2020-12-07T15:45:11 01:00

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Army & Fortresses

In this Middle-earth: Shadow of War guide you will learn:

How to master Orcs
How to make your Orcs stronger
How to conquer fortresses

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a big game with countless tasks and possibilities. However, you will probably spend a large part of your time building an orc army and conquering fortresses. The two are related, and we'll show you how to quickly recruit good orcs, make them stronger, and use them to take all the castles in and around Mordor.

Do you want to know which skills are the best for Talion and how to get points quickly? Then check out our skill guide for Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Or are you just starting your journey through Mordor? In that case, we recommend our guide for beginners to Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

When should I build an army?

In Act 1, you don't need to worry about things like an army and fortresses yet, because here you will first be familiarized with the basics of Middle-earth: Shadow of War. From Act 2 onwards, you'll have the possibility to control orcs and make them your followers.

Since enemy orcs get stronger as the campaign progress es, but your own don't level up with you, it might seem sensible at first glance to wait before building an army. However, this is not the case, because during Act 2 you will be forced to capture a fortress if you want to continue playing the story.

It is theoretically possible to conquer a castle alone with Talion, but we don't recommend it, as it's much more difficult and time-consuming than having your own army with you. So collect orcs as soon as you have the chance. You can make them stronger later or exchange them for other orcs.

A little tip: If your orcs are too weak for the ever stronger enemies and you don't want to level them up, then dismiss them from your ranks. This will give you equipment. If they are also useless, destroy them and get valuable Mirian.

How do I master orcs?

Mastering an orc is one of the talents Talion can learn. Skills are usually unlocked through points, but in this case you get the skill through your story progress. You can master all orcs, except for the bosses in the fortresses. However, only captains and chieftains are of any use to your army.

In order to win one of these powerful orcs for your own ranks, your level must be at least equal. However, there is an ability called "Shame" that lowers the orc's level a bit. So if you get an orc that is only one or two levels above you, you make him significantly weaker and thus more useless.

Which captains should I recruit?

The level of an orc is only one aspect when choosing your fellow warriors. Make sure they have as many strengths and as few weaknesses as possible. It is also important that your fellows cover Talion's own weaknesses. For example, if you have a build that doesn't deal much damage against certain types of enemies, you can compensate for that with your Orcs.

Orcs are primarily used to conquer strongholds. And here they will hardly do anything else but hit opponents in close combat. Therefore, you should keep this ability especially in mind when recruiting fighters. If you need a personal bodyguard, get an orc with a shield or an orc that can summon monsters.

You can make an orc you have your eye on stronger before you master it. That way you won't have to train him as much later. One option is for you to lose to them on purpose. In Nemesis missions, it's also enough if you flee. The respective orc is considered the winner, rises in rank and maybe even gets a new strength.

Basically, you should recruit everything you can get your hands on. When attacking a fortress, a large part of your orc captains can perish. So it never hurts to have as large a pool of fighters as possible. You can then choose your specialists for important tasks.

How do I make my orcs stronger?

There are many different ways to make your orcs stronger. Some are more effective than others, but try them out for yourself. Basically, all methods can be grouped into two categories: Missions and the Battle Pits. If you are lazy and rich, you can also use Mirian to level up your fighters. To do this, go to the menu item "Army" and select the sub-item "Command".

Missions

To send an orc on a mission, go to the army menu. Here you have the option to send your fighters into 1-against-1 duels or together with other orcs on ambushes. Then you can decide whether Talion should intervene or not. If your orcs are strong enough, you can also let them do the dirty work themselves.

Letting your orcs do missions is fun, but gives them limited experience. If you specifically want to make one of your henchmen stronger, this is the wrong approach. Think of the missions more as jobs that orcs can do for you. If they level up, that's a nice bonus.

Battle Pits

The only place your orcs really gain experience is in the battle pits. The risk of losing one of your fighters is higher than sending him on a mission, but the rewards are much better. To unlock the battle pits in a region, you must first conquer the corresponding fortress.

In the battle pits, you can either send one of your orcs to fight against enemy fighters, or you can send two of your own orcs to fight against each other. This way you will always lose an orc, but you are also sure to be on the side of the winner. And the loser also leaves you some loot that you shouldn't leave lying around.

If this Darwinian system is not your thing, then wait for the fight between one of your orcs and an enemy orc and intervene if your fighter should lose. In that case, the winner will be hanging out near the arena, just waiting to be dominated by you. If you survive the battle pit, you will advance one to five levels.

How do I conquer a fortress?

In Act 2, you will have to capture four castles. Once you have captured the first one (which is a kind of tutorial), three more will be unlocked. In Act 4, many more fortresses will follow. The capture of a castle consists of several phases. As a first step, you should gather information about your enemies by infiltrating a spy.

Spies will tell you the strengths and weaknesses of the chieftains. Besides, this way you'll be able to defeat them in battle with one blow and save a lot of time. Also, when a chief is defeated, the defense of the fortress decreases. Thanks to the Nemesis missions, you can even eliminate chieftains before they storm the fortress.

Then the battle begins. While a large part of your force tries to break down the gate or the wall, you climb the structure with a few fighters. Your first target should be the archerswhich will decimate your orcs from above. Then it's on to the conquest mini-game, in which you'll have to hold three or four areas for a time.

The zones are numbered A, B, C and D and must be completed in that order. The more orcs you have, the easier the task. In the areas there is often a chieftain waiting for you. Once you're done, you'll have to track down and defeat the remaining chieftains. Then it's on to the boss.

The fights against the overlords always take place in the same throne room. Base your skills and equipment on the boss's strengths and weaknesses. The overlord always has support, but you can ignore them because they always come back. Counter the attacks in time and you will emerge victorious.

Last but not least, you will have to defend the victory areas once again against chieftains and foot soldiers, and then the fortress will be yours. Since you can't always be present, appoint a new overlord and fill all the slots with your captains. It is best to give them bodyguards. This way you will be prepared for all attacks.

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