnakh will lead his Orcs against a
human outpost that feeds supplies to the enemy army. Normally
a boisterous lot, his warriors must practice restraint, for
the great Beacons of Gondor will signal for reinforcements if
their presence is discovered."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Grishnakh -> Speed of the Wolf => Available
-> Torch => 1 Fate
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor
War Post
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Tower
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
Beast Lair -> Warg Rider
Dark Arsenal => Curved Blades
=> Forged Fittings
=> Savage Influence
---------------------------------------------------------------
The second scenario in this campaign is somewhat harder. It
still shouldn't be much of a problem, though. In the opening
cinematic, you can see how Grishnakh gives a rash speech to
his Goblins. To complete this missions, you must achieve the
following objectives:
! Keep Grishnakh alive
- Build an encampment
=> Construct an Orc Mound
=> Construct a Beast Lair
- Destroy the encampment of Men to the east
Set your resource structures up first. Train Goblin Workers
until you have three on each resource and one left idle to
build structures with. Then recruit a new Slavemaster to
increase your population capacity. With one of the available
Slavemasters, expand your camp to the south by placing a War
Post there. On the newly corrupted terrain, construct a
Fortress of Mordor.
The next thing you should build is a Tower in the east of your
settlement, which will help greatly in the last part of this
scenario. When you have the resources needed, train another
two Slavemaster, bringing your pop cap to 48. Place all four
of them in the Tower just constructed, increasing its shot
rate to the maximum.
Now build an Orc Mound and a Beast Lair to train your soldiers
in. Finally, construct a Dark Arsenal to purchase much-needed
upgrades for your troops. Once the first two are completed,
you will have completed an objective.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Build an encampment
Start training Orc Slashers at your Orc Mound, and Warg Riders
at the Beast Lair. Also train some archers, but make sure that
you have lots of Slashers, they should be the big bulk of your
attacking force. Upgrade the Orcs by researching Curved Blades
and Forged Fittings at the Dark Arsenal. Don't think about
upgrading the Savage Influence ability, you won't need it at
all.
Once that is all done, you can move to the east and attack the
first settlement of Men. It doesn't matter from which side,
they have Towers all over the place. Kill the enemies first,
after that the Towers, and finally other buildings. You will
have acquired one Fate Point at least after that battle. Spend
it on Grishnakhs Torch ability as soon as you have it, this
will tear down the Towers in this camp (and the other
buildings as well) much more quickly.
When it is all gone, a cutscene starts. Seems like one of the
horse-boys got away... Bad thing about that is that he will
warn other soldiers to light the Beacons of Gondor, bestowing
upon you eight armies! Grishnakh tells that you will have to
destroy some beacons to slow them, giving you time to build up
a sturdy defense.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the encampment of Men to the east
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Defend your encampment against the Armies of Gondor
Send your troops, including Grishnakh, to the Beacon in the
southeast of the map first. There will be two Beornings in
Bear Form on the way, so watch out and use Speed of the Wolf
to kill them quickly. Next comes the Beacon. It isn't too
heavily defended, but be careful not to lose too many troops
as you'll need a lot for your defense. Pity you can't torch
those Beacons... anyway, just destroy this one.
In the meanwhile, train another Slavemaster at your camp and
start pumping out Orc Slashers and Warg Riders for defense
until your population is full. You can also add another Slave-
master to be certain, it's your choice. Just remember to keep
training units as soon as you lose some. Back to Grishnakh
now.
Move Grishnakh and his forces to the central of the southern
Beacons. It must be destroyed as quickly as possible. Just
kill any troops around it with Speed of the Wolf, and demolish
that Beacon. Heal for a short time, then head further west to
get to the final Beacon you will destroy. Do the same here as
with the last ones. Now order Grishnakh and his remaining
forces to head back to your camp, and position all your troops
in the south.
You should soon see the first wave of the Armies of Gondor
approaching from the south once they've investigated the last
Beacon. This isn't hard at all, you can just kill them without
taking any losses. Now position all of your troops in the east
of your settlement and await the other waves of attackers.
The first four or five waves aren't at all anything to brag
about. They are small, consisting only of Riders of Rohan and
Gondor Swordsmen. Keep training units as soon as you lose
them, and let your units remain around your Tower for some
extra defensive firepower.
Note that whenever you have three Fate Points, you should use
them for casting the Vile Surge fate power, which will heal
your units instantly. Make sure you have three points for
casting it once the final wave arrives.
The last three waves aren't so easy, their numbers are much
larger now. You still should be able to handle it fairly well
with Speed of the Wolf. Keep Grishnakh alive, however, or you
will lose for certain. You will get a message when the last of
the armies is about to arrive. It says this one is even larger
than the previous... Train units until your pop cap is maxed
out again.
Don't do anything, let the final wave come around your Tower,
then attack them so they have to halt in the structure's
range. Immediately activate Speed of the Wolf and let all your
units attack them. They should be killed in a matter of thirty
seconds. Just keep your units together around your Tower and
you should be fine. Once all units that attacked you in the
last wave are killed, you have completed this mission.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Defend your encampment against the Armies of Gondor
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Clearing the Way
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 1050
"The Dark Lord Sauron is intent upon reclaiming his throne at
Dol Guldur. The Lord of the Nazgul travels to the tower in
preparation of his master's return, clearing the path of any
who oppose him."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord/Nazgul -> Shadow Walk => 2 Fate
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor => Fortress of Mordor 2
War Post
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Tower
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
Beast Lair -> Warg Rider
Shadow Lair -> Wraith
Dark Arsenal => Curved Blades
=> Forged Fittings
=> Savage Influence
Breeding Pit => Fearsome Strength
=> Ritual Tattooing
---------------------------------------------------------------
You're in Mirkwood again... only this time you're playing the
bad guys. You have to clear a path for Lord Sauron's return,
as the Lord of the Nazgul commands his troops in the opening
cutscene. That would make your objectives look like this:
! The Lord of the Nazgul must survive
- Destroy the Elven Camp
- Bring the Lord of the Nazgul through Mirkwood
You start off with a small force of Orc Slashers, Wraiths and
the Lord of the Nazgul himself. No Workers or Slavemasters
yet. For now, just head southwards to find the Elven Camp
meant in your objectives. The defense here is pathetic, you
should be able to deal with the Elf Warden and the archer,
otherwise you wouldn't have got through the first two levels
at all ;). Afterwards, kill the Workers here and destroy the
Camps to make some room for your own sinister settlement.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the Elven Camp
Now you several Workers and a few Slavemasters arrive. Have
one of those Slavemasters place a War Post near the valuable
resources, then make your Goblins construct a Goblin Hovel on
the newly corrupted terrain. Use three to build atop the well
a Slaughterhouse, and three to build a Smelter upon the ore
deposit. In the meanwhile train one more Goblin Worker from
the Hovel for building. Train another Slavemaster as well, to
increase population.
