Easterling Hordes: A Guide to the Chiefdom of Rhun
Easterling Hordes: A Guide to the Chiefdom of Rhun
The Chiefdom of Rhun is the iconic barbarian faction of Fourth Age: Total War, and as such is it well suited to players who enjoy aggressive expansion and raising huge hosts of fanatical warriors. Rhun is the great sprawling chiefdom of the East - or at least, it has the potential to be.
Rhun begins the campaign with 5 settlements. Tham, the capital, is a Chief City, capable of developing into both a military and financial powerhouse. Adel and Amrundor lie to the south, while Raichost and Fennas-rim can be found to the north. These two latter settlements both lie on the shores of the Sea of Rhun - a sea that you should eventually turn into an Easterling lake - so they have excellent potential for trade.
Developing Rhun's settlements can have far-reaching consequences for your Easterling campaign. The Chiefdom can develop its provinces in certain directions with Specialization Buildings, after City Development is constructed. Only one SB can be built in any settlement, so you'll want to plan carefully.
Cultic Temple Cities and Cultic Scions for Rhun are only available if your faction has turned to the Shadow Cult (by constructing Cultic shrines and temples in a majority of your towns). The Temple Cities help you keep order in a settlement, while spreading the Cult's influence there further. Scions allow for training of elite Cultic troops - essential to making the most of your conversion.
If you choose to hold to your native Ways of Darkness, on the other hand, you'll get excellent use out of Tributary Camps built in North Rhun and Khandian settlements. Tributary Camps allow Rhun to recruit warriors from these outlying regions, such as Great Axes of Rhun and Horse-archers of Khand.
Fighting Pits allow you to hold blood sports to entertain your populace - but more significantly, they provide Berserkers, fearsome warriors whose rage can terrify a foe and whose great strength can devastate enemy ranks. The Fighting Pits themselves require a Financial or Open Policy; Raichost may be the best place to plain for this SB, since its high trade potential will naturally push it toward a Financial Policy.
Thrall Stockades are another Financial SB. The thralls held here will increase the trade wealth and food production of the province, as well as reducing construction costs. The downside is a reduction in happiness. This is probably best for a Chief City like Belegant, which will benefit most from the wealth-augmenting effects of this SB.
The Cattle Trader is a straightforward option, increasing trade in the region. The Livestock resource is required. Raichost or Erebost are good choices for this SB, thanks to their potential for sea trade; another option is Adel, once it is linked to trade routes in Mordor and Khand.
Finally, Hunting Lodges add to the experience of certain units (cavalry and skirmisher types, including War Wains) and increase trade. I like to build this in Tham, since it already enjoys good trade and is my main cavalry (and Wain) recruitment center.
Your remaining settlements, Fennas-rim and Amrundor, can be difficult to assign in terms of policy or SB. They may be fine candidates for Military Policy if you find yourself slow to conquer land in North Rhun. On the other hand, Tham's starting development and central position already suit it to be your primary training center, supplemented by the Axemen from any second-tier military building - which can be built with a Financial Policy. Ultimately, it depends how comfortable you are with rapid expansion and keeping your high-tier troops alive.
Warriors and Tactics
The great strength of the Chiefdom is its large and varied troop roster. In fact, you might think of Rhun as 3 or 4 factions in one. You'll find wild Easterling infantry and dependable riders as a core of the faction, but depending on how you expand and develop you may also recruit horse archers from the broad lands of Khand, fierce axemen from the snowy north, or even bloodthirsty Cultic soldiers sworn to a shadowy master. We'll look at all of these options thematically.
Melee infantry
While the lowest-tier units are unimpressive, your other melee infantry can shine on the battlefield when combined with cavalry and unique units.
The bottom rung of your melee troops are Easterling Warband. Their lack of armor and ability is somewhat countered by their numbers - at 110 men per unit, they can tangle up enemy cavalry for longer than you might expect, though they'll take heavy losses. Keep them in reserve when you can, or make sure you can win the battle quickly with your riders.
