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Thread: Rhun guide/Playthrough

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    Default Rhun guide/Playthrough

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    This faction guide is written for VH/VH.



    Table of Content:

    1 General faction information
    2 Units
    3 Buildings
    4a Direct opposing factions
    4b Other factions
    5 general tips
    6 Contributions of other posters
    7 Playthrough




    1 General faction information


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    Rhun is a faction located east on the map of Middle Earth, consisting multiple tribes under the leadership of a Loke Kahn. The tribes are to supply resources and men for their upper chieftain. Among those tribes, are counted the infamous "Balchoth clan", the "Wainrider clan" and "Variag clan". All of those tribes became known during the Easterling wars against Gondor. The Easterling people served both Morgoth and Sauron during their reign and attacked the Free People of Middle Earth on regular occasions. They hold a long and deep grudge against Gondor and Rohan as it was Rohan that vanquished their armies at the fields of Celebrant and populated the thinly populated area. Apart from that, Ulfang the Black betrayed Fëanor in his wars against Morgoth and the elves never forgot it. In general, they are a savage and nomadic people, eager to answer the Dark Lord's call.


    In this game, Rhun boasts a strong variety of units. Their best (professional) troops are clad in golden/steel armor and are on par with Gondor's heaviest troops, except for their Swan Knights and Fountain Guards. Rhun fields heavily armored troops, including spearmen/pikemen, archers, heavy cavalry and heavy infantry. Apart from that, their lower tier units consist of fast and versatile troops, which hold their own against their direct opponents. Especially the armor piercing javelins from the Balchoth Tribesmen are really fit against the heavy armor of the Dwarves and the Variag Raiders can deal with almost anything Dale sends after them. Their only weakness in units is the lack of spearmen at the earlier stages of the game. I personally do not mind as the lack of spearmen can usually be countered with heavy cavalry. Your direct opponents field very little cavalry (Dale and the Dwarves) and in case they do, your heavy cavalry (General's bodyguards at the early stages of the game) should be able to deal with it. Remember however, that both factions have limited access to cavalry as they can recruit mercenaries. Dale can recruit light cavalry (Yeomen) and on a later stage of the game, heavy cavalry (Earls).

    Apart from that, Rhun holds a good position on the map. Their lands are secured in the south as they border Harad and Mordor (unless you decide to attack them instead of course) and the Sea of Rhun and many rivers make the north easy to defend. To the west, several rebel provinces lie between you and other factions such as Dale. Their lands are fertile and rich, but the best income you can get will be provided by the many mines you can construct in the lands of Rhun and ports in case a province borders the Sea of Rhun. Combined with decent/good governors, there should be no need to ever get in financial issues with Rhun.






    2 Units



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    3 Buildings


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    4a Direct opposing factions


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    This section of the guide will be used to examine all of Rhun's "natural enemies" to determine their strength, weaknesses and general strategy against them. Amongst them, I count:
    - Dale as you start off with being at war with them. The victory condition also states that you have to remove them.
    - The Dwarves as they are allied with Dale and usually start attacking you the moment you share borders.
    - The Silvan Elves as they are at war with Mordor (means it's highly unlikely you get an alliance with them) and also start attacking you the moment you share borders.
    - Gondor as you'll have to take Minas Tirith and eliminate the faction to fullfill your victory conditions.


    Dale

    Dale is an archer heavy faction, starting out to your northern west, past the Sea of Rhun. They often expand rapidly south towards Araw, Dorwinion and Rhovanost. Some changes have been made in Third Age Total War 3.2 as Esgaroth is now their main settlement as it starts of as a large city. Before that, they did not hold anything larger than a "large town". In general, it was considered wise to take the castle of Uldonavan (north west of Buhr Ermanarikis) to make sure Dale couldn't use the castle to produce troops of better quality. I would still recommend you do not allow Dale to take it or besiege it right away after Dale occupied the castle. Yet, it usually takes them plenty of turns and in the last Rhun campaigns, it took them about 50 turns to take the castle. It wouldn't hurt to monitor's Dale's progress, before their borders are next to yours. I would recommend to have a spy watch your western borders.

    Their standard troops, as mentioned earlier are often missle troops. All of those, stand no chance against your cavalry, whether it's your general's bodyguard or whether you're using Variag Raiders. Your cavalry units will play a key part against Dale as they field little cavalry (but the cavalry they have usually field has to be countered with your cavalry) and very poor spearmen (Hearth watchmen) that can easily be shot to pieces by archers or held by your infantery. If you're using cavalry charges, attack them from the side or back and preferably when already occupied. Make sure your cavalry marches out right away after the charge, or you'll start losing men.

    The other standard melee unit Dale deploys are Dalesmen; standard heavy infantry that can be trampled down easily by your heavier cavalry. Their general's bodyguard unit are "Bardian Marksmen"; good archers, but very vulnerable to melee combat. They do better in melee than their standard missle troops, but still lose to Variag Raiders. One good charge from their left side is often enough to kill their general.

    Apart from their units, mind the various AI scripts. The moment you start taking their settlements, the AI receives free units you'll have to deal with too. If possible, I would recommend the player to avoid garrison scripts by attacking armies next to settlements. I would also recommend against fighting too many siege battles, as the best counter against the majority of their troops is cavalry, which isn't very efficient within settlement walls. If you expect Dale to have superior missle troops in a battle, it would benefit you to fight in rain or similar bad weather conditions. Dale's lands will bring less wealth than your own lands, except for owning Dorwinion perhaps. Considering they have a "main settlement" now, it would be wise to set Esgaroth as a priority target.



    The Dwarves

    The Dwarves rely on heavily armored infantry most of the time and are located on the northern edges of the map. Half of their lands are in the west in Eriador and the other half is east of Dain's Halls. I personally consider their eastern settlements the most important. Not only because they own a good castle and huge city there, but also because their only starting family members start out in the east. If you manage to catch them quick enough, King Dain and Lord Thorin will turn out to be the only family members! If left alone, the Dwarves usually turn out to be a plague for the northern evil factions by taking the majority of Orcs of Gundabad lands, taking the northern lands of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains and holding out very well against Rhun. They often declare war on you, soon after you share a border, which could be on turn 2. They usually expand west first, by taking Wormcove and Dain's halls, but won't leave a Rhun player alone either. Their lands are certainly worth taking. If you bring the battle to them relatively quickly, you'll have a much easier time to at least remove them from the east.

    As said, they rely on heavy armored infantry most of the time. They probably field the best heavy infantry in the game (as I haven't compared them to high elven elite infantry yet), but little missle troops or cavalry. Any cavalry they field are mercenaries. As for missle troops, they deploy axethrowers and crossbowmen. As far as I know, both of those units have the AP (armor piercing) trait. Yet, their range is limited and are relatively easy to shoot down or ride down. The dwarves also start off with little spearmen, although their halberdmen are efficient against cavalry (but very slow). Again, try to avoid siege battles as the Dwarves are very tough to beat in the narrow streets of a settlement. Bringing armor piercing units along with you (Balchoth Tribesmen are excellent) works well. You start out with a unit of Loke Flag Rim in Rhomen too. Heavy cavalry charges work as well, although the Dwarven numbers might diminish more slowly than usual. In most cases, you'll have missle superiority so it will pay off to fight during clear weather.


    Silvan Elves


    The Silvan Elves count as a specialist faction too. They dwell in the northern parts of Mirkwood and Lothlorien and often start to expand towards Southern Mirkwood first. In my Rhun campaigns, I've seldomly seen them expand further east than Emyn nu Fuin and further west than Wrackyaburg. Sometimes, they manage to get their hands on Dol Guldur and Rhovanost. All their units receive combat bonusses in the woods, which makes them strong inside but severely weaker outside of it.

    Their best units are missle troops, which could decimate your army if you're not careful. However, they severly lack cavalry units as their only cavalry unit they have access to is Silvan Horse Archers. Your heavy cavalry should be able to deal with that. Apart from that, they field little spearmen and their first tier of spearmen is the weakest unit the Silvan Elves have available. Best strategy here I can provide against them in combat is to either fight in the rain again, engage in melee combat as fast as possible (cavalry will help you chase them) and to aim for their general as fast as possible. Their bodyguard unit is called "Sindar archers" and shouldn't be too hard to kill. The less you let them fire, the better it will be. Their lands usually don't offer too much income, but it would be nice to secure your borders once you've gotten rid of them. Another tip I can provide you fighting the Silvan Elves is to recruit mercenary spider units. You can recruit them in Mirkwood provinces, although they have a slow replenishing pool. It is possible to retrain them in settlements however and work very well against actually anything the Silvan Elves can send against you.



