Part 14

Guide for The Lord of the Rings Online missions Cair Andros, Osgiliath, and Shelob's Lair. Includes tips for Faramir and Sam.

Cair Andros (Faramir)

In this mission, battles occur among ruins, limiting cavalry's effectiveness. Prioritize fire archer battalions and tower guards. Build your base, construct an archery range, and produce archers to station in towers for defense and observation. Man all towers to control most important passes. Be wary of catapults; use a pair of knight battalions to attack unguarded catapults and retreat them after destruction, as knights are fast enough to evade projectiles. Destroy enemy troll cages to the left of your base with fire archers before the trolls become a problem, then build resource gathering buildings in the captured outpost. You can choose which of the enemy's several bases to attack first. If you have Rohirrim summons, use them as meat shields for your units to destroy arrow-shooting buildings and resource structures, then send in knights for efficient destruction.

Osgiliath (Faramir)

This mission has two parts: defending the bridge until Faramir arrives, then clearing the map. Do not send units across the bridge until Faramir arrives or you have sufficient fire-equipped archer units, as this can trigger Nazgul attacks and expose you to catapults without adequate counters. Once you regain control, build your base with blacksmiths, farms, and unit production buildings. If you have enough money, build a marketplace and purchase all upgrades to increase income. Produce archers and soldiers, merging them into soldier-archer battalions for defense, stationing at least two on each bridge. Merge surviving initial defenders with rangers and soldiers to save money. Build tower guards for later assaults and garrison towers on your side to increase firepower and reduce command point burdens. Build a camp near the southernmost bridge. Defending against occasional orc and archer attacks will provide experience. When the timer runs out, do not immediately call Faramir; instead, maximize your command point cap with units before summoning him, reaching 600/300 units. Knights are best used for destroying buildings and taking out catapults; keep them in friendly areas to avoid becoming Nazgul targets. Begin the assault from the southern bridge, the least defended. Have the two soldier-archer battalions cross and secure the other side, then bring Faramir and more archers in. Leave archers defending other bridges. Attack the nearest camp, being cautious of trolls, Nazguls, and orcs. Use tower guards to absorb damage from flanking orcs. Focus fire on Nazguls when they appear within range to prevent army wipeouts. Keep knights behind the lines to quickly engage any appearing catapults. After the first camp, the other two are easier; be aware there are two Nazguls total on the map.

Shelob's Lair (Sam)

Frodo has been captured, and Sam must rescue him. Sting glows near orcs, so use this as a warning. Free soldiers and collect loot as you progress; this is needed for bonus missions and the assault on Cirith Ungol. The phial is useful against enemy hordes. Explore the map with Sam, arming him with his rock-throwing ability to defeat small enemies quickly. Do not waste rescued soldiers, as they are needed as meat shields against Shelob and a lost troll. Use Sam to explore and group soldiers together for strength. Have Sam pick off orc archers in the northeast cave with his pitching arm. Deal with the lost troll in the northern part of the cave with at least 8 soldiers/archers. By the time you reach Shelob, you should have enough men to defeat her. Have Sam stay back and throw rocks while healing soldiers. Use the phial if necessary for a brief respite.