Blogs - WoodlandGuard

The board is set, the pieces are moving - we come to it at last: the Elves of the Woodland Realm in Edain 4.

They have been released!

These are my first thoughts.

Unfortunately, as I already expected/suspected, the Woodland Realm has been severely marginalized. One can even choose to completely exclude them from gameplay, which adds insult to injury in my opinion. I believe that the current edition of the Woodland faction has been left severely lacking, and here are the first few reasons why:

• Absolute and utter number one on my list is the exclusion of the Woodland Guard on a permanent basis: it is not possible to recruit Woodland Guards permanently, only to summon them - and when one does this they are on the battlefield all too shortly and can hardly be used to make an impact
• The Woodland Realm can only recruit Tauriel in Mirkwood, which I believe is just another diminishing and marginalizing blow to the faction: making them smaller than they ever deserve to be made up as
• The Woodland Realm barely has any abilities or aspects of stealth, which I think is severely undeserved and completely unjustified: if there is one thing the Woodland Realm should be characterized by it is stealth and not including it is yet another condescending blow-off to the faction
• The Woodland Realm is further reduced to being Lothlórien's servants by giving Thranduil his armour through Galadriel's Gifts, as if this is really something that Thranduil would only come by through her
• When the Woodland horn sounds as part of the "Border Guard" summonings and Thranduil's Mobilisation Orders it is noticeably and unaesthetically cut off for absolutely no reason - I have two video examples which showcase the full version: one even better than the other - whereas Lorien's horn is sounded out 'til completion. As far as I'm concerned another diminishing and disrespectful blow-off

Shut The Gate! - Mod DB

Recall Your Company. - Mod DB

And now for the few positives there are, most of which I'd already listed in earlier articles/blogs:

• The Woodland Realm's citadel/fortress looks stunning, it's a shame you can't see more of it though
• The Woodland Warriors and Palace Guards look great, and are reasonably strong from what I've seen
• The Woodland Elkriders which I was opposed to originally are to my mind not exactly the biggest problem to be tackled - far from it - and do add a certain aesthetic to the Woodland Realm, though I still think Thranduil's Elk should be the only one in the game... But there you go: for now it adds some consolation and therefore my current verdict would be to let them go: the more Elks the merrier

There's still a lot of work to be done, and soon enough I will start submitting my comments and complaints to Edain's forum because it seems that is the only way things get done around the Edain Mod / Edain Team.

To be continued.

The Edain team of the Edain mod have largely got it right - as far as I'm concerned - where their units are concerned but there are still a few things to be said of their currently presented choices. I am going to recap my list of identified unit-types from The Hobbit Trilogy, and work in my comments / suggestions.

Units:

- Scouts [light armour, heavy stealth]
- Hunters [medium armour, medium stealth]
- Soldiers [heavy armour, light stealth]
- Palace Guards [heavy armour, medium stealth]
- Thranduil’s Guard [heavy armour, light stealth]

Of The Scouts:

The Scouts are seen in The Battle of the Five Armies briefly (theatrical release, as that's all we have for now) and can be found in the "Chronicles of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Art & Design"-book. In the film (and in said book) they’re glimpsed behind Thranduil in the ruined city of Dale, when he decides to leave with his people to avoid further losses. Of the Scouts is said (in The Chronicles of the Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Art & Design) “they would be agile and rely on their speed and stealth rather than armour. They’d be moving quickly and unseen, so lighter clothing was essential.” [paraphrased].

The Scouts, like the Hunters, carry shortbows and quite possibly daggers.
They can be seen doing so (carrying that shortbow) in The Battle of the Five Armies. The best idea'd be to have these units simply carry bows - no melee weapons - as their armour is light and their attacks would be ranged anyway. Giving them a power which involves speed and/or stealth power-ups'd be good I'd think.

The Edain team have not implemented any version of these units, which I think is a mistake - they are literally the scouts of the Woodland Realm, and are different to the Guards / Hunters. They are 'cheap' to recruit, and are the only unit to truly feature heavy stealth as a characterising / defining quality / skill.

Of The Hunters:

Known as the Woodland Guard(s), the Hunters are seen in The Desolation of Smaug capturing the Company of Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, and later chasing them down the Forest River while ridding the banks of Orcs. Of the Hunters is said (in The Chronicles of the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Art & Design) “the once-beautiful Greenwood has become Mirkwood, a dangerous and unpleasant place. While they hold the evil at bay in the Woodland Realm, their garments reflect the spiky and perilous nature of the forest. The distinction between armour, clothing and camouflage is blurred, outlines unclear, similar to the dappled sunlight seen in a dark wood. These Elves are shadowy figures – swift, invisible and deadly: far wilder and more dangerous than the stately immortals of Rivendell. Rather than aloof and serene they are edgy and almost predatory. Nonetheless their garments are incredibly detailed and elegant – a tight-fitting melange of metal, cloth and leather in patterns.

Their knives have reverse grips, held back against the wrists. They sport barbed arrows. These forms exist to develop a fighting style that is both flowing and jagged – like a deadly dance.”

The Hunters carry shortbows and wear daggers on their quiver which sits on their lower back. As far as I'm concerned it would be a very good idea to consider having these units have a power in which they switch to their blades for 30 seconds (or something like that) akin to Legolas' Knife Fighter - no boost in attack or speed, they'd make up for it in numbers.

The Edain team have implemented a version of these units, but have not included much information in their post about their version of the Woodland faction (or sub-faction) so there's not much more I can say.

Of The Soldiers:

The Soldiers are seen in The Battle of the Five Armies in various scenes and various forms - heavily armed and armoured, these are the go-to warriors of The Woodland Realm. Uniform for these warriors is their armour – which is golden – and clothing – which is red. They carry a variety of armaments in various combinations – split by battalion – among them:

- longbows
- pole-arms
- shields
- swords

I think the best idea for these warriors is to have them wield only one weapon - split by battalion - so there'd be multiple recruitment options wherefore they wouldn't be overpowered or overpriced.

The Edain team have implemented a version of these units, which I believe they have done quite well.