    Gondor



    By the time you face Gondor, I assume the war against Mordor and Harad has been going on for a while already. Depending on how they do, you might find Gondor close to ruin already, or actually (slightly) pushing into Mordor and Harad territory. By this time, there will be plenty of stacks running around, especially around the "hot" areas. Gondor however, doesn't have borders that are easily defended against a human player. There are several ways to Minas Tirith if you catch my phrase. If most of the fighting is happening around Osgiliath still for example, I would recommend you either enter from the north (Rohan) and then pass south into Anorien. Also, considering you have an alliance with Harad and military access, you could pass through Haradrim territory, hire a boat and sail for any coast. Your recruitment centers are fairly far away so I would recommend against fighting unnecessary battles. You can also attempt to buy a fortress not too cruxial from Mordor and use that as a base of operations against Gondor. (Henneth Annun or Cair Andros for example)

    Gondor fields a variable army, both heavily armored or faster and more lightly armored. I personally always regarded Rhun as the "evil mirror faction of Gondor" military wise, although I would probably piss some lore fanatics off with that. I however think that Rhun's cavalry is better than Gondor's, except for the Swan Knights, but you won't see them too often. In battle, it will be up to the player to match an efficient unit against one of theirs. Consider it a more elaborate game of rock-paper-scissors. Eventually, Gondor will adapt it's line's width on yours, which after allows you to charge their sides and backs with cavalry. Try to bring armor piercing units along with you and mind the many scripts Gondor has available at home territory.





    4b Other factions


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    For all sorts of reasons, you might find yourself at war with any of the other factions that populate Middle Earth. Don't be too surprised if you'll ever find yourself at war with another evil faction, as during a campaign, usually at least one faction manages to get itself excommunicated. What usually happens after is that the Dark Lord calls a crusade on that faction and you're sucked into another war. Evil factions tend to leave each other alone, until the moment they get land locked in by other factions. Remember however, that no AI faction can declare war on an ally, unless the Dark Lord demands it.



    Harad


    As a Rhun player, you're rarely bothered by Harad, unless they get cut off from Free People territory by Mordor and you. If you get an alliance with them, there won't be anything to worry about. Note however, that if you go to war with them and you're still allied to Mordor, Mordor usually picks the side that is being attacked instead of the attacking side. Mordor might break it's alliance with you, but they usually don't respond by attacking you right away.

    Harad holds plenty of provinces down the south, which makes them hard to conquer. The only border that isn't "secured" from the start, is the north western border where they'll encounter Gondor. That's where you'll find most of their troops. Their main settlement will be Umbar, far to the south and to the far coast to the west. If you decide to fight Harad, this should be your main goal. If you do not plan on taking it, you'll at least need to raze it to the ground. Umbar starts as a huge city and has the potential to recruit Mumakil units. Only a few Harad provinces have that potency, but Umbar is the only settlement that starts off so close. Apart from that, Harad can recruit other elite troops there and Umbar offers a nice income.

    Apart from their Mumakil, I personally find their cavalry the most threatening. Their Southron Cavalry will beat your Variag Raiders 1 on 1 for sure and cause quite some casualties if you let them charge into your lines at will. Their Serpent Guards (bodyguard units) are stronger than that and are about even against your bodyguards. Apart from that, they usually field lots of spearmen which makes it harder to rely on cavalry. Their archers are mediocre at best. Their infantry I don't consider anything special; yours should be better. Whatever you do, do not get yourself excommunicated the moment Sauron, or any evil faction can call for crusades, as you can expect all other evil factions to be on your doorstep soon if you do.


    Mordor


    Mordor starts off with a lot of fodder-like units and those shouldn't form too much of a problem. The problem with Mordor, if there will be any, will be formed by their "special units". Their Nazgul/Black Numenorian units could definately hurt your armies if you let them. If you see Nazgul generals left vulnerable on the map, it pays off to attack them; try to kill them off before they return with a full stack. The other issues Mordor units can cause are troll units. Their regular troll units could cause some casualties and charge through your ranks at high cost, but can be dealt with again if you bring plenty of armor piercing units. Balchoth Tribesmen work really well against them. The Troll Catapult units can become quite a nuisance to fight against too. They are surprisingly accurate and the engineers are trolls which means you can't easily rout or kill them. Still, they are weaker than their brethern and should go down faster. Their Uruk units aren't something special. Their Uruk halberdmen can be tough, but usually lag behind in battles. Have archers fire into them from the side or back or deal with them after you've dealt with the rest of the army. There's also the possibility that Sauron gets his hands on the Ring, which means Mordor has a Sauron unit, but you should see that one coming.

    If you want to make an unexpected move against Mordor, attack from their "rear side". Nurnen rarely has any noteworthy defence left and from there and Nargroth, you can go straight for Barad Dur. Watch out though, as the moment you take Barad Dur, the Witch King will spawn with a nice stack to take revenge. After you've dealt with that, you can do whatever you like. Once you've established a foothold in Gorgoroth, it should be easy to expand from there. Apart from Nurnen, there are 2 well blocked passes into/out of Mordor. Use it to your advantage.


    Orcs of the Misty Mountains


    The orc factions seem alike a lot at first glance. They both start off with snaga units as first tier units, then expand to goblin and finally orc units. Snaga units are considered the weakest militia/first tier units around in the game, but could obviously still harm you, the moment you allow them to swarm you. Against these guys, it pays off to widen your front so you won't be attacked from several sides. These guys are somewhat difficult to ride down however, as they don't form tight lines but have plenty of space between them. Yet, they rely on quantity instead of quality and should pose no serious issues. Note that they start out vulnerable to cavalry.

    For the last tier, they rely on heavily armored orc troops. Against cavalry, they field a halberdier unit, which should be too slow on the battlefield to make any impact. Because of their tight ranks and shields and slow speed, it would be best to have archers fire into their flanks or backs. Variag Raiders are perfect for the job. The only cavalry they have available are warg riders. They receive a bonus fighting against cavalry, but turn out to be perfect targets for your archers. Both Orc factions also have access to troll units; weaker than the ones Mordor can field, but still trolls nonetheless. Bring armor piercing units against them and they should go down. This faction has exclusive access to "the Balrog" unit. In case you're playing as the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, you should fullfill conditions to gain access (I believe build mithril mines in Moria and wait for turn 90. Could be wrong here), but as an AI faction, the balrog spawns right away if any faction decides to besiege Moria. A very important reason to at least attempt to dodge any scripts the moment you decide to target Moria.

    Apart from that, their units aren't very special and should be considered weaker in general compared to what Rhun can offer. Their lands, once developed can earn you quite some money as a lot of their settlements allow mines to be built. Their lands are in general also easy to defend as most of it is mountain. Plenty of chokeholds around there to trap or halt any enemy. Most battles against these guys will probably take place in, or around the mountains. Even when attacking, try to use missle troops to lure the enemy army to where you want them.




    Orcs of Gundabad


    Similar to the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, this faction starts out with Snaga units. Snaga units are considered the weakest militia/first tier units around in the game, but could obviously still harm you, the moment you allow them to swarm you. Against these guys, it pays off to widen your front so you won't be attacked from several sides. These guys are somewhat difficult to ride down however, as they don't form tight lines but have plenty of space between them. Yet, they rely on quantity instead of quality and should pose no serious issues.

    Gundabad will often mix in Rhudaur units along with the orc rabble they usually send out. The Rhudaur units fill the gaps of Gundabad's roster perfectly as they offer light cavalry, axemen and spearmen. Gundabad also has access to trolls and the same story compared to the Orcs of the Misty Mountain troll units applies. Once again, the same story applies to the warg unit. This faction's main weakness seems a lack of decent missle units. Good weather conditions should benefit Rhun here.


    Gundabad's main settlement will be Carn Dum, despite the capital being Gundabad itself. Because of their geographic starting position, they usually end up fighting the Dwarves, Eriador and the High Elves before long. They seem to do well against Eriador, weak against the Dwarves and not too well against the High Elves in general. Their lands aren't to be considered rich, but Carn Dum could be a great recruiting center, far away from "home".


