Dol Guldur Faction Plan
Basic gameplay premise:
Most Dol Guldur units suffer from a basic, constant damage over time effect due to the Necromancer’s magic draining them and their surroundings. To counter this, each Dol Guldur structure has a leadership – ‘Dark Presence’ – that counters this and buffs Dol Guldur units. This results in a need to constantly and aggressively expand across the map, turning forward base-building into a core mechanic. To aid with this, builders are cheaper and more disposable. Another core mechanic is the use of various sources of necromancy to create Risen Dead – the only unit immune to the Necromancer’s draining magic – and to turn your enemies into Wraiths under your control. Spread the corruption.
Heroes
Thráin the Broken – 500
'The once proud son of Thrór was captured near the Eaves of Mirkwood while on his quest to reclaim the riches of Erebor,
taken to the dungeons of Dol Guldur, and tortured for long decades until he finally broke.'
Rank 1: Diminished
Thrain is but a thin shadow of his former self, and is able to skulk about unnoticed.
[design note: Thráin is a useful tool for finding places to build Dol Guldur's forward bases]
Rank 2: Dark Memories
Broken Rabble nearby Thráin gain +33% experience and +33% armor
[design note: Thráin allows Broken Rabble to rank up faster and survive longer to gain access to Eternal Servitude]
Rank 5: No Escape
When Thráin reaches low health he becomes temporarily invulnerable
Design cue: Ragged old Dwarf, similar to what we see in the Hobbit. iugrima_skl.
Krimpûl the Torturer – 1400
'An orc of exceptional cruelty, Krimpûl rose ruthlessly through the ranks of Dol Guldur's Orc-garrison,
until his Lieutenant finally took notice and put him to work in a place where his talents could come to full fruition.'
Rank 1: Orcish Chief
Summons a battalion of Orcish Hunters and Goalers. At rank 3, includes an additional battalion of Orc Ravagers.
Rank 1: Master's Command
Krimpûl has been tasked with retrieving the Rings of Power. Deals +33% additional damage versus Gandalf the White, Elrond, Galadriel, and Thorin Oakenshield.
At rank 3, his strikes also lower the armor of enemies within a small radius by 5% up to a maximum of 25%.
Rank 5: Dungeon Master
Summons a small Gaol that casts Dark Presence and may recruit Broken Rabble.
Rank 8: Imprison
Krimpûl cripples an enemy hero. Causes surrounding enemy units to cower in fear.
Design cue: One of the unused Weta designs for Azog. kuhlftrll_skl.
Queen Saenathra – 2000
'Shelob's greatest daughter, Saenathra tried to supplant the great matron within her lair, but failed and was cast out.
Now she dwells in Southern Mirkwood, where she rules over her own vile brood.'
Rank 1: Burrow
Queen Saenathra can quickly move underground.
Rank 3: Feast, My Children!
Enemy units within the radius are slowed and take increased damage from Spiders. At rank 6, also summons a horde of Fell Brood.
Rank 5: Web of Lies
Targeted enemy units become hostile to one another.
Rank 8: Endless Hunger
Like Ungoliant, Saenathra possesses an insatiable hunger for flesh and precious objects. Saenathra can now trample, and steals resources when dealing damage to enemy units and structures.
When activated, Saenathra regains 30% health.
Design cue: shelob_skl
Khamûl, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur – 2500
'Once a great king of the Eastern Wastes, Khamûl was ensnared by Sauron through one of his Great Rings. For many long centuries
Khamûl has served, performing acts of great terror and cruelty with solemn dedication to his Master.'
Rank 1: Mount/Dismount
Rank 1: Screech
Causes enemy units to flee in terror.
Rank 2: Black Breath
Khamûl gains +10% armor and damage per nearby Nazgûl
Nearby enemy units suffer -25% damage and -20% armor. At rank 6 also causes damage-over-time to nearby enemies.
Rank 3: Lieutenant of Dol Guldur
Nearby Undead units gain +33% damage. At rank 5 Khamûl equips his own armor, granting him +50% armor.
Rank 8: The Black Easterling
Khamûl and nearby friendly units gain +50% damage and +20% speed but lose -50% armour and gain no experience for a small time. Also summons 4 single Ancient Easterlings.
Stacks with leaderships and spells.
Design cue: Already exists in current Mordor faction.
