Bilbo

* Portrait
* Ingame

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. That's why I came back, because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."
—Bilbo

Bilbo Baggins was a simple Hobbit of the Shire. When the Company of Thorin Oakenshield required a burglar for their quest to reclaim Erebor, Gandalf the Grey suggested that Bilbo would be suitable. After some convincing, Bilbo joined the Company as its fourteenth member. During the long journey, he proved his worth and revealed his hidden courage when he delayed the trolls from eating the Company, escaped from Goblin Town, saved the Company from both Spiders and Elves of the Woodland Realm, and tried to negotiate a peace between Dwarves, Elves and Men. He also found a magic ring after an encounter with Gollum, a ring that would have a huge effect on the fate of Middle-earth.

In Age of the Ring, Bilbo is the Ring Hero for Erebor and Woodland Realm.

*For his counterpart in the Adventure: Battle of the Five Armies subfaction, see the Bilbo (Adventure: Battle of the Five Armies) page.*

## Poem

**The Road Goes Ever On** by J.R.R Tolkien. Click **Expand** to read.

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains of the moon.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

## Abilities

**Level 1: Toggle Rocks/Sting (W)** - Left click to switch between melee and rock throw mode

**Level 1: The One Ring (R)** - Become invisible. Left click to activate.

**Level 1: Riddle Maker (T)** - Causes enemy units within the radius to fight among themselves.

**Level 1: Bilbo's Courage** - Modifier Type: Leadership. Nearby allies gain +50% damage, +50% armour, earn experience twice as fast, reduces recharge time for unit and hero abilities by 25%. Stacks with leaderships, buffs and spells. Passive ability.

**Level 1: Old Friends (V)** - Summons Gandalf the Grey.

## Strategy

On the surface, Bilbo may appear to be weaker than the evil Ring Heroes such as Sauron or Smaug. However, this could hardly be further from the truth as Bilbo provides one of the best leaderships in the entire game, making nearby forces much stronger. By using his rock throw, he can be kept at a safer distance while his allies reap the benefits of the bonus. **Riddle Maker** is a very powerful ability with the potential to disrupt and weaken entire armies as they fight each other. Lastly, Bilbo can summon his old friend Gandalf the Grey to the battlefield. Gandalf will be able to deal high damage to enemy forces while also supporting allies further. However, unlike Frodo and Sam, Bilbo does not gain any bonuses from his partner, and so the player must be more careful about keeping him alive.