This is my suggestion for a Rhûn support hero in the Mordor subfaction, that's why the post is long.
By reading some stuff on the Fandom wiki, I realised the Games Workshop's miniatures were a major inspiration of AOTR. And I just found this guy :
https://www.games-wo...-Lord-of-Blades
"Some say that Amdûr is an orphan, raised from the gutter to join the ranks of the vast armies of the Dragon Emperor, others that he is the son of a princeling who turned from a life of privilege to dedicate himself to the art of the blade. What all who dwell east of the Sea of Rhûn agree upon is that he is one of the greatest swordsmen among the innumerable hordes sworn to Sauron’s cause. It was Amdûr who founded the order of Black Dragons which forms the elite vanguard of the Easterling armies, and among the Dragon Knights his name is spoken with a mixture of reverence and fear."
So yeah, this is not 100% accurate with the actual AOTR lore, which is different in many ways, but it is a very good start to polish a finished version of the Rhûn support hero for Mordor. In fact, I even imagined what his story and abilities could be, and a way to implement him properly in the Mordor hero roaster.
Don't get mad at me for incorrect english or personal choices regarding my fanmade Rhûn lore, you can do whatever you want with this quick draft, hoping it will inspire you nonetheless.
First, Gorbag becomes a lvl 10 summon for a lvl 10 Shagrat. I never see him used anyway so it's a way to keep him and his utility, and earn a free hero slot at the same time. Another way to do this would be by giving the Easterling Encampent a hero slot, just like for the Bree-land Encampment for Rivendell, but there would still be a lot of heroes in Mordor. Honestly, Gorbag is probably the least made amongst all, so he should be the one to be moved or changed in order to let the new Rhûn support hero come. Or maybe remove one Nazgûl, but I already talked about that in my comment above.
No matter the building that you can recruit him with, you have to use the T2 He's Gathering All Evil To Him at least once to unlock him (just like for Easterling Kataphrakts and Swordsmen).
Now, let's get into his proper depiction as a hero :
Cost : 2000-3000 (I can't really appreciate the better price at my level, will need some balance for sure)
- Version 1 : Subfaction leader (support hero)
Amdûr (or anything else) : "Raised in disdain for Middle-Earth and Kinn-Lai as the rest of his people, Amdûr was the last heir of a minor noble family in Rhûn, and a member of the Solar Dragon Council in Amaterrasû, the Red Stone Temple, the oldest human city of Arda, on which never the Day draws to its close. Early confronted with the endless conspiracies plotted by the elders of his kin and the slow but certain loss of influence Rhûn was facing at the end of the Third Age, Amdûr reversed the trend by staging an audacious coup at the Council, rapidly taking control of the city and most of other Easterling kingdoms single-handedly. Followed by warlike lords that intended to invade Gondor for decades, Amdûr announced that he would defeat Numenoreans both on land and sea, and that the Sun would shine forever on the glory of Rhûn once he would finally be in charge of all of Arda. Soon informed of the agitation in Amaterrasû by his spies at the Council, Sauron made tempting offers to the young Easterling lord, whispering about green and fertile elven lands, antic treasures of Numenor awaiting him in Minas Tirith, and the secrets of the Western Kings of old, notably eternal life enchantments that they stole to the Valar thanks to his advice. Bewitched and mesmerized, Amdûr of Amaterrasû soon gathered his troops under the banner of the Dark Lord, making them march through the Black Gate in golden armors and proper order as if they would be soon Lords of Arda, only to be defeated years later by Elessar that negociated peace with way more peaceful and wise Rhûn leaders."
Appearance : Worthy of an Easterling King. With a golden and gliterring armor, similar to those commonly seen on Rhûn legions but with more jewels and red ornamentation. Inspired by both Peter Jackson style and Japanese medieval clothes and armors. Not necessarily hidden behind a big helmet just like the rest of his kin, the design of his war helmet on the Games Workshop miniature having already been used for Khamûl anyway. Maybe more of a Samurai helmet (and not China, because it seems that Kinn-Lai clothes have been inspired by Chinese armors).
Abilities :
Lvl 1 : Master of the Solar Dragon Council / King of Rhûn / Lord of the East / Champion of Amaterrasû / etc. (whatever titles you want him to have)
Modifier type : Leadership. Nearby Easterling units gain + 33 % damage / + 33 % armor, + 50 % experience gain and are immune to fear and terror. Stacks with buffs and spells. Passive ability.
