Do the Shadow Wars Ever End? A Deep Dive into Middle-earth: Shadow of War’s Endgame
Yes, the Shadow Wars in Middle-earth: Shadow of War do eventually end, though the journey to get there can feel epic, grueling, and even… endless. The original game design presented a substantial grind after Act III, but post-launch updates addressed some of the initial player concerns. The core experience involves defending your fortresses against Sauron’s forces through a series of increasingly challenging sieges. While the initial version felt repetitious, understanding the mechanics, utilizing your captains effectively, and leveraging the right strategies will allow you to achieve the “true ending” that awaits at the end of Act IV. This culminates in a cutscene and lets you continue to explore the world.
Understanding the Shadow Wars
The Shadow Wars are essentially the endgame of Shadow of War. After completing Act III, you enter Act IV, which consists primarily of defending your captured fortresses in the regions of Mordor. This phase tests your skills in fortress management, army building, and tactical combat. Sauron will relentlessly attack, and you must repel his forces to protect your territories and ultimately progress towards the final, true ending.
The Original Grind and Subsequent Changes
Initially, the Shadow Wars comprised a large number of stages, requiring players to successfully defend a significant number of fortresses before reaching the conclusion. This design drew criticism for being repetitive and drawn out, prompting Monolith Productions to address these concerns.
Patches and updates streamlined the Shadow Wars, reducing the number of required defenses and making the overall experience more manageable and less grindy. The objective remained the same – defend your territories – but the path to the ending became more focused and less exhausting.
Infinite Shadow Wars: A Choice, Not a Requirement
While the main storyline and its true ending are finite, the concept of infinite Shadow Wars was introduced as a free update alongside the Slaughter Tribe DLC. This update essentially allows players to continue defending and expanding their territories indefinitely, even after completing the main Shadow Wars campaign. This mode provides a continuous challenge for those who enjoy the core gameplay loop of fortress sieges and army management.
Strategies for Conquering the Shadow Wars
Successfully navigating the Shadow Wars requires a combination of strategic planning, effective captain management, and solid combat skills. Here are some key strategies to help you emerge victorious:
- Fortress Upgrades: Invest heavily in fortifying your fortresses. Upgrade the walls, gates, and outposts to provide a strong defense against attacking forces.
- Captain Placement: Strategically position your captains in key locations within the fortress. Assign powerful bodyguards to your warchiefs and ensure that each warchief has a diverse range of strengths and weaknesses to counter different enemy types.
- Training Orders: Use training orders to enhance your captains’ abilities and equip them with powerful skills and traits. Exploit enemy weaknesses by assigning captains with complementary strengths.
- Garrison Management: Maintain a strong garrison of backup orcs to reinforce your defenses when needed. Rotate captains regularly to keep them fresh and prevent them from being dominated by enemy overlords.
- Exploiting Weaknesses: Identify and exploit the weaknesses of enemy captains and overlords. Use stealth attacks, environmental hazards, and elemental damage to gain an advantage in combat.
- Domination and Recruitment: Dominate and recruit powerful enemy captains to bolster your own ranks. Target captains with useful traits and skills that can enhance your fortress defenses.
The “True Ending” and Beyond
Reaching the end of the Shadow Wars in Act IV unlocks the “true ending” of Shadow of War. This ending provides closure to the main storyline and sheds light on the fate of Talion and Celebrimbor. While the exact details of the ending are best experienced firsthand, it offers a satisfying conclusion to their long and arduous journey.
Even after completing the Shadow Wars and viewing the true ending, you can continue playing the game. You can explore the open world, complete side quests, participate in online conquests, and even engage in the infinite Shadow Wars if you desire. The choice is yours to continue your adventures in Mordor for as long as you wish.
Ultimately, Shadow of War offers a rich and engaging experience that extends far beyond the main storyline. The Shadow Wars, despite their initial challenges, provide a compelling endgame that allows you to test your skills and strategies against the forces of Sauron. Whether you choose to pursue the true ending or embark on endless conquests, the world of Mordor offers plenty of opportunities for adventure and excitement. If you are interested in understanding the mechanics of gameplay and its implications you can check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does Shadow War last?
The length of the Shadow Wars depends on the version of the game and your play style. In the initial release, it could take many hours due to the numerous stages. Post-patch, with the streamlined defenses, it typically lasts a few hours, depending on your success rate in defending your fortresses. Losing sieges can extend the duration as you need to recapture lost territories. The end game has 20 fortress defense missions. They take 10-15 minutes each. So it’s maybe 3-5 hours long.
2. Does Shadow of War have an endgame?
Yes, the Shadow Wars constitute the endgame of Shadow of War. It involves defending your fortresses against Sauron’s forces after completing Act III.
3. Are the Shadow Wars infinite?
While the main Shadow Wars storyline is finite, there’s an option for infinite Shadow Wars. This allows you to continuously defend and expand your territories even after completing Act IV.
4. How many endings does Shadow of War have?
Shadow of War has two endings. One is after Act III, and the other is after completing Act IV (the “true ending”).
5. Is Talion a Nazgûl?
Decades after the events of Shadow of War, Talion eventually succumbs to the corruption of Isildur’s ring and becomes a Nazgûl, joining Sauron’s forces.
6. Is Shadow Wars canon?
While Shadow of War takes place within J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, it’s not considered entirely canon to the original works. It is intricately tied into Tolkien’s Legendarium in many ways.
7. What is the last battle in Shadow of War?
The last main story boss you face is Sauron himself. The final mission is called “The Bright Lord.”
8. How long does it take to 100% Shadow of War?
To achieve 100% completion in Shadow of War, expect to spend around 55½ hours. The main story takes about 20½ hours.
9. Can you retake Minas Morgul in Shadow of War?
Yes, you can retake Minas Morgul. This is a key part of the game and involves capturing control points protected by Orcs and a Nazgûl.
10. What is the max level in Shadow of War?
The maximum level for players in Shadow of War is 80. Gear and weapons can reach level 85, and certain Olog-broken weapons can even reach level 90.
11. Should I start over Shadow of War?
Restarting Shadow of War is mainly beneficial if you want to challenge yourself with a higher difficulty level from the beginning. All content is accessible in a single playthrough.
12. What happens if you lose a Shadow War siege?
If you lose a siege mission, you’ll lose control of the region. You’ll need to reclaim the area through offensive sieges to continue progressing in the Shadow Wars.
13. Is Shadow of War still grindy?
While updates have reduced the grind, reaching the true ending still requires dedication. The game offers many strategies to minimize repetitive tasks if players explore all options.
14. Who is the final boss in Shadow of War?
The final boss you fight is Sauron. This encounter happens in the “Bright Lord” mission.
15. Was Celebrimbor evil?
The game portrays Celebrimbor as a more complex character than in Tolkien’s books. He’s not necessarily purely evil, but his ambitions and methods are morally ambiguous. He eventually reveals his intention to overthrow Sauron instead of destroying him.