@----------------------------------------------------------------------------@
! Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic !
! Lord of the Rings mod (by Blackrose) !
! !
! MOD GUIDE !
! !
! by coineineagh !
! version 0.1 !
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Table Of Contents:
1. INTRODUCTION
- Download links
2. WHAT TO EXPECT
3. STRATEGY
4. TACTICS
5. THE WIZARDS
- Sauron
- Elrond
- Dain
- Saruman
- Denethor
- Theoden
- Galadriel
- King of Harad
6. MAGIC
- Elven Sphere (Life)
- Human Sphere (Water)
- Dwarven Sphere (Earth)
- Sauron's Sphere (Death)
- Saruman's Sphere (Air)
- Haradrim Sphere (Fire)
7. FRIENDLY UNITS
- Overview
- The Fellowship
- The Allies
- The Dwarves
- Elven Nations
- Forodwaiths
- Gondorian
- Hobits
- Rohirrim
8. ENEMY UNITS
- Overview
- Balrogs
- Dragons
- Evil misc. / Other
- Haradrim
- Orcs
- Uruks
- Undead
9. VERSION INFORMATION
___________________________________________________________________________
DISCLAIMERS
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any website or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
website or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright. This document may not be bought or sold, or used in
any way for profitable gain.
This FAQ is authorized to be hosted on the following websites:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.gamespot.com
www.neoseeker.com
This guide is copyright 2014 by Thomas de Jong, e.g. coineineagh.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
___________________________________________________________________________
<3 <3 <3
Dedicated to my wife Suby, my son Owen, and our new arrival Andy!
<3 <3 <3
{1} INTRODUCTION
----------------
Whenever I feel the need to create an overview of information in a worthwhile
game, I often end up expanding my activities into a FAQ or guide of sorts. So,
this guide to a 10-year-old modded scenario for an even older game is born. It
may be of little interest to people now that Age of Wonders III is out, though
it might just usher in a bit of a revival of the game and mod. The level of
detail in this mod is truly astounding, and the Lord of the Rings atmosphere has
been so successfully produced, that it is worth playing even after so long.
This guide will contain abundant SPOILERS about the units, tactics and strategy,
including some locations and events. I don't feel it will spoil your fun, but if
you are opposed to walkthroughs, you shouldn't read this guide in detail until
after your first playthrough. In any case, I hope it whets your appetite.
Download links: In order to play this mod, you must first install the UPatch 1.4
aow2.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=661
Upatch 1.4 is widely used and highly reviewed by users. Then you can install
Lord of the Rings in the Third Age - War of the Ring v1.3 by BlackRose
aow2.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=386
Follow the install instructions included in the zip files.
{2} WHAT TO EXPECT
------------------
Expect to be entertained, and addicted to the game for a long time. You will be
engaged in many full battles with unique units, many of them irreplaceable.
Curiously, heroes are not irreplaceable, due to the Resurrect Hero spell.
The author has cleverly reduced the abundance of magic through several means,
such as disallowing Wizard Towers, and making Magic Nodes extremely rare. Magic
can only be cast in a Wizard's personal domain, though it is possible for allies
to utilize one another's domains, fortunately. The same applies for the enemy
wizards.
Conversely, money is practically irrelevant, because resource structures such as
windmills, watermills, mines and forges are reasonably abundant, and have been
altered to award massive amounts of gold per turn. Once you occupy those in your
vicinity, it is unliklely that money will be of any concern to you beyond the
beginning turns. The author was quite ingenious in this regard. There isn't a
colosseum on the map to exploit this money abundance, but the diplomacy screen
still values money highly, so abuse this at the risk of spoiling your fun.
Race and wizard-specific volunteers will appear near your cities frequently,
though it is prudent to make some veteran units of your own, as enemies will
appear in *stacks* of 8 when war begins. Battles take on a larger scale than in
most scenarios.
{3} STRATEGY
------------
The map is covered in a large amount of very thin (1 hex) rivers, causing the
bridges to become frequent chokepoints. The enemy has barely any access to
boats (the Umbar Corsairs notwithstanding), so this is how the scenario's author
has bestowed a slight advantage to the player. The author uses water and shadow
void hexes to prevent enemy wizards from starting their wars too early, but when
it is time for war, the obstructing hexes are replaced by traversable ones.
Cities cannot be founded, however you can rebuild ruined cities. There are many
recent and ancient city ruins to be built upon, so you would be wise to do so.
Just be cautious with the ruins of Angmar; rebuilding it will "draw attention".
Combat can be avoided by grouping together dense stacks of units, which usually
discourages enemies from attacking you. This does lead to a rather non-canonical
reluctance on the parts of Sauron and Saruman to assault Gondor and Rohan,
respectively, but it adds to the longevity of the scenario. If you want to be
attacked, simply don't utilize this stacking exploit. I did use it in cities and
bridges to great effect. If you ensure that the enemy can only assault a bridge
defender with one or 2 hexes, while you have 3 defending stacks, they will not
even try, instead seeking a way around. Even if they have *literally* dozens of
stacks nearby, and can throw them at you wave after wave until you die, the A.I.
will not do this. This is the stacking exploit, and it's a flaw innate to Age of
Wonders: Shadow Magic, so don't blame the author for what he couldn't change.
My personal playstyle is to flag all allies as human played, which is possible
in classic mode. This allows you to better coordinate all 5 wizards, rather than
hope that the computer-controlled allies don't get themselves killed, which will
likely expose your unguarded territories adjoining them.
{3} TACTICS
-----------
It is important to note the irrelevance of money in this scenario. Units still
have a maintenance cost, but you will soon realize that wizard skills like
Survivalist and Merchant are a waste of mana to research.
Unit levels are relevant for the speed at which they can gain medals. Some units
have higher levels than you would expect, such as the Teleri Mariner unit, which
is level 3, but has the overall strength of a level 1 unit. Gaining the 30XP for
Veteran status will be a challenge, even more so to become Elite!
Getting units promoted is a bigger deal than in the normal game, because medals
bestow many added abilities to your units, making them significantly stronger as
Veterans and Elites. Many unit descriptions list the abilities gained at silver
and gold rank but not all, so I will list all promotion abilties in the unit
descriptions.
{4} THE WIZARDS
---------------
Listed in the order they will receive their turn in Classic mode.
Sauron
------
The main antagonist. He controls massive armies of Orcs and Uruks, starting out
from Mordor, Dol Guldur, Moria and Mount Gundabad. His armies are contained by
obstacles in most locations, though there are frequent raiders all over the map,
especially in distant reaches. Snow Trolls occupy the north, and are invisible
on snow. Once war begins, Sauron's strongholds will no longer be blocked off,
and his massive hordes will spill out into nearby lands. Your main defense is by
stacking your strong units together in cities and chokepoints such as bridges.
Sauron controls the only Wizard Tower (II) in the scenario, and his domain spans
most of Mordor, the area north, and west into the ruins of Osgiliath. Although
Minas Tirith lies beyond the official range of his domain, you will soon see
that he and his allies can cast overland storms on the capital of Gondor.
Elrond
------
The ruler of Rivendell. He is in a position to occupy the lands in the west: The
Shire and many human (Gondorian) and Elven settlements can be annexed. Humans
must be attacked, though their cities are not rebellious once occupied. The town
of Grey Havens is in the far west, and capable of producing powerful ships.
Volunteers appear mostly at Rivendell, though sometimes some Mariners may appear
at Grey Havens. Most volunteers are Sindarin Cavalry, though, so you should make
your own Teleri Healers, but don't neglect making Veteran Silvan Archers, as
they're a better ranged defender for your cities, and faster to produce.