Start expanding your camp by ordering a Slavemaster to place a
War Post to the east of your current settlement. Build a
Fortress of Mordor near your Goblin Hovel, then a Tower on the
edge of the corrupted ground in the east. You should also
construct an Orc Mound and a Beast Lair near the Tower that
was mentioned earlier. Finally, construct a Dark Arsenal and
research the two upgrades for your Orcs there. No Savage
Influence :@
Note that you will probably have been attacked by now. These
attacks really are nothing to worry about, most of the time
they only consist of two Elf Wardens or a single Beorning in
Bear Form. Nonetheless, train some extra units to support your
defensive efforts. Put three Slavemasters and a Wraith in the
Tower to maximize its shot rate.
Upgrade your Fortress of Mordor to the second level and build
the remaining structures, which would be the Breeding Pit and
the Shadow Lair. Train one additional Wraith from your Shadow
Lair and research the upgrades for your Warg Riders at the
Breeding Pit.
In the meanwhile, you can start building a force for your own
sweeping. Make sure that it mostly consists of upgraded Orc
Slashers, and put in only small amounts of Bowmen and Warg
Riders. Train another Slavemaster to increase your population
to 60 slots. Fill it up entirely with military units, so you
have a nice, balanced army to attack with.
You will probably have earned two Fate Points or more by now
through defense. These can be spent on the Lord of the Nazgul
for the Shadow Walk ability, an ability that may prove very
useful in some later levels. It allows him to teleport himself
to any terrain corrupted by a War Post, taking any nearby
Black Riders and Wraiths with him instantly.
With your army at full health, march down the hill in the
east. You'll get to a place with some ruins, and unfortunately
it is guarded. Resistance here is minimal, kill the Beorning
first so it can't cast Healing Herbs on an ally. Heal if you
need to (probably not ;)... It might be wise to give a number
hotkey to your army now. Just select all units, hold Control
and press any number. Pressing that number in the future will
immediately select all of the units in this group at once.
Proceed to the east until you can't go any further. A small
cutscene should trigger in which you can see how Giant Spiders
are attacked by Elves and Rangers. It is up to you to save
them. Be quick here and try to rescue all of the spiders, the
Paralyze ability they possess makes them valuable support
units for your army. Heal, then head north until you arrive at
a body of water. Head northwest from here.
There are three enemy Towers ahead. With your force, it
shouldn't be much of a problem, nor the units assigned to
defend them. Just storm in, spread your units so all of the
Towers are attacked, and use your new Giant Spiders to stun
the units that try to make a stand. They should be teared down
in a matter of seconds, yet be careful not to lose to many
of your units. Now you probably WILL have to heal.
Further northwest lies the final enemy encampment. It isn't
protected very well. The only danger here is that your Wraiths
die before you have a chance to kill the cloaked hostile Elven
Archers, which will then turn invisible. This is a quite
annoying event, so be sure to use Vile Surge in case a lot of
your units, especially your Wraiths, are about to die. Bashing
all enemy structures in this camp will earn you victory.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Bring the Lord of the Nazgul through Mirkwood
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Darkness Returns
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 1050
"Arriving at Dol Guldur, the Lord of the Nazgul makes plans to
wipe the tower clean of the Elven intruders. Ancient temples
protect the tower, but the Nazgul will claim them in his
Master's name. Great suffering will befall those who oppose
him."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord/Nazgul -> Bind Shadow => 2 Fate
-> Shadow Walk => Available
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor => --Fortress of Mordor 3
War Post
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Tower
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
Beast Lair -> Warg Rider
-> Giant Spider
Shadow Lair -> Wraith
Dark Arsenal => --Serrated Blades
=> --Iron Fittings
=> Savage Influence
=> Raven Fletching
=> Poison Arrows
Breeding Pit => --Overwhelming Strength
=> --Ritual Scarring
=> --Spray Venom
Black Vault => Greater Perception
=> Darkness
=> Morgul Blade
---------------------------------------------------------------
This is the first level of the evil campaign that can really
pose a problem for you. As you can see at the beginning of the
level, your task is to capture five Places of Power in order
to prepare Dol Guldur for Sauron's return. It also shows that
the Elves know of your plans. You have only one objective in
this level:
- Take over the five Ancient Temples
Before putting anything down about this level, I want you all
to know that this level is all about hit'n run tactics. That
means that you must preserve your units by having them heal
after each great battle. I'm not going to say when you need
to heal, you will have to find that out for yourself.
As always, start off with resource structures and make sure
there are enough Goblin Workers gathering from them to ensure
a flowing income of food and ore. Then use one or two to build
structures. The first thing you should do is expand your camp
to the north with a Slavesmaster, then construct a Fortress of
Mordor. Upgrade it as soon as it is completed.
Now construct a Tower at the far west edge of your settlement.
You'll soon see why. Next thing you should construct is a
Breeding Pit and, after upgrading your Fortress of Mordor to
level three, a Black Vault. Finally, build a Shadow Lair. That
is right, you don't need an Orc Mound on this level, nor a
Dark Arsenal. For hit'n runs, Orcs are far too slow. I prefer
upgraded Warg Riders for such dirty work.
By now, you should have been attacked at least once by an
enemy heroic scout called Draelor. This guy is really, really
annoying: he cripples your forces, then flees once his health
reaches half of his maximum. DO NOT pursue him, he will lead
you right into a big Elf ambush. That's what you need the
Tower for, it will, when occupied by three Slavemasters and a
Wraith, decrease the time it takes to get him to half health.
If you really want to get rid of him, I suggest going up north
until you meet some Giant Spiders, which will join you. In the
meanwhile research Paralyze at the Breeding Pit. Once Draelor
attacks again, make sure to stun him with one of your spiders,
then kill him, so he won't bother you again. If you've got two
Fate Points from these encounters, spend them on the Bind
Shadow ability for the Lord of the Nazgul.
Now train a Wraith and turn him into a Black Rider each time
you have a Fate Point to spend. Try to summon the Nine this
time, it will help greatly in the later part of this scenario.
Take some of your forces up north and you will see the first
of the five Ancient Temples. Kill any units around it, be sure
to take a Wraith with you because some Elven Archers will
otherwise inflict needless losses. Once all enemies are dead,
a War Post automatically springs up from the ground near the
PoP. The temple is yours, now.
Train lots and lots of Slavemasters until your population
reaches 60 or more. This needs to be done in order to sustain
the needed troops for conquering all different temples.
Next, take some Warg Riders, some Black Riders, and the Lord
of the Nazgul through the western exit of your settlement. Go
to where the spiders were and head west from there: you should
arrive at a familiar spot. The place where you had to choose
between two paths in the "Pursuit of Gollum" scenario, in the
Good Side campaign. Take the southern path first, which will
lead you to the second Ancient Temple. There are some enemies
here, including cloaked Elves, so track back to your camp for
reinforcements whenever you see fit.
The enemies around the second temple should be easily defeated
as well. Now track back to the two roads and this time choose
the northern path. It will get you to another Place of Power,
though it isn't a temple. Still, destroy the Elven camp around
here and you will get an armor upgrade, as you now own the
Wretched Sentinel and its powers.
