Large Middle Earth - Tharbad strategy

mattbarnes

Hey, I mentioned this before in another trail and the wisdom seemed to be that Saruman can/should capture Tharbad. However, in my P v P, the Freefolk seem readily able to concentrate on Tharbad and capture it without Saruman being able to interfere. Any thoughts please?

epinikion

hi,

i think if freefolk wants tharbad, freefolk will get tharbad. as freefolk is with no siege i use it in the north only to push angmar back in the cave and may be trade something around there. but angmar should fall to arnor with siege later. so yes i think freefolk will invest a good part of his income to take tharbad and more.

epi

gdhodder

@epinikion

Just started this map vs AI recently and I find Saruman taking Tharbad early never works. It costs too many troops, and no way you can hold it. The Freefolk have too many units and the strength/speed of the ranger is too much for Saruman troops to handle.

I usually take Lond Daer and Ost-in Edhil in or near round 1, and try to hold as long as possible until Mordor/Harad can clean up the mess Rohan/Freefolk will make of that whole region.

Lorien an Rohan with help from Gondor usually keep you busy protecting Isengard... and there isn't near enough left to hold off Freefolk, let alone push them back.

gdhodder

@mattbarnes
as a strategy against the AI, I have found taking Tharbad with the Orcs works really well.

gdhodder

I have been away from this game for a while.. but recently got back into playing against AI.

I tried a strategy for Saruman that includes taking Tharbad, and found one that worked well. It does require a LOT of help from other factions, and is likely not a good PvP.. but here it goes.

So on round 1,
Dol Guldur... one orc marauder blitz north and south undeep... draws some Lorien/Rohan attention which Rhun will clean up later.

Saruman... I take all the lands to the west of Isengard except Tharbad...

Orcs.. I attack Tharbad with 4 Warg and the Balrog for 1 or 2 rounds (depending on hits recieved).. this takes out all units and damages wall. I also advance 1 orc marauder to Cerin Amroth, Naith, Nimrodel, Limlight, North Fangorn... all other troops in Moria go to Methedras

Angmar... focus most forces towards Anor's Capital, and defending Mount Gundabad

Rhun... pretty much ALL calvary units and the 5 Archers clean up the neutrals to the west of Dorwinion.. and continue on into Rohan territory...

Round 2 forward
Dol Guldur purchase Uruk_swordsman and Snaga.. and work north to take out Northmen, Woodland realm and/or Dale

Saruman.. take Tharbad.. and every round you have it you MUST place 5 Urak Swordsman there.. and 3 in Ost in Edhill (orcs will need to 'block' the path for a Freefolk counter-attack at least 1 round)

Mordor focus Gondor.. (they or Harad can take by round 6) then continue west to clean up.. and North to take out Dale/Dwarf

Harad.. focus Gondor... take southern portions of Gondor and head west to clean up

Orcs.. focus force to taking Wellinghall and surrounding forest.. this weakens Rohan/Gondor/Lorien significantly, and Lorien isn't much of an offensive threat to Moria... defend Goblintown... and after Wellinghall area secure Saruman should be able to clean up the region, so focus to take out Caras Galadhon/Rivendell

Angmar.. take out either Annuminas or Thorin Halls or High Elves lands (whatever is easiest based on what AI defends).. this weakens Amor and gets Amor/freefolk defending on 2 fronts which helps Saruman and lessens pressure on Carn Dum

Rhun.. I purchase nothing but Axeman and archer or two here and there all game, and focus going north to pressure Dwarf/Dale from the South/East.. the calvary group carefully advances to Rohan territory to take out Gondor/Rohan troops and territory Wold to Edoras region.

Later rounds..
Once Tharbad is secure.. don't worry about Bree with Saruman.. go right towards the lands of shire and if all went well near Isengard you should be able to capture Edoras from Rohan about sametime Mordor/Harad take Minas Tirith .. (support from Rhun in attacking Edoras to weaken it) the bonus PU you get for those shire territories and Edoras are a huge boost.. and you may actually be the faction to take Bree and Annuminas as well

It's a cool strategy.. probabaly not for PvP, but makes Saruman, who is typically in survival mode all game, one of the most successful land/capital owners from the Evil faction.