The Lord Of The Rings-marcknop AOE2 SCENARIO GUIDE

Overview

The Lord Of The Rings-marcknop AOE2 scenario guide

SUMMARY

1: SUMMARY
2: INTRODUCTION
3: INSTRUCTIONS
4: HINTS
5: BONUS HINTS
6: LIST OF HEROES AVAILABLE IN THIS SCENARIO
7: APPENDICES
8: CREDITS

INTRODUCTION

This guide gathers the official Instructions and Hints sections of “The Lord Of The Rings-marcknop” AOE2 scenario with the addition of Bonus hints and the List of heroes available in this scenario, firstly published in the Discussions section of the Steam Workshop scenario page, but with better presentation and with illustrations extracted from the scenario, the LOTR graphic and data mod and the Lord Of The Rings films trilogy by Peter Jackson.

Link to the scenario in Steam Workshop:
[link]

ENJOY!
marcknop, the creator of the scenario, february 2020

INSTRUCTIONS

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<( I )>

This scenario is based on the story from J.R.R. Tolkien in the books of the same name and some details added in the Peter Jackson films.

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This scenario uses these two mods :
« The Lord of The Rings mod » and « The Lord of the Rings language(English and Chinese) » by TheDukeofHabsburg
links in Steam:
[link]
and
[link]

Subscribe in community’s Steam workshop and enable the second one (the “LOTR language mod”) in Steam workshop in the game, before playing it.
Don’t forget to put English (or Chinese) language in options in AOE2 too, and restart the game.

THIS IS A SCENARIO FOR MULTIPLAYER IN AOE II « RISE OF THE RAJAS » EXPANSION.

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8 players ; Lock teams ; unexplored map.

NB: the team is automatic, don’t select it (it will change in the game with some triggers and events).

Player 1 (blue): Gondor ; Player 2 (red): Mordor ; Player 3 (green): Rohan ; Player 4 (orange): Harad or Rhûn; Player 5 (teal): Rivendell ; Player 6 (purple): Minas Morgul ; Player 7 (grey): Isengard ; Player 8 (yellow): Lorien. 

NB: Considering the small time scale of the story, no building can be built (but you can still use automatic replanted farms and repair).

NB : No mission garantees the victory on the strategical aspect, but can help a lot for it.
The player 1 is by far the player with the most of missions.

PLAYER 1 (Gondor/Blue) :

MAIN MISSION 1 :
Send Gandalf to the « Great archives » of Minas Tirith (on the flag) to learn more about Bilbo’s ring.


MAIN MISSION 2 :
Go back quickly to Bag-End to explain to Frodo that the Ring of Power was found and he must flee from the Shire : this will enable Frodo to go out of the Shire (and enable the « Secondary mission 1» to  « 5 » ).

MAIN MISSION 3 :
Send Gandalf to Isengard to meet Saruman to seek his counsel about the One Ring.

MAIN MISSION  4 (condition : Frodo must be in Rivendell) :
Send Denethor, Stewart of Gondor (next to the « White Tower »), to meet his son Boromir in Osgiliath to inform him that he must go to Rivendell to the council of Elrond to catch Isildur’s Bane.

MAIN MISSION 5 : « the Council of Elrond » :
Send to the council of Elrond (on the front of « Elrond’s House ») :
a: Gandalf ;
b: Frodo;
c: King Elessar (you must have fulfilled the « Secondary mission 4 »;
d: Boromir (you must have fullfilled « Main mission 4 »);
e: Elrond (he must be created by Player 5 in « Elrond’s house») ;
f: Glorfindel.
This will create the heroes « Gimli » and « Legolas » and open the way to the North-East through the Misty Mountains.

MAIN MISSION 6:
Send Gandalf the Grey and Frodo to the west gate of the mines of Moria to find its password (delete simply the wonder converted to go into the mines).

MAIN MISSION 7:
Send Gandalf to the Durin’s bridge (in front of the East gate) to meet the Balrog and kill him. This will also break the bridge and change Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White (when you go out of the Mines), more powerful and able to heal Theoden from the mind control of Saruman.

MAIN MISSION 8 :
Send Gandalf (the White) to the «Golden Castle of Meduseld» in Edoras, capital of Rohan, to heal Theoden from the control of Saruman (it will change diplomacy for Rohan towards Isengard to « enemy » and make Theoden go out of his castle).

MAIN MISSION 9 :
Send Gandalf to the « tent of Eomer » (in the North of Rohan) to inform him that he’s released from the banishment of King Theoden (it will disable the manipulation from Grima if it is done by Player 7).

MAIN MISSION 10 :
Send Gandalf and Pippin to the « Beacon of Minas Tirith » to inform the Rohan that Minas Tirith is besieged.

See the other missions in « Hints » section.

HINTS

SECONDARY MISSION 1 (you need to fulfill the « Main mission 2 » first):
Send Frodo to the «Prancing Pony Inn » in Bree (the little hobbits/men town on the East of the Shire) to meet  « Strider » (Aragorn will be created next to the Town Center).

SECONDARY MISSION 2 :
Send Frodo to Lorien to get a transport ship to go South safely.

