Fight | Hints LotR: War in the North Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

This is the most essential part of the game. While traveling across the regions of the North you will come across a lot of different enemies, but all of them can be divided into several groups:

• Archers - as the name itself indicates, they attack from a distance. Sometimes they are standing in inaccessible places. You need to take them out using a bow, a crossbow or magic missiles. They are only dangerous when they fight in a distance and when there are many of them. It's easier to evade their arrows by dodging frequently and running zigzagging. When you reach them, several blows will do to kill them.
• Weak and fast warriors - most often these are goblins. They always attack in big numbers and that's why they can be a threat. During the first chapters they can surely be dangerous but later on they will remind you of flies you just need to chase off. Using them it's easiest to unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Now for wrath, now for ruin! - killing four enemies simultaneously. Simply let yourself get surrounded and use only area abilities - e.g. Farin's Sweeping Attack (you must retreat when this ability is loading).
• Ordinary warriors - this kind of enemy is the most frequent. They use melee attacks and they're the most ordinary of all enemies who appear in the game. When they're alone they can be a threat when in large number, though they more often appear accompanied by other enemies, e.g. heavy-armored orcs. Use melee or ranged weapons and you shouldn't have a problem with killing them.
• Fast warriors with two weapons - they wield two weapons and the difficulty in fighting with them lies in the fact that they flood you with blows so fast that it's hard to even attack them. That's why it's best to fight them from a distance. Fighting hand-to-hand is recommended only when such a warrior is occupied with fighting with another character. You should absolutely use special abilities necessarily and don't let yourself get caught in a combination of blows - dodge quickly. These enemies are also quite tough.
• Heavy-armored warriors - they differ from ordinary warriors as far as the strength of their blows and a greater toughness are concerned. Also, their blows will knock your hero down almost each time. That's why you should be careful and dodge frequently. This type of enemy is an ideal candidate for Beleram to catch, if you have the his feathers, of course. There are several places in the game where you'll be attacked by such warriors. You will manage to deal with two or three of them, however, a larger number (when there are other enemies) is a real threat. Using special abilities is a necessity. Orc leaders are a different type - they attack in a similar way, as the first boss (Tharzog), but are weaker and less tough. Still, they can be very dangerous.
• Sorcerers - one could say they are a better version of the archers. They attack from a distance, and their magic missiles can wound you seriously. Sometimes they also surround themselves with a healing sphere through which no your missile can cross. However, in a hand-to-hand fight they are weak and it only takes a few blows to kill them. That's why whenever you notice a goblin or orc sorcerer, simply try to get to him as fast as you can.
• Trolls - these gigantic beasts attack with powerful blows, each of which will throw your hero away a few or more meters. They're strong, wild and tough, but at the same time stupid and slow. You have to master the art of dodging the blows when you fight a troll. Deal three or four blows, and then dodge right away. Observe the troll's behavior all the time - slash him when he's standing in one place and does nothing, and when he's about to hit - dodge at once. That's how the battle looks like. Further in the game you'll come across trolls who can throw stones and catch your character and then devour his/her head (unless you keep pressing the button at the bottom of the screen).

Aside from characterizing some specific enemies there are some general guidelines, which, if followed, not only make the fight easier but also allow your character to level up faster.

• Don't let yourself get surrounded. This is the worst thing that can happen to you in a fight with the enemies who use melee attacks. Your character, flooded with blows, will not be able to attack. Dodge as quickly as you can to get out of this situation. Try not to fight with more than two or three enemies at the same time.
• Perform critical hits. Look at the enemy with whom you fight. As soon as you see a yellow triangle appear over him, it means that by using a powerful blow you can perform a critical hit. Not only will you get rid of the enemy more quickly, but also you'll receive more experience points - it's the fastest way to get a lot of them (apart from completing quests). Performing three critical hits within 10 seconds will unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Sudden Fury.
• Hero Mode. After performing several accurate hits without getting wounded you will enter the Hero Mode. The more hits you perform, the bigger experience points bonus you will get after performing a critical hit. If you manage to perform a series of 50 hits (it's easiest when fighting a boss), you'll unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Relentless. Moreover, if you deal 1500 damage in a single melee attack you'll unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Fell-handed.
• Aim at the head. Not only will you unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Keen-eyed Marksman for killing 50 enemies with headshots, but also each such shot will deal more damage. If you are dexterous enough and have a good ranged weapon, then unlocking the [ACHIEVEMENT] Like a Thunderbolt (dealing 3000 damage with a ranged attack) will not be difficult.

As far as the remaining achievements are concerned, it's rather not possible to complete a playthrough without killing less than 600 enemies (well, you might try if you want to), so you don't need to worry about the [ACHIEVEMENT] Foe-hammer and the [ACHIEVEMENT] Bane of Mordor. Only during the first chapter (and it's best to do it during the second playthrough, in Hero Mode) you should let yourself absorb 25,000 total damage to unlock the [ACHIEVEMENT] Living Shield. You won't be able to unlock this achievement in any other chapter, while the following - [ACHIEVEMENT] Strength of Our Alliance - can't be unlocked if you're playing alone (you must kill one enemy together with two other players).