LISTEN TO ME, HEROES OF MIDDLE-EARTH, AND HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY !
First of all, greetings. I'm Balázs Morris, a hungarian BfME 1/2 fan. Call me simply "MB".
Here are my ideas for Wars of the East. As I make up my mind (and if this thread stays alive), I'll update it with new things over and over again. I'll try to come up with original and useful ideas. If you find them either good or bad, please tell me, I really would like to hear the opinion of others.
Do not post your own unit/hero/power ideas here, just give feedback about my work, please. Thank you for understanding.
SPECIAL NOTE 1: some of the units I suggest I already suggested in the Suggestion Topic and had been copied from there. Some of these had modifications.
SPECIAL NOTE 2: you may notice that many of my ideas has a lack of details. That's because I'm bad at balancing, so I don't really want to give them HP/damage/etc. stat.
EXTREMLY IMPORTANT NOTE (READ BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER): these ideas are for the actual developers of "Wars of the East". Sorry, but I lack the skills of programming, skinning, modelling and animating. I only have great imagination and willforce. I hope IthronAiwendil will notice my ideas and consider adding them.*
*(already happened
)There are TWO main categories on this thread:
- UNITS
- HEROES
There's also a "Secondary" thread, for three other categories (Improvements, Complaints and Creep Bases). You can find it here: http://forums.revora...showtopic=52345
And here's the Complete List of Ideas. Here you can see all ideas I made so far. By using this, you can find my ideas more quickly.
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COMPLETE LIST OF IDEAS:
(NOTE: the order of factions is the same at each category.)
SPECIAL NOTE 1: I use * -s to sign my ideas; the number of * -s depend on the amount of chance to get implemented:
* - Small chance to get implemented.
** - Moderate chance to get implemented.
*** - Great chance to get implemented.
**** - WILL get implemented !
***** - Already ingame ! (17 so far; check the Updade Topic !)
SPECIAL NOTE 2: The fact that my idea will get implemented or is already ingame does NOT mean that they remain(ed) in the original format. I don't modify my suggies if their basic appearence or such is altered, I keep them in the original format. Thank you for understanding.
MEN OF THE WEST:
- Druedain Warriors (inn unit)**
- Pukel-Man (summoned unit)**
ELVES:
- Rivendell Loremaster (unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Woodsmen (inn unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Watchers of Esgaroth (inn unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
DWARVES:
- Dragon Slayers (unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Beorning (inn unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Thorin Oakenshield (ring hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
DORWINION:
- Fists of Kalorme (unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Adventurers (inn unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Akrothir (ring hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Tharna (hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
MORDOR:
- Morgul Trolls (unit)**
- Thindelar (structure hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
ISENGARD:
- Isengard Sentries (unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Goblin Firestarters (inn unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Greymane (commander unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Randor (hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
ANGMAR:
- Rhuadur Battering Ram (unit)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
- Valranur (hero)***** IMPLEMENTED !!!
EVIL MEN:
- Harondor Wardens (unit)**
- Serpent Guard (unit)**
- Hasharin (unit)*
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UNIT IDEAS
SPECIAL NOTE: yes, I know that many of them has weapon toggles. I did so because I thought that most factions already have a complete list of "simple" units (spearmen, swordsmen, archers, cavalry), so I decided to make "combined" units.
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- Druedain Warriors -
Side: Men of the West (special Inn unit)
Strenghts: effective against spearmen, swordsmen and siege engines
Weaknesses: weak against archers and cavalry
Appearence: Druedain people wearing animal leathers as clothes, holding spears and clubs.
Description: "The mystical and ancient people of the Druadan Forest, the Druedain are amongst the most primitive nations of mankind in Middle-Earth. While being barbaric and cruel, there are a few things that they have in common with the more advanced cultures of men: the noble way of fighting, the care for their people, and the ancient hatred towards the orcs. During the late Third Age, the Druedain people, led by Ghan-Buri-Ghan also took part in the War of the Ring, leading the army of Theoden trough their forest, allowing them to lend a hand to Minas Tirith just in good time. Several warbands of the Druedain also set off to help Gondor's cause, in hope of protecting their people from being overrun by Mordor's orcish rabbles. While not being so numerous nor well-equipped or trained like the fighters of Gondor or Rohan, the sheer force and rage of the Druedain warriors often proves to be more than enough to break trough the formations of Mordor's orcs."
Special Abilities:
Forest Walk - the Druedain Warriors are stealthed near trees, even when moving.
Ancient Hatred - the Druedain Warriors receive +50% damage when fighting Orc-type units (including Uruk-hai orcs).
Construct Pukel-Man - requires level 5; the Druedain Warriors are able to summon a special building, the Tribal Totem, which is protected by a Pukel-Man.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forest Herbs*
*basic upgrade (like the "Torches" at Wildmen of Dunland); when upgraded, the Druedain Warriors receive the ability to slowly regenerate their wounds.
In-game Use: the Druedain Warriors are special late-game melee units. While they are vulnerable to cavalry charges and their armor is very low, their damage is extremly high. Furthermore, the Druedain Warriors possess immense amount of health, making them quite endurant. Their "Construct Pukel-Man" ability can come handy as well, because it immediately summons a special building, along with a tough guardian unit.
NOTE: even since Ithron showed me Ghan-Buri-Ghan in game, I was thinking about these guys. Hey, if we have a wild-man chieftain as MotW Commander Unit, then it can't get any worse, can it...?
