Advanced Gondor advice (MOS)

[Red Viper]

I'm playing MOS with Return of the King mod and I control Gondor.

Turn: 41
Making 4000-5000 a turn, maybe more (I have to help Rohan often)
Playing H/H
Conquered regions: Annulond, Cair Andros, East-Osgiliath + original regions.
Invested much in the economy and Minas Tirith and both Osgiliaths have very good military buildings.
Capital: Minas Tirith I won't change the capital fore lore reasons.

I just had to retreat my army from Barad Harn because it destroyed 4 Harad armies and couldn't hold Barad Harn against the 5th marching against Barad Harn. Now I'm retraining that army so it can go back to the front.

With Aragorn coming soon I'm gonna raise another army but I need you guys to tell me the best place to strike, I'm considering the following options:
- raid the Haradrim coast
- attack Minas Morgul
- annexing Ithilien (which is heavily guarded by both Mordor and Hard)
- conquer Umbar (and if I do: hold it or destroy all its buildings)

I want this army to be a good investment and maybe some Gondor veterans can tell me the best place to strike.

[TimR]

Go to the north an annex endewaith ( everything south of eriador and west of rohan)

This can be done by a small army lees than half a stack isenguard is busy attacking rohan so it should be easy.

[Stylix]

FYI, new version of Corsair Invasions in next release of MOS.

[Galain_Ironhide]

I'm playing MOS with Return of the King mod and I control Gondor.

Turn: 41
Making 4000-5000 a turn, maybe more (I have to help Rohan often)
Playing H/H
Conquered regions: Annulond, Cair Andros, East-Osgiliath + original regions.
Invested much in the economy and Minas Tirith and both Osgiliaths have very good military buildings.
Capital: Minas Tirith I won't change the capital fore lore reasons.

I just had to retreat my army from Barad Harn because it destroyed 4 Harad armies and couldn't hold Barad Harn against the 5th marching against Barad Harn. Now I'm retraining that army so it can go back to the front.

With Aragorn coming soon I'm gonna raise another army but I need you guys to tell me the best place to strike, I'm considering the following options:
- raid the Haradrim coast
- attack Minas Morgul
- annexing Ithilien (which is heavily guarded by both Mordor and Hard)
- conquer Umbar (and if I do: hold it or destroy all its buildings)

I want this army to be a good investment and maybe some Gondor veterans can tell me the best place to strike.

TBH I don't think you should surrender Barad Harn without the thought of trying to reinforce it first. In my GC at that stage I think I had 2 stacks on the offensive , one which after taking Barad Harn slowly swept south, then east to Has Yayb and then the second stack moved south from Pelagir, taking Hyarpende and then going further south. (The biggest difference is my economy tanked for a while as a result)

I found as soon as I started going on the defensive it didn't take Harad any effort to really begin pumping out those stacks and I was fighting battles that were costing me troops for no gain (albeit 10% casualties and under but that bulds up after several battles). At least if you stay on the offensive, and keep taking their settlements, it starts to get harder and harder for them to amass those troops.

The other thing you have to consider is, once you give up Barad Harn, Harads next move will be to cross the Anduin and attack you on home soil, which they will waste no time in doing.

As for Umbar, I left it until the city was neighbouring my borders. Once I took it (was able to keep all buildings) and took the outlying settlements around it, the additional income was very pleasant and still remains that way many turns in.

Edit: PS if you haven't heard this before, also be careful with how many Generals you adopt as that can really cripple your economy.

[Coldfire88]

With Aragorn coming soon I'm gonna raise another army but I need you guys to tell me the best place to strike, I'm considering the following options:
- raid the Haradrim coast
- attack Minas Morgul
- annexing Ithilien (which is heavily guarded by both Mordor and Hard)
- conquer Umbar (and if I do: hold it or destroy all its buildings)

I want this army to be a good investment and maybe some Gondor veterans can tell me the best place to strike.

If you can hold off the Harad stacks with your current forces you might use the extra stack to sack Umbar and hold it and then try to expand into Harad, or you can push them back from the front (across Harondor), whichever you find easy to do.

If corsairs arent a problem then use forces to stabilize the front (Retake Barad Harn) and eventually push them back.

[Red Viper]

Thanks for your answers!

For the last two posters:

Indeed it was not a good idea to retreat from Barad Harn, because they pushed right into Lindor area. Two armies (including the new army with Aragorn) defeated 4 stacks, but now have to be retrained.
In the meanwhile I've taken Goben Tolfalas and preparing to take Barad Harn ASAP. The city has grown and has 70% Dunedain culture, so it will be easier to defend.
Last but not least: my elite garrison at East-Osgiliath has fallen to a Nazgul with lots of Trolls. I lost Boromir, my best general, too. I've prepared an army to take it back but the question is if I can hold it. The economy has taken a big hit.

Big troubles ahead

[Taro_M]

I think you started off the wrong foot. For me the first primary objective is to bootle up Mordor by capturing Minas Morgul and Black Gate. It requires a lot of preparation, but if you manage to drag out the garrison by attacking other army then you do not need to worry about hard siege battle.

Once that is done you can solidify your position and either take over mordor or move south or north.

[Red Viper]

Funny that you mention that

What happened is that Sauron called an invasion on Minas Tirith. All armies started to focus on Minas Tirith so I could clean up in Lindon and take E-Osgiliath back. Also Henneth Annun was left alone and ready for the take. Now there is one big army in front of Minas Morgul, and I have an army of generals, upgraded militia and rangers ready to attack them and take Minas Morgul! I'm lucky because Emyn Arnen (?) is controlled by Mordor so Harad won't cross the border. If it all goes well I can try to march on the Black Gate, but I find Northern Ithilien with the bridge quite defensible. I only hope the economy will get on track soon.

Thanks for the advice on one of my most entertaining campaigns ever on M2TW.