The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Walkthrough by lotrwarrior27 (Mike Connelly) =============== Version Updates =============== 0.90 - 12/10/03 - Cirith Ungol's up. 0.85 - 11/29/03 - I added the Crack of Doom level in response to the swarm of e-mails asking how to beat this level. I haven't finished all of Shelob's Lair and I haven't started Cirith Ungol yet, though. 0.83 - 11/28/03 - Added PC cheats. 0.82 - 11/27/03 - Codes are up. More frequently asked questions - check them out. Some of Shelob's Lair is finished, and the Shelob bossfight is finished. 0.80 - 11/19/03 - Little things here and there have been added, and I finished Escape from Osgiliath for the path of the hobbits. 0.75 - 11/15/03 - Some errors have been fixed, I added more questions, I added PC controls and a PS2 to PC coversion table, and I added a bit of Escape from Osgiliath. 0.75 - 11/15/03 - Frequently asked questions and Thanks are up. I'll try to work on path of the hobbits tonight. 0.70 - 11/15/03 - More and more detriments keep popping up for getting it done immediately. I'll try my hardest to get this done very soon. King of the Dead is updated, and Black Gate is updated. 0.60 - 11/13/03 - I'm now on Path of the Hobbits, and I'm trying to finish by tonight. Check out the character upgrade section 0.50 - 11/11/03 - Still working on the walkthrough. Character upgrades are coming in rapidly from MPagar. 0.30 - 11/08/03 - Sections I, II, III and parts of Section IV are up. I'm working on the rest. Expect sections to be updated even further in the near future. =========== FAQ Content =========== I. What this is about II. Legal Stuff and Contact Info III. Controls, Combat Tips, and Character tips IV. Upgrades Points per level Upgrade Recommendations Character Upgrades Aragorn Legolas Gandalf V. Walkthrough Tutorial Level - Helm's Deep The Path of the Wizard (Gandalf) The Road to Isengard Minas Tirith - Top of the Wall Minas Tirith - Courtyard The Path of the King (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) Paths of the Dead The King of the Dead The Southern Gate Pelennor Fields The Black Gate The Path of the Hobbits (Sam) Escape from Osgiliath Shelob's Lair Cirith Ungol The Crack of Doom VI. Bonus Levels VII. Secrets and Codes VIII. Frequently Asked Questions IX. Thanks **************************************************************************** **************************I. What This is About***************************** **************************************************************************** Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King can be very tricky at parts, so I wrote this FAQ to help gamers beat the game. I also hope that this saves people the time of posting, and to thin out the number of help topics on the board. This is my first FAQ, so please bear with me. (NOTE: All controls are for PS2 unless noted otherwise.) **************************************************************************** ********************II. Legal Stuff and Contact Info************************ **************************************************************************** My e-mail is lotrwarrior27@hotmail.com (DO NOT E-MAIL QUESTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE FAQ, OR IN THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SECTION) Feel free to comment. ANNOUNCEMENT: I will no longer answer questions that are answered in the walkthrough, frequently asked questions, or soon will be. I am not your personal strategy guide. That's what the FAQ is for. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. In other words, just e-mail me for permission before putting it on your site :) Right now, my FAQ is only the following websites: gamefaqs.com cheatcc.com faqs.ign.com cheatplanet.com neoseeker.com cheats.de cheathappens.com SPOnG.com msjgames.cjb.net cheats-corner.de psxextreme.com Copyright 2003 Mike Connelly ******************************************************************************* *********** III. Controls, Combat Tips, and Character Tips******************* ******************************************************************************* ============== Basic Controls ============== PS2 Speed Attack = (X) button - the basic speed at attack is a flurry of quick, horizontal swings. It's great for unshielded enemies, and it can clear enemies crowding in front of you. Parry = Square (S) button - The parry button allows you to block attacks. This button can be overlooked by newbies, but it's crucial for survival. It can block all but the strongest attacks, like cave troll attacks. You can even block incoming arrows. You have to keep tapping the parry button in order to keep blocking. Fierce Attack = Triangle (T) button - This is a strong blow that can destroy enemy shields and armor, or knock down unshielded enemies. Kick = Circle (O) button - The Kick button is used to shove away enemies or ladders. When you Kick an enemy, they stumble back, leaving them vulnerable. The Kick button is also good for escaping crowds. Ranged Attack = (L1 + X) button - Hold down L1, and shoot missiles (such as arrows or daggers) by pressing X. This allows you to fight enemies from afar. Aiming at enemies is automatic, set you can change the target with the left analog. To charge up for a stronger shot, press and HOLD X. You have a limited amount of missiles, so make sure to pick up the missile items. Killing Move = (R2) button - The killing move allows you to instantly kill an enemy that is knocked to the ground. This is very useful, but it can be tough to pull of in large crowds. Action Button = (R1) button - Whenever you see a blue, floating ring, this means the object is interactable. Simply walk up to it and hit R1. Many objects do many different things, such as switches or environmental weapons, which I will cover in the next section. Back Jump = (L2) button - Probably the most underrated button. It allows you to quickly jump a good distance back. This is very useful to dodge attacks or retreat from crowds. Special Ability = (L2 + R2 + L2 + L1) buttons - Hit all four shoulder buttons to use you special ability. Gandalf makes a force-field go around him, shielding from attacks and hurting enemies. The hobbits use their Elven cloaks to go invisible for a short period of time (in this mode you can instantly kill enemies from behind by pressing R2). Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli make themselves more prone to getting special mode. PC Speed Attack: left mouse button Fierce Attack: right mouse button Parry: Q Physical Attack (knock back):Left Ctrl Killing move: Spacebar Ranged: Hold Left Shift, Fire with Left Mouse Button Special Ability: F5 Action Button: E Jump Back: Tab GameCube A button: Speed Attack B button: Parry X button: Physical Attack Y button: Fierce Attack Control Stick: Move D-pad Down: Jump back L button: Equip Ranged weapon, use special move with R button. A button while holding L button: Fire ranged weapon R button: Killing move, use special move with L button. Xbox A button: Speed Attack B button: Kick X button: Parry Y button: Fierce Attack Left Control Stick: Move white button: Jump back L button: Equip Ranged weapon, use special move with R button. A button while holding L button: Fire ranged weapon R button: Killing move, use special move with L button. ===================== Environmental Weapons ===================== War Pikes - War Pikes are large poles with sharp blades on the end. If you see one with a blue circle around it, simply press R1 and your character throws it at the nearest enemy. You can also hold R1 and manually aim. A single war pike can take out any undefended enemy; even cave trolls. Some war pikes regenerate after being used. Boiling Oil - In some levels you can dump cauldrons of boiling oil over multiple enemies. Brazier - These are large metal baskets constaining hot coals. If there are enemies in front of it, push it over to set them alight. Siege Weapons - Seige weapons such as ballistae (large crossbows) and catupults are very useful for taking out large structures or enemies. There are a couple other environmental weaopns beside these, so you'll have to explore by yourself. =========== Combat Tips =========== As you attack and parry enemies, the skill meter (circular meter to the left of life bar) fills up. The higher it is, the better ranking you get when you kill an enemy, which determines the amount of experience points you get from it. The four rankings are, from best to worst: Perfect, Excellent, Good, and Fair. If the skill meter fills up, you go into perfect mode. You can easily kill enemies very quickly when in perfect mode. Use T button fierce attacks against shielded foes and armored foes (the guys with life bars over their head). This breaks away there defenses, so you can now take them out with speed attacks (x). Unshielded enemies can be taken out with speed attacks. Picking off enemies from afar with your ranged attack can also be a good tactic in certain cases. The trick is to memorize enemy AI. They usually run up with a downward stroke, and then pause. After the short pause, they attack with three swings, pause, and then repeat.The best strategy is to use an acquired bane by pressing S and R2 right as their first strike is about to hit you. This kills the enemy and puts you in perfect mode. When being continually attacked, don't forget to parry. ============== Character Tips ============== Aragorn - His attacks are strong, but he's not the fastest. He can easily cleave through foes, though. His heavy attacks are very powerful, and his speed attacks can take out many enemies in front of him. His killing move is slightly slow. Legolas - His specialty is speed, and ranged attack. His fast attacks can knock down many enemies at a time. Slight fast killing move Gimli - Gimli is a tank. His slow speed and short stature is made up for with extremely powerful attacks. There's a slightly steep learning curve for using this character due to his speed and stature, though. He's good against crowds, but don't lose track of where he is in crowds. His killing move is kind of slow. Gandalf - Gandalf is an excellent character as he combines good speed with great damage. He also has a powerful, fast ranged attack. His killing move is average. Sam/Frodo - The Hobbits are quick, but not powerful. Their specialtys rely on quickness and stealth. Play as the hobbits with caution, and don't be mobbed by numerous foes. Their killing moves are fast. **************************************************************************** ********************************IV. Upgrades******************************** **************************************************************************** In ROTK, you can spend your experience points you earn on upgrades, such as combos, abilities, and banes. You are restricted to buying only upgrades of your level or higher. That is, a level 2 character cannot buy level 10 upgrades. Here's a table that shows when your character will level up. ================ Points Per Level ================ Level Experience Points Needed ------------------------------------- 2...............................5,000 3..............................10,000 4..............................25,000 5..............................40,000 6..............................55,000 7..............................70,000 8..............................85,000 9.............................115,000 10............................145,000 The total points are cumulative. ======================= Upgrade recommendations ======================= Strength of Stone - Increases health Orc Hewer - great combo Ranged Attack Upgrades - increases the damage done by your ranged attack. Final Judgement - great combo Try to buy for the whole fellowship when possible. Plan your upgrade purchasing carefully. I highly recommend Orc Hewer as the first thing you should get. ================== Character Upgrades ================== Note: this section was written by Michael [MPagar] (MPagar397@AOL.com) The following list has the specific skills that you can aquire at certain levels, followed by the XP points needed to learn it(if any), the button combination to do it(if any), their in -game description, then their usefulness, based on my opinion, followed by a basic