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The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

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The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II

Developer(s)	EA Los Angeles
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Engine	Sage
Version	1.06
Released	March 2, 2006 (28 February)
Genre	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	Xbox 360, PC (Windows)
Media	CD, DVD
System requirements	1.6 GHz CPU, 256MB RAM, 6.0GB Hard disk space, 64MB GPU (GeForce3/ATI Radeon 8500 or greater)
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse (PC) or gamepad (Xbox 360)

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II is a real time strategy computer game published by Electronic Arts, based upon the fantasy book trilogy The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation, directed by Peter Jackson and released by New Line Cinema. It is a sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, from the same company. The game was released on March 2, 2006. A special collector's DVD edition is also available, containing additional promotional material, maps and unique unit skins. The game also has an expansion pack called The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king.

Gameplay

The most important new feature is the 'build anywhere' style. Players cannot build on uneven terrain or in trees, but they no longer have to build on predetermined points. Players start with builders and can use them to create any structure they can afford. This allows more freedom and faster troop production. Some veterans of the original game dislike the new feature since it removes one of the unique features that the series had, making the whole game simpler (despite there being less units in the original, and generally confined bases) and close to other games (like Command and Conquer: Generals). The Citadel that was the center of a base in the first game has been removed, and replaced with a fortress. The fortress is much more powerful than the citadel, as it can be upgraded with many defenses, including six "building plots" that allow the creation of catapults, arrow towers, walls, halls, and faction-exclusive upgrades (like mine launchers for Isengard) that can branch off it. Still the fortress serves the same functions as the citadel, which is training heroes. However, the walls of the fortress cannot have troops sitting on top of them. While this was considered in production, it was decided they were too bulky. Resource gathering has been changed as well. Originally, all resource gathering structures would generate an amount depending on their level. Now they are more influenced by the terrain surrounding them (although they can still gain levels). To prevent players from creating large amounts of resource buildings, for the resources as well as command points, any resource generator too close to another will receive a substantial loss to income. Generators grant an initial 50 command points, as well as 25 more for each level, totaling a possible 100 command points Most of the units come in a battalion (for good factions) or horde (evil faction), except for larger units. Almost all units may be upgraded; some upgrades must be purchased by the player, while others only require the unit to increase a level or two. This upgrade system is a simpler version of the original game's unit upgrade system, where the player had to research it first and then buy it for his units.

Glorfindel.

Plot

The campaign is divided into two parts: a Good Campaign, and an Evil Campaign, as further described below. Instead of the world-map overview as given in the last game, the player goes through eight missions that are rather short and easy to complete. This was considered a downgrade from the last game, but the War of the Ring mode was a replacement for the former campaign.

Setting

Unlike its predecessor, the game is set mainly in the northern regions of Middle-earth, and focuses on the events on the war there. Three new factions have been introduced to go along with the new campaigns: Elves, Dwarves, and Goblins. The factions of Mordor and Isengard return, and Gondor and Rohan combine to form the Men of the West. For the Good campaign, the story starts in Rivendell where the Goblins from the Misty Mountains are poised to attack, while the Fellowship of the Ring journey south. For the Evil campaign, it begins with the siege of Lórien from Mordor's stronghold of Dol Guldur. The story highlights some of the events of the novel which may be unfamiliar to audiences of the New Line films. As Electronic Arts had acquired a license from Tolkien Enterprises as well as one for the films, they used the battles in the north as the focal point, which are only briefly hinted at in the Extended Edition of The Return of the King DVD, and noted in the Appendices of the novel. In the novel, it is explained that while the front of the war that the members of the Fellowship of the Ring are experiencing (which is directly depicted by the films) is the primary one, it is in fact a war fought on many fronts across Middle-earth. However, the game and its version of the war in the north should not be seen an accurate record of what Tolkien actually wrote, since many liberties have been taken.

Heroes

Men of the west

Théoden

King of Rohan and son of Thengel. Théoden increases the rate at which nearby units gain experience and provides a leadership boost to nearby allies.

