Lord of the Rings game shadow of war. The official announcement of “Middle-earth: Shadow of War” has taken place

in the world Middle-earth Shadow of War, five ancient burial grounds are hidden, inside which they are waiting for Talion legendary items from the Light Lord set. You just need to restore the lost poem - and the door will open.

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In the world of Middle-earth Shadow of War, five ancient burial grounds are hidden, inside which legendary items from the Light Lord’s set await Talion. You just need to restore the lost poem - and the door will open.

Collecting Ithildin

To restore the poem you will have to run well. In every area game world There are several Ithildins - words that need to be inserted into the missing places in the poem. They need to be collected, even if you know exactly the correct word order. You can't just open the door like that.

Finding Ithildin by chance is almost impossible: Talion sees symbols only with ghostly vision. You will have to clear all the Khedirs in the location, mark the Ithildins on the map, and only then go collect them. It's a long way to get legendary equipment.

Restoring the poem

Have you collected all the Ithildin in the area? Great. Go to the burial ground and get to the Ithildin door - now you will practice elven poetry. Your task is to arrange all the found words in the correct order, giving the poem meaning. Let's get started.

Ithildin Door of Minas Ithil

To get into the treasury of the Minas Ithil burial ground, you need to collect these Ithildin: Challenge, Home, Doom, Shadows, Righteous and Banners.

In dark Mordor, a dwelling Shadows,
Higher Banners, and our step is faster.
Righteous driven by the flames of anger,
We are fighting for the edge that once was Home.
Who will quit Call us? Stupid or brave
The one who Dooms to death?

Ithildin Door of Cirith Ungol

In Cirith Ungol you will have to reach six Ithildin: Infinite, Came, Light, East, Blade, Banish.

It seemed Infinite there will be darkness
What is uninvited into this world Came.
But Light The Lord rose like the sun:
From sunset to East it will come back
The shine of chain mail and Blade
Will expel darkness from the east - for centuries.

Ithildin Door of Nurnen

For the door in the Nurnen burial ground, Talion needs to get these Ithildins: Overcome, Cohorts, Gads, Ditch, Wounds, Mnili.

Let the enemy build walls and dig Moat deep,

Calls the animals and Gadov to the rescue,
Not Will overcome hordes that have no equal and never will.
Scary ones Wounds
We will inflict on those gloomy Cohorts,
What Thought hold back the light coming to Mordor.

Ithildin's Door of Seregost

To get to the treasures of the Seregost burial ground, Talion will have to find the following Ithildin: Rot, Shrouded, Poisoned, Fallen, Cunning, Fury.

Mordor Shrouded darkness, like a dead man's shroud.
A broken oath poisons itself forever Poisoned He.
In his lands Insidiousness with strife they stand on guard.
He is doomed to fade away in cold embraces fallen.

Soon, like a flame, Fury of the Light Lord
Will burn out all the decay and Rot, and the plain will bloom again.

Ithildin Door of Gorgoroth

In the Gorgoroth burial ground, as in all other locations, you need to find six Ithildin: Chainmail, Walls, Confident, Pouring, Wins, Darkness.

In the shadows and darkness hiding vilely, the enemy strives to defeat us,
But ours Walls If they don’t waver, the enemy will not succeed here.
Let him sharpen blades and arrows fiercely, Pouring there is evil and poison in them -
Expertly made Chain mail They will protect us from death.
Let the enemy Sure in his success, but he should know
That the army of the Light Lord is always Wins darkness.

Attention! This article contains many spoilers. If you want to enjoy the game's plot and find out all the possible endings yourself, we recommend that you close this page.

The plot of the game Middle-earth: Shadow of War

In the Legendarium of the Lord of the Rings, the interval between Gollum's loss of the One Ring and the Nazgul invasion of the Shire is described quite briefly. We don't know exactly what happened in Mordor at that time - and this opens up a lot of possibilities for the developers of Middle-earth: Shadow of War. What if Sauron had another arch-enemy whose unsung struggle and sacrifice saved Middle-earth?

Talion

The protagonist of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor returns. The captain of the Black Gate scouts, killed by the orc leader Black Hand, was not accepted by death itself: Talion found a way to take revenge on the murderers of his family and is now ready to put an end to the source of evil once and for all, challenging Sauron himself. Or at least die trying to make the world a better place.

