Malbeth

* Portrait
* In Game

* Melee
* Ranged

"'Thus spoke Malbeth the Seer, in the days of Arvedui, last king at Fornost,' said Aragorn: '...From the North shall he come, need shall drive him: he shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead.'"
—Aragorn, The Return of the King, "The Passing of the Grey Company"

Recruit the seer of Arnor. Malbeth is a ranged hero but doesn't use any weapons. Instead, he uses his authority as the Seer of Arvedui, King of Arnor, to summon five men of his life guard to the target area with each of his "attacks". These remain on the field for ten seconds and automatically attack nearby enemies. Thus, Malbeth plays differently from any other hero (except his Gondor counterpart, Denethor) and feels more like a general than a warrior. Only if he's forced into melee combat will he wield his own staff to defend himself in an emergency.

## Stances

Because Malbeth doesn't attack directly, stances that raise or lower his damage don't serve any purpose. Instead, his stances raise or lower his attack speed by 30%. This enables him to summon new guards more often. Because a higher attack speed also means 50% shorter range, he has to move closer to the battle. With 30% lower attack speed he can control the battle from a 50% higher range instead.

* **Speed stance (defensive)** - Malbeth's attack speed rises by +30% but his attack range is lowered by -50%. Enemies are not automatically attacked.

* **Default stance (normal)** - With each attack (and in each stance) Malbeth summons 5 Fountain Guardians next to the targeted enemy which remain there for 10 seconds. In close range combat Malbeth attacks with his staff. Enemies in a medium range are attacked automatically.

* **Ranged stance (aggressive)** - Malbeth's range of attack increases by +50% but his attack speed lowers by -30%. Enemies in sight are automatically attacked.

## Abilities

 **Level 1: Vision** - Malbeth reveals a big part of the map and levels up by two. This is the only way he can gain experience as he doesn't directly kill enemies like other heroes. When used at level 7, Malbeth will level up by three to reach level 10.

 **Level 3: Economical Counsel** - Malbeth foresees a cruel winter and advises the villagers of an economy building to finish the harvest early. The economy building instantly produces many resources, but then produces nothing for some time afterwards.

 **Level 5: Prophecy** - Malbeth shares his knowledge about the future with a hero. This knowledge allows the hero to prepare himself and his allies for the coming events. The hero and all nearby allied heroes and units earn experience +50% faster. Ability can be applied to any hero fighting for Arnor.

 **Level 7: Strategic Council** - Malbeth foresees the enemy's strategy and instructs Arnor's generals on how to counter it. All enemy leaderships are negated on the map for 30 seconds.

 **Level 10: Captain of the Seer** - Malbeth now summons twice as many guards to the battlefield. Additionally, there is a 33% chance of summoning a Captain to the field who grants +15% attack and armor to nearby allied units; the Captain remains on the field for 30 seconds. *(Passive ability)*

## Strategy

Malbeth, though similar to Denethor in attack method and stances, offers a more leadership-focused function, so to say. His Hero Support role is extremely useful for leveling up heroes faster and reducing the toughness of enemies attacking them by negating any leadership bonuses they may have. He can also help support your regular units with his Captain summoned by his level 10 ability **Captain of the Seer**.

Besides these things and revealing large areas of terrain around him with his level 1 ability **Vision**, Malbeth does have one economic ability. This ability is best used when training a certain unit or hero can get you out of a tough spot but you are short on money, or on a resource building you know is doomed to destruction by enemy forces.

## Trivia

* Prior to version 4.6, Malbeth's quotes came from the Gandalf, played by Patrick O'Connor, which can be heard in the fan film **The Hunt for Gollum** (2009).