The third temple is up north from here. This time you'll have
to track back to your camp a long way because of those Elven
Archers, but it's worth it in the end. The other defenders
aren't numerous nor strong, so just crush them in the name of
the Dark Lord to seize control over the third Ancient Temple.
Remember to heal here, from now on resistance won't be so soft
anymore.
Before advancing to the next temple, have a Goblin Worker
build a Tower near the newly acquired Ancient Temple and put
a Wraith in there. You won't have to flee such a long way
before being able to deal with those archers. You should have
the Nine completed by now, otherwise you can forget about
conquering the northern temples.
Take your Nazgul northwest and you see another enemy camp,
only this time it is defended quite well, by Elven Archers,
Beornings, Wardens, and a Ballista Tower. For now, keep away
from the Tower and lure all enemies out of the settlement
before engaging it. Your Nazgul should tear it down quite
quickly because they're immune to knockback. Destroy the
remaining buildings in this camp as well, then heal.
Head northwest some more to find more enemies, including...
cloaked archers, what a suprise! They are easily disposed of.
Go east towards the fourth Ancient Temple and defeat the units
near it to shift control to you. Remember to lure out several
enemies to safer ground if you find yourself overwhelmed. Next
up is the big enemy encampment, so be VERY sure to heal and
train as much troops as you think are needed.
Before engaging the final camp, train some more Wraiths from
your camp and send them to the fourth temple: this way you
won't have to track back such a distance to deal with those
annoying cloaked foes. Carefully approach the enemy camp and
lure out the first enemies you see, leave the Ballista Tower
alone for now. Kill them on the corrupted ground around the
fourth Ancient Temple. Heal if you need to, then engage the
camp and let your Black Riders and the Lord of the Nazgul
destroy the Ballista Tower. Destroy the remaining buildings
here also and proceed northwest afterwards.
Take a Wraith with you here, because there are cloaked Elves.
If you have enough Fate it can also be fun to summon a Balrog
to the battlefield, which will automatically reveal any
hidden units assailing you. Kill the enemies around the last
temple to claim victory for the Minions.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Take over the five Ancient Temples
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Sweep of the Trollshaws
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 1999
"Sauron has sent Ringwraiths to the Trollshaws of Eriador. The
might of the Stone Trolls that reside in these highland moors
will make a powerful addition to the Dark Lord's army. The
Ringwraiths must 'convince' these Trolls to join the Master's
army."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
N/A -> N/A => N/A
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor => --Fortress of Mordor 4
War Post
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Tower
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
Beast Lair -> Warg Rider
-> Giant Spider
Shadow Lair -> Wraith
Dark Arsenal => --Serrated Blades
=> --Iron Fittings
=> Savage Influence
=> Raven Fletching
=> Poison Arrows
Breeding Pit => --Overwhelming Strength
=> --Ritual Scarring
=> --Spray Venom
Black Vault => Greater Perception
=> --Perpetual Darkness
=> Morgul Blade
* In the second part of the mission you may also construct a
Troll Den, and recruit Troll Bonecleavers and Stonehurlers.
Also, the Unstoppable Force, Target Practice, and Sweeping
Axe upgrades become available at that moment.
---------------------------------------------------------------
This level is fairly easy if you have some patience. It starts
off with a cutscene wherein the Trolls refuse to join with
Sauron's armies. Yet the Dark Lord demands obedience, and it's
up to you with the Nazgul to gain it from them. The starting
objectives:
- Subjugate the Trolls
=> Destroy the Western Troll Den
=> Destroy the Northern Troll Den
=> Destroy the Eastern Troll Den
=> Retain at least one Troll Bonecleaver
=> Retain at least one Troll Stonehurler
When you first start, don't be a fool to to train units. You
won't be attacked at all in the first part of this level, a
portion that does not stop until you have forced all of the
Trolls into submission. So, take it easy and train more Goblin
Workers and a Goblin Slavemaster from your Goblin Hovel. You
don't even have to build the resource structures, they are
already constructed for you. Put three Workers on food and
three on ore, preserve one to build buildings with.
Expand your settlement to the west by placing a War Post
there. Train more Slavemasters from your Hovel, and start the
construction of a Fortress of Mordor. Once it's finished,
upgrade it to the next level. The only thing you have to
build now is a Dark Arsenal. That's right, no Beast Lair or
other structures yet.
Upgrade your Fortress of Mordor two more times, so that it is
level 4. At the Dark Arsenal, research everything except for
Savage Influence, Goblin Frenzy, and Poison Arrows. Fire
Arrows are particularly important, and so is Raven Fletching.
While these things are being researched, train five Orc
Bowmen from your Orc Mound, and put at the north edge of your
camp. Also train some Orc Slashers, but keep them separated
from the archers.
You'll probably have resources left after that. Build a Black
Vault and go purchase the Morgul Blade upgrade for your Black
Riders there. Also build a Breeding Pit and research all
attack and armor upgrades. Though you don't need those now,
they become very helpful in the second part of the mission.
Train Slavemasters whenever you can: your population should
have reached 100 by the time we assault the Trolls.
Take your fully upgraded Orc Bowmen to the northeast, and head
up the cliff, which has only one walkable path. Keep to the
northern edge of this platform and you will see a Troll
Stonehurler. Kill it. Trust me, just kill it. Then sneak to
the Troll Den while you keep walking on the northern edge of
the cliff. Attack the Troll Den, it should come down quickly
with your Fire Arrows... unless it's raining, of course. Just
be sure not to let the Bonecleaver see you. As soon as the Den
is destroyed, a fresh Stonehurler pops out and the eastern
Trolls pledge allegiance to Lord Sauron.
Wait for your Bowmen to heal; if you lost one in fighting the
Stonehurler you can just train a new one from the Orc Mound.
Now head to the center cliff on the map. These are the
northern Trolls. This time, you'll have to keep to the west
edge of the cliff to avoid the Bonecleaver. You have to kill
another Stonehurler here, then set ablaze the Troll Den. Just
like the previous one, the Trolls will give up once it is
demolished and you will receive another Troll Stonehurler,
plus the Bonecleaver you retained.
Now it's time to build your army. But first, order your
Slavemasters (there should be nine of them right now) to place
a War Post near the resources of the Northern Troll Den. Then
order Goblin Workers to build a Goblin Hovel at the newly
corrupted landscape, and resource structures to start
harvesting food and ore again. This ensures a grand income of
resources, enough to build your army to a full population of
100.
Your army should be placed on the cliff belonging to the east
Trolls. Put the rally point from your Orc Mound to that
platform. Leave your camp undefended, each single military
unit pumped out should be on the eastern cliff. Start training
new Orc Bowmen and Orc Slashers from your Orc Mound and send
them to the army you already possess. It should consist mostly
of Orc Slashers, with a pack of Orc Bowmen, and of course the
Trolls you have subjugated. The Black Riders should be the
ones to lead your units into battle with their Morgul Blades.
Once it is all set up, your army covering all 100 population
slots, take two or three Orc Bowmen to the Western Troll Den.
