First, what is is a Grand Campaign? The Grand Campaigns are series of challenges based around events from the Lord of the Rings. Each campaign is split up into multiple challenges which (loosely) retell the happenings of the central event. These challenges will hopefully force you to play creatively in order to respect the restrictions that come with each. There are no complicated rules, all you have to do is make sure you respect the restrictions listed in each challenge. These will often vary from restricting the player to certain factions, certain units or limit what spellbook powers you can use. You are not obliged to complete all the missions or play them in any specific order, they are simply provided that way for your convenience. Grand Campaigns are initially hosted on the unofficial Edain Discord server but I'll also be slowly releasing them onto here for a wider audience. On the discord server, there are currently two finished campaigns and a third one currently being released.
Battle under the Trees
This Grand Campaign contains five missions centered around various scenarios of battles that could have been fought during the time Dol Guldur and Mirkwood were at war.
Pictured here: you slaying some creatures of darkness.
Not pictured here: your friend getting gobbled up by some spiders
Mission 1: Raids of the Balchoth
Indeed, by the time of Cirion (c. T.A. 2500) Dol Guldur controlled the Balchoth, a tribe of Easterlings who dwelt east of Mirkwood; often they made raids through the forest up to the Vales of Anduin, until they were all but deserted, until defeated.
Goal: Achieve victory while following the conditions.
Restrictions
- Player Faction: Lothlorien (Bottom Right)
- Enemy Faction(s): Hard/Brutal Mordor (Top Left)
- Allied Faction(s): None
- Map: Custom East Bight (Drive.google.com)
- Gamemode: Skirmish
- Ring Hero: Disabled
- Create a Hero: Disabled
- Starting Resources: 2k
Building Restrictions
- Units: No Beornings, No unit upgrades
- Heroes: No Radagast, Grimbeorn
- Buildings: No Beorning Homestead
- Spellbooks: No Aid from Dorwinion
Eyes that pierce right through your soul and a spear that pierces right through your stomach
Mission 2: A Growing Shadow
Sauron's arrival caused a darkening of Greenwood, and at this point, it became known as Mirkwood. The children of Shelob, giant spiders, as well as bats and orcs in Dol Guldur's service, occupied the forest and it became thicker, darker and covered in cobwebs.
Goal: Achieve victory while following the restrictions. You may play this map alone or with up to three players. Adjust allied Factions accordingly.
Restrictions
- Player Faction: See Map list
- Enemy Faction(s): Hard/Brutal Mordor (3, bottom row, Team 2)
- Allied Faction(s): Hard/Brutal Lothlorien (Remaining top slots, Team 1)
- Map (pick the correct one):
- Custom Mirkwood (1 player, Top Middle, Team 1) (Drive.google.com)
- Custom Mirkwood (2 players, Top Middle, Top Right, Team 1) (Drive.google.com)
- Custom Mirkwood (3 players, Top Row, Team 1) (Drive.google.com)
- Gamemode: Skirmish
- Ring Hero: Disabled
- Create a Hero: Disabled
- Starting Resources: 2k
Building Restrictions
- Units: No restrictions
- Heroes: No restrictions
- Buildings: No additional camps
- Spellbooks: No Blessing of the Lady of Light, Blessing of the Twilight Queen
Mission 3: Cornered on the Celduin River
Thranduil has been ambushed! On his way back from a raid he was engaged by dark forces from Dol Guldur and a special regiment from Cirith Ungol, wounded he had to fall back to a nearby camp. Reports of his dire situation soon reached you, with the forces you could gather you set out to aid him. Once arrived you find Thranduil cornered, surrounded on all sides by enemies. You must reach him and secure victory, if Thranduil’s Bastion falls, all will be lost.
Goal: Achieve victory without Thranduil’s outpost being defeated.
Restrictions
- Player Faction: Lothlorien (Bottom Left, Team 1)
- Enemy Faction(s): Hard/Brutal Mordor (Top Right)
- Allied Faction(s): Medium Lothlorien (Bottom Right, -15% handicap, Team 1)
- Map: Custom Celduin Rivers (Drive.google.com )
- Gamemode: Skirmish
- Ring Hero: Disabled
- Create a Hero: Disabled
- Starting Resources: 2k
Building Restrictions
- Units: No restrictions
- Heroes: No Thranduil
- Buildings: No restrictions
- Spellbooks: No restrictions
Mission 4: Assault on the Hill
On 19 March 3019 Thranduil repulsed Sauron's forces in a bloody battle under the trees and mounted a campaign to clear Mirkwood of Sauron's servants. Uniting with the elves of Lórien led by Celeborn and Galadriel, they assaulted Dol Guldur.
Goal: Destroy Dol Guldur while following the restrictions.
Restrictions
- Player Faction: Lothlorien (Bottom Left)
- Enemy Faction(s): 2 Easy/Medium Mordor (Team 1, -15% handicap) (Top Left, Bottom Right), Hard/Brutal Mordor (Team 1) (Top Right)
- Allied Faction(s): None
- Map: Custom Dol Guldur (Drive.google.com )
- Gamemode: Legendary Heroes
- Ring Hero: Enabled
- Create a Hero: Disabled
- Starting Resources: 4k
Building Restrictions
- Units: No restrictions
- Heroes: No restrictions
- Buildings: No restrictions
- Spellbooks: No restrictions
Are you scared yet?
Mission 5: Greenwood the Sick
Story
Victory! Victory! You have cleared the woods of Mordor’s shadow. But you are not done yet, this long war has wounded the forest, its power wanes and so does yours. Use the magic of the elves to reseed the forest and turn it back to the great green wood it once was. Be wary, what little forces of Sauron remain will try to stop you… if they stop fighting each other.
(P.S If your wine dresser dies, another one will spawn from the citadel after a little while. You can get more Wine Dressers by controlling additional outposts. Refuge on the Wood does not work on the summoned trees.)
Goal: Control 20 trees by planting them using the Wine Dressers.
Restrictions
- Player Faction: Lothlorien (Bottom Left)
- Enemy Faction(s): 3 Hard/Brutal Mordor (Top Right, Top Left, Bottom Right)
- Allied Faction(s): None
- Map: Custom Mirkwood (Drive.google.com )
- Gamemode: Skirmish
- Ring Hero: Disabled
- Create a Hero: Disabled
- Starting Resources: 2k
Building Restrictions
- Units: No restrictions
- Heroes: No restrictions
- Buildings: No restrictions
- Spellbooks: No restrictions
