Shelob’s Lair

Objective: Search for Frodo. Sam must not die.

Bonus: Free all the webbed units in Shelob’s lair. Find all treasures in Shelob’s lair. Use the Phail.

Eliminate the initial spiders with Sam’s melee attack then find the first webbed unit just to the south. Strike the web with Sam’s attack to free the infantry unit. This is a patient trip through Shelob’s lair. Move slowly and carefully to trigger as few enemies as possible as you explore and uncover additional webbed units and treasures (these add to your resources, which will be needed later in the mission).

Objective: Help the soldier find the rest of his party.

Explore the northern area of the cavern and locate another Gondor soldier, a couple archers, and some treasure. The northwestern corner contains more spiders, a webbed unit, and more resources.

Search Shelob’s lair for Gondor units trapped within the spider’s web.

Move through the tunnel along the northern edge. There’s a cave troll lurking inside the northern tunnel. Use Sam’s Phail to frighten the cave troll away temporarily while your archers and soldiers attack the beast. Continue to the east and free additional units. The east path leads to a dead-end with some treasure and enemy archers on the ledge above; counter with your own archers.

Proceed to the south and rescue four more units. Reach the primary junction inside the map’s center. As you move south through the map’s middle, spot Gollum overlooking the action. The southern chamber contains Shelob, a gigantic spider. Move Sam around the chamber while your rescued archers fire on Shelob. Utilize Sam’s Phail to keep Shelob away. Surround her with your soldiers and continue to fire arrows into her.

After slaying the monster, explore the western side to uncover additional treasures and units. You’re instructed to proceed toward Cirith Ungol; the path leads through the southeastern corner of the map. Before moving there, be sure you’ve fulfilled bonus objectives and rescued all units and found all treasure. Scan the map and explore the cavern one last time if you haven’t met the requirements.

Move to the east just south of the route to Cirith Ungol and find some orcs protecting an outpost site. Chase away the enemies with the Phail as your troops eliminate the enemy forces.

Objective: Destroy and capture the orc outpost.

Use the Gondor forces gathered to eliminate the orc outpost in the southeastern corner of the lair. Eliminate the lumber mill and begin construction of your own outpost.

Objective: Destroy all enemies so that Sam may travel to the tower.

Mass your army just south of Cirith Ungol and push once you’ve reached your command limit.

Build a blacksmith, barracks, and archery range. You could built a well, you’re your troops, then destroy it and erect one of the three structures mentioned. Train soldiers from the barracks and archers from the archery range; when each structure reaches the next level, train tower guards and rangers and research the fire arrow upgrade.

The Gondor blacksmith provides resources. Once it reaches the next level, use the blacksmith to acquire banner carrier, forged steel, and heavy armor upgrades. Bolster your trained army with these upgrades. Note that you won’t be able to upgrade the units rescued from Shelob’s lair.

Defend the outpost from enemies arriving from the north while you maximize your army and upgrades. Don’t advance on the northern army until you have acquired all upgrades and filled your population limit.

Patiently advance to the north. Watch the high defending archers; counter them quickly with your own archers and rangers. Beware of the trolls in the western side of the base. Focus all of your archers and rangers on trolls as they approach. Reinforce your army from the barracks and archery range at the outpost. Crush all base structures and enemy to clear the path for Sam through Cirith Ungol.

Minas Tirith

Objective: Destroy all evil forces.

Bonus: Level any hero to rank eight.

The forces of Mordor have reached the outskirts of Minas Tirith to attack the great city of Gondor. This mission recreates one of the most exciting sequences in The Return of the King and plays out very similar to the feature film. Gondor begins alone at the level’s start--you have 25 minutes before Rohan reinforcements arrive.

There are many build sites within Minas Tirith. Fill many of them with blacksmiths to generate a lot of income. You should also build a Gondor marketplace and research the iron ore upgrade to further increase resource income from the blacksmiths. Build an archery range and start training archers. Position your archers along Minas Tirith walls, much like you did at Helm’s Deep. Scan along the Minas Tirith walls and build trebuchet defensive emplacements at each spot.

To upgrade the trebuchet defensive emplacements with fire stones, you’ll need to build a workshop and build five or so trebuchets to upgrade the structure and receive the ability to research fire stones.

Faramir’s army arrives during the opening stages of the mission. Continue to train more archers depending on need. Position Faramir on the wall to assist with his ranged attack; maneuver Gandalf onto the wall as well so you can use his lightning sword attack against approaching orcs and his Istari light ability against the eventual Nazgul assault.

After upgrading a blacksmith, begin research of banner carrier and heavy armor. Once the archery range upgrades, be sure to acquire fire arrows. Strengthen your archer squads with all available upgrades.

Bombard approaching armies with trebuchets and archers. Scan the enemy army for priority targets, which include siege towers and catapults.

The orcs of Mordor approach and level the four farms along the outskirts of Minas Tirith. Bombard any orcs within range with the trebuchets. Scan approaching enemies and assign specific targets for your trebuchets and archer defenses as necessary. Make sure you eliminate the siege towers by focusing trebuchet attacks. Mordor catapults may remain out of range. Counter them if possible but if the catapults remain out of range, focus your attacks on closer foes.

Enemy forces eventually move in the Grond to bust down the Minas Tirith gate. Focus all nearby trebuchets and archers onto the Grond to level the attacking siege unit. Continue to scan for important targets and focus attacks as needed. Beware of the Nazgul that enter the battle. Counter the Nazgul with archers, Gandalf’s Istari light, or with the eagles Evenstar power.

When the countdown reaches zero, the forces of Rohan can be called into battle. Be sure you have maximized your Gondor army before calling Rohan in; the reinforcements will put you far over the command limit. Use the Rohan Rohirrim and ranged units to tear through Mordor’s approaching army and bases.

It isn’t long until the mumakil arrive. Take down the mumakil with ranged units; don’t attack the mumakil with cavalry units. If you’re controlling the area around Minas Tirith, bring Gandalf, Faramir, and even units out of Minas Tirith to keep pressure on approaching enemies. If you’re engaged in battle outside Minas Tirith, be sure your own trebuchet emplacements aren’t inadvertently bombarding friendly units.

Once the army of the dead arrives, time is short for the forces of Mordor.

It’s a long battle against the mumakil and remaining orc forces. Mordor continues to press even though you’ve likely gained a significant advantage. Even if you’re struggling, hold out until mystery reinforcements arrive. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli automatically (you don’t call them in) arrive with the Oathbreakers, the army of the dead. When the dead arrive, the battle is essentially over. Maul all remaining Mordor forces, mumakil, and base structures with the Oathbreakers to conclude the mission.