Talion's life story is the story of a man who survived a terrible tragedy, but did not give up.

Talion's plan is simple and yet elegant. Thanks to the help of Celebrimbor, the former ranger forged a new Ring of Power, devoid of the shortcomings of the blacksmith's previous creations and not subject to Sauron. Perhaps the powers of the newly created Ring will be enough to unite Mordor under the banners of the Light Lord and destroy the evil of Barad-Dur forever?

Celebrimbor

The spirit of the elf blacksmith, who created the Rings of Power and was deceived by Sauron, lost, but did not leave until the end, still acts in concert with Talion. Celebrimbor, who during his lifetime raised Mordor to fight the Dark Lord and was defeated, was skeptical of Talion's idea to create a new Ring and lead armies to conquer Mordor.

Sauron executed all of Celebrimbor's relatives before his eyes, and then killed Celebrimbor himself with his own blacksmith's hammer. But Celebrimbor's fate was tied to the Ring, and he was doomed to exist as a ghost until it was destroyed.

And yet the elf decided to try. What if he really can't find peace without trying again to deal with the consequences of a mistake made several hundred years ago? With the new Ring of Power, Talion can exist separately from Celebrimbor, but, unfortunately, not everything is so simple. One very powerful being has his own plans for the Ring.

Shelob

The ring was taken possession of by the last child of Ungoliant, who appeared in Middle-earth even before Sauron - the spider Shelob, who appeared before Talion and Celebrimbor in the guise of an ominous beauty. Shelob was shown a vision: the army of the Light Lord, who defeated Sauron, did not stop at Mordor and conquered all of Middle-earth. The spider did everything to prevent this vision from coming true.

Mordor was not meant to win, and for the good of all Middle-earth, she managed to achieve a temporary stalemate between the Dark Lord and Talion.

Shelob returned the Ring of Power to Talion, but was never completely honest with her temporary allies. And yet, the child Ungoliant did not lie about one thing: she really needed to get even with the Dark Lord: Shelob and Sauron were old and close acquaintances. Shelob decided to kill two birds with one stone: neutralize the threat to Middle-earth and settle personal scores.

Sauron

The cunning Dark Lord, having lost the One Ring, does not give up hope of conquering Middle-earth. In Shadow of War, Sauron appears as a formidable figure looming somewhere in the background: the Nazgul ring-bearers who obediently carry out the orders of their master serve as conductors of his will. Without his Ring, Sauron is unable to leave Barad-Dur - this greatly simplifies Talion's task.

Sauron has armies, he has the Nazgul, but his true strength is that he knows the weaknesses of his enemies.

The Nazgul are strong, but Talion and Celebrimbor have an unexpected ally: the elven warrior Eltarial. An emissary of Queen Galadriel, she tirelessly hunts the Nazgul and tries to at least slightly delay the implementation of Sauron's plans, again and again throwing his soulless servants back to Barad-Dur.

Eltariel

The messenger Galadriel knows no mercy, but over time, Eltariel begins to wonder whether her task is feasible in principle. The Nazgul, expelled for a while, return again, as if nothing had happened, following the orders of their master. IN best case scenario Eltariel only holds back evil, preventing it from penetrating deeper. Is there a way to solve all problems at once?

She does not prevail in all battles, but even in case of failure, Eltariel manages to avoid death - and the hunt continues.

What Eltariel can't do, Talion can. With the help of the Ring of Power, skillful swordplay and such-and-such a mother, the ranger who stands at the head of the army manages to save one of the Nazgul from unlife. The subordinate ring ghost could have seriously helped in the conquest of Mordor, but Talion decided to save the ancient king from new torment. In vain.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War ending

Talion's humanism does not find support from Celebrimbor and Eltariel. Right at the site of the destruction of the ring bearer, a new alliance is created: Celebrimbor invites the elven warrior to become his new receptacle, take the Ring of Power from Talion, who has not lived up to his hopes, and together throw it to Sauron. A great idea, but Talion clearly didn’t appreciate it: five minutes before the conqueror of Mordor lies on a cold stone, bleeding and preparing to give up the ghost.