    Isengard


    Isengard as a faction always seems to do very variable. They sometimes cease to exist between turn 50 and 80 and sometimes manage to well by pushing Rohan back, while taking Eriador and High Elven provinces. More often than not though, they start out poorly against Rohan and lose their capital Isengard at least once to a foreign power. Lots of provinces with garrison scripts there, which could easily spawn a lot of extra troops if you're not careful. Taking away Isengard (the province) in case Isengard still holds it, will be key in fighting this faction efficiently. You'll probably have missle superiority more often than not.

    Infantry wise, they start off with snaga units as well, but quite quickly switch to uruk-hai units with dunlending units in support. Especially at the start they love to bring plenty of dunlending spear units, so relying on cavalry against their armies will be tricky. Their reavers are no joke and can withstand a good cavalry charge. Their berserkers can cause casualties on your side very quickly, but similar as against their warg unit, they are vulnerable to missle fire. Their second elite unit is the Guards of Orthanc. Heavily armored and armed with pikes, they are tough to crack in melee combat, but once again, are quite slow once they are forced to move. Their missle units are mediocre at best though, despite having access to crossbow (armor piercing!) units. For cavalry, they are limited to warg riders. Try to bring armor piercing units against Isengard and most of Isengard's troops should not be too much of a problem.


    Eriador


    By the time you reach Eriador as Rhun, your economy should be booming and allow you to have several full stacks of good troops. There's also a decent chance that by then, Eriador has turned into Arnor, which means you'll face better quality troops. I believe the AI usually turns into Arnor automatically around turn 90 under the condition they still hold Bree. I'll have this verified soon. If they haven't turned yet, or turned recently, you'll face standard Eriador troops. Apart from their mounted bodyguards and ranger units, all of Eriador's units should be vastly inferior compared to your troops. Their roster is balanced, but not on par with Rhun's. Note that Aragorn's bodyguard unit is a missle unit and thus easily taken out by cavalry or even infantery if caught off guard.

    In case you're fighting Arnorian troops, you'll have a more challenging fight. Their unit roster is comparable with Gondor's, or better. Their Knights of Annuminas are devastating, but fortunately rare. Still, economy wise, you should be able to send enough troops to deal with them. It wouldn't hurt to have a recruitment/retraining center nearby though.


    High Elves


    Similar to Eriador; By this time your economy should be able to deal with several full stacks. Yet, the High Elves always turn out to be quite a challenge, early or late game to deal with. They usually manage to dominate most of the lands around the coast of Eriador and have about a 50/50 chance to still hold Imladris by the time you get there. They rarely expand agressively, but also rarely lose a lot of land.

    All of their troops are high quality and their general's bodyguards are mounted (Except for Elrond's). If they have any weakness, it's the lack of armor piercing units early and mid game. Above all, similar as with the Silvan Elves, you want to engage them in melee combat as soon as possible. Their arrow fire is devastating and accurate. If possible, you should fight them in very bad weather conditions or better yet, try to avoiding their larger stacks. The less you fight them, the better. Once in combat, try to keep as many units of them busy with as few as yours and then try to encircle them. You can also offer them a heavily armored unit to fire at if you have to. Don't expect them to rout either, before you kill their general too. Even if you do everything right, you will probably still suffer quite some casualties. Avoid AI scripts and be as efficient as possible.


    Rohan



    As everyone probably knows, Rohan's power lies in it's cavalry units. Their unit roster includes many cavalry units, light, heavy and skirmish typed. Their strongest (melee) unit is the "Royal Guard" which will turn out more than a match against your heavy cavalry. The Royal Guard unit will form the role of bodyguard unit for Rohan like the Loke Innas Rim does Rhun. The best way to deal with their cavalry armies will be of course to bring halberd units and spear units. Another good way to deal with them is to make them "stationary", by either locking them in between your units to have your cavalry hold them in place. Once stationary, your archers can pick them off. The closer your archers will be, the more efficient it will be.

    Their horse archers can be a pain too as they are hard to catch and similar like the Variag Raiders, can still decide to charge into the weaker parts of your army. It's best to pay attention to them and return fire right away the moment they come in range. Their infantry isn't bad either, although of lesser quality compared to yours or Gondor's. Nothing special here, except that their heavy infantry units are rather limited and not too heavy. Rohan's lands are rich and fertile. Depending on how they did so far during the game, they might, or might not act agressively towards you. The moment Isengard is gone, they are land locked in by good factions and sometimes end up going to war with the Silvan Elves. If Isengard is gone, then beware the moment you and Rohan share borders. Mind that the Anduin can be crossed at several points in this version and that the AI loves to use these passage.






    5 general tips



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    - Knowledge is power!:
    > Find out which settlements have garrison scripts and which ones don't.
    > Monitor your borders well, by constructing watch towers and by recruiting spies. Watch towers work best the moment your borders will remain stable for at least some time. Watch towers are a lot cheaper than spies, (spies require upkeep) so if possible, try to rely on towers more.
    > Remember which paths the AI loves to take. A predictable enemy is a harmless one.

    - Use agents:
    > A good assassin can be used for multiple goals. An assassin could of course try to kill a key figure on the map, but also sabotage enemy structures. Repairing those will cost the AI money and despite the money scripts, it's possible to cripple the AI financially this way. If needed, they can also be used as spies somewhat by following an enemy stack around.
    > Spies can be used to track enemy armies, view general and settlement information and of course to open gates during sieges. If you're relying on the spy to open the gates, note that settlements that have a garrison script will still receive the extra troops.
    > Diplomats can be used to gain treaties and exchange settlements obviously. However, they can also be used to find out another faction's intentions towards you. It's also possible to sell map information to foreign powers for some cash bonusses. Not much to start with maybe, but a decent sum after a while.

    - Capturing settlements:
    > As said before, know which settlements have a garrison script and which haven't.
    > You can dodge the garrison script by attacking an (allied) army of the targeted faction next to the settlement. This will draw the settlement garrison out to fight. If you manage to defeat both armies soundly, both armies vanish from the map and you can walk right into an empty settlement. (killing all generals is usually a condition, along with destroying xx% of the enemy armies.)
    > Using spies and siege equipment to attack a settlement will still trigger the garrison script.
    > It's usually best to avoid a battle inside a settlement. I personally prefer to besiege a settlement and have a supportive army "hit me from the back" so I can fight a regular field battle instead with me on the defence.

    - Siege battles:
    > If it's possible, try to draw the enemy out. Constant missle fire can do that. If the settlement is large enough, the enemy army might decide to retreat to the town center, but all units will have their backs turned to you, which should increase the efficiency of your arrow fire.
    > The pathfinding in settlements still isn't optimal, so don't expect to rely on charges inside. This usually renders cavalry powerless.
    > If the enemy charges out of a settlement, in general the best strategy is to have a few melee units stop them, preferably at a gate or some other sort of bottleneck (a narrow street works well too). The enemy has no choice but to ball up. It should keep all units occupied and the best part is that they tire themselves out as well. Your archers can fire into the mass at will and possibily, you could have cavalry units attack from the back or flanks.
    > In case you're attacking, try to avoid fighting in the town square as much as possible as every enemy located there will fight to the death.
    > Sometimes, when the enemy sallies out, they leave their town square completely undefended. Feel free to abuse it. At the very least, you can easily capture any units that routed back towards the town square.

    - Field battles:
    > Know what type of units you have and what kind of units your enemy has. Adjust your battle strategy to that. Missle superiority? Try to fight in clear circumstances. If not, try to fight in rain or mist.
    > Always try to lure the enemy to come to you if possible. Arrow fire or attacking a single unit will usually cause the AI to respond.
    > Try to tire the enemy out if you have the opportunity. Mountain maps are always great as the AI can be easily tempted to run up and down a mountain a few times. Variag raiders are great for this.
    > Don't be afraid to use your general. Rhun's bodyguards are very decent and their numbers replenish at the end of a turn and sometimes battle again. Especially in the early game, your general's bodyguard will be the most valuable unit you'll have around.
    > If you're not sure whether your unit is charging or simply attacking, pay attention on whether you hear an eastern like horn sound. If not, it doesn't count as a charge. If you hear the enemy's horn, it means the enemy unit receives the charge bonus instead of you.

    *more to come later*














    6 Contributions of other posters



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    Thanks for reading. In case some parts are empty at the moment, expect them to be filled in soon! Comments, feedback, contributions etc. are welcomed!
    Last edited by FC Groningen; October 21, 2012 at 11:31 AM.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    7 Playthrough

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    All that theory sounds nice, but how will it actually work? Down here, I've started a playthrough myself. By putting down a detailed report on everything that transpired, I hope to guide the player through all of the difficult phases and choices of the game.



