Isengard-Saruman

**Leroux3369** · April 28, 2009, 08:40 AM

Hi, I've started playing as Isengard, and I noticed that their faction leader is an orc, not Saruman himself. It has Saruman as a follower however.
Ofcourse Saruman didn't lead any armies himself, but it makes me feel like he's not in control. What do you guys think?

**Sir Robin** · April 28, 2009, 08:45 AM

Well I think this is partially because he was never much of a fighter... I think. He kept sending his pawns out to die and never got in on the action himself. It is probably assumed that he prefers to stay in the tower.

**hugorune** · April 28, 2009, 08:46 AM

It's necessary so that Saruman doesn't die in combat - because that would just be a little ridiculous

The game mechanics doesn't allow for faction leaders who aren't generals so we have to work within our limitations.
Out of interest, Dale have Radagast The Brown the same way and I presume one of the other factions has Gandalf.

**Elphir of Dol Amroth** · April 28, 2009, 08:48 AM

They also don't want Wizards as generals because it will be hard to do with magic with the Total War engine.

The Easterlings also have Alatar as an ancillary.

**Morray** · April 28, 2009, 08:51 AM

Well he kinda cast spells and stuff out before his army to help defeat his foes as he was 'Saurman the every colour' (Or something like that) I remember he actually cast a spell to break down the walls of helms deep there was no explosive Ork thing)

**Leroux3369** · April 28, 2009, 08:51 AM

Well I hope they manage to fix the 'immortality' thing in the next release. Then they can have Saruman as a general, immortal by age but killable in battle, like he was killed by Wormtongue in the books.

**Arvedui** · April 28, 2009, 08:53 AM

i noticed this with the Wizards aswell and thought it was abit odd, especially Saruman, in lotr total war they did it so that people like Saruman Elrond Sauron all couldt move out of their settlments thought they would have implemented that somhow.

**Leroux3369** · April 28, 2009, 09:02 AM

A nice alternative to implementing the magic thing (thinking about fireballs etc) is to give the wizards extra command or fear or management or authority. Also in Lotr Total War they implemented the palantirs: a 10% at the start of every turn that the advisor came to the owner of a palantir and offered him the opportunity to remove the fog of war from a region of choice.

**hugorune** · April 28, 2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Elphir of Dol Amroth

They also don't want Wizards as generals because it will be hard to do with magic with the Total War engine.

The Easterlings also have Alatar as an ancillary.

That name was unfamiliar to me (although I know there were more than three Istari) so I looked it up, and read about the Blue Wizards.

"I think that they went as emissaries to distant regions, east and south, .... Missionaries to enemy occupied lands as it were. What success they had I do not know; but I fear that they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and "magic" traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron."

That's really intriguing for Rhun from a roleplaying perspective.