Cargást, Lord of the Barrows - 1800
'A great King of Rhovanion in life, Cargást has long forgotten his true name. He was among the first to rise when the Necromancer discovered the barrows of his kin, and serves his master with dark fervor.'
Rank 1: Barrow-lord
Nearby enemies are slowed passively. The radius of this effect increases with each level. Can be activated to deal a heavy strike against a targeted enemy, draining some life and knocking them over.
At rank 5, spawns several Restless Warriors as bodyguards to Cargást.
Rank 3: March of the Dead
Nearby friendly Undead gain +15% movement speed.
Rank 5: Cursed Treasure
Target Slave Mill earns more resources but all nearby units have reduced armour for a time.
Rank 7: Spell of the Barrows
Target enemies are stunned in fear. Any Risen Dead in the target area deal more damage.
Rank 10: Dark Awakening
Cargást slowly but continually summons temporary, single Restless Warriors from the earth. While in this state, Cargást is unable to move until he is ordered to move or attack.
(coding cue: 1 every 2 seconds, each Restless Warrior lasts 20 seconds, Restless Warriors have Risen Dead stats)
The Necromancer – 3500
Becomes Ring Hero once the Ring is collected and given to him.
'After Sauron's defeat at the hands of Isildur, he fled into the far east, to lick his wounds and slowly rebuild his strength. A millenium later, his power had become great enough to once
again cast a shadow across Middle-earth. He began to dwell in southern Greenwood the Great, taking the long-abandoned Sindar fortress atop the hill of Amon Lanc. In time, the hill and
fortress came to be known as Dol Guldur, and the surrounding forests, once free and green, were slowly changed into the dark and treacherous Mirkwood.'
Starts at rank 5
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Rank 1: Lord of Wolves
Summons a large, black Warg. A maximum of three may be out at any time.
Rank 3: The Abhorred Dread
The Necromancer casts a necromantic spell on enemies within the radius, dealing heavy damage and resurrecting the dead as Risen Dead under the player’s control. This spell has a relatively short cooldown and is the Necromancer’s main source of danger.
At rank 6, grows in strength.
At rank 8, can be cast on Restless Barrows to summon a horde of Restless Warriors.
Rank 5: Shapeless Malice
The Necromancer becomes incorporeal, allowing him to move quickly across the map while terrifying nearby enemy units. Shapeless Malice does not allow him to attack (this is basically a mount).
Rank 8: Wreathed in Flame
The Necromancer erupts in flame, blasting back enemies and setting the surrounding area on fire.
Black Warg - summoned by the Necromancer
Rank 1: Lunge
Deals strong damage to selected enemy and causes temporary bleeding. The warg is healed for a small amount.
Design cue: musauron_skl
The Necromancer - Ring Hero
Visual cue: the Necromancer is wearing parts of Sauron's Prologue armor.
The Necromancer deals strong splash damage as his basic attack, and can attack from great range.
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Rank 1: Master of the Nine
Summons a Ringwraith. A maximum of three may be out at any time.
Rank 3: The Abhorred Dread
Same as before, but with a larger radius.
Rank 5: Shapeless Malice
Same as before, but deals damage to nearby enemies.
Rank 8: Wreathed in Flame
Same as before, but with a shorter cooldown.
Design cue: musauron_skl
Ringwraith - summoned by the Necromancer
Rank 1: The Nine are Abroad
Undead Monstrosity - summoned from the Spellbook
Rank 1: Putrid Presence
Armor of nearby enemies is reduced by 15%
Rank 1: Toxic Bile
The Undead Monstrosity spews out a load of toxic bile within the selected radius. Enemies caught within take strong damage over time.
Rank 1: Hooked!
Target enemy hero or unit is hooked and rooted in place for a short time, during which its armor and attack damage is decreased by 50%.
Rank 1: Corpse Explosion
The Undead Monstrosity explodes if not killed before its timer runs out. The explosion knocks down nearby enemies and leaves a cloud of poisonous fumes.
Gwanthaur - summoned from the Spellbook
Rank 1: Soul Trap
Enemy units within the radius take damage. If a unit dies, the Gwanthaur receives +5% armor and damage for a limited time.
Visual cue: swirling mists engulf the area of effect.
Rank 1: Sacrifice
The Gwanthaur can target a friendly unit to devour them and regain some health.
Rank 1: Dark Reclamation
Targeted structure is destroyed. Twisted trees appear in its place.
Rank 1: Expulsion
Summons a wave of Shades to clear out the enemy.