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- Pukel-Man -
Side: Men of the West (special summoned unit)
Strengths: very resistant to arrow attacks, strong against every regular unit type
Weaknesses: weak against monsters and siege engines
Appearence: a big, human-like statue made of stone.
Description: "Constructed by the Druedain and awakened by them, these grotesque statues are the sleepless sentries of the Druedain Forest. Given life by Middle-Earth's natural magics and the Druedains' hatred towards anyone who endangers their lands, these great statues of stone may come to life in times of great peril, not resting even for a single moment until the land of the Druedain is safe once more. While somewhat slow, the Pukel-Man possesses immense strenght and is very resistant to almost any forms of normal attacks, and such, a Pukel-Man would prove to be a hard challenge even for a troll of Gorgoroth."
Special Abilities:
Ancestral Guardian - when near to the Pukel-Man, the Druedain Warriors and Ghan-Buri-Ghan receive +60% armor and +20% line of sight; passive
Upgrades: - (no upgrades)
In-game Use: a powerful monster summoned by the Druedain Warriors, the Pukel-Man can take down entire battalions within a few seconds. While it is slow, it has immense armor and its attacks deal great area-of-effect damage, making it useful in almost any situation. The only thing that is really effective against them is an another monster (like Troll) or siege engine (like Catapult). However, there's a little drawback about the Pukel-Man: it always has to be near to the Tribal Totem (since the Pukel-Man is basically a guardian-unit, much like the Mewlip or the Warg Sentry), and, if the totem is destroyed, the Pukel-Man dies, too.
NOTE: ...yes, it can
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Rivendell Loremaster -
Side: Elves
Strengths: can cast various spells, making it a good support unit.
Weaknesses: vulnerable to all forms of attacks.
Appearence: An elf, wearing white/green/brown robes and holding a staff with a blue gem on its top.
Description: "The library of the house of Elrond in Rivendell is legendary. It contains an almost unlimited amount of information about everything: building, arts, songs, history, technology, war, nature, phylosophy... and some forgotten lore. The war of the Ring, however, forced some elven scholars to seek out this forgotten lore in Elrond's library and so did these wise magicians came to be. They have a great knowledge about magic and nature at their disposal, making them able to heal even mortal wounds and turn the tide of battles by invoking the power of long-forgotten spells of old times."
Special abilities*:
*NOTE: The Sage needs Wisps to invoke his spells. The Wisps are little balls of light those escort the Sage everywhere he goes. Once casting a spell, one or more of these small spirits go away. The amount of Wisps regenerates over time. The Sage can have only a maximum of 6 Wisps anytime. If the Sage dies, the Wisps die with him.
Green Land (basic spell; requires 1 Wisp to cast) - makes grass growing in a small area; this effect lasts only for a short time, but it makes friendly units move and attack a bit faster while they stand on it.
Valor (basic spell; requires 2 Wisps to cast) - boosts the armor and damage of friendly units within the area of effect for a short time.
Cure (major spell; requires "Cure Specialization" upgrade and 3 Wisps to cast) - fully heals every unit within the area of effect. This spell, however, doesn't resurrects units like the "Heal" power.
Power of Light (major spell; requires "Power of Light Specialization" upgrade and 3 Wisps to cast) - the clouds go away and the sun starts shining with great power in the selected area. Creatures of shadow in the area of effect will be stunned for some time.
Protection (major spell; requires "Protection Specialization" upgrade and 4 Wisps to cast) - makes units close to the Elven Sage invulnerable for a short time !
Upgrades: Cure Specialization / Power of Light Specialization / Protection Specialization ; you can buy only ONE of these.
In-game Use: The Elven Sage is a very good mid-late game support unit, like the Sorcerer for Angmar but with not so offensive powers. The Sage is useful even with the standard spells, but it becomes the strongest once you specialize him in one of the three major magics. You should have at least 3-4 Sages anytime, making them specialized in different spells, making effective combinations during battles. Protect your Sages well, however, since they are very vulnerable to any kind of damage !
NOTE: Even since I first used the Sorcerer in RotWK, I wanted to make a "good" version of it. I decided to make it for the elves since they know the most about the magic in Middle-Earth just after the five wizards.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Woodsmen -
Side: Elves (special inn unit)
Strengths: effective against monsters (when using bow) and against swordsmen (when using axes)
Weaknesses: weak against cavalry
Appearence: men from Rhovanion wearing animal fur clothes, holding axes, carrying bows on their backs.
Description: "Not only elves, dwarves and animals inhabit Rhovanion, but several groups of humans as well. These woodsmen are in peace with the elves, but they are at war with the goblins and wargs who often attack their villages. During these battles the woodsmen became strong and organized, and so the goblins were never able to expand their territory."
Special abilities:
Hide - the Woodsmen can stealth near trees.
Toggle weapon - toggles between bow and axe.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades
In-game Use: The Woodsmen are early-mid game scouts/ambushers/warriors. They have a great line of sight and are very fast for an infantry unit. They are quite strong against other "swordsmen"-type units and monsters due to their high basic damage and have a nice armor against ranged attacks from arrows/javelins, but their armor and ranged attack can't be upgraded and they are very vulnerable to cavalry charges.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Watchers of Esgaroth -
Side: Elves (special inn unit)
Strenghts: effective against cavalry and monsters
Weaknesses: weak against swordsmen and archers
Appearence: men from Lake Town wearing reinforced leather armor and iron helmets, wielding spears.