Die quietly and leave Middle-earth to its fate? Not today. Spurred on by Shelob's vision, Talion decides to take extreme measures and takes possession of the ring of the destroyed Nazgul. Now he is one of the ghosts of the ring, albeit retaining free will for the time being. The idea of ​​Celebrimbor and Eltariel was not successful; Talion will try to hold off Sauron’s attacks for as long as possible, buying time for all of Middle-earth.

Celebrimbor and Sauron, being equal in strength, fought in an endless battle on the top of Barad-Dur, turning into an unblinking fiery eye.

From now on, Talion fights Sauron from his stronghold, Minas Morgul. Sooner or later he will succumb to the influence of the Ring and turn into a Nazgul, but as long as the will of the ranger is strong, Middle-earth still has a chance. It will last just until the end of the fourth act. You can watch the true ending of Middle-earth: Shadow of War in the video below:

In a conversation about "Shadow of War" ( Middle-earth: Shadow of War), perhaps dominated by the question of how much loot boxes and microtransactions contribute to the experience (namely: none), but on the inside, this is a skillful, innovative and quite original game.

"Shadow of War" is based on the "Shadow of Mordor" Nemesis system, where any random enemy can kill you and rank up (during revenge missions and other confrontations between enemies). Now you recruit new orcs (recruited in-game or perhaps purchased from the vendor The Headhunter) and set them against a series of fortresses in need of capture.

You can assign spies to get ahead of some high-ranking warlords when the siege begins, deploy your friendly orcs to thin the ranks overall, and even call in others to act as active bodyguards in the game.

There's a lot to use here, but if you're going to Mordor, make sure you know how to get to the other side.

12. How to automatically select items

"Shadow of War" requires awkwardly holding R1/RB to select items or equipment. It's the same button as capturing orcs or activating missions, and it's... a little annoying, to be honest.

But there is nothing to be afraid of - there is a way to move around and select items, just like in any other game. Simply go to the character screen, then scroll down to the Wraith row and you'll see "Treasure Hunter" next to the four icons.

Grab it and that's it - when you go through items, they are added to your inventory. Of course, those four badges mean you'll need to level up four times to get the required points, but Treasure Hunter is a vital level that eliminates one of the game's biggest drawbacks.

11. Intentional death has its benefits.

The very foundation of the Nemesis system is based on the fact that Talion cannot die, and makes the orcs the regional antagonists, allowing them to collect abilities and armor to boot.

But this also has its benefits.

Let's say there's a special Orc with a specific skill set that you'd like to recruit. Set up a mission to trigger their arrival or search the world and then fail on purpose.

They'll immediately get a level/ability boost, some new equipment, and a new title, all of which you'll then get if you find them and defeat them in this new form.

Of course, it will be harder to fight, but there is no other way to level up your orcs so quickly, and although this may sound like an excuse, it is much more effective and quick way creating a strong army.

10. Return a stolen/broken sword (even in better shape)

I wonder why you can't delete your starting equipment in your inventory? This is because the game keeps it just in case the orc decides to break your new set.

In fact, during any encounter with a captain/warlord/overlord, it is possible to encounter an enemy who (if you are knocked down and left alive) will literally take your current blade and break it in half.

Even though you thought he was gone forever, find the new Vendetta mission that appeared with said orc and complete it.

After defeating a new enemy (don't recruit them), they'll drop the stolen gear again - thankfully with extra levels that match any upgrade they got to kill you.

9. You can assign several assassins to the governor

Tiny stats on the army screen - assigning orcs/captains to capture a warlord and assigning spies.

Shortly after you've dominated a certain Orc and given him a target, press the "Command" option on another and hover your mouse over the same Warlord whose days are already numbered.

After assigning a few traitors, start this mission and watch as your orcs reveal their true commands, draining the Warlord's health so you can get an easy kill.

8. How to use fighting pits effectively

Fighting Pits are one of the coolest features in Shadow of War - they're where your best orcs fight the game's random creatures, which only have AI controlled animations.

But while you can order any recently captured captain to infiltrate the upper echelons of the fortress as an assassin, you will always return to the same location (the fighting pits themselves) for the duel to take place.

