Middle-earth Combat Strategy
At A Glance
- Take a look at some combat fundamentals in The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II.
Real-time strategy games can be intimidating at first, with the overwhelming number of decisions to be made, and made quickly. Fret not, young novice, these tips should hold you in good stead as you charge through both offline campaigns and online matches in The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II. For tips specific to online play though, check here. link
It's tempting to just watch, I know.
Don't Panic
Perhaps the most common problem among real-time strategy newcomers is the instinct to immediately panic when a large army comes rolling in. When faced with large numbers, don't freak out, select your entire army, and have them rush in without strategy. Instead, select individual units or small groups of units and set them against the enemy strategically.
Also, don't sit and watch the battle play out. Remember, it is important ot keep building units to replace the ones that are getting killed in battle. Always buy upgrades for your units, and don't forget to actively purchase the upgrade for each unit once it is available. They don’t' take place automatically, and they don't do you any good unless you're using them. Finally, never forget to use your powers during battle. Abilities like Heal and War Chant can give you a significant advantage. Make the most of it.
Build Smart
Building locations may seem arbitrary in the beginning, but they can be absolutely vital in surviving a full-on attack from a well built army. Try to keep your first buildings, especially the Barracks and Stables, behind your fortress so they're within the fortress' defenses. Build your farms away from any main road so they won't be targets to an invading army. If you have to put them in harms way, set up a guard tower or two for their defense. They'll also be able to warn you of impending attacks. Especially in the earlier levels, you should have a backup, secondary Barracks. If you are attacked and your first Barracks is destroyed, you'll need to get some more troops ready in a hurry. Build your secondary Barracks away from the rest of your base to make it less of a target.
You might want to steer clear of the rock throwing trolls.
Garrison Forces
There's nothing like giving your opponent a false sense of security. If they approach a sentry tower and see it undefended, they're likely to be lax about the battle, but if you've garrisoned two units there, you can surprise and overwhelm the enemy in a hurry.
Finish Tutorial
The manual for The Battle for Middle-earth II is scant, but that doesn't mean the game doesn't hold the requisite lessons needed to understand the game's mechanics. Make absolutely sure you go through all the tutorials, even if you've already played the game on the PC. The console controls are very specific, and you'll need to master every last layer of control to be successful, especially when playing online.
Always Upgrade
With two evenly matched armies pitted against one another, there is no doubt that the player that uses the most upgrades and unit abilities will be victorious. It's far too easy to sit and watch the battle and forget that those Warg Riders you sent out haven't used their Howl ability, or your Rohirrim cavalry is trying to take out pike-men with their swords instead of their long range arrows, or the tower you placed hasn't upgraded to Silverthorn arrows. The list of upgrades and abilities is nearly endless, but using them quickly and intelligently is crucial.
Take your time and pick your targets.
Heroes as a Boon
While the heroes available to each faction can inflict massive damage, they should really be used less for straight up combat and more for their abilities. Make sure they're fighting enemies alongside another friendly unit and not taking the brunt of the damage on their own. Also, watch their levels closely as you may unlock an important ability in the middle of battle. Watch for this, and use it your advantage.
Power Strategy
Purchasing and using powers judiciously can swing the momentum of a battle in an instant. That said, they're often easy to forget about in the midst of the carnage. After setting up construction on your first two buildings at the beginning of the match, make sure to open up the Power menu and make your first selection. You don't want to get caught off guard and have to waste time later making a decision. After each major encounter, remember to check your power points. Depending on how well you've done in combat, you can quickly earn enough points to pick a second power. Don't use your powers until you absolutely need to. Many of them have long refresh periods, so wait until a big rush, or until you make your last push, to bring out the big guns.
Class Strengths
Each unit performs best against one other specific type of unit, and whenever possible you should place them against those enemies. Nothing loses a battle faster than incorrectly pitting units against one another. Here's how this works (think rock, paper, scissors):
- Foot soldiers (e.g. Lorien Warriors) are best against pikemen.
- Pikemen (e.g. Mithlond Sentries) are best against cavalry.
- Cavalry (e.g. Rivendell Lancers) are best against archers.
- Archers (e.g. Lorien Archer) are best against foot soldiers.
Whether you're a long time RTS player or you're just getting in on the action, The Battle for Middle-earth II is a deep and complex game. The more strategies you've mentally prepared for, the faster you'll be able to respond to various situations. The more you're playing by instinct, the more you'll be on top of the game, especially once you take your game into the cutthroat head-to-head environment of online play.
Article by Ryan Treit