SECONDARY MISSION 3 :
Send Frodo in Mount Doom (in the Mordor) to destroy the Ring of Power, Sauron, and his tower in Barad Dûr.

SECONDARY MISSION 4 :
Send Aragorn to the blacksmith of Rivendell, to reforge Narsil, the sword which took the Ring from Sauron and become the true King of Gondor, Elessar (necessary mission to fullfill « Main mission 5 »).

SECONDARY MISSION 5 :
Send King Elessar to Dimholt, the road under the mountain, in the South-West of Rohan, behind Dunharrow camp, to convince the deads to fight for you.

SECONDARY MISSION 6 :
Send Merry and Pippin to the black tree in the forest of Fangorn (in the West of Rohan and East of Isengard) to wake up Treebeard (for him to be able to go out of Fangorn and to call the other ents). You can do it only if they join the Fellowship.

SECONDARY MISSION 7 :
Destroy the barrage of Isengard (on the north of Orthanc tower) to release the river Isen and damage Isengard buildings.

SECONDARY MISSION 8 :
Send Merry with Gandalf the White to Edoras to make him an Esquire of Rohan.

SECONDARY MISSION 9 :  
Send Pippin with Gandalf the White to the « White Tower » to make him a Tower guard.

NB : Some other secret unexpected events can be triggered.

PLAYER 2 : (Mordor/Red) :
Main mission : Kill Frodo to take back the Ring of Sauron (he will appear in Barad Dûr tower ten minutes after).
You can’t make Sauron at start.

Secondary mission: you can build Grond ram if you get “siege ram” tech.

Some of your units have limited area to stay in.

Cannibalism: each enemy killed will give you 100 food.

PLAYER 3 : (Rohan/Green) :
You can’t make trebuchets or other siege weapons.
Send Eowyn to Dunharrow camp to change her into a mighty knight (It can be done only when Theoden is out).
You can’t make Theoden at start (he will go out of the castle of Meduseld when Gandalf the White arrives to it).
If the alarm beacon is lited by the Gondor, Theoden will grow Rohan’s army morale when he reaches the Pelennor’s fields (between Minas Tirith and Osgiliath), meaning +5 attack for all military units. If Theoden dies, he does the opposite.

PLAYER 4 : (Harad and Rhûn/orange) :
No trigger.

PLAYER 5 : (Rivendell/teal) :
Make your unique hero lord Elrond in your wonder (« Elrond’s house »), to join the council of Elrond (see blue « main mission 5 » for explanations).
The power of the river Bruinen protects from ringwraiths.
If princess Arwen dies, Elessar will despair.
You can’t make trebuchets.

PLAYER 6 : (Minas Morgul/purple) :
Make the ring wraiths (« black riders » in castle and « The Witch King » in wonder) as fast as possible, to seek and hunt the One Ring on Frodo Baggins, in the Shire, far west.
You got a ford in the north to pass the river Anduin, avoiding the Gondor lands.
You can make only 8 black riders (one more will delete all black riders around the castle when going out).
Some of your units have limited area.
You guard the south passage into Mordor.
If you reach the Imperial Age, the Witch King (if created) will gain a great power.
Don’t go on Morgul’s vale with regular units : they will die from intoxication. Use the bridge.

PLAYER 7 (Isengard/grey) :
Send Grima to Edoras wonder (the Golden castle of Meduseld) to confuse King Theoden and weak him and his people (the Rohan).

Wait for the arrival of Gandalf.

Cannibalism: each enemy killed will give you 100 food.

PLAYER 8 (Lorien/yellow) :

Make a transport ship when Frodo arrives in your town: it will turn blue, to transport him and the fellowship safely south. You will give a Galadhrim bow to Legolas if he comes to Caras Galadhon.
You can’t make trebuchets.

Copyright : marcknop, March 2, 2018.

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BONUS HINTS

Those hints are not in the game but some in comments section:

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VERY IMPORTANT BEFORE TO PLAY THIS SCENARIO: 
Remember that all civilizations, stats, units, heroes and technologies are almost changed here. You can see their names only with the language mod. So don’t play without it (all instructions needed to enable it are in the first lines of description of the scenario here, and it is very easy and fast to do it, when you know exactly what to do).

WHEN YOU PLAY THE SCENARIO :
Wild animals are more nasty and strong in this scenario : they get more hit points and attack according to their size, which I find more realistic and fun.

Palantirs have the same function as a relic in the game.

Bannermen are like monks (they can heal, convert (but not the heroes or elite units) and can transport palantirs).

All elite units are regenerating, and can’t be converted, like heroes.

No unique hero (the one made in wonder for example) can be created a second time. They die forever. So be very careful with them. 

All spearmen line got one range.

Big units like trolls, balrogs, ents and mumakils, and even heavy cavalry (with horse only, not wargs), make trample (splash=around them) damages.

Lancers are special heavy cavalry with bonus against other cavalry, even mumakils (they are based on AOE2 camels). Some cavalry civilizations like Harad or Rohan, have access to them in stable simply by reaching the third age (LOTR imperial age).

The elven civs got access to mighty elven longbowmen after they developed their unique imperial age technology. They got huge range, attack and armor (they are based on skirmishers and thus, made in archery range). It is compensate by the fact they don’t have access to trebuchets in this scenario.

