Part 34

Learn The Lord of the Rings Online faction strategies: Gondor's defense, Rohan's micro, Isengard's siege, and Mordor's hordes.

Gondor: Gondor is designed for defensive players, offering castle walls, two types of castle defenses, and the ability to build keeps on outposts. A couple of keeps combined with a unit of Gondorian Knights can effectively stall an enemy at a choke point for extended periods.

Rohan: Rohan is intended for players who enjoy micro-managing their units, similar to spellcasting armies in Warcraft 3, where each unit has a specific purpose. Rohan boasts the most heroes in multiplayer, including Eomer, Eowyn, Merry, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, and Treebeard, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.

Isengard: Isengard is suited for players who prefer powerful base units, such as Uruk-hai, which can defeat other infantry of equal upgrades and experience quickly. Isengard heavily utilizes siege units like ladders, mines, rams, and ballistas, making it ideal for players who want to attack enemy castles from a distance with mines, archers, ballistas, and berserk Uruk-hai.

Mordor: Mordor is for players who favor quantity, utilizing hordes of cheap units like Orcs to support a few powerful units such as Mumakil. Mordor's player-controlled units are generally the weakest, with the exception of Mumakil.

Game Balance: The game is well-balanced, requiring players to understand unit counters, as every unit has at least one unit on any side that can effectively neutralize it without being quickly defeated. This balance prevents scenarios seen in the movies, such as the Witch King dominating without Eowyn, the Balrog causing widespread destruction, or Sauron easily winning after the One Ring is recovered.

Mordor Skirmish Strategy: To play a skirmish as Mordor, start by building two slaughterhouses for resources to construct an Orc Pit. Once the pit is built, create Gollum to explore for settlements and outposts. While Gollum explores, produce free Orcs and build a Haradrim Palace. Establish slaughterhouses on any found settlements to reduce the cost of trolls and Mumakils. Use the two available camp slots at your base to create a Mumakil Pen and a Troll Cage. Build some trolls and a Mumakil with Haradrims on it. Then, rush the enemy camp with Orcs and trolls. Use the Mumakil to destroy gates against the Good side or to destroy everything, ensuring your other units are not in the way.

Ruined Towers: In some skirmish maps, you can man ruined towers with archers to control access to your base. These towers can typically withstand significant attacks, providing time to prepare your army. However, enemy siege weapons can destroy these towers, or they can be recaptured by enemy units.