Axemen will make up the bulk of your killing power. These soldiers can war-cry, and in numbers are able to defeat the lower-tier infantry of all your neighbors in a fair fight, except Adunabar. They're useful for the flanks of your front line, and general purpose duties, but can be vulnerable to missile fire.
Next up the tech tree you'll find Spearmen. A bit more heavily armored than the Axemen, they are durable and numerous enough to hold off much more dangerous cavalry and may even prove a match for medium infantry. I like to have at least a couple units in any serious army, and preferably around 4.
The highest tier native melee infantry for Rhun are the Eastland Darkhelms. These solid swordsmen are kitted out in strong armor and make a fearsome addition to your forces, though the cost and time involved in training them will restrict their availability.
Rhun also has access to Berserkers, via the Fighting Pits Specialization Building. As you would expect, Berserkers can go, well... beserk. They cause fear and wreak havoc in enemy infantry lines thanks to their special attack. Their lack of armor is a problem, but 10 Berserkers are just as scary as 70, and sometimes you need to break a few heads to make a gooey, delicious victory omelette. Once you can train them, keep 1-2 units in an army, where they can stay in reserve near the flanks. Wait for the right time to unleash them, because once you hit war cry, they're gone.
Finally, in North Rhun provinces (essentially Thordram and the homelands of North Rhun), you can train Great Axes after building a Tributary Camps Specialization Building. Armor penetration is actually rather rare in the Rhun unit roster, so these axemen will bring some welcome striking power to your line - especially if you find yourself contemplating war with the Dwarves.
Ranged
Missile troops for Khand include basic Skirmishers and Archers. The Skirmishers are not to be underestimated against armored infantry, but you have decent infantry and cavalry to do the bulk of the knife-work, so 1-2 units per army is often plenty. Archers are a necessity, if only to screen your infantry line from enemy missile troops; 4 units are sufficient.
You'll also find Mercenary Slingers throughout your homelands (and slingers can be trained in North Rhun at a Tributary Camp). These are a decent supplement to your forces, and may occasionally replace some or all of your Archers.
Riders
Rhun isn't exactly a cavalry faction like Rohan or Khand, but its decent native horsemen allow it to put together some effective battlefield maneuvers, and the assimilation of several Khandian units into its roster gives it great versatility.
Eastland Raiders are essentially mounted Warband. As with the infantry version, their main advantage is in their numbers, which are larger than those of other cavalry in the area. Use them for repeated charges, or simply swarm several units of Raiders over another hapless unit, like archers or light cavalry.
Riders of Rhun are sword-armed heavy (or perhaps medium) cavalry, which is something of a rarity in the Fourth Age. They may lack the charging power of lance- or spear-armed horsemen, but their armor and discipline allows them to stay in a fight longer than hit-and-run lancers. They're a dependable force, and should make up the bulk of your cavalry - say 3-4 units in a typical army.
Your bodyguard unit is the mounted Chieftain's Guard, similar in arms and training to the Riders of Rhun.
If you conquer lands in Khand and build Tributary Camps, you will be able to train two horse archer units: Steppe Outriders, which are cheap, fast, poorly armored, and generally weak; and Horse-archers of Khand, which are effective both at range and, to some extent, in melee. Outriders are best thought of as a harassing force, useful to distract and draw out enemy units while your other troops do the killing. The better-armored Horse-archers of Khand can inflict more reliable damage with their stronger bows and, when combined with your other cavalry, use their swords in melee to good effect.
And finally, War Wains. War Wains are the unique unit of all unique units. This single unit epitomizes Rhun's entire roster: versatile, idiosyncratic, and BIG. Packed with warriors casting heavy javelins and fitted with wickedly spiked wheels, War Wains can chew through some of the game's toughest enemies and drive hosts of foes into a panicked rout - or they can crumple like paper, bogged down by infantry or shot to pieces by archers. Their high-risk, high-reward capriciousness makes them my very favorite unit in Dominion of Men. It also makes them difficult to master. If you want to make the best use of your Wains, see my guide dedicated to them, HERE.