Don’t forget to hunt, fish and eat cattle : there are lot of that kind of ressources on the map.

You can’t build farms but you can queue them in a mill (all players got one mill at least) for automatic replant.
Make sure to collect other kind of food first, for instance berries and have enough villagers before to send them on your farms, because if one farm is exhausted and there is a farm with no farmer on it close, the idle farmer will take it and the previous farm will be destroyed forever, even if there are farms stocked in your mill.

Click on all buidlings : their shape can be strange for you at first : read their function.
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They gain 100 food for each enemy killed.

The tribute (given by Gaia) will be done every time you reach the double of the previous number of kills, starting with 1.

So at 1 kill score (giving 100 food), 2 (=2×1, giving 100 food again totalizing 200), 4 (=2×2 giving 200 food), 8 (=2x2x2 giving 400 food), etc untill 2048 kills giving 102400 food.
This amount is balanced by less farms for those factions or less strong units and the share of the number of enemies killed.
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BONUS HINTS (PART 2)

You got a palantir in front of the White Tower and thus, free cartography at start.

Don’t feed the Mordor with your units: make them stronger with all upgrades available.

You got only one castle to make trebuchets and Tower guards, on the highest level of Minas Tirith, because in the story, they are not alowed to leave the defense of the capital and as their name suggests, guard the royal White Tower (Gondor’s wonder and Kings hall) and the white tree of the king. But you got also a fortress in Osgiliath (former Gondor’s Capital before civil war and Mordor’s conquests, with now only military buildings and ruins) and in Cair Andros (the “stone ship”) a fortified island on the great river Anduin, to guard the Gondor bridges from the enemies.They can’t create any unit but can garrison 30 units (and thus, throw more arrows than regular castle).

Don’t forget to make Faramir in your wonder on the top of Minas Tirith: The White Tower.

Boromir can’t go out of Osgiliath area before being asked to go to the council of Elrond by his father Denethor, Stewart of Gondor.

Both brothers are stronger than any type of units (except mumakil) even the nazguls but less than the Witch king after Minas Morgul reaches third age (imperial age). Beware of that detail so!

Look well of all buildings you got, some are very secret to the enemy and can be very useful like Henneth Annûn. You can pass in and out under the waterfall.

Frodo can’t go out of the Shire until Gandalf is back from Minas Tirith Great archives to Bag End, but he can still go in Bucklebury Ferry.

The hobbits can beat ferocious animals or any regular units easily (except trolls and mumakils), but not the black riders, especially if they are 8 and united. It respects the book’s hierarchy in strength and thus, the story and plot of Tolkien.

Hurry up with the first missions of Gandalf or the black riders could easily find Frodo locked in the Shire, kill him and take the ring back to Sauron, for him to be able to come back with physical form on Middle Earth.

Meet a precious friend behind the Old Forest. Beware of Old Man Willow when you go in the Old Forest and the Galgal’s Spectre on hills behind (« Barrow Downs »).

There is a Royal treasure in galgal’s tombs (gold and magic weapons).

The ruins of Amon Sûl on weathertop hill got still one functional tower. It is now abandoned (owned by Gaia) but can be converted by any player. The hobbits can garrison in it and shelter from the Nazgûls, even if an ally owns it (like usually by Rivendell scouting).

Gandalf can be rescued at any moment by the great eagles. Don’t worry too much if he is emprisoned.

Bilbo is not dead, he is in Rivendell with the Elves, probably reading some books of old stories or poetry.

Gollum can meet you at any moment of your journey but he can be tamed.

Some people can betray you on certain conditions to take the ring. They are then on Sauron (Player 2) ‘s control.

Beware of the guardians of the gates of Moria: they are very strong: don’t underestimate them, but you can also flee them because they got restricted area to stay in.

Only Elessar got a strong bonus of attack when he meets the army of the deads under the mountain, thanks to Narsil’s true king of Gondor’s sword remade by the elves. He shall talk to their King to make a deal with them.

Your best regular units are probably the Ithilien rangers: they got a bonus against orcs. Only them can be recruited everywhere on the map, even in Bree, close to the Shire, and protect Frodo or attack Isengard from behind. You can have access to them only in third age (LOTR imperial age) thanks to a special tech in your castle and then make them in any archery range on the map.

Don’t cut the bushes guarding the city in Bree, like a defensive wall (the rings wraiths can’t pass through, and the gates are in stone, so Bree is way more strong than it seems). You can’t upgrade Bree watch towers. On the opposite, Gondorian lands towers are already upgraded as guard towers, you can even upgrade them to “keeps” in imperial age, and you got a unique Gondorian free bonus to garrison ten units in each. The “Great archives” behind the White Tower, is actually like university.

You can trade easily between Bree and Rivendell to get extra gold, without blocking paths or being exposed to the enemies.

Gandalf is not strong enough to win in one on one combat against the Witch King after imperial age (but he can before) and the Galgal’s Spectre (“Barrow-Wight”). Same for all other heroes like Aragorn. It is the same for Gandalf the Grey vs the White Wizzard, Saruman, but he can as Gandalf the White.

