Tips for Isengard

**broodwarjc** · December 28, 2011, 02:27 PM

Alright so I started an Isengard campaign and I have to say that this is campaign is considerably harder than Eraidor was. First off Isengard lacks as many rebel settlements to take, second Rohan has a castle with a garrison script just south of Orthanc, third Isengard starts with the fewest settlements of any faction, and fourth the easiest to get rebel settlements Tharabad and Argond pretty much guarantee war with Eraidor and HE within 50 turns if you take them. So any tips anyone is willing to share like how to best start off or what the best strategy for expansion is? Rohan likes to camp outside Isengard with a full stack army and any units I send out are immediately attacked. I decided to make the campaign a little harder since Eraidor got pretty easy after you get some of the rebel settlements and take Carn Dum. So I am playing on H/M. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am on turn 35 and I am making money, but Eraidor and the HE just attacked THarabad and Argond respectively and Rohan has a giant stack of units outside of Isengard. Thanks for posting any info you are willing to give up.

**Mhaedros** · December 28, 2011, 02:28 PM

There are loads of tuts for all factions

**0N3** · December 28, 2011, 10:18 PM

Only thing i can say is DON'T ATTACK FANGORN!!! Those damn ents destroyed my 16 unit elite army leaving only saruman (i ordered him to run like a wussy), 2 generals and 9 orcs left to walk back to isengard in shame. It was easy for Rohan to eliminate me with my army in a giant pile in the forest.

**Rytlock** · December 29, 2011, 04:18 AM

Originally Posted by 0N3

Only thing i can say is DON'T ATTACK FANGORN!!! Those damn ents destroyed my 16 unit elite army leaving only saruman (i ordered him to run like a wussy), 2 generals and 9 orcs left to walk back to isengard in shame. It was easy for Rohan to eliminate me with my army in a giant pile in the forest.

Killing ents is easy , just have some skirmishers and archers fire on them and use a meatshield.

**Swad** · December 29, 2011, 08:57 AM

I've used massed archers against the ents before, and let me tell you that neither the snaga archers nor the Uruk-Hai archers have the necessary stats to penetrate the armor of the ents, let alone bring them down with their unmodified ammunition limit and damage output. You're going to need berserkers, lots of them. Or ballistas. Ballistas are arguably cheaper than the Berserker option supposing that you have enough snaga to keep the ents still.

My advice for Isengard would be to make peace with Rohan until late game. IE. past the 50 turn mark when you get good units. You just can't take Rohan on even with the limited stack submod early game. Rohan is arguably one of the strongest factions in the mod from the AI perspective. They have the infrastructure, even without all the blatant cheating, to maintain a healthy supply of good soldiers to the front lines without being interrupted in the long run. The orcs north of Isengard can't do very much in a very short time, and Mordor often goes after Gondor. Heck, even in the late game where you're fielding pikemen, crossbows, and heavy infantry you're still going to be up to your neck given how Rohan loves to spam stacks in your direction. No other faction I've played against spams units in such force that you're facing a full stack every other turn.

If peace is unattainable, you need to take Rohan's southern city. After that, block all three river crossings and hold Rohan there until you gain a suitable number of towns and cities in the west. This is going to be an arduous process given that most of your main force, in fact all of it in some circumstances, will be sent to reinforce these points. Really, all you can hope for is that Rohan gets distracted by Mordor and give you some breathing room to rebuild your forces and put your finances in order from putting so many units into the field.

**muller227** · December 29, 2011, 04:12 AM

Been looking at him in mine, figuring xbows with berserkers and reavers.

**Lordinquisitor** · December 29, 2011, 09:32 AM

IIRC Javelin units get a huge bonus against elephants, which ents are. So using lots of Snaga Skirmishers while a few units hold them down should work against ents.

**Shingen** · January 03, 2012, 10:49 AM

Isengard is very hard. Because of Rohan as you said. To face the armies heading for me, I put an army of Dunlings, archers and some Uruk on the bridge over the river between Ginard and Foldburg. Most Rohan armies attacked that army and took much casulties and also alot units routes and got captured. If Rohan had enough money they payed to free them. Thats was a good extra income for me. The key to success were the Dunlings. If they are at schilton they are very strong and wont route even if they are surrounded.

The big disadvantage of the orc nations is that they cant recuit regular cavalry in the early game. But there are some mercenary cav available. To be successful you should use them to hunt down routing enemies.

Saurons eye infront of units = only available while crusade

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Capture the rebel settlement in the east, but always leave stronger garnisons in the settlement close to the border. If Eradior or the High Elves see a weak defended city they will declare war on you and constandly send new armies to fight you. Trade agreements lower the chance of war and give you extra income.

Building up Isengard should be the first priority. As soon as you can recuite better units you can start to take Rohan settlements. Arround turn 50 you are able to start crusades. Use them to save unit upkeep getting the experience bonus for your troops.