So much for Rhun's native (and tributary) roster. In addition to local levies, acquired by conquering other lands, Rhun can also train elite, well-armed Cultic soldiers by converting to the Shadow. These soldiers will replace your native elites, and are a good choice for players who don't mind missing out on War Wains; the loss of your top-tier infantry is also less of an issue, given that the Cultic troops are themselves excellent in melee. Conversion to the Cult requires that a majority of your settlements contain Cultic shrines and temples. This path is easiest if you plan to invade Mordor, since the Cult already dominates that region. But, unless you plan to convert at the outset - which can be expensive and time-consuming - you will likely be playing with Rhun's native troops for the majority (if not entirety) of your campaign.
A good all-purpose army for Rhun can look like the following:
4 Axemen
4 Spearmen
2 Great Axes
2 Darkhelms (or Berserkers)
4 Archers
1 General
2 Riders of Rhun
1 War Wains
But there are many possible variations. A chieftain with Khandian units at his disposal may substitute some of the heavy infantry for horse archers; another option would be to substitute the Wains and some Spearmen for a more cavalry-heavy, aggressive army.
The following battle is one you'll likely have to fight in the first decade or so. It involves Adunabar.
This will be a difficult battle to fight so early, but it's important to win; failure will mean Adunabar can march through your lands with impunity. (If that should occur, you may consider using another of Rhun's tricks: its ability to form a horde. Lose or abandon all your settlements, pull up stakes, and take your greedy warriors elsewhere - Khand or North Rhun, for example - to build up your Chiefdom once more.)
I've arrayed my forces in a standard formation, with Archers and Skirmishers to the front, Axemen and Spearmen in a battle line, and 2 reserve units of Warband. Behind that, my general waits with a unit of Eastland Raiders. To the right, my 2 Riders of Rhun accompany my single unit of Wains.
Since I'm attacking, my advance allows the enemy to get in some brutal shots with its catapults. I rush my infantry forward.
My archers prove an irresistible target for the enemy cavalry, who surge to my flanks. On my left, my general and his accompanying Raiders target the enemy general. On the right, my Wains and Riders cut through the foe's heavy cavalry - and then retreat as enemy infantry approaches.
The infantry lines meet, and I must throw in my Warband. The enemy general has been killed, so my general and Raiders quickly reform to attack the catapults, and then charge into the rear of these engaged soldiers. On the other side of the field, my Wains and Riders have been severely mauled, but the Wains clattering around behind the enemy lines still hurt the foe's morale.
It is a messy victory, but the enemy army is destroyed, and I am strong enough to push into Mordor.
Campaign Strategy
Your closest neighbor is also your ally, Khand. This tends to be a strong alliance that can last well into the campaign, given Khand's tendency to become involved in wars with the Haradrim. But how you handle this alliance can make one Rhun campaign wildly different from the next. In the wars for the southlands, Harad usually rises supreme and turns its expansion to Khand - a war which Khand will very likey lose. Ultimately, you may find yourself with a fiercely expansionistic Empire of Harad on your southern border. So, it may be wise to use the military alliance you share with Khand to protect your neighbor from Harad as well as you can.
On the other hand, Khand's capital, Acharn, is required for victory. And Khand also begins the game allied with Adunabar. If Khand chooses to favor Adunabar over you in a war, you may find yourself with an excellent reason for marching on your old ally. While the Variags expand into the south, you may find it easy to seize their lands for yourself, then hope to make peace with a Haradrian faction - or at least defend against them on your own terms. As conquering land in Khand also gives you the ability to train strong horse archers, it's well worth planning a scenario by which you can acquire some property in the region.