You should know when you get there, the path is littered with
human and bestial skeletons. Now make sure both the
Bonecleaver and the Stonehurler are attacking you, then run
for the big army on the eastern hill. The Trolls should follow
you and run right into your army. Slay them without any
losses. Then send one Bowman, preferably the most damaged one,
to the Western Troll Den again to destroy the Trolls'
residence. Other units should remain on the eastern hill and
heal for the big battle. Once the last Troll Den is destroyed,
a Bonecleaver comes out and you get a new objective.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Subjugate the Trolls
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Test the Trolls
=> Destroy the encampment of Men
=> Destroy the encampment of Dwarves
Immediately select your giant army and direct them to the far
northeastern part of the map to find the Dwarven encampment.
They have a nice defense, consisting of lots of Dwarf Shield-
breakers, but they still aren't a match for your bulk of fully
upgraded troops. Kill the dwarves first, then destroy the two
Dwarf Halls over here to make sure they don't train any more
soldiers. Then go for the Stronghold: all buildings here
should go down quick with the Fire Arrows your archers have,
and the sheer power of the Trolls.
You camp should have been attacked by the Men now, but you can
just let them be. Hasten yourself to the far northwestern part
of the map, it's just a short trip west from the Dwarven camp.
Here is the camp of Men; it doesn't have many defenders but
they do have Towers. Go for the few defenders first, then the
Towers, and after that the training buildings (which are a
Barracks and a Ranger Post in the northwest). Next comes the
Stronghold: you can summon a Balrog if you've got enough Fate
right now, just for total dominion. Destroy this entire
encampment to complete the mission.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Test the Trolls
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Saruman's Uruk-Hai
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age
"Saruman is determined to create a new breed of warrior. The
strain of Orc will march undeterred by the daylight, and lead
Saruman's minions into battle. He calls upon the Haradrim to
clear the path through the forest home of the Wild Men."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Saruman -> Prison of Ice => Available
-> Invisible Force => 2 Fate
-> Pestilence => 3 Fate
-> Twisting Influence => 3 Fate
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fortress of Mordor => All available except
War Post for Morgul Blade
Goblin Hovel -> Goblin Worker
-> Goblin Spearman
-> Goblin Slavesmaster
Slaughterhouse
Smelter
Tower
Orc Mound -> Orc Slasher
-> Orc Bowman
-> *Uruk-Hai
Beast Lair -> Warg Rider
-> Giant Spider
Shadow Lair -> Wraith
-> Haradrim Slayer
Dark Arsenal
Breeding Pit
Black Vault
* You can train Uruk-Hai from the moment you have awakened one
from a cocoon.
---------------------------------------------------------------
A new hero is introduced in this level, and quite a powerful
one too: Saruman the Wise, the Ring-Maker, Wizard of Many
Colors. As you can see in an opening sequence the Orcs are too
cowardly to cross the Druadan Forest because of the Wild Men
that roam within. Therefore, Saruman has called upon the
Haradrim, invisible assassins, to clear the path of these
barbarians. So these are your starting objectives:
! Saruman must survive
- Kill the Wild Men of the Druadan Forest
Note that you can't train any units until you have completed
this objective succesfully. You start off with a substantial
amount of resources, which you should use on purchasing an
upgrade for your Fortress of Mordor as well as the Jagged
Point upgrade for your Haradrim Slayers. Once those are
researched, it's time to hunt some Men. You will be attacked
while doing all this, but the two Rangers who dare are easily
disposed of.
Direct your Slayers southeast and head southwards wherever
you can. You should meet a Ranger soon, just kill it. Once
you get to the forest, search it to find a big cross-like
piece of terrain. These are the barrows, which will be
referred to later in this walkthrough. West of here are all
of the Wild Men you have to kill (6). The only problem is
that there are two Rangers as well, and those barbarians are
ridiciously strong. So be sure to take the Rangers out first
or you will be in for asskicking. Once they are defeated,
Saruman will call forth his puny Orcs again.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Kill the Wild Men of the Druadan Forest
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Corrupt the barrows of the Wild Men
Don't go hurrying your Slavemasters to those barrows, just get
all of your units inside your base. Use your Goblin Workers to
set up resource structures as usual, and train more Slave-
masters when you have the chance. The next thing you should
build is an Orc Mound to the south of the Fortress of Mordor
to train Orc Slashers, which are needed to create Uruk-Hai.
All of your offensive and defensive army should be made up of
Haradrim Slayers, fully upgraded and invisible.
You'll need two forces in this scenario: one that will defend
your main camp, and one that will defens the developing Uruk-
Hai. The first one of these should consist of eight to ten
Haradrim Slayers. The latter should be much larger, with ten
to fifteen Slayers and Saruman. Note that you'll need a lot of
population slots for this, so train enough Slavemasters (my
pop cap was 96 when I finished the level). Build two Towers in
the southern part of your war camp and fill with Slavemasters
each one.
Now direct the group of Slayers and Saruman to the Pit: this
is the area which is marked by the White Hand. Keep the other
units at your main camp, then send one Slavemaster to place a
War Post at the Barrows. You should be able to cover all of
the Barrows with a single War Post. If you've done it right,
Saruman will congratulate you and reveals his plans to create
a new breed of warrior both Man and Orcish.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Corrupt the barrows of the Wild Men
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Make at least one Uruk-Hai
=> Move at least one Barrow-wight to the Pit
=> Move at least one Orc Slasher to the Pit
=> Protect at least one developing Uruk-Hai until it emerges
You could go and send each and every Barrow-wight that emerges
from the barrows directly to the pit, but I suggest to wait
until you have five, then send them to the Pit all at once.
The Orc Slashers you can train from your main camp, but be
careful because lots of enemies are loafing around on the map
right now. Send the Slashers to the Pit as well. As soon as
there is one Orc Slasher and one Barrow-wight in the Pit,
they'll mold into one. You now have five cocoon-like Uruk-Hai
on very low health.
The task here is simple: keep as many Uruk-Hai alive as you
possibly can. You don't need to protect all five, just make
sure at least three are going through the developing process
unharmed. It shouldn't be much of a problem with your Haradrim
Slayers and Saruman. Saruman should learn Invisible Force as
soon as he can by now, this can be helpful when trying to
knock the enemies away from your poorly armored Uruk-Hai.
Do not neglect your camp during this period, it will be under
attack as well, though not as heavily as the cocoons will.
Train more reinforcements as your units die on the field of
battle, and you should be fine. Wait until the Uruk-Hai
emerge, and you will get a new command from Saruman.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Make at least one Uruk-Hai
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Use the Uruk-Hai
=> Destroy the encampment of Elves
=> Destroy the encampment of Men
Immediately direct all of your forces at the Pit to your main
camp. If you haven't purchased Twisting Influence yet, now's
the best time to do it. Take all of your forces, including
camp defense and Saruman, to the east. You might meet an Elven
patrol here, but they are disposed of easily. You should reach
the Elf camp eventually.
