Fornost

"'Up away by Deadmen's Dike?' said Butterbur, looking even more dubious. 'That's haunted land, they say. None but a robber would go there.'
'The Rangers go there,' said Gandalf. 'Deadmen's Dike, you say. So it has been called for long years; but its right name, Barliman, is Fornost Erain, Norbury of the Kings.'"
—Homeward Bound, The Return of the King

After their failure in defending the Shire, the Dúnedain of the North retreated to the ruins of Fornost. Accompanied by the Dwarevs of the Ered Luin, it was here that they would make their last stand against the forces of the Misty Mountains.

Fornost is the fourth mission of the Dominion of Sauron campaign. It is recommended that this is played as Misty Mountains.

## Guide

**New Objective - Destroy all structures in the outer city**

The player begins with a force of Moria Orcs and Wargs led by Muzgash, Golfimbul and Urshak, as well as two Orc Tunnels, a Moria Orc Cave and a Ruin of Angmar. Begin by adding to your base and building up an army. In this mission, the player can build Mountain Giants from the Troll Lair to help destroy the fortifactions from a distance. The outer city is defended by Dúnedain, Bree-land Townsguard and Ered Luin Traders, as well as Dwarven Mangonels at the gate. It is up to the player for how they attack. A full-frontal assault on the gate is one option. Alternatively, the player can also use their trolls to breach the walls on either side of the fortress to avoid the gate defences. The Dúnedain will occasionally send out ranging parties to harass your forces. These can be easily taken out by your own cavalry. When assaulting the inner city, it is recommended not to stray too far north, as this will leave your forces in range of enemy Mangonels.

**New Obejctive - Destroy the castle's citadel. Destroy the Earth Hammer**

**Bonus Objective - Capture the Signal Fire**

Once the outer city has been taken, the inner city will be revealed. This region is more concentrated with enemy buildings, additional Dúnedain and upgraded Dwarven units, making it more of a challenge. There is also the Earth Hammer in the north-east of the map. This will be used after a 5 minute timer and can deal considerable damage to your base. It is recommended to focus on destroying this first. The inner city is protected by 3 gates in the left, right and center. The central gate is also flanked by two great towers. These can be destroyed which will lead to them collapsing, destroying the wall in the process and leaving a path open for your troops. However, this will also trigger enemy forces to start an attack from the center. The Signal Fire can be found in the north-west of the fortress and so the player must fight through further Dúnedain and Dwarven units.

The center of the fortress is the toughest to clear out. This is mainly due to the 4 heroes: Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad and Glóin. The Twins will retreat from the battlefield after fighting, but can still be a deadly force when working together. Halbarad and Gloin will fight to the bitter end. While Halbarad can be easy to take out, the tankier Gloin is harder, and it is recommended that you use your heroes to wipe him out. Continue using trolls and giants to destroy enemy structures, especially wells and towers. They can easily wipe out the citadel while Misty Mountains' hordes can distract enemy forces. Once the citadel is destroyed, the battle is won.