To get around this, capture the orcs and lure them to your side, but wait to assign the mission until you are literally in place in the pit. Once you're there, click on the Army screen and then tell your orcs who's fighting who. A mission will appear nearby and you can start it.

Repeat this for all your captured orcs and you'll save a lot of time. Just remember: capture/dominate as many orcs as you need, then fight.

7. Only quests and killing the captain give experience

It's unclear how they made such a mistake, but Shadow of War literally forgets to tell you how the XP system works.

In other words, if you think you can roam the open world killing thousands of orcs and increasing your rank, then don't expect an increase in XP.

But there is the only ways Gain experience by killing the captain (found in the world) or through missions. Yes, killing Warlords and Overlords gives XP, but they are triggered from the map in the form of icons.

Note that story missions give over 10,000 XP once you get into the second act, so if you need to rank up your entire army, prioritize these missions and objectives. Your army's strength is equal to Talion's level, so sometimes you need to engage in battle, story, or whatever.

6. Ghost Vision reveals rats that give health

Recovering health is much more difficult in Shadow of War, mainly because there are no items that restore it and your meter will only regenerate to the gray part.

Basically the rats will spawn nearby once the health is low enough, so back away, hold circle/B and poke the little tiny heads.

5. You need to jam properly to ride Olog

It's a small but significant difference, although the game tells you that a stunned Olog will let you ride him, and it's not the circle/B button that will help. You'll get flattened while you're doing this.

It's best to wait until Olog starts attacking, a prompt will appear with a button icon above his head, and then press circle to stun him. Then press R1 / RB, and you will successfully mount the beast, now you can control it to clear the territory.

The same goes for missions where you need to “quietly kill” or “quietly dry out” enemies. "Shadow of War" just wants you to see the melee animations rather than take a long-range headshot.

Hopefully this will be fixed in post-launch patches, but just remember: it's probably not you, but the game being picky.

4. Power-ups and stones

These are two extremely important components of the game, and can be easily seen in the pile of menu prompts that make up the game's first act.

Gains: Perhaps when you take part in your first Siege or when you tell an Orc to kill another, you noticed the "Training Orders" option and found a couple of buffs there. Typically it's elemental damage, a troupe of extra orcs, or a special weapon change, etc. that the orc uses in each subsequent battle, but then... they disappear from the same equipment screen.

The reason is that these are additions locked in loots - equipment drops from the market that you can purchase with real money or gold coins that are given for daily tasks. Extremely useful: try to complete a few tasks before equipping your favorite Borgface The Stab-Lover with the best boosts.

Stones: You might think that they need to be collected again, first you want to spend some Mirian to open the necessary "gem" slots for each weapon, because they greatly affect the gameplay.

They work like this: (besides the fact that “red” = “damage”, “green” = “life” and “white” = “XP/recruitment level”) all stones of a lower level can be given to a higher one. You will need three first levels to create one second; three second for the third and so on. Therefore, there is no need to release the orcs who are collecting gems(indicated by white arrows on the minimap), kill them, and even if you get a standard stone, combine them all together in sequences for better buffs.

3. Distract the orcs with noise

The Distraction ability in Shadow of Mordor has been updated to no longer require you to aim at the Orc for the tooltip to appear.

Now, instead of looking to see who's ahead, just hold L2/LT and aim. Whether you're in Ghost Mode or Normal Mode, use this to create a triangle/Y noise distraction at the location your crosshair is pointing at.

A very useful thing for destroying Captains who have moved away from their bodyguards. This can also be used to lure out enemies if you're on that annoying mission where you can't be detected.

2. Orcs can serve as human shields

In normal combat, we all run out of supplies. And when the screen quickly fills with many orcs from different factions, hold R1/RB to grab one.

This can be done in any part of the group, then leave with the loot, and every other orc that strikes deals damage to him.

This is a great way to get out of trouble, especially if the captain can be grabbed without giving in. Take advantage of the chaos: when more bodies appear on the screen, hit your target and then take him away.

1. Instant dominance and recruitment of multiple captains

One of the deliberately designed disadvantages is the reduction of your nearby. Before you manage to dominate/recruit the captain when you hold circle/B, another enemy will almost always interrupt.