Lvl 3 : Red Maidens of Amaterrasû / Hands of the Solar Dragon / Gifts of the Eastern Sea (again, depends on the type of magic or science mastered by Easterlings)
Heals nearby friendly heroes and Easterling units by a slight amount. At level 5, is upgraded so it heals more hitpoints and now gives nearby Easterling units + 25 % armor for a short amount of time. At level 8, heals even more hitpoints and gives nearby Easterling units + 50 % armor for a short amount of time. Left click to activate.
Lvl 5 : The Dragon Crown / Heir to the Red Throne
Amdûr dons his heavy armor, gaining + 50 % armor. At level 8, Amdûr better watches his back and is now immune to poison damage. When activated, redirects a high percentage of received damage to the attacker for a short amount of time. Left click to activate.
Lvl 7 : On Which Never The Day Draws To Its Close
Amdûr calls the spirits of his land to his aid and appears bathed in golden light, gaining temporarily + 50 % damage / + 50 % armor and knockback damage while nearby enemy units are stunned for a short amount of time. Left click to activate.
Lvl 10 : Loyalty to the Red Throne / The Solar Dragon Council Treaty / The Bane of Gondor
Summons an army of fully upgraded Easterling reinforcements. Left click icon then left click target area.
(Three batallions : Swordsmen, Phalanx and Archers, they are on a timer)
- Version 2 : Subfaction leader (hero killer)
Hebikû (or anything else) : "Last member of the First Flame, a religious order that ruled over far East Rhûn for centuries, Hebikû fled from his sanctuary, leaving the rivers and the cherry trees of his homeland to their slow decade, ravaged by war against the Kinn-Lai Avari and internal conflicts. Marching towards the mythical West, Hebikû hoped he could teach a lot of what he learned to Numenoreans of Gondor, so the secrets of his people are not forgotten throughout ages. Yet, he was denied the crossing of the Anduin by the Gondorian soldiers guarding Osgiliath, and told to go back home because of his Easterling origins. Seeing even the Edain couldn't help him save his knowledge in this time of war and fear, Hebikû went back to the mightiest human city he could find apart from Minas Tirith : Amaterrasû, the Red Stone Temple. After spending months teaching the ways of the First Flame to Rhûn soldiers, priests and craftsmen, he answered the call of Sauron to destroy the remnants of Numenor and enter a new era of Oriental supremacy. Killed by Imrahil during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Hebikû never saw Elessar vanquish his kin and restore the glory and wisdom of Westerlings."
Appearance : Go full Ghost of Tsushima for strong Japanese vibes. Do not hesitate to give him a wooden armor, a bun for his hair, a katana and an hankyû. He can also carry books and sealed scrolls, to show the mass of secrets from his homeland he is carrying with him. You can give him additional swords for aesthetic purposes (wakizashi or tanto) and represent the symbol of his order on his clothes or armor, so the feeling of facing unknown countries and peoples is stronger.
Abilities :
Lvl 1 : Toggle weapon
Left click to toggle between sword and bow.
Lvl 1 : Philosophy
Modifier type : Leadership. Experienced and wise, Hebikû inspires nearby Easterling units by giving them + 75 % experience gain and making them immune to fear and terror. Stacks with buffs and spells. Passive ability.
Lvl 3 : Blade of the First Flame
Can only use with sword equipped. Hebikû strikes an enemy hero with a single and powerful melee attack, dealing him important magic damage and also reducing his armor and speed by 25 % for a short amount of time. Left click icon then left click target.
Lvl 6 : Art of the Blade / Bane of the Kinn-Lai
Modifier type : Leadership. Hebikû shows incredible skills in wielding his sword and now does + 50 % damage to Warriors of the Kinn-Lai, Heavy Armored troops and Heroic units. When near Amdûr, Easterling allies also do + 25 % damage against Warriors of the Kinn-Lai, Heavy Armored troops and Heroic units. Stacks with buffs and spells. Passive ability.
Lvl 8 : Inner Fire / Oriental Supremacy
Hebikû and nearby Easterlings briefly gain + 100 % damage. The more warriors near Hebikû, the larger the bonus (+ 10 % additional damage for each batallion). Stacks with leaderships and spells. Left click to activate.
Thanks for reading, I hope this gave you some ideas for a potential future Rhûn support hero.
Edited by Nerevar42, 02 July 2021 - 01:24 PM.