To become Gandalf the white, after defeating the Balrog of Moria in the abbyss, after falling into the underground lake (this cools the Balrog and makes him less strong), and breaking the bridge with Gandalf the grey, climb the spiraled endless stairs, break the ruin of Durin’s tower on the top of the mountain to go out (this will make Gandalf the grey disappear and Gandalf the White appear, out, on the other side), and simply follow the reverse spiraled road out on mountainside. This will lead to the Wold, the fronteer between Rohan (next to Fangorn forest), Lorien, Gondor and the Brown lands.

BONUS HINTS (PART 3)

Your chieftains are your first heroes. You got one chieftain by castle and region of Mordor. Use them to control your land and try to not lose them too easily because you can’t remake them.

The best enemies can become the best friends and reverse thanks to the power of the Ring. Read the chat carefully.

If Frodo puts the one ring, Sauron and the nazguls (player 6) will feel it and locate him.

If some of your allies are out of ressources, don’t forget to send them your extra ressources.

You can delete a fence, with the delete key to make the cattle stocked there go out.

After having upgraded « siege ram » tech in your siege workshop, a wonder foundation will appear on the Gorgoroth plateau, just in front of Barad-dûr fortress. You just need to finish it with vils, to get the formidable hero ram Grond, with +5000 HP.

Raid villagers with fast wargs or warg riders can be a very good tactic to gain food thanks to cannibalism while weaken the enemies economy.

The olog hais are elite trolls with heavy armor trained to fight and probably your best unit. It is a unique unit made in castle. Make a group with your castles and a gathering point to enhance their production speed (it is the same for all units: you got a lot of buidlings of any kind to do it).

With a special technology in imperial age you can have access to mercenaries of the unique units of your easterling vassals: mumakils and dragon cavalry.

Spare your wood because the poisonous and dark dusty fume coming from Mount doom prevent vegetation to grow except in Nurnen valley, in the south, which is protected by mountains.

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Beware of Grima Wormtongue and the nazguls.

You can’t get Cartography tech, because you got no Palantir. Count on beacons or messages from allies to warn for help.

Saruman is perhaps not as good ally as he pretends to be. Beware of his mighty magic powers if he turns against you. Find a way to pass through his powerful magic armor.

Helm’s deep got gold mines in its caves. To pass in the fort, you must first go in castle and then target a rally point into the caves. Same to get troops out of the fortress : target a rally point out.

If you got no econmy buiding left : remember that your allies can send ressources.

Don’t try to kill the dead warriors in the mountain : they can’t go out, are very strong, and can be useful later.

Eowyn got the power to break the Witch King invulnerability, so don’t lose her at any cost!

Don’t feed Isengard with your units.

Gather your lost cattle on Rohan’s fronteers: don’t leave them to the enemies.

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You can’t get Cartography, because you got no Palantir. Count on messages from allies to warn for help or reverse.

You control two seperated lands : Harad in the South-East and Rhûn in the North-East.

You got no particular mission but need to develop economy on two lands and to make war on two fronts: South-West : against Gondor men, North : against Lorien Elves and both on land and water (beware : your allies don’t have docks to help you on water).

Dont forget to make your second hero in wonder (you got already Dragon Kahn in Rhûn Fortress).

You got not a lot of fortifications but lot of buildings and strong unique units: so attack will be your best defense.

Beware of lions!

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Arwen is very weak : she got no attack, so keep her safe.

The council of Elrond is your main mission, so don’t send your heroes to death before to be sure to fulfill it or player 1 will have a lot of trouble to finish his missions.

Your heroes can match the nazguls and even the Witch king, before he reaches Imperial age. Be very careful after : run away from him! Your heroes are not strong enough to match the Galgal’s Spectre (Barrow Wight) behind the town of Bree.

Try to help Frodo first to join safely your town and after that, help the Rohan.

Escort the fellowship would probably ruin its discretion.

You got the Elven vision which grants you cartography power.

Scout well, make your land safe for hunt and berries collecting for your villagers. There are a lot of ressources guarded by wild animals in your land.

You can also trade with Bree market, but beware to not open the gates to the black riders if Frodo is in Bree.

Your Imladris guardians are the best Olog’s counter or for other unique units (they got bonus against unique units, like regular samurais).

You got access to the mighty Elven Longbowmen after buying your unique tech.

You got a very limited amount of maximal population but your city is the most difficult to attack for the enemies because very far from the frontline and strongly fortified.

So you should favor fully upgraded elite units, instead trying to constant spam trash units.

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You can remake the black riders or nazguls infinitely in your castle, but not the Witch King, who is made in wonder (called «Minas Morgul ») once and for all.

Normal upgrades don’t affect the nazguls but they got unique technology.

Don’t hesitate to ask ressources to allies, because your economy is quite weak.

The Witch King after Imperial age is the strongest unit after Tom Bombadil (who got limited area) and Sauron. So even if Minas Morgul is totally ruined and you got only the wicth King standing, don’t resign, he can still win against entire armies thanks to his awesome splash damage and armor.