To fix this, use the Combat Drain ability (press X + O / A + B at the same time), which allows you to grab someone immediately, rather than after 5-6 seconds.

And if you combine it with Double Charge (an ability that allows you to take on two enemies at once), you can dominate two captains at the same time. Both game "rollers" will dissolve one after the other, and even if there are no captains in sight, grab a regular orc for backup.

May scare off new players due to the abundance of different menus and skills. To help beginners understand all this diversity, we have prepared a special guide that contains six key tips that will help you get into the gameplay faster and have more fun.

Automatic item selection

In Middle-earth: Shadow of War you will have to collect various items, which can drop from enemies, or simply lie somewhere on the ground. At first, there are no problems with selecting such items, but as you progress, this task becomes more and more difficult. To make life easier for gamers, the developers have added the ability to automatically select items to the game.

Unfortunately, in order for Talion to automatically pick up items, you need to level up the final ability in the Ghost tree. It may seem to you that this tree lacks useful abilities, but believe us, to make it easier for yourself, it is better to develop the “Ghost” skills first.

Customizing the User Interface

The user interface in the game includes a huge number of different tips and icons, which is why when fighting a platoon of enemies you can get confused and lose control of your character. Fortunately, you can customize the user interface yourself so that only the elements that are important to you are displayed on the screen.

For example, the buttons for blocking or dodging an attack (triangle or X) that glow in battle are redundant. The game already has a special function that, when you are likely to receive damage, lights up (red means dodge, and white means block) and warns you of danger, and therefore extra buttons are not needed for this mechanic.

Focus on story quests

The fastest way to unlock basic skills is by completing story quests. In addition, some skills can only be unlocked by completing one or another story mission, so focus on them first.

As you progress, you can also complete side quests, which basically help you get special stones faster to upgrade your weapons and armor. Of course, the story campaign in the game goes through quite quickly, but after it you will be able to more confidently and easily bring the army of orcs under your control.

Learn to quickly parry blows

Learn to quickly parry blows as quickly as possible. Try to block, dodge or parry an attack as soon as the corresponding warning lights up.

IN certain moment As you progress, you will encounter enemies whose attacks are impossible to parry. In this case, use evasion. In any case, when performing a series of combo attacks, think about your defense first. Don't think that you can always take one more hit before you take damage.

Orc commanders will often run away from you if they sense danger. In this case, you already have an advantage and finishing off the enemy in such a situation is always easier than in a battle with an entire army.

Get closer to the leaders gradually

At the beginning of the second act, you will be able to lead any leader in the fortress, from an ordinary captain to an elite leader. If you feel confident in battles, it is better to start with mid-level captains, gradually approaching the main leaders. After you capture several captains, the leader will lose some of his strength and will be easier to defeat.

If you suddenly fail in the battle with the mini-boss, you can always take a few hours to improve your skills and weapons, and then re-attack one or another leader. Do not rush to destroy the leaders, forgetting about the captains. Approach them gradually, making the army weaker from the inside.

Explore the area

Do not rush to complete all tasks at once in a critically short period of time. Explore the area, fighting random enemies along the way. Any battle will in one way or another affect the development of the character and the strengthening of his abilities. Just enjoy the passage, using all the mechanics invented by the developers.

Other guides

• Nemesis in Middle-earth: Shadow of War: how to capture fortresses, subdue orcs and kill leaders
• How to upgrade a swordsman in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - executions, finishing moves, counterattacks and critical hits
• How to decipher the verses in the burial grounds and get the Light Lord set in Middle-earth: Shadow of War? Solutions of all Ithildins
• Guide to runes in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - the best gems for weapons, armor and rings
• How to upgrade the "Ghost" in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - ice storms, blades and absorption
• How to upgrade an archer in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - all about ranged combat skills
• How to quickly earn a lot of money in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - money tasks, orcs with treasures, arena battles and other ways to get rich
• How to improve stealth in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - rogue skills and improvements
• How to fly dragons and ride caragors and graugs in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - all about leveling up the “Rider”

A clear indication of how difficult it is for humans and elves to get along with orcs.