Dain
----
King of the Dwarves. His forces begin mostly in the northeast, where he faces
significant challenges defending against Haradrim and Snow Trolls. There is also
an expedition northwest, which will soon encounter lost cities in Beleriand. The
Dwarves have as unique advantage that many of their former homes, deserted and
ruined to start with, will change instantly to populated settlements if one of
Dain's units approaches it. Lost cities await Dwarven settlement in Beleriand,
Moria, and the central north. You are tasked to defeat Ice Drakes in the north,
which is a challenge in itself, made more difficult by Dain's vulnerable
starting position. The author correctly grades this player as the most difficult
to play. Volunteers usually appear at the capital Erebor.
Dwarven units are slow but strong, and Mountaineering is a tactical advantage.
Don't underestimate the effectiveness of Veteran Boar Riders as surrogate horse
archers. If you waste time on Chiefs and Catapults, you may regret it quickly.
Build many units, and try to mount expeditions so you can reoccupy lost cities.
Saruman
-------
The White Wizard ruling from his tower at Isengard. A great deal of Saruman's
army is free to roam the vicinity from the start, and is likely to overwhelm a
computer-controlled Rohan quickly. A human playing Rohan can easily exploit
stacking to prevent Saruman attacking, though. Saruman has abundant siege
weapons, and a unit called Saruman's Uruk which explodes on contact. He doesn't
have a real Wizard's Tower at his disposal, rather he is located in a watchtower
north of Isengard, guarded by many tough opponents. It is highly reccommended to
defeat him before Sauron's armies are unleashed, so you're not fighting multiple
fronts.
Denethor
--------
The Steward of Gondor. In my opinion, Denethor is your best option if you want
to play just 1 wizard. Most unique units can be gained by every single wizard by
exploring and recruiting, but the Rangers of Ithilien are unique to Gondor. The
Teleri War Ship from Grey Havens might be an exception, but Rangers are far more
versatile than those situational waterbound units.
Gondorians have lousy cavalry units, but their high-level units are tough, and
most of them conveniently gain immunity to Mordor Sickness and Taint of Sauron.
Denethor will be in the thick of combat due to Gondor's location, and gains a
significant advantage by rebuilding the Osgiliath ruins. In fact, every wizard
should do this at some point: It tempts Sauron, Saruman and the King of Harad to
continually cast spells on the city, making them neglect their domain spells.
Imagine only having to dispel Domain of Mordor, Curse of Sauron and Fire Domain
just once, making encounters in enemy wizard domain a lot easier.
Theoden
-------
Horse King of the Rohirrim. Rohan's armies have their strength in mobility, but
don't gain the immunities of Gondorian units. Try to disjunct enemy domain
spells before mounting an offensive. They will suffer from the frequent Mordor
Sickness that Orc units bestow, reducing their effectiveness. Once Saruman is
defeated, Rohan can travel the map with its cavalries, and attempt to lure the
enemy out of domains for favourable engagements.
Beware of loyalty issues with the Rohirrim: They are essentially converted from
the Archon race, and although they have been edited into regular Good aligned
just as most allied forces are, there still apears to be morale issues when
stacking them together with other races. Rohirrim + Gondorian units can lead to
trouble, as the units are considered Pure Good & Neutral for morale purposes.
Galadriel
---------
Queen of Caras-Galadhon, or Lorien. Galadriel's forces have a similar difficulty
as the Rohirrim, in that they are relatively near enemy domain, but most won't
have any immunities. At least, most won't until gold medal. The Sindarin Ranger
is their strongest fighter, but with Mordor Sickness, their Double Attack gets
nerfed a great deal. King Thranduil will quickly ally with you, granting you his
underground realm of Green Wood to the northeast. Volunteers appear in Lorien
and Green Wood. You gain a few Teleri Healers and Sindarin Rangers just like
Elrond, but instead of lots of Sindarin Cavalry and Teleri Mariners showing up,
Galadriel just gets loads and loads of Silvan Archers. Considering her proximity
to enemy strongholds, this is probably the most prudent. Galadriel should make
plenty of Veteran Teleri Healers in her cities, because with Veteran bonuses,
they bolster the ranks of archers, and won't die off quickly in offense, either.
King of Harad
-------------
A miscellaneous name for the Haradrim regent, whose empire stretches wide across
the far south and east of Middle Earth. Harad forces appear quite formidable,
with the Mumakil possessing a deadly ranged attack. But the Mumakil seem to be
limited to southern Harad, while there is an abundance of Easterling units in
the east. Gondor is excellently outfitted to deal with the southern threat with
their wonderful Rangers of Ithilien. To the northeast, the Dwarves will have a
tougher time with Easterlings on their borders. But their raids can be a great
source of experience. It can be extremely frustrating to have your enchantments
stolen by Easterling Riders, when you are so far away from allied domain, but
remember that Gandalf and a number of other allies can cast spells in combat,
including enchantments. Or as enchantments are renamed: Special weapon/armour.
{5} MAGIC
---------
Magic has been completely redesigned and re-allocated to fit this scenario.
Some spells remain unchanged, and many of these spells remain with the spheres.
Unfortunately, it's not simple to check each sphere's available spell repertoire
in the editor, so I can only give rough impressions. All global spells apply in
your and your allies domain territory, BUT each ally must cast their own spell
to gain the benefit.
--- Elven Sphere (Life)
Elven Life Force is the equivalent of Life Domain, and although it only applies
within the limited domains of the wizards, this also means allied domains. It's
useful when defending important territories like Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith.
Elven Blade is simply Enchant Weapon.
Elven Armour is Bless.
Elven Mass Healing is Healing Shower.
Elven Battle Cry, Elven Wrath, Elven Woods and so on. It is clear that the Elves
replace Life and Divine magic here.
--- Human Sphere (Water)
Purifying Water is still present, and does much good for Gondor's Patrol Boats.
Blade of the West is the new name for Fury.
Champion of the West is the new name for Holy Champion, and many gold medal
units can acquire this. It's spell description declares it to have +2ATT +2DAM,
while the ability description in unit window still says it gives +3ATT +3DAM.
I'd wager that it's +2, because the scenario is updated with alterations from
the UPatch 1.4. But don't be disappointed: If it's +2, the bonus will also apply
to ranged attacks!
--- Dwarven Sphere (Earth)
Bravery is the new name for Mighty Meek.
Dwarven Wealth is pointless when money is so abundant, and it will only affect
a single city.
Enchanted Roads also has limited usefulness, but will apply inside allied domain
for you, though allies must cast it themselves to gain their own benefits.
--- Sauron's Sphere (Death)
Champion of Mordor is an ability that elites would get in his armies, and the
Nazgul have it, naturally. He doesn't cast it as enchantment, from what I saw.
City Plague - Sauron doesn't cast this often, prioritizing direct damage spells
most of the time.
Clouds of Mordor changes Sauron's domain into unexplored. I can't recall if he
used it, but if so, it was dispelled easily, and not recast.
Domain of Mordor: This spell will make life much more difficult for most of your
allies, so get rid of it quickly. Rebuilding Osgiliath, and garrisoning it with
many stacks is the most effective way to ensure Sauron doesn't recast this. -2
to ATT, DAM, DEF and RES is a heavy burden to a single poisoned/Mordor Sickness
unit, so you can imagine how badly armies fare when all units without outright
immunity get this penalty.
Domain of Sauron: This is less problematic than Mordor Sicknes. Just -2RES and
no natural healing, which means no Regeneration or Elven Life Force, but you
can still cast Healing spells and the effect of a city Sanctuary. I'm uncertain
what happens with uncast Healing spells in a damaged stack: Applied or not..?
