Azog

* Portrait
* Ingame

"If beggars will not wait at the door, but sneak in to try thieving, that is what we do to them. If any of your people poke their foul beards in here again, they will fare the same. Go and tell them so! But if his family wish to know who is now king here, the name is written on his face. I wrote it! I killed him! I am the master!"
—Azog

**Azog** was a great Orc, remembered for his cruelty, impressive size and brute strength. Likely an agent of Sauron, he became a prominent chieftain in the northern lands and a hated enemy of Durin's Folk.

Presumably, he was one of those the Dark Lord sent to make strongholds in the Misty Mountains and bar the passes between Eriador and the Anduin vales. When Thrór of Erebor entered theformer Moria to claim his birthright, he was captured and slain by Azog. The Dwarf-king's branded head was mockingly returned with a purse containing "few coins of little worth", as a warning to "beggars" who trespassed on the Defiler's domain. This event triggered Durin's Folk into avenging Thrór by mounting the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. In the final battle before the gates of Azanulbizar, Azog himself came forth and slew Náin. Drunk with apparent triumph, he was confronted and beheaded by a young Dáin Ironfoot, ending the war with a significant defeat for the Orcs. Azog the Defiler's realms were then maintained by his son, Bolg of the North, until the disastrous Battle of Five Armies.

**Azog is a campaign-exclusive enemy hero who appears in Battle of Azanulbizar. In past versions of the mod, he was the faction leader of Misty Mountains. To see the previous role and powers of this hero, please click "expand".**

## Abilities

**Level 1: Mount Warg Matriarch (M)** - Left click to mount/dismount Azog's enormous White Warg.

**Level 2: Head Hunter (T)** - Puts a price on an enemy hero's head, significantly reducing their armour and speed. Left click icon then left click on target hero.

**Level 4: The Defiler (I)** - Modifier Type: Leadership. Nearby Gundabad Berserkers gain +50% armour and immunity to fear and terror. Passve ability. Taints an area around Azog. Nearby allies earn extra resources per kill. Passive. Nearby units suffer -25% damage and -20% armour. Nullifies enemy leaderships. Does not stack with other debuffs. Left click to activate.

**Level 6: Sworn Vengeance (V)** - Azog temporarily gains +100% damage and +40% armour. Left click to activate.

**Level 10: Spawn of the Defiler (W)** - Temporarily summons Bolg and battalion of Horrors of Gram. Left click on icon then left click on target area.

## Strategy

Azog was the faction leader for Misty Mountains and was powerful in combat with his high damage and AOE attacks. He could be devastating against enemy heroes, first by debuffing them with **Head Hunter** and then dealing heavy damage with **Sworn Vengeance**. Azog had one of three methods of providing resources on kill for Misty Mountains, making him a useful support hero although not as powerful in that regard as some of the other heroes like Muzgash or Great Goblin. However, he was still useful to have in large battles due to his debuff on enemy troops with **The Defiler**. His leadership towards Gundabad Berserkers is powerful, allowing an already tanky unit to last even longer against the opponent's late game forces. Lastly, Azog could summon his son who is a powerful fighter in his own right, as well as a battalion of the faction's heroic unit temporarily.