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Hard times have come for the forces of good in Middle-earth... Yes, again, when was it ever calm in Middle-earth? Gondor is on fire, the Mordorian evil spirits are about to take Minas Ithil, and even the Nazgul are attacking this fortress - after all, there is a palantir in it, and Sauron really needs it. The garrison realizes that resistance is pointless, but gathers the last remnants of fighting spirit and holds on, desperately hoping for help.

Not far from this stronghold the main characters Middle-earth: Shadow of War a new Ring of Power has finally been forged. Only with his help can Minas Ithil be saved and Sauron defeated. But, as usual, it is not so easy to subdue him. A good place to start would be to take the Ring from Shelob... oh, don't ask. There is real horror going on all around, there are a lot of reasons for it, and again the semi-immortal company of Talion and Celebrimbor will have to disentangle it.

Game trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of War, filmed with the participation of actors.

Everything is the same

Released three years ago Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was a game of average merit. Her open world did not shine in either form or content, but was unconvincing story campaign and only the most patient of the same type of side effects went through to the end. But every first one admired the Nemesis system. She connected the protagonist and enemy commanders with invisible threads, and those with their relatives, creating unique events and stories. In the sequel, the developers promised to enhance the successful discoveries of the original and get rid of annoying elements.

Despite this, in the huge first act we, like a careless schoolboy, repeat the program of the previous school year. We are allowed into one of five seamless areas through which we walk without restrictions. We free the towers from Sauron's henchmen, examine the surrounding area in search of collectible objects and, of course, track down and kill enemy captains. Doesn't remind you of anything?

In the hunt for the leaders, Middle-earth also did not advance a single step. We again dive into the ghostly world to identify the enemy, or look for information about him in different parts of the map, after which we prepare to attack. We have many approaches to creatively shredding the enemy - but there is nothing new in them compared to Shadow of Mordor. Fans of battles can still fight with dozens of orcs, without a clear plan and knowledge of the weaknesses of their commander. Supporters of secret passage are still free to carry out sabotage in the ways familiar from the previous part.

Meetings with military leaders happen even against your desire. Some of the leaders move freely around the map, others are specifically looking for you. At the sound of clanking swords, commanders hanging around regularly come running. A couple of such reinforcements at the beginning of the game - and the chances of getting away alive are sharply reduced to zero.

Orcs who kill you traditionally move up the career ladder. Privates become captains, and experienced leaders receive senior status, and then legendary warriors. These are an order of magnitude stronger, they have at least one unique ability (self-healing, powerful attack, etc.), but the reward for killing them increases significantly.

True, it is not necessary to kill the offender yourself. He can be finished off by a relative or your online friend. In Shadow of War, orcs are much more actively at war with each other. Most of the secondary missions are devoted to their rivalry, and Talion often acts as a simple observer in them. However, no one forbids interfering in the showdown and killing everyone.

If you haven’t played the first part, the points listed above are unlikely to upset you - this is a huge scope for tactical possibilities! But for those familiar with Shadow of Mordor, the first act can be excruciating, having done these tricks hundreds of times before. Advice: just be patient, it will get better. In the meantime, enjoy the plot - it is much richer in events and unexpected turns. The sequel noticeably added to the coherence of the story and the production, without losing its connection with the original.

Everything is new

The promised improvements of Nemesis are visible even at the very beginning. They are hinted at at least by the levels of development of captains, just like Talion. The only difference is that they do not change without our participation. So, if an orc heard a threat from us, he will become proud and immediately gain a couple of levels. And the one defeated, but not killed, will be disgraced and lose the same amount.

Experience - key concept in Shadow of War. Talion's experience bar grows both in battle and after completing missions, tests, finding artifacts and other activities. We still get a skill point for each level, but the leveling system is completely different. Now abilities are sorted by type - ranged attack, taming animals, etc. In addition, each has three modifiers that enhance the skill or add a new effect.

Thanks to this system, the player can customize the character in different ways - and combat system thanks to this, it is transformed beyond recognition. In addition, modifiers can be changed even during battle, selecting combinations to suit the enemy’s weaknesses. Let's say your opponent is intolerant to poisons. We buy the appropriate modifier, and from now on the touch of a poisoned weapon will cause him terrible suffering.

