Tips for Eriador

[broodwarjc]

I have only dabbled in TATW 2.1 and I am trying to get into v3.1. I want to play as Eriador and build up to Arnor, I know what I need and I have an idea of how long it is going to take, but does anyone have any tips on what to do in the meantime. Eriador militia units suck, plain and simple, their archers are meh but useable (except for the rangers who are pretty good) and their militiamen are a sorry joke. Eriador also starts off horribly under built, all I can recruit are militiamen and they take forever to reset. The problem I am running into is trying to hold off the Orcs of Gundabad and having to deal with Isengard who decided that Rohan wasn't worth the time and sent some armies towards me, near Tharbad and having to deal with the Orcs of the Misty Mountain who like to take Hoarwell. So what is the best strategy hold on to my starting 5 settlements and just turtle until I can take the cities required for Arnor? Or try to blitzkrieg as many of the cities as I can and then wait for Annuminas to get big enough? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[brasswire]

- Take over the three Shire settlements. Partially just to get it out of the way (I'm not sure if the High Elves might take it if you don't). Also it will increase your trading and tax income. Plus once you grant them autonomy you'll get some free Hobbit armies from time to time.

- In Amon Sul and Fornost, build the upgraded barracks. This will let you recruit the Dunedain heavy infantry. They're easily your best units this early in the game, but they have uber-long recruitment times (24 turns). Still, even having one unit as part of your army is a major advantage when fighting crummy orcs and goblins.

- Build the leather armour upgrade building in at least one settlement. This will let you upgrade the armour on all of your archers, militia, lumbermen, and hunters.

[FC Groningen]

Rush Carn Dum and the OoG should only be able to throw junk at you for a long while.

[broodwarjc]

Thanks for the tips I will try them out now. This mod is great, but really different from the other big MTWII mod I play Grand Kingdoms, that I think some help threads would help new players. I am only playing on medium/medium with normal unit scale armies and ever now and then I use togglefow. I know it is cheating but I am still getting used to this mod compared to anything else I have played. If anyone wants to share anything else please do so. Thanks again to those who contributed.

[broodwarjc]

Two big questions I have are:
1.How do I shorten recruitment times? Do I increase culture or population total or build higher levels of buildings?

2.What should I set taxes at starting off for Eriador? Normal for everywhere except for Annuminas or Low everywhere?

[kraxmause]

Two big questions I have are:
1.How do I shorten recruitment times? Do I increase culture or population total or build higher levels of buildings?

2.What should I set taxes at starting off for Eriador? Normal for everywhere except for Annuminas or Low everywhere?

1. Build higher tier buildings.

2. Set them on low everwhere, except when a building is about to be finished (then set them to very high). You'll make enough money by conquering rebel settlements.

Also, try to keep peace with the OoG as long as you can.

[Arrman]

Aaand speaking of Eriador, I have a question. I really like Greenway Sentries unit, and I would like to make them recrutable after emergence of Aronr, so anyone could tell how to do this ?

[broodwarjc]

I have read that the hobbit settlements (after autonomy) will build buildings on their own, but after 15 turns they haven't done anything, do I have to give them money somehow?

[Keyser_Soze]

2 strategies:
1- rush OOG. If this is done, no real problems unless you want there to be.

2- Grow economy. Do this by taking all the rebel settlements before the dwarves, High elves and OOTMM take them. Taking all the surrounding rebel settlements (there are something like 10, I think) will aid your economy massively. While doing this, develop your settlements. build roads and markets, but pay attention to how much money it'll give, look at how long it'll take to pay back- it might not be worth it in the long term if you're paying 600 for something which gives 4 extra per term.
Also don't overexpand your army if you play like this. This is the key to playing peacefully- Grow your army in preparation, but do not overgrow it, or your economy will crash, causing great problems which can only be resolved by expanding your territory or disbanding your army.

My personal recommendation would be initially the second option, followed by attacking OOG.
OOG are going to attack you sooner or later, but Eriador is by far the weakest faction at the start of the game. Surrounded by factions that will go to war if they want to, and with nothing but weak settlements of no military value except fornost and Amon Sul. I recommend upgrading barracks and archer buildings here- Both can recruit Battle-Ready dunedain from the start, which is one of the best heavy infantry units in the game (as attack goes, it is equal with the eldar swordsmen, though it is lacking in defence, so keep their flanks safe.) Amon Sul can recruit dunedain rangers, also invaluable at this stage of the game, and Eriador's best archer unit (arnor's too in vanilla). Build these when you can, but also build breeland militia as fodder. Rely off cavalry units to flank enemy units and you'll easily win battles. In short, Eriador has great potential (especially as Arnor), but it is in no shape for war at the start- build the economy, take the rebel settlements (hoarwell to the west, alimir, argond and the shire to the south-west, lunelaith to the west, nenuial to the north-west). None of these settlements are greatly prosperous, but they add up, and can easily create a financial boom. Once your economy is booming, it's time to take the fight to OOG.
Some tips fighting OOG:
-Don't attack coldfells and forodwaith- these settlements are indefensible, of little economic value, and absolutely no military value. they will just send army after army to flush you out. Start off by besieging Gram and Carn Dum. These settlements need to be taken to crush OOG. then you take Gundabad and Litash, and only then forodwaith and coldfells. Otherwise, you'll be locked in a stalemate with OOG. OOG are a weak faction, but don't take their weak settlements. Focus on their core settlements.

