The Road to Edain 4.0: Mordor, Part 1 news

Long has it been since we released our last update, but one does not simply walk into Mordor. The journey is long and difficult and new terrors are waiting...

"Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer,
and the one place we're trying to get to."

It is not surprising that Sam did not want to see the black land any closer. To be honest, Mordor has always been the ugliest faction of Battle for Middle-Earth. Of course, it was imaginable that the muddy orc-pits were a breeding place of the orcs, but what is the first thing you think of, when you hear „Mordor“? For sure, you won't think of these desolated barracks, but instead of a towering fortress of black stones and metal, a monument to the power of the greatest evil in Middle-Earth. And in Edain 4.0, this is what will be under your command as a Mordor player.

All buildings of Mordor have been completely redesigned and adjusted to the style of Sauron's dark fortress, Barad-Dûr. In the middle of the base, there will be your citadel with the symbol of the red eye at the top. In contrast to the citadel of Isengard, this one can't be upgraded, but it has four expansion slots for barricades, catapults and gate watcher statues. The orc-barracks replaces the old orc-pit but fulfills the same function. The siege-works and the troll-cage keep their basic layout, due to their animations, but they have also received new designs. The Tribute Post and the Arsenal are the new economy buildings for Mordor's base. Looking at the Tribute Camp, you can see supply caravans sent from Harad and Rhûn to prove their devotions for the dark ruler. According to Tolkien, such tribute played an important role in the upkeep of Mordor's war machinery, so it seemed a good idea to show this aspect of Mordor in Edain. The Tribute Camp reduces the cost of Mordor's heroes. In contrast, the Arsenal is one of the most versatile economy buildings in the game, because it reduces the cost of all of Mordor's upgrades – Fire Arrows, uncovering of the Nazgul and the Troll-weapons. This way, it supports a balanced strategy using all of Mordor's assets, while the Tribute Post and the other economy buildings on the settlements allow you to specialize more strongly.

Therefore, the player is able to build a Slave Farm on the settlements, where human slaves generate the food for Sauron's orc army under cruel supervision. This part of the economy is also based on the books. Sauron used many slaves on the fields of Nurn, the only arable part of Mordor. The farm reduces the cost of all orc units of Mordor. Of course, this has no effect for the free orcs, but it allows you to throw more archers, pikemen and overseers into the mix. In contrast to Mordor's base, the Slave Farm uses the old style of Mordor, consisting of seedy huts, being home for the miserable life of the slaves and orcs. The base should represent the headquarters of the dark lord, while the settlements remind the player that not all of Mordor consisted of imposant buildings. Sauron had other priorities than building comfortable homes for his servants. The alternative to the Slave Farm is the well know Slaughter House, reducing the cost of Trolls instead of orcs.

After long deliberation, we decided to make the three domains Cirith Ungol, Minas Morgul and Dol Guldur available on external build plots instead of in the base. For one, this simply looked better: The structures in the base all follow a new, unified style based on the Barad-Dûr, while every domain has its own design - a single Minas Morgul building would simply look out of place in the new base. Furthermore, the domains were always supposed to be supporting additions to the main faction, and in Edain 4.0 such supporting factions are generally placed on the settlements and outposts. Comparing the domains, we decided that not all of them are as good as the other. Therefore, Cirith Ungol, the weakest and most disliked of the three, is available on the settlements. It would never have won any competition against Minas Morgul or Dol Guldur offering some of the strongest heroes of Mordor. Besides the black Uruks, also the orc-hellebarders will be limited to 3, but won't cost any commandeurs points, therefore reinforcing Mordors army above the normal limit. Being an own unit, the hellebarders won't be just a variant of the Mordor's pikes, but having much stronger values.

On the outposts, Mordor can as nearly all other factions, build a citadel with three build plots. This is most effective options, if you want to create an enormous army, just build three orc-barracks and recruit endless amounts of orcs, or destroy your enemy with Mordors strong siege machines and trolls.

Alternativly, you can create the fortress of Dol Guldur or Minas Morgul. The design of Dol Guldur is completly based on the Hobbit movies, an abandoned, deadly ruin, with lots of dark secrets.

This fortress produces resources as well as troops, but none of them as fast as three single buildings on a normal outpost. Nonetheless, you get access to Khamûl, the Castellans and the spiders of Mirkwood, all being powerful additions to your army. Also you can train the improved orcs of Dol Guldur, having the same price as normal orcs, but dealing more damage due to poisoned weapons. Opposite to the current version, the orcs will be recruited directly at Dol Guldur, instead of improving the barracks with the influence of Dol Guldur. Our goal has always been that the player should not be able to build an army consisting only of domain orcs. But due to the new building system which has less build plots, all of Mordors barracks would be influenced by the domains quite soon, therefore standard orcs would disappear in the middle and late game. Being build-able directly in the fortress, the domain orcs will always stay a small part of Mordors army. Dol Guldur will have access to all the three kinds of standard orcs, which got all new designs from the movie. We know that the orcs look quite similar to Isngards Uruks, but that has been a similarity already existing in the movie. And we liked the new design far more than the old, outtimed models.

Minas Morgul works in a similar way. The player creates an enormous fortress on the outpost, giving access to all the three standard forms of Morgul orcs. Also, you can train the Morgul riders, which we upgraded to heroic units, so the single troop is much stronger, but they are limited to three. We really like this unit, because it adds a special flair to Mordors hordes, but Mordors army should consist basically of orcs, so an unlimited amount of Morgul riders should not be possible. Now, the Morgul riders are more rare, but also more dangerous. Symmetrically, we did the same with the castellans. They will be a limited heroic unit, too, which you will get in groups of three. So the one fortress gives access to elite infantry and the the other to elite cavalry.

Pardon, did I understand that right? If the domains are available on settlements and outposts, are they still depended on Sauron? No, we decided that it is difficult enough to capture and hold a settlement or even an outpost, so it would be far too much, if there were two requirements. But does that weaken Sauron's role in the faction, doesn't it? No again, Sauron's role for the whole faction will be even bigger. Nonetheless, we knew that Sauron needed a basic rework. At the moment, he forces the player to build many heroes, a strategy that was never intended by us. For 4.0, Sauron got a complete new and unique mechanic, which reinforces the varity of Mordor's playtime. But this is concept is big enough to get an own update. So, you will hear of us again, soon, when we present you Sauron in 4.0. And now we would like to read your opinion and feedback concerning the buildings and domains of Mordor.

Your Edain Team