    Part 1: Starting out


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    Before I actually start playing, I would like to set some goals. According to me, I should make use of my fertile lands and do so by developing it asap so I can field larger armies. Secondary, I need to secure my position by expanding and taking care of my rivals, Dale, the Dwarves and possibly the Silvan Elves. After, I should worry about the situation and the south and figure out my policy towards the other factions I would then border in the north. First priority will be taking care of the Dwarves as they are little in number for now. Also, considering I will take Kugavod this time, I rather not wait for the Dwarves to come to me. (that moment, we start to share a border.)

    As we start turn 1, I know there are plenty of easy settlements to go around. To the south, there is Khand that should be open to take if I don't take too long. To the north, there is Kugavod, free to take. First of all, I send my faction heir from Rhomen north west and enter the empty town. I occupy it and build a shrine of Melkor for 1200. All taxes are lowered to "low" and my general policy will be to keep it that way, unless a building will be ready next turn. Doing so allows faster population growth and positive traits for governors. The moment no governor is present, there won't be a need to raise the taxes. Also, I only do this if public order allows it; I never want to drop below 75%. I started out with 10000 gold by the way and got 80 as a bonus for occupying Kugavod. I sent Ulfang south as far as possible from Oibamari. They should arrive in Khand in 2 more turns. Another unit of balchoth clansmen is sent north to assemble into a force to attack the Dwarves. I sent out Edgu from Rhunaer and a unit of clan warriors north towards Buhr Ermanarikis. The spy is sent west to take a look at Tirth Thoron. Two random units from Buhr Ermanarikis are sent to the fort right east of it to save myself some upkeep costs. I build mines for 2 x 3500 in Oibamari and Kelepar and I build land clearance for 2 x 800 in Buhr Ermanarikis and Mattaram, leaving me with 280 to spend.

    Next turn, Edgu's army passes Buhr Ermanarikis and continues north west. The troops in the fortress join his army, as does the remaining unit in the settlement, leaving Ulwarth all alone. Edgu's army consists of the general's bodyguards, one unit of clan warriors, two units of clansmen and a unit of clan hunters. They will march on Tirith Thoron. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Mattaram and Buhr Ermanarikis for public order reasons. Besides, they will be considered free upkeep units next turn anyway. The balchoth tribesmen units from Mattaram join forces with the one from Oibamari and continue north. My faction leader and most of his troops (a unit of clansmen) move north and stop near Kelepar. I recruit a unit of Variag Raiders and balchoth tribesmen in Rhomen to bolster my upcoming army there. I build a market in Mistrand for 1300 and end the turn with 160.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Next turn, my spy enters Tirith Thoron and sends me back the following information. Decently defended, but I think my forces should be good enough to take it. Edgu continues west and comes into striking range next turn. Ulfang and his variag raiders arrive in Khand and occupy the settlement. All troops that are on the move near Kelepar continue their path north and assemble on the bridge near Rhomen. The troops from Kelepar (except for Bori) join the Loke Khan. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Kelepar, build communal farming in Mattaram for 1600 and land clearance for 800 in Kugavod. I'm left with 274.

    I built a Melkor shrine in Ammu Khand for 1200, a town hall for another 1200 in Rhomen and recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Kugavod. I'm left with 352. The Loke Khan's army passes Rhomen and all units, but a clansmen unit join it. It means a unit of Loke Flag Rim, a unit of clan guard, a unit of balchoth tribesmen and a unit of variag riders joins the stack. Edgu nears the walls of Tirith Thoron and starts the siege. It should fall in 4 turns, but we'll see what happens in the meantime.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Next turn, I welcome a new member into the family. He spawns in Rhomen and can act as a governor there. The Loke Khan passes Kugavod and continues west. The faction heir joins his father in the quest to pull out Dwarven beards. I can't take huge steps near the woods there as there might be rebels nearby that could ambush me. After moving about carefully, I notice a rebel general's unit (standard unit of spearmen) hiding in the bushes along with 2 units of light axemen. I considered them good practice for my generals and attacked.

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    My faction heir and faction leader kept charging at the axemen units while my variag riders kept shooting into the spearmen's ranks. Eventually, the two units of axemen routed and were run down while the general got himself shot to pieces after he wandered too close to my other troops. Eventually, I lost no troops but bodyguards. Not a bad deal if you ask me. I build land clearance in Oibamari for 800, a shrine of Melkor in Buhr Ermanarikis and communal farming in Kelepar, leaving me with 238.

    Next turn, my Loke Khan continues west until he reaches a fort. Near it, I build a watch tower for 200. That way I can see it if Dale will try anything funny. This way, I also have a vision on Dorwinion, owned by Dale. After, the army continues north towards the Iron Hills. I build a grain exchange in Ammu Khand and Mattaram for 2 x 600 and communial farming in Kugavod for 1600. Ending the turn with 552.

    Next turn, I invest 2 x 1600 for communal farming in Buhr Ermanarikis and Oibamari, which means I have 737 left. The Loke Khan continues north and gains vision on Azanulimbar Dum. It's currently held by Gloin alone, which makes me wonder where the rest is. No matter; the castle doesn't have a garrison script as far as I know, so it could turn out to be a simple take over.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The rebels charge out of Tirith Thoron. Above all, must make sure they can't make any use of their cavalry. Best solution I had was charging forth before they could properly leave the gates. My infantry reached their lines and surrounded the enemy units properly. However, it happened at a high cost as the quality of infantry was low and they still had to face cavalry. It kept my general free to charge from the side however, which I continued to do until their general died and the rebels started to run. The settlement was occupied.


    Next turn I start with a nice 6581. With that money, I can invest 3500 into a port for Mistrand, 600 for a grain exchange in Kelepar, 800 for land clearance in Tirith Thoron and 1600 for communal farming in Rhomen. Up north in the Iron Hills province, no additional Dwarf forces appeared, so I decide to start the siege and build some siege equipment. This means I officially declared war against the Dwarves! Not much else going on this turn.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Not much else seems to happen between these turns. As I expected, the garrison script didn't trigger and no forces appeared in my back. Time to attack the settlement. If you guys don't mind, I autoresolved this one. After sacking and repairing the settlement, I have 3288 to spend. Not enough to construct mines in Kugavod unfortunately, so I build a grain exchange there for 600 instead. After sacking the settlement, leaving 1 unit of balchoth tribesmen is enough to keep the population happy. The rest moves on west towards Erebor. After my Loke Khan's movement points are spent, I see a small dwarven army of 3 units appear on the map. I spent 200 more on a watch tower there to watch the western entrance towards the recently conquered settlement.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Seems I have a counsil this game that's easy to impress. I receive a 1500 gold bonus this turn which adds to the total of 7765 to spend this turn. I think my western front could use some more expansion too, but first, I should know how things fare around me. I send out the spy from Tirith Thoron north to check upon Rhovanost and eventually Uldonavan. After sending the spy north, the color of the borders indicates that neither provinces are owned by a faction yet (unless you consider the rebels a faction of course). To the far north, the dwarven army blocked my Loke Khan's pass, which will be dealt with very very soon.

    First of all, it's time to spend some money again. I spend 1350 on roads in Tirith Thoron, 800 on land clearance in Azanulimbar Dum, 600 on a grain exchange in Buhr Ermanarikis, 600 on a grain exchange in Oibamari and mines for 3500 in Ammu Khand. I recruit 2 more units of balchoth tribesmen in Mistrand where Uldor reached the age of 16. He's not a good governor yet, but maybe he'll improve over the turns. If not, I'll send him on a military campaign. It's time to deal with those Dwarves.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The enemy "army" consisted of a unit of balista, axemen and miners. For some reason, the units moved to the left after the battle started. Considering this could be another good battle for my cavalry alone, I order my 2 generals and Variag Raiders forward. The units left quite some space between them and the balista unit got sort of isolated before long. 1 of my generals charged into the balista unit and 1 into the miner unit while the raiders fired their arrows into the axemen ranks. The miners lost quite some men, but the balista crew didn't lose too much frankly. After some more charges and their units getting close to my main army, the miners started to rout after their captain was ran down. Eventually, all units started to rout and once again, I only lost bodyguards. The prisoners were executed to increase my faction leader's dread. After, the Loke Khan continued west and should reach Erebor in 2 turns.

