Building the Ultimate Army in Shadow of War: Dominate Mordor

The key to building the best army in Shadow of War lies in strategic domination, training, and customization of Orc Captains. This involves exploiting their weaknesses, leveraging their strengths, and carefully managing their traits and skills. Mastering the Nemesis System is crucial, as it allows you to manipulate the power dynamics within Orc society and cultivate a force that is both powerful and loyal. Furthermore, focusing on specific unit compositions and strategically assigning them to fortresses will provide maximum defensive and offensive capabilities. Ultimately, the “best” army is one tailored to your playstyle, ready to tackle any challenge Mordor throws your way.

Mastering Domination: The Foundation of Your Army

Domination is the cornerstone of army building in Shadow of War. Simply killing every Orc you encounter is a missed opportunity. Every Orc Captain represents a potential asset, capable of becoming a formidable ally.

Identifying Potential Recruits

Not all Orcs are created equal. Pay attention to their traits and skills during encounters. Look for Captains with:

• Epic traits: These powerful bonuses significantly enhance their combat effectiveness.
• Useful strengths: Immunities to common attacks, enraged by certain conditions, or possessing powerful elemental weapons are all highly desirable.
• Manageable weaknesses: Every Orc has weaknesses, and some are easier to exploit than others. If a Captain’s weaknesses are easily countered or rarely come into play, they are still worthwhile recruits.

The Domination Process

Once you’ve identified a target, weaken them enough to trigger the domination prompt. Once dominated, you have several options:

• Recruit: Add the Captain to your army.
• Shame: Reduce their level and drive them away. This can sometimes lead to interesting developments later on, as they might return seeking revenge (or, surprisingly, wanting to join you).
• Death Threat: Issue a death threat to a Warchief, increasing the power and level of the Orc Captain who carries it out. This is a good strategy for leveling up promising recruits.
• Assign as Overlord/Warchief: Place the Captain in charge of a fortress or as one of its defenders.

Building a Diverse Roster

Don’t just recruit the strongest Orcs. A balanced army is a more effective army. Consider including:

• Archers: Provide ranged support and can target enemy weaknesses from afar.
• Defenders: Heavily armored and excellent at holding the line.
• Slayers: Powerful melee fighters specializing in single-target damage.
• Trackers: Stealthy and effective at ambushing enemy patrols.
• Beastmasters: Capable of summoning and controlling Graugs, Caragors, or Drakes.

Training and Customization: Honing Your Forces

Once you’ve recruited your Orcs, it’s time to refine them into elite warriors.

Training Orders

Training Orders allow you to customize your Orc Captains, adding new skills and abilities. Common Training Orders include:

• Bodyguard: Assign a Captain as your personal bodyguard, summoning them in combat.
• Gang of Archers/Warriors/Ologs: Grant the Captain a retinue of specialized soldiers.
• Mount: Give the Captain a Caragor or Graug to ride into battle.
• Elemental Weapons: Imbue their weapons with fire, poison, ice, or curse.

Leveling Up and Progression

Orc Captains gain experience by participating in missions and defeating enemies. As they level up, they gain new strengths and can unlock additional skills. Promote promising Captains by assigning them to missions and encouraging them to fight against powerful enemies. Remember to equip them with the best gear possible.

The Garrison and Gear

The Garrison is where you store your dominated Orcs and manage your equipment. Send followers here if you need to restructure your army, or if they have fatal weaknesses in a specific fortress. Also, ensure your followers have high level gear, which can be acquired throughout the game and improved using Mirian.

Fortress Management: Securing Your Territory

Capturing and defending fortresses is a crucial part of Shadow of War. The Overlord and Warchiefs you assign to a fortress directly impact its defensive capabilities.

Choosing the Right Overlord

The Overlord is the leader of the fortress and has a significant influence on its defenses. Consider these factors when choosing an Overlord:

• Skills: Certain skills, like immunity to executions or ranged attacks, can make a Captain a particularly effective Overlord.
• Traits: Overlords with traits that boost morale or strengthen the fortress defenses are highly valuable.
• Personal Preference: Choose an Overlord whose personality and appearance you find appealing, as you’ll be interacting with them frequently.

Warchief Assignments

Warchiefs act as the Overlord’s lieutenants and command specific areas of the fortress. Assign Warchiefs with complementary skills and traits to maximize the fortress’s defenses.