Storm of Sauron: This spell can do up to 10 damage to a unit, putting Soldiers,
Cavalry and Crossbowmen in Gondor at risk, even when garrisoned in a city with
a Sanctuary. Sauron loves to cast this on dense stacks, so I reccommend you
rebuild Osgiliath, quickly build a Sanctuary, then lure him int wasting all his
casting points on them to no avail. It also conveniently prevents him from
getting around to recasting all those domain spells you disjuncted. Stacks in
Osgiliath can safely include anything with more than 10HP.
--- Saruman's Sphere (Air)
Ice Storm of Saruman: This storm may randomly appear in the mountains north of
Moria, if units cross the snowy mountain pass. Even after Saruman's defeat, the
storms still appear.
Lightning of Saruman: Saruman will cast this to harass allies in Rohan and near
Minas Tirith.
--- Haradrim Sphere (Fire)
Fire Domain: This can be most irritating for units defending Cair Andros. There
is only 1 anti-magic hex over the island tower, so if you wish to place more
stacks on the island, they'll need to alternate so that they can heal the fire
damage.
Wither: This annoying spell is what Harad casts on Osgiliath, to reduce the city
to a mere village. Not good for production speed, but otherwise harmless. You
just need a Stone Wall and Sanctuary for Osgiliath; anything else is just bonus.
{6} FRIENDLY UNITS
------------------
Overview:
THE FELLOWSHIP
Gandalf, Frodo, Samwise, Gollum, Pippen, Merry, Gimli, Legolas, Borimir, Aragorn
THE ALLIES
Ent, Great Eagle, Great Wolf, Wolf, Grimbeorn the Old, Oath Breaker, Druedain
Warrior, Ranger of the North, Shadowfax, Valinor Elf, Elder, Bilbo, Rose Cotton,
Treebeard, Quickbeam, Halbarad, Elladan, Elrohir, Oathbreaker King, Radagast,
Alatar, Pallando, Nilfalath, Anendel
THE DWARVES
Dwarf Axeman, Crossbowman, Dwarf Berserker, Boar Rider, Dwarf Clan Chief,
Dwarven Catapult, DAIN, Dwalin, Gloin, Nori, Thorin, Brand of Dale
ELVEN NATIONS
Silvan Scout, Teleri Mariner, Silvan Longbowman, Sindarin Cavalry, Sindarin
Ranger, Teleri Healer, Teleri Destroyer, Teleri Transport, Teleri War Ship,
Elven Catapult, Elven Repeater Ballista, GALADRIEL, Rumil, Orophin, Celeborn,
Thranduil, ELROND, Arwen, Cirdan, Glorfindel
FORODWAITHS
Forodwaith Archer, White Wolf Rider, Forodwaith Oliphaunt,
*Forodwaith Tribal Leader
GONDORIAN
Soldier of Gondor, Gondor Crossbowman, Gondorian Cavalry, Gondor Knight,
Guard of the Citadel, Gondor Healer, White City Catapult, Citadel Guardian,
Gondorian Patrol Craft, *Ranger of Ithilien, DENETHOR, Angbor, Beregond,
Faramir, Hirgon, Hirluin, Imrahil
HOBBITS
Shire Peasant, Shire Swordsman, Shire Slinger, Shire Adventurer,
Shire Pony Rider
ROHIRRIM
Rohan Peasant, Archer of the Mark, Rohan Infantry, Rider of Rohan, Rohirrim
Siege Rider, Captain of the Mark, THEODEN, Eomer, Eowyn, Ceorl, Gamling, Haldir,
Elfhelm, Erkenbrand
THE FELLOWSHIP
Whichever player first approaches the Fellowship will gain control of
all 10, excluding Gandalf, who is found in Moria.
Gandalf
Frodo
Samwise
Gollum
Pippen
Merry
Gimli
Legolas
Borimir
Aragorn
THE ALLIES
Ent
The army of treefolk that canonically assaults Saruman at Isengard and wins. In
the story, they assault while most of the army is laying siege to Helm's Deep,
which might happen if Rohan is computer controlled and does a poor job of its
defense stacking. A human-controlled Rohan will give Saruman pause, so most of
the armies are still stationed there. If you take those 2 stacks of Ents into
Isengard, you will defeat many stacks, but eventually you'll take losses and
die. Their Regeneration is nullified by the Curse of Sauron, so they need to
end their turn outside an enemy domain (Saruman, Sauron and Harad share each
other's magic domains). With 24 move, it's difficult to Assault & Regenerate
unless you can disjunct the Curse of Sauron. Ents have Physical Protection and
lots of hit points, and once they reach Veteran status, they also gain a strong
ranged attack. I found them to be the perfect defenders for Cair Andros, which
is in an anti-magic hex despite being surrounded by Sauron's domain. Sauron
never challenged them, but beware of fire attacks.
VET Hurl Boulder, Entangle, Round Attack, Marksmanship III, Immune to Taint of
Sauron
ELI Champion of the West, Entangle Strike
Great Eagle
You can safely recruit 6 of these by just passing by Mordor's northern gate
before it opens up. The have the Transport I ability, so be careful when trying
to get more than 2 units to occupy its hex - this may lead to game crashes.
They're also decent in combat, and get good bonuses if you can upgrade them.
Most of all, they have great scouting potential, spotting enemies, and flying
over mountains to avoid engagements. Their main threats are Wyverns and stacks
with powerful ranged attackers, meaning Harad's Mumakil, Sauron's Morgul Uruk
Archers, and the Nazgul heroes. Everything else can be killed by an Eagle. Once
all ranged threats are dealt with, you'll survive by waiting until combat ends.
This is all moot if the Eagle has a non-flying passenger it needs to keep alive.
VET Vision IV, Cause Fear, Energy Drain, Elven Life Force
ELI Haste, Champion of the West
Great Wolf
Radagast joins you with 9 of these units. They are quite powerful, and can help
in assaults, but they will take some damage. If you don't take care of them,
your pets will eventually die of mistreatment.
VET Charge, Elven Life Force
ELI Champion of the West, Immune to Taint of Sauron, Immune to Mordor Sickness
Wolf
Radagast brings along 14 of these. They are a bit fragile, and won't last long
against stiff opposition. I kept them around as a defense cavalry, but rarely
engaged in combat with them. They have great promotion abilities, but gaining
XP will be tricky without making casualties. Perhaps not worth the effort.
VET Charge, Double Strike, Cold Immunity
ELI Champion of the West
Grimbeorn the Old
Grimbeorn is a monster of a unit, with a massively powerful attack, high defense
and a ton of hit points. His Double Attack will usually take care of any enemy
in a single (double) attack. He conveniently has the same speed as Bilbo who can
recruit him, and Forestry to tag along with a stack of Sindarin Rangers, though
he easily can assault goblin cities and defeat 3 stacks of enemies ALONE!
Perhaps it's a matter of game balance that Grimbeorn is not a hero unit. Once he
reaches gold medal, it's just a waste of XP to let him do all the fighting. He
makes a great wall breacher and escort, though.
VET Ranger Movement, Mordor Sickness Protection, Immune to Taint of Sauron
ELI Immune to Mordor Sickness, Champion of the West, First Strike, Charge,
Fire Immunity
Oath Breaker
Unlike the Oathbreaker King, these Undead units are conveniently coded as Good,
and have no issues joining a stack of living units. They have Double Attack and
are immune to Mordor Sickness, and gain nifty abilities when acquiring medals.
You only get 7 of these, so be careful with them. Their hit points are finite.
