Vâh-rús

* Portrait
* In game

"Personally appointed by the shadowy Onyx Emperor, Vâh-rús has taken up high command of the legions sent to crush Sauron's enemies during the final campaigns, so that the Dark Lord may seize his control of all Middle-earth. Ruthless and cunning, Vâh-rús is a veteran of many wars, and has led his warriors from the front lines for decades, quelling uprisings and uniting his emperor's lands under his black banner."
—Age of the Ring Team

Vâh-rús is the overlord of the Easterling Legions that were sent West at Sauron's behest during the War of the Ring. He is under the command of the Onyx Emperor, a shadowy figure who has long maintained unchallenged authority over vast swaths of the Eastlands and reportedly answers directly to Sauron. While a capable warrior in his own right, Vâh-rús' greatest use to his emperor is his tactical brilliance and ruthless determination to lay waste to the West. It was Vâh-rús who led the assaults upon the Kingdom of the Bardings and the Lonely Mountain, a campaign he would have surely won had the Ring not been destroyed. It is unknown what happened to Vâh-rús after his armies were routed by the forces of Dáin and Brand, but it is assumed that he fell upon his own sword, as was often the fate of failed Rhûnic commanders.

Vâh-rús is the faction leader for the Adventure: Rhûn subfaction based on Mordor. He is recruitable from the Rhûn Fortress.

## Abilities

**Rân's Authority** - Modifier type: Leadership. Nearby allies gain +10% armor. At level 3, nearby allies gain +25% armor and damage. At level 6, nearby allies gain +50% armor and damage. Passive ability.

**Level 2: Weighted Blow (R)** - Vâh-rús performs a heavy strike against his enemies, knocking them back. Left-click the icon and then left-click on a target.

**Level 5: Warlord's Demand (T)** - Modifier type: Spell and active debuff. Targeted friendly units gain +33% damage and immunity to fear and terror for 30 seconds. Targeted enemy units suffer -25% armor and -25% damage for 30 seconds. Left click on icon and then left click on targeted units.

**Level 8: Onyx Emperor's Chosen (C)** - For 30 seconds, Vâh-rús gains +100% armor, immunity to knockback, and knocks back enemies in a radius with his attacks. At level 10, summons a battalion of Khân's Guard for 90 seconds. Left click to activate.

**Level 10: Curse of the Black Dragon (V)** - Targeted enemies are engulfed in mystical Dragon fire. Enemies outside the blast are inflicted with fear. Left click on the icon and then left click on target area.

## Strategy

Being the deadliest hero in the Adventure: Rhûn roster, Vâh-rús' abilities are structured to adapt to different phases of gameplay. He starts out primarily as a support hero for the other Easterlings, but gains increasingly deadly skills as he levels up to become a true terror on the battlefield. **Rân's Authority** provides damage and armour leadership bonuses to other Easterlings that become more powerful as Vâh-rús' levels up. **Weighted Blow** allows him to deal heavy damage to a high priority target such as an enemy hero and can also be used as a crowd control ability against enemy armies by knocking them back. **Warlord's Demand** is a powerful skill similar to King Dáin's **The Red Axe** that empowers the armies of Rhûn and weakens enemy armies at the same time, which can give the player the edge needed to win a major battle. **Onyx Emperor's Chosen** dramatically increases Vâh-rús' personal combat potential, making him much more durable and immune to knockback while allowing his basic attacks to continually disrupt enemy armies in front of him with knockback. It can also summon reinforcements of Khân's Guard at level 10. **Curse of the Black Dragon** is a devastating skill that highly rewards players who level up Vâh-rús to Level 10, allowing him to annihilate entire armies and buildings alike with a blast of dragon fire while inflicting fear on those who are still alive.

## Trivia

The name Vâh-rús is a reference to the Roman general Publius Quinctilius Varus, who is remembered for losing three Roman legions when he was ambushed by Germanic forces in the Teutoburg Forest.