Design cue: kuwwolf_skl
Structures
Fortress – 4000
Upgrades
Swarm of Bats – 300
Vanilla.
Pale Torches – 600
Fire arrows from fortress
Dark Encroachment - 800
When activated, reduces all structure costs by 33% for a limited time.
[design note: this upgrade makes it much easier to fulfill Dol Guldur's ability to expand across the map]
Blight – 800
Enemy units surrounding the fortress take damage and turn into Wraiths upon dying. Prerequisite to Hill of Sorcery.
Guldur Palantir - 600
Can be cast to reveal part of the map. Enemy units caught in the radius take minor damage over time.
Hill of Sorcery – 1500
Castable, destructive spell that sunders the earth beneath the enemy and causes it to erupt in pale flame.
Expansions
Unquiet Ruin – 150
Arrow tower.
Boneyard – 300
Spawns Risen Dead that attack nearby enemies.
Forlorn Statue - 600
Nearby enemies suffer -25% damage and -20% armor. Causes enemy units to flee in terror.
May purchase Restless Bones upgrade, which allows the Forlorn Statue to summon a horde of skeletal warriors onto enemy battalions and siege engines.
Visual cue: An eight-sided central tower (4 sides being broad, 4 being narrow), mostly intact, surrounded by 4-6 tall, crumbling spires connected through stairs and dangerous bridges. Each broad side of the tower has an entrance at about 1/3rd its total height, with a treacherous staircase leading down to ground level. Swarm of Bats adds bats swarming the zenith, Pale Torches places torches in various places all around the model, Dark Encroachment adds a dark, swirly FX at the fortress' base, Blight adds a Morgul-like FX to the extant spires, Guldur Palantir adds statues holding Palantiri to the tops of each extant spire, Hill of Sorcery breaks off the top of the central tower to reveal crumbling inside filled with skulls and skeletons and lit standing torches.
Slave Mill – 300
Basic resource structure. May use Refresh Slaves, which temporarily disables the Mill but spawns a horde of Broken Rabble.
Misery Bonus: Reduced cost of Guldur Orcs
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Visual cue: an edited version of RotWK's Angmar Mill structure.
Fount of Corruption - 450
Advanced resource structure. Collects fewer resources than the Slave Mill, but may cast Mirkwood on trees in a small radius, corrupting them and extracting additional resources from them.
Corruption Bonus: Reduced cost of Spider units
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Rank 1: Blighted Trappers - 350
'Parasitic spores that spread from the corrupted pools of Southern Mirkwood have infected parts of the native Woodsmen population. They were last seen shambling towards the haunted fortress upon the barren hill...'
A small horde of shambling woodsmen carrying throwing spears. Low armor, high damage, slow reload time.
Rank 1: Noxious Darts
Infected Woodsmen temporarily deal poison damage. Deals added damage to structures.
Rank 2: Parasitic Embrace
Units in the targeted area become infected, heavily reducing their vision range, ranged damage, and reload speed for a short time.
Rank 2: Corrupted Entwife - 650
'During the War of the Last Alliance, Sauron set fire to the Brown Lands, which had long been the home of the Entwives. Most perished in the inferno, but some were captured by the Dark Forces and subsequently corrupted.'
A single Corrupted Entwife. Similar to Ents, but faster and with less armor. Once killed, they drop a Tumorous Acorn, which will respawn the Entwife if left alone.
Rank 1: Twisted Botany
Nearby Founts of Corruption gain +10% resources. Stacks up to 5 times.
Visual cue: a slightly raised pool of black, oily water. A gnarled tree grows at its side, dipping some roots into the pool. Around it grow many poisonous flowering plants and mushrooms.
;Lumbermill – 350
Vanilla, with new worker models based on Broken Rabble.
Guldur Gaol - 350
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Rank 1: Broken Rabble - 100
'The Necromancer's servants hunted and ensnared countless wanderers in and around the borders of southern Mirkwood. Tortured and broken, they were sent out with Dol Guldur's legions, to make war on their former friends and family.'
Horde consisting of tortured and enslaved Elves, Woodsmen, and Dwarves. At rank 2, Broken Rabble gains Eternal Servitude, which causes each killed unit to be reanimated as Risen Dead. Risen Dead do not suffer from the Necromancer’s corruption and are durable, fast-moving units.