rating system(*****=Great, *=Bad). LEGEND: /\ = triangle button [] = Square button X = X button O = O button PS2 to PC conversion /\ = right mouse button [] = Q X = left mouse button O = Left Ctrl R2 = space bar L1+X = hold left shift + press left mouse button L1+L2+R1+R2 = F5 PS2 to GameCube conversion /\ = Y button [] = B button X = A button O = X button R2 = R trigger L1+X = L+A L1+L1+R1+R2 = L+R ======================= ========ARAGORN======== ======================= =Level 2= -Orc Bane, []+R2 -Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking orc. The first linked move that you should get. Effective on taking out orcs in a single hit, shielded or not, and putting you in perfect mode immediately right after, allowing you to cause more damage and get twice the experience points. Valuable move, though you should prepare to parry after the animation is over since you're liable to get hit if surrounded by a group. Should be one of the first things you buy, though you should learn to see the difference between orcs, Uruks, and Easterlings. Not too difficult seeing that the orcs are green and are chest-level. Rating:***** -Ranger's Fury, Hold /\ - A devastating attack that causes lightning damage. Not too useful. You'll lose the attack if you get hit while holding triangle, and the damage alone isn't anything to brag about. It may be useful when you're being chraged at, but anything else makes this move quite useless. Rating:* -Orc Hewer, X X /\ - Combo: An effective combo for taking out unshielded foes. A great, simple move that you should acquire as soon as possible. It's useful in most situations, and quick to pull off. The key word here is 'unshielded'. Anything else and you'd get knocked back, unless you happen to hit them with the final hit. You can knock down several enemies with this combo, and is quite effective in taking down the tougher enemies after you've taken their armor off. Rating:***** -Final Judgement, X O R2 - Combo: Wound, knock down, then finish off powerful enemies with this combo. Another cool looking move that you should consider buying as soon as you can. It works best when you're not flanked by the enemy since getting the last hit in could be hard at times. Learn to balance between this and Balrog's Gambit(Level 4) depending on whether or not you think you'll have the time to pull off the killing move. Otherwise, simply replace R2 with triangle to dish out damage without exposing yourself. Rating:**** =Level 3= -Dundain Arrows, L1+X - These blessed Elven arrows cause additional damage. A little extra 'oomph' in your ranged attacks. Not a huge difference yet, but it'll help overall since you need it to get the stronger arrows later on. Rating:** -Gondorian Sword Master, L1+L2+R1+R2 - Increase damage and get to perfect mode more quickly with this special ability. Perfect mode and more damage? Neat. Some may forget the use of this special, but it's good to remember for times when things are too crowded and hectic to use longer combos to get perfect. Several X X X combos or an Orc Hewer or two will get you into a perfect into this. Mainly useful against unshielded enemies so you can dish out damage much quicker. Rating:**** -Strength of Stone - Permanently increase your health. Increased health is always a good thing. 'Strength' abilities should be THE first things you should always get, followed by link moves. Rating:***** -Rising Revenge, X(while getting up) - Attack as you regain your feet, taking enemies by surprise. Not as quick or as useful as it was in the first game. Surrounded by shielded enemies, and you're just asking to be struck down again. Useful in a group of unshielded enemies, though getting enough of them close by to actually hit them can be a different matter. It can work as a somewhat decent crowd clearer at times. Rating:** =Level 4= -Wilderness Rage, Hold /\ - A more devastating attack that sets enemies on fire(Requires Ranger Fury). Similar to Ranger Fury. A bit more damage, but could be hard to set up, specially when surrounded. Rating:* -Balrog's Gambit, X O /\ - Combo: Wound, knock down, and strike your enemy with this combination attack. The perfect compliment to Final Judgement. If you see enemies coming towards you ready to strike, then go for the triangle instead of R2 to knock them away. If you have time or an opening, switch to R2 instead to do an automatic kill to unshielded enemies. The second hit gives you a good rush and can help avoid getting hit in the back before you complete the final hit, which can go for two hits and makes for good area coverage. The enemies are usually knocked down by the second hit, though the extra swings in the end can hit anyone else still standing. A great move indeed, and looks great to boot. Rating:***** =Level 5= -Warrior Bane, []+R2 - Parry, then instantly kill a man-sized enemy. Now, to kill confusion, 'man-sized enemy' refers to Easterlings, the enemies that are clad in red and gray that you first encounter in Pellenor Fields (Path of the King). Another instant kill move that brings you to perfect, and can save some valuable time. A must-get. Just watch out for that small lag after the kill. Keep up with the parry button to avoid getting hit in a crowd. Rating:***** -Strength of Iron - Permanently increase your health(Requires Strength of Stone). Get this. Extra health always helps. Rating:***** -Dark Deliverance, /\ X X /\ - Combo: Effective for rapidly dispatching shielded enemies. A pretty good move. A bit slow on the second hit, and slow on the final swing, but you get a really good arc if you get the triangle in. Try to get some room to do this, or you won't finish it at all. I prefer Shield Cleaver myself. Rating:*** =Level 6= -Wrath of Numenor, Hold /\ - A most devastating attack that emits a ring of fireballs(Requires Wilderness Rage). Much of the same, but actually slightly more useful than the others. The fireballs spread out, but don't cause too much damage. Plus hitting anyone with them may be hard since you'll have to be surrounded in order for it to be useful. Save your points for other moves. Rating:** -Rivendell Arrows, L1+[] - These