Description: "The men of Esgaroth (also known as Lake Town) are in a long-standing allience with the elves of Mirkwood. They often trade with each other: the elves give healing herbs, weapons and furs, while the men of Esgaroth trade with food and wine. However, Lake Town was once assaulted by the dreaded dragon, Smaug, who believed that these men were responsible for stealing from his lair. Smaug has almost totally devastated esgaroth, but the Town Watch fought bravely against the monster, weakening him and giving time for prince Brand to shoot his black arrow into Smaug's heart. After the attack, Lake Town was rebuilt with the help of the elves."
Special ability:
Porcupine Formation - just like at any other spearmen-type unit...
Hurl Spears - the Watchers hurl their spears at the selected monster; this skill effects only a single unit, but deals very high damage.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades
In-game Use: The Watchers of Esgaroth are early-mid game spearmen units. They are fast, and their armors are basically stronger than most spearmen's, but this can't be upgraded. Their "Hurl Spear" ability is very effective against enemy monsters.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Dragon Slayers -
Side: Dwarves
Strengths: effective against cavalry and monsters
Weaknesses: weak against archers
Appearence: well-armored dwarves from the Iron Hills, wielding large haldbers.
Description: "The dwarves of the Iron Hills and the dragons of Middle-Earth have a long-lasting hatered for each other. The dragons are greedy, and often attack defensless dwarven settlements to gain their riches. But the dwarves aren't cowards, and they fight back hard. However, during the 3rd age, the dwarves had formed companies of veteran warriors, who were able to defeat creatures much larger than themselves - these companies were known as the Dragon Slayers, and what to say, they are worthy of their name: near the end of the 3rd age, only a small number of dragons were left in the western parts of Middle-Earth."
Special ability:
Circle formation - the Dragon Slayers form a circle; this ability works on the same way as the Porcupine Formation at other spearmen-type units.
Axe of Vengeance - the Dragon Slayers hurl throwing axes at the targeted enemy unit(s), dealing high damage. Against monsters (like Trolls and Dragonkind), the damage is doubled !
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades, Mithril Mail
In-game Use: the Dragon Slayers are heavy mid-late game spearmen units. They come in small groups and are quite slow (like all other dwarf), but deal incredible damage in melee combat against cavalry and monsters. The only real danger to the Dragon Slayers is a large number of enemy archers.
NOTE: I really want to see those ingame - 'cos I hate the "Dwarven Phalanx"... and besides, the Dwarves could have an elite spearmen-type unit. They are already full with "swordsmen".
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Beorning -
Side: Dwarves (special inn unit)
Strengths: effective against swordsmen and cavalry
Weaknesses: weak against spearmen and archers
Appearence: similar to Grimbeorn, but a bit smaller. Carries a great axe.
Description: "Beorn and his son, Grimbeorn aren't the only skin-changers in Middle-Earth, but they are the greatest amongst them. However, the lesser skin-changers also possess incredible might and the ability to become similar to bears. They are usually lonely beings, yet are kind to good people but they show no mercy for the evil beings of the misty mountains - goblins and wargs. A beorning, if angry, can take down an entire group of goblins or a pack of wargs all by itself. Some say it's not a great wonder that the goblins of Moria were never able to expand their territory beyond the misty mountains, thanks to the men of the woods and the beornings."
Special abilities:
Bear Form / Human Form - changes between human and bear form. The different forms have different adventages:
> Human form: can use Healing Herbs, more armor against pikemen and archers.
>Bear form: moves faster, has greater damage, can trample enemies.
Healing Herbs - you can use this only if the Beorning is in Human Form. It heals nearby battalions once used.
Trample - this is active only when the Beorning is in Bear Form. Can trample down enemy units like cavalry.
Upgrades: (no upgrades)
In-game Use: the Beorning is a single unit. It is stronger than the wild wargs - in fact, it almost matches the strength of a Cave Troll. The Beorning is a heavy mid-late game unit, and you can use it either as a single but desructive monster or as a healer unit.
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- Fists of Kalorme -
Side: Dorwinion
Strengths: strong against siege engines, buildings, monsters and swordsmen
Weaknesses: weak against cavalry and archers
Appearence: well-armed warriors from the underground city of Kalorme, wearing chain mail armor, wielding maces and they also carry small throwing hammers...
Description: "There's an underground city deep beneath Kalorme, the easternmost mountain of Middle-Earth. The city was founded by Akrothir, a numenorian captain, who was effected greatly by the magical powers of the mountain - so greatly that he became immortal and was "chained" to the mountain. Everyone who visited the mountain - usually outlaws, banned people, wanderers, adventurers, refrugees - and met with the strange captain usually decided to remain, and so slowly but surely a small, noble "nation" was formed under the mountain, and together, led by Akrothir, they built up the underground city. The mountain caves are, however, not quite safe - many monstrous beings dwell in them, and the dreaded beings of the Last Desert, the Were-Worms often come very close to the city's borders. Knowing this, Akrothir trained small but highly skilled battalions to counter these threats. The small yet sturdy army of Kalorme is mainly made up from two types of units: one of them are the Guardians, warriors equipped with spears and wearing heavy armor. They are the elite warriors, usually guarding the city's borders, important buildings or escorting Akrothir. The other one is known as the "Fists of Kalorme" - they earned their name by their equipment and usual strategy - they are the more offensive of the two groups: they carry maces and small throwing hammers, breaking the enemy's bones, crushing skulls and forcing them to retreat. It is said that they use their weapons with such skill and force that even the Were-Worms think twice before they would dare to approach to a larger group of these warriors."
