Angmar

* Castle
* Camp

"It was in the beginning of the reign of Malvegil of Arthedain that evil came to Arnor. For at that time the realm of Angmar arose in the North beyond the Ettenmoors. Its lands lay on both sides of the Mountains, and there were gathered many evil men, and Orcs, and other fell creatures."
—Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"

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**Angmar** is the only evil faction that has a solid ring of walls. **Angmar** offers a total of 9 available building plots, and like its counter-faction of Arnor, you can build a high number of different buildings. This faction pulls troops from different regions of the North of Middle-earth together; as such, the armies are quite varied. **Angmar** is an all-rounder faction with access to both heavy and defensive troops, as well as a selection of offensive and light troops. The focus of **Angmar** can be varied depending on the building selection on the outpost. On camp maps, **Angmar** has a ring of walls with a single, simple entrance. On settlements, **Angmar** can build a variety of specialized vassal buildings but can't access new units there.

**Angmar** is a faction based on the original faction of BFME 2, but has been greatly expanded upon by the team with their own lore, some of which was inspired by the Edain community.

## Strategic Points

### Castle

On the castle, Angmar has 9 building plots and a full set of walls and defensive plots. They also have a gate which can close. On the defensive plots they can build catapults, postern gates, defensive towers and death cages.

### Camp

On the camp Angmar has small walls and a single opening. They have seven build plots and 4 defensive plots within the camp.

### Outpost

On the outposts, Angmar can only build a basic outpost with 3 build plots on which normal buildings can be built. However, you can then give it to your sorcerers to allow spells to regenerate 20% faster and to allow your sorcerers to use spell they didn't specialize in. On the other hand, you can give it to the vassals of Carn Dûm. This would let it become a garrison tower (so it would have more hit points and defensive archers) and would let the Men of Carn Dûm be recruited 30% faster. Costs 800.

### Settlements

On the Settlements Angmar can build a wolf lair which trains Dire Wolves and is protected by neutral Dire Wolves who will attack nearby enemies. They can build an Orc Camp which generates resources and increases the damage of orcs. They can build a barrow which generates treasures, which need to be picked up, grants access to the lair tunnel system, can cast spell of the Barrow Wights, and reduces the cost of barrow wights. Finally, they can get a Hillmen village which generates resources and increases the damage of Hillmen.

## Heroes

### Drauglin

"While not as powerful as a Werewolf, the Witch-king soon recognized the advantages of the skinchanger: He was not simply a dangerous and bloodthirsty beast, but also capable of controlling the wolves of Angmar."
—Drauglin's Backstory (Edain Team Creation)

**Drauglin**, the **Beastmaster**, was created by dark magic in the catacombs deep under the city of Carn Dûm. The sorcerers of Angmar enslaved and tortured a Beorning, transforming him into a servant bound to their call. While many vassals of the Witch-king follow him out of ambition, fear or a desire for revenge, Drauglin is a slave without a will of his own. In the game, Drauglin is the cheapest hero unit of Angmar that serves as a scouting unit and an early-game raid-leader.

**Recruitment location:**  Citadel

### Hwaldar

"The claim was resisted by Rhudaur. There the Dúnedain were few, and power had been seized by an evil lord of the Hill-men, who was in secret league with Angmar."
—Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"

**Hwaldar** was the Hill-chief of many tribes at Rhudaur, one of the ancient three kingdoms of Arnor. Rhudaur is secretly in league with the Witch-king of Angmar, Hwaldar paves the way for Angmar's invasion but must evade capture from the clutches of the soldiers of Arthedain, to complete his treachery. He holds an interesting nickname, the "Brigand". He is based on an unnamed character from J. R. R. Tolkien´s canon.

**Recruitment location:**  Hall of the King's Men

### Helegwen

"I can see that much in you. You are not some Orc or Hill-woman, you are descended from the Men of Númenor. It is in our blood to aspire to greatness."
—Mornamarth, Helegwen's Backstory (Edain Team Creation)

**Helegwen**, nicknamed **Winter's Arrow**, knew from a young age what it meant to fight for her life. As the power of Angmar grew, winter was becoming harsher every year and she had to use her skills to hunt and defend her town from wolves and hill men. She was recruited by Mornamarth, who saw her potential, and now serves Angmar with her bow and mighty arrows.

