King Brand

* Portrait
* Bow
* Sword

"When the War came at last the main assault was turned southwards; yet even so with his far-stretched right hand Sauron might have done great evil in the North, if King Dáin and King Brand had not stood in his path."
—Return of the King, Appendix A

Brand was the grandson of Bard the Bowman and king of the Bardings in Dale. He shared a close friendship with the King Under the Mountain Dáin and so Erebor and Dale both prospered throughout their reigns. However, during the War of the Ring, Sauron launched a campaign not only against his enemies in the South but also in the North, including the Bardings and Dwarves. An army of Easterlings were sent to sack the Lonely Mountain and so the defence of Dale was commanded by Brand and Dáin. The attackers proved overwhelming and Brand fell at the gate of Erebor whilst holding the enemy off so that the defenders could retreat into the mountain; Dáin was also slain whilst defending Brand's body from the hewing enemies. News soon arrived of Sauron's utter defeat in the South, causing the Soldiers of Rhûn to falter and allowing Thorin III Stonehelm and the surviving defenders to rally and drive the Easterlings off.

King Brand is a recruitable hero for both the Reign of Ironfoot Erebor faction as well as the Adventure: Dorwinion subfaction of the Woodland Realm. In both cases, he is recruitable from the Fortress.

*For his temporary summon variant in the Ironfoot-era Adventure: Durin's Folk subfaction, see the King Brand (Adventure: Durin's Folk) page.*

## Abilities

**Toggle Weapon (W)** - Left click to toggle between bow and sword.

**Black Arrow of Dale (R)** - A precise arrow shot that reduces targeted enemy's armour by -25% for 30 seconds. At level 5, knocks targeted units back. At level 8, targeted units and heroes lose -25% movement speed for 30 seconds. Left click icon then left click on target unit

**Pommel Strike (R)** - A strike that deals increased damage. At level 5, knocks target units back. At level 8, targeted unit or hero is temporarily crippled. Sword must be equipped. Left click icon then left click target unit.

**King of the Bardings (T)** - Modifier Type: Leadership. King Brand gains +33% armour when near King Dáin. At Level 3, nearby Mannish allies gain +25% damage and +33% armour. Passive ability.

At Level 8, Brand can summon a battalion of Barding Outriders. Left click to activate

**Level 5: Mark of the Thrush (C)** - Enemies within the radius take increased damage from ranged attacks. Left click then left click on target area.

**Level 10: Descendant of the Dragonslayer (V)** - Bow must be equipped. Brand gains increased +15% attack speed, +100% damage, and +33% range. Brand does bonus damage against monsters and flying units. Lasts for 20 seconds. Left click to activate"

## Strategy

King Brand is a highly versatile hero that can attack in melee or from range thanks to his toggle; he is most suited to using his Bow however due to the fact that he can use his Black Arrow ability when it is equipped and can be used to support the powerful Barding Longbowmen. The Black Arrow is a versatile ability, capable of being used to weaken strong enemies or to deal damage to clumps of weaker foes. **Pommel Strike** can be used in a similar way, with the cripple effect being useful at trapping enemy heroes. It should be noted that using either **Black Arrow of Dale** or **Pommel Strike** will trigger the cooldown of the other. **Mark of the Thrush** not only helps Brand himself, but also helps all allied archers at dealing more damage. Brand's summoned cavalry can be used to disrupt enemy foes, leaving them open to further arrow fire, as well as trampling enemy archers. Lastly, Descendent of the Dragonslayer is a powerful buff to Brand, rendering him capable of dealing high damage to all foes but especially to monsters. This makes him a powerful choice counter to mounter-heavy strategies from Mordor or Misty Mountains.