arrows emit a lightning arc on impact (Requires Dunedain Arrows). Increases ranged attack again. This one can actually be more useful than the last ones, and cause more ranged damage whenever you need it. Rating:*** -Strength of the Fellowship - Permanently increases your health(Requires Strength of Iron). What can I say? Health is always a good thing. Rating:***** -Shield CLeaver, /\ /\ O /\ - Combo: Use on powerful foes to smash a shield, knock him to the ground, and then strike. My top choice for attack a huge crowd(assuming that you're not surrounded yourself). This can cause quite a bit of damage, and also very useful in taking out a heavy armored enemy if you have room. The main problem with it is the speed. You'll find the move interrupted unless you get the first two hits in. A good move, nonetheless. Specially against trolls. Rating:*** =Level 7= -Bane of Sauron, []+R2 - Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking Uruk. Finally, something to get rid of those pesky Uruks. A good move to get. Parry a lot near the end to avoid hits, like the other linked moves, then go crazy with perfect mode and increased damge. Rating:***** -King Maker, L1+L2+R1+R2 - Increase damage and reach perfect mode even faster(Requires Gondorian Sword Master). Pretty much similar to Gondorian Sword Master. Perfect mode is always a plus, along with the extra damage, though by now you shouldn't need this too often thanks to the linked moves you should have in your repertoire. Rating:**** =Level 8= -Mithril Arrows, L1+X - These magical arrows set enemies on fire(Requires Rivendell Arrows). The best set of arrows that you can get. Good for ranged attacks, but even better on armor-stripped tough enemies and trolls. Rating:**** -Lightning Strike, X /\ X X - Combo: A series of quick and powerful strikes that will take down one or more shielded enemies. 'Lightning' my ass. This move is all flash and little use. It's too slow overall, and despite its cool animation, it's only useful on incoming hordes or lone armored enemies. Rating:** -Killing Zone - Increases the amount of time during combat that you remain in perfect mode. A good ability that, ultimately, comes in too late in the game. The extra damage is good, and the extra points are swell, but by then you should have all the moves you need. The high rating comes from the fact that you get to dish out more damage for a longer amount of time. Rating:**** =Level 9= -Helm's Hammer, /\ /\ /\ - Combo: A deadly combo to shatter enemy shields and strike again. A surprisingly quick and powerful attack. The first two hits are moderately quick, and while the last is a bit slow, it helps you nail the ones running at you. Another good move for armored and shielded enemies, and something I use while surrounded time to time. Not garuanteed to hit, but there's a good chance it will. Rating:**** =Level 10= -Swift Justice, X X X X - Combo: A fast combination deadly against unshielded enemies. An excellent move. Quick and deadly, specially in perfect mode and in huge crowds. As the description says, stick with it on unshielded foes, or use it to drop the tougher ones after you've dispatched their defenses with a fierce attack of your own. This move comes in late, but is a great buy. Rating:***** -Strength of Evenstar - Permanenetly increases health(Requires Strength of the Fellowship). The more health, the gooder. Get it. Rating:***** -Sword Mastery of Kings - Increases the damage of speed attacks. Another good thing to get. Mix this with other combos that has a lot of quick attacks, or better yet, get this along with Swift Justice and massacre those orcs. Rating:**** ------------------------------------------------ =================== ======LEGOLAS====== =================== =Level 2= -Orc Bane, []+R2 -Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking orc. A must-buy. It gets rid of orcs in a single move, and sets you up in perfect mode, ready to do added damage for more XP. It's one of the best looking and fluid linked move there is, looking like a 'ballerina spin of death'. Worth the price. Rating:***** -Mirkwood Arrows, L1+X - These blessed Elven arrows cause additional damage. Buy this. It'll be useful in the long run since Legolas should depend mostly on his ranged attacks, though he's quite capable of close ranged combat as well. Rating:** -Orc Hewer, X X /\ - Combo: An effective combo for taking out unshielded foes. A mandatory move. Easy to pull off with a good chance of success, and it's quicker than Aragorn and Gimli's version, plus the last hit can get in two strikes on a good number of opponents. Plus you can actually hit a single target with all three hits! A definite buy. This is one combo you should memorize early on. Rating:***** -Final Judgement, X O R2 - Combo: Wound, knock down, then finish off powerful enemies with this combo. A good move that'll finish off non-shielded enemies. Pretty good, and finishes fast compared to the others. A good buy, though I suggest using it when you have some space between you and another enemy. Rating:***** =Level 3= -Light of Lothlorien, L1+L2+R1+R2 - Increase damage and get to perfect mode more quickly with this special ability. Lets you deal more damage and get to perfect mode a lot quicker. Use this in an unshielded crowd, but don't get knocked down. It wears off pretty quickly, and a knock down may waste this. Good buy, though. Rating:**** -Strength of Stone - Permanently increase your health. Always buy the health+ things whenever you can, specially since Legolas takes more damage than Aragorn or Gimli. This can keep you in the fight much longer. Rating:***** -Rising Revenge, X(while getting up) - Attack as you regain your feet, taking enemies by surprise. An effective move for our elf friend. Gets a good arc, and works fast, unlike most of the other characters. Get this to clear the path, though you should stand and parry if there's any shielded or armored foes around you. Rating:*** =Level 4= Elven Fury -Hold /\ - A devastating attack that causes lightning damage. These 'hold triangle' buttons aren't too much use, in my opinion. It works only when enemies are