Design cue - Broken Rabble: rupsnt_skl
Design cue - Risen Dead: muorcwar_skl
Rank 1: Orc Gaolers - 250
'Dol Guldur's jailors are not granted fates much improved from those they capture. In the end, all must bend and crawl before the Necromancer's dark might.'
Orc spearmen that may stealth near trees.
Design cue: Mordor Orc Pikeman.
Rank 1: Black Banners - [standard banner carrier price]
Upgrades Orc and Spider units to rank 2.
Rank 2: Orc Hunters - 300
'When evil stirs, orcs are gathered to it like moths to a flame. It did not take long for them to answer the call of their master and swarm towards southern Mirkwood.'
Orcish archers that may stealth near trees. At rank 2, Orc Hunters gain Bring It Down!, which temporarily increases damage to Flying units.
Design cue: muarcher_skl
Rank 3: Orc Ravagers - 600
'The Necromancer took a special interest in the largest and toughest of his minions, cursing them with fell magic and turning them into senseless, unstoppable husks tailored strictly to his will.'
Heavily armored, zombified Orcs carrying blacksteel axes. Siege units that are largely immune to ranged damage.
Rank 2: Appetite for Destruction
Orc Ravagers temporarily regain health per hit against structures
Design cue: kuhtroll_skl
Rank 3: Tomb Guard - 800
'Many dark tunnels and tombs were dug into Amon Lanc to house the Necromancer's subjects and keep them hidden from the prying eyes of the White Council. They were guarded by ancient orcs of singular mind, rotted and decayed.'
Zombified, decomposed orcs wearing rusted mail and carrying crooked halberds.
Rank 1: Porcupine Formation
Rank 2: Heavy Duty
When a Tomb Guard dies, the rest of the horde temporarily gains a small, stackable armor boost.
Design cue: duphalanx_skl, scaled up and with custom idles/select/run animations
Rank 3: Flaming Arrows - 1500
Vanilla.
Visual cue: an asymmetrical ruin heavily fortified and changed by orcish hands. There is a row of evil-looking prison cells to one side, with hanging cages and corpses/skulls throughout.
Spider Lair – 500
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Rank 1: Infestation
Once constructed, Spider Lairs allow most structures to use the Infestation power. Infestation summons a swarm of spiders around a structure that slows nearby enemies' attack and movement speed and deals minor damage.
Rank 1: Fell Brood - 450
A horde of large Mirkwood spiders. May trample enemy units. May receive Black Banners upgrade, renamed 'Matriarch' in their commandset.
Rank 1: Venom Sacs - 250
Grants Fell Brood additional poison damage.
Rank 2: Shriek
Nearby enemy units are terrified.
Rank 3: Saenathra's Sister - 600
A single giant spider that tramples enemy units and deals powerful siege damage.
Rank 1: Burrow
Allows the Sister to tunnel below the earth.
Rank 3: Encasing Webs
Disables enemy structures and deals minor damage over time.
Visual cue: heavily overgrown ruins strung together by cobwebs. Egg-sacks, moss, tiny spiders spawning and crawling everywhere (will require a low-poly, tiny spider model). This structure should give arachnophobes the creeps.
Ruinous Tower – 150
Basic defense structure. Weak and cheap, spammable. Stealthed near trees.
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Visual cue: a ruined tower held together by thick, thorny vines wrapping up and around it like coiling snakes.
Restless Barrow - 400
Secondary defense structure. Similar to a Warg Sentry, but spawns numerous Restless Warriors to defend the area.
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Rank 2: Unburied Wights - 1000
A horde of wights. Powerful late-game unit that can negate enemy upgrades. When ordered to attack, they gain a speed bonus, allowing them to quickly rush the enemy down.
Rank 1: Biting Cold
Nearby enemy units suffer -10% armor and damage, improves as Unburied Wights rank up.
Rank 2: Ravenous Hunger
Attacks against living units restore health to the Unburied Wights.
Rank 3: Black Winds
For 10 seconds, the Unburied Wights gain +300% armor, +50% damage, and fear immunity. After 10 seconds has passed, the Unburied Wights battalion is destroyed. Enemies near to the destroyed battalion take damage and temporarily lose x% attack damage and armour.
Visual cue: a disturbed burial ground of the woodsmen native to Southern Mirkwood. Similar in appearance to Neolithic hunebedden (or dolmen) - a jagged rock surrounded by an earthen mound. The Restless Warriors are skeletal warriors dressed in the ancient garb of the Éothéod nobility: spangenhelms, rusted mail coats, and carrying bronze-covered shields.
