I thought I'd share my non-award-winning Dunland guide with you folks . This was something I whipped up for a contest awhile back, and forgot about until now.
Of course, this guide refers to the TNS version of Dunland. (You'll be getting some thoughts from me soon on the Chiefdom's prospects in DoM. )
If you haven't played Dunland yet - or in a while - it's a great little faction to keep you busy during the wait for DoM. Enjoy, and let me know about your own Dunland strategies and tactics!
A Guide to the Chiefdom of Dunland for The Fourth Age: Total War
The Fourth Age: Total War is a mod for RTW:BI which takes place in the Fourth Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth – after the One Ring has been destroyed. The current version allows you to play as one of six factions, including such heavy-hitters as the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, which boasts the strongest infantry, best archers, and richest lands on the map, or the Kingdom of Rohan, whose famed horsemen are unstoppable.
But I won't be telling you about those factions. Instead, this guide will focus on the Chiefdom of Dunland.
If you haven't read The Lord of the Rings in a while, the name 'Dunland' may not ring a bell. You might vaguely remember them as the enemies of Rohan who threw in with the traitor Saruman during the War of the Ring. In Peter Jackson's films, Dunland got very little play indeed (they were basically represented by that one dirty guy with bad teeth who cut his hand as a pledge to Saruman).
Above: Dunland's best and brightest, apparently.
So why play as possibly the least-known faction in Fourth Age? Put simply, Dunland offers the toughest challenge in the mod, on both the strategic and tactical level. On the campaign map, you will face the difficulties of being a small, poor kingdom surrounded by strong enemies. On the battlefield, you will have to use every trick in your arsenal to see your ragged band of undisciplined troops to victory against foes who are better armed, better paid, and most of the time, better led. In short, if you want to feel like you earned your win, Dunland is the faction for you.
But if you need a little help along the way, look no further. This guide will take you through the steps of turning your third-rate chiefdom of hillmen and hunters into a realm to be feared by the mighty of Middle-earth.
First, let's look at the troops a Dunlending chieftain can expect to lead into battle.
Men of Hill and Wood: Warriors of Dunland
The first thing you'll notice about Dunland's unit roster is that it is foot-bound: even your Chieftain's Bodyguard will walk, not ride, to war (though units of bodyguard horsemen can be trained in Dunfreca). This has implications for the life of your family as well, since if a battle goes badly it's likely that your fleeing general will be cut down by pursuing horsemen.
Your cavalry options are extremely limited. Apart from the Dunlending Horsemen you can train at any stables in your homelands, the only other cav you are likely to train will be the Riders of the Isenmarch, available only in Dunfreca. Both of these units will have a place in your armies, but they will be outclassed by the riders of almost every other faction – especially that of your great enemy, Rohan. Use them as flankers and to charge into the rear of foes who are already fighting your infantry. The Dunlending Horsemen are especially fragile, but at least they carry a few throwing spears. In most cases, even the armored Riders of the Isenmarch will have trouble unless they're supported by your infantry, so don't think these guys can carry the day on their own.
Your infantry is a motley bunch. In the early going (at least on Hard difficulty), your footmen will stall even against Gondor Militia unless you have significant numerical superiority. Low-tier units like the Tribal Spears and Axemen can form the middle of your battle line, fronted by your archers and Hunters (skirmishers), flanked by War Hounds or Hillmen and backed by your general and some Wolfhunters. But apart from a few units available later on, such as Orc Champions and Axes of the Wolf, Dunland doesn't have any troops that can grind away in a prolonged melee against the superior warriors of the Reunited Kingdom that you'll be fighting for much of the game. That means battles need to be ended decisively, and quickly.
Above: A capable battle formation for Dunland.
Morale is a concern for your ragged army – they are hunters, farmers, and brigands, not trained soldiers – but one advantage of Dunland's units is that they can make morale a concern for the enemy as well. War Hounds, Wolfhunters, Hillmen, and the Hillmen Warriors available in the later game all intimidate the enemy. So if your battle line can hold while some of these units flank – accompanied by whatever cav you brought along to the party – you can get the foe running for the White Mountains while your bloodthirsty warriors howl in pursuit.