    Next turn, my spy nears the walls of Rhovanost. Seems a similar garrison is guarding Rhovanost as I encountered in Tirith Thoron before. I send the two units of balchoth tribesmen to the fort east of Buhr Ermanarikis for a turn of free upkeep. My faction leader continues west into enemy territory. Out of the 4503, I spend 3500 on mines in Kugavod.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The first thing that happens next turn is that I can allow a new man into the family. I consider him a good potential governor so I allow him in. He spawns in Mistrand, which means I can send out Uldor west after the balchoth tribesmen units. Edgu's army, save for a very damaged unit of clansmen move north west and will remain there to await the sent reinforcements. Meanwhile, to the north, I finally see Dwarven Stacks moving around.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I decide to attack the smallest army as it clearly filled with rabble mostly. Two units of miners, two units of dwarven warriors and 1 unit of dwarven halberdsmen. Too bad there is this much fog. Once again, the halberdsunit proves too be too slow to be of any worth on the battlefield in the hands of the AI. I try to get as many cavalry charges in before their lines reach mine. A unit of clansmen is eventually sent out to halt the enemy units and does so while a unit of balchoth tribesmen harries the enemy from the side. After the captain took a spear to the head, the lot of them run or start to rout soon after. The halberdsunit is a sitting duck for my balchoth tribesmen units and their javelins decimate their unit before long. Another simple victory. Too bad I misclicked and released the 200 prisoners for free afterwards. They ran into Erebor. Best thing I can do now is position my army next to the settlement and see if Balin feels like attacking me from the back.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I construct a caravan stop in Mattaram and Kelepar for both 2500 and are left with 412.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I receive a new mission next turn to put more men into Tirith Thoron. I'm going to ignore that one as it will take me at least 2 extra turns out of my way. Edgu's army and the reinforcements join together and move north. They run out of movement points on the border. Might as well place a tower there for 200. Also, I spend 3500 on mines in Mistrand and 1200 on a shrine of Melkor in Azanulimbar Dum, leaving me with 84.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Around Erebor, Balin caught up to me, but didn't have the movement points or balls to attack me. Might as well take the battle to him and lure King Dain and his army into the field while I'm at it. I initiate the battle and I face about 2 x 750 men vs. my 1400 men.

    Once again, I decide to make the most of my cavalry and have them charge at will before the enemy reaches my line. I want to induce some quick damage so I might be done with 1 army before the other one can come to the rescue. The weather is clear, so my skirmish units are as efficient as possible. My melee troops halt the remaining troops of Balin's army while the balchoth tribesmen cause death and despair in the Dwarven Ranks. As Balin is killed, the few remaining troops of his army start to waver and run, while King Dain arrives. Out of most of my javelins, I order my melee troops to swarm him armies from as many sides as possible. His miner units quickly buckle under the pressure, but his dwarven warrior unit and dragonslayer unit put up quite a fight. I send my remaining javelins into the dragonslayer ranks and keep charging the bit of cavalry I have. The Variag raiders excercise some charges as well at the cost of some losses, but eventually, the enemy goes. My Loke Flag Rim unit does really well against the heavily armored troops and after Dain dies, it's a simple matter of mopping up. The prisoners are executed and the empty settlement of Erebor is taken and sacked.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    A strategically placed watchtower north of Erebor reveals me that Wormcove is being held by the Dwarves, but Dain's Halls is still in the hands of the Misty Mountains Orcs. I estimate that Wormcove is the only remaining settlement the Dwarves have on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains. Once taken, they have no choice but to retreat westwards. From the money taken, I construct a shrine of Melkor for 1200 and are left with 1339.

    With the capture of Erebor, I mark the end of a promising start. The Dwarves close to being removed in the east already, my lands are starting to develop really well and the main settlements of Dale are in striking distance. 3 More units are running around Wormcove while 1 sits in the settlement itself. The village should offer no space for any new recruitment of units.




    Part 2: The war against Dale



    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 







    It's only turn 14 so far, but things are looking well for Rhun. I've just recently took Erebor and killed the Dwarven king. This turn I have 7421 to spend; Money I'll need to further develop my lands. I spend 1200 on a shrine of Melkor in Tirith Thoron, 2500 on a caravan stop in Buhr Ermanarikis and 3500 on crop rotation in Ammu Khand, leaving me with 221. Edgu continues north west to bring the battle to Rhovanost. My spy there moves east to see if Dale plans to attack Uldonavan anytime soon. I retrain a unit of balchoth tribesmen and clan hunters in Erebor for some armor upgrades.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Next turn, my spy near Rhovanost is reporting a large Dale army moving south. It's still near Araw, but clearly en-route to either Rhovanost or Uldonavan. I might have to recruit some extra troops in the south soon. To the north a considerable army is standing outside Dale. All I know is that it contains plenty of cheap spearmen units. Together with the garrison in Dale, it might be a tough nut to crack, but I'm going to try anyway. If I manage to win, I'll not only get Dale as a bonus, but remove quite some enemy armies that could decide to attack Erebor later. I hate to be besieged in so I rather take the fight to them. A decimated unit of clan warriors remind behind to keep Erebor under control.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The battle started out without too much difficulties. I used my previous strategies of trying to defeat the first army before the second come come close by charging their lines as many times possible. The first army consisted of rivermen and hearthwatch spearmen and a unit of balista. They were easily taken care off, also because the AI allowed their ranks of rivermen to be charged before the spearmen could come close. A single unit of clan guard managed to keep all spearmen units busy while my generals charged from the side, which killed the general. After, the army started to rout quite quickly. The other army proved to be problem. First of all, their army consisted of units of much better quality. Dale sent out Dale Swordsmen units, a large bardian marksmen unit (general), a few hearthwatch spearmen units and a unit of yeomen. The Yeomen proved to be a huge problem. I figured I could beat them by having both generals charge the unit, but already tired, they lost and both had to run for their lifes. The unit of clan guard took care of them instead. After, I had to encircle their incoming army again and had balchoth tribesmen fire into the enemy army. After they had depleted their javelins, I ordered them to charge into the back. Already suffering heavy losses, the enemy army got closed in entirely and were killed or captured to the last man. Dale was mine now and got sacked like Erebor before. 8472 to spend now. 1200 of that was invested in a shrine of Melkor for Oibamari, 5400 on a mining network in Azanulimbar Dum and 1300 on a market in Rhomen. I figured I also have no diplomat yet, so 250 is spent once more, leaving me with 311. Edgu continues his path towards Rhovanost for now.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    It seems the Dale army near Rhovanost is moving to Rhovanost indeed. My spy will keep track of them while I sent Edgu to a forest nearby. I'll see what happens first. If Dale will besiege the settlement and take it, I could besiege it afterwards and attack a damaged Dale army instead of facing the garrison of Rhovanost and the Dale army both. With a bit of luck, the rebels will score quite some kills against Dale. Apparantly, I forgot to build a shrine of Melkor in Dale the previous turn, so I better get onto that. 1200 is spent on it, along with 1500 on roads for Erebor and 1600 on communal farming in Tirith Thoron. I should start to recruit more troops as well. My diplomat reveals a good opportunity to take Esgaroth as well, as 1 unit is standing outside of it with the faction heir and a garrison of 7 more units inside. However, I've sent my faction heir to Erebor to keep the population happy and my army in Dale is weakened too much to risk it. Even if I manage to win, I wouldn't be able to fend of a counter attack.
    I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Tirith Thoron, Buhr Ermanarikis, Kugavod and a unit of clansmen and variag raiders in Rhomen. I also recruit a spy in Dale to check the area for 350. I'm ending the turn with 75.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    A new man is welcomed into the family. He starts off awesome with good traitis and the best part is that he spawns in Erebor. Leaving Erebor in his capable hands, I send my faction heir back to Dale to reunite with his father. Since the new governor is already a social drinker, I rather not risk any further development of that trait. The inn in Erebor is taken down which brings me another 800. Another unit of balchoth tribesmen is recruited in Rhomen and Kugavod. I also construct a mining network in Mistrand for 5400 and are keep 1706 for the next turn. The 2 units of balchoth tribesmen I recruited last turn in Buhr Ermanarikis and Tirith Thoron are sent north. The Dale army commander apparantly changed his mind and changed course towards Uldonavan. I sent Edgu in pursuit and into a new forest further west. My diplomat continues south west and enters Silvan Elves territory. I hope to gain some trade agreement and exchange map information. They might not be too happy to see me though, since we share borders now. Dale borders the Woodland Realm after all.