I think it'd be a good idea to have them add a lance-/pole-arm-carrying version of them, but that's it.

I'd like them to not be called "Mirkwood Archers" and "Mirkwood Swordsmen" as I think these names are rather crude and don't properly represent them in any form or way, but that's about all I can say of them.

Oh, and just in case anyone's thinking "well what would you call them then?": Woodland Warriors - split by battalion / type that would make "Woodland Warrior Archers", "Woodland Warrior Sword-masters" and possibly (if a version of such a unit was created) "Woodland Warrior Pole-arms" / "Woodland Warrior Weapons-masters".

Of The Palace Guards:

The Palace Guards are seen in The Desolation of Smaug generally guarding Thranduil’s Halls – “they conducted their business with all the regal pageantry of a proud imperial society”: their uniforms and weapons sporting a level of ornamentation befitting of their palace fortress – incorporating shapes, textures and patterns of the fungi, leaves and tangled roots of their forest. A balance between an organic, earthy quality and very considered and thoughtful graphic lines, casting a powerful, statuesque silhouette, the designs settled into a gradually desaturated green colour scheme evocative of the environment within which these Elves found themselves – a striking fan shape in the helmet and a veil under their eyes makes them imposing and shows off their indifferent superiority, making them unreadable and intimidating to outsiders. The Palace Guards carry a variety of armaments, in various combinations, among them:

- bows
- pole-arms
- shields
- swords

I'd think it'd be good to have two or three options for this unit. Have them wield only one weapon but make the different versions available. Two would have shields - one wielding a pole-arm and one wielding a sword - and a possible third would wield a bow. This version was shown in both the teaser and main trailer for The Desolation of Smaug (see below), but later omitted from the eventual theatrical and extended versions. The concept is there, however, and is not a large stretch by any means: we didn't see them in the film but we did see them in the trailers and it's very possible the Palace Guards picked up a bow now and again, especially when they can see what's coming from a mile away. I'd include them on that basis.

Generally I believe that these units should be semi-elite - in the line of the Guards of the Citadel the Edain team have implemented in their Gondor faction - and that their recruitment should reflect that.

In fact, that's what I believe would be right - have the bow-wielding version be Citadel-based only (as part of upgrades and such) and have the mobile, recruitable Palace Guards be able to switch between pole-arm and sword in the same style as Gondor's Guards of the Citadel.

The Edain team have implemented a version of these units - in the style of Gondor's Tower Guards - which I think is understandable. But given the stature and status of these units within the context of their actual position in the Woodland Realm, I believe their implementation could/should be reconsidered.

Of Thranduil’s Guard:

The existence of such a unit is only hinted at but one might expect the Elvenking of the Woodland Realm to have his own guard / unit when he rides out to deal with regal business – whether it be hostile or friendly would determine the form this guard would take but let us say that here we’re focussing on the version of this guard that accompanies him on hostile matters – and that this unit would be somehow set apart from the others in this faction. It is possible that Thranduil’s Guard is made up out of (at least some of) the same soldiers that guard his halls, however they do not necessarily take on the same form outside his palace fortress – this is certain at least of the Hobbit films and its accompanying background information (that is available right now) – so it does not make any difference to this explanatory statement: I’ll be assuming they look different to the Palace Guards and move on utilizing that assumption. How they would look is an interesting matter, but not one that is difficult to answer (in my opinion): I would imagine that they take on a similar form to the regular soldiers described above, but that their armour and weapons would match Thranduil’s in colours – a combination of black and silver – identifying them as his Guard and thus setting them apart. They might also serve as his Captains, as this is conceivable of a king's circle.

Update: I’ve now got proof for this theory. While watching The Battle of the Five Armies again I noticed four warriors behind Thranduil in his first scene in the film: the scene where his army is first seen and he rides into Dale on his elk – behind him are a few warriors clad in the same armour (the same design) as the battalions of soldiers seen stationed all around Dale, except their armour is silver and their capes/cloaks/robes black, like their king lord Thranduil. This theme is later on seen again outside Thranduil's tent, and when Feren (the horn-blower) is ordered to recall his company - a moment that confirms the theory (also confirmed in image 3 under Of The Soldiers - "We had officers' and standard soldiers' versions as well, which included some variation in colour" [of the helmets]) that Thranduil's Guard double as his officers and vice versa. ["Update" because I wrote the first part before I had concrete proof.]

The actual function of these units matches that of the Galadhrim and the Noldor Warriors. They carry two weapons - bows and swords - and can switch between them. They are the absolute elite - their armour and attack are both faster and tougher. Thranduil's Guard has an elite status, which is reflected in their recruitment and use: every time a unit levels up to 10 they gain a Captain, if said unit is one of the Woodland Warriors said Captain is one of Thranduil's Guards. These Captains will then become available at the Woodland Barracks. Once one has collected 5 of these Captains one can purchase one unit of Thranduil’s Guard.

The Edain team have not implemented any version of these units, which I think is a shame but a reasonably understandable oversight. I do believe, however, that they should be included especially as the Edain team are constantly looking to set factions apart from each other by including faction-unique elements.

To conclude, I shall focus our attention on the last unit in Edain's Woodland (sub-)faction: the Elkrider. The only Woodland Elf to ride an Elk (in the films, which is partially what that implementation is based on) is Thranduil, the Woodland King. All other scenes featuring Woodland Elves riding feature horses, as can be seen in the above scene as well as Legolas' riding scenes in both Trilogies. If the Woodland Elves are going to have riding archers they should be horseback riders, not Elkriders - the Elkriders are simply not justified.

The Edain talked about the Woodland faction being "more heavy and defensive" in the films, prompting them to tone down the stealth in their faction. Saying the Elves of Mirkwood looked heavy and defensive in the Hobbit-films is like saying the Elves of Lothlórien looked heavy and defensive in the Lord of the Rings-films - you're saying nothing, and I believe it is a mistake. The Woodland Scouts / Guards weren't heavy, the Palace Guards / Soldiers were. The Lorien Marchwardens weren't heavy, the Galadhrim were. They both have both light, agile, stealthy units and heavily armoured units. But most importantly, looking at the two films that feature the Woodland faction I have to wonder which films the Edain team were watching when they made their decisions - the Woodland Guard showed their stealth as well as their strength time and time again and the Woodland Warriors made their first appearance with their stealth as a defining quality of their appearance. I believe it yet another aspect of the Edain's Woodland faction that should be re-thought.

