Erebor Warriors

* Portrait
* Standard
* Upgraded (Blades)
* Upgraded (Hammers)

"Gimli: I wish I could muster a legion of Dwarves, fully armed and filthy.
Legolas: Your kinsmen may have no need to ride to war, I fear war already marches on their own lands."
—Return of the King

These stout, well-trained warriors make up the brunt of Erebor's standing army; many of these Dwarves were veterans of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. They were plunged into conflict again during the War of the Ring, when Sauron sent legions of Easterlings to attack the city of Dale and the Kingdom of Erebor. The Dwarves were resilient and endured the Easterling's siege for days until they rallied upon news of Sauron's defeat and drove off the invaders.

In Age of the Ring, Âzagh-baruk, or Erebor Warriors, are the basic swordsmen unit for Erebor, which are recruitable from a level 1 Hall of Warriors. They are also available to the Adventure: Durin's Folk subfaction, in which they are recruitable from a level 2 Hall of Warriors instead.

## Abilities and Formations

**Level 3: Natural Sprinters (W)** - Order Erebor Warriors to charge the enemy. Modifier Type: Buff. Warriors gain +25% damage and +25% armour for 10 seconds. Causes meta impact. Left click icon then left click on target.

## Upgrades

**Siege Hammers (R)** - When equipped, significantly increases damage dealt by melee weapons to structures. Research upgrade at Grand Forge to enable this upgrade. Cost: 400

**Dwarven Plate (T)** - When equipped, significantly reduces the amount of damage taken. Research upgrade at Grand Forge to enable this equipment. Cost: 300

**Khuzdûl Runes (C)** - When equipped, increases damage dealt by melee weapons. Research upgrade at Grand Forge to enable this upgrade. Cost: 300

**Thrór's Banners (V)** - When equipped, increases this battalion to level 2. Research upgrade at Grand Forge to enable this equipment. Cost: 100

## Strategy

Âzagh-baruk are the standard swordsmen unit for Erebor, they are more heavily armoured than Sulkhâ-bekhâz and so can sustain more punishment during combat. However, they are limited in speed which allows attackers to evade them and deal damage to Erebor's economy; that is, unless Âzagh-baruk take advantage of the Dwarven Mine tunnel system or speed buffs granted by Roäc, Balin and Arcah to keep pace with other units. They also benefit significantly from Glóin's Secret Ways ability which can instantly teleport them across the map. **Natural Tenacity** enhances the units' combat capabilities, providing a temporary boost in power while also allowing them to close short distances quickly, a very useful skill for such a slow but powerful early unit. Âzagh-baruk are unique in which they have access to two different weapon upgrades, they can only be equipped with one and they each serve different purposes: **Khuzdûl Runes** increases their damage in general so that they are more effective against elite units, whilst **Siege Hammers** significantly increases their damage against structures. Players can send in fully upgraded Âzagh-baruk equipped with Siege Hammers along with Battering Rams to quickly level enemy bases.

They are also available to the Adventure: Durin's Folk subfaction of Erebor. For this subfaction, they are more expensive and require a level 2 Hall of Warriors instead, but have improved health to compensate for the increased cost. They otherwise function the same as their standard counterparts.