Théoden/Rohan

"Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed."
—The Return of the King, "The Ride of the Rohirrim"

Recruit Théoden, son of Thengel, King of Rohan. He is the father of Theodred and the uncle of Eowyn and Eomer. Initially, Theoden is under the spell of Saruman, poisoned by the words of Grima Wormtongue. If he is recruited, he won't be able to attack or level up and he will be followed around by Grima. To free Theoden, the player must purchase the  in the spellbook. Once freed from the spell, Theoden will wield his blade and be able to level up as normal.

## Théoden

* Portrait
* Ingame

### Voiced by

Movie Audio --- Bernard Hill & Brad Dourif

## Stats

### Health

3500

* Melee

### Speed

50

"Upon it sat a man so bent with age that he seemed almost a dwarf; but his white hair was long and thick and fell in great braids from beneath a thin golden circlet set upon his brow. In the centre upon his forehead shone a single white diamond. His beard was laid like snow upon his knees; but his eyes still burned with a bright light, glinting as he gazed at the strangers."
—The Two Towers, "The King of the Golden Hall"

Théoden the Corrupted cannot attack or gain experience, but all his abilities are available from the start. He is followed by Grima who will attack for him when he is threatened. He can seize the Ring and Grima will take the power and rule over Rohan.

### Abilities

 **Level 1: Theoden of Rohan -** Theoden may be weak, but he still inspires his people. Nearby units get +15% attack damage but are less resistant to fear. Grima Wormtongue follows Theoden around and whispers false words to him. Theoden the corrupted can't attack or get experience, but he is able to use all his abilities from the start. *Passive Ability.*

 **Level 1: Banishment to Exile (X) -** Grima's whisperings obscure Theoden's mind. An allied hero of Rohan is exiled, causing him to fight even more eagerly for his people, gaining +50% damage and +30% ability cool-down speed. If the selected hero dies he can only be revived once Theoden is freed from his spell. Cannot be used on Eowyn. Left click on the icon then left click on the target hero.

 **Level 1: Cruel Taxes (C) -** Grima convinces Theoden to raise cruel taxes without considering the fortunes of the people of Rohan. This devastates the country's economy. The chosen external farm gives twice as many resources for 3 minutes but is 30% weaker against attack for the duration. Left click on the icon then left click on the target building.

 **Level 1: Traitors of Rohan (B) -** Theoden listens to Grima's false advice and replaces his loyal subjects with deserters and spies of Grima. The selected peasant battalion is transformed into Traitors of Rohan. The Traitors are much stronger than standard peasants but cannot receive upgrades and will disappear from the battlefield after a couple minutes. Peasants are transformed into Traitors of Rohan (Swordsmen) and Farmhands are transformed into Traitors of Rohan (Pikemen) Left click on the icon then left click on the target area.

 **Level 1: Retreat! (B) -** Theoden orders his troops to retreat. For 30 seconds, all units around King Theoden can neither attack nor be attacked and gain a speed boost of 30%. Left click on the icon to activate.

## Théoden

* Portrait
* On Foot
* Mounted
* Armour
* Armour Mounted

## Stats

### Health

4500

* Melee
* Mounted

### Speed

110

"'It is not so dark here,' said Théoden.
'No,' said Gandalf. 'Nor does age lie so heavily on your shoulders as some would have you think. Cast aside your prop!'
From the king's hand the black staff fell clattering on the stones. He drew himself up, slowly, as a man that is stiff from long bending over some dull toil. Now tall and straight he stood, and his eyes were blue as he looked into the opening sky."
—The Two Towers, "The King of the Golden Hall"

Glorious Theoden can fight, gain exp and mount a horse once a stable has been built. He is recruited by purchasing the **Glory to the King** (4pp) spellbook power. If he is already on the battlefield as Theoden the Corrupted, he will undergo a transformation and Grima will die. If he has not been recruited before buying **Glory to the King**, he will become available in the Citadel (but for a much higher price; recruit him as Theoden the Corrupted to save money). He has a wide roster of abilities which enable him to fight as a deadly unit supporter.

### Abilities

 **Level 1: Mount/Dismount (Y) -** Theoden mounts or dismounts his horse, Snowmane. Left click on the icon to activate.

 **Level 1: Glorious King -** Nearby allied units gain +15% attack and +15% armor. Theoden's leadership ability improves at level 3, 5, 7, and 10.

* Level 3: Nearby allies are fearless
* Level 5: The bonus is +25% armor and +25% attack and Theoden is affected.
* Level 7: Nearby heroes benefit from the bonus.
* Level 10: The range of the leadership doubles *Passive Ability.*

 **Level 4: Hour of Glory (C) -** The hour of glory has begun. Allied units in the target area temporarily gain experience three times faster. Left click on the designated allied target units. Left click on the icon then left click on the target area.

 **Level 5: Herald of the King (V) -** Summons a Royal Herald. If Theoden is mounted the Royal Herald will be summoned on his horse as well. The Herald gives the same leadership as Theoden himself to nearby units. The leadership does not stack with Theoden's leadership, it only works in his absence. There can only be 3 heralds on the battlefield at the same time. Left click on the icon then left click on the target area.

 **Level 10: Glorious Charge (B) -** Theoden, nearby heroes and nearby cavalry take only 25% of normal damage. Theoden must be mounted to use the ability. Left click on the icon to activate.