[Note: I'm going to continue to update this blog bit by bit - this is the initial draft I will expand upon at various later dates: keep an eye on this blog.]

Now on to an Edain 4-version of the Woodland Realm as a faction:

The Edain team of the Edain mod have already implemented a version of the Woodland Realm by taking the interior of Thranduil’s Halls and rendering it as the exterior – I would like to see something similar being created for a full faction, if this is the direction one wants to go in (the direction of the Hobbit-film-designers' vision). For quick reference / a reminder of that look: see below once again for a look at what I mentioned before - the Edain's rendition of a Woodland citadel in line with the films' design.

I have already outlined some ideas for a Woodland Citadel in one of my earlier blogs, however I will repeat it here in the context of the Edain’s construction followed by my ideas for the Outposts and Settlements of the Woodland Realm. For the Citadel I’d like to see:

The Throne Room: This will function as the citadel. It will be raised, as it is in the film. Various extensions to it will be available, which will also be raised – at various levels (as in the film). The heroes come down from here [are recruited here], the Realm is surveyed from here: this is the position of power. Palace Guards can be stationed permanently at the bottom of this building, by getting an upgrade available from the Palace Barracks. Mobile Palace Guard units can also be recruited from this – one of the extensions: the Palace Guard Barracks – nowhere else. For a look at the film's Throne Room see below:

The Palace Guard Barracks would be below the Throne Room, where the Palace Guards are.

It would be one of the extensions of the Throne Room. As said there’d be various extensions:

1.) The Palace Barracks: this is the barracks especially equipped for the Palace Guards
2.) The Palace Chamber: this is the private room of the king, its presence is healing to heroes
3.) The Palace Outlooks: these are the ‘watchtowers’ of the Throne Room – they come with Palace Guards armed with short bows, perched atop little platforms up high / dry
4.) The Palace Parlour: this is the reception room of the king, its presence boosts resources
5.) The Palace Staffroom: this is the room especially equipped for the king’s staff, its presence is healing to units within a certain radius and it is required for the construction of the Wine Cellars [more on these down below]

To elaborate / explain: the extensions are a combination of actively functional buildings and upgrades (which are not buildings as such, but do add a layer to the look of the Throne Room - something the Edain have already implemented in their Citadel of the Woodland Realm).

The Citadel is an important part of a faction, but it is only the centre of a Camp or Castle.

Now for what structures surround it:

The Stone Walls: On the outside of most Camps and Castles you will find walls. As the Elves of the Woodland Realm (of the film) live in Thranduil’s Halls, it goes without saying that they live behind stone walls – why not bring some form of those into the game? The walls would resemble the craftsmanship of the River Gate and doorway to the later-mentioned Outlook: they’d be made of bluish / dark grey stone that would segue into the later-mentioned gate (in the wall; not the River Gate) smoothly if/when necessary. It should be partially roughly hewn, to resemble certain parts surrounding the River Gate and the aforementioned doorway as well as the areas of rock surrounding the Front Gate (of the film) but should also show off the fact that they’re Elven after and before all - a combination of their refined nature and their wild nature: striking the right balance between them to really distinguish them as Elves of the Woodland Realm. The gates in the Castle walls are modelled after aforementioned Front Gate (of the film). It would could come with guards automatically, or it could be upgraded with them. The tops of the Castle walls are reasonably flat, and are modelled after the parapets we see on the River Gate (of the film) – archers can be stationed upon them, there’ll be secret stairs to them (inherent ‘postern gate(s)’, as they’re called) so as to get up there. The Camp walls will not include the parapets, like the other factions.

Front Gate

River Gate

Woodland Walls

Feren (the Horn-Blower)

Woodland Outlook

The ‘watchtowers’ of the Castle walls will be the Woodland Outlooks – the outlook is seen briefly in the sequence in which the Dwarven Company of Thorin Oakenshield are barrelling down the Elven Sluice towards the River Gate – we see Legolas and Feren (the horn-blower) run out onto it to sound the alarm and thereby alert the Guards. My idea for the Outlooks are basically a variation upon a watchtower: this clearly is the highest point we see the Elves of the Woodland Realm (in the film) use as a form of building – there is a bridge to it that leads out from a doorway which is reached by a flight of stairs coming down/up from somewhere within Thranduil’s Halls. I think it is a no-brainer to use this as their watchtower. The form it should take is a lone mound with a tree atop it, with the connecting bridge onto it coming from the walls within which shelter can be taken and stairs can be climbed to get up onto the Outlook. The Outlook is higher than the wall it is attached to, so cannot be climbed by Siege Towers and it is virtually impregnable (as it is a huge mound of solid rock). It comes with a Hunter (Woodland Guard) atop it. The Guard can be killed, and replaced – which one can do at the structure itself. The walls will have a Woodland (and even more invisible, I should imagine) version of the ‘postern gate’. They will not, however, be able to equip their walls with siege weapons of any kind – the Woodland Elves, like their counterparts, must do without them. Their walls, like their Outlooks, are almost impregnable as they too are large mounds of solid rock.

Both the Camps and the Castles are circular in shape – they offer a third (and final) variation upon this shape, after Gondor and Imladris/Rivendell.

Within these walls we find a small variety of structures:

Woodland Dungeons

The Dungeons: the second-lowest structure in the Camps and Castles, beaten only by the Wine Cellars (see below) – these structures serve multiple purposes: resources, security and wellbeing. They would have multiple levels. Level 1 offers minimal resources. The other levels can be attained over time (quite a long time), or can be purchased separately (for a handsome fee - 2 a lot, more for 3):

2.) The building emanates security, it boosts armour by a certain percentage
3.) The building emanates wellbeing, it boosts health by a certain percentage

The Dungeons, like the Throne Room, can be equipped / upgraded with Palace Guards.

