Variags of Khand (Adventure: Rhûn)

* Portrait
* Standard
* Upgraded

"The Variags of Khand were a formidable race of warriors, born from a long history of conflict with the lands of Gondor."
—Age of the Ring team

The Variags were one of the many races of Men that Sauron was able to sway to his service, taking advantage of their hatred of Gondor and manipulating them to fight under his banner. They were allied with the Easterlings, another race of people fiercely loyal to Sauron, and often coordinated attacks upon Gondor together throughout Middle-earth's history. Although the Variags were particularly known and feared for their chariots and horsemen, they also maintained a standing army which marched to the Pelennor Fields at Sauron's command, eager to shed the blood of Gondorians on behalf of their master.

While the Variags of Khand appear as one of Mordor's several Swordsmen units, they are also recruitable for its Adventure: Rhûn subfaction. Here, they have adjusted stats and a slightly altered skillset, although they are still recruitable from a level 1 Easterling Garrison.

*For their counterparts in the standard Mordor faction, see the Variags of Khand page.*

## Abilities

**Plainsrunners (W)** - Variags gain +33% speed at the cost of 10% armour for 20 seconds. Left click to activate.

**Mercenary Rule** - Variags are a welcome sight to conscripted serfs and contribute to their horde bonus. Variags do not benefit from the horde bonus themselves. Passive ability.

## Upgrades

**Jagged Steel Armor (T)** - When equipped, significantly reduces the amount of damage taken. Research upgrade at Gorgoroth Foundry to enable this upgrade. Cost: 250

**Cruel Blades (C)** - When equipped, increases damage dealt by melee weapons. Research upgrade at Gorgoroth Foundry to enable this upgrade. Cost: 250

**Banners of the Red Eye (V)** - When equipped, increases this battalion to level 2. Research upgrade at Gorgoroth Foundry to enable this equipment. Cost: 100

## Strategy

The Variags of Khand as they appear in the Adventure: Rhûn subfaction have a significantly altered purpose compared to their standard Mordor variants. They have both less health and a lower cost compared to their standard counterparts, altering their function to be decidedly early-mid game Swordsmen that are somewhat weaker but also easier to spam out. They still have the **Plainsrunners** ability that increases their speed in exchange for a slight armour decrease for a few seconds, which is retained from their Mordor variants. However, their **Shield Cover** has been replaced by **Mercenary Rule**, a passive ability that allows them to contribute to the horde bonus of the Serf units that constitute Rhûn's early-game roster. Thus, it is important to field out Variags alongside the Serfs for Rhûn's early-game to maximize their damage output with a large enough horde. Although the Variags don't get the horde bonus themselves, they are also the only early-game unit for Rhûn that can be fully upgraded, which allows them to retain some measure of usability in the mid-late game. However, the Variags of the Rhûn subfaction are unquestionably an early-mid game unit for Rhûn, and will likely be phased out for more powerful Swordsmen units such as the Great Khân's Swordsmen or Golden Axemen in the mid-late game.