Sanctum of Zigûr

* Level 1
* Level 2
* Level 3

"Now the lightnings increased and slew men upon the hills, and in the fields, and in the streets of the city; and a fiery bolt smote the dome of the Temple and shore it asunder, and it was wreathed in flame. But the Temple itself was unshaken, and Sauron stood there upon the pinnacle and defied the lightning and was unharmed; and in that hour men called him a god and did all that he would."
—The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

In his conquests and manipulations of the people of Middle-earth, religion has always been a key tool of Sauron. Whether it be convincing the Númenóreans to forgo the Valar and worship Melkor in their temples, or convincing those in the south and east of Middle-earth to worship him, Sauron's actions have induced zealotry and fear in those who would follow him.

The Sanctum of Zigûr is a unit recruitment structure for Haradwaith. It is limited to 1.

## Upgrades

**Upgrade Sanctum of Zigûr to Level 2 (A)** - Allows training of Hasharin Blades and researching Spirit of Zigûr. +10% faster build speed. Cost: 500.

**Upgrade Sanctum of Zigûr to Level 3 (A)** - Unlocks the Blessing of Belegûr ability. +25% faster build speed. Cost: 500.

## Function

The Sanctum of Zigûr can be used to recruit the following units:

 Hasharin Blades | Special

The Sanctum of Zigûr allows the following upgrades to be bought:

**Dark Worship: Zealotry (E)** - Allows Cultists to specialize in the Zealotry power. Modifier Type: Spell. Targeted enemy units are terrified for 3 seconds. Allies near them are healed and gain 25% armour for 20 seconds. Left click icon then left click on target units. Cost: 500.

**Dark Worship: Hearts of Fire (R)** - Allows Cultists to specialize in the Hearts of Fire power. Targeted friendly units permanently deal added fire damage with their attacks and to enemies that attack them. Grants 50% armour against fire as well. Can only be used in non heroic, non monstrous melee infantry. Cost: 400.

**Dark Worship: Spirit of Zigûr (T)** - Requires Level 2 Sanctum of Zigûr. Allows Cultists to specialize in the Spirit of Zigûr power. Zigûr Cultists summon the flames of Zigûr which burn everything in their wake. Cost: 700.

Lastly, the Sanctum of Zigûr has access to the following ability:

**Blessing of Belegûr (D)** - Requires Level 3 Sanctum of Zigûr and three full battalions of Zigûr Cultists. Sacrifice all cultists on the battlefield to summon the wrath of Melkor. Left click icon and then left click on target location.

## Strategy

The Sanctum of Zigûr is a powerful, yet perhaps, difficult to utilise structure for Haradwaith. The building is focused on its two units. The Zigûr Cultists are a supportive units, functioning similar to vanilla Angmar Sorcerers. While they can attack from a distance with fiery attacks, their main power is through their abilities, allowing them to disrupt foes, support allies both in the long-term and short-term, and use the power of Zigûr to burn their foes away. While they can't be used well on their own, owing to their vulnerability, they are effective when paired with an army. The Sanctum's upgrades allow for specialisations in their abilities, allowing a Cultist to focus on short-term disruption and healing (one of the only instant healing spells in the faction), long-terms buffs to units, or destructive power. The Hasharin Blades are another unconventional unit. They specialise in scouting and killing enemy heroes with their powerful attacks and strong abilities, as well as disrupting enemy units and buildings. Lastly, the Sanctum has the **Blessing of Belegûr** ability, which requires a number of Cultists to be sacrificed, but provides a powerful AOE strike on a target area for defensive purposes.