The Wine Cellars: the Wine Cellars would be an open plan building, like the others will be – the spires seen in above and below images will remain, reminding us of both the original spires in the film and the huge trees they (could/might) represent but there’ll be no walls around the Cellars: they are like general purpose storage areas and will be treated so - areas with barrels and benches. The effect that they’re lower down in the halls of the Elves of the Woodland Realm will be created by the fact that so many other buildings will be at varying but higher heights than this area/building which will be at ground-level. The purpose of this place will be creating resources, on the basis that they are also general storage cellars that store goods to be traded between the Elves and the Men of Lake-Town (in theory) as well as the Elves of Dorwinion. Also this place will be like a public house, in that the Elves can get a drink there [see all the benches and tables, that’s what they’re for – among other things]. This will show in the area/building as there will be a calm but constant coming and going of Woodland Elves there to have a bite and a drink, or a chat with their fellows, which will give off the nice sensation of the Woodland Camps and Fortresses being an actual society – something which sometimes wasn’t stressed enough in the various former mods/versions.

The Wine Cellars are / will be the primary resource structures [PRS, if you will]. Their presence is important, their opportunities immense and their addition / ambiance irreplaceable – these, together with the Dungeons, are signature structures for the Woodland Elves, instantly recognizable from both book and film, entirely unique and classic canon all-round. The Edain have already pulled off impressive feats with their current version, I'm sure they could deliver more wonderful work if they attempted the above.

The Woodland Barracks: Woodland Scouts, Woodland Guards / Hunters and Woodland Warriors / Soldiers, as well as Thranduil's Guard are recruited at the Woodland Barracks. As stated above/below/later, the Palace Guards are not. This area will depict a few storage-spaces [based on the stacked storage we see in the Wine Cellars of the film], a Woodland Elven archery range with practicing archers and will double as an Armoury (which is basically inherent). There are / would be two buttons - one to open up the menu for the Armoury and one for recruitment. The Armoury will function as a forge (which is, again, basically kind of inherent): it will offer various upgrades at various levels - the levels can be purchased or attained through purchase of units or upgrades. The upgrades would be the following:

- Armouring: Allows Woodland Guards to purchase their armour
- Banner Carriers: Allows Woodland Units to auto-heal
- Barbed Arrows: Allows Woodland Units to purchase their arrow upgrades
- Equip Shields: Allows Woodland Warriors to purchase their shields
- Forged Blades: Allows Woodland Units to purchase their blade upgrades

Thranduil's Guard has an elite status, which is reflected in their recruitment and use: every time a unit levels up to 10 they gain a Captain. If said unit is one of the Woodland Warriors, said Captain is one of Thranduil's Guards. These Captains will then become available at the Woodland Barracks. Once one has collected 5 of these Captains one can purchase one unit of Thranduil’s Guard.

The structure will be found at a higher level than the Wine Cellars, so will be a raised area of semi-carved rock with semi-hewn tree-like pillars/spires (partially mentioned before) beneath it and upon it, hanging in mid-air (as these were depicted in Thranduil’s Halls of the film). See below for an example of said areas.

The Outposts:

The Outposts give you two options:

- An Elven Gate: based on the Elven Gate we see on the edge of Mirkwood (of the film) – to me it looks like this may have functioned as something at some point, apart from simply being a point of recognition (so you know where the Elven path into / through Mirkwood begins). It could have been populated by a guard or watch at some point. See the gate below. This could be a ground-level guarding building. It could have multiple levels, which have to be purchased separately or can be attained over time (slowly):

1.) The building generates resources, it additionally boosts command points
2.) The building emanates security, it boosts armour by a certain percentage
3.) The building emanates wellbeing, it boosts health by a certain percentage

The Elven Gate can be used to recruit Woodland Scouts and Woodland Guards.
The Elven Gate is not stealthed, and so can be attacked directly. It has reasonable health.

The Elven Gate

- A Woodland Outlook: this is the same as the afore-mentioned Woodland Outlook, with the exception that it’s not attached to a wall. The form it should take is a lone mound with a tree atop it, possibly with the connecting bridge onto it coming from some form of structure within which shelter can be taken and stairs can be climbed to get up onto the Outlook. The Outlook has a large field of vision, and a passive ability called Watch over the Woods which detects stealthed enemies in the area. It comes with a Woodland Guard atop it, which can be replaced as it can in the Castle-version

The Settlements:

- Concealed Lodgings of the Hunters: call it a hunting hut, it generates resources. Consists of two parts: a lower part set beside the base of a tree’s trunk and an upper part among the tree’s canopy which can be garrisoned with Woodland Scouts / Guards
- Concealed Shelters of the Woodland Realm: call it ‘storage’ – it boosts CP (like Gondor’s Pantry) and can be used as a refuge for units under threat, once inside they cannot attack but cannot be seen and so they can’t be attacked. Inside they will heal

Both settlements can level up – the higher the level, the higher the boosts – and do so over time. Both are always completely hidden. If attacked from the Concealed Lodgings of the Hunters, the attacked enemy units will understand they’re being attacked from the tree in which the lodgings house but they will not be able to see the structures so will not be able to attack them directly – taking them down will take more time, especially as the tree is strong. The look of the Lodgings’ huts should be of a dark wood, crafted into a kind of closed and slightly cruder version of what some of the huts of Caras Galadhon looked like (in the film). The look of the Shelters would be of a large tree, simply standing there. Where the lodgings are is left up to the imagination, which I find a wonderful resolution. The tree’s trunk is very wide, with the tree having a large canopy – they could be underneath, they could be inside it.

[Like previous posts, this article will continue to be updated bit by bit - this is the initial draft.]

The Woodland Realm In Edain Mod 4:

To recap: it is necessary [to me] to mention that the Edain team of the Edain mod have already implemented a version of the Woodland Realm by taking the interior of Thranduil’s Halls and rendering it as the exterior – initially I was not happy with this at all, beautifully done as it was, however I have come around to the idea (especially since I thought about it utilizing the aforementioned [in the previous blog] direction) and would like to see something similar being created for a full faction, if this is the direction one wants to go in (the direction of the Hobbit-film-designers' vision). Be aware that they have currently decided not to implement the Woodland Realm as a full faction - this rendition is part of the Woodland Realm sub-faction in support of Lothlórien. I will dedicate this blog to that issue. See below for a look at what I mentioned before - the Edain's rendition of a Woodland citadel in line with the films' design.