Tower of Sorcery – 600
Upgradeable structure that can be used both offensively and defensively.
Rank 1: Dark Presence
Empowers nearby Dol Guldur units. Counters their damage-over-time affliction and slightly buffs their stats.
Rank 1: Blight
Small radius around the Tower is constantly blighted.
Rank 1: Necromancy – 1500
Upgrade. Orc Hunters and Gaolers may be ‘upgraded’ to be turned into Risen Dead. Risen Dead are fast-moving shock troops. See entry at the bottom of the plan for details on Risen Dead.
Also spawns Risen Dead to defend Dol Guldur structures.
Rank 1: Harbinger of Shadow
Recruits a battalion of Harbingers of Shadow. They wear ruined mail and tattered cloth, with a conical, mail-lined helmet covering a withered, dead face. Slow-moving, slow-attacking. 6 in a battalion, limited to 3 battalions. Harbingers of Shadow are resistant to trample and knockback.
Rank 1: Deep Rot
Can be cast on a structure to deal damage over time. At rank 3, spawns several uncontrollable wraiths around the targeted structure. These Wraiths last a short time but can turn enemy units into Wraiths.
Rank 2: Cold Steel
The Harbingers' attacks passively decrease armor and movement speed.
Level 3: Withering Touch
Units within the radius take damage over time. Affects both enemies and allies. Risen Dead are immune.
Design cue: Mouth of Sauron skl
Rank 2: Greater Blight - 1200
Blight radius is greatly increased.
Rank 3: Armored Castellan - 1800
Recruits an Armored Castellan. Hero unit. Limited to three.
Rank 1: Castellan of Guldur
Provides armor to nearby structures. The Castellan will terrify those in a radius around them. Those who strike the Castellan will be poisoned and have reduced armour. Passive.
Rank 3: Incorporeal
The Armored Castellan becomes immune to damage but cannot move or attack.
Rank 5: Necromantic Blast
Enemy units are blasted back and take damage – if killed, they become wraiths.
Visual cue: likely the most intact structure in the faction. A dark tower not dissimilar to but much less refined than Barad-dûr. Surrounded by evil statues and laden with corpse-cages hanging from ledges. As it ranks up, has bat swarms around its zenith.
Spellbook
Carnage – 5pp
Friendly units within the radius gain +100% damage at the cost of -50% armor.
[design cue: this power synergizes well with Broken Rabble's rank 3 ability 'Eternal Servitude', allowing the player to temporarily boost the Broken Rabble horde at the likely cost of losing them, but obtaining Risen Dead in return]
Dead Marsh – 5pp
Summons a festering marshland. All units caught in the area lose leadership and lose -15% armor
Chill of the Grave – 5pp
Enemy units are slowed and take damage over time.
Forest of Fear – 10pp
Targeted trees are twisted and corrupted. Provides vision range and spawns a large number of wild spiders that attack anything in sight.
Spell of Concealment – 10pp
Vanilla Elven Mist, also affects structures
Ensnare – 10pp
Temporarily take control of enemy units within the radius. When Ensnare runs out, ensnared enemies take damage.
Summon Black Wargs – 10pp
Summons three hordes of Black Wargs lead by their Great Alpha.
Darkness – 15pp
Vanilla.
Undead Monstrosity – 15pp
Summons an armored, undead Troll.
Wither – 15pp
Disables and damages structures in a radius.
Gift of the Necromancer – 25pp
Summons a controllable, swirling green mist. All units, friend and foe, take damage and are turned into Wraiths upon death.
Summon Gwanthaur* – 25pp
Summons the Gwanthaur.
*A corrupted, ancient spirit of the forest. Broken, bony antlers on a horrifying head, long-reaching limbs and a bent back upon which grow many mushrooms and strange trees. The Gwanthaur preys on lost travelers, claiming their souls for sustenance.
Misc. entries
Risen Dead - various sources, primarily fallen Broken Rabble and Guldur Orcs with Necromancy upgrade.
Risen Dead are powerful, fast-moving units whose attacks can pierce armor.
Rank 1: Intrepid Corpse - passive
Risen Dead are immune to all fear and terror effects
Rank 2: Dark Sustenance - passive
Risen Dead quickly regain health and restore their horde while outside of combat
Rank 5: Down with the Sickness - passive
Enemies slain by Risen Dead have a small chance to be temporarily reanimated on the player's side