    I turn out to be right. Next turn, my spy reveals that the Dale army has started the siege of Uldonavan. Edgu crawls close and would be able to strike the castle next turn if I feel the need. The reinforcements from the south draw close and can join the fun. To the far north, 2 units of Dwarves wander close to Erebor. I assemble my generals and attack them to teach them a lesson and probably half the total amount of Dwarven troops in the east to the amount of 2.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I face a unit of miners and iron guard. Especially the iron guard proved to be tough as leather and withstood, charge after charge after charge. Eventually, their numbers dwindled, but it took me long enough. I suffered some losses again, but all of those will be replaced. The lone prisoner got executed in the hope to gain some more dread. The governor of Erebor ran back to his settlement afterwards to keep the public happy. My heir and faction leader will be able to return to Dale next turn. A temple of Melkor is constructed in Dale for 2500, a caravan stop in Kugavod for 2500 and a market for 1300 in Ammu Khand. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen and clansmen in Rhomen and are left with 195. I send out all troops from Rhomen, save the general west en route to Kugavod.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The counsil again wishes me to put more units inside Tirith Thoron and once again, it will be ignored. Dale managed to conquer Uldonavan and in response, I order Edgu and the reinforcements to lay siege. The troops from Rhomen pass Kugavod, pick up two units of balchoth tribesmen and continue west. I spend 600 more on a grain exchange in Tirith Thoron and 3500 on crop rotation in Rhomen. I start negotiations with the Silvan elves for a trade agreement, but it seems I got to greedy and should try again next turn. I'll end the turn with 1346 in my pocket and await on whether Dale feels like charging out of Uldonavan or not.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Dale charges out of Uldonavan! I'm unfortunate that the weather conditions are clear today and that the distance to the castle is quite long. Before I arrive, the units of Dale still aren't in battle position, but made a wide front already. My melee units simply charged in, but would be enveloped from all sides soon. My generals charged into their lines too before the rest of my troops got close and caused some more disarray and kills. Fortunately, the enemy pays particular minds in chasing my generals around and trying to swarm my two melee units. My balchoth tribesmen can throw volleys of javelins into their ranks. My generals keep charging the enemy lines and eventually, their numbers start to dwindle, alongside with mine. The javelins and charges are enough as they brought little spear units and those that were, got themselves occupied with my melee units. Uldonavan is mine and I capture it.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Next turn, I have a total of 10252 to spend. With quite supporters of Melkor in Uldonavan already, I could start retraining and recruiting troops from there as well. First of all, I have to repair the castle and build a shrine of melkor there for 1200. Apart from that, I invest 2500 on a shrine of Melkor in Erebor for 2500, 3500 on a caravan stop in Oibamari. I finally get the trade rights with the Silvan Elves and gain 1000 as a bonus. They were willing to exchange map information without any money passing the table. Meanwhile, my spy reveals another chance to take Esgaroth. The garrison is weak and a unit is standing outside. Convinced that I should try my luck, I plan on doing so right away. Meanwhile, my spy near Uldonavan returns west towards Rhovanost.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The lone unit of Riverman got trampled down way before the reinforcements could get there. Once again, Dale made the mistake of having the missle troops out way before the rest of the army so two units of rivermen got decimated before the fight actually started. Their bardian marksmen caused quite some casualties on my side, but the moment their spear units were engaged, my generals had the field to themselves. Charge, run, repeat. Another victory and another settlement to Rhun. Esgaroth got sacked as well. I build a shrine of Melkor there right away. My spy in Esgaroth continues south and reveals that the village of Riverrun is held by a lone general. Meanwhile, my troops coming from Kugavod run into a rebel stack, which depletes it's movement points... I end the turn with 4723.

    Next turn my spy reveals me that Dale troops are moving towards Rhovanost while a smaller force is laying siege to it. More troops are running around Araw, but at the moment, Dale is down to only 4 settlements. I could take Riverrun any moment now and Dorwinion is being held by a general and a unit of hearthwatch spearmen. I decide to have my army from Kugavod to attack Dorwinion. It's a good settlement to have, financially speaking. It doesn't have a garrison script as far as I know. I also can't resist the temptation of attacking Riverrun and send my faction leader and faction heir down there to take it.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Quite a simple victory once more. The generals charged into town from 2 sides, suffered a few casualties from arrows and then slaugthered the Bardian Marskmen down to the last man. Riverrun was occupied. I send out the spy to the west and the spy reveals that Grasgard isn't being held by a decent force either. A general and a unit of hearthwatch spearmen; similar as the garrison of Dorwinion. I leave a almost non existant unit of clansmen and a very damaged unit of balchoth tribesmen in Esgaroth and send the rest south west towards Riverrun. I build a caravan stop for 2500 in Tirth Thoron, communal farming Azanulimbar Dum for 1600, a mining network in Ammu Khand for 5400 and a caravan stop in Dale, leaving me with 69 exact.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    More bad news for Dale as it turns out that they failed to take Rhovanost. First of all, it's time to attack Dorwinion. After being under fire for a bit, the unit of spearmen actually charge out. They succeed in holding the gate for quite some time, while the general's unit can keep firing at will. My variag raiders cause little casualties on their side and they are too far from my balchoth tribesmen. My first victory in which I lost more men than killed. Yet, Dorwinion is mine. I occupy the settlement and have Edgu's army, save for a unit of balchoth tribesmen that is being retrained there move north to join forces with the army in Dorwinion. Their next destination will be Araw. The army of Dorwinion is sent south west across the bridge and will wait for Edgu there. A unit of balchoth tribesmen are left as garrison. The spy coming from Riverrun managed to enter Grasgard. 1200 is spent on a shrine of Melkor in Dorwinion, 3500 on paved roads in Esgaroth and 1500 on roads in Uldonavan. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Mistrand. My treasury holds 979 as the noose is coming nicely around Dale's neck. Meanwhile, my diplomat continues south east to reach Dol Guldur.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Another new family member is welcomed into the family and he spawns in Riverrun to keep my faction heir company. He should turn out to be a great governor as well, but for now, I'll have him travel with me. Both he and the faction heir join forces with the Loke Khan and they continue east. Next turn, they will be able to hit Grasgard. Another damaged balchoth tribesmen unit is left in Riverrun. A bit to the south, Edgu and the Dorwinion forces join together and will march west on Araw from there. My other spy managed to infiltrate Araw. The garrison isn't much, about half a stack is marching around the settlement as well. 1 More big fight coming up at the very least. My diplomat reaches Dol Guldur and we exchange map information. I had to pay an additional 480, but that's ok I guess. Harad approached me in Ammu Khand and offered me their map information in exchange for trade rights. They however did not want an alliance with me, which could mean they consider Rhun too much of a threat already. Or too little, perhaps as I have very little troops moving about at the moment. I have Ulfang build a watch tower on the road to the west to see Harad coming in case they decide to attack me. For the moment they will probably focus on Gondor as the information shows me that Gondor holds Barad Harn. `Time to spend some money again. I spend 3500 on crop rotation in Mistrand and 4500 on barracks in Erebor. I have 1516 left.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    As the Loke Khan's army approaches Grasgard, I receive a note that the spy has opened the gates. I don't think that waiting any longer would help me, so I decide to attack. 2 unit of Dale swordsmen units spawn along with a unit of longbowmen, but I should try anyway. Fortunately for me, Dale makes the fatal mistake to place their general at the gates while the rest of the units run for the town square. My generals charge in and kill off the entire unit of Bardian Marksmen. After, I order my clan hunters to fire at the mass at the town square. Eventually, the spearmen units come forth but are halted by the few melee units i have. The Loke Flag Rim does a decent job, but is eventually overrun. By then, only the unit of longbowmen remains and some Dale swordsmen, my generals take care off. However, by a stroke of misfortune, I lose my newly gained general. He had plenty of bodyguards left too! Yet, I occupy the settlement and send the spy south to check upon the stack that is moving towards Edgu. Edgu himself runs into a single unit of longbowmen. The general units take care of it and I'll save you guys the screenshot. Edgu is now in range of Araw which is held by a single unit. I send the Loke Khan south to support the army Edgu is leading now. Dale ransomed the 2 prisoners back by the way. Good for them. I spend 2 x 2500 on a caravan stop in Dorwinion and Rhomen, 1200 on a shrine of Melkor in Grasgard and 3500 on crop rotation in Dale (151 left). That's the moment I spot King Bard (Dale obviously) with a large stack near Dale (the settlement). It must have spawned there recently. I have no troops nearby at all to deal with that stack, but there might not be a problem after all. Dale no longer borders Dale territory and the faction Dale is down to 1 settlement. We will see what happens next turn!