**Recruitment location:**  Angmar Outpost upgraded with a Garrison Tower

### Gulzár

"Can't you feel the magic, whipping the winds to the south? Isn't there a foul taste on your tongue and a tingling in your fingertips? Then you still have a lot to learn..."
—Gulzár, The Shadow of Angmar, Chapter 1: The Invasion of Angmar (Angmar-RPG)

The High Sorcerer, **Gulzár**, was the first to serve Angmar with an array of magical spells and the arts of necromancy. Gulzar can only be recruited when you have a Sorcerer's Tower installed on one of your outposts, but he represents the magical aspect of the Witch-King's empire. Gulzar attacks with bolts of black magic, and can summon plague-bearer acolytes who infect enemy units with a disease that eats away at their health.

**Recruitment location:**  Temple of Twilight

### Mornamarth

"In Angmar, power seeks out those who are worthy to take it."
—Mornamarth, Helegwen's Backstory (Edain Team Creation)

Over the centuries, **Mornamarth**, the fallen Dúnedain, rose to become the elite of Angmar, forming the peak of its society and armies and raising mighty castles in the frozen tundra while the lesser races toiled in their huts and camps. Elsewhere, this might have lead to strife and unrest, but the iron fist of the Witch-king holds these disparate peoples together, always vying for his favor and eager to share in his power. One such is Mornamarth, the current **Steward of Carn Dûm**, who uses his dark magic to lead his men to victory, even at the cost of their lives.

**Recruitment location:**  Hall of the King's Men Level 2

### Dûrmarth

"Dûrmarth walked in the front row of the Guards, right behind the Sorcerers and the Witch-king. He walked among them as one of the Men of Carn Dûm, even if he was different from those."
—The Shadow of Angmar, Chapter 1: The Invasion of Angmar (Angmar-RPG)

**Dûrmarth**, **Captain of the Black Guard,** will receive several powerful Morgul artefacts during the course of his career. He can switch between Warrior mode and Guardian mode. In Warrior mode (left), these artefacts will increase his own power, while in Guardian mode (right), they will bolster nearby heroes, sorcerers and acolytes.

**Recruitment location:**  Hall of the King's Men Level 2

### Karsh

"Though he fought with a valor rarely seen among men, the young Arnorian Captain paid a price beyond death and now serves the Iron Crown."
—The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king

**Karsh**, the **Cursed Captain of Arnor**, born as Carthaen when he was a human, was a character created in the Electronic Arts video game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king, probably meant to be the Last Prince of Cardolan the four hobbits met in the Barrow Downs and were rescued from by Tom Bombadil. Karsh is a hero for the Angmar faction, and was known as a "whispering" wraith, but has the same physical appearance as Barrow-wights. He got a re-skin in Edain mod along with additional abilities.

**Recruitment location:**  Barrow Wight Lair

### Zaphragor

"A massive monster of a man wielding a two-handed greatsword, carving a bloody path right into the center of Arthedain's army."
—Helegwen's Backstory (Edain Team Creation)

**Zaphragor**, **First Blade of the Witch-king**, is among Angmar's most powerful servants, a fearsome butcher driving his enemies before him through strength of arms and magic. He is the hammer of the Witch-king, charging into battle at the head of his host to break the enemy line with little regard for his own life - for Zaphragor does not serve the Witch-king out of fear or greed, but burns with true and unbending loyalty. Where other sorcerers sacrifice acolytes to perform their spells, Zaphragor despises such weakness and gives of his own life instead. Far from a weakness, however, this makes him even more deadly as he does not have to rely on any kind of support to wreak havoc on the battlefield.

**Recruitment location:**  Angmar Outpost upgraded with a Tower of Sorcery

### The Witch-king of Angmar

"Then the Witch-king laughed, and none that heard it ever forgot the horror of that cry."
—Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"

The **Witch-king**, Lord of the Nazgûl, reappeared in TA 1300 in the north near the lost realm of Arnor. There he founded the kingdom of Angmar. It was after the formation of Angmar and several conflicts with the Dúnedain of the North that the Lord of the Nazgûl received the title of Witch-king, Lord of Angmar. In the Angmar faction of the game, the Witch-king dons an alternative suit of armor and leads his forces to victory through blood and iron.