This camp isn't very well defended. Kill all the units first,
then head for the training buildings, and after that the
Stronghold. Be sure to kill those Workers before they start
building new Elven Sanctuaries or Ranger Posts, or you can
start the whole thing over again. Overall, this shouldn't be
much of a hard battle, if a battle at all. Once the camp is
destroyed, a cutscene triggers, showing that the Huorns of the
forest have awakened... scary :O
Your encampment should be or have been attacked by now. Ignore
them, your Towers will be able to deal with the first wave of
Men. Instead, direct your forces southwest from the Elven camp
and you should meet the Huorns. Here is where Saruman comes
in: cast Twisting Influence on one of them to convert it to
your side, then use Prison of Ice to get another one out of
battle. That way, you should be able to deal with them with
very few losses.
Direct your force south, along the paved road. In the far
south lies the encampment of Men, which is hardly defended at
all. There are a few Towers, however, which you should destroy
first or they might kill Saruman, making you lose. After the
Towers are undone, it's very easy. Destroy any remaining
buildings to win this level.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Use the Uruk-Hai
[--> MISSION COMPLETED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Pass of Cirith Ungol
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 2000
"The Tower of Cirith Ungol - too long has it barred passage
into the lands of Men. Lord Sauron will be contained within
Mordor no longer. The Nazgul are sent forth to capture the
Tower and open the pass for the Dark Master's legions."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord/Nazgul -> Bind Shadow => Available
-> Shadow Walk => Available
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
Grishnakh* -> Explosive Trap => 2 Fate
-> Torch => Available
-> Speed of the Wolf => Available
Gollum* -> Sneak => 1 Fate
-> Surprise Attack => 1 Fate
-> Gollum's Mark => Available
* Hire from Fortress of Mordor
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
Now you're the Lord of the Nazgul again. You need to clear the
pass of Cirith Ungol to make way for Sauron's armies. Name
sounds familiar? Yes, it's where the big, black, mean spider
named Shelob lives. You can set her loose if you want to, but
you mainly have to focus on capturing the Tower that has
confined Sauron into Mordor for 'too long'. Here are your
objectives:
- Capture Cirith Ungol
=> Capture the Tower of Cirith Ungol
=> Destroy the Army of Gondor's encampment
- (OPTIONAL) Release the terror of Shelob
You start off with an encampment to the northeast of the map,
commanding a small Orc army, the Lord of the Nazgul, and some
Workers. First set up the resource gathering process, you
should know how to do it by now. Ensure a good income and
upgrade your Fortress of Mordor to level three. Build two
Towers as quickly as you can, one in the southwest and one in
the southeast of your settlement. Train more Slavemasters and
put them in the Towers, but make sure you keep at least one
spot empty in each of them.
You only need to build two more buildings now: a Shadow Lair
and a Black Vault. Once the Shadow Lair is completed, train a
Wraith for each Tower in your camp. Fill up the rest of your
population with only Haradrim Slayers, and give them the
Assassin's Cloak upgrade from the Black Vault. Upgrade your
Fortress of Mordor to the final level, then get every attack
and armor upgrade for your Haradrim.
Attacks on your camp in this level will arrive from three
directions: the southwest, south, and southeast. It is best to
keep your force fixed in the south of your settlement, then
prepare for battle quickly as your Towers spot the incoming
enemies. These will range from Huorns to cloaked Elven
Archers, they're giving you everything they've got. It should
not be too much of a problem with your force though. You only
need to make sure that if there are any Huorns around, you
send the Lord of the Nazgul to them. Huorns have a high armor
rating, but will go down a lot more quickly if the Lord
affects them with Aura of Weakness.
When you have a force of ten or more Haradrim Slayers with all
upgrades except for Poison Dart researched for them, this is
in addition to your defense force, move south with them. You
might want to evade the road, as you can run into enemy
armies and take needless losses. At this point, building a
Breeding Pit is pretty useful. Research Paralyze in it once
it's completed. You'll soon see why.
Back to your Haradrim. If you've already explored the area,
you probably have noticed the green-looking eggs scattered
over the environment. Those are spider-eggs, and you can make
them burst open by right-clicking on them with any unit. The
Giant Spider within will then join you, which will prove very
useful in base defense should you have Paralyze researched.
Free as many spiders as you can, they're all for free, and
send them directly to your base. Evading the road, of course.
Now head back to the road and follow it southwest and then
west. You'll see an enemy outpost consisting of two Towers.
This is basically free Fate: they seemingly have forgotten to
place Rangers inside ;P So, raze them and direct your troops
over the bridge. At the end of the bridge, it's the same
story, even though there are two Huorns here as well (and
they can't see you either).
Now follow the road further west and take the north road when
you can. You'll see a webbed up Ranger. Kill him. A cutscene
will take place in which Shelob comes out of her cave, and she
looks pissed!
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Release the terror of Shelob
Be careful here, Shelob will attack your units as well as your
enemies, though she prefers good guys more than Orcs or
Haradrim. Lure her to the next Tower and if she survives that,
to the human camp in the south. This camp ain't no fun, it's
quite hard to destroy, but not impossible.
March into the camp from any direction you like: there are a
lot of Towers on either side. If you're unlucky, you might
encounter a Ballista Tower with a Ranger in it. Summon a
Balrog if you have seven Fate Points, it will help straighten
things even a bit. The first thing you should go for are the
Rangers, then the Towers (which might have Rangers inside
them). After that, destroy the Ranger Post ASAP.
If you did this all quickly enough you might be able to take
the settlement on first try. Don't be disappointed if you
don't succeed in that. Just build a new force of Haradrim and
attack again very soon. After the Ranger Post is down, just
raze all of the training buildings, and finally the vital
Stronghold. Your forces have presumably already killed all of
the Workers. If not, do it now and destroy all camps as well.
Now the first and hardest part of the main quest is completed.
Now you can go back to your base to train reinforcements, do
anything you like, because you won't be attacked anymore once
the enemy encampment is destroyed. I suggest training a very
large force of Haradrim again. Should you need more resources,
there is another Well and Ore Deposit directly south of your
settlement. When you think your force of invisible assassins
is large enough, head west again, over the bridge.
Take the second, northward road you encounter. Follow it and
you should see the Tower of Cirith Ungol. Step back once the
troops have seen you: there is a Ranger in the Ballista Tower.
Now, the second Ranger will probably pursue your force, and
with him a lot of enemies. Focus on killing the Ranger first
and then slaughter the rest of them, this isn't that hard.
Next, heal if you want to, then attack the Tower. There are
some Huorns around here but if you kill the Ranger that pops
out ASAP they won't really pose much of a threat. One thing
you should beware of is Tree Form though: this will bind your
Haradrim to the ground while the Tower shoots them. But if you
move quickly, they won't stand a chance.
Victory is now just about certain. Direct your Haradrim into
the courtyard and lead them to the top-right corner of this
greyish square. There are some Elven Lightbearers upon the
Tower itself, but they can't see you since there are no
Rangers around anymore. Kill the Swordsmen near the Place of
Power to finish the good guys of, capturing the Tower for the
Dark Lord's own uses...