Fortress Upgrades

Invest in fortress upgrades to improve its defenses. These upgrades can include:

• Walls: Strengthen the fortress walls to make them more resistant to siege attacks.
• Towers: Add archer towers to provide ranged support.
• Gates: Reinforce the gates to prevent enemies from breaching them.
• Traps: Place traps to hinder the progress of attacking forces.

Exploiting the Nemesis System

The Nemesis System is the heart of Shadow of War. Understanding how it works is essential for building the best army.

Creating Rivalries

Encourage rivalries between your Orc Captains and enemy Captains. This can lead to increased power and level for both sides, as well as unique and engaging encounters.

Promoting Loyalty

Reward loyal Orcs with promotions and gifts. This will increase their morale and make them more likely to defend your fortresses and fight alongside you.

Dealing with Betrayals

Betrayals are inevitable in Shadow of War. When an Orc Captain betrays you, deal with them swiftly and decisively. This will send a message to the rest of your army that disloyalty will not be tolerated.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I increase the level cap of my Orc Captains?

The level cap for Orc Captains is tied to your own level. As you level up Talion, your Orcs will be able to level up further as well. Gear also plays a role in increasing their power level.

2. What’s the best way to find Legendary Orcs?

Legendary Orcs are rarer than Epic or Common Orcs. Increasing your Nemesis difficulty increases their chance to spawn, as does completing online vendetta and conquest missions. Using a Wealth Gem on a White Gem in your gear further increases Legendary drop rates.

3. Can I transfer my Orcs from one region to another?

Yes, you can transfer Orcs between regions using the Garrison. This is useful for reorganizing your army or reinforcing a fortress under attack.

4. How do I remove weaknesses from my Orcs?

Some weaknesses can be removed through training orders or events. Others are permanent. However, you can strategically choose which Orcs to assign to different roles based on their weaknesses.

5. What’s the difference between a Warmonger and Terror Tribe?

Warmonger Orcs excel in sieges and offensive tactics, focusing on brute force and overwhelming the enemy. Terror Orcs specialize in psychological warfare, utilizing fear and intimidation tactics to demoralize their opponents. Each tribe provides unique benefits and playstyles.

6. How do I deal with an Overlord who has too many immunities?

Overlords with many immunities can be difficult to defeat directly. Exploit their weaknesses with other Captains or use environmental hazards to your advantage. Remember to always check intel before starting an assault.

7. What are the benefits of assigning an Orc as a Spy?

Assigning an Orc as a Spy allows you to sabotage enemy fortresses before an assault. This can weaken their defenses and make the siege easier.

8. How do I prevent my Orcs from betraying me?

While betrayals are unavoidable, you can reduce the likelihood of them by maintaining high morale within your army, rewarding loyalty, and punishing disloyalty swiftly. Death threats towards rivals will make your follower feel closer to you.

9. Can I resurrect dead Orc Captains?

No, Orc Captains that have been killed are permanently dead. This is why it’s important to protect your most valuable Orcs. However, some can come back by cheating death.

10. How do I use the Online Pit Fights effectively?

Online Pit Fights are a good way to level up your Orcs and earn rewards. Choose Orcs with strong skills and traits, and equip them with the best gear possible. Study the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses before sending your Orc into the arena.

11. What’s the importance of elemental damage in Shadow of War?

Elemental damage can exploit enemy weaknesses and provide additional crowd control. Fire can set enemies ablaze, poison can slowly drain their health, ice can freeze them in place, and curse can inflict devastating debuffs.

12. How do I effectively defend a fortress against an online siege?

A well-defended fortress with strong walls, upgraded defenses, and capable Warchiefs is essential for withstanding online sieges. Utilize traps, archer towers, and other defensive upgrades to hinder the progress of attacking forces.

13. What’s the best strategy for attacking an enemy fortress?

Before attacking, gather intel on the fortress’s defenses, Overlord, and Warchiefs. Sabotage the fortress with spies if possible. Choose your siege upgrades carefully, focusing on breaching the walls and eliminating key defenders.

14. How do I farm Mirian effectively?

Completing daily challenges, destroying gear, and participating in online conquests are all good ways to earn Mirian. Wealth gems can also increase the amount of Mirian you earn.

15. Is it better to have a few very powerful Orcs or many moderately powerful Orcs?

The best approach depends on your playstyle and the specific challenges you face. A few very powerful Orcs can be devastating in single-target combat, while many moderately powerful Orcs can provide greater flexibility and crowd control. A balanced approach is generally the most effective. Ultimately, the optimal army is one that complements your skills and allows you to overcome any obstacle.