rushing towards you, and even then, an archer can screw up the charge. It's bound to get cancelled in crowd fights. Rating:* -Balrog's Gambit, X O /\ - Combo: Wound, knock down, and strike your enemy with this combination attack. A good move, though somewhat lacking in the end. It's a quick move, and it's great to end it with this rather than Final Judgement whenever you've got enemies heading for you. This and Final Judgement make for great buys. Rating:**** =Level 5= -Warrior Bane, []+R2 - Parry, then instantly kill a man-sized enemy. Another Bane move to buy. Now, to clarify, the 'man-sized' enemy is the Easterlings. Those are the red/grey folks that you first fight in Pellenor Fields. This move, as well as the other linked moves, puts you in perfect mode so you can do more damage and get more points. Well worth the buy. Rating:***** -Lothlorien Arrows L1+X - These arrows emit a lightning arc on impact (Requires Mirkwood Arrows). A necessaty for Legolas. His high rate of fire makes this a good buy for him. Get it so you can upgrade to the other arrows later in the game. Rating:*** =Level 6= -Strength of Iron - Permanently increase your health(Requires Strength of Stone). Extra health. Good. Specially for our low-defense Elf friend here. Something you should buy whenever you can. Rating:***** -Shield Cleaver, /\ /\ O /\ - Combo: Use on powerful foes to smash a shield, knock him to the ground, and then strike. A decent move. Slow to complete, and you have a good chance of being stopped, but the final hit is a good full swing that'll hit a good arc, though actually hitting something may be the hard part. Rating:*** -Dark Deliverance, /\ X X /\ - Combo: Effective for rapidly dispatching shielded enemies. A little too slow, for my taste. Decent damage against tougher folks, and it'll work pretty well on shielded enemies if the first hit manages to connect, but ultimately, the last hit double uppercut hits at a limited range, and probably won't do too well in large groups. Rating:** =Level 7= -Bane of Sauron, []+R2 - Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking Uruk. An instant kill move. This time, for those Uruks. Again, buy it. It's good to do more damage and get perfect mode. Get it, though watch for the delay after the move. You could get hit right after the move animation is completed, so it's wise to parry. Rating:***** -Arrows of the Valar, L1+X - These magical arrows set enemies on fire (Requires Requires Lothlorien Arrows). Another arrow upgrade that you should get for Legolas. This one just ups the damage, and is useful in the later levels against unarmored creatures. Rating:*** -Galadriel's Gift, L1+L2+R1+R2 - Increase damage and reach perfect mode even faster(Requires Light of Lothlorien). A good buy, if not a little late in the game. Get it to score more points and deal more damage. You may want to get another arrow upgrade or health instead of this, but it's a good buy. Rating:**** =Level 8= -Elrond's Rage, Hold /\ - A more devastating attack that sets enemies on fire(Requires Elven Fury). Legolas' last and most powerful 'hold triangle' move. A good two sings, but in my opinion, useless. Like the others, it may take a while to charge to its' full power, and the range is limited. Get everything else before you go for this one. Rating:** -Lightning Strike, X /\ X X - Combo: A series of quick and powerful strikes that will take down one or more shielded enemies. A quick move, though the lag to the second hit can screw you up if you're surrounded. Keep it limited to small, controlled crowds and don't use it when surrounded. A good choice for armored or shielded enemies after you've stripped them away from their defenses. Also useful in small tight groups of two or three unshielded enemies. The entire move is moderately quick, and offers a good arc as you swing around several times. Rating:**** -Strength of the Fellowship - Permanently increases your health(Requires Strength of Iron). Same as the rest. Get it as soon as you can. It's a life saver. Rating:***** -Killing Zone - Increases the amount of time during combat that you remain in perfect mode. Another ability that comes ina a tad too late. You'll use this ability to deal more damage as oppose to getting more points since getting XP isn't too difficult in the later levels. Still, it can be a big help. Rating:**** =Level 9= -Helm's Hammer, /\ /\ /\ - Combo: A deadly combo to shatter enemy shields and strike again. A decently speedy attack that can break armor and injure, though you'll most likely end up missing the second hit if used on an armored enemy. This is one for the tougher enemies, though with Legolas' quickness, it might be better off to stay with the quicker attack combos. On a plus note, the final hit comes surprisingly fast, so don't worry about finishing the combo when you need to. Rating:**** -Mithril Arrows, L1+X - These arrows penetrate and set on fire all enemies on their path(Requires Arrows of the Valar). A good buy. Deals damage on a lot of opponents without using too much arrows. Get this and use it on groups that are stationary, or those that are running towards you. You can't go wrong with this one. Unleash your purpley death at will. Rating:**** =Level 10= -Swift Justice, X X X X - Combo: A fast combination deadly against unshielded enemies. A quick move, though the last tends to stall a bit. Purchase this ability and use it as much as Orc Hewer. This is great for large, unshielded crowds, specially if you're using Legolas' special or are in perfect mode. Rating:***** -Elven Bow Mastery, L1+X - Fire two arrows at two targets with a single attack. A great move. Combined with Mithril Arrows, you can cause a lot of damage on a lot of enemies at the same time. Use this while on perfect mode to do some real damage, or use it on large crowds, whether they're motionless or running towards you. The only down side is the cost of arrows. Even if you're seeking to attack a single target, you'll end up wasting two instead, and may find yourself running out faster than usual. Nevertheless, it's a good skill to