**Tatoru** · January 03, 2012, 12:21 PM

Major tip for Isengard is to ceasefire with Rohan, or make alliance with Gondor, and then with Rohan, so you can focus on Eriador. Otherwise Rohan will raep you hard, as they have two stacks of good to elite units from beginning, while you have some dunlendings and snaga.

EDIT: If your mind is open you can even call it roleplay, as war with Rohan would be suicidal for Saruman back then. Only thing i dont get, is why you are in war from the start at first place. Maybe because you contain dunlending faction? Idk

**Æsir** · January 03, 2012, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Æsir

Guide how to do it right:
1) Ally with Gondor to ceasefire with Rohan;
2) Ally with Rohan;
3) Ally with Eriadot and Elves to save your back;
4) Take rebel settlements and build up economy;
5) Be “good guy Greg” till Sauron emerges (around turn 50);
6) From monies and units you accumulated during years of peace and prosperity create two strong full-stacks (you will need ballistas to quickly take walls, Dunlendings as line infantry and Urukhai riders as mass swordsmen, some archers, wargs and elite is nice addition).
7) When Sauron emerges call treacherous invasion to Edoras, but don’t go for Edoras.
8) Use 1st stack to take Helm’s Deep (and the castle on its way) and 2nd to take Gineard and all Western lands of Rohan.*
9) Now half of Rohan is yours, you have allies behind your back and your fellow evil guys have taken Edoras (you can purchase it for yourself now if you want).
……
?) Profit.

*) EDIT: make sure you have diplomat to cancel alliance with Rohan at the right moment. Maybe it can be canceled by joining invasion but I'm not sure about it.

Originally Posted by 0N3

Only thing i can say is DON'T ATTACK FANGORN!!! Those damn ents destroyed my 16 unit elite army leaving only saruman (i ordered him to run like a wussy), 2 generals and 9 orcs left to walk back to isengard in shame. It was easy for Rohan to eliminate me with my army in a giant pile in the forest.

Ents can be easly killed with snaga javeliners, for example in my last campaigh I managed to kill ents only with one unit of snagas, however I recomend you to use 3 units and that's more than enough.

**Qba** · January 04, 2012, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Æsir

Ents can be easly killed with snaga javeliners, for example in my last campaigh I managed to kill ents only with one unit of snagas, however I recomend you to use 3 units and that's more than enough.

So you managed to defeat one unit of Ents, with one unit of snaga skirmishers? No way.

**FC Groningen** · January 03, 2012, 04:19 PM

Might sound cheap, but auto resolve works way better against Ents, Balrogs and Shelob. Works well against Sauron as well. Just have a good/decent general along and you should win without too many casualties.

**Mhaedros** · January 03, 2012, 04:24 PM

Autoresolve is just lame. What's this with Fangorn, I always attack, Treebeard spawns and just stayes there for the hole game

**FC Groningen** · January 04, 2012, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Mhaedros

Autoresolve is just lame. What's this with Fangorn, I always attack, Treebeard spawns and just stayes there for the hole game

I don't see the use of fighting a frustrating battle, knowing I couldn't possibly come close to the same positive result by auto resolving. Isengard's campaign is hard enough as it is.

**francis86** · January 03, 2012, 04:36 PM

what the name of those mercenary cavalry men in the right bottom purple area?,they look nice,never say them

**Abyrvalg** · January 05, 2012, 02:18 AM

Originally Posted by francis86

what the name of those mercenary cavalry men in the right bottom purple area?,they look nice,never say them

Variag lancers.

**Ultra123** · January 04, 2012, 03:44 PM

qba i suspect he mean he had ONE units of snagas in his Army rather then just 1v1 ents vs snaga unit

**brymht** · January 04, 2012, 03:49 PM

Ouch. Isengard is the only faction i have to cheat with.

**Alex-ander** · January 05, 2012, 01:59 AM

Some good tips, a couple of questions

How do i get Rohan to agree to a ceasefire if i try they just tell me to get lost. What sweetners do peoploe offer to get them to agree to peace.

Once they have agreed to peace can i trust them to abide by it for at lease a while. Or do i constantly need to watch for them backstabbing me.

**Shingen** · January 05, 2012, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by Alex-ander

Some good tips, a couple of questions

How do i get Rohan to agree to a ceasefire if i try they just tell me to get lost. What sweetners do peoploe offer to get them to agree to peace.

Once they have agreed to peace can i trust them to abide by it for at lease a while. Or do i constantly need to watch for them backstabbing me.

Save money, sent your diplomat without delay to the next Gondor settlement. Request an alliance by giving alot money. If you got a alliance with Gondor the war with Rohan is over. Then it is also easy to alliance with Rohan. That saves you from a new war with Rohan.