Special abilities:
Toggle Weapon - toggles between mace and throwing hammer.
Charge attack - the Fists form up and charge at the selected enemy, gaining +50% damage, +50% armor and causing meta impact !
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades, Heavy Armor
In-game Use: The Fists of Kalorme are heavy late-game melee/siege units.They are very effective against swordsmen, monsters and siege engines due to their heavy weapons, and they can tear down building more quickly than any other regular infantry ! Only cavalry charges and ranged attacks can mean a real threat.
NOTE: Dorwinion is not quite a "siege" faction, and it needs some kind of heavy siege unit. Since they don't construct such siege engines like Isengard and don't have beasts like Evil Men or Mordor, the best thing is an unit like this...
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- Adventurers -
Side: Dorwinion (special Inn unit)
Strengths: effective against monsters (when using bow) and pikemen (when using sword)
Weaknesses: weak against cavalry and archers
Appearence: Well, it's a strange battalion. It has humans, elves and dwarves in it; all of them are wearing simple clothes. The humans and elves wield swords, while the dwarves wield axes; each member carries a bow on its back.
Description: "The lands of the East became very dangerous after Pallando the Blue Wizard became the leader of the eastern people and corrupted their hearts. Those humans, elves and dwarves who lived there, and didn't belong to Dorwinion nor Cuiveinen were in a terrible situation, for they had lost their lands and homes and were hunted like animals, so they had no other choice but to leave and venture into Dorwinion. In order to survive, these refrugees had to learn the ways of hunting, hiding and fighting - so did these strange groups of wandering adventurers came to be. By the time they reached Dorwinion, the new shadow on the East has also reached the once peaceful country, forcing the adventurers to became warriors once more and they offered their services to the lords of Dorwinion."
Special abilities:
Toggle Weapon - the adventurers can toggle between bow and sword.
Hide - if the Adventurers are near to trees, they hide and become invisible.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades, Flaming Arrows
In-game Use: Adventurers are fast mid-game ambush units. They deal high damage both in melee and ranged combat, but are very vulnerable to arrows and cavalry charges.
NOTE: I always wanted a battalion like that... I liked when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli travelled together, you know
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- Morgul Trolls (suggies for better name are welcome) -
Side: Mordor
Strengths: strong against swordsmen, archers and siege engines
Weaknesses: weak against pikemen and heroes
Appearence: basically a Cave Troll, but with TWO heads and pale green skin (and YES, you read it well), carrying spiked maces and clubs.
Description: "The city of Minas Morgul is not called the "Tower of Sorcery" for nothing. The presence of the Nine and the foul energies radiating from the centre of the city affect not only the land around Minas Morgul, but also the creatures who dwell in- and outside the city. Orcs and trolls often end up deformed (but also somehow strengthened) by the radiating foul essence. The most suprising aspect of such "deformations" are the so-called Trolls of Morgul Vale. These beings are smaller than Mountain Trolls yet bigger than Cave Trolls, and have longer and stronger legs - making them able to run at a higher speed than most trolls - and two heads. No-one is sure about how or why is that, but it's certainly a frightening sight. The Trolls of Morgul Vale are few in numbers, but are numerous enough to make up some kind of "heavy cavalry" for Mordor. Their thick skin providing a natural protection, while carrying crude weapons and wearing some metal armor and charging at full speed, even the brave men of Gondor can hardly stand against these two-headed monstrosities."
Special abilities:
Trample - this unit can trample down enemies like cavalry.
Frightening Sight (passive) - the Trolls of Morgul Vale receive this ability on level 3; this reduces the attack speed and movement speed of nearby enemies by -25%.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades
NOTE: I myself know that Mordor needs a heavy cavalry unit, but I didn't want to copy the "Morgul Vanguard" either from Elendil or from Rhovanion Alliance. My first idea was an elite group led by the Mouth of Sauron, called as the "Fingers of Sauron" - but then I realized that this is a stupid idea. Anyway, the idea of the two-headed trolls came from "The Hobbit", where Tolkien mentions this:
"Yes, unfortunately every troll behaves like this, even those with a single head."
(Or something like this, I can't translate it back correctly... but it IS mentioned in "The Hobbit" !)
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- Isengard Sentries -
Side: Isengard
Strenghts: strong against swordsmen, pikemen, monsters and heroes
Weaknesses: weak against cavalry
Appearence: Similar to the Dunedain Rangers, but has a small difference: it has the "white hand" on its chest...
Description: "The origin of the Isengard Sentries is a quite strange one - especially because they are mainly made up from two groups. One of these are the black numenorians who survived the fall of Angmar, and ventured to the Misty Mountains and lived there for many decades. However, after the battle of the Five Armies, they were forced to escape from their home. Whether it was a trick of fate or not, eventually some of them accidently found Isengard, where they had met with Saruman, the white wizard. He was able to persuade these black numenorian rangers to join him, and they settled in Isengard, unknown to everyone expect for Saruman. The second of the groups is made up from dunedain rangers, who helped Saruman protecting the area around Isengard from outlaws, but later they fell under the wizard's maddening influence. Once the war of the Ring broke out, the two groups together formed a new order: the Isengard Sentries. They are now Saruman's ambassadors, spies, elite warriors and assassins. They are experts in using both bow and sword: even a single Sentry is able to kill a battalion of soldiers all by himself, if he can work undisturbed. These dreaded fighters are rarely seen in open battles, but if it happens then it's an evidence that Saruman, or an another key leader of the armies of Isengard is somewhere nearby."