Your priority should really be to pass imperial age as fast as possible to get his armor, HP and attack bonuses. Beware, the attack of Galadriel is huge enough to pass through your armor bonus and also stones shooted from trebuchets, and any hit from enemy makes a minimal damage of 1 HP.

You got a palantir next to your wonder (the building where you can create the Witch king, in the center of your fortress) and thus, free cartography at start.

You are already in Castle age at start, but with poor stock and economic buidlings, so, your passing in Imperial age is quite delayed compared to the other players but you can make black riders at start (you got six already created next to your castle).

Don’t try to open the Shelob’s web symbolized by a palissad gate: it is locked by a looped trigger. Don’t delete it neither to try to pass: it is your best warning of strangers trying to pass by hitting it.

Lot of heroes stronger than the black riders can try to defend the hobbits in the Shire but you can shelter them behind the Galgal spectre in the kings tombs area.

If Frodo puts the one ring, the nazguls will feel it and locate him.

Don’t lose time, seek the ring as fast as possible, or Frodo will escape in more defended lands and with more heroes.

BONUS HINTS (PART 4)

At first you will have only Grima as functional unit. You can make Saruman in your wonder (« Orthanc Tower ») but he can’t go out of Isengard’s walls because he’s waiting for Gandalf meeting.

Use Grima wisely. As ally with all other players, he can do a lot to annoy your future enemies which are player 1, 3, 5 and 8.

Try to steal cattle and assemble it in Isengard. Lock the gate, to not let future enemies get sneakely in (except Gandalf the Grey), scout everywhere, block future enemie’s gates, spy the ring by following Frodo or future enemies assembling troops, etc.

It would be probably more clever to not go in Edoras at start , because the gate can be locked after your passage and you will have no way to send Grima out. If the gates are locked to go in, you can find a way to enter anyway. To banish Eomer to soon, the only strong fighting hero of Rohan at start, can be a bad idea because he can kill with his banished men the black riders passing in Rohan to go in the Shire.

After the emprisonment of Gandalf on the top of Orthanc tower (you can’t kill him), you can finally send Saruman out of Isengard’s wall and start to make buildings and regular units, but beware, if one military unit goes out of Isengard’s walls (even Grima), the diplomacy between you and Rohan (player 3) will turn to neutral, instead of ally. It would be perhaps wiser to built first defenses before going out, but going out more soon can make a strong rush on early game especially with Saruman (who is even more strong than in regular data mod here).

The Mordor will grant you a gift of power if you finish your castle in Isengard.

Fire of Orthanc are powerful petards who can blow entire armies and stone wall.

Protect the barrage on the river Isen. If it is destroyed the river released will damage a lot your buildings and even kill all units in Isengard area by being flooded. You can protect them by garisoning in the castle or town center or simply going out of the walls.

If Isengard is destroyed, remember that Saruman is stronger than a regular army : don’t resign if he is not dead : try to rally your allies or sneakily rush enemies forward on their weakest points.

Remember that you can convert ennemies buildings too with bannermen and “redemption” technology.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Don’t forget to make Galadriel in your wonder (« Caras Galadhon »). She is the strongest unit of the game after Tom Bombadil (who got a very restricted area to stay in : the Old Forest and the Barrow downs, on the Shire fronteer), Sauron (who can take physical form only after the taking back of his ring) and The Witch King of Angmar (after he reaches imperial age). She is even stronger than in the regular data mod version, with range even. But beware : she does splash damage even on your own units and allies units. That means that she damages a bit everything (even buildings) in an area around her added to her main target and attack. It can be wise to use her grouped with more far range units (like Lorien Wardens or Elven Longbows, far behind her and shooting in front of her). She got a strong armor but low hit points, so beware of her. And of course, like all unique heroes, you can’t make her a second time if she dies.

Try to sneakily land in Rhûn and attack it fast to prevent player 4 to attack Gondor (player 1).

Same for Mordor after. But don’t try to enter in Moria : the mighty Balrog of Morgoth guards the east entrance into the mines and Gandalf the Grey must kill him to become Gandalf the White.

Use nature as ally, not enemy.

You can send quickly foot troops to the west, in Rohan, thanks to transport ships.

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DISABLE THE LANGUAGE MOD AFTER A GAME !

You don’t need to unsubscribe the language mod to come back to normal game stats and names. Just go in workshop in the game and disable it the same way you enable it : by simply clicking on it (it will just become grey and be ready for another use).

Remember that for that new setting to be effective, you must restart the game.

FINALLY ABOUT REPLAYS :
you can see a replay of a game with the data mods if you have just used it before in another game. So you can for instance play in single player game, set the data mod in settings and resign the first second after game starts before to look a replay, to see all graphics and stats changed.

PS: Remember that I won’t explain all triggers to not spoil some surprises (that’s why some hints here are kind of “mysterious”, to not ruin all suspense).

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

marcknop, May 2019.