Personally, I'd have added more than 1 stack, but maybe I let scenes from the
movies colour my expectations.
VET Oathbreaker Gaze, Life Stealing, Marksmanship II
ELI Phase, Champion of the West, Marksmanship III
Druedain Warrior
You can get a stack of these by exploring the forests west of Rohan, and they're
welcome defensive units against Saruman. I used them in city defense, as strong
crossbowmen. Healing units enhance the durability of city defenders, and one
with a ranged attack is doubly effective. Due to the way I used them, I never
got much value out of their Blurred, Cause Fear and Concealment abilities.
VET Marksmanship IV, Immune to Mordor Sickness
ELI Champion of the West
Ranger of the North
Rangers are a great Leadership unit, have a ranged attack that gets stronger as
they gain medals, can heal, and are conveniently level 3, making it easy for
them to turn into Elites. They have somewhat high defenses, but you must be
careful; make a mistake and you lose a powerful unit. You can potentially gain
12 of these in 2 different encounters, and you'll need Aragorn both times.
VET Marksmanship III, Charge, Vision III, Mordor Sickness Protection, Taint of
Sauron Protection
ELI Marksmanship IV, Leadership III, Expert Marksman, Immune to Mordor Sickness,
Immune to Taint of Sauron
Shadowfax
A curious transport unit with innate Haste and Forestry. It can help Gandalf zip
around the map swiftly, though you'll probably be using it for other heroes too,
like Aragorn who needs to be in 2 different places. Remember that it can't use
ships to cross rivers - you might crash the game if you try (Transport I only).
VET Extra Strike
ELI Champion of the West
Valinor Elf
A tough unit with healing. Veterans gain Double Attack, making them juggernauts
on the battlefield. Elites also get Champion o/t West. Cherish them. You get 12
Valinor Elves just by showing up in Valinor with the Ring. Perhaps it's implied
that you are 'running' there in defeat, but in any case, you should get hold of
these allies and their hero commanders as soon as possible. You could even send
Gollum there alone; he can swim and has Water Concealment to evade Corsairs,
and you can trust him not to disappear.
VET Healing I, Elven Armour, Mordor Sickness Protection, Taint of Sauron
Protection
ELI Elven Life Force, Champion of the West
Elder
This tantalizing unit can only be gained if you let all other wizards die, so
perhaps it's best not to salivate about them too much. They have healing,
Entangle, Physical Protection and Leadership III straight off the boat from
Valinor, but gain no added abilites as Veterans or Elites.
VET none
ELI none
Bilbo
Rose Cotton
Treebeard
Quickbeam
Halbarad
Elladan
Elrohir
Oathbreaker King
Radagast
Alatar
Pallando
Nilfalath
Anendel
THE DWARVES
Dwarf Axeman:
This basic unit varies little from the original game version. It has
decent hit points and Mountaineering/Night Vision/Cave Crawling, as do all
Dwarven units. It gets good bonuses at silver and gold medal, but a fragile
frontliner still won't last long even with those.
VET Champion of the West
ELI Poison Immunity, Mithril Armour
Crossbowman
From behind a wall, it isn't difficult to produce a few gold medal Crossbowmen,
And they will prove very effective as long as they stay behind those walls.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II, Immune to Mordor Sickness, Mithril Armour.
Dwarf Berserker
The Double Striking unit of the Dwarves. Unfortunately it *doesn't* gain Mithril
Armour or Champion o/t West when promoted, otherwise it would have been a menace
at the frontline. As they are, they simply die too quickly to be reliable.
VET Round Attack, Sabotage
ELI Immune to Mordor Sickness, Blade o/t West, Fire Halo
Boar Rider
This is one of those units you might underestimate at the beginning, like I did.
It receives so many bonuses, and especially Hurl Stones allows it to become a
battlefield mainstay. These are essentially mounted archers, though a bit slow
and with an inaccurate, short-range ranged attack. Nevertheless, a stack of them
can explore and patrol effectively, to return home as armoured veterans.
VET Sabotage, Hurl Stones, Marksmanship I, Block, Immunity to Mordor Sickness
ELI Mithril Armour, Marksmanship II
Dwarf Clan Chief
This is the Dwarves' leadership unit, and every stack ought to have one in
absence of a Hero. They are tough and reliable, and easily gain gold medal rank.
VET Magic Protection, Immune to Mordor Sickness, Leadership II
ELI Magic Immunity, Mithril Armour, Leadership III
Dwarven Catapult
Unlike other siege weaponry in this game, most of which are unchanged from the
original game, this machine *is* worth bringing with you. They have Vision II,
high defenses, more hitpoints, and even dwarven movement bonuses. Their
promotions are somewhat meager compared to other units, but they already start
with so much. When facing a Dragon, this unit would be my second choice. Since
it's a machine, it can't be dominated by a Red Dragon, Wyverns won't be able to
devour them with Swallow Whole, and firebombs will massacre those Ice Drakes.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
DAIN
Dwalin
Gloin
Nori
Thorin
Brand of Dale
ELVEN NATIONS
Silvan Scout
A weak unit mostly unchanged from the original game. They have an important
scouting role of course, but keep in mind that they are altered into level 2,
making these units twice as difficult to promote. Creating a gold medal one is
a challenge in itself, making it an asset you'd be hesitant to deploy...
VET Vision II, Elven Armour
ELI Vision III, Elven Life Force, Block, Haste
Teleri Mariner
A curious design for a unit, coded as level 3, but no stronger than your average
level 1 in this game. If it was the author's intent to make these units appear
mostly as volunteers in Grey Havens, while the players opts to make other units,
mission accomplished. They might be effective hit-&-run raiders along rivers,
but the enemy rarely travels in less than 8-man stacks. As a pure melee unit, it
will take losses.
VET Swimming, Water Concealment, Elven Armour
ELI Extra Strike, Elven Life Force
Silvan Longbowman
It should be no surprise that the Elves get the strongest regular bow unit in
the game. They are coded as level 2, which seems wise, since the bonuses make
these units even more effective. Galadriel will have little need to build them,
as they volunteer regularly. Elrond should make some silver medal bowmen.
VET Marksmanship III, Elven Armour
ELI Marksmanship IV, Expert Marksman
Sindarin Cavalry
Seemingly a bit of a pushover at first glance, but their hit points and defense
are enough to face off with weak stacks of enemies, such as goblins. Their
decent attack and Charge ability work well. If deployed against tougher
opposition, they are likely to take some losses, but can still prevail. Elrond
gets many of these level 3 units as volunteers; if you make the effort to get
some up to silver medal, your reward is a mobile force that can respond to
threats quickly - even if it's just to beef up a city's defense until the big
boys get there.
VET Elven Armour
ELI Elven Life Force
Sindarin Ranger
These level 4 units are the strongest Elven units on paper, but they have some
vulnerabilities that you need to take into account. Starting with 23 hit points
and 12 defense, they are a bit on the fragile side. I've seen my own rangers get
themselves killed in the opening round of a city siege, simply by concentrated
fire from Goblin Darters. What's worse, is the Sickness of Mordor: It can affect
everyone without immunity, but the Sindaring Rangers get their measly 6 damage
reduced to just 4. It makes their Double Attack a lot less attractive. Still,
they are strong, mobile units with great potential. Gold medals' Champion o/t
West is twice as effective. They are the only basic unit in the Elven army with
any kind of Leadership.