Special abilities:
Level 1: Hide - the Sentries hide near trees and become invisible.
Level 1: Toggle Weapon - toggles between sword and bow.
Level 6: Fanatic Endurance - the Sentries gain +100% armor and great resistance against charge-attacks for a short time.
Level 7: Impaling Arrows - the Sentries shoot arrows with incredible power and accuary, dealing high damage and causing meta impact to the selected battalion/unit !
Upgrades: Banner Carrier
In-game Use: the Isengard Sentries are very expensive late-game assassins. They are very strong against almost every type of simple units and even against heroes, and can cause a great massacre if you use their skills well. The only thing they must fear is a cavalry charge, but even this is not a big problem if you activate their "Fanatic Endurance" power.
NOTE: Ithron suggested to make them to be the new Hero Horde for Isengard, replacing the Uruk Deathbringers. I agreed...
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- Goblin Firestarters -
Side: Isengard (special inn unit)
Strengths: deals fire damage, can make traps (see more at the special abilities), good against swordsmen
Weaknesses: weak against monsters, cavalry and archers
Appearence: goblins from Moria, wearing ragged clothes with parts of metal armor, carrying torches.
Description: "The goblins of Moria are very familiar with the fire. They use it to light the darker dephts of Moria (for even they can't see perfectly in the dark), to forge simple weapons and tools or in other ways of everyday use... but most likely, for destruction. They have their own "specialists" whose work is to make forest fires, set buildings aflame or make fiery traps for unwary travellers in the forest paths. The men of the woods have many troubles during goblin attacks, for they have to take care of not only the incoming goblin warriors and archers, but also for the firestarters, for a single one can set a whole village aflame if it can work undisturbed."
Special Ability:
Spill Oil / Set Oil Aflame - the Goblin Firestarters spill oil on the ground for some time, then they can set it aflame anytime, preparing a HOT suprise for incomig enemies.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Scavaged Armor
In-game Use: the Firestarters come in small groups. They are fast and their attack is stronger than the Goblin Warriors', but are quite vulnerable to arrows and cavalry rushes. The best way is to use them as defensive units in early-mid game, setting up oil traps at strategical points. They are also useful in smaller raids, taking down smaller buildings quickly and harassing swordsmen and spearmen with their torches, then they can escape quickly due to their quick speed.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Greymane -
Side: Isengard
Appearence: a great warg with grey fur.
Description: "The wargs of the hills and the goblins of Moria are close allies since old times. Together, they raid villages and they share the treasures on the end - the wargs gain most of the food (which often includes humans), while the goblins get most of the riches. The greatest of the wargs is Greymane, an old, great, ferocius and terribly evil warg. After Bilbo Baggins and his comrades fled from Moria, his wargs chased the company for long, until they climbed up to the trees and later was rescued by the great eagles. But Greymane is still alive, so the men of the woods are still in great danger."
Abilities:
Level 2 - Ferocious Howl
Scares enemies away.
Level 5 - Wargs of the Hills
Summons two Warg Packs. No upgrades.
Upgrades: (none)
In-game Use: Greymane is a special unit for Isengard. You can have only ONE Greymane unit at any time. He isn't a real hero, but his combat skills and unnatural might make him quite effective. Consider Greymane as a "secondary hero horde" - with a single unit.
NOTE: the idea came from "The Hobbit". When the company climbs up to the trees to escape from the wargs, Tolkien mentions a great warg, which is bigger than the others and has grey fur. And this warg is the chief of the pack. The name "Greymane" is my own idea.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Rhuadur Battering Ram -
Side: Angmar
Strenghts: effective against buildings
Weaknesses: weak against swordsmen, cavalry, spearmen and monsters
Appearence: Just a primitive battering ram made of wood, carried by a group of Rhuadur Hillmen. Has some iron plating on its end.
Description: "When a rebellion broke out in Rhuadur, the men of the hills needed some kind of siege engines to launch assaults on the well-fortified Dunedain fortresses. However, the Hillmen are too primitive to construct such engines like catapults, trebuchets or ballistas, so they were only able to make the most primitive form of a siege engine: the battering ram. But altrough of its primitiveness, the battering ram is still enough to break gates and not-so thick walls, making it able for them to launch the charge against the enemies who were hidden behind the walls before."
Abilities: (none)
Upgrades: special*
*This unit is summoned by the Thrall Master (see more at Other Suggies) !
In-game Use: The Rhuadur Battering Ram is a basic siege unit for Angmar. This unit can be summoned by a Thrall Master for a certain amount of resources. The Rhuadur Battering Ram doesn't have so great damage like most battering rams, but it's cheaper and faster, and has a nice armor against ranged attacks !
NOTE: Sometimes when playing with Angmar, I found it hard to find enough resources to build up enough Troll Stone Throwers and upgrade them with Ice Shots, only too see them destroyed during a major siege by a larger number of Gondor Knights (my spearmen didn't get there in time). I think a cheap and expandable, yet still high-damaging siege unit would be useful for Angmar.
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- Harondor Wardens -
Side: Evil Men
Strenghts: strong against pikemen and has great resistance against ranged attacks (arrows, javelins)
Weaknesses: weak against monsters and cavalry
Appearence: Haradrim people wearing plate mail chest armors, wielding scimitars, carrying round shields; on their shields, symbols of black and red scorpions and golden serpents can be seen (only ONE symbol per shield).