In your settlements around the Misty Mountains – Dunhold and Dunchrioch – you have the option of building Orc dens to attract the services of these nasty creatures. Don't expect the Fighting Uruk-hai: these are the lesser Orcs, effective enough in large numbers but not war-winners on their own. Orc Raiders and Snaga Hunters may be trained in great numbers (up to 9 units in 1 turn), and can serve as speed bumps or distractions on the campaign map: send forces deep into enemy territory to draw the AI's attention away from your real invading force. But I tend to rely more on the Orc Hunters available at the next tier (decent archers with some respectable armor who carry spears as a backup weapon) and especially the Orc Champions you can eventually train at Orc Fighting Pits. These units can stand in with your regular forces, and the Champions in particular add some much-needed staying power to your lineup.
War Hounds are especially useful on the battlefield. Not only do they cause fear, but there's nothing like a pack of deranged dogs for stopping an enemy charge in its tracks. Release the hounds just as an enemy unit approaches your lines, then flank with whatever scary, blood-daubed giants you have on hand.
Just because your own archers are more suited for taking down beasts and birds than armored men doesn't mean you shouldn't train them. In fact, you'll want to train plenty. Since your own troops lack armor, you need archers to neutralize the enemy's missiles and whittle down his soldiers. In my armies fighting in Gondor, I like to have at least 4 units of archers flinging arrows at the terrifyingly effective King's Longbowmen or relatively unarmored infantry such as militia and swordsmen. Horsemen also make nice targets.
Finally, pikes are a unique type of unit available only to Dunland. The Tribal Pikes you can initially train are rather weak compared to the Elite Pikemen available at a Pikemen Muster Field, but both will help you cut down horsemen if used correctly. Note that these guys aren't Spartans: they can't form a phalanx, and are best kept on the flanks or in the second rank of your battle line, where they can rush out to attack flanking riders.
The composition of your armies will change depending on which enemy you're fighting. In Rohan, pikes are obviously more important. In Gondor, leave the pikes at home – you'll get better results with armor-piercing troops like the berserk Hillmen Warriors, Orc Champions, and Axes of the Wolf. In either case, be sure to bring along a few units of War Hounds, plenty of archers, and around 4 units of cavalry to help flank and speed your victory.
The Wolf's Mark: Dunland on Campaign
Don't be fooled by Dunland's starting position in the northwest corner of the map: you'll still be fighting a 2-front war.
Above: Dunland’s settlements at game start. Build Dunhold, Dunchrioch, and Dunfreca for troop production; the other settlements can build more toward income (especially Sheep Traders in Anghal), but they can also provide Horsemen or archers in a pinch.
You begin play at war with Rohan and the Reunited Kingdom, sharing borders with rebels to the south and Rohan to the east. Northwest of Lond Daer – your only coastal settlement – is the rebel-held Vorn Hollen, a requirement for Dunlendish victory: build a boat and take it now or at your leisure, but be sure to approach with greater numbers –those Gondor Militia are tougher than they look!
Clearly your first priority is getting the Rohirrim off your doorstep. You might notice the bridge across the river Isen, just south of Isengard? I know what you're thinking, but avoid the temptation to block your enemy on the bridge. Rohan starts with many units of elite cavalry who can tear through your troops even without the benefit of a charge. Bridge battles can be bad options for Dunland.
Instead, use the mountains to your advantage. Pull together a respectable army of starting troops under a decent leader and position them on the slopes of the Misty Mountains between that bridge and Dunchrioch. The horseboys will obligingly attack, and you'll have the high ground, showering them with spears and arrows as they toil uphill.
