How to Beat The Tower

Learn how to reforge Forge Towers and master bow combat in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Uncover the basics of the Nemesis system and your first target.

To beat The Tower in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, you'll first need to reforge the Forge Tower as the Elven Wraith. This action unlocks fast travel, missions, and collectibles. After reforging, you'll transition to Talion and engage in a tutorial combat sequence using your bow to defeat attacking Uruks.

Reforging the Forge Tower

As the Elven Wraith, approach the Forge Tower and press the designated button (R1 on PlayStation) to reforge it. This action is crucial as it serves multiple purposes:

• Fast Travel: Once reforged, these towers become fast travel points, allowing you to quickly traverse the landscape of Mordor.
• Mission Unlocks: Reforging towers often reveals new missions and objectives in the surrounding area.
• Collectible Locations: They also mark the locations of various collectibles, such as Power Symbols and Lore items.
• Mirian Acquisition: You'll also gain Mirian, the in-game currency used for upgrades.

After reforging, access the menu to equip runes, review lore in the Appendices, and view available upgrades you may not yet be able to afford.

The First Encounter with Talion and Your Bow

Once you've reforged the tower, sprint to the edge and leap off. You'll transition from the Elven Wraith to Talion's physical form. Upon landing, you'll be immediately challenged by Uruks, initiating a tutorial on combat with your bow:

1. Enter Ranged Mode: Hold L2 to aim your bow.
2. Charge Your Shots: Hold L1 to draw the arrow. The longer you hold, the more damage the arrow will inflict.
3. Focus Meter: While aiming, time will slow down, allowing for precise shots, as long as you have Focus.

Your initial task is to eliminate four attacking Uruks. After this, a more elusive Uruk will appear, but the outcome remains the same: Talion will defeat him.

The Nemesis System Tutorial

Following this combat sequence, you'll discover that your wounded hand has a peculiar effect on Uruks. After some prompting from the Elven Wraith, approach the defeated Uruk. Use the grapple command (R1) and then press the designated button (X on PlayStation) to brand him. A second press of the button will allow you to Gain Intel.

The Wraith will then interrogate the Uruk, revealing your first target: an Uruk named "Gimub the Slaver." This interrogation serves as the introduction to the Nemesis system, a core mechanic of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, which dynamically generates unique enemies with their own strengths, weaknesses, and rivalries.