Description: "The territory of Harondor always formed a somehow chaotical borderland between Gondor and Near Harad. The Haradrim tribes in the area share different relations with Gondor: some tribes accept the influence of Gondor (perhaps because of the adventages of keeping up good trade connections), while others raise rebellions to drive out the western invaders. During the Third Age, several tribes of Haradrim people from Harondor were accepted by the Gondorians to act as a peace-keeping military force at Gondor's southernmost borders. However, at the late Third Age when Sauron emerged once again, the hearts of the Harondor people were corrupted by the Shadow, turning them against their former Gondorian allies. Thanks to the earlier tradings, these warriors from Harondor are wearing high-quality armor and carry fine shields. This equipment combined with their highly-specialized training - which is unique amongst the Haradrim - makes them able to counter any regular infantry force the West has at its disposal."
Abilities:
Border Patrollers - Requires "Border Patrol Training" upgrade and level 2; the Harondor Wardens gain +20% movement speed, +30% line of sight, +10% HP and can see stealthed units; passive.
Wall of Shields - Reuires "Shield Wall Training" upgrade and level 2; the Harondor Wardens can come together to form a wall of shields, giving them +80% armor at the cost of losing -40% movement speed.
Linebreakers - Requires "Line Break Training" upgrade and level 2; once activated, the Harondor Wardens gain +50% damage and +15% attack speed for a moderate amount of time.
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Border Patrol Training* / Shield Wall Training* / Line Break Training*
*You can buy only ONE of these.
In-game Use: The Harondor Wardens are basically late-game swordsmen. They are quite costy, both their training and their special upgrades come at relatively high prize - but it's worth of the trouble, since you can specialize them to fit to your tactics, plus their high armor makes them endurant against ranged attacks.
NOTE: I always wanted a late-game swordsman unit for Evil Men (I know there is the Rhun Royal Guard, but a Hero Horde isn't the same category as the normal units IMO
), but I didn't want to stick with the "three basic upgrades plus-minus one ability" format. This was the result...--------------------------------------------------------
- Serpent Guard -
Side: Evil Men
Strenghts: strong against archers and swordsmen
Weaknesses: weak against pikemen
Appearence: Haradrim and Easterling warriors, clad in golden-coloured metal armor, riding atop great war horses, carrying lances. On their lances, there's a flag on which the symbol of a golden serpent can be seen. The Haradrim ride upon brown horses and black "masks" cover their faces, while the Easterlings wear their traditional helmets and ride on grey horses.
Description: "The Golden Serpent is one of the most ancient symbols which can be found either in Haradrim or Easterling culture. It is a symbol of alliance between two factions, in that case, the evil men of the East and South. When Rhun and Harad forged an alliance against the Free Realms of the East and Gondor, a new caste of warriors had arisen, known as the Serpent Guard. The Serpent Guard is formed by the greatest champions Rhun and Harad have at their disposal. With the symbol of the Golden Serpent on their banners, this group is a living symbol of complete union between the realms of Rhun and Harad, a message towards the West that Sauron's mannish allies are divided no longer."
Abilities:
Golden Glory - require level 5; the Serpent Guard receives the ability to slowly regenerate their wounds, and allied heroes gain +50% armor near the Serpent Guard; passive
Upgrades: Banner Carrier, Forged Blades
In-game Use: the Serpent Guard is a powerful late-game cavalry battalion for Evil Men. Their services come at a very high cost, plus their numbers are quite small - only 6 riders per battalion (plus Banner Carrier), but they can overcome almost any challenge due to their superior skills and equipment. To make it short: they are like the Snow Trolls at Angmar
NOTE: I dunno how you feel about it, but I personally never considered the Wainrider or the Oliphaunt Horde as "cavalry", but rather as monsters. Thus, I often had a feeling that something is missing...
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- Hasharin -
Side: Evil Men
Strenghts: strong against heroes, has a variety of dangerous abilities
Weaknesses: very vulnerable to almost any damage
Appearence: a Haradrim assassin, wering a green robe with a hood, wielding a dagger in his right hand.
Description: "Mystical and dangerous, the skills of these stealthy killers of the South outmatch perhaps any other assassin guild in the realms of Evil Men, whether in Rhun, Khand, Far Harad or even Umbar. Employed by chieftains to remove their rivals the quickest way as possible, the Hasharin are always prepared to face the greatest dangers to accomplish their tasks. Being experts at the art of killing, their skills with the daggers combined with the poisonous herbs of Far Harad and Khand makes them potent allies for any warlord of either Rhun or Harad; a great threat towards their rivals - including the commanders of the West."
Abilities:
Tend Wounds - the Hasharin is capeable of slowly healing his wounds (like Commander Units or Hero Hordes); passive, not shown in palantir
Move in Shadows - the Hasharin is invisible, even when moving; passive, not shown in palantir
Poisoned Water - selected battalion becomes poisoned, and suffers moderate damage over time.
Venemous Dart - requires level 3; the Hasharin uses a blowpipe to shoot a poisonous dart into an enemy hero or monster; the initial damage is low, but the poison damage can easily result in death...
Upgrades: Bounty Hunt*
*basic upgrade (like the "Torches" at Wildmen of Dunland); when upgraded, the Hasharin receives +20% line of sight, +10% movement speed, +50% damage against heroes, and earns resources for every killed enemy !