On the other side of your realm is the Chiefdom of North Rhun. While you don't border them yet, you soon may. Again, their capital is on your victory conditions list. These lands also allow you to train slingers and, more notably, the fearsome Great Axes of Rhun. But if possible, it would be ideal to secure at least trade and possibly an alliance with these folk - for now, anyway. As the campaign plays out, North Rhun will often lose land to Dorwinion or Dale, giving you the opportunity to sweep in and wrest it back from the Northmen.
Westward, Rhun has two channels for expansion: north and south of the Ash Mountains. The northern route, passing into Rhovanion, is the more obvious, as it is possible to quickly snap up rebel settlements like Erebost and Braig Estolad before another faction can seize them. But the southern route, into Mordor, is arguably the better path.
This way lies Adunabar, a powerful faction and your greatest initial rival. Despite its wars with western powers, Adunabar will waste no time expanding eastward, and will soon share a border with you - and from here, it is only a matter of time before the Black Tree threatens to sink its roots into your eastern soil.
The well-armed and disciplined legions of Adunabar are a difficult foe for your fur-clad wildmen, so it is best to prepare for war early. I take the army near Erebost and send it southward immediately. Erebost is no great prize, and you can take it later at your leisure. But you need this army to defend your southern lands and take the fight into the Nurn region itself. Assemble some more warriors at Tham and Adel and, when you feel strong enough, send them toward Athrad-morn.
(Note that it may be unwise to take Amrun Megor, the southern rebel settlement in the east of Mordor. That often becomes a target for Khand; let them take it, and you may have less to worry about on that front.)
Athrad-morn may have already been captured by Adunabar. If so, see if these Dunedain are willing to trade and ally, but keep your force nearby. An alliance may buy you just enough time to take Erebost before scrambling back south to defend. But if the settlement is still held by rebels, take it for yourself, and prepare for Adunabar's attack.
Rhun's forces are typically not strong in siege assaults or defense. You'll want to fight Adunabar in the field, where your wains and cavalry can work in tandem with your (relatively) lightly armed infantry. And the treeless plains of eastern Mordor are ideal terrain for your style of fighting.
Lond Nurnen is a worthy target. It is a wealthy Chief City, and its stone walls will give your defending warriors a better chance against an assault. Conquering much farther westward is not necessary, but feel free to seize other settlements around the Sea of Nurn when Adunabar has weakened.
On other fronts, the Northmen of Dale may grow rather strong mid-game. A war between Dale and Rhovanion is good for you; it may give you enough time to muster a host and aim it at the richest prize in the region: Belegant, Chief City of Dorwinion. Belegant is the answer to the financial strain you may be feeling after some initial expansion. Its wine trade will help you fund development and those elite units you may be eyeing. And defending it from assault is made easier by its high timber walls.
If Dale is the major power in the North, expect to face skilled archers and some very tough infantry. Great Axes (which you should have at this point) are excellent here - provided they don't become targets of the feared longbows of the Bardings, or the devastating javelins of the Black Spears. Bring enough of your own slingers and archers to kill, or at least distract, the enemy bowmen, and try to close quickly. A Berserker unit or two can make short work of a Northmen battle line that is already engaged with your heavy infantry.
Victory for Rhun means controlling a broad swath of territory stretching from Khand into North Rhun, into Rhovanion, and likely towards Dale itself. Esgaroth and Dale, as well as the other settlements along the Celduin, are natural choices for expansion due to their rich river trade as well as the fact that you're at war with Dale anyway. But a different strategy might see you holding the line around Belegant and instead pushing your armies into Ithilien, or perhaps into Harad.
The open nature of expansion for Rhun can give you very different campaigns depending on how you choose to deal with your neighbors. The Chiefdom's ability to field a large and varied army with so many unique units makes it one of the most interesting factions in Dominion of Men. Destroying the superior hosts of Adunabar and Dale with a motley army drawn from the far reaches of Middle-earth will test your mettle as a general, but it's that much more satisfying when you plant the red banner of the Ox in the green lands of the West.
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