VET Night Vision, Elven Armour, Leadership I
ELI Champion o/t West, Elven Life Force, Leadership II
Teleri Healer
A level 3 unit with ranged attack and Healing. They can swim, too. Hit points,
defense and speed are not far inferior to the Sindarin Ranger, and when you
consider that silver medal grants them Regeneration and Resurgence (as well as
many more bonuses), you'll soon agree that this is the unit most worthwhile to
make in cities. My Elven cities mostly produced these. Use them in city defense,
as maritime raiders (they can help Teleri Mariners stay alive) or as versatile
healers during siege. Remember, veteran healers don't die unless they die a
second time! In my opinion, these are the gems of the Elven forces.
VET Control Animal, Water Concealment, Marksmanship II, Elven Armour, Immune to
Mordor Sickness, Immune to Taint of Sauron, Regeneration, Resurgence
ELI Champion o/t West, Marksmanship III
Teleri Destroyer
The most powerful ship in the game. It can hurl fire or javelins, and even heal
other ships with Repair Machine. It has Water Concealment, which makes it very
overpowered in my opinion. Its only limitation is that only one of them can
occupy a hex, due to its transport capability.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Teleri Transport
A cheaper alternative to the Teleri Destroyer, without any offense. It can be a
useful makeshift bridge on one of the many small rivers that separate the land
and create barriers and chokepoints. It is fortunate that Sauron has no ships.
They are slower than the other Elven ships, but Explorer skill nullifies this.
VET none
ELI n/a
Teleri War Ship
It may come as a surprise that *this* unit is the special one that can only be
built in Grey Havens, while the Teleri Destroyer can be built anywhere. The
author cleverly allocated its construction to the Secret Glade building, which
can't be constructed and only exists in Grey Havens. As a side effect, Grey
Havens is also conveniently hidden from enemy view. The Teleri War Ship is very
similar to the Destroyer, but since 8 can occupy a stack together, you will soon
realize that this is the true source of power: 8 vessels with Repair Machine are
practically unstoppable. And they have Water Concealment to boot, as if they'd
even need to rest and lick any wounds.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Elven Ballista
An Elven adaptation of the Ballista. It has Forestry, +6 movement points and
Marksmanship I, but is otherwise identical to the normal Ballista. It has very
low defense and hit points, so it can't be used for much else than city defense.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Elven Catapult
An Elven adaptation of the Catapult. It has Forestry, +6 movement points and
Marksmanship I, but is otherwise identical to the normal Catapult. It has very
low defense and hit points, so it can't be used for much else than city defense.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Elven Repeater Ballista
An Elven adaptation of the Repeater Ballista, which shoots the "Marksman's
Arrows" that many Elven heroes have a bow item for. It has Forestry, +2
movement points and Marksmanship I, but is otherwise identical to the normal
Repeater Ballista. It has very low defense and hit points, so it can't be used
for much else than city defense.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
GALADRIEL
Rumil
Orophin
Celeborn
Thranduil
ELROND
Arwen
Cirdan
Glorfindel
FORODWAITHS
Forodwaith Archer
This unit is the basic ranged unit, one of only 3 units that Forodwaith can
produce. I has a decent attack with Marksmanship I to start, but has very low
defense. Keep them behind city walls.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
White Wolf Rider
Decently fast, with Snow Concealment and Forestry. A nice scouting unit that
can double as cavalry, if a bit weak. Like other Forodwaith, it can hide from
Snow Trolls, but can't find them easily.
VET Marksmanship I, Cold Immunity, Throw Spear
ELI Marksmanship II, Cold Breath
Forodwaith Oliphaunt
This is the reason to get the Forodwaith! Moderate speed, lots of hit points,
Wall Crushing, and hits like a ton of bricks. I like to pair them with Teleri
Healers (veteran) as extra precaution, but these do not die all that quickly.
The best unit for invading cities, followed by the Dwarven Catapult. They can
only be built in Forochel's Oliphaunt Pen, so don't waste time migrating other
cities into Forodwaith. Six initial Oliphaunts you encounter will have no Fire
Protection, as this is an ability granted by the Oliphaunt Pen, a modified
Midwinter Hut. But the new ones you make in Forochel will all have it.
VET Cold Breath (3/3)
ELI Champion of the West
Forodwaith Tribal Leader
The only Forodwaith unit with Leadership. She is tough and strong, with Frost
Bolts as ranged attack - the only unit with this attack in the scenario.
VET Marksmanship III, Energy Drain, Extra Strike, Immune to Mordor Sickness,
Immune to Taint of Sauron
ELI Marksmanship IV, Double Strike
GONDORIAN
Soldier of Gondor
The basic unit of Gondor, a bit too weak to be placed in Minas Tirith or
Osgiliath due to the frequent Storms of Sauron/Saruman, not to mention the
Fire Domain of Harad. But they serve well in the hinterlands.
VET Block
ELI Blade o/t West, Mordor Sickness Protection
Gondor Crossbowman
Like the basic Soldier, this unit starts with just 10 hit points, making the
front line a zone of certain eventual death. Yuo will receive a great deal of
volunteer Crossbowmen, so they can earn their keep in far-off cities, in the
rare eventuality that those might need defending from Haradrim raiders.
VET Marksmanship I, Taunt
ELI Marksmanship II, Mordor Sickness Protection
Gondorian Cavalry
This level 1 unit is a lot more fragile than you'd expect from any cavalry,
with the same 10 measly hit points and low defense of other level 1 units.
Veteran bonuses are worthwhile for a hinterland patrol unit, though many of
your volunteers will perish in battle if you try to get them promoted. They
were probably made intentionally weak to emphasize Rohan's cavalry prowess.
VET Haste, Vision I
ELI Blade o/t West
Neutral Human
These units appear as garrisons in Gondorian cities, and since many will join
your cause freely, you have a good chance of enlisting a few of these. You
shouldn't dismiss them out of hand, since they perform beter than a Soldier or
Crossbowman, though less impressive than the original Buccaneer unit that they
derive their portrait from. Fire Crossbow is still a decent attack, and their
Taunt ability will come in handy in battle. I placed mine on the frontline
city Osgiliath, and never lost a single one to the storms or domain damage.
This wouldn't be possible if Osgiliath had no Sanctuary, of course. Their
neutral alignment doesn't seem to be of any relevance to loyalty - in fact all
Gondorian units have residual neutrality from the Humans that the race was
designed from. This only seems to affect *stack* loyalty with Rohirrim, which
were designed from the Pure Good Archons.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Gondor Knight
A sturdy level 2 unit with Double Strike. With 6 damage, they have the same
weakness to Mordor Sickness as the Sindarin Ranger, but they are faster to
build, and level up more quickly. But they don't get Champion o/t West...
VET Extra Strike
ELI Blade o/t West, Throw Blade, Mordor Sickness Protection
Gaurd of the Citadel
It's easy to forgive the author for misspelling Guard after creating such a
masterpiece. These units carry the Leadership skill, and run interference,
effectively, disabling dangerous units with Taunt or Strangle.
VET Leadership II, Energy Drain, Winged Helm of Gondor, Blade o/t West,
Extra Strike, Mordor Sickness Protection, Immune to Taint of Sauron
ELI Leadership III, Block, Champion o/t West, Immune to Taint of Sauron
Gondor Healer
Not much to write home about these units. They can heal, but they have no
ranged attack, nor are they able to fight in melee effectively.
VET Regeneration
ELI Immune to Taint of Sauron
White City Catapult
Very expensive and time-consuming units to build, though worth the effort due
to their powerful bombardment ability. The 3 shots (not 2, according to its
description) inflict Holy/Physical damage, meaning enemies are also weakened
with Vertigo. They have decent defense and hit points, but are definitely not
intended to be used outside walls. Their 12 movement points make them the
slowest unit in the game.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Citadel Gaurdian
This unit can only be built in Dol Armoth, and I suggest you do so from day 1.
