Best Orc faction?

[Temudschin]

What do you think is the best/strongest Orc faction and why?

I personally think Orcs of Gundabad are really strong, because they have everything you need due to the mercenaries in their area.

[Mikail Mengsk]

If we consider Isengard among the "orcs", i'd take it. Its only downside is the absence of Troll units, but Berserkers make it up.

[smoesville]

Personally i would, most of their units are orcs afterall They have no super unit but their regular troops are of a higher class then the others.

[eugenioso]

isengard wins out by a mile, but only after they get their economy running.

[Wizad]

Mordor is fun as well.

[Temudschin]

Yea Isengard is pretty good, but Berserkers are nothing compared to Trolls. :p

[Mikail Mengsk]

Yea Isengard is pretty good, but Berserkers are nothing compared to Trolls. :p

Trolls and Nazgùls are VERY expensive

[muller227]

Well I really don't know who is best, I do know that my favorite is OotMM. I mean think about they have been getting their butts kicked for 6 millenia, heck they even lost too a hobbit militia. Yet somehow these little cockroaches are hanging on, even after those evil genocidal dwarves went on their rampage, I mean all they real did was kill an old dwarf, what the hell use was he. Clearly they were prone to over reacting. Probably some typically sneaky Elvish plot, dreamed up by that forest witch, too get the hairies to do the dirty work for her. But 100 years or so later its hey boys "We're back" 13 dwarves and a sneak seems about right odds, then what where the hell did all those Elves, men, dwarves come from. Clearly another plot.

No success in game was quite as satisfying as beating a dwarf Iron Guard unit along with a couple others with Goblin infantry and Snagas, thank god for decent terrain. I rather soon find myself paranoid playing as them with lurking Elves and Dwarves everywhere, I use RC so the whole sense of man this just ain't fair is actually kinda fun. Light Elven Archers of Doom 1st tier militia my ass. That effing Melkor.

[Aldor]

Isengard can swarm its enemies with decent troops. Even without trolls I think I'll have to give isengard the advantage.

[Aldor]

If all orc factions are allowed: MORDOR.

Uruks (decent troops) + troll catapults + olog-hai + nazgul (heavy cav + fear).

Summary for me: mordor > isengard > ootmm > oog

[Temudschin]

If all orc factions are allowed: MORDOR.

Uruks (decent troops) + troll catapults + olog-hai + nazgul (heavy cav + fear).

Summary for me: mordor > isengard > ootmm > oog

But you can't recruit cavalry with Mordor.
So I think they are the weakest Orc faction in open field battles.

[FriendoftheDork]

But you can't recruit cavalry with Mordor.
So I think they are the weakest Orc faction in open field battles.

Nazguls do great in field battles, and you can get some cav mercs from the east. Trolls pretty much can fill the role of cav, at least by counter-charging enemy cav. But all the orc factions has a weakness in cav, and has to rely on mercs and "hero" generals.

Also, Spider mercs from Mirkwood work as cav too.


A better question is which orc faction is best/strongest compared to neighbours. Mordor still has a good advantage, but Isengard struggles. OotMM has elves everywhere, but how is the Gundabad orcs? Eriador militia can't be that good, and the dunedain are few especially compared to the armies of Gondor. Dwarves are tough, but at least dont have cav. Is the position good?

[Aldor]

As seen from an AI perspective:

Mordor is strongest due to harad allies. Alone gondor would probably beat them.

Isengard lacks allies and starts out weak, surrounded by High Elves, Rohan, Eriador and Silvan Elves (sometimes). They do receive a good invasion in middle game.

OotMM have those giant garrison scripts + weakened faction. Usually aided by Dol Guldur (Mordor), they have a decent chance to beat the Silvan Elves and take Imladris.

OoG has the tendency to wipe eriador, then get swallowed by the dwarves.


Player can win with all four factions, so less useful:
easiest - mordor - OoG - OotMM - Isengard - hardest

[Aldor]

Don't forget that beserkers die very fast versus their counters: cavalry charges and especially arrows/javellins. Much faster then trolls.

[Macilrille]

Well, how many units of Berserkers for a unit of Trolls? I never played evil much, so I have no idea.

[Aldor]

beserkers: 650, 250 upkeep

cave trolls: 1300, 550 upkeep

mountain trolls: 1200, 500 upkeep

Olog-Hai 1520, 650 upkeep

==> in general beserkers cost and upkeep is half the cost and upkeep of trolls. Olog-Hai are superior but cost/upkeep slightly higher.

When using trolls you are less likely to lose alot of them, as they got more hit-points and higher defense.

[FriendoftheDork]

beserkers: 650, 250 upkeep

cave trolls: 1300, 550 upkeep

mountain trolls: 1200, 500 upkeep

Olog-Hai 1520, 650 upkeep

==> in general beserkers cost and upkeep is half the cost and upkeep of trolls. Olog-Hai are superior but cost/upkeep slightly higher.

When using trolls you are less likely to lose alot of them, as they got more hit-points and higher defense.

Hit points are important. Another factor is, that due to low numbers, trolls get xp insanely fast. I usually get 8 xp trolls in 1-2 battles. I quite often lose those trolls later on, as I sacrifice them to gain a much needed advantage in battle. Trolls die fairly quickly when locked in melee in very cramped areas.

[MacCarthy]

Troll Catapult : 950 , 270 upkeep

These guys seem a bargain for what you get. Very mobile for a siege unit on the field, attack from afar and when the tide needs to be turned send them in as melee and scare the enemy infantry.

[FriendoftheDork]

Troll Catapult : 950 , 270 upkeep

These guys seem a bargain for what you get. Very mobile for a siege unit on the field, attack from afar and when the tide needs to be turned send them in as melee and scare the enemy infantry.

+1

[Warlord Skorr]

==> in general beserkers cost and upkeep is half the cost and upkeep of trolls. Olog-Hai are superior but cost/upkeep slightly higher.

When using trolls you are less likely to lose alot of them, as they got more hit-points and higher defense.

That, and Berzerkers are a standard 3rd Barracks unit instead of an AoR unit, so they are much easier to recruit and retrain than Trolls.