Haven of Umbar feature - Divide and Conquer mod for Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms

Welcome to Third Age Total War: Divide and Conquer submod! As the current writer on the DaC Council, I am proud to present you with some long anticipated information on the new factions of DaC and the major changes to the vanilla factions. This bio is of the Haven of Umbar and their feud with the Númenoreans. All campaigns start in the Third Age 2980, 39 years before the events of The War of the Ring.

Gameplay Bio: It has been many years since Gondor drove the last of Castamir's descendants out of Umbar to their deaths but the bitter hatred of the Gondorains is as much aflame in the hearts of the Umbarians now as it ever was. Sauron's influence has grown in the southern lands and he mobilizes the mighty city for war and Haven-Master Qusay stands ready to act out any and all desires of the Dark Lord. The Corsairs are relish the chance to raid the lands of stone and their shipwrights begin construction at full pace, their smithies have sparked back into life and arms and armour are stored throughout the entire city. A revolution has begun and the corsairs will reclaim the lands they believe to be theirs!

In order to achieve his goals, Qusay calls upon every man of the city to serve on the ships and on the plains of Gondor and many answer the call. Boarding the ships with little to no armour but wielding deadly cutlasses, bows and pikes, the formations of the corsairs are eager to disembark and plunder all that they can. Despite their lack of armour, they have a blind courage that is fuelled by their love of war, chaos and pillaging and they will fight hard against their hated neighbours. Fearing that the heavy armour of Gondor will win the day against Umbar, Qusay has also commissioned the training and recruitment of some men known only as Castamir's chosen, they cover their faces in the battle garb of many Haradrim and they take to the field with crescent shields, heavy armour and a fine sword. They have yet to engage a single sole in combat but their freshness should not be mistaken for weakness as their ranks are made up of men taken solely from the ranks of Hasharii of Harad. They have spent years training with their heaviour armour and now the time has come to unleash them upon the north. They will not be alone, the battalions of the Belegaer Swordmasters, remnants of ancient Númenor, will march with them, wearing an armour equally as strong but wielding deadly claymores, they are the fist of Umbar and will see Qusay's will be done. Although Qusay answers to Sauron, his men serve only he, they will fight and die by his command, forsaking the commands of Sauron if their master commands. In order to combat the well equipped archers of the north, the Umbarians best hunters were formed into a makeshift ranger battalion many years ago and years of hunting in the heat of the desert had left these men incredibly hardy and pinpoint accurate; mistaking them for lowly hunters will be the last mistake any Gondorian makes. Their prowess in their few engagements has earned them the name Castamir's Rangers and they hold their name in high honour. Over time they began to creep northward and even came into contact with the Ithilien Ranger's ans after seeing their highly effective camouflage armour, the men of the Rangers crafted their own armour out of the same specifications; they now see themselves as the only true rangers and they have come to regard the Ithiliens as their sworn enemy. Whether or not Qusay decides to storm Gondor by sea or march through the wastes of Harad and cross at the river remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, the black sails of Umbar will be seen up and down the coasts of Gondor and the sight will strike fear into the hearts of the Númenorean descendants; the Corsairs have come!

Gameplay Tips: It is very advisable to use your superior ships and sail to any land that you see fit, your homeland is protected by Harad and yo need not leave men to defend it. The coasts are your battleground and every coast is a prime target...

The french translation is alvailable on Mundus Bellicus