Éomer

Prince of Rohan and son of Éomund. The young captain of Rohan can inflict terrible damage through the tip of his mighty spear. All nearby horsemen receive leadership bonuses and earn resources for conquered enemies.

Éowyn

Lady of Rohan and Ithilien and daughter of Éomund. The niece of Théoden is the match of any soldier in combat. Her spear can fell the dark creatures of Middle-earth.

Gandalf

The White Wizard. Gandalf gains access to an arsenal of special Istari powers. Use his Wizard Blast to blast back surrounding enemies.

Boromir

Captain of Gondor and son of Denethor. Fiercely proud of his people, Boromir can blow the Horn of Gondor to inspire fear in all nearby enemies.

Aragorn

King of Gondor and son of Arathorn. With a shout of Elendil, Aragorn can cause the enemy to flee in terror. He can heal nearby heroes and summon a party of Oathbreakers to fulfil a service to him.

Faramir

Prince of Ithilien as well as son of Denethor and brother of Boromir. As a Captain of Gondor, Faramir is both a ranger and a knight. He can use the bow and sword with equal skill.

Frodo

Hobbit of the Shire and nephew of Bilbo. Frodo can use the Phial of Galadriel to scare away enemies and his dagger, Sting, glows blue when orcs are near. Only appears with the Summon Hobbits power.

Sam

Loyal companion and gardener to Frodo. He can use his elven cloak to hide from enemies when stationary. Only appears with the Summon Hobbits power.

Merry and Pippin

Friends of Frodo. They can use their elven cloaks to hide from enemies when stationary. Only appears with the Summon Hobbits power.

Berethor

Soldier of Gondor. Right-hand man to Boromir and fights his battles to make right the spirit of his fallen master.

Elves

Glorfindel

Lord of the House of the Golden Flower. Glorfindel is one of the few Elves powerful enough to ride openly against the Ringwraiths.

Thranduil

Son of Oropher, King of Mirkwood and father of Legolas, Thranduil is both a noble warrior and a master archer.

Elrond

Lord of Rivendell and son of Eärendil. The Master of Rivendell is a member of the White Council and father to Arwen. He is also a legendary warrior.

Haldir

Head marchwarden of Lothlórien and son of Halmir. A powerful archer and Elven warrior who guards the northern borders of Lothlórien, was the first to greet the Fellowship when they arrived at the Golden Wood.

Legolas

Prince of Mirkwood and son of Thranduil. With multiple special attacks, Legolas' remarkable abilities with the bow can put down a battalion-sized force. He is also effective with his knives and can train archers to improve their skills.

Arwen

Queen of Gondor and daughter of Elrond. Arwen has the ability to summon the power of nature to assist her in battle.

Treebeard

Ent of Fangorn. He is more powerful than the other Ents but uses the same attacks.

Idrial

Maiden of Lothlórien One side of her life, she is a maiden to Galadriel and Celeborn but on the other half she is a spirited warrior who has strong ferocity in battle.

Dwarves

Gimli

Lord of the Glittering Caves and son of Glóin. This hearty Dwarf can deliver a lethal blow by throwing his one-handed axe. As a slayer, he can double his attack speed and damage for a short period of time.

Glóin

Lord of Erebor and son of Gróin. The father of Gimli, Glóin was present at the Council of Elrond and is a powerful Dwarf warrior in his own right.

Hadhod

Leader of the Blue Mountains. Came to fighting the many battles to avenge the deaths of his two sons in a slaughter by orcs and trolls.

King Dáin

Lord of the Iron Hills and son of Dáin I^{[citation needed]}. King Dáin is a powerful warrior who provides a leadership bonus to all who fight along side him.

Isengard

Saruman

Leader of the Istari Wizards. The great wizard Saruman leads the legions of Isengard and commands its mighty machine of industry. Saruman's wizard blast can drive back a battalion of enemies.

