Spire of Sorcery

* Level 1
* Level 2
* Level 3
* Greater Blight

"Whence it came few could tell, and it was long ere even the Wise could discover it. It was the Shadow of Sauron and the sign of his return. For coming out of the wastes of the East he took up his abode in the south of the forest, and slowly he grew and took shape there again; in a dark hill he made his dwelling and wrought there his sorcery, and all folk feared the Sorcerer of Dol Guldur, and yet they knew not at first how great was their peril."
—Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, The Silmarillion

When Sauron came out of the East to abide in Dol Guldur, he corrupted the surrounding land with fell magic. Trees began to rot, wildlife grew fell and the dead of the nearby Barrows began to rise. As Sauron continued to experiment and gather his forces, nature around him suffered and the dead grew more numerous than the living. His greatest servants were no better, with witch-lords and spirits walking the bridges of the great fortress.

The Spire of Sorcery is a key structure for Dol Guldur. It can provide access to the faction's elite and heroic units, and is a powerful defensive tool against enemy hordes.

## Upgrades

**Upgrade Spire of Sorcery to Level 2 (A)** - Allows training of Harbingers of Shadow, Armoured Castellan and use of Blight. +10% faster build speed. (cost: 750)

**Upgrade Spire of Sorcery to Level 3 (A)** - Allows research of the Greater Blight upgrade. +25% build speed. (cost: 750)

**Greater Blight (T)** - Requires Level 3 Spire of Sorcery. Greatly increases the radius of the Blight passive. (cost: 1200)

## Function

#### Unit Production

The Spire of Sorcery can be used to recruit the following units:

 Armoured Castellan | Heroic

#### Abilities

**Dark Presence** - Nearby Dol Guldur units afflicted by Slow Decay are no longer drained over time, receive +15% damage and armour, and are healed by a small amount. Passive ability.

**Infestation (W)** - Requires a Spider Lair. Summons a temporary swarm of spiders around the structure that slows nearby enemies' attack and movement speed by 10% and deals minor damage to nearby enemies. Left click to activate.

**Necromancy** - Orc Hunters and Orc Gaolers may be turned into Risen Dead, fast moving shock-troops that do not suffer from the Necromancer's corruption. Also spawns Risen Dead to defend Dol Guldur structures. Passive ability

**Blight** - Requires Level 2 Spire of Sorcery. Enemy units surrounding the Spire take damage and turn into wraiths upon dying. Passive ability

## Strategy

The Spire of Sorcery is a key structure for Dol Guldur. It allows access to full battalions of Risen Dead, obtained by sacrificing the basic orc units of the faction. Risen Dead are fast, deal high damage and are immune to slow decay but have low health, and so are best used when combined with other, tankier units. However, the player must ensure that the Spire is protected as the ability to sacrifice units to obtain Risen Dead would be lost if the building is destroyed. The Spire itself can recruit two powerful units. The Harbingers of Shadow are strong swordsmen who are limited to three. With their abilities, they can deal continuous damage to structures, weaken the foes they strike and deal damage to units from a distance while also summoning wraiths. Armoured Castellans are singular heroic units. They are slow but deal high damage and have high health and armour. They can also improve the armour of nearby allied buildings while weakening enemy units.

The Spire of Sorcery is also a powerful defensive building (although expensive to build and level up). Like all Dol Guldur buildings, it is has **Dark Presence** to allow basic units to move around without the damaging influence of Slow Decay. The building is protected by individual Risen Dead and will automatically protect other Dol Guldur buildings by Risen Dead. These will attack nearby enemies. Last but not least, a Level 2 Spire is protected by a **Blight** effect that can be improved with **Greater Blight**. This will deal poison damage to nearby enemies. All those killed while affected by Blight will be transformed into wraiths that will attack nearby enemies. This, when paired with allied units, additional defensive structures and the Spire's own Risen Dead and Orc Hunter guards, can make a region very difficult to assault. However, the building can be taken down easily with enemy siege, especially ranged siege, and so the Dol Guldur player must be wary of this.