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Capture Cirith Ungol
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A Hidden Plan
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 3018
"The nation of Rohan will soon fall to the might of the Dark
Lord. Sauron's armies sweep across the landscape, laying waste
to any settlements they encounter. One such settlement,
Upbourn, is of particular interest. The leader of the Upbourn
garrison, Wulfhelm, plans a strong retaliation against the
attackers. A Haradrim warrior has been charged with killing
Wulfhelm, and conquering the town."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Saleme -> Poison Trap => 2 Fate
-> Blood Mark => 3 Fate
-> Serpent Blades => Available
Lord/Nazgul* -> Bind Shadow => Available
-> Shadow Walk => Available
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
Grishnakh* -> Explosive Trap => Available
-> Torch => Available
-> Speed of the Wolf => Available
Gollum* -> Sneak => Available
-> Surprise Attack => Available
-> Gollum's Mark => Available
* Hire from Fortress of Mordor
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Francis Estoesta has a tip to easen this level:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This goes for all cinematics. If you cancel out the cinematic
before your units (in this level some of the Orcs) are killed
you get to keep them, which may prove quite useful.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
With this level comes a new hero: the famous Haradrim huntress
best known as Saleme. She's a quite powerful long-range unit
with abilities to support an entire army. In the opening
cutscene, you can see how cowardly Orcs are about to run from
Upbourn, and then they are attacked. Fortunately, Saleme and
her warriors come to the rescue. She gives the Orcs a harsh
reprimande and tells you what to do, making your objectives
clear:
- Capture Upbourn by assassinating Wulfhelm, or through brute force
- Destroy the enemy encampment that is guarding Upbourn
You start out with a fairly large encampment and an army, led
by Saleme. The first thing you should do, of course, is set up
your resource structures and put enough Workers on each one to
ensure a steady income of food and ore. Afterwards, use your
Workers to put two or three Towers near your borders so that
the western, northwestern, and southwestern exits are all
protected. Believe me, you will need them a lot. Spread your
Slavemasters over the Towers, and make sure to put a Wraith in
each one.
Next use a Worker to build a Black Vault, and after that set
him to work on harvesting resources again. Upgrade your
Fortress of Mordor and create more Haradrim Slayers from your
Shadow Lair to assist in defense for now. In the Black Vault,
research the Assassin's Cloak upgrade ASAP, then the attack
and armor upgrades for your Haradrim. In order to get them
all, you'll have to upgrade your Fortress of Mordor to level
5, remember that.
All attacks in this level will come from the west, so position
your army there. The only problem is that your camp is far too
big to keep track off all defenses at one time. Fortunately,
you've placed Towers there that will spot incoming enemy
forces from afar. Watch out when you are attacked from
multiple sides, this might seem a bit overwhelming, but keep
your force fixed and you should be able to slay them without
suffering lots of casualties.
Start training more Haradrim Slayers, and more Slavemasters to
get the needed population capacity. Put those in the Towers as
much as you can, leave others in the middle of your camp,
defended from enemies. Having a 100 population on this level
is very possible. Pump up your defenses some more, but make
sure you have at least 12 fully upgraded Haradrim Slayers
(preferably more) to mount an attack on the Upbourn settlement.
You can also hire Gollum from your Fortress of Mordor for some
scouting around the hostile camp.
Direct your Haradrim offense to the west, wading through the
river. Now head to the far west of the map, until you can't go
any further. Be careful not to be spotted by too many enemies.
Heal if you need to once you get to the previously mentioned
spot. Now, you can use Gollum again to scout out the place,
and you might even find yourself a Place of Power. It's time
to raze the enemy encampment now.
This is by far the best defended camp you have encountered so
far. It has only one weak spot, if you could call it one: the
northwestern side of the camp is defended by only one, fully-
manned tower (with a Ranger), but this can be evaded. Take
your Haradrim Slayers through the pass north of their current
position and follow the western cliff, until you get to the
Camps of the enemy. Raze them, so you get more Fate Points.
Attack the Tower once it sees you and kill the Ranger within
to stop enemies from hurting you.
Once you have seven Fate Points collected, this is a good time
to summon a Balrog to aid you. Make sure the giant goes for
the Towers with Rangers in them first, then let it dispatch of
other buildings and units. Do as much damage as you can before
it sinks into the ground again. If the Ranger Post is kaputt
and there are no more Rangers around, the camp is pretty much
dead meat, as they cannot see your Slayers anymore. So, raze
it to the ground.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Destroy the enemy encampment that is guarding Upbourn
The hardest part of this mission is over. Now that the enemy
camp is razed, there won't be any attacks on your settlement
anymore. Take all of the Haradrim that were defending your
camp to the rest of your Haradrim force in the west as
reinforcements. Make sure every Haradrim is healed, then move
to the city gate. There is a Ranger here, so focus all your
offensive power on him before you try and kill the others.
When they're dead, enter Upbourn. You have two choices here:
go west or go east. Go west, and you will encounter some
Riders of Rohan and Elven Archers on a ledge. They are easily
disposed of because they don't have any Rangers to help them
out. Proceed up north and you will encounter more forces, kill
them all (no Rangers either). Now make your force stand still,
and separate one or two Haradrim Slayers from the rest,
preferably with full health.
SAVE YOUR GAME!
Watch at Wulfhelm's area. He is guarded by two Rangers with
the Eagle Eye upgrade, so you need to be very careful. Once
the last Ranger departs for his patrol-round start moving
towards Wulfhelm with your assassin(s) and attack him. DO NOT
attack any other enemies along the way, they can't see you
anyway and you don't have any time to spare. Don't hesitate
either, you have plenty of time to kill Wulfhelm. Once this
is done, this mission will end in a victory for you.
Note: if you didn't manage to kill Wulfhelm, you could either
kill every single enemy in the city, or reload the game. I
suggest doing the latter: this city is packed with Rangers and
it will take very long to take them all out. It will take less
time to try and take Wulfhelm out three or four times, trust
me on that.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Capture Upbourn by assassinating Wulfhelm, or through brute force
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Morgul-Road
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
INTRO:
Third Age 2000
"After capturing the Tower of Cirith Ungol, the Dark Lord's
army presses west along the Morgul-Road toward Minas Ithil.
Scouts have reported a large force of Gondor fighters fleeing
along the road. The cowards have been cut off by a troop of
Orcs that had marched ahead. The army of Mordor will show no
mercy to these weak Men of Gondor."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord/Nazgul -> Bind Shadow => Available
-> Shadow Walk => Available
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
Grishnakh* -> Explosive Trap => Available
-> Torch => Available
-> Speed of the Wolf => Available
* Hire from Fortress of Mordor
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, this level can be so much fun if you know how to play it.
It involves an attack with two different armies, your own and
a computer-lead force, which has an allied general named
Grosh. The Uruk-Hai in the opening cutscene tells you what to
do, and after disposing of a little resistance among the Orc
grunts, the army and the Lord of the Nazgul head over to their
camp. So, your objectives would be:
- Help Grosh's army destroy the enemy encampment to the west
- (OPTIONAL) Find the archer's perch behind the enemy encampment
You start off with a large army and a small camp. First,
position all of your melee fighters, including the Lord of the
Nazgul, to the southwestern border of your camp. Put all of
your archers on the north edge. Now set up your resource
buildings and get a sufficient amount of Workers on each. You
may also train another Slavemaster and upgrade your Fortress
of Mordor.