Once OOG are dead, you can live a peaceful existence unless you want to attack OOTMM or Isengard. So it's really about the type of player you are.

[BigHairyMelon]

Aaand speaking of Eriador, I have a question. I really like Greenway Sentries unit, and I would like to make them recrutable after emergence of Aronr, so anyone could tell how to do this ?

Go into the EDB and find the building where they are recruited from, find this line:
requires factions { turks, }
Change it to:
requires factions { byzantium, turks, }

[Arrman]

Go into the EDB and find the building where they are recruited from, find this line:
requires factions { turks, }
Change it to:
requires factions { byzantium, turks, }

Thx

[A_Dane]

Try to get to Tharbad fast, and get an alliance & trade agreement with Isengard (I know, not very helpful for Rohan). They'll attack you eventually, but you'll get time to capture Argond to the west as well, and prepare for their onslaught. Next, get Hoarwell quickly as well, if the OOTMM attacks you there, squash them, and ask for peace (sometimes they'll accept). Now just capture the rest of the provinces needed, upgrade markets, roads and farms, set taxes to low and try to get your army going. I've gotten some 40-50 turns in, and so far i've mostly had skirmishes with the OOG, not been hit by anything bad, and Annuminas is growing nicely

[HandofJaime]

1) Fast - Rush OoG and take Gram/Cairn Dum as fast as possible. This mod (which is wonderful) makes sure that Eriador is nice and safe from all other enemies early on. If you slack off Isengard will kick your ass later on, but in early-game survival mode (which is usually the only time you'll be fighting for your life) it's a fun gamble to go after the northern orcs early.

2) Long - Develop, develop, develop. Snag as many of those western/southern provinces as you can before the Elves and Dwarves get them. Fend off Orc raids and then just methodically rebuild Arnor. Just hope you have a good war machine working if you have the long campaign and want to take out Isengard/Mordor.

[Decus]

I actually let Dwarves take Lunelaith and Nenuial and allied with them. OOG attacked one of my units at my northern border but that's it. Dwarves have kept OOG busy and are apparently crushing them slowly. I took that chance to attack Isengard, which was already weakened by Rohan, so it was easy prey.

BTW. Why is it that Amon Sul has so slow recruitment times?

[broodwarjc]

Thanks a lot for the basic strategies I am about 50 turns into my campaign and my money blows plus the OOG took a lot of the surrounding settlements so I am going to restart and try a different approach. I do like how in this game there are very different approaches on how to advance your empire.

[kraxmause]

BTW. Why is it that Amon Sul has so slow recruitment times?

Eriador barracks are most productive in grassland regions and Amon Sûl is a mountain region. You can check it in the region description (the book in your building browser).

[Vonebor]

So I've been running my campaign for a while now and I've successfully eradicated OoG and OotMM, and I'm trying to make the transition to Arnor. Unfortunately the population of Annuminas appears to have stopped just short of the transition to a Large City. I've built all the population increase buildings, had it set at low tax from the beginning, and switched generals but they all increase squalor as much as population growth so it zeros out again. Has anyone encountered this problem and over come it?

[Maegfaer]

Offensive way:
Kill OoG asap.

Defensive way:
Get an Alliance with the OoG. Use Diplomacy to keep relations with potential enemies relatively healthy (at or above Very Poor. At Terrible or under that they will attack you). This way you can easily make it to turn 100 without a war. Take as many rebel settlements as you can as soon as possible.

[FC Groningen]

So I've been running my campaign for a while now and I've successfully eradicated OoG and OotMM, and I'm trying to make the transition to Arnor. Unfortunately the population of Annuminas appears to have stopped just short of the transition to a Large City. I've built all the population increase buildings, had it set at low tax from the beginning, and switched generals but they all increase squalor as much as population growth so it zeros out again. Has anyone encountered this problem and over come it?

best thing you can do is move in a general with very high chivalry. It will provide a nice population growth bonus.

[Vonebor]

best thing you can do is move in a general with very high chivalry. It will provide a nice population growth bonus.

I tried this, but unfortunately the chivalry pop growth bonus still seems to be nerfed into near none existence even in 3.1. I guess I'm just going to have to dig up the population change console command, which will make this the first time I've had to cheat in this mod sadly.