The "Gaurdian Barracks" there is a building you should cherish. You should be
producing 1 every 3 turns by the time Dol Armoth is City size. They have a
strong Double Attack, Physical Protection as well as a ranged attack, making
them useful in every occasion. These units won't die unless you're very, very
unlucky. Get them to at least veteran level, and they will be the backbone of
your army.
VET Marksmanship II, Block, Immune to Taint of Sauron & Mordor Sickness
ELI Marksmanship III, Champion o/t West
Gondorian Patrol Craft
This craft is slower and weaker than a regular Destroyer, and only has Shoot
Javelin as an attack. In a battle against a Corsair, it will likely lose. The
only chance of success is if it outnumbers its opponents. I personally let my
elite Rangers of Ithilien join the patrol stack, to soften up opponents,
letting the patrol boats steal the killing blow. This was highly effective,
and I discovered that these weak boats gained a powerful ability as elites:
Repair Machine. They still can't face off against an equal stack of Corsairs,
but they can pick off individual Corsairs before they can transport Haradrim
across the sea. But you should get aid from the Teleri War Ships to control
the Umbar region.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II, Repair Machine
Ranger of Ithilien
These are Gondor's unique allies, which Faramir can easily pick up by swimming
to the Harad Road. I cannot overstate how useful these units are. They have an
amazing ranged attack, on par with Elven heroes, and very high defense. They
don't have very much hit points, so even though you should treasure them, they
don't need any babysitting. I've had them facing off with multiple stacks of
Mumakil, which have a ton of hit points and Shoot Marksman's Arrows. Rangers
of Ithilien usually hit the Mumakil, due to Marksmanship and the low defense
of their targets. Mumakil have no such luck against the Rangers. You will see
massive elephants rout in the face of your units even before they gain Shoot
Marksman's Arrows - a very satisfying experience. From the unit description
and the fact that they start with both Archery and Shoot Marksman's Arrows,
they may have been adjusted by the author after testing: Elites are stated to
gain Shoot Marksman's Arrows at gold medal. Expert Marksman isn't mentioned.
VET Marksmanship IV, Immune to Mordor Sickness, Immune to Taint of Sauron
ELI Expert Marksman
DENETHOR
Angbor
Beregond
Faramir
Hirgon
Hirluin
Imrahil
HOBBITS
Shire Peasant
There's no appeal to this unit whatsoever. It is likely to die in 1 hit. It
can be used as a scout hiding in forests, but not a very fast one.
VET Blade of the West
ELI Champion of the West
Shire Swordsman
This hobbit is at least on par with some other basic units, and Block helps.
Still not worth making, and this one doesn't even have Concealment.
VET Blade of the West
ELI Champion of the West
Shire Slinger
Throw Rocks is a moderately useful ability, as it hits slightly harder than
normal Archery arrows, but it still doesn't make this unit worthwhile, because
Marksmanship offsets the advantage. Throw Rocks is also less accurate, and
shorter range than Archery. Once walls are breached, these units don't stand a
chance.
VET Marksmanship II, Elven Armour
ELI Marksmanship III, Expert Marksman
Shire Adventurer
This is a stronger alternative over Slinger for a ranged unit. It has more hit
points, passable defense and some melee capability. It's still fragile, but at
least there is a chance it will survive. They have Swimming, Concealment and
Water Concealment, meaning they are effective scouts, and a stack of them can
deal with minor threats. Still nothing that Elves can't do much better, but
Adventurer is your best choice of unit to produce, if you're keeping a Hobbit
town unmigrated out of sentimentality.
VET Champion o/t West, Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III, Elven Blade
Shire Pony Rider
Charge is a helpful ability on any unit, though Pony Riders are the worst kind
of mounted unit. Slow, weak, barely worth producing.
VET none
ELI none
ROHIRRIM
Rohan Peasant
A basic unit. Not worth building. Hold on to the ones you start with, though.
They can increase defensive stack numbers and dissuade Saruman from attacking.
VET none
ELI none
Archer of the Mark
A decent archer, worth holding on to, but not woth building. Rohirrim are all
about cavalry. These are nice city defenders, though.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Rohan Infantry
It's almost tempting to build Veteran units of these, since they're quite tough
for infantry units, and Double Strike at Veteran level is neato.
VET Blade of the West, Double Strike
ELI Bravery
Rider of Rohan
The backbone of the Rohirrim army, as was intended. Holy Strike and Charge are
great aids, and they weather assaults with few losses. Veterans also get Archery
and Marksmanship I, making them versatile and powerful. Extra strike often makes
them perform better on the first attack round than Captains of the Mark. Once
they become Elites, Champion of the West greatly improves their damage output.
VET Marksmanship I, Archery, Blade of the West, Steed of Rohan, Extra Strike
ELI Marksmanship II, Champion of the West
Rohirrim Siege Rider
Rohan's interesting siege unit. They have a variety of ranged attacks, though
the Marksman's Arrows are usually most powerful. But beware of engaging in melee
with them: They have decent damage, but very low attack. Enemies often have low
defense, too, so they will hit occasionally. But melee drains their ability to
make ranged attacks, so avoid if at all possible. They are not machines despite
requiring a Siege Workshop to recruit.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Captain of the Mark
A tough Leadership unit with Holy Strike. They work best when they are Veterans,
granting extra defense to the entire stack. It takes a while to promote them to
gold medal rank, as they are level 4 units, but definitely worth the trouble to
build and promote. BEWARE when attempting to use these as leadership units with
other races' units: With some races, they have morale issues in the same stack.
A stack of 1 Captain o/t Mark and 7 Gondorian Cavalry gave 50% desertion chance!
This is likely a residu of the Archon race, so problems should only arise with
Gondorians and perhaps the Oath Breakers, though since Oath Breakers are level
4 units, just 2 with a Captain o/t Mark is enough to keep the stack stable.
VET Leadership II, Marksmanship II, Blade of the West
ELI Leadership III, Marksmanship III, Champion of the West
THEODEN
Eomer
Eowyn
Ceorl
Gamling
Haldir
Elfhelm
Erkenbrand
{7} ENEMY UNITS
---------------
Overview:
BALROGS
Balrog
DRAGONS
Ice Drake, Red Dragon, Wyvern, Watcher in the Water
EVIL MISC. / OTHER
Snow Troll, Northern Troll Chief, Mirkwood Spider, Sauron's Domain, Ar-Pharazon,
Shelob
HARADRIM
Footsoldier of Harad, Easterling, Easterling Rider, Mumakil, Captain of Harad,
KING OF HARAD
ORCS
Goblin Grunt, Goblin Darter, Goblin Swordsman, Goblin Man, Saruman's Ork,
Warg Rider, Cave Troll, Goblin Captain, Stone Troll, SARUMAN, Wormtongue
URUKS
Uruk-Hai, Uruk Crossbowman, Morgul Uruk Archer, Morgul Uruk-Hai, Morgul Man,
Fighting Uruk-Hai, Vampire Bats, Olog Hais, Mordor Captain, Saruman's Uruk,
Half Orc, *Grond, SAURON, Gothmog, Shagrat
UNDEAD
Barrow Wight
Witch King
2nd Nazgul
3rd Nazgul
4th Nazgul
5th Nazgul
6th Nazgul
7th Nazgul
8th Nazgul
9th Nazgul
BALROGS
Balrog
There are 2 Balrogs initially on the map, but I've seen one appear in a "Hunt
Enemies of the West"-type quest from the Drill Intructor (Spirit of War), and
more spawns await in the late game. It's terrifying in melee, so best engaged
through other means. Gandalf luckily has a magic attack that exploits its
Lightning Weakness, meaning he stands a chance of killing Durin's Bane after
you recruit him.
