Rescuing prisoners should be a high priority in the game. Without the prisoners of the realms
at your side, your quest for the Blood March will be your last quest! Rescued prisoners are
initially under your command but do not owe you allegiance since they have not been recruited
to join your Alliance. While their allegiance is to their home realm, rescued prisoners will
be under your command in battle against the Wolfheart. Rescued characters are quite important
due to the fact that they are able to recruit from all the Castles and Citadels that carry
their realms standard.
-SMART RESCUING
First and Foremost, leave Coreleth of Corelay and Arin Lord Blood in the Dark Citadel of
Maranor until all the prisoners are rescued. If you rescue the characters early in the game,
they will no longer be able to re-enter the dungeons and rescue characters. Early in the game
it is best to take direct control of one of the characters and lead them through the Dark
Citadel. Since the AI will randomly pick routes through the Dungeon intersection and will many
times completly miss a prisoner. The dungeon has a main route that can easily be identified by
it's similarly textured ceiling, floor, and walls. Searching all corridors that branch from the
main route is the best way to locate prisoners. You need to be methodical in your search, as
finding prisoners isn't the easiest of tasks. A good idea might be to draw a dungeon map to
aid you in a through search of the Dark Citadel.
-RECRUITING SYSTEM
Recruiting works on a point based system, based on the recruiter and Non-Player Character's
(NPC's) personality attributes. There are 64 personality attributes within the game, 32 good,
32 bad. For every attribut that the recruiter and the NPC have in common, such as Loyal vs.
Loyal, 1 point is added towards the total. For every attribute that is in opposite, such as
Brave vs. Cowardly, 1 point is subtracted from the total. Attributes that have nothing in
common with will be counted as no points.
The recruiter must have 2 points in his or her favor to bring the NPC around to his or her
cause. If the prisoner from the NPC's realm has alredy been rescued from the Dark Citadel, you
will only need 1 point in order to recruit that character. However, if the total amounts to 0
points, the NPC will refuse to be recruited. If at the end of the point calculation, the total
is negative (-1 or lower), the NPC will be offended, and will attack the recruiter. If an NPC
you are trying to recrit is being difficult, you may have to find another NPC that you are able
to recruit. This other recruit may be able to recruit the original NPC you wanted. Who you
recruit into your Alliance is a large part of the game's strategy and may ultimatly determine
your success or failure in the game.
-SMART RECRUITING
The smart thing to do is look at the personalities of the recruiter and the possible prospect
for your cause. Add the points up, (remember to factor in the status of the prisoners) and you
will safely be able to see what the probable outcome of your recruit attempt.
Your first selection for reruiting should be the lords of the Citadels in the realms surronding
your start position. This will gain you an instant flow of troops since Citadels attract troops
at double the rate of Castles.
-COMBAT
Intelligent combat is the key to victory in warfare. If your character or fellowship's army
outmatches that of an enemy NPC and your are not skilled in manual combat, then the best
strategy is to set the game to Time Race On. The computer AI will then go through a series of
combat routines that will often achieve victory for your army. Your chances for success are
greater if your have a large aremy. Even if victorious, you must expect your army to take
casualties. If your army is smaller (or if you are skilled in manual combat) then manual combat
is the best strategy. In manual combat you control the actions of your character, swinging your
sword and parrying attacks. Often, manual combat results in your army taking less casualties
than when you allow the AI to direct your army's attacks. Additional factors into your success
in combat are Artifacts, Castles and Ctiadels and Character Personalities.
Artifacts can add or subtract bonuses to combat, depending on the tiem that is being wielded
and who is wielding it.
Casltes and Citadels add bonuses to defense while troops occupy them. Castels and Citadels
either triple or quadruple, respectively, the amount of troops garrisoned within them (e.g.
The Citadel of Beomir has 500 troops within it's walls. If the Ctiadel is attacked the troops
will defend as if they were 2,000 troops).
Character personalities play a part in combat also. A hero on a whole is more combat orientated
than a warrior. A character that has Mighty Warrior as a personality attribute fights with the
combat strength of 100 troops. However, if a character has Feeble Warror as a personality
attribute, they fight with the strength of 25 troops. All other characters fight with the
strenght of 50 troops in combat.
-SMART COMBAT
Learning manual combat should be one of your first goals. In the long run, it will save you
troops and make combat easier throughout the game. If you outnumber an enemy by 3 to 1, odds
are that the AI will win the battle for you.
When dealing with the defense of Keeps and Boroth the Wolfheart, the best tactic is to withdraw
all troops garrisoned within a Keep before Boroth and his army. Better to retreat and return to
fight another day than to die in vain against unbeatable enemies.
-PATHS TO POWER AND GLORY
Here are some proven victory stratagies
THE DOUBLE PLAY
Have a character with a large amount of troops take over the suronding Castles and Citaels. As
time goes on the Castles and Citadels that the character has taken over will begin to attract
troops to your standard. Have another character of your alliance follow in your wake, stopping
at each Castle and Citadel, recruiting all the troops garrisoned there. This tactic will
steadily increase the size of your character's armies.
CAT AND MOUSE
Boroth the Wolfheart will systematically take over every Castle and Citadel within a realm. He
will only leave to rage across another realm when he has secured his holdings. Once way to keep
him occupied is to gather a foce large enough and follow Boroth the Wolfheart through his
rampage. As he seizes a Keep and moves on towards another, you recapture it. In this way you
can keep Boroth in one realm while your Alliance travels across the Blood March recruiting
enough troops to remove the blight of Boroth from the land.
TAKING THE THRONE
Attacking Boroth the Wolfheart in the Blood March will cost you many needless losses since
Boroth is returned as a wraith in the Dark Citadel and is once again defended by a horde of
troops with the defense bonus of Citadels. Your best tactic is to march with 35,000+ troops,
all the artifacts, and a Mighty Warrior as your Fellowship Leader to the Dark Citadel of
Maranor and seize it. Once you seize the Dakr Citadel, garrison it with Alliance troops. Boroth
the Wolfheart will then return to reclaim his lost Citadel. In the ensuing combat your Alliance
army will recieve the defense bonus for the Dark Ctiadel of Maranor and should be able to
defeat Boroth.
Well that is it ...
Good luck in your quests!
Tips: Nathan Caroland - Domark Testing Department
For further information on Lords of Midnight call 415-513-8933 or send email to
techsupp@domark.com.