In-game Use: the Hasharin is a special late-game scout/assassin unit. While he is not really strong, he is still capeable of harassing your enemies in effective ways. If you can keep them alive, you can kill off smaller armies only with a few Hasharin ! They are also very effective against enemy heroes, especially when they receive the "Bounty Hunt" upgrade.
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HERO IDEAS
SPECIAL NOTE: most of them are from my own imagination, and aren't connected to any books from Tolkien. I try my best to make these heroes fitting to Tolkien's world.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Thorin Oakenshield -
Side: Dwarves
Appearence: well, sorry, I can't give details... I leave it to your imagination
Description: - (I don't think it's neccesary, since we all know him from "The Hobbit", don't we)
Abilities:
Level 1 - Courage (passive)
Nearby units become immune to fear.
Level 3 - Greatest of the Thirteen
When activated, Thorin gains +150% damage, +100% armor and +20% attack speed for a short time.
Level 5 - Orcrist
Thorin uses his sword, Orcrist to perform a devastating attack, knocking nearby enemies back and dealing high damage.
Level 10 - Arkenstone
Thorin takes out the Arkenstone which glows with such a powerful light that it temporary blinds surrounding enemies, making them stunned for a long duration !
In-game Use: Thorin Oakenshield is the perfect late-game hero of the Dwarves. He can take down an entire army by itself, for his attack would have an area of effect and could greatly boost himself and also perform even more devastating attacks with his last powers. But he wouldn't boost allies too much, except for his "Courage" ability.
NOTE: could be the new Ring Hero for the Dwarves.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Akrothir -
Side: Dorwinion
Appearence: similar to the King of the Dead, but not so majestic; in fact, it's similar to a well-armored gondorian knight (on foot), and carries a large two-handed sword.
Description: "Akrothir was a mighty captain of Numenor who lived during the end of the Second Age. He was the first who ventured to the easternmost part of Middle-earth, the Last Desert. There he entered a great mountain called Kalorme, which is the easternmost mountain of Middle-earth. Unknown to Akrothir, the mountain was filled with sorcery and magical powers, and soon he noticed that he didn't age anymore - so he became immortal. But he was trapped inside the mountain caverns and as centuries passed, his body slowly started to rot and he turned into an undead creature. During the Wars of the East, Alatar came to Kalorme and released Akrothir from his mountain prison. After that, Akrothir agreed to aid Alatar in his crusade and joined the armies of Dorwinion to destroy the shadow of Pallando."
Abilities:
Level 1: Sword of the Dead
When activated, it gives Ithron +125% damage and +60% attack speed.
Level 4 - Intimidate
Scares enemies away in a large radius.
Level 6 - Eternal Service (passive)
Even if Ithron's health is set to zero, he still continues fighting for some time.
Level 10 - Guardnian of the East
Nearby allied units become invulnerable for a long duration.
In-game Use: Akrothir is the perfect choice for a late-game hero on Dorwinion's side. Altrough he doesn't have so devastating powers like Gandalf (Word of Power) or Pallando (Summon Kraken / East Helpers), but his attacks would have an area of effect and would deal extremly high damage. Also, he is a really good support hero, holding back the enemy for a long time with his "Intimidate" and "Eternal Service" abilities, and in the final battle nobody can stop him (and your army) if you invoke his last power ("Guardian of the East").
NOTE: could be the Ring Hero for Dorwinion.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Tharna -
Side: Dorwinion
Appearence: a young boy (17) wearing simple clothes and a brown cape, wielding two short swords.
Description: "A boy whose family lived near Dorwinion before Pallando took control over most of the East. After the Easterlings destroyed Tharna's village, he had to flee, alongside with many other survivors. During this time he became a member of one of the many adventuring groups who escaped from Pallando's shadow. From his new friends, Tharna learned how to hide and how to fight wih short swords. After Tharna reached Dorwinion, he offered his services to Dasron, the Merchant Lord."
Abilities:
Level 1 - Sneak
Tharna becomes invisible, gains +25% movement speed and can't be attacked, but he also can't attack. This lasts only for a short time.
Level 2 - Twin Blades
When activated, Tharna gains +100% damage, +25% armor and +50% attack speed
Level 4 - Lords' Guard (passive)
Allied heroes near Tharna gain +50% armor.
Level 7 - Avenger
Selected enemy hero suffers a large amount of damage and becomes crippled for some time.
In-game Use: Tharna is an early-mid game hero of Dorwinion. He makes up a great combination with Dasron in an early game. Tharna is good as a supporter thanks to his Lords' Guard ability, but he works best as a scout/assassin hero. If you want to discover the map quickly and hunt down early-game enemy heroes, Tharna is a perfect choice.
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Thindelar -
Side: Mordor
Appearence: similar to the Mirkwood Archer, but his clothes are darker and he has a red eye symbol on the left side of his chest... and there's a red eye-like tatto on his face, around his right eye, plus a symbol of Dol Guldur on his back.
Description: "Originally a noble and loyal servant of King Thranduil, Thindelar is a wood elf from Mirkwood who was captured by a large group of orcs when he was spying near the dreaded fortress of Dol Guldur. He was tortured for a long time, but not even this could break his soul. Unfortunately for him, this was noticed by one of the Ringwraiths - Morgomir. He was then stabbed with a Morgul Blade, yet the wound wasn't deep enough to transform Thindelar completely into a wraith. He became a terrible crossover between elf and wraith, and now he serves his new master - Sauron - with the same loyality and faith like he did so in Thranduil's service."
