Northern Ithilien

Objectives: Destroy the Lumber Mills to the east. Destroy all Mordor forces in the area. Frodo must survive.

Bonus: Level up Faramir to rank two.

Faramir and Gondor rangers encounter Frodo and Sam at Northern Ithilien. The forces of Haradrim, now aligned with Mordor, possess camps in the area. Your initial forces include Faramir, the two hobbits, and a couple ranger squads. Use initial resources to train more rangers at the Forbidden Pool just to the west. Additional unit creation will upgrade the pool; as soon as the pool upgrades, research fire arrow and add the upgrade to each ranger group.

Continue to train troops from the Forbidden Pool and research upgrades when the pool reaches level two.

Group Faramir and the rangers together and proceed to the east. Keep Frodo and Sam safe; if you do choose to use them in battle, set both hobbits to their ranged attack to keep them out of melee engagement. As the mission wears on and the battle becomes much more difficult, position Frodo and Sam away from enemy forces. Faramir can switch between melee and ranged attacks. Activate his wounding arrow ability if you plan to use Faramir from long-range.

Destroy the mills and surrounding forces. A northern camp includes the imposing mumakil. As instructed, shoot your fire arrows (wait for the upgrade if necessary) at the mumakil. Set the mumakil on fire and he’ll rampage and possibly crush nearby enemy troops. Be extremely careful when igniting a mumakil; if your own forces are in the mumakil’s path, you’ll be crushed instead. Destroy three lumber mills to receive a new objective. Gather resources left by destroyed buildings.

Objective: Acquire the rangers to the south.

There are fellow rangers to the south. Continue to upgrade and train more rangers as you gather resources from destroyed structures. Add the rangers to your attack group as you move south through the map’s center.

As the enemy troops grow in number, toggle Faramir to melee mode. He can occupy attackers at the front line while your rangers assault the enemies from a distance. The enemies concentrate their strikes on Faramir leaving your rangers safe and free to bombard them from a distance. Watch Faramir’s health and retreat when necessary and return to ranged strikes.

The elevated southern section contains more small camps and more penned mumakil. Clear out all the camps, gathering revealed resources, and bombard the mumakil with fire arrows. Rescue the rangers in the southwest area of this section; you also receive trebuchets for your effort.

Continue to train rangers from the Forbidden Pool and set the rally point to the southern middle section. Eradicate enemy forces on this southern area to trigger the next objective.

Objective: Destroy the Mordor camp.

There’s a larger Mordor camp in the southeast. Those recently acquired trebuchets prove invaluable. Maneuver your trebuchets within range of the Mordor camp’s structures. Set up your rangers to provide support when Mordor’s army launches their counter attack to your siege bombardment. Focus all ranger (and Faramir) attention on units while the trebuchets crush base structures.

Objective: Set up a camp.

After clearing the southeastern camp, you receive 5,000 in resources to build your own camp on the spot. It is possible to complete the mission without ever building a camp. There’s another Mordor base to the north. You could wipe out that base entirely (using the 5,000 for more rangers) to complete the mission.

An enemy convoy arrives from the south. Position your rangers to bombard the convoy with fire arrow crossfire.

However, setting up a camp allows you to build a well--to heal your rangers--and a blacksmith--to upgrade your rangers. Construct three farms, a well, and a blacksmith at minimum. You may also want another archery range so you can add troops quickly. Don’t forget you still have the Forbidden Pool in the northwest and don’t hesitate to bolster your forces with Gondor cavalry. Use the blacksmith to research banner carrier and armor (once the structure upgrades) and spend resources to upgrade all rangers.

It’s announced that an enemy convoy is en route and will arrive within five minutes. You can set up your rangers as instructed on the overhead map (for crossfire coverage on the convoy) or simply place them along the eastern side of the convoy’s path near your own base. That way you’re well within range of retreating to your base and the healing effects of its well. Counter the mumakil with your fire arrows.

Push toward the northern base with a full command point army worth of rangers, archers, and cavalry (and well upgraded). Take the time to maximize units and upgrades. Support your forces with the trebuchets. Retreat to the well as necessary. Destroy the northern Mordor base to complete the level.

Osgiliath

Objective: Secure the bridges. Destroy all Mordor structures.

Bonus: Call in Faramir’s army when he arrives. Change the formation of a battalion of infantry.

Osgiliath is already under assault when the mission opens. Unfortunately, reinforcements in the form of Faramir’s army are 13 minutes away. Immediately gather your troops engaged at each of the three bridges and move them back toward your base. At the base, construct a blacksmiths (for resource gathering), defenses, and a well to heal your forces. There’s a second camp in the southwestern corner; once you possess a significant revenue stream, send a squad south and form a camp. Build additional blacksmiths (as well as defenses) to further bolster resource production.

Train soldiers and archers in mass at your main base. As soon as both structures reach their next level, train tower guards and rangers instead. Don’t forget to research fire arrow at the archery range when available. Once the blacksmith upgrades to level two, research banner carrier, forged steel, and heavy armor upgrades. As resources allow, bolster all of your infantry and archers with appropriate upgrades.

There are also towers at each bridge. Garrison archers inside the towers to help secure and defend the Osgiliath bridges. Beware of catapults waiting on the far side of the bridges. Construct a Gondor workshop and build trebuchets to counter the enemy catapults. After the workshop raises a level, research the fire stone upgrade to increase trebuchet potency.

Counter the Nazgul with your ranged units.

Listen carefully and you will hear the distinctive screech of a Nazgul flying around the eastern side of the map. Counter the Nazgul with a large force of ranged units. The Nazgul can respawn eventually so be ready for a second (or more) attack during the course of the mission.

Take control of each bridge with mixed forces of infantry and ranged units. Added trebuchets into the mix to protect your forces from catapults and even clusters of enemy ranged units. Place Gondor infantry into block formation to fulfill a bonus objective and to better protect them from attack. The units lose speed but you won’t need speed in defense of the bridge. Toggle formation and return to line as you push across the bridge.

Though your forces will be spread in attack and defense of each of the three bridges, adjust position as needed to support an undermanned area, particularly once Faramir arrives. With the aid of Faramir’s army, push across the bridges and assault each Mordor base in the southeastern corner. Bombard structures with trebuchets while crushing incoming enemies with an archer line followed up with infantry and cavalry attack. Retreat to your base (or southwestern expansion) as needed to heal and regroup.