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LIST OF HEROES AVAILABLE IN THIS SCENARIO

96 heroes in total (if I count well, counting also the upgraded heroes which are in fact different units)

*=boosted hero in the scenario

1: Frodo Baggins (the one ring bearer, first restricted in the Shire area before Gandalf comes back from the Great archives, he can receive boosts by triggering some missions)

2: Samwise Gamgee (can be boosted by receiving magic weapon after some special unit killed, he is the most loyal and handful friend of Frodo)

3: Gandalf the Grey (he got the most of missions to trigger of the scenario, he can be improved to Gandalf the White with better stats)

4: Gandalf the White* (triggered by going on Durin’s bridge and killing the Balrog and going out of Moria by destroying the Durin’s tower, upgrade of Gandalf the grey; Gandalf can make some mission only as the White, like healing Theoden or free Eomer and his army from banishment)

5: Peregrin Took* (can receive boosts by killing some unit, bow to Denethor in Minas Tirith, he can also wake up the ents on certain condition and lit the beacons of Gondor)

6: Meriadoc Brandybuck* (can receive some boost by killing some unit, bow to Theoden in Edoras, he is also necessary to trigger the Ents waking up)

7: Boromir (first restricted in Osgiliath region to defend it, he must participate as the representant of humans, in the council of Elrond)

8: Denethor (as stewart of Gondor poisoned by the palantir and Sauron’s mind, he is a hero with no attack; he triggers Boromir to go out of Osgiliath after Frodo arrives in Rivendell, to join the council of Elrond and take back the ring of power)

9: Faramir (brother of Boromir, made in Gondor’s wonder: the White tower and kings hall on the top of Minas Tirith, he is the captain of Gondor’s rangers and can match the nazguls except the Witch king after Imperial age)

10: Tom Bombadil (triggered by Frodo arriving to his house, with restricted area on his land, he repels evil powers by singing songs and make them sleep)

11: Aragorn (triggered by Frodo in Bree, he can beat the black riders except the Witch king after Minas Morgul reaches imperial age)

12: King Elessar (upgrade of Aragorn trigered by Rivendell’s blacksmith, by repairing Narsil, the sword of the king of Gondor which took the ring from Sauron)

13: Legolas (triggered by the council of Elrond, he can be boosted in Lorien by receiving a bow of the Galadhrim, he got an awesome fast and deadly long range attack)

14: Gimli (triggered by the council of Elrond, he is an infantry with great armor and attack)

15: 6 ents and Treebeard (trigered by Peregrin and Meriadoc in Fangorn forest)

16: the King of the Deads* and the army of the deads* (25 special boosted warriors, converted and triggered by king Elessar for a short amount of time; note that only him got a boost on his attack when he is in the mountain to overpass the deads armor representing their etheral corpse, with his reforged sword Anduril and that the mountain is then locked and he get also pirates of Umbar ships to go out of mountain on the other side)

17: Smeagol (triggered by “killing” Gollum, triggered by Frodo, he got leading triggers to show the ways)

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1: 5 orc chieftains and 1 troll chieftain (1 per castle)

2: Old Man Willow (a kind of nasty half-ent half-tree with very restricted area (he got his roots in the ground) in the old forest swamp of the Shire)

3: the Balrog of Morgoth (with restricted area in low level of Moria; when he falls into the lake in the pit, when Gandalf attracts him and break the Durin’s bridge, he is extinguished and become weaker)

4: the Watcher (in water guarding the west gate of Moria, with strong multi range attack)

5: Grond* (hero siege ram trigered by tech and building a preset wonder with +5000 hp)

6: Sauron* (he can’t be made at start, he is triggered when Frodo is killed or converted in Mount Doom and back to Barad Dur, meaning that he takes back his ring to get physical form)

7: Gollum* (triggered by Frodo passing on a special path)

8: Boromir (converted on certain condition)

9: an elite cave troll and an orc chieftain (with his army coming from the low levels of Moria (spamed on the high level), triggered by any blue unit going in Mazarbul’s chamber).

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LIST OF HEROES AVAILABLE IN THIS SCENARIO (PART 2)

1: Eomer (a strong heavy cavalry hero who can even beat the nazguls except the Witch king after imperial age of player 6; he can be baned by Grima Wormtongue with some elite units and so all have restricted area to stay in on Rohan’s fronteer, the Wold)

2: Eowyn (as maid, she must stay in Edoras but still got a sword to defend herself)

3: Eowyn the warrior (disguised as man, a heavy cavalry hero triggered by going in Dunharrow camp after Theoden is healed by Gandalf the white; she only can delete the magical Witch king armor by chalenging him on Pelenor’s fields)

4: King Theoden (on a horse, he can’t be made in wonder, he must be healed from Grima’s poison by Gandalf the white; ha can boost the whole Rohan army if he reaches the Pelenor’s fields after receiving the call of Gondor thanks to the Minas Tirith beacons trigered by Merry and Gandalf the White on the top of Minas Tirith).

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1: Dragon Khan (a Rhun hero cavalry (khan=chief) in Rhun fortress)

2: Haradrim chieftain (on mumakil) or Dragon Khan again (made in wonder south: Harad camp)

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1: Glorfindel (a very ancient and strong elf warrior, he must participate to the council of Elrond)

2: Arwen (beware: she got no attack; if she dies, Elessar will be demoralized and become weaker)

3: Lord Elrond (on feet, made in wonder : « Lord Elrond’s House »; a strong sword infantry, he must participate to the council of Elrond, that he initiated himself, after Frodo arrives in Rivendell)

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1: 8 black riders which can be upgraded to nazguls and got also a unique tech bonus to boost their attack: “the Morgul blades” (they can be produced and reproduced ever and ever in castle, but only 8 at once, one more will be deleted when going out of castle); they make strong splash damage only on enemies: they are very strong together so and especially on buildings!)