VET Leadership III
ELI Champion of Mordor
DRAGONS
Ice Drake
There are quite a number of Ice Drakes on the map, and of all the dragons they
are the least fearsome. Nevertheless, their Cold Breath can be very annoying.
The Dwarves are tasked with defeating them, so they can reoccupy their former
cities in the north. A stack of Ice Drakes is also guarding an "Eagle's Nest"
in the mountains just north of Saruman. Perhaps you should send all the Eagles
that appear at the Mordor gate over there, and see what your reward will be.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Red Dragon
As if Red Dragons weren't terrifying enough, the author added Drain Will,
Dominate, Physical Protection and extra hit points, defense and strength. Your
best chance of defeating them is with the Forodwaith, in my opinion. March a
stack of Oliphaunts east through the snow, and they should all be veterans by
the time you get to the northeast corner. Their Cold Breath will hurt the Red
Dragon a lot, as well as bring him to the ground. Not that there aren't other</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
methods of defeatign them. Dwarves could build lots of Dwarven Catapults, which
*might* be immune to Dominate. There are 3 Red Dragons, and one will attack
when you are in range. If you can defeat the other 2, they will net you a stack
of Dwarven Clan Chiefs each, as well as gold and mana.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Wyvern
Every time you manage to defeat a Nazgul in battle, not only will the Nazgul
reappear soon, but a Wyvern will also appear at Barad-Dur. This is the only
flying unit that the enemy has access to, fortunately. I haven't seen it being
used to invade Gondor, but my ranged defenses were sufficient that doing so
would have been deadly for the Wyvern. These dragons make life difficult for
my Great Eagles, which I often use as reconnaissance scouts. They can't
venture too close to Mordor after Wyverns start appearing, because they will
lose in a 1-on-1 confrontation. Wyverns have many abilities, but their Double
Strike and Swallow Whole abilities are the most troublesome.
VET Vision III, True Seeing, Energy Drain
ELI Vision IV, Champion of Mordor
Watcher in the Water
The stats of this unit appear terrifying, until you realize that it has 12 move
and is alone. You can run circles around it for 25 rounds if you can't defeat
it, but many parties with a ranged attack could even kill it unscathed.
VET Extra Strike
ELI none
EVIL MISC. / OTHER
Snow Troll
Cause Fear, Cold Strike, Regeneration, Wall Crushing and Snow Concealment. They
are not the worst opponent you will face, but they roam the north in large
numbers, and are invisible in the snow. Thanfully they have low defense, so a
stack of strong allies can deal with them.
VET Cold Breath
ELI Champion of Mordor
Northern Troll Chief
A unique unit that is laying siege to Forochel. You must first defeat him and
his 2 stacks before the Forodwaith will join. That is, unless a swimming unit
can weather the stormy bay and recruit them first, at which point you can
surround his 2 stacks from inside and outside the siege. The Northern Troll
Chief is tougher and stronger than his 2 stacks of Snow Trolls, making the siege
more difficult to break. Bring a hero if you can. 2 is even better.
VET Cold Breath, Leadership II?
ELI none
Mirkwood Spider
VET Mordor Sickness Protection
ELI Immune to Mordor Sickness
Sauron's Domain
A floating globe with a ranged attack. Absolutely invincible, and you shouldn't
even try to attack them. Most are located out of reach, and are intended to
project Sauron's domain around his strongholds. They may appear if your cities
are captured, but will be removed after you liberate them.
VET none
ELI none
Ar-Pharazon
In the depths of the Beleriand caves, south of the underground lake/sea, and
past the unknown city ruins, you will find this "madman". You will be warned
when you approach him, and he is quite a heavy hitter. But a stack with a hero
can defeat him; he only has 20 hit points. He has Cold Strike, Double Strike
and Physical Protection, so bring strong units and/or archers.
VET none
ELI none
Shelob
HARADRIM
Footsoldier of Harad
A basic unit with Round Attack may seem difficult, but AI usually opts to engage
in straight melee to whittle away your own attack moves. Against large numbers,
your defenses might not hold if you are unlucky. They have decent hit points for
a level 1 unit, and you may find yourself swarmed with these wall-climbers once
you break down a city gate. Beware of the veterans!
VET Champion of Mordor
ELI Cause Fear
Easterling
They have First Strike and Throw Spear, but fortunately no Pole Arm ability.
They're a bit tougher to kill than Footsoldiers, but are less of a threat to
walled cities. Fortunately for the dwarves, the eastern Haradrim comprise mostly
of Easterlings.
VET Marksmanship I, Charge
ELI Marksmanship II, Mordor Blade
Easterling Rider
Heroes should beware of this unit. That's assuming you bestow any "Special
Weapon/Armour" (enchantments) on your heroes. If you attack Riders, they could
rob you of your enchantments before you evem move, because mounted units like
these may steal on the first round. Even with a spellcasting hero like Gandalf
to recast, you should be on your guard for them. Preferably take out Riders with
unenchanted units. With innate Charge and Bravery (=Mighty Meek; Heroes are lvl
4), they are also hard hitters for a level 2 unit. They serve as the Leadership
units of Haradrim in the east.
VET Leadership II
ELI Leadership III, Champion of Mordor
Captain of Harad
These Leadership units also pose a threat to flyers due to the Strangle ability.
They aren't too hard to take out, though, and without a leader, a stack becomes
less accurate in melee attacks. You should only encounter these in the south.
VET Leadership II
ELI Leadership III
Mumakil
These are Harad's Oliphaunt unit. Massive hit points, a dangerous melee attack
and strong ranged attack. Their defense is decent, but low enough to overcome.
As mentioned, the Rangers of Ithilien are the units best equipped to deal with
them, due to their very high defence and stronger ranged attack. If you want to
explore southern Harad, either scale the river with maritime raiders, or use a
Great Eagle, but keep eagles close to mountains or water in case of Mumakil.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Corsair Destroyer
These ships are more powerful than their neighbours' crafts. Only elite
Gondorian Patrol Craft may stand a chance against a stack of Corsair Destroyers.
Only the Teleri build stronger ships, but Grey Havens is a long way away...
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
Corsair
The regular Corsair is the transport unit of the Haradrim.Don't be confused with
Teleri ship names, as their Teleri Destroyer transports, while the Teleri War
Ship can stack. It has terrifying firebombs that can hit multiple ships with 1
attack, and due to Fire Weakness they do just as much damage as a javelin hit,
with the added trouble of setting fire to ships. Compared to the universal
Galley unit, they have +1 DEF, and Vision III which can be a great advantage.
VET Marksmanship II
ELI Marksmanship III
KING OF HARAD
ORCS
Goblin Grunt
They're pushovers, yes, but don't underestimate them. They have First Strike,
Pole Arm and Strike of Mordor. They can afflict your unit with Mordor Sickness
for the rest of the turn, which seriously hampers effectiveness.
VET Underground Concealment
ELI none
Goblin Darter
Poison Darts are remarkably effective, with decent range. You will hate Darters
when you assault Orc walls. Best to bring units with immunity if you hope to
win the battle unscathed.
VET Marksmanship II, Underground Concealment
ELI Marksmanship III
Goblin Swordsman
Another annoying pushover unit with Strike of Mordor. Block gives it a chance to
survive when it should have been killed.