In order to separate Lothlórien from the Woodland Realm and create two factions, you need to replace Lothlórien's Outpost – it is currently occupied by the Woodland Realm, which I believe should be its own faction. I’m going to explain why I think it is more balanced, fair and reasonable to split the faction into two, and will utilize the factions of Gondor and Rivendell to make my points. To begin with I will offer up the following theory:

First off, for those of you who don’t know: Edain has decided to give Rivendell its own faction, a choice I agree with. However Rivendell is only one place, it is not a realm – therefore the folks at Edain have decided to make Rivendell (the place) the core of the faction and put the Rangers of the North (not big enough to be a faction) on their Outposts, with the Hobbits of the Shire functioning as their Settlements.

Rivendell Camp

Rivendell Castle

A Hobbit Farm

All of this is beautifully done, and is completely and utterly balanced, fair and reasonable. Rivendell had a strong alliance with the Kings of Arnor and after the fall of Arthedain it became a refuge for the Rangers of the North and the heirs of Isildur. The Rangers of the North roamed Eriador, within which Rivendell is set to the East and the Shire is set to the West. That's why the concept of the Dunedain for Rivendell’s Outposts is sound and completely understandable. This brings me to my main point – the difference between Rivendell, Lothlórien and the Woodland Realm. Rivendell, as I said, is not a realm. Lothlórien and the Woodland Realm (shocker) are. The same (balanced, fair, reasonable, sound, understandable) cannot be said for the "similar concept" of the Woodland Elves functioning as an Outpost for Lothlórien. "In the Second Age their king, Oropher [father of Thranduil], had withdrawn northward beyond the Gladden Fields. This he did to be free from the power and encroachments of the Dwarves of Moria, which had grown to be the greatest of the mansions of the Dwarves recorded in history; and also he resented the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel into Lórien. But as yet there was little to fear between the Greenwood and the Mountains and there was constant intercourse between his people and their kin across the River, until the War of the Last Alliance." As this game - and this mod - are set firmly in the Third Age it just doesn't make any sense to have them serve as a support faction for Lórien. It wouldn't even make any sense if it wasn't set in the Third Age but at least a/the link between the two would make more sense than this concept currently does. And it still wouldn’t be balanced etc. So here’s what I propose for the Elves of Lothlórien’s faction – the Outposts are the big deal: they need to be replaced if/when moving the Woodland Realm into its own faction – in order to do that you need a fitting concept. This is where Gondor comes in. Edain’s Gondor faction has two options for Outposts – Outposts (shocker) or a Fortress: a compressed, recycled version of the old Gondor Fortress now representing Gondor’s allied city / princedom of Dol Amroth, chief city of Gondor’s fiefdom of Belfalas. Using this template you could come up with a myriad of wonderful options for Lothlórien’s Outposts that are a much better fit than the Woodland Realm. Speaking of Dol Amroth: it’s another example of an Outpost done right – Dol Amroth was, as said, the chief city of one of Gondor’s fiefdoms. Similar to Rivendell’s Rangers of the North, it is completely reasonable to have them on their Outposts and similarly it is not comparable at all to the Woodland Realm.

Lothlórien Fortress

Edain offer up the following description of Lothlórien’s buildings in their mod: “In contrast to the other factions Lothlorien’s buildings serve several purposes at once: they produce resources, unlock units and research unit-/faction-upgrades…” – several of Gondor’s buildings, however, similarly serve several purposes. Another connection, another reason to look at implementing Gondor’s template for Lothlórien’s Outposts. Let’s get the Fortress-option out of the way first: Lothlórien’s Outpost-fortress should be some form of Edain’s Guard-Platform, but be more elaborate (like the large flet seen in Peter Jackson’s TLotR TFotR’s extended edition) with multiple Galadhrim archers on them. The Outpost itself – if a Fortress / Guard-Platform+ is not chosen – should be a Guard-Platform (the smaller version, seen in Edain’s Lothlórien Fortress) surrounded by three build plots. On these you should have the option to build solitary versions of Lothlórien’s Fortress-buildings (versions that differ slightly in their design, as they’re not attached to a/the Citadel), possibly attached to the Guard-Platform in the middle. This version would come to look like a smaller version of Edain's Lothlórien Camp, as seen below. This would also fit Lothlórien both lore-wise and film-wise, as that is how Lothlórien was - one or two big cities/settlements/towns, complemented by multiple Flets / Guarding Platforms spread around the forest realm. It's a no-brainer, as far as I can see.

That concludes my points concerning Lothlórien’s Outposts, though I do have one more thing to say where their Settlements are concerned – currently you would have the option to choose between an Ent-Moot and a Mallorn Tree. I don’t believe the Ents should ever be connected to any faction in any recruitment form, and that if they should be connected to any faction through a Spell book it should be Rohan only – as that is who they helped out indirectly when they attacked Isengard during the War of the Ring. Other than that they weren't involved in matters of Middle-earth - especially not through any alliance, or in the Third Age.

Translating the designers’ vision for the Woodland buildings is a bit less straightforward than the units could/would be, as it isn't plausible/possible/practical to render the Woodland camps / fortresses as giant underground caverns. How to interpret the film designers' vision in another way? The outcome all depends on which route you take through their art: it was written by Tolkien that before Sauron came to Greenwood and made his stronghold of Dol Guldur, that place was called Amon Lanc [lit. “naked hill”, as no trees grew atop it] by the Elves and it had been their capital under Oropher [the then-king of the Woodland Realm, which at that time encompassed the whole of Greenwood] until he decided they abandon it and move north. The Hobbit Trilogy gives us “the abandoned old fortress” [paraphrased] upon Amon Lanc – which is turned into Dol Guldur – which brings me to option 1: according to John Howe – one of the leading concept artists / designers on the Middle-earth films – there isn’t really anything known about the origins of the fortress, but his thoughts are that it could have been of Numenorean origin. I do not believe that it is – in Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, the following statements are made to it:

Long before the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Oropher – King of the Silvan Elves east of Anduin – being disturbed by rumours of the rising power of Sauron, had left their ancient dwellings about Amon Lanc, across the river from their kin in Lórien. [Author’s note on Oropher – see Appendix B to ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’: in one of the passages there cited Oropher’s retreat northwards within the Greenwood is ascribed to his desire to move out of range of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and of Celeborn and Galadriel in Lórien.]