Next, build a Tower on the far northwestern edge of your camp,
and man it with your Slavemasters. Also construct an Orc
Mound, a Shadow Lair, and a Black Vault. When you have enough
resources, upgrade your Fortress again and train additional
Uruk-Hai from your Orc Mound. Set the Orc Mound's rally point
near the archers you already possess.
This map is very straightforward: there is only one big road,
leading to the west, with a cliff on either side. When you
exit your camp to the west you will encounter a barricade.
Don't destroy it yet. Instead, wait until you have a very
large force (100 full population slots). This way, you won't
be attacked by melee units from the enemy encampment. There
will be, however, Elves which shoot arrows at your camp from
the northern cliff. Fortunately, you have a Tower and a lot
of archers there, so they won't be much of a problem.
Now, for building up a force. Make sure you have your pop cap
maxed out by recruiting more Slavemasters, then start training
equal amounts of Uruk-Hai and Haradrim Slayers. Of all the
different strategies for this level, I find this one the least
costly: both units receive attack and armor increasement from
identical upgrades, at the Black Vault. Put the Haradrim near
the rest of your melee forces in the southwestern part of the
camp, and Uruk-Hai should be moved to the other archers.
At the Black Vault, purchase all upgrades for your Haradrim
and Uruk-Hai except for Poison Dart. This will make defending
against the Elves a breeze as well. Note that you need to
upgrade your Fortress of Mordor once more, to level five, to
be able to purchase all upgrades (Barbed Point and Dark Mail).
You can buy more upgrades if you want, but make sure you have
the ones stated above before researching any other.
Once you have your pop cap maxed out, it's time to get your
forces together and move west. Destroy any enemies and the
barricade you encounter, you can use your Uruk-Hai to take out
the archers on the cliff. Make sure you keep your force fixed
at all times and you can hardly lose this level. Don't use any
Fate Points yet, you'll get to use them enough once you reach
the true enemy encampment.
Notice that you will encounter Grosh's companions several
times along the Morgul-Road, fighting the enemy. If you save
them all before they die, they will join you, no matter your
current population. This way, I've been able to get a pop
of 126! I won't put down all of the places you encounter them,
you can hardly miss them since the path is straight.
When encountering enemies while on the road, always take the
Rangers out first, then the archers, then the rest. This will
make things a lot quicker since your big army of Haradrim
can't be seen anymore. You can also make use of the "Haradrim
and Uruk-Hai Offense" strategy (8.7 Evil-Only Strategies) to
decimate foes quickly. This needs a lot of micromanagement,
however, and should not be used here unless you have used it
before and know its ways.
Eventually you should reach a point where you have to choose
between two roads. Choose the northern one, gather all your
archers, and walk it through to complete an objective. This
is the archer's perch, you see, and finding it means you get
five Fate Points!
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Find the archer's perch behind the enemy encampment
From here, this camp might look a little tough. However, since
you have a nice LOS into this camp and a huge amount of Fate
Points, summon a Balrog. Have it attack all of the Towers
first, then the Ranger Post and preferably the Stronghold. The
Towers still have the highest priority, though. You can use
your archers on the perch to destroy any nearby buildings. Once
you have done as much damage as you can, assemble all of your
forces and this time take the southern road.
There will be a barricade again, and pretty well defended. But,
since you simply have a giant army by now, it shouldn't be much
of a problem. Destroy the barricade, then head further west and
kill any enemies you encounter. There are a lot of them around
but your numbers are just too overwhelming for them. Now attack
the camp, and you will receive help from Grosh's "army". A
couple of Warg Riders and Orc Slashers... Well, it's better
than nothing.
Raze the camp completely, this isn't hard at all. There is no
resistance left since your Balrog and archers killed all of
them earlier. Just finish their job by destroying each and
every enemy building over here. I summoned my second Balrog,
just for fun. Once it's down, you'll be rewarded with victory.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Help Grosh's army destroy the enemy encampment to the west
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Sacking of Minas Ithil
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
INTRO:
Third Age 2002
"Built by Isildur, Minas Ithil is the sister city of Minas
Anor, a fortress of Men, and home to one of the palantiri. The
people of Minas Ithil have managed to survive a siege by the
Nazgul for two long years. Now, however, the time has come for
Minas Ithil and the palantir to fall into the hands of the
Dark Lord."
---------------------------------------------------------------
HEROES ABILITIES STATUS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord/Nazgul* -> Bind Shadow => Available
-> Shadow Walk => Available
-> Aura of Weakness => Available
-> Ringsight => Available
Gollum* -> Sneak => Available
-> Surprise Attack => Available
-> Gollum's Mark => Available
Saleme* -> Poison Trap => Available
-> Blood Mark => Available
-> Serpent Blades => Available
Grishnakh* -> Explosive Trap => Available
-> Torch => Available
-> Speed of the Wolf => Available
Saruman* -> Prison of Ice => Available
-> Invisible Force => Available
-> Pestilence => Available
-> Twisting Influence => Available
* Hire from Fortress of Mordor
---------------------------------------------------------------
BUILDINGS UNITS UPGRADES
---------------------------------------------------------------
All Available-> All Available => All Available
---------------------------------------------------------------
Before I start anything here, I have to say that I find it
EXTREMELY hard to write a good walkthrough for this level. It
is just so annoying at times, and there are a lot of different
strategies to use. You could use any combo you wish, from my
Evil-Only Strategies section for example, or your own. I will,
however, list a few useful tips that can help a lot in defense
and offense. Sorry for all of you looking for a step-by-step
walkthrough...
In the opening cutscene, you can see the Lord of the Nazgul
talk to his Black Riders about ripping the hearts of their
enemies out of their bodies and things like that... pretty
much the usual when playing the Minions of Sauron. All he says
is shown in your objectives:
- Capture Minas Ithil
=> Destroy the three enemy encampments
=> Corrupt the Tower of the Moon with War Posts
It's actually a simple order, though by no means easy. Start
off by expanding your camp to the west with one of your
Slavemasters and set up your resource management in the
meanwhile. Build a Fortress of Mordor in the south, and then
one or two Towers in the north to assist in defense. Your
Nazgul will be able to take on the first few attackers, but
once the heavy troops arrive, you'd better have an army
ready to deflect them.
First of all, take the Lord of the Nazgul to the far east of
the map, here is a great position for another camp, remember
that for later, but more important: there is the Dragon Skull.
This great Place of Power will greatly lower the costs of the
upgrades you purchase. Very important in this level.
Upgrade your Fortress of Mordor to gain access to all of the
buildings, and build the structures you need for your own
strategy. In my case, that would be a Shadow Lair and a Black
Vault (for Haradrim, Wraiths for my Towers, and to upgrade the
Black Riders). Man your Towers like usual: three Slavemasters
and one Wraith each. Start training an army to assist in
defense, and make sure to research the Morgul Blade ability
for your Black Riders. This will aid you well in defending.