The equipment system has also changed - now we equip Talion with everything from swords and bows to armor and cloaks (the latter are responsible for stealth). Where does all this come from? Yes, it falls from the same commanders, and the value of the item directly depends on the level and status of the deceased. By and large, that’s the only reason it’s worth chasing high-level psychopaths all over the map. And, of course, to test your strength.

Treasure orcs and other dangerous creatures sometimes also drop valuable items. Including gems - an alternative to the runes from the first part, which increases the performance of equipment. There are three types of such stones, each with five power levels. You can pump them up too. To do this, we combine three identical gems and get a pebble of a higher rank. This simplest technology gives a serious increase in health and attack power, and also replenishes your wallet.

Speaking of money. IN world Shadow of War silver myrians are still in use. In the local store, they are given chests with equipment (what exactly is determined by a blind draw) and comrades (more on them below). Rarer goods are sold for gold, that is, for real money. Good news The point is that micropayments are unobtrusive and easy to do without. Moreover, the developers claim that the player will sooner or later be able to obtain all “premium” items on his own.

You are my friend, I am your enemy

Those same captains turn from an uninterrupted source of equipment into valuable allies. An example from our playthrough: we recruited a morally broken leader with the help of the Ring of Power and sent him to the aid of an enemy commander - he was just about to fight a sworn enemy from the same garrison. At the appointed hour they came to blows, and when both were sufficiently weakened, we subdued them both. That is, with two actions we got three spies at once in the fortress that they were going to capture.

But even if you subjugate all the commanders (and there are nineteen of them) from one stronghold, this does not guarantee a successful assault. After all, at the next step of the hierarchy, the leaders are waiting for us - the orcs closest to the ruler of the fortress. Each of them is responsible for a specific defensive fortification: gates, walls or towers. Sabotage will not work here; the problem is solved by murder or recruitment.

But how to get to the leaders? The most difficult, but quickest option is to lure him out of hiding by killing the required number of his soldiers in a certain way. But then he will fight alongside his captain bodyguards. This leads to the second option: first eliminate the guards or replace them with your own proteges, who at the right moment will stab the leader in the back.

Ultimately, the more thoroughly you prepare for a siege, the more of your soldiers will reach the fortress gates. And similarly, the more commanders remain loyal to the forces of evil, the stronger the resistance will be. But, regardless of these variables, the tasks in each fortress are the same - capture control points and overthrow the ruler.

But you won’t be able to feast for a long time in the conquered fort - sooner or later the enemy will try to recapture it. Here you will have to show miracles of defensive tactics. You need to select improvements to protect the fortress, buy them for silver, appoint leaders and give each an area of ​​responsibility. Choosing a ruler wisely won't hurt either - and don't forget to invest in his guards, this investment will pay off handsomely. In addition, the commander can be quickly upgraded to Talion’s level by fielding him in the arena against AI opponents. The power of the fort will grow from the progress of the wards. Finally, when the attack begins, take your time to go beyond the walls. In addition to the obvious security, here you will have more time for maneuvers and decision-making.

However, even without defeat in a large-scale battle, it is very easy to lose everything in Shadow of War. Orcs are treacherous; a loyal comrade-in-arms may one day defect. And it’s not so bad if one of the military leaders, who now seeks revenge, recovers from the spell. It’s worse when the chosen ruler of the fort betrays you - you only have yourself to blame. This happened to us twice, and both times we had to recapture entire areas. Fortunately, in almost every fortress and region the game allows you to skip preparatory stage and immediately proceed to the assault.

Technically, holding fortresses is post-game content called Shadow Wars. After the end of the story, the armies of Sauron come for you and a full-scale war begins, with upgrading fortresses and military leaders and other joys of combat. This is exactly how the developers decided to respond to players’ complaints about the sudden ending of the first part. There really is a lot to do, and until the complete conquest of Mordor you can spend tens hours. Of course, if you don’t invest money in the game. It is in this part of the game that they gently begin to push you to buy premium chests with the coolest loot and allies. You can complete the game without them - as the developers said, you can get all these items without money. It will just take a few extra days. Or weeks. And buying premium chests will seriously save your time.

Why spend money if the final has already been completed? Very simple. Only correct passing the finale (that is, conquering all of Mordor) will lead us to the so-called real ending, which will connect the events of the game with the canonical text of The Lord of the Rings.