2: Shelob (restricted in her lair)

3: The Galgal Spectre (in french, «Barrow wight » or cairn ghost in English, with restricted area on Barrow downs hills, in the South West of Bree; as the ghost of a dead king he guards the treasures of old kings tombs and got huge armor as etheral body, like the Witch king in imperial age). 

4: The King of the deads* with 6 dead warriors* (restricted in the mountain, they can stop Elessar to trigger their conversion and spam for blue by killing him before a certain amount of time after the King of the deads meets him).

5: The Witch King of Angmar (made in wonder, he dies forever, but gain a huge boost (especially a magical armor of invulnerabilty) when reaching third age (=lotr imperial age); he is the commander of Sauron’s forces before he takes back his ring; with his strong splash damage he can kill entire armies alone with only one strike)

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1: Grima Wormtongue (he got no attack but at start Isengard is allied with all players and he can trigger some nasty things, scout, spy, open allies gates, steal cattle from allies, etc.)

2: Saruman* (made in wonder, the « Tower of Orthanc » (which is boosted too), he must stay in Isengard walls before Gandalf the grey arrives to it and triggers orc buildings foundations; he is stronger than Gandalf the Grey, but not the White; he got a huge far range telekinetic attack and great magical armor to dominate entire armies alone)

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1: Haldir (a hero guarding the forest with sword)

2: Celeborn (the king of Lorien with spear)

3: Galadriel* (the queen of Lorien, made in wonder, « Caras Galadhon », she got one of the strongest attack but make splash damage even on allied units and doesn’t have lot of hit points or armor).

marcknop 2020

APPENDICES

PS: if you want me to play as blue with all the missions (even secrets) in my head (even not easy for me, I forgot sometimes some (about 200 triggers here)!) ask me for friend, I will invite you if you are in the aoe2 game when I host one.
You can also join my group created in that purpose too and the host of my other Tolkien inspired scenario : « The Hobbit » (showing all events of this book: see the workshop page: [link] )  : [link]

I will make an anouncement every time I host this scenario or the other.

I add that this work is a very professional work: I got a professional degree of space design and made a lot of researches on LOTR. No detail here is random. I want to thank particularly John Howe and Alan Lee for their awesome work on The Lord Of The Rings films by Peter Jackson, who inspired a lot my design here, not only the graphic mod.
For the story part, all events in the Lord Of The Rings books are almost depicted, even some not in the Peter Jackson Trilogy like Tom Bombadil, Old Man Willow or the Barrow-wight (“Galgal spectre” in French) and some funny details from the films making the game more interesting and the story more credible for me like the banishment of Eomer (not emprisonment), the research of Gandalf in Isildur’s autobiography in the great archives of Minas Tirith or the fight and dialog between the king of the deads and Elessar in Dwimorberg to convince him to join him.
All of this makes a strong coherence with the second scenario about the Hobbit, which precedes the events in a perfect logical continuation and show the other part of the Middle Earth (the north) except the Shire, Bree, Weathertop, the Trollshaws, Rivendell, etc (Eriador in fact) which are just copied and making thansition with the two stories and lands (South (for The Lord Of The Rings) and North (for The Hobbit), Eriador being obviously in the north in the first scenario and the south, for the second (which is the prequel, in fact, like for the films)).

Finally, you can get The Lord Of The Rings Peter Jackson film’s soundtrack (composed by Howard Shore) in the game by subscribing and enable this mod:
[link]

and have sound effects and famous vocal quotes by subscribing this one:
[link]

CARPE DIEM!
marcknop, feb 2020

CREDITS

All photos of real world (actors, sets, miniatures (“bigatures”), costumes, special cpu effects, real lands, animals, making up, etc) come from the films trilogy of The Lord Of The Rings directed by Peter Jackson and produced by New Line Cinema (I hope they will enjoy the huge free artistic work that I made to promote them, but they can ask me to take the photos out if they want me to do it!). They were all meticulously chosen by me for symbolic and illustration purpose only, and for their beautiful composition (and I dare to pretend that those choices in a movie with hundreds of thousands of changing images is already an artistic work! I hope you can appreciate it too here (I got also a master degree of plastic art, not for nothing)!).

All other images come from the graphic mod mentioned in instructions and my scenario layout (“map”, which is an organization of elements in perspective of the game, and quite “professional” here: I got a space design degree and studied a lot Tolkien’s work to be the most acurate possible to it; it demanded more than hundred of hours of meticulous work: not one tree or bush was randomly and automatically placed here and all was tested to have a result as beautifully natural as practical to play it with fun (like for instance, empty tiles between trees in all forests to figure the possibility of going through them without following a road, like in real life and in the story to hide from the black riders for instance!); I precised already that I was inspired by the Peter Jackson’s films designers (and even quoted their names) but there is no literal copy here (and it actually couldn’t be in this game) and I add that I have my own artistic point of view of how should be designed Tolkien’s Middle Earth world to be the more coherent, fun and credible possible; in other terms: I got my own architectural urbanistic ideas and can justify them strongly in a professional practical realistic way (like for instance the farms and mills in Pelennor fields (even Tolkien mentioned it was for feeding the capitale of Gondor and it is logical), the gates in all entrances of the tunnels of Minas Tirith (as natural defense), the towers on cliffs in Mordor (same and even mentioned by Tolkien too), etc)).

