Chapter 3 - Good Campaign Walkthrough

This section provides general strategies and a complete walkthrough for the good campaign. You begin controlling the Elves and move on to the Dwarves. Walkthroughs include solutions for completing all objectives and bonus objectives and tips on succeeding in specific battle situations.

One of the most important tips is to remain patient. In most missions, there is no hurry to complete objectives (unless there’s a specific countdown on the screen). It pays to play defensive and concentrate on building structures, upgrading those structures, maximizing your command limit with powerful units, and improving those units with researched upgrades.

A patient strategy also pays off late in missions when you should have a larger sum of resources available for additional defenses at your base or additional defenses (like a Fortress with multiple expansions) used offensively!

Another important tip is to maximize the level of your heroes during each mission. Lead battles with your heroes and reach that mission’s "level plateau" where the hero will stop gaining levels. This way you can have faster access to abilities.

Likewise, maximize the number of Evenstar power points you can acquire during each mission. You’ll gain points while eliminating enemy units and structures but each level has a plateau where you won’t gain any more points. Reach that level, if at all possible, before completing the level.

Evenstar Powers

The campaigns feature a power set unique to the forces of good and evil. This section provides a rundown of the most important Evenstar Powers--the powers available to the forces of good--that you may choose from during the good campaign. Tips for using each are also provided in the mission walkthroughs. You may acquire more than the powers listed below but these are certainly the "must haves" for the campaign. Number of points required to acquire the power is listed in parenthesis.

• Elven Gifts (5) : This power provides a 50% boost to hero damage. Your heroes will be at the front line of many battles. Plus it’s important to use heroes frequently to advance level and acquire new abilities. Elven Gifts is a passive power; once purchased, Elven Gifts provides a permanent increase. No recharging required!
• Elven Wood (5) : Creates lush terrain that provides +50% armor to ally units. The benefit only applies to units on the terrain so the enemy could retreat and force you off lush terrain and away from the benefit. Don’t use on moving enemies. Use when the battle commences.
• Heal (5) : This power can quickly turn the tide of a tightly contested battle. Heal is especially useful on high hit point units such as heroes or Ents. Hold the power back until you have suffered high damage for maximum effect.
• Summon Tom Bombadil (10) : Use this power to summon Tom Bombadil, the mysterious stranger that saved the Hobbits in the Barrow Downs, to the battlefield. Tom Bombadil is most effective against enemy battalions. Summon him to aid against hordes of enemy goblins. Don’t forget to use his ability! Wipe out a full battalion in swift fashion. He’s effective as a "meat shield". He’ll soak up damage and provide distraction while the rest of your army obliterates all enemies. Save power points and pick up Summon Tom Bombadil as early as the second mission.
• Rebuild (10) : Rebuild is to structures as Heal is to units. You certainly want to have Rebuild in your arsenal by the time you reach Erebor--its ability to repair a heavily damaged Fortress is invaluable in this difficult defensive mission.
• Rallying Call (10) : Cast on a group of units to boost damage and armor by 50%. Like Elven Wood, use Rallying Call just as an important battle begins. Ideally use Rallying Call on your high-damage, high-armor units (that have full upgrades) for maximum effect.
• Barrage (15) : This power bombards the targeted terrain with devastating artillery. Use the power against enemy units or structures, though it’s much harder to hit a moving target since the targeted terrain remains constant and the fiery boulder artillery isn’t immediate. If you use Barrage against units, launch against stationary units or units moving through a chokepoint or tightly enclosed area.
• Earthquake (20) : Acquire Earthquake near the end of the campaign, most likely at Erebor. Use the power to create a powerful Earthquake that causes heavy damage to structures. Although ideally used against buildings, Earthquake can be used against enemy units. You’ll use it to aid against the attack waves in Erebor and to demolish towers at Dol Guldur.
• Flood (20) : Summons a powerful flood to crush enemy units. Wash away battalions of enemy forces! Effective point usage and you should be able to acquire Flood and Sunflare for the campaign’s final mission.
• Sunflare (20) : Calls a fiery beam of sunlight to scorch the battlefield--which means it torches enemy battalions.