As far as I know no mention is made of any Numenorean presence ever being had or made in Greenwood. One might however conclude loosely from the above that a Silvan/Sindarin presence was had upon Amon Lanc, and that the “ancient dwellings” do in fact include the basis for the fortress that is later erected by the Necromancer (a.k.a. Sauron). If so, then one could/should decide to combine the carven stone design elements from Thranduil’s Halls (in the Hobbit Trilogy) with the concept of ancient Silvan/Sindarin dwellings that might have been about/upon Amon Lanc to create a Citadel Fortress and Citadel Camps that reflect the inside of Thranduil's Halls. That decision will lead to an interesting array of elegant building designs that are renderable within The Battle for Middle-earth, as opposed to the inside of a cavern – which is not.

Option 2 is more straightforward than its counterpart, but equally exciting as far as I'm concerned. The differences in approach of design for this option are simple, for this version simply shows Thranduil's Halls - the Citadel - as a great mound of rock: it shows the outside of the 'building', as it does with every other building in the game/mod. Leading off of this you would have the Elven Sluice leading to the River Gate, and the Woodland Outlook (both pictured below / further down in this article), and surrounding it you would have a few of the buildings listed below. More on this option to come, however - stay tuned.

Whichever one you prefer, they both present an interesting alternative to Imladris and Lothlórien, as they did in the books and films.

Buildings:

- Guards
- Outlooks
- Stone Walls
- Throne Room
- Wine Cellars

Of the Guards:

My idea for this is not fully formed, however it does have multiple functions and a solid base: the idea is inspired by the multiple potential points of guarding and actual points of guarding seen in the Hobbit films. The first one we see is “the Elven gate” on the edge of Mirkwood – to me it looks like this may have functioned as something at some point, apart from simply being a point of recognition (so you know where the Elven path into / through Mirkwood begins): it could have been populated by a guard or watch at some point. See the gate below.

This could be a ground-level guarding building.

It could have multiple levels, which have to be purchased separately:

1.) The building emanates security, it boosts armour by a certain percentage
2.) The building emanates wellbeing, it boosts health by a certain percentage
3.) The building is armed with Woodland Guards that react to enemies within a certain radius

The second point we see is the Front Gate of Thranduil’s Halls, which is openly guarded. See below.

This could be a gate option for the earlier (and later) mentioned Stone Walls.

It would could come with guards automatically, or it could be upgraded with them.

The third point we see is the River Gate of Thranduil’s Halls, which is also openly guarded. See below.

The implementation of this point could take various forms, among them:

1.) We see the Palace Guards standing on top of the River Gate in the film, this form could be changed into another option for the aforementioned Stone Walls: the Parapet – a part of the wall modelled on the top part of the River Gate which sits on top of the wall along which Palace Guards are stationed (like they are in the image below, but facing outwards) / patrol. This function could increase the line of sight, and protect the walls from sieges
2.) An actual River Gate, not quite sure yet how this would be implemented but it could be
3.) This building could form the basis for a general purpose Woodland Barracks – the place where you’d recruit your units (apart from the Palace Guards), and possibly get upgrades [more on this will follow.]

The Woodland Barracks could be derived from the River Gate - it could be a solid stone building with the top being modelled after the parapet atop the River Gate, and the entrance being modelled after the River Gate itself (or rather the archway within which the gate is set). Also there could be big trees surrounding it, that are somehow part of or in support of the structure, as is seen in the picture above.

The Woodland Scouts, Woodland Guards / Hunters and Woodland Warriors / Soldiers, as well as Thranduil's Guard are recruited at the Woodland Barracks. As stated above/below/later, the Palace Guards are not.

The Woodland Barracks double as an Armoury (which is basically inherent). There are / would be two buttons - one to open up the menu for the Armoury and one for recruitment. The Armoury will function as a forge (which is, again, basically kind of inherent): it will offer various upgrades at various levels - the levels can be purchased or attained through purchase of upgrades. The upgrades would be the following:

- Ranking: All units that level up to 2 auto-heal, up to 10 gain a Captain
- Armouring: Allows Woodland Guards to purchase their armour
- Equip Shields: Allows Woodland Warriors to purchase their shields
- Forged Blades: Allows Woodland Units to purchase their blade upgrades

Thranduil's Guard has an elite status, which is reflected in their recruitment and use: every time a unit levels up to 10 they gain a Captain. If said unit is one of the Woodland Warriors, said Captain is one of Thranduil's Guards. These Captains will then become available at the Woodland Barracks. [More to follow.]

Of the Outlook:

The outlook is seen briefly in the sequence in which the Dwarven Company of Thorin Oakenshield are barrelling down the Elven Sluice towards the River Gate – we see Legolas and Feren (the horn-blower) run out onto it to sound the alarm and thereby alert the Guards.

My idea for the Outlooks are basically a variation upon a watchtower: this clearly is the highest point we see the Elves of the Woodland Realm (in the film) use as a form of building – there is a bridge to it that leads out from a doorway which is reached by a flight of stairs coming down from somewhere within Thranduil’s Halls. I think it is a no-brainer to use this as their watchtower. The form it should take is a lone mound with a tree atop it, possibly with the connecting bridge onto it coming from some form of structure within which shelter can be taken and stairs can be climbed to get up onto the Outlook. It could also be an option for an extension to the main building (the citadel), more on that later/below (under the header “Of the Throne Room”).