Attacks in this level will come from two directions, the
northeast and the west. Position your army in the north, near
your Towers. Notice that there will be far more attacks from
the northeast than from the west. However, the assaults coming
from the west incorporate a lot more units than the usual
attacks. Keep your force fixed to beat them back, and keep
training more of your champion-units. Upgrade them to the max,
then start creating an army for offense. Train more
Slavemasters as you will need a lot of population to create
all these units.
Take your offensive force (mine consisted of 15-20 Haradrim
Slayers, fully upgraded and thus invisible) west until you get
to a road that leads to the north. Follow it up, wade through
the water and you will see some trees with a Tower. It would
be unwise to attack right away, instead circle around the camp
until you find a place without many Rangers and attack there.
This will probably be the northwestern side of the camp. I'm
not saying this will work on first try, but if you keep cool
and kill all of the Rangers first, you should be able to deal
a lot of damage. Note that Rangers will often flee into
Towers once you arrive, which is disadvantageous for cloaked
troops. Try to kill them before they reach one.
Once the first camp is down, you can rest a bit, but you'll
have to keep training reinforcements. As you might have
already seen, there is a heavily guarded enemy outpost south-
east from the camp you just destroyed. Leave it for now,
instead train more of your offensive units (Haradrim for me)
and send them to the rest of your army. Head into Minas Ithil.
The next camp is slightly easier than the last one: less
Towers and less defenders, though there are some annoying
Rangers around again. Nonetheless, this is a breeze compared
to what you're going to face in the third camp. Use the same
strategies as before, although you can't circle around this
one. Raze it to the ground and you can wait and heal again.
Train reinforcements as you see fit. Don't use the Fate Points
you've gathered yet, instead keep training offensive units so
that you have about 20-25.
Make your way through the ruins of Minas Ithil. In the middle,
you will find a Place of Power that will certainly help you in
the next assault. Continue further east and there it is: the
final encampment. You'll have a difficult time here, they have
a lot of Ballista Towers with Rangers in them. However, if you
attack from the south, you might be able to take down the
Stronghold without a Ranger seeing you. Once you have enough
Fate Points, summon a Balrog.
The Balrog's power is very helpful here, just make sure you
take out all Towers and Rangers before he disappears again. In
the meanwhile, send your offensive force to destroy the enemy
training buildings. This is a big camp, maybe it is better to
have the Balrog attack each building ONE time, so they are set
ablaze, then move it on to the next. Once the Towers are gone,
you will have a fairly easy time razing the rest of the camp.
Once it's gone, be glad. You've made it through the hardest
part of the level.
You can take it easy from now on, there will be no attacks on
your camp anymore, so explore everything you want. If you ran
out of resources, this is the best moment to set up an
additional camp near the Dragon Skull mentioned earlier.
Prepare a very large force for an attack on the Tower itself,
consisting of your favourite combos. I used the "Haradrim and
Uruk-Hai Offense" strategy when I attacked the Tower.
When you think you have enough men, direct your entire force
towards Minas Ithil. Head towards the Tower, there is only one
way to get there, and it is guarded by a pair of Ballista
Towers and a lot of units. Attack them, and go for their
Beornings first. That way, the enemy units cannot be healed.
Focus on crushing all resistance as quickly as possible, so
make good use of your units' abilities (like the Uruk-Hai's
Knockback Arrows). The Towers should be destroyed too, of
course.
Now position your entire army near the entrance of the Tower
of the Moon, and take five Slavemasters from your Towers. Send
them to the Tower. Position one near each of the Flags of
Gondor that surround the Tower. Try to place all War Posts as
quickly as possible, because once you place one, Swordsmen
will storm out of the Tower, aiming directly at your War
Posts. Teaming your Slavemasters by number helps. Try to kill
all Swordsmen with your army before they do a lot of damage.
Once the Tower is corrupted, you will gain a new objective.
NEW OBJECTIVE:
- Bring the Lord of the Nazgul to the Tower
If he's already there, just position him in front of the
entrance to the new Tower of Sorcery, Minas Morgul. Otherwise,
just Shadow Walk him over there, then bring him to the Tower.
He will claim the palantir for Lord Sauron.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Bring the Lord of the Nazgul to the Tower
Now, if you have already destroyed the outpost near the first
encampment you will be victorious. If not, raze that outpost
now, it's pretty well defended but with your army it shouldn't
be too much of a problem. There are some Huorns as well as
Ballista Towers. Once this is done, you will have won this
last, difficult Evil campaign scenario. Satisfied?
OBJECTIVE COMPLETED:
- Capture Minas Ithil
[--> MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <--]
Congratulations, you beat the Evil Campaign!
-- That's it for the guide :')
-- I hope it helped all of you.
For their help creating this FAQ, I'd like to thank:
- CJayC, for taking care of GameFAQs for every hungry gamer on earth. I
didn't put him in earlier, but I've noticed that he works very, very hard
to keep up the good job.
- J.R.R. Tolkien, for creating the epic story "The Lord of the Rings"
- Liquid Entertainment, for developing this game
- Rick R., for giving me some hints on the Minas Morgul level (though he
didn't actually know he did...)
- SThomas1317, for submitting the "Super Offense" strategy in the "Evil-Only
Strategies" section. Also for the "Stonehurler Death Trap" strategy which
can also be found there.
- Gene Y. AKA grenka, for contributing an alternate strategy for "The Pass
of Cirith Gorgor" level and for enhancing the "Haradrim & Uruk-Hai Offense"
strategy
- Manuel Vega 182002, for inspiring me to expand the "Places of Power"
section.
- Aragorn1913, for contributing the "Hordes of Mordor" strategy, which can
be found in the "Evil-Only Strategies" section. Also pointed out a
mistake to me in the evil section.
- Tyler AKA Morgawr2, for pointing out that you can also show previously
spoken dialogue via the objectives menu.
- Christo Acheson AKA seaspray_68, for contributing the "Warped Retreat"
strategy, which can be found in the "Evil-Only Strategies" section. He
also had a useful tip for defending the catapult in the good campaign,
"The Siege of the Iron Hills" scenario.
- Ryan, for contributing the "Elven-Rohirrim Crush" strategy, which can
be found in the "Good-Only Strategies" section. Finally, someone who
contributes for the good side... thanx Ryan.
- Telcontar590, for contributing the "Easy Elimination" strategy, which
can be found in the "Good-Only Strategies" section. Also for giving the
"Place of Power Protection" strategy for the "Evil-Only Strategies".
- Francis Estoesta, for giving helpful tips on cinematics: sometimes, your
troops die in the movie and thus you lose them. Cancelling the movie
will allow you to keep those units... very helpful indeed.
- Scott McCall, for contributing the "Concealed Annihilation" strategy,
which can be found in the "Good-Only Strategies" section. It works
especially well in Mirkwood missions, according to him.