Lurtz

Leader of the Uruk-hai. Equally adept at the sword or the bow, Lurtz inspires nearby Uruk-hai to even greater destruction. Use his crippling strike to pin heroes to the ground.

Sharku

Leader of the Warg-Riders. An elite Warg-rider, Sharku has trained his mount to perform devastating attacks against his enemies.

Gríma Wormtongue

Servant to Saruman and son of Galmod. Saruman's spy, Wormtongue can backstab and take control of enemy units.

Mordor

Fellbeast

Mounts of the Ringwraiths. The Ringwraith's ride on the wings of Fellbeasts, which can grab enemy infantry and swoop across enemy structures. The limit of Fellbeast is three. Use its screech power to scare away enemy soldiers.

Witch-king

Lord of the Nazgûl. Although lethal while riding his Fellbeast, the Witch-king can also dismount and attack enemies with his fearsome Morgul Blade and flail.

Mouth of Sauron

Head servant to Sauron. This faithful servant of Mordor is a brutal opponent that can also demoralise and trick his enemies. He can mount and dismount his horse minion.

Nazgûl

Servants to Sauron. These fearsome servants of darkness can fight with terrifying force and frighten their adversaries. They can engage in combat either on foot or on the backs of their horse minions.

Goblins

Gorkil the Goblin King

King of the Lonely Mountain. The Goblin King commands his armies from Angmar, the Witch-king's former outpost in the Ettenmoors. Riding a giant scorpion, the Goblin King can use minion to poison his enemies.

Drogoth the Dragon Lord

Dragon of the Blue Mountains. One of the oldest and fiercest of his kind, the Dragon Lord makes his home in the wastelands of the Withered Heath. Fighting Dwarf and Orc alike, Drogoth has an unsteady alliance with the Goblins.

Shelob

Guardian of the caves of Cirith Ungol This legendary spider can tunnel under terrain and stab enemies with her poisoned stinger.

Ring Heroes

Good

Galadriel

The Lady of Lórien. She uses wizard blasts in battle. You must have the Ring to call her.

Evil

Sauron

The Master of the One Ring. Sauron uses his mace to send enemies flying into the air. You must have the Ring to call him.

Dwarves faction

Heroes

Name

Resource cost

Shortcut

Health

Notes

Gimli

4000

3600

Gimli was the son of Glóin, and a Dwarf of Durin's line. He was born in the Third Age in 2879. He was chosen to be part of the Fellowship of the Ring, and was the guide through Khazad-dûm. During his time in the Fellowship he became a devoted friend of Legolas and Aragorn, fighting fearlessly side by side with them. After the War of the Ring he became the Lord of the Glittering Caves.

Power	Description	Required level	Shortcut	Duration	Recharge
Axe Throw	A single throw which inflicts 400% damage	1	T	Instant	30 seconds
Leap	Inflicts 120 damage points to an area	2	L	Instant	60 seconds
Slayer	Increases his attack speed by 100% and damage output by 200%	5	R	25 seconds	60 seconds

Glóin

1100

2400

Glóin, of Durin's line, was born in 2783 of the Third Age and was the father of Gimli. He accompanied Thorin Oakenshield on his quest in The Hobbit, and became wealthy as a result. In 3018 he traveled to Rivendell with Gimli to meet with Elrond, and stayed to take part in the Council of Elrond.

Power	Description	Required level	Shortcut	Duration	Recharge
Slam	Causes meta damage to buildings	1	M	Instant	60 seconds
Shake foundation	Damages targeted building and removes it from activity for 10 seconds	4	T	Instant	60 seconds
Shatter Hammer	A small earthquake is caused as he strikes the ground with his hammer	10	R	Instant	120 seconds

King Dáin

2000

2700

King Dáin II Ironfoot was the King of Erebor, and the great-nephew of Thorin Oakenshield. He led several hundred Dwarves into battle at the Battle of Five Armies in The Hobbit. He possessed one of the finest Dwarven-made weapons, his axe Barazanthual. Dáin became King under the Mountain following Thorin's death, and lived until 3019 of the Third Age, when he died during the War of the Ring.

