Good Campaign Walk-through

This section covers the walk-through for The Battle for Middle-earth’s good campaign. The campaign consists of eleven fixed missions and over twenty optional missions. The optional missions are scattered throughout the campaign and a certain number must be completed to advance through the fixed story missions.

This walkthrough covers all eleven fixed mission in detail. You’ll also find the complete living world map layout for the good campaign; the living world map table reveals all possible territories and missions and their benefits. Completing particular missions rewards the forces of light with resource bonuses, a higher command limit, or an increase in Evenstar power. General strategies for the optional missions (which feature the same primary objective) are featured in the next section.

Living World Map

Command the forces of light from Moria to the Black Gate in an effort to hold off the enemies of Isengard and Mordor and give time for Frodo and Sam to reach Mount Doom and destroy the one ring.

The table below reveals all story and optional missions featured in the good campaign. You will play the story missions during the campaign; completing the story missions rewards you with their respective benefits. You will also complete a number of optional missions during the campaign; these can differ between games. The optional missions all feature the same primary objective (destroy the enemy!) but offer different benefits.

Note that completing a mission allows you to attempt and complete adjacent territories. This comes into play in the storyline late in the game where you must complete the territory adjacent to The Black Gate in order to attempt the storyline’s final mission.

Strategies for Optional Missions

Choose your optional missions based primarily on reward. It’s certainly important to elevate your command limit to the maximum of 300. Story missions alone bump it up +120. Choose optional missions that elevate command points to reach the limit of 300 as soon as possible.

Missions that provide power can help you acquire Evenstar powers as early as possible. The reinforcement Evenstar powers will prove invaluable during Helm’s Deep, Minas Tirith and the Black Gate where you’re up against overwhelming forces.

The primary objective of the optional missions remains the same across each one: destroy all evil forces! Bonus objectives shift between missions. These could include upgrading certain forces, using particular unit functions, or eliminating a particular unit patrol or structure.

The optional missions are best used for army building and upgrading. Your army carries over from battle to battle. The optional missions are an excellent chance to maximize your command limit full of troops and to upgrade them to the highest possible degree. Upgrade your ranged units with fire arrows and armor and upgrade your melee units with forged steel blades and heavy armor.

You should concentrate on unit experience as well as purchasing upgrades. Check your unit groupings and see which squads are close to gaining an additional level. Use them to kill enemies and buildings to put them over to the next level. Carry these experienced, upgraded troops into the next battle as further advantage against the enemy forces.

When an optional mission begins, start construction of your camp. Add buildings depending on current need (if you’re low on troops, you may want multiple troop-production facilities). Add defensive structures as added firepower against enemy forces. If you’re attacked early in the mission, retreat your units to the defensive structures and fight the battle near the additional firepower. Place buildings that will help you upgrade any current or new forces with fire arrows, armor, or weaponry.

Play defensively at first as you build your army, gather resources, and fund upgrades. As your army grows, scout around your initial camp and search for settlements. Construct additional resource gathering structures. Carefully expand from your initial camp and engage encountered enemies. After significant battles, return to a defensive stance and regroup your forces before continuing to expand. Find new outposts and camps and begin to control the map. Return to a defensive stance after each new gain.

Add siege units to your mixed force to topple buildings and defensive structures as quickly as possible. Lure enemy units out of the base and into your ranged units’ fire. Protect your ranged units with a melee force and engage once the attackers move close to your ranged units. Clear as many units as possible before attacking base structures. Priority targets are defensive and troop-producing buildings. If the enemy attempts to rebuild, destroy other structures before targeting the structure that’s currently being built (since it can’t harm you until it’s finished).