**Recruitment location:**  Citadel

## External Buildplots

### Upgrades

Angmar's Outposts have two upgrades which can be individually applied to the normal outpost. Costs 1200

 **Garrison Tower**: The Witch-King gives the land to the Men of Carn Dum. The outpost becomes a defensive tower with additional hitpoints and defensive archers. Men of Carn Dum are recruited 30% faster and the outpost gains 800 hitpoints. Enables the recruitment of Helegwen at the outpost. **Cost:** 800

 **Tower of Sorcery**: The Witch-King gives the land to his sorcerers. The tower becomes a tower of sorcery. As long as it stands spells recharge 20% faster (up to 40% with two towers) and sorcerers can use every spell. Enables the recruitment of Zaphragor at the outpost. **Cost:** 800

## Spellbook

**Due to recent changes by Fandom, the hover mechanics of the spellbooks no longer works. Below you can see how the spells are arranged in the game. To find more about each power scroll down to the tabber.**

**Tabber**

* Dark Obelisk
* Blight
* Frozen Land
* Fell Wind
* Might of the Iron Crown
* Black Guard Officers
* Turncoats of Arnor
* Outbreak
* Summon Hill Trolls
* Stronghold of the Iron Crown
* Avalanche

## Strategy

Angmar differs from the majority of evil factions in two ways. First of all, it has access to the same excellent defenses that are more typical of Gondor, and so they take the place as the most defensive faction of evil. Secondly, while many villainous factions have clear methods of attack, Angmar is an amalgamation of different armies coming together, and has extremely diverse strategies that can be combined for varying victory routes. While Angmar does have the prospect of crushing its enemies in varying ways, it still stand out uniquely as the most defensive of evil factions, much more protective of its territory than even Isengard.

There are two virtues that stand out in Angmar's strategy as an evil faction: Tribute, and Sacrifice. Angmar must hold territory in the form of their many settlement structures, as they regularly spawn builder carts that can be sent to their buildings to generate a mass of resources and improve said buildings. Additionally, most of their cheaper and weaker units serve more or less to empower the more powerful units, such as the Carn Dum soldiers, werewolves, or barrow wights. Even Angmar's sorcerers possess great powers by sacrificing acolytes, and the sorcerers themselves work best when in the middle of a large mass of weaker units that protect them from untimely harm. The power vacuum of Angmar sets The Witch King at the top, and the elite forces under his command become stronger by the death of the common rabble that fight for him.

The base of Angmar's army comes from the Hall of the King's Men, with their thrall masters. The thrall masters are versatile summoners of basic foot soldiers, although in the later game they can also summon wolf riders as cavalry. Thrall masters function similar to a banner carrier to any battalion they summon, in that they automatically regenerate fallen troops when not in combat. The glaring weakness of thrall masters is that if the thrall master dies, all of his summoned warriors also immediately die. To counter this, thrall masters and their soldiers are cheap and expendable, and regenerate their forces quickly.

Angmar's elite units are the Carn Dum units, which are among the only soldiers that can receive unit upgrades. These are reasonably powerful and expensive, and can be buffed in numerous ways. Angmar also has access to wolves, which are the fastest "swordsmen" in the game, and excellent choices for harassing people because of their speed. Angmar's sorcerers are excellent support units that can cause grievous losses to enemy units when they use their magical powers from behind a mass of soldiers. Angmar also has access to some decent siege weapons for destroying enemy structures, and a few monsters like barrow wights and werewolves to deal serious damage while the common rabble soaks up the damage. Angmar also has access to a variety of hero units, each of them serving a distinct purpose.

Despite their sturdy defenses and variety of troops, Angmar suffers from a number of faults and shortcomings. A lot of Angmar's power comes from claiming and holding territory to spawn their tribute carts. Additionally, without their stronger units such as their heroes or monsters, Angmar's armies are not as effective in combat, and will scatter like ants when their Carn Dum soldiers, sorcerers, and monsters are destroyed first. Denying Angmar the privilege of claiming and holding land is the first step to weakening them. Taking out their heroes, elite units, and special units will leave their huddles masses without strength. Assaulting their superior fortifications with effective siege weapons does all the rest with defeating Angmar.

### Angmar vs. Angmar - advice from Elendil (Edain Team)

Start with a Wolf Den + lairs as your settlements. Get Drauglin + two swords and start creeping as much as possible. Once you have enough income to produce wolves non-stop, start adding in wights. Your first tribute carts give you money for the infrastructure. You should never have fewer wolves than your opponent with this build, so the most important thing is sniping enemy tribute carts to delay enemy tech.

Once you have four or five wights, you can use them offensively. Keep your wolves close and you should win most fights with proper control. Important to note: This doesn't work at all if your enemy has wolf riders, who hard-counter both of these units. This is the deciding time window, because if you don't get out of this stage by unlocking higher tech, you're dead.

Your advantage is that you can put more tribute carts into your Wolf Den, which means early Werewolves. They mop the floor with wolf riders and ensure your map control against Carn Dûm in combination with wolves (again, map control in this mirror is paramount because no tribute carts = no tech). From here on out, you can basically do whatever you want.