Power	Description	Required level	Shortcut	Duration	Recharge
Leadership	Gives +50% to armor and damage output; doubles the experience gain rate	1	-	-	Passive ability
Mighty Rage	+20% speed and +25% damage for infantry and heroes	4	R	Instant	210 seconds
Stubborn Pride	All nearby allies gain resistance to fear	7	-	-	Passive ability
Summon Royal Guard	Summons 2 battalions each of rank 5 Guardians, rank 5 Phalanxes, and rank 5 Axe Throwers	10	Y	70 seconds	300 seconds

Units

Name	Cost	Command points required	Damage	Health	Levels	Hotkey	Notes
Builder	First 2 free, 500 each additional	-	-	-	-	L	This unit can create buildings and can extinguish fire. A player always starts out with a pair.
Guardians	300	70	80	300	1-5	G	Guardians are the infantrymen of the Dwarves. They carry huge axes into battle and are the strongest infantry unit throughout the game. They have a special charge ability when they reach level 2. Once in the battlefield this unit storms on enemy troops with a meta impact giving them 50% extra attack and extra defence mode. A drawback is the units slow speed.
Phalanxes	350	60	60	325	1-5	P	Phalanxes are the pikemen of the Dwarves. They are heavily armored, stand a good chance against an enemy cavalry and monsters, for example, against trolls. They can use the porcupine formation, which forms a protective circle.
Zealots	1500	120	200	1000	1-10	D	Zealots are surprisingly quick, and, are a good addition to the Dwarven lineup. Or rather they would be, but their weakness lies against arrows. Low numbers of these soldiers in a unit can lessen their ability on the battlefield significantly. Their Axe Throw and Beserker Frenzy abilities help in situations where the player has to compromise which gives the player time to build more stronger units. Zealots are only available in the Rise of the Witch-king expansion pack but not in the original Battle for Middle-earth (II) game.
Axe Throwers	250	60	75	140	1-5	X	Axe Throwers are the original ranged group unit from the Dwarves. These powerful warriors can commit terrible damage when faced against enemy units and buildings. More so, this unit can knock down Ents which are one of the most powerful units there is in the game. They have a very short ranged throw. This can be a disadvantage as enemies such as Ents can easily trample soldiers.
Men of Dale	500	72	75	250	1-5	L	Men of Dale are archers from the streets of Dale, a city of Men near Erebor. This unit can be equipped with the Flaming Arrows upgrade, which can be useful against creatures of Tolkien's Middle-aarth. They have a special ability called 'Black Arrows' which triples the damage and causes fear to the enemy.
Battle Wagon	400	40	300	3000	1-5	W	This chariot is driven by a yak-like animal called a Yurg at the command of a Dwarf. It can function as a cavalry unit, trampling enemy units similar to that of the Rohirrim. The Battle Wagon can be upgraded with various abilities, including the Men of Dale, the Axe Throwers, Banner Carriers or the Hearth.
Demolisher	600	25	1000	4000	1-5	R	The Demolisher is a ram developed by the Dwarven craftsmen. It has the potential to commit tremendous damage to buildings, and can deploy itself at a particular point, and, increase its armor which inevitably makes it immobile. This can render it useless against populated areas.
Catapult	800	25	300	2000	1-5	C	The catapults differ significantly from the Isengard Ballistas, trebuchet and the Mordor catapult. It has the potential to fire two shots at once. It may be upgraded with the flaming munition ability. As an addition it may be equipped with barrels of gunpowder which explode on the battlefield causing great potent damage.