After a few victories, you'll be strong enough to invade Rohan itself and threaten Helm's Deep. This is a real prize: take it, and the strawheads will throw army after army against its walls in futile attempts to wrest it back. In fact, merely holding Helm's Deep is often enough to keep Rohan from invading your own lands – which leaves you free to pour your hordes of unkempt warriors south into Gondor.
The key to sieges in The Fourth Age is speed. In most games or RTW mods, you may find that starving out a besieged foe is the path of least resistance. But in Fourth Age, your besieging general will gain demoralizing traits the longer the siege goes on, to represent the men consuming their meager supplies. Given the relatively low morale of the Dunlendish troops, this can be devastating if a large enemy army arrives to relieve their besieged friends. So build that siege equipment and plan to assault (and exterminate) as soon as you can.
While we're on the topic, those supply-related traits affect more than just sieges. It pays to be attentive to the supply level of your army. Your general may be Fully Supplied as he lounges in one of your settlements, but supplies will decrease as he moves around the map, especially in enemy territory. So conserve your men's strength (don't spend all your movement points during a single turn), and try to limit the amount of time spent in hostile lands – or at least, make sure any decisive battles occur before your troops run out of food! I once watched one of my full stacks melt into a rout before a single tepid cavalry charge by a much smaller Reunited Kingdom force. My general was leading an army of starving men, and he paid the price with his life. Fortunately, if you can avoid similar disasters, gaining back positive supply traits (which actually add to the morale of your men) is fairly logical: spend time in friendly territory, especially in towns.
With the Westfold captured and Rohan deterred, turn your energies south. The Reunited Kingdom will send parties to Erindol, the rebel settlement southwest of Dunfreca, and you need to keep them on the defensive. With your new-found wealth from the looting of Helm's Deep, improve your military buildings and train some of that frightening infantry.
You'll find battles against the Reunited Kingdom will require something like 2-to-1 numerical superiority. That means you'll want to send at least 2 stacks, led by reliable (and well-supplied!) chieftains, into Gondor. Keep the armies close enough to support each other in battle (let the AI lead one stack to get more of your men on the field at once), and try to choose advantageous terrain: fairly open, hilly land. True, some of your units benefit from fighting in the woods, but trees also hamper your archers and your (limited) cav. Remember that the Dunlendish army must act as a single unit, so splitting your forces to surprise the foe may backfire.
The invasion of Gondor will likely proceed in waves; a single stack or two simply isn’t enough to defeat the heirs of Elessar. Expect some back and forth as you and the Reunited Kingdom trade blows around Thoronburg and lands to the south. It may take decades before you feel strong enough to push east to threaten Dol Amroth and the smaller settlements near the Stone of Erech, but if you keep training and building – and choosing your battles carefully – the momentum will shift in your favor. Once you take and hold Dol Amroth and settlements like Linhir, most of the fight will be out of the Reunited Kingdom. March your hordes along the coastline toward Minas Anor (formerly Minas Tirith) – and if Dunlendish pride demands that you assault those epic walls, bring plenty of reinforcements, build plenty of siege towers, and expect to take plenty of casualties, even more than your unarmored warriors are used to taking.
While your chieftains are racking up heroic victories in the south, notice when the strength of Rohan begins to flag. Once the assaults on Helm's Deep come fewer and further between, you may be able to snatch some easy settlements in the area: Aglarond and Underharrow make tempting targets. Of course, taking Edoras itself is a devastating blow to the Rohirrim, one from which they may not recover. Give your victorious men some time to celebrate in the Golden Hall, but then press on: the goal of 25 settlements – and vengeance! – often requires that you subdue all of Rohan.
Above: Wolfhunters cutting down the last enemies of the Chiefdom.
The Chiefdom of Dunland is the ultimate underdog faction. At times, you'll feel that your very existence as an independent chiefdom is doomed by the strong enemies who threaten you. Your irregular troops are poorer and less disciplined than their foes. But there's a sly satisfaction in knocking together a working realm with rough materials. With cunning, boldness, and luck, you can make the more 'advanced' factions tremble, and go warily when they hear the call of wolves in the night.