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The army of king Bard vanishes from the map, but will probably re-appear soon if I don't hurry up. My Loke Khan takes over the leadership of Edgu's army and starts the siege of Araw with the army of Dale closeby. Either they will attack me right now or they will be too late! I received a new mission as you can see. I send the diplomat west to reach the Misty Mountains from Dol Guldur. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Mistrand and a unit of Variag Raiders in Rhomen. 3500 goes to crop rotation in Azanulimbar Dum, 3 x 1000 to a leather tanner in Kugavod, Kelepar and Mattaram. I also recruit 2 units of balchoth tribesmen in Ammu Khand in case Harad is boiling something up. 1368 left.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    As anticipated, the Dale army attacks and battle ensues for the existance of Dale. Their army is well balanced this time with spearmen, lots of missle troops, some heavy infantry and 2 units of yeoman. Standard tactics are applied and fortunately, my Variag raiders could shoot down lots of yeomen before they could do some damage. My line held and once again their rivermen ran forward too far again. It's as if they were on dopamine this campaign. Eventually, with a lot of cavalry charges, I slay both armies and Araw is mine to occupy. King Bard appears in the same turns and out of revenge starts to besiege Esgaroth. Not that it would matter, because:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I officially receive word that the faction Dale has been destroyed. Bard's army went rogue and stands outside Esgaroth doing nothing. Turn 26 and Dale has been destroyed! Lots of money to spend this turn as well. First, I have my spy in Araw move to Rhovanost so I can capture it later. 1200 goes to a shrine of Melkor in Araw, 2500 to a caravan stop in Grasgard, 4500 to barracks in Uldonavan. I train another diplomat in Erebor and another spy in dale for 250 and 350. I also recruit a unit of clansmen in Uldonavan and another unit of Variag Raiders in Rhomen. 6944 and the war against Dale is over!





    Part 3: Securing the East


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    With Dale gone, it's time to set a new goal once again. The Dwarves are still clinging to their lone northern province and the Silvan Elves await me further west. I have no doubt it will be war between our factions before long. We now share a long border and our relations aren't good. Right now, I have enough money to improve my lands, but little to spend it on. That's partially because my recruitment centers are outdated or far away already. My goals for now will be to deal with the remaining free people factions in the east and to get improved recruitment centers closer to my front. I should also mind Harad and secure an alliance with them before they will consider to stab me in the back.

    The "lot of money" "issue" becomes clear once again as I start turn 27. I start out with 19601 this turn. Mordor and Rohan went to war.`first of all, I want to see what is happening west of me. My spy in Dale is sent west in the direction of Thranduil's Halls to check for enemy movement. My spy in Araw is sent towards the west as well. Another spy is waiting inside Rhovanost. So far, no sign from the Silvan Elves yet, but it might change soon enough. The troops in Araw, save 2 units of damaged balchoth tribesmen move towards Rhovanost. I have Edgu move on his own west from the main army after it's movement points were depleted. I will have him build a watch tower once he nears the border and once over it, I want him to recruit a unit of spider mercenaries. Those spiders should be very efficient against most of the Silvan Elves troops. I build a caravan stop in Mistrand for 2500, Irrigation in Rhomen for 4628, a town guard in Ammu Khand for 3200 and a leather tanner in Dorwinion for 1000. I retrain 1 of the units of balchoth tribesmen I left behind in Araw and a unit of balchoth tribesmen I left behind in Dale. I end the turn with 8177 left.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The High Elven king is dead, which probably means Imladris fell to the forces of Gundabad or the Misty Mountain Orcs. I allow a merchant guild inside Esgaroth for 1200 and allow Kustig to marry. The Loke Khan and his tired army reach Rhovanost and start the siege. Seems I do not have enough points to build a ram in 1 turn. Edgu places a watch tower on the border of my realm and then passes into Silvan Elves territory to recruit a unit of mercenary spiders for 1250. A steep price, but I have plenty of money and they will be worth their salt. Meanwhile, the spies I sent west infiltrate Thranduil's Halls and Emyn nu Fuin. Both settlements aren't well defended, but I don't have the army to profit from it right now. At the very least, I'll be able to see what they will sent east towards me. I build a temple of Melkor in Esgaroth for 2500, a trading post in Dale for 4200 and a leather tanner in Tirith Thoron for 1000, which leaves me with 9233. My diplomats continue their path west in search of Orc settlements or armies.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The rebels charge out of Rhovanost! Once again, the best tactic proved to be to rush the enemy before they had any chance to rally outside the gates. There's a unit of Rhovanion Riders among them, but damaged and no match against my two units of bodyguards and a few variag raiders. After the cavalry is dealt with, the remaining forces are no problem. The moment the captain died, the battle was over. I occupy the settlement.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    It seems a Silvan Elven army escaped detection and appears north of Rhovanost. There is no telling what they will do now that I took it, but odds are that they will continue and declare war on me by besieging my newly conquered settlement. My spy reveals that the army consists of 5 units, of which 2 are bow units, two units of swordsmen and a unit of spearmen. I pull out my generals and have them meet up with Edgu and the spiders in a forest nearby. If they decide to attack, I can attack them from the back to repel them. I construct a shrine of Melkor in Rhovanost for 1200, stables for 2000 in Azanulimbar Dum, a bowyer in Erebor for 1800 and recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Erebor and Uldonavan. I stumble upon some Orc units near Moria and start negotiations with them. Without much effort, we exchange trade rights, secure an alliance, give each other military access and as a bonus, I get their map information. I'll sell them my map information the moment I'll need the money. Another 500 is gifted to me as I completed the mission. I have 19458 left, but nothing meaningful to spend it on. After consideration, I also recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen and clansmen in Rhomen.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The Silvan Elves decide to declare war on me! The army I saw previous turn approached Rhovanost and started the siege. Fortunately for me, I anticipated their move and will be able to deal with these guys accordingly this turn. But first, I send all troops from Rhomen westwards, which are two units of balchoth tribesmen, 2 units of clansmen and 2 units of variag raiders. The governor remains behind alone, but I'll recruit some more troops there this turn for upkeep and public order reasons. I recruit 2 more units of clansmen in Rhomen. I furthermore construct a trading post in Mistrand for 4200. I also recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Tirith Thoron and that's about all the money I can spend this turn. 24070 more to get of next turns. A new man is allowed into the family as well, considering I have money to burn. It's time to attack the Silvan Elven army.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    The Silvan Elves only had 1 unit of spearmen with them and it stayed too far behind. My cavalry could charge at will and eventually the spearmen got surrounded and slaughtered. Only a few could run from the battlefield. A good battle and I scored first blood against the Silvan Elves. Lost about 11 spiders that battle, but I can retrain them once I take a settlement in Mirkwood. With the war already underway, getting new troops to the front line will take priority over everything else. I send my Loke Khan back to Rhovanost this turn to oversee the completion of the shrine of Melkor. The last spy is sent west to see the area above Dol Guldur. I send a unit of clansmen and a unit of balchoth tribesmen from Uldonavan towards Rhovanost.

    Next turn, I allow the merchant guild inside Rhomen as well for 1200. I also invest 2000 into stables in Esgaroth and 1350 on roads in Rhovanost. The new general is on his way to Mattaram. Once he's there, I'll move the governor of Mattaram to Oibamari so both settlements have a governor. I recruit a spy in Ammu Khand to check out the lands to the west, which costs 350. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Dorwinion and Tirith Thoron. The army from Rhomen is close to Dorwinion now and will pick up the new unit once it passes. The moment it will reach Rhovanost, I can start my campaign against the Silvan Elves. My southern spy reveals that Ost in Gil is still in the hands of the rebels. My southern diplomat is on his way to Rohan to get trade rights.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    Another man is allowed into the family and spawns in Kelepar. I sent him on his way to Kugavod. He will become governor there. The barracks in Uldonavan are ready, which means I can finally recruit some more men around there. I recruit a unit of clans guard and clan warriors. I spend 2000 more on stables there. I spend 1800 on a bowyer in Ammu Khand and recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen and clansmen there. I recruit a unit of clan hunters in Dale and I still have 31381 left to for the coming turns. I see a Silvan Elves army coming for Ost in Gil, which consists about 7 units. We'll see whether it will be enough.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I reach Limlight fort which is held by Rohan and we start negotiations. They both grant me trade rights and are willing to change map information without me paying any money. Seems I got a mission for it as well as I'm granted 2 units of balchoth tribesmen in Mistrand. I'll send them on march to the west, along with another unit of balchoth tribesmen and a unit of clansmen. I recruit another unit of balchoth tribesmen in Mistrand and Buhr Ermanarikis.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I receive a new mission in which the counsil wishes me to put 4 more units in Esgaroth for a reward of 500. I would love to do that, if I could recruit some more units there. I continue on my quest to spend money and allow the Merchant Guild into Erebor as well for 1200. I recruit two units of clansmen in Uldonavan, a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Dale and a unit of clan hunters in Erebor. I build a trading post in Rhomen for 3738, a practice range in Erebor for 3400 and a blacksmith in Dale for 1500. I end the turn with 27584.