have. Rating:**** ---------------------------------- =================== ======GANDALF====== =================== =Level 2= -Orc Bane, []+R2 -Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking orc. Lots of swinging on this one. A good move, along with every other linked move there is. Always get these first, next to more health. This will wipe out the shoulder-sized, green enemies in a single hit, and bring you to perfect mode(twice the point, and more damage. WHoohoo!). Rating:***** -Fog of War, Hold /\ - This attack invokes an expanding fog cloud that knocks enemies from their feet. Not too bad. I suggest getting this just so you can buy the later upgrades. Use this with your barrier special to get some breathing room, and get one or two instant kills(R2) moves, though I'd do it quickly since Gandalf's IK is a bit slow. Rating:** -Strength of Stone - Permanently increase your health. Get it. Now. Once you open up level 2 skills, this should be the first thing you get. Gandalf can't take damage too well, and this'll only ensure that you fight longer. A necessary ability to buy. Rating:***** -Orc Hewer, X X /\ - Combo: An effective combo for taking out unshielded foes. A mandatory move for just about every character. Simple to do, and effective at short notice. Gandalf's hits are at a decent speed, and his last thrust lunges him forward. Keep your back safe, and you should be able to hit two enemies with the last hit. Rating:**** -Final Judgement, X O R2 - Combo: Wound, knock down, then finish off powerful enemies with this combo. Another good move to get. Use this instant kill combo on unshielded enemies, though try to stick to it in thin numbers while avoiding its use in large crowds. The second strike is a bit delayed, and the final stab is a bit slow, so I suggest getting Balrog's Gambit to use triangle instead of R2 if you don't think you can complete the final stab. Rating:**** =Level 3= -Wizard's Power,L1+L2+R1+R2 - The magic shield causes increased damage and persists longer. A useful skill. Gives you time to use his Fog of War, or any other variety you have for it. Also good if you just need to run in the middle of a crowd and start a combo. Give yourself several seconds to cast it, though, or you'll find yourself interrupted way too often. Rating:*** -Rising Revenge, X(while getting up) - Attack as you regain your feet, taking enemies by surprise. A good move for he Wizard. Fast, and spins around, so it clears a good area. It's a pretty good buy. Rating:**** -Light of the Pilgrim, L1+X - This lightning bolt projectile causes increased damage. Since Gandalf's most damaging source of attack is projectiles, I suggest getting this just so you can upgrade to the more powerful attacks, not unlike Legolas'arrows. The damage in this isn't great, but it'll add up in the end. Rating:** =Level 4= -Wrath of Anor, Hold /\ - A more devastating attack that creates a ring of fire that sets foes on fire(Requires Fog of War). Like Gandalf's projectiles, I suggest upgrading this move. This one causes more damage, and could be useful when enemies around you are too busy with something else rather than trying to kill you. This move is either garuanteed to knock them down so you or a friend can stab them on the ground, or right out kill them from the damage. Rating:*** -Balrog's Gambit, X O /\ - Combo: Wound, knock down, and strike your enemy with this combination attack. A good buy along with final judgement. The second hit is slow, as well as the third hit. However, it doesn't expose you as much as it would performing a finishing blow(R2). Rating:*** =Level 5= -Warrior Bane, []+R2 - Parry, then instantly kill a man-sized enemy. Another good buy. Like every other bane move, it gets to perfect mode, after which you can kill to get more XP points and cause more damage, specially with Gandalf's projectiles. Plus it has that 'Don't mess with me" look that's just amusing to watch once in a while. Rating:***** -Strength of Iron - Permanently increase your health(Requires Strength of Stone). Hooray for more health. Gandalf takes damage quite easily, so get this as soon as you can. Rating:***** -Light of the Forges, L1+X - This magical projectile lights enemies on fire (Requires Light of the Pilgrim). Another upgrade for the White Wizard's ranged attack. Get this to cause some damage thanks to Gandalf's quickness in firing ranged shots. Rating:*** -Dark Deliverance, /\ X X /\ - Combo: Effective for rapidly dispatching shielded enemies. An excellent combo. The first three moves are quick, and the final one isn't that much slower either. This is a good buy, and useful for knocking out shields, or against larger and tougher enemies. The main problem is that the final swing doesn't hit too much enemies, though the third hit is a good stun hit to lead to the fourth hit. Rating:**** =Level 6= -Flame of Udon, Hold /\ - A most devastating attack that creates a ring of fire that sets foes on fire(Requires Wrath of Anor). A good move. Very powerful, though getting to know the range may take time. Use it with Gandalf's special so that you're protected while you charge triangle to cause a big damage in crowds. Good to get perfect or getting perfect. Just be careful-it costs ten arrows to pull off, like Gandalf's other 'hold triangle' attack. Rating:**** -Shield CLeaver, /\ /\ O /\ - Combo: Use on powerful foes to smash a shield, knock him to the ground, and then strike. Not as useful as it is to the other characters. This move goes in a moderate pace, and is probably too slow to be useful. Just keep it to one on one fights(two at most) against trolls or armored enemies. Otherwise, just save points for projectile upgrades or health. Rating:** =Level 7= -Bane of Sauron, []+R2 - Linked Move: Parry, then instantly kill an attacking Uruk. Link move. Perfect mode. More damage. More XP. Why shouldn't you get it? Rating:***** -Power of Palantir, L1+L2+R1+R2 - This magical shield deflects enemies further and persists longer(Require Wizard's Power). A good upgrade. Damages enemies more, and gives you a few more second to pull off those slow combos, or charge that triangle move. Rating:*** =Level 8= -Lightning Strike, X /\ X X - Combo: A series of quick and powerful strikes that will take down one or more shielded enemies. A good combination that mixes speed with a slightly delayed final hit. While the last strike does come in a little on the slow side, the arc should very much take care of several enemies at once. A good choice for lengthy combos. Rating:**** -Strength of the Fellowship - Permanently increases your health(Requires Strength of Iron). The more health, the merrier. Get this as soon as possible, specially if you plan to use Gandalf more. Rating:***** =Level 9= -Helm's Hammer, /\ /\ /\ - Combo: A deadly combo to shatter enemy shields and strike again. A good move on a shielded crowd. The first two hits come out very quickly, and if you so choose, you can complete the combo for a slower, final hit. This is one to use to destroy the defenses of a group of shielded and armored enemies, then follow it up with quicker combos, or move back for some ranged attacks. Good use on armored enemies in single combat. Rating:**** =Level 10= -Swift Justice, X X X X - Combo: A fast combination deadly against unshielded enemies. A nice combo. Use it normally, and mainly against a group of unshielded enemies. It swings at a good arc, allowing you to hit everyoen from a single general direction. The final hit is delayed, so you can probably be hit during the animation, but the third hit should stun them long enough to avoid this, plus it also hits at a good arc. A must-buy. Rating:***** -Enchantment of the Havens, L1+L2+R1+R2 - The magical shield knocks enemies to the ground and persists longer(Requires Power of Palantir). The final upgrade to Gandalf's special ability. A simple way to kill a crowd, while allowing you to set up a long combo, a charged triangly attack, shoot long ranged, or set your friend to do the same in co-op mode. This can also take out armored enemies with no effort at all. Just remember that the set up itself can take three or so valuable seconds that you most likely wouldn't have in a crowd. Rating:**** -Power of the Isatari - Increase the damage of your ranged and devastating attack. An excellent buy. While Gandalf's combos should stick mainly to quick attacks, the few fierce attacks in them gets extra damage. But more importantly, his ranged attack gets a boost in damage as well-something that'll be very useful in almost any situation. Rating:***** -Light of the Valor, L1+X - This projectile of pure light passes through multiple foes, setting them aflame(Requires Light of the Forges). A very, very good purchase. Mixed with Power of the Isatari, this one can potentially take out a troll in a single charged hit, then keep going to kill any other poor saps behind it. Great for long distance crowd control, and a very great ability to have later on. Rating:***** ******************************************************************************* ********************************V. Walkthrough********************************* ******************************************************************************* ================================================================ =================Path of the Wizard (Gandalf)=================== ================================================================ =========== Helm's Deep =========== This is just a tutorial level, and it's almost impossible to die, so this should be no problem for you. They throw you directly in control of Gandalf after the amazing cutscenes, so be on your toes and ready. You'll immediately be up against a large group of enemies. Continually tap speed attack to kill them. Make sure they all are killed (yellow text appears over the enemy when it is dead). If they fall without dying, tap R2 to kill them. Notice the guidelines in the upper-right hand corner, and the comments shouted out by Gimli. Follow what they say, and you should be fine. After you kill a few Uruk-Hai, you will be shown a cutscene. Legolas needs your help, and you have to get to him. You don't have to help him YET, though. Continue to fight on the ground for the experience points. Make your way towards the ladder. Shielded Uruk-Hai will obstruct your path. Use fierce attacks to break their sheilds, and then finish them off with speed attacks. A single shielded Uruk-Hai blocks the ladder. Quickly dispose of him with fierce attacks and climb up the ladder using the left analog stick. On the wall, you will be attacked by a flurry of flaming arrows. Parry them using the S button. Then shoot them with your ranged attack (L1 + X). After klling the archers, you will be shown another cutscene; this time, Aragorn needs help from the ground. Follow Legolas's example and press R1 by the rope. You will fall to the ground. Ignore the Uruk-Hai and go straight to the ballistae (large crossbows). Press R1 on each one of them, and don't take too much time. Activating the third and final ballista destroys the cart of explosives and rewards you with victory. ================ Road to Isengard ================ You start off in the forest with a horde of Uruk-Hai running away from you. Don't bother trying to shoot them, because it can't hit them. Commence foward. Soon you will be met with a couple Uruk-Hai. Easily take them out, but remember to parry their initial attacks. Continue down the path, and you'll see a short cutscene. Continue, and fight the two grounded Uruk-Hai, while avoiding the arrows from above. Once you kill the Uruk-Hai, back up and shoot the archer. Continue forward, and you will see a cart. Wait for an enemy to get close to it, and then shoot the cart with your ranged attack to blow it up. Shoot the archer on the hill. You will see a fork in the path, and a bridge on your left. Shoot the explosives, and then shoot the archers on the bridge. You could go on ahead on the bridge, or you can take the path to the right for extra experience points. Fight your way through a couple encounters (don't forget to parry, and try not to get surrounded) on the path, and you'll emerge on the other side of the bridge. Continue on, fighting as you need to. Soon you will reach a clear area, and have to turn right. CHECKPOINT You will see a cutscene of the