Of the Stone Walls:

As the Elves of the Woodland Realm (of the film) live in Thranduil’s Halls, it goes without saying that they live behind stone walls – why not bring some form of those into the game? The walls would resemble the craftsmanship of the River Gate and the aforementioned doorway to the Outlook: they’d be made of bluish / dark grey stone that would segue into the aforementioned gate (in the wall; not the River Gate) smoothly if/when necessary. It should be partially roughly hewn, to resemble certain parts surrounding the River Gate and the aforementioned doorway as well as the areas of rock surrounding the Front Gate (of the film) but should also show off the fact that they’re Elven after and before all - a combination of their refined nature and their wild nature: striking the right balance between them to really distinguish them as Elves of the Woodland Realm.

Of the Throne Room:

This will function as the citadel. It will be raised, as it is in the film. Various extensions to it will be available, which will also be raised – at various levels (as in the film). The heroes come down from here [are recruited here], the Realm is surveyed from here: this is the position of power. Palace Guards are stationed permanently at the bottom of this building, they can be recruited from one of the extensions – the Palace Guard Barracks – nowhere else.
The Palace Guard Barracks could be below the Throne Room, where the Palace Guards are.
It would be one of the extensions of the Throne Room. As said there’d be various extensions:

1.) The Palace Barracks: this is the barracks especially equipped for the Palace Guards
2.) The Palace Chamber: this is the private room of the king, its presence is healing to heroes
3.) The Palace Outlooks: these are the watchtowers of the faction, they come with Hunters
4.) The Palace Parlour: this is the reception room of the king, its presence boosts resources
5.) The Palace Staffroom: this is the room especially equipped for the king’s staff, its presence is healing to units within a certain radius and it is required for the construction of the Wine Cellars

Of the Wine Cellars:

The wine cellars would be an open plan building, like the others – the spires seen in above and below images will remain, reminding us of both the original spires in the film and the huge trees they (could/might) represent but there’ll be no walls around the Cellars: they are like general purpose storage areas and will be treated so - areas with barrels and benches. The effect that they’re lower down in the halls of the Elves of the Woodland Realm will be created by the fact that so many other buildings will be at varying but higher heights than this area/building which will be at ground-level. The purpose of this place will be creating resources, on the basis that they are also general storage cellars that store goods to be traded between the Elves and the Men of Lake-Town (in theory) as well as the Elves of Dorwinion. Also this place will be like a public house, in that the Elves can get a drink there [see all the benches and tables, that’s what they’re for – among other things]. This will show in the area/building as there will be a calm but constant coming and going of Woodland Elves there to have a bite and a drink, or a chat with their fellows, which will give off the nice sensation of the Woodland Camps and Fortresses being an actual society – something which sometimes wasn’t stressed enough in the various former mods / versions.

It is necessary [to me] to mention that the Edain team of the Edain mod have already implemented a version of this rendition by taking the interior of Thranduil’s Halls and rendering it as the exterior – initially I was not happy with this at all, beautifully done as it was, however I have come around to the idea (especially since I thought about it utilizing the aforementioned direction) and would like to see something similar being created for a full faction, if this is the direction one wants to go in (the direction of the Hobbit-film-designers' vision). See below for a look at what I mentioned before - the Edain's rendition of a Woodland citadel in line with the films' design. Be aware that they have currently decided not to implement the Woodland Realm as a full faction - this rendition is part of the Woodland Realm sub-faction in support of Lothlórien. More on that to come in the future. I will dedicate one separate blog on this issue.

[Like Part 1, this article will continue to be updated bit by bit - this is the initial draft.]

For my first iterations of blogs about possible Woodland factions I will be focussing on such a faction seen through the eyes of the concept artists and designers from the Hobbit Trilogy. I have combed through the currently available documentation of their vision (both in the Appendices and the books) and have come to the following version.

[Note: these suggestions will also be largely in line with the Tolkien books.]

Units:

- Scouts [light armour, heavy stealth]
- Hunters [medium armour, medium stealth]
- Soldiers [heavy armour, light stealth]
- Palace Guards [heavy armour, medium stealth]
- Thranduil’s Guard [heavy armour, light stealth]

Of The Scouts:

The Scouts are seen in The Battle of the Five Armies briefly (theatrical release, as that's all we have for now) and can be found in the "Chronicles of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Art & Design"-book. In the film (and in said book) they’re glimpsed behind Thranduil in the ruined city of Dale, when he decides to leave with his people to avoid further losses. Of the Scouts is said (in The Chronicles of the Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Art & Design) “they would be agile and rely on their speed and stealth rather than armour. They’d be moving quickly and unseen, so lighter clothing was essential.” [paraphrased].

The Scouts, like the Hunters, carry shortbows and quite possibly daggers.
They can be seen doing so (carrying that shortbow) in The Battle of the Five Armies. The best idea'd be to have these units simply carry bows - no melee weapons - as their armour is light and their attacks would be ranged anyway. Giving them a power which involves speed and/or stealth power-ups'd be good I'd think.

Of The Hunters:

Known as the Woodland Guard(s), the Hunters are seen in The Desolation of Smaug capturing the Company of Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, and later chasing them down the Forest River while ridding the banks of Orcs. Of the Hunters is said (in The Chronicles of the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Art & Design) “the once-beautiful Greenwood has become Mirkwood, a dangerous and unpleasant place. While they hold the evil at bay in the Woodland Realm, their garments reflect the spiky and perilous nature of the forest. The distinction between armour, clothing and camouflage is blurred, outlines unclear, similar to the dappled sunlight seen in a dark wood. These Elves are shadowy figures – swift, invisible and deadly: far wilder and more dangerous than the stately immortals of Rivendell. Rather than aloof and serene they are edgy and almost predatory. Nonetheless their garments are incredibly detailed and elegant – a tight-fitting melange of metal, cloth and leather in patterns.

Their knives have reverse grips, held back against the wrists. They sport barbed arrows. These forms exist to develop a fighting style that is both flowing and jagged – like a deadly dance.”

The Hunters carry shortbows and wear daggers on their quiver which sits on their lower back. As far as I'm concerned it would be a very good idea to consider having these units have a power in which they switch to their blades for 30 seconds (or something like that) akin to Legolas' Knife Fighter - no boost in attack or speed, they'd make up for it in numbers.