Buildings

Name	Resource cost	Shortcut	Notes
Mine Shaft	300	T	Generates resources based on available terrain; Provides access to the tunnel network; Increases command point limit by 50.
Hall of Warriors	400	R	Trains Guardians and Phalanxes; Researches Banner Carrier upgrade.
Archery Range	350	Y	Trains Axe Throwers and Men of Dale; Researches fire arrows upgrade at Level 3.
Forge Works	500	G	Constructs battlewagons, demolishers, and catapults; Researches Dwarven unit upgrades.
Battle Tower	450	L	Fires axes at nearby enemy units; Can be garrisoned with ranged units for increased damage output.
Hearth	300	A	Nearby allies will heal if not under attack.
Heroic Statue	300	I	Allies near the Statue gain +50% damage, +50% armor, and earn experience twice as fast; Reduces the cost of infantry; Increases command point limit by 10.
Wall Hub	120	W	Allows the construction of walls.
Fortress	5000	F	Recruits builders and heroes; Can be upgraded with expansions and improvements.

Dwarven Fortress Upgrades

Name	Resource cost	Shortcut	Notes
Banners	500	N	Reduces the cost and time for gaining units and grants an experience bonus to nearby units.
Oil Casks	1500	I	Dwarves will drop oil casks over the sides of your fortress, and ignite them.
Masterwork Munitions	1500	M	Upgrades fortress catapults with flaming projectiles and increases the damage done by the fortress axe towers.
Siege Kegs	1000	K	Heals troops in Dwarven Halls.
Dwarven Stonework	2000	T	This upgrade strengthens the walls of the fortress so it can withstand an attack longer. Prerequisite to the Mighty Catapult.
Mighty Catapult	2500	C	Throws flaming boulders at the enemy.

Locations

The Battle for Middle-earth II has over forty different locations in Skirmish mode, including:

The game also boasts a few fortress maps, allowing the player to command or siege a fortress. (Although these are best played multiplayer as the AI rarely cooperates).

War of the Ring Mode

The War of the Ring mode was not unlike the Campaign from the previous game, but with major changes that benefit gameplay. You choose one of the six races and battle throughout Middle-earth, capturing domains controlled by your enemy until you or your enemy controls the entirety of Middle-earth. You can garrison troops in territories you control, making it so that if your enemy attacks, you have soldiers there to defend. Once attacked or when you are attacking an enemy, you can choose to either simulate it, and let the computer determine the outcome, or fight it out while actually commanding your units, playing just like the normal skirmishes in the game. It should be noted that you will more than likely lose more units simulating when attacking than if you simply fought it out RTS style.

Collector's Edition

Here we can see the heroes of the game, minus Tom Bombadil, who is summoned using Evenstar points, and Éowyn - near the bottom right Galadriel can be seen.

Besides the normal edition of The Battle for Middle-earth II, Electronic Arts released a Collector's Edition of the game exclusively for the PC-version. [1] This edition has five additional maps, including Weathertop and Argonath, new monster skins and models, slightly changed special effects and in multiplayer games the "Create-A-Hero" gets a star on top to identify Collector’s Edition gamers during on-line play or Skirmish. It also contains a bonus DVD with e.g. Making-Of Videos, an Artwork-Viewer, the game music or the complete ingame videos. People however, found the slogan advertising the Collector’s Edition, "Control the Dragon", somewhat misleading, because it implied only Collector’s Edition owners could control the in-game Dragon. But in reality, the Collector’s Edition owners only gained several more skins and a different model for the Dragon. Xbox owners can also "control the Dragon" Many people though, did not make a giant issue out of this controversy, seeing as in some countries the Collector’s Edition shipped for the same price as the normal game edition and the Collector’s Edition was regarded as a good buy.