If the story part was twisted and changed, it was mainly because of the limitations of AOE2 game editor but I can discuss on this changes to find better solutions to figure out better the original story (which is already more precisely shown than in the films, like the old forest part with Old Man Willow and Tom Bombadil or the Barrow Downs with Barrow wight (“Galgal spectre”), or Cair Andros citadel guarding Gondor lands on Anduin river, etc).

I precise that my goal here in a real time strategy scenario game, was not to make all players follow the exact story by making a kind of “tunnel” role playing game (even if this scenario got a lot of role playing aspects, like the missions and scenario chats, often quoted from Tolkien’s books), but leave the possibility of alternative actions and interactions, trying just to make possible the events shown in Tolkien’s books with the most of acuracy and credibility possible, without unbalancing the whole game for a player or another, which was very hard to achieve and not at the first released but after tens of tests with real human players too (for instance because some story characters are very powerful like Galadriel, so it is compensated with less houses and thus, less population limit, which is quite realistic for Lorien eternal population).

If on the opposite I prevented all buildings to be build, it was to not be able to twist the shapes of cities, block paths (when it shows hundreds of km valleys: all is symbolic here and the cities are made like kind of zooming, to show tactical typicities, like the levels of Minas tirith and the street going up like a snake on mountain side) and also to respect Middle Earth geography (fill for instance the land with farms in the ashes of Mordor, desert or Rhûn or Harad, or even steppes of Rohan, or the darkness of mines of Moria, would have been totally inacurate in the story and unbalanced all). And like I said at start, it would be ridiculous in a few weeks story to build stone castles or even a simple stone house or kms of walls. Also, I didn’t want to leave the possibility to the elves to cut all their beloved forests, even if they need some wood to make bows and arrows.

I add that I found myself lot of conceptual ideas in design to figure the typical Tolkien’s world, one of the main being to cut horizontally the mountains to show internal parts (like for the tunnels in Minas Tirith: it is the first time I see that in an AOE2 scenario), a classical way to represent and design architecture (coming naturally from my architectural training).

The photomontages of screenshots of my map (separating the chapters of this guide and showing cities in their entirety to demonstrate their acuracy, coherence and beauty) were made by me too like this entire guide (text and layout).

It shows also how I fixed AOE2 perspective to figure more realistic regular octagons to mimic walls in circle (with the exact number of wall elements (tiles, units) needed which is not the same in diagonal), like in Isengard or Minas Tirith (on the opposite, Minas Morgul is perfectly symetrical for the walls with central axis of symetry).

Another kind of ideas was to make symbolic links with practical architecture, like the 8 towers on the first wall of Minas Morgul, figuring the 8 nazguls surounding their chief, the Wicth king, made in wonder with its central big tower. The general shape looks like a classic Vauban fortress with concentric star shapes to be able to shoot on attakers of the wall, from the wall itself. The Witch King crown symbolizes again the nazguls with picks but also the shape of their city (and a well known spider). For Moria: it is the design of a dwarf warrior with typical viking helmet with iron circles around the eyes (which are the first habitable tunnels), then the nasal figured by the first bridge, the plaited moustache, by the great hall columns, the mouth by the Mazarbul’s chamber, the beard by the great stairs, the Zirakzigil peak with Durin’s tower and the spiral stairs being like a round shield, the Khazad-dûm bridge being his neck, columns behind like a necklace and finally the columns right like a hand holding an axe. In Near Harad fortress: the double towers figures the tusks of a mumakil, the castle, his head and the gate in front, the trunk, the walls linking castle and the forward gate with towers (“barbican”) being very classic to assemble troops safely or multiply the layers of defense for the weakest part: the door. In Rhûn I used again a classical defensive system: the Greek Acropolis. It is in fact the system described for Amon Sûl: a castle on the top of a hill, with its road turning around in spiral like a shell or a snake (symbol of Rhûn) to be able to shoot on attackers from the top. I multiplied the gates on this road. Lorien got the shape of a rose (with rivers seperating woods like petals), Rivendell, a lily flower, Minas Tirith, a tree, Osgiliath, a tulip, Cair Andros, a turtle, Isengard, a wheel, Cirith Gorgor, a scarab head, Cirith Ungol, a Balrog head and Barad-dûr, an octopus.

I made also a lot of 3d illusions like the stairs figured by cliffs or rocks turning, or Gandalf on the top of Orthanc tower (being in fact behind, locked by surrounding trees).

No reproduction of this guide or my scenario can be made for money and publicly without my written permission, except for Steam and Google of course!

marcknop, the creator of the scenario, feb 2020.