## Ring Mechanics

### **Théoden the Corrupted**

"And ever Wormtongue's whispering was in your ears, poisoning your thought, chilling your heart, weakening your limbs, while others watched and could do nothing, for your will was in his keeping."
—Gandalf, The Two Towers, "The King of the Golden Hall"

* Portrait
* Ingame
1/2
Théoden succumbs to the venomous words of Grima and becomes his puppet. Grima takes control and Théoden follows him around like a passive creep. He cannot be freed as long as Grima has the Ring and must die before **Glory of the King** can take effect.

#### Abilities

 **Level 1: Grima's Puppet -** Théoden succumbs to the venomous words of Grima Wormtongue and becomes his puppet. The King's mind may not be his own, but he still inspires his people. All allied units on the map get +25% damage and armor, but are less resistant to fear. *Passive Ability.*

 **Level 1: Banishment to Exile (X) -** Theoden banishes a target friendly hero on the advice of Grima Wormtongue. Due to this, the hero becomes very grim and fights hard to defend their country, dealing +50% damage and recharging their abilities 30% faster. If the hero dies, they cannot be revived until Theoden is freed from Grima's spell. This ability recharges rapidly. Left click on the icon then left click on the target hero.

 **Level 1: Grima's Taxes (C) -** At Grima's behest, Theoden raises unacceptable taxes from the people, ruining their lives. The targeted external resource building produces triple resources for 3 minutes, but has half armor for the duration. Left click on the icon then left click on the target building.

 **Level 1: Grima's Traitors (V) -** Grima plants his spies everywhere in Rohan. Targeted peasants will become Traitors of Rohan, who are much stronger than ordinary peasants and remain indefinitely on the battlefield. Left click on the icon then left click on the target area.

 **Level 1: Retreat! (B) -** Theoden orders a full retreat on Grima's advice. All friendly units on the map become invulnerable and get a speed boost for 30 seconds, but cannot attack for the duration. Left click on the icon to activate.

### **Glorious Théoden**

"At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before."
—The Return of the King, "The Ride of the Rohirrim"

* Portrait
* On Foot
* Mounted
1/3
Once Glorious Théoden gains the Ring he will gain access to the powers of his ancestors; however, **every time he succumbs to temptation and uses the Ring, he loses speed and armor**. For every new upgrade to which he succumbs he loses 20% armor and 10% speed. His Ring palantir button replaces the **Herald of the King** power. He can choose any or all of these 4 upgrade:

#### Upgrades

 **Eorl's Wisdom -** The one ring promises Théoden knowledge and experience, thus he will go down in history as a wise King of Rohan. If Theoden doesn't resist and accepts this offer, he will directly reach level 10, but lose 20% of his armor and 10% of his movement speed. **Cost:** 0

 **Brego's Glory -** The One Ring promises Theoden the power to become as mighty a King as his ancestors. If Theoden doesn't resist and accepts this offer, his leadership will affect allies on the whole map, but he will lose 20% of his armor and 10% of his movement speed. **Cost:** 0

 **Helm's Strength -** The one ring promises Théoden the old strength of Helm Hammerhand, to once more fight glorious battles. If Theoden doesn't resist and accepts this offer, his attacks will get an area of effect and knock enemies back, but he will lose 20% of his armor and 10% of his movement speed. **Cost:** 0

 **Thengel's Legacy -** The One Ring makes Theoden fear for his own family and promises to protect them. If Theoden doesn't resist and accepts this offer, Theodred, Eowyn and Eomer will be invulnerable near Theoden, but Theoden will lose 20% of his armor and 10% of his movement speed. **Cost:** 0

## Upgrades

Theoden can receive one upgrade:

  **Glory of the King:** Theoden is released from the leechcraft of Grima and recalls his past glory days, gaining back his strength and courage. Theoden will now be combat-ready and will gain a new roster of abilities. For one minute, Theoden gains three times as much experience. Additionally, the bonus now grants every hero of Rohan +15% damage, 15% faster ability cool-downs, and 30% more experience.

This upgrade can be applied to him through the central Rohan spellbook power **Glory of the King** (4pp).

## Strategy

King Theoden is the main hero of Rohan—the undisputed ruler of the great land. When he first comes out of the fortress, however, you may notice that he is corrupted by the spy of Saruman, Grima Wormtongue. Possessed by a mix of Saruman's influence and Wormtongue's false words, Theoden has been twisted and aged far beyond his years, and he is unable to fight. Theoden cannot attack anything and is actually quite weak. At the beginning of the game, King Theoden is a defensive hero who has a vast array of useful powers that help your economy and your troops. However, it is recommended to upgrade him with the spellbook power **Glory of the King** (3pp) since this allows him to ride into battle. His leadership (also called **Glory of the King**) affects all Rohan units (and heroes after level 7), and his **Hour of Glory** lets them gain experience three times as fast. This earns Theoden his place as one of the best unit supporters in the game and should be accompanied by your troops to maximize their utility. Even in the case of having two armies, Theoden can send a herald with one of them using **Herald of the King**, granting those troops leadership bonuses. His **Glorious Charge** is perfect for accompanying cavalry during a base assault where enemy defensive towers might have otherwise decimated your forces. Used in the right situations, Theoden can be one of Rohan's most powerful heroes.

As a Ring hero, Theoden does not gain any immediate powers, but he does have a new set of abilities that can be activated. These are meant to be the whispers of the Ring, tempting Theoden into using its powers. King Theoden always has the choice of just ignoring the Ring, and he'll just stay as the same hero unit. But depending on the situation, it may be useful for Theoden to succumb to one or more powers of the ring, so as to aid him and his troops on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the Ring will be more likely to abandon Theoden since the more power he uses from it, the more it decreases his speed and armor, therefore making him steadily easier to hunt down and kill.