Extra mission: Kill the Warchiefs | Main missions Middle-earth: SoM Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Requirements: You have to complete 5th main mission (Climbing the Ranks).
This mission is unique, because it does not start in a predetermined location. You can approach any of its stages as soon as you complete the 5th mission (Climbing the Ranks). Until you do all required activities, you are not able to unlock the 10th main mission (The Dark Monument). The mission objective is to eliminate 4 Warchiefs of Sauron's Army. One of them is killed in the 9th main mission (The Warchief). The other three you have to find on your own.
Warchief Hunt missions have randomly generated features. Namely, these are: each warchief's identity, their strengths and weaknesses, and the method to draw them out. To find out more about that, you are invited to read the guide's chapter Sauron's Army.
Once you complete the 5th main mission, there will appear yellow icons in random locations marking Warchief Hunt missions. Each yellow marker leads you to a starting location of a different Warchief mission. Since there are always more than three markers on the map (the number of Warchiefs you have to kill) you can select which one you want to do at the moment (or, e.g. after being defeated in one mission, leave it for now, instead of starting over right away).
The missions in which you have to lure out orc Warchiefs are very diverse. They may e.g. involve freeing caragors from cages, destroying grog stacks, taking enemy captains hostage, eliminating a group of opponents, or getting to viewing points unnoticed. Always carefully study the mission details and try your best to avoid detection by orcs. This is especially important, when the mission is set in a stronghold, because then orcs may sound an alarm, and bring in reinforcements, which may make it difficult to defeat the Warchief when he is finally out.
Completing mission objectives will cause an enemy Warchief to come, of which you will be informed by a short cut-scene.
Once the Warchief appears, you can start planning how to defeat him. First of all, I recommend opening the tab with details about the Warchief and learn about his strengths and weaknesses. Prior to that, you may decide to eliminate his bodyguards, thus making it impossible for him to call them for help.
Note - if you have not yet learned a Warchief's strengths and weaknesses, consider interrogating an orc-informant or obtaining intel in some other way.
After starting the fight, proceed the same way you did in earlier clashes with captains. Try using abilities that take advantage of a Warchief's weaknesses, and avoid attacks that may make him stronger or enrage him. Remember that this stage of the mission will only be completed, if the Warchief dies. So if you see him running from the battlefield, try to catch him and finish him off.
Note - In some cases, at the end of the duel it may be necessary to complete a mini-game, the same one as when Talion is trying to escape death. Move the cursor inside the circle and quickly press the button as displayed on the screen.
Note - Remember to collect runes left by killed Warchiefs, especially that there is a big chance that they may drop epic runes.
Keep on doing missions and attacking Warchiefs, until you kill all four (one during the 9th main mission). You may now return to doing standard main missions, starting with "The Dark Monument".