    Dorwinion is growing and needs new walls. 1800 is reserved to have the settlement turned into a large town. Apart from that, I spend 4800 on sheikh's stables in Azanulimbar Dum. I recruit a unit of balista and a unit of variag raiders in Dale. A unit of balchoth tribesmen joins the force sent from Mistrand. The troops from Uldonavan move north west, save a unit of balchoth tribesmen. The army from Rhomen is nearing Araw. In a few turns, the mustering of my forces should be sufficient to deal painful blows to the Silvan Elves. I'm taking my faction heir out of Grasgard and send him south west to join his father. 3 units of the Silvan Elves are moving to the east of Emyn nu Fuin, but they don't seem particulary harmful to me. The army close to Ost in Gil just stands there doing nothing so far.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    A potential great governor is allowed into the family and spawns once again in Kelepar. I send him south west on his way to Uldonavan to govern. 720 is spent on land clearance in Rhovanost and 1080 on a town hall in Mistrand. Not much else to do this turn. I recruit a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Uldonavan and retrain one in Rhovanost. 32973 to spend later.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 







    2500 goes to a caravan stop in Ammu Khand and 3200 to a town guard in Esgaroth. Finally, the troops from the east pass Rhovanost and my faction leader is once again leading a great army. The forces from Mistrand are lagging behind a bit, but they can catch up later. The wounded units are left behind in Rhovanost, except for the spiders of course. My diplomat in the north is moving west towards Gundabad and the one in the south is moving further south to have a talk with Gondor. 34334 left.

    I invest 4800 once more on Sheikh's stables in Uldonavan and 1600 on communal farming in Rhovanost. I retrain a unit of balchoth tribesmen in Esgaroth and recruit a unit of Variag raiders there. Bard's army is still standing in the way of entering Esgaroth (from Dale) so I can't complete the mission. Too bad. The Loke Khan enters Mirkwood with the troops from Mistrand in hot pursuit. 33999 left.

    Next turn, I spend 5518 on a caravansary in Rhomen, 2880 on a town guard in Mistrand and 2000 on stables in Erebor. I recruit a unit of clan hunters and clan crossbowmen in Erebor and a unit of clansmen in Dale. I've reached Gundabad with a diplomat, but they didn't want an alliance with me, despite a very good offer. I got trade rights though. I forgot about map information, but I can get that next turn. The other diplomat nears Minas Tirith. The Loke Khan continues north towards Emyn nu Fuin. 30008 left.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 






    I receive the mission to take Emyn nu Fuin for the greatness of my empire. That should be no problem. The Loke Khan is in striking range this turn and could start the siege right away. Before I do so, I spend 2000 on stables in Ammu Khand and 3500 on crop rotation in Dorwinion. It's also time to finish some negotiations. I manage to exchange map information with Gundabad and Gondor and got trade rights from Gondor. Seems Gondor and Mordor are still fighting over Osgiliath. Gundabad managed to conquer Amon Sul which at least seems some sort of progress. I start the siege, but more Silvan Elves armies are coming. The army that was standing next to Ost in Gil apparantly moved and is close to the settlement now, along with a few other units. Emyn nu Fuin does not have a garrison script, so I can simply wait until the Silvan Elves will decide to attack my besieging army.







    More to come later.

    Last edited by FC Groningen; October 31, 2012 at 11:03 AM.

  3. #3
    kostas84's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Cool, its here, i suppose these spoilers will be filled with good stuff later on. :3

    Though i dont get how Fountain Guards can win against the AP Heavy Infantry of Rhun.

    Fountain Guards have no shield and have good armor so the AP Heavy Infantry of Rhun sounds like the perfect counter to them for me.
    Last edited by kostas84; October 19, 2012 at 04:53 AM.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    The Fountain Guards are AP as well, unless I',m completely mistaken.

    And yes, I plan to put in the parts 4a and 4b first and then start with a play through. From there, I should start filling in the blanks. If I make any mistakes or if you want to see something not mentioned, feel free to ask.

    edit: part 1 has been editted in.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    3 things are taken into account between unit fights.

    1. Defence Skill - This only takes a front battle into account
    2. Armor - Stronger than Defence Skill in a frontal battle but also protects against flanking and rear attacks, im not sure about missile attacks.
    3. Shield - Protects against attacks from the front and missiles.

    I know these are obvious but i still thought that i should mention them for reference in case you forgot.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    I'll probably include it in the "unit section" later on. First part of 4a up. Off to bed for now as I feel rather ill.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Quote Originally Posted by kostas84 View Post
    Cool, its here, i suppose these spoilers will be filled with good stuff later on. :3

    Though i dont get how Fountain Guards can win against the AP Heavy Infantry of Rhun.

    Fountain Guards have no shield and have good armor so the AP Heavy Infantry of Rhun sounds like the perfect counter to them for me.
    Fountain Guard are a 'phalanx' unit. That formation makes it very hard for other units to get close enough to hit them from the front. When you combine that with the 8AP attack they get, plus the attack bonus that comes from the formation, there is probably nothing that can beat them to the front, not even the other pike-type units in the game.

    Hit them with the Loke-Flag Rim in the flank or rear, though, and you'll have a very different story I suspect.
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    In 4a, the Dale part, you have a sentence "Your cavalry units will play a key part against Rhun" shouldnt that be Dale?

    Also, in the 4a dale part again, you have "Infantery" instead of "Infantry".

    Just helping you out no offence.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Yeah you're right. I'll fix that next time. Thanks for the help

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Started on 4b and finished 4a

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Got my first part of the playthrough finished. Screenshots and more follow later. I also finished more on the "4b section", but I manage to erase it before I posted it. Fail.

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    4b is finished and I've started on general tips (5). Tomorrow I plan on continuing on the playthrough.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Part 1 of the playthrough is done and the screenshots are edited in. Please let me know what you think so far.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    I was wondering if anyone had a nice banner for the guide for me to use. I'll put it on top of the page. I'll obviously give you the credit and some rep as well.

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Quote Originally Posted by FC Groningen View Post
    Part 1 of the playthrough is done and the screenshots are edited in. Please let me know what you think so far.
    Looking good and glad it's coming together.

    However, your images are not fitting on my screen, even though I have a widescreen monitor - this stretches the text wider than my screen making sidescrolling required to read (if the images are open). Kind of annoying. Is there any chance you could resize the images? I feel they are much larger than they need to be to be clear, and if they are causing problems on my screen - which is quite large - I imagine people with smaller resolutions will be even more troubled.

    (I am now also paranoid that my Guide may have the same problem, even though it looks fine on my screen... )
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  16. #16
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Thanks for the feedback! Hmm, not sure as I use "Fraps" to take screenshots. I could use paint to shrink them, but it could leave blurry images. I'll take a look later.

    Part 2 of the playthrough is up! The war against Dale has come to a swift end!

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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    I personally think that you should get an Alliance with Harad and team up with them and Mordor and defeat Gondor and Rohan, use AP units against Gondor though their units are heavily armored, make sure you bring pikemen vs Rohan their cavalry is some of the best.

    Gondor has Garrison scripts everywhere on their front line, be careful. :3

    Also, is it normal for Mithrandis to have 2800 Income on turn 18 on my campaign? Seems over the top :s
    Last edited by kostas84; October 24, 2012 at 12:02 AM.

  18. #18
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Thanks for the feedback as well! I think the war against the Silvan Elves will come first. They already hate me and we share a long border now. I'll try to send a diplomat over to Harad, but I hope they will accept an alliance this time.

    edit: The income of Mistrand is mostly caused by the port and having built mines I think.

  19. #19
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Use fast light infantry and cavalry against the Silvan Elves to catch up to their archers.

  20. #20
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    Default Re: Rhun guide/Playthrough

    Yeah, at the very least I'm planning to hire some spiders to do a lot of the dirty work there.

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