Xbox 360 version

The version for the Xbox 360 console is different from the PC version. The basic changes in the gameplay are following:

Four new multiplayer-modes: "Capture and Hold", "King of the Hill", "Resource Race" and "Hero vs. Hero"
A new Interface and gamepad-optimized controls
"Create-A-Hero" mode (Instead: unlockable heroes)
"War of the Ring" mode
Multiplayer is limited to 4 players over Xbox Live
Reduced commandpoint limit

Other changes:

Improved visual effects, such as animations and unit decals, but heavy slowdowns (decreased framerate) while playing
High Definition option available (up to 720p)

Differences between BFME 1 and 2

BFME2 has a larger variety of lair creatures than BFME1, including Barrow-wights and Fire Drakes.
In BFME1 you have a limited number of buildings you can make, whereas in BFME2 with the worker function you can build an unlimited number of buildings.
No castle, outpost or camp expansions are available, instead your workers can build fortresses for 5000 resources.
Various buildings are scattered around the BFME2 map. If captured,various functions are unlocked (E.g. the recruitment of Hobbits at an inn if you're playing as the Elves and the recruitment of the Men of Dale if you're playing as the Dwarves)
Create-a-Hero and War of the Ring modes are only available in BFME2.
There are no citadels with walls. Instead, you start with a fortress (The equivalent of a citadel) and two workers, who build buildings and walls (Although the walls aren't nearly as strong as the ones in BFME1). Walls are not available for Mordor and the Goblins.
Three new factions (Goblins, Dwarves and Elves) are included in BFME2. Rohan and Gondor are combined into one faction called Men of the West.
The campaigns follow the War in the North, rather than the War in the South.
A number of new heroes are in BFME2.
Several heroes and units have different powers.
No guard mode. Instead all units have the options of being aggressive, normal or they can hold ground.
Gollum is an NPC. Killing him allows you to obtain the One Ring.

Original characters

Gorkil the Goblin King

Goblin society is violent and anarchic. Would-be rulers are deposed soon after they come to power, and only the most ruthless and scheming Goblins rise to power for any length of time. Gorkil first rose in status in Moria, and by the War of the Ring has become absolute ruler of the Goblins in the North. Under his rule, all manner of foul creatures, from spiders to Mountain Giants, have been pressed into the service of war. One of the reasons is that he rides a rare Giant Scorpion in battle. He wields a curved sword with a serrated edge and a special totem pole in the form of a short staff with three skulls dangling from it.

Drogoth the Dragon Lord

Drogoth, who is named the Dragon Lord because of his likeness to the great Dragons of old, is one of many dragons that originate from the Withered Heath in the Grey Mountains in the far north of Middle-earth, and is one of the few who still seeks power openly. Before the War of the Ring, Drogoth slept undisturbed. But he was persuaded by The Mouth of Sauron to help in his campaign in exchange for one of the Dwarven Rings of Power, four of which were destroyed by dragon-fire and the other three held by Sauron. Drogoth flew to the Blue Mountains and drove out the native Dwarven clan, and turned it into his new lair. The survivors sent a lone messenger to get help. This messenger made his way east and was captured at the Ettenmoors by the Goblins. He is later rescued by an Elven army under Glorfindel and Glóin and tells them what has happened. The heroes set out for the Blue Mountains and with the help of a small Dwarven army made up of the survivors of Drogoth's devastation, they retake the mountain halls, drive out the Goblins that have infested them, and kill Drogoth. The Dwarven ring is recovered and the Blue Mountains reclaimed. Drogoth is perhaps the strongest unit in the game rivaled only ring heroes, capable of wiping out clusters of archers and a match for any Nazgûl with his fell beast. His level 10 incinerate is a formidable assault.