Abilities:
Level 5 - The Eye is Watching (passive)
Reveals nearby invisible units.
Level 7 - Spider Venom
When used, Thindelar will gain +20% attack speed, +20% damage and a bonus poison effect to his attacks for some time.
Level 8 - Morgul Arrow
Shoots a deadly Morgul Arrow into the unlucky victim, dealing high damage, causing further poison damage over time, and once the unit dies it will turn into a wraith !
Level 9 - Taint of Mirkwood
Conjures a black mist over the selected area; allied units become invisible, enemy units will have their line of sight, movement speed, armor and damage greatly reduced.
In-game Use: Thindelar is a mid-game scout/assassin hero of Mordor. He can easly kill single but strong units and heroes, and weaken both simple units and heroes, making him one of the most useful of all assassin-type heroes !
NOTE 1: now that Suladan was removed to Evil Men, Mordor is in a serious need of a new ranged hero. I decided to make this hero as a corrupted elf because orcs are catastrophic archers, and can't even aim correctly unless their target is very close. I know the idea of an "evil elf" in LotR sounds strange, but hey, do you have any better idea ?
NOTE 2: Ithron plans to add Thindelar as a Structure Hero, so in game Thindelar starts on level 7 !
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Randor -
Side: Isengard
Appearence: similar to the Dunedain Ranger, but has no hood, so you can see his face normally, revealing an about 30 years old man, with a bit unnaturally grey hair; has the "White Hand" on his chest.
Description: "Randor originally was a dunedain ranger who wandered and overlooked the roads near Isengard, but later he fell under Saruman's influence along with many other men who are now part of the "Isengard Sentries". Randor currently works as Saruman's spy and assassin, and just recently he became the Guard Captain of Isengard."
Abilities:
Level 1 - Mad Swordsman
Goes crazy for a short time, giving him +25% armor, +50% damage and +100% attack speed.
Level 3 - Poisoned Blade
Throws a poisoned dagger at the target enemy unit. Deals poor initial damage, but it will cause an extreme amount of damage over time ! The poison effect is short, but can be fatal...
Level 5 - Isengard Patrol (passive)
Increases the armor, attack speed and movement speed of nearby Isengard Sentries, Uruk Archers, Uruk Pikemen and Uruk Raiders by +20%.
Level 10 - Garrison of Orthanc
Summons three battalions: 1 battalion of Isengard Sentries, 1 Battallion of Uruk Bombers and 1 battalion of Uruk Raiders. All battalions are fully upgraded.
In-game Use: Randor is a mid game hero by standards, and is best used as a scout/assassin hero but he can become very powerful in a late game thanks to his "Isengard Patrol" and "Garrison of Orthanc" abilities.
NOTE: I always wanted to see an evil dunedain in this game...oh, well...
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THIS IDEA HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED !
- Valranur -
Side: Angmar
Appearence: Umm... like a crossover between a Black Numenorian and a Dark Ranger. He has long, dark hair (unlike most black numenorians), wears an iron mask, and parts of metal armor on the shoulders, chest and legs, and also has iron brancers on his arms and a brown cape. Uses a bow, but also has two short swords.
Description: "Valranur is the original leader of the Black Numenorians. He earned his rank rightfully, for he was able to force the trolls of the North to fight against each other and under his leadership the Black Numenorians were able to capture snow trolls and force them to work in mines. After the Witch-King has shown up, and the survivors of his attacks reported to Valranur, he lead the final charge against the Witch-King's new forces of snow trolls, wolves and hill trolls. The Black Numenorians fought hard, but eventually, failed. Valranur was amazed by the power of the Witch-King, and so, when the Witch-King made his offer, Valranur accepted it at once. Now he's the "secondary" leader of the Witch-King's men, just after Morgomir."
Abilities:
Level 1 - Toggle Weapon
Toggles between bow and a pair of short swords.
Level 2 - Aimed Shot
A single yet strong and accurate ranged attack. Deals high damage to the target enemy unit. Against monsters (like trolls or dragonkind), it deals triple damage !
NOTE: can only be used if he's using his bow.
Level 3 - Black Blades
When activated, Valranur receives +80% damage, 20% armor and +20% attack speed for a short time.
NOTE: can only be used when he's using his twin short swords. Once activated, he can't toggle weapons until the effect lasts.
Level 6 - Second of the King's Men (passive)
Nearby Black Numenorians, Dark Rangers and Black Horsemen gain +50% damage and receive 200% experience for every slain enemy !
Level 8 - Bowman of Carn Dum
When activated, Valranur gains +100% attack speed and +50% damage for a long duration.
NOTE: can only be used when he's using his bow. Once activated, he can't toggle weapons until it lasts.
In-game Use: Valranur is an early-mid game ranged hero. He's best used as a scout/assassin hero, assissting Morgomir, for they make up a nice duo, especially when they are combined with dark numenorian units !
NOTE: I always felt that Angmar is in need of a strong ranged hero, not to mention that I wasn't fully statisfied with Morgomir as the "leader" of the Black Numenorians. The idea of Valranur was born from the cutscene in the end of the first Angmar campaign map, where the Black Numenorians, after the fatal defeat, offer their weapons for the Witch-King.
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So far, that's all. PLease tell me what you think
Edited by MorrisB, 07 January 2008 - 07:34 PM.