VET Underground Concealment
ELI none
Goblin Man
A strange unit with Taint of Sauron instead of the Mordor Sickness its fellow
goblins bestow. Its main threat is the Infect ability, which will inflict
Physical Weakness on a unit and create a parasite upon the victim's death to
repeat the process. I can't recall seeing Goblin Men outside of Saruman's army.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Saruman's Ork
Like in the movies, this unit will explode in front of its target, taking friend
and foe with it to the grave. It is also limited to Saruman's forces.
VET n/a
ELI n/a
Warg Rider
A mobile and effective unit with Throw Spear, Forestry, Cave Crawling and Night
Vision. The trademark Strike of Mordor is also present. They team up well with
Cave Trolls, able to traverse great distances through the forests.
VET Marksmanship I, Cause Fear
ELI Marksmanship II, First Strike, Champion of Mordor
Cave Troll
Cave Trolls hit hard but inaccurately. In battle, I've found them to be similar
to, but easier to defeat than Goblin Captains, despite being tougher. They do
not possess Strike of Mordor, making them more appealing targets to "safely"
tackle first, without risking a stat penalty yet. Since they have no Willpower,
there are more options for running interference. They have Regeneration, and
can travel far with Forestry and high move allowance.
VET Wall Crushing
ELI Physical Protection
Goblin Captain
As mentioned above, they are weaker defensively than a Cave Troll, but they're
more difficult to defeat. First strike lets them attack before you do, and just
2 points more in attack means a lot for accuracy. If you have to defeat this
Leadership unit first, consider using ranged attackers or units Immune to Mordor
Sickness. Definitely don't use cavalry unless you absolutely have to: Pole Arm
and First Strike is an infuriating combo. I've seen unpromoted Captains weather
assaults from 4 Sindarin Cavalry, taking out two of them in one blow, before
they could even attack. Goblin Captains have low RES, but possess Willpower,
making different interference tactics effective on them than on Cave Trolls.
VET Leadership II, Cause Fear
ELI Leadership III
Stone Troll
Designed as a wall garrison and perhaps siege unit, these trolls will Hurl
boulders and Firebombs at you. Their defense is less than a Cave Troll, but
don't expect them to be pushovers. They have lots of hit points, pack a strong
punch, and have Fire Halo to set you on fire and reduce your accuracy. If they
survive your siege attempt, Regeneration will heal them completely in 1 turn.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
SARUMAN
Wormtongue
URUKS
Many Uruk cities appear to have the equivalent of a Blood Totem building, so
don't be surprised to see silver medal units appearing with Life Stealing. This
means they were built in a city, but Life Stealing isn't a silver medal ability.
Uruk Impaler
They appear less of a pushover than their Goblin counterparts, but I found
Grunts to be more dangerous because of their Strike of Mordor. Unpromoted
Impalers only have Taint of Sauron, which is usually less troublesome. Cavalry
should beware of their Pole Arms, and don't allow them to gain silver medal.
Sauron usually builds other kinds of veteran units in his cities.
VET Strike of Mordor
ELI none
Uruk Hai
They possess Block, and can deal significant damage for a level 1 unit.
They are very straightforward melee units unless they gain a medal, but their
threat hardly increases until gold medal, which shouldn't happen often.
VET Taint of Sauron, Cause Fear
ELI Champion of Mordor
Uruk Crossbowman
Their sprite wields a bow, but never mind. A straightforward ranged unit, not
as serious an obstacle as Elven Longbowmen; on par with Gondorian Crossbowman.
VET Marksmanship I, Fire Halo
ELI Marksmanship II
Morgul Uruk Archer
Hardly much tougher than a regular Uruk Crossbowman, but they have Forestry and
Concealment, and Shooting Marksman's Arrows does much more damage.
VET Marksmanship I
ELI Marksmanship II
Morgul Uruk-Hai
As above, the Morgul version of the Uruk-Hai is a little more durable, but its
main advantage is Concealment and Forestry. An ambush unit.
VET Strike of Mordor, Cause Fear
ELI Champion of Mordor
Morgul Man
The term Morgul seems to be synonymous with Concealment and Forestry. This one
appears to be intended to annoy enchanted parties far away from a wizard domain
or spell caster. It can hide in any vegetation until the opportunity to Steal
Special Weapon/Armour arises. They are alsmost as fast as Easterling Riders, but
at least you can move first if they ambush you. Like I said: Annoying.
VET Immune to Taint of Sauron
ELI Champion of Mordor
Fighting Uruk-Hai
This appears to be the backbone of Saruman and Sauron's forces. Decent defense
and Double Strike. Although they have below average accuracy and a low damage,
each strike has a chance of inflicting Mordor Sickness and/or Taint of Sauron.
They also have Forestry and Concealment, making them the biggest potential
threat in an ambush.
VET First Strike, Wall Climbing
ELI Mordor Blade, Cause Fear
Vampire Bats
Although Vampire Bats have Floating movement, Sauron doesn't traverse river
tiles to assault with these. They appear to defend important chokepoints and
move with larger armies as they march across the land. Mostly they appear in
stacks of 8 Bats.
VET Cause Fear, Concealment
ELI none
Olog Hais
They rarely make use of their Round Attack ability, which is fortunate. Olog
Hais have average defence and accuracy, lots of hit points and a devastating
damage potential. Besides Taint of Sauron, they are quite straightforward,
but a dangerous melee unit nonetheless.
VET Leadership I, Cause Fear, Wall Crushing
ELI Leadership II, Champion of Mordor
Mordor Captain
They might seem less threatening than Olog Hais, but don't underestimate them.
Their Block, Champion of Mordor, Strike of Mordor, Smoky Haze and Pole Arm
abilities make them the bigger threat for sure. Their melee will connect more
often because of accuracy bonuses from abilities, and Block will make you miss
more often, whether in melee or ranged. A Leadership unit that might be too
difficult to dispatch before the rest; you will suffer many losses trying to.
VET Leadership II, Energy Drain
ELI Leadership III, Mordor Blade
Saruman's Uruk
They are sturdy enough to take a beating. Their goal is to explode and damage
your units, though the blast is hardly Deeping-Wall-shattering. Keep your
valuable units out of reach, and they are likely to explode in front of others
instead. You may lose a unit or two if you are dealing with multiple exploding
Uruks. Saruman has these in his army, but I never saw any more after his defeat.
They probably can't be recruited; Sauron has none.
VET
ELI
Half Orc
A Leadership unit, but not that much of a threat. They have Energy Drain and
Strike of Mordor. Another Saruman-only unit, it seems.
VET Leadership II
ELI Leadership III
Grond
This unit appears around turn 35, and appears quite terrifying. Sauron didn't
choose to risk its destruction trying to assault my strong defenses. It has
Physical Protection and 50 hit points, the maximum I've seen so far. Its
movement allowance is on the low side, so try to avoid engaging it in melee.
It has tons of abilities that pose a threat in melee only, like Lightning
Strike, Energy Drain and Extra Strike. Hopefully you can pelt it with ranged
attacks until it dies. It's well defended against magic, and can even knock
Great Eagles out of the sky with Ram.
VET none
ELI none
SAURON
Gothmog
Shagrat
UNDEAD
Barrow Wight
A straightforward melee unit with Block, Energy Drain and Resurgence. You
encounter a few underground. Unless you're unprepared, they're not challenging.
VET none
ELI none
Witch King
2nd Nazgul
3rd Nazgul
4th Nazgul
5th Nazgul
6th Nazgul
7th Nazgul
8th Nazgul
9th Nazgul
{9} VERSION INFORMATION
-----------------------
0.1 As yet incomplete. Layout needs polishing, though it should contain
enough game info to be informative and whet people's appetites. First
on the to-do list is a description of the hero units.