Comparisons with Tolkien's writings

Some liberties are being taken with Tolkien's works for the sake of gameplay (and fidelity to the Jackson films). For example: In Tolkien's works the events of the war in the North were very different. Rivendell was not attacked outright after the Second Age (though had Sauron been victorious it would no doubt have been, despite the magical protection it enjoyed from the rivers) and there was practically no activity West of the Misty Mountains (apart from the Battle of Bywater). Tolkien wrote of attacks on Dale and Erebor by an army sent out from Mordor and three major assaults on Lórien by forces from both Dol Guldur and Moria.^[1] While Sauron himself had abandoned Dol Guldur it remained a stronghold for his forces. Orcs and goblins were not distinct races, as the game (and films) would have one believe. "Orc" and "goblin" are just different but generally interchangeable terms for the same creatures — even the Uruk-hai are referred to as goblins at some points.^[2]^[3] Their usage generally depends on who is describing them; Bilbo, a simple hobbit, calls them goblins in his diary, while Elrond, a great Half-elven lord, calls them Orcs. In the Jackson films, "goblins" seem to refer to the smaller mountain versions of Orcs, as seen in Moria. Shelob (and by inference, the Spiders of Mirkwood) probably would not have sided with Goblins. Rather, she captured and ate them (like one Ufthak) when they ventured into her lair, as found in The Return of the King.^[4] Subsequently, Tolkien wrote nothing about Goblins riding giant spiders. The game features the Rangers of the North, who did not appear in the films except for Aragorn himself. However, it distinguishes them from the Rangers of Ithilien ("Gondor Rangers") by calling them "Dúnedain Rangers". This is somewhat misleading, however, as they are both directly linked to the Númenórean people by blood and history, and thus both are Dúnedain.^[5] While Glorfindel is featured, he has white hair. Actually, he is supposed to be blond; his name, from the start (c. 1917, when his character first appears in writings), meant "golden-haired".^[6] Also Glóin has different hair colour as described in the book; he is described as an old dwarf with white hair,^[7] but in the game he has red hair. Among other things, Tolkien never wrote about "Gorkil" or "Drogoth", goblin and dragon characters prominent in the game. However, the last two are arguably based upon the Great Goblin and Tolkien's canonical dragons such as Glaurung, Ancalagon and Smaug; Electronic Arts cannot use them for copyright reasons. Neither did he write about Arwen actually fighting, though she probably could and would have, when the need arose^[8]; however this is presumably in keeping with Arwen's expanded role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where she takes over and even exceeds the role Glorfindel plays in helping Frodo, and the role of Frodo himself in defying the Ringwraiths. Arwen also makes an appearance at Dol Guldur, the final mission for the good campaign; this conflicts with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as there she is apparently dying because she had chosen a mortal life for Aragorn and "as Sauron's power grows her strength wanes" so she would not have made it to Dol Guldur. (This was an invention of the scriptwriters). The Isengard faction has the hero units Saruman and Sharku. While in the films Sharku is a Warg-riding Orc, in the books he and Saruman are the same person. Sharkû and Sharkey are names referring to Saruman in the original The Return of the King. After his staff is broken, he escapes from Isengard and takes over the Shire, but is defeated by a hobbit uprising led by Merry and friends.^[9]^[10] This subplot was almost entirely cut in the Jackson films, only being alluded to in Galadriel's mirror. Tolkien never used the Old English spelling "wyrm"; he did use the modernized spelling "worm"^[11] ("wyrm" being an archaic term for dragon). Nevertheless, the game also makes use of more of Tolkien's writings. Esgaroth or Lake-town is prominently featured in The Hobbit.^[11] Thorin and Company pass through the High Pass in The Hobbit, where they are captured by goblins while sheltering in a cave.^[11] The mountain giants also appear in The Hobbit, though they are little more than a nuisance for Thorin and Company, and appear nowhere else.^[11] The cave bats seem inspired by the vampire bats in The Hobbit, who hovered over the Battle of the Five Armies, feeding upon the fallen.^[11] The game features Tom Bombadil, who did not appear in the Jackson films. However, readers may find him out of place in a war game, given his nature in Tolkien's writings (even though while plowing through units he sings merrily and skips, and his only special move is a sonic wave produced by "Sonic Song", which is itself far from the book); also, his concept art features him with a white beard, whereas Tolkien quite clearly described him as old yet brown-haired.^[12]

King Dáin appears to survive the Battle of Dale, however in Tolkien's writings he is killed.

Reception and legacy

Main article: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II - The Rise of the Witch-king

This game has an expansion set called The Rise of the Witch-king. It features a new faction Angmar, new units for the other factions, and general gameplay improvements.