Of The Soldiers:

The Soldiers are seen in The Battle of the Five Armies in various scenes and various forms. Uniform for these warriors is their armour – which is golden – and clothing – which is red. They carry a variety of armaments in various combinations – split by battalion – among them:

- longbows
- pole-arms
- shields
- swords

I think the best idea for these warriors is to have them wield only one weapon - split by battalion - so there'd be multiple recruitment options wherefore they wouldn't be overpowered or overpriced.

Of The Palace Guards:

The Palace Guards are seen in The Desolation of Smaug generally guarding Thranduil’s Halls – “they conducted their business with all the regal pageantry of a proud imperial society”: their costumes and weapons sporting a level of ornamentation befitting of their palace fortress – incorporating shapes, textures and patterns of the fungi, leaves and tangled roots of their forest. A balance between an organic, earthy quality and very considered and thoughtful graphic lines, casting a powerful, statuesque silhouette, the designs settled into a gradually desaturated green colour scheme evocative of the environment within which these Elves found themselves – a striking fan shape in the helmet and a veil under their eyes makes them imposing and shows off their indifferent superiority, making them unreadable and intimidating to outsiders. The Palace Guards carry a variety of armaments, in various combinations, among them:

- bows
- pole-arms
- shields
- swords

I'd think it'd be good to have two or three options for this unit. Have them wield only one weapon but make the different versions available. Two would have shields - one wielding a pole-arm and one wielding a sword - and a possible third would wield a bow. This version was shown in both the teaser and main trailer for The Desolation of Smaug (see below), but later omitted from the eventual theatrical and extended versions. The concept is there, however, and is not a large stretch by any means: we didn't see them in the film but we did see them in the trailers and it's very possible the Palace Guards picked up a both now and again, especially when they can see what's coming from a mile away. I'd include them on that basis.

Of Thranduil’s Guard:

The existence of such a unit is only hinted at but one might expect the Elvenking of the Woodland Realm to have his own guard / unit when he rides out to deal with regal business – whether it be hostile or friendly would determine the form this guard would take but let us say that here we’re focussing on the version of this guard that accompanies him on hostile matters – and that this unit would be somehow set apart from the others in this faction. It is possible that Thranduil’s Guard is made up out of (at least some of) the same soldiers that guard his halls, however they do not necessarily take on the same form outside his palace fortress – this is certain at least of the Hobbit films and its accompanying background information (that is available right now) – so it does not make any difference to this explanatory statement: I’ll be assuming they look different to the Palace Guards and move on utilizing that assumption. How they would look is an interesting matter, but not one that is difficult to answer (in my opinion): I would imagine that they take on a similar form to the regular soldiers described above, but that their armour and weapons would match Thranduil’s in colours – a combination of black and silver – identifying them as his Guard and thus setting them apart. They might also serve as his Captains, as this is conceivable of a king's circle.

Update: I’ve now got proof for this theory. While watching The Battle of the Five Armies again I noticed four warriors behind Thranduil in his first scene in the film: the scene where his army is first seen and he rides into Dale on his elk – behind him are a few warriors clad in the same armour (the same design) as the battalions of soldiers seen stationed all around Dale, except their armour is silver and their capes/cloaks/robes black, like their king lord Thranduil. This theme is later on seen again outside Thranduil's tent, and when Feren (the horn-blower) is ordered to recall his company - a moment that confirms the theory (also confirmed in image 3 under Of The Soldiers - "We had officers' and standard soldiers' versions as well, which included some variation in colour" [of the helmets]) that Thranduil's Guard double as his officers and vice versa. ["Update" because I wrote the first part before I had any proof.]

The actual function of these units matches that of the Galadhrim and the Noldor Warriors. They carry two weapons - bows and swords - and can switch between them. They are the absolute elite - their armour and attack are both faster and tougher. They are the most expensive, and come in fewer numbers per purchased/trained unit.

[Note: I'm going to continue to update this blog bit by bit - this is the initial draft I will expand upon at various later dates: keep an eye on this blog.]

The Woodland Elves live in a darkened forest - the once-beautiful Greenwood has become Mirkwood, a dangerous and unpredictable place. While they hold the evil at bay in the Woodland Realm, this is only a small portion of the forest and most of the rest of it has been poisoned and twisted by the influences of the Hill of Sorcery - Dol Guldur - in the southwest. Skilled camouflage/stealth and a sense of having to be ready and wary while staying on the move really set this faction apart as something quite thrilling and entirely unique – it is the only proper realm which exists in this fashion, living directly under the shadow of the Necromancer (a.k.a. Sauron). These Elves are shadowy figures: swift, invisible and deadly - far more dangerous and wilder than their Wood-elven counterparts of Lothlórien or the stately immortals of Rivendell. Rather than aloof and serene they are edgy and almost predatory. Nonetheless their garments are incredibly detailed and elegant – a tight-fitting melange of cloth, leather and metal in patterns. They reflect the perilous nature of the forest. The distinction between armour, camouflage and clothing is blurred - outlines unclear - similar to the dappled sunlight seen in a dark wood. The Woodland Elves take inspiration from the forest's myriad textures and magical spiralling lines, evocative of their environment - no straight lines, graceful curves and a sense of camouflage channeled through ancient Elven craftsmanship. Their weapons also reflect this. Their forms and shapes are both flowing and jagged. Their military structure and style adapts to its surroundings. In the forest/woodland they're camouflaged, lightly armoured and loosely organized; out in the open they're visible, heavily armoured and tight-knit. Their only proper stronghold is Thranduil’s halls. Other than that they utilize camouflaged huts in/among the trees.

This is the introduction to a series of blogs I will be posting discussing the Elves of the Woodland Realm and their potential as a full faction in any version of The Battle for Middle-earth. Posts will be infrequent and few in number, but when I do post they will be oh-so-worth-it (at least I will think so, as that is my goal) so if you’re a woodland watcher make sure you keep an eye on this woodland way for I am sure I’ll make it worth your while someday. Until then. Way.