Ents smashing up some baddies. Run down the path, and destroy the orcs on the bottom waiting for you. Notice the meter in the upper-right hand corner. You and the Ents have to kill 75 Uruk-Hai.You have to make a decision. Run out in the middle of the area to kill Uruk-Hai and get tons of experience points, yet risk being trampled by the Ents, or stay safely where you are and kill Uruk-Hai from afar with your ranged attack. Once 75 Uruk-Hai are killed, you see cutscene with the next area opening up. Proceed. Continue down the path, fighting any Uruk-Hai you see. After seeing the Tower of Orthanc, you will hit a CHECKPOINT Soon you will reach another explosives cart. Shoot it, and run forward. You will immediately be attacked by flaming arrows coming from several towers in the distance. At the base of each tower is an explosive cart. Make you way down the line, shoot all the explosive carts, and make sure each tower is destroyed. Go across the bridge and go to the left. You will see an item called an "Elfstone." Get it, as it gives you experience points. Turn around and continue to the right of the bridge. Continue fighting and proceeding and what not - I'm sure you won't get lost. Sooner or later you'll reach an area with an Ent trying to break a dam. There are many orcs shooting flaming arrows at it, and guarding some of the archers is a Berserker Uruk-Hai. Don't rush in with attacks. Instead, kill him with charged ranged attacks. Once he is dead, kill the archers he was guarding. Shoot the archers up on the dock on the other side of the dam. Your job is to keep all archers from shooting the Ent as he breaks the dam. Stay where you are and keep a sharp eye for any more archers that will appear. Kill any archers you see. Eventually the dam's life bar will completely deplete, and you will have won the level. ============================== Minas Tirith - Top of the Wall ============================== The main objective of this level is to kick down all the ladders with the O button, and keep the fortress from being overrun. Look at the meter in the upper-right hand corner. This is crucial. The line thingy is a layout of the level. Whenever a bright red dot appears, it indicates that a ladder has appeared there. The circle meter on the right is the overrun meter. You must not let this meter fill. The trick is to ignore the enemies, and go straight to kicking down the ladders whenever one appears. Always remember to keep moving on this level. Soon you will see a cutscene with trolls pushing huge towers towards the castle. Stop whatever you are doing and go straight towards the large blue dot on the map, and you'll see stairs. Climb up the stairs and you'll see a catapult. Press R1 while over the blue circle. Wait for the catapult to load, and press it again. That tower is now destroyed, but another one is coming on the right side of the level. Run down the stairs and towards the large, blinking, red dot on the right of your map. Make sure to kick down ladders on the way. When you get to the right side of the level, take out the approaching tower with your ranged attack. Once the tower falls, another one is approaching on the left. Run back to the catapult, kicking any ladders on the way. Launch the catapult. Suddenly a Fell Beast attacks. Shoot it a few times with your ranged attack, and it will fall into the castle. Launch the catapult one more time, and then run down the stairs. A tower will automatically dock on the right side of the castle, but rubble obstructs your path. Kick down the ladder (if there is one) and press R1 to climb down on the ledge. Continue where you're supposed to go, until you are able to climb back up (there may be a ladder you have to kick first). Once back up on the main walkway, run towards the docked tower. Hit it with your ranged attack until it falls. You will be shown a cutscene showing several cave trolls ramming the main gate. Once back in control of Gandalf, run to your left. Run up the tower you haven't climbed before. At the top is seven elfstones. Run back down to the main walkway, and you will see an opening that used to be guarded by two soldiers. Run through the opening and down the steps. Follow in the same direction as the running soldiers, and soon you will be in the courtyard. The level is finished. ======================== Minas Tirith - Courtyard ======================== The objective of this level is to defend the area so 200 citizens can safely escape through the exit. You can keep track by using the meter in the upper- right hand corner. The citizens enter the courtyard through two points. One is directly to the right of the main gate and the other is on the right of the level (where you entered the courtyard on the last level). The single escape point is in the back left corner, near where you started out. There are war pikes by the statue, but save them for the tougher enemies later on. There are three health potions. A green one in a barrel on the left side of the level, a red one in a barrel on the right, and a red one in a barrel directly to the left of the main gate. Fight all enemies you see (once again, don't forget parry!), and always make sure enemies aren't hanging out right by the enterances or escape point. Whenever a line of archers appear near the main gate, take them out with your ranged attack. Continue fighting. Eventually an enemy with a green life bar over his head (a champion) will enter. Hit him with a few fierce attacks to knock off his armor, and then bash away with combos such as Orc Hewer. Do this whenever more come. Soon there is a cutscene with three cave trolls entering. Run to the basket of war pikes, and use them to aim at and skewer two of the cave trolls. Take out the third one with your ranged attack. This is when things can get very hectic. Many champions come rushing in, and from time to time cave trolls enter through the right of the level. Always make sure to take care of the cave trolls as soon as possible with either the war pikes or ranged attack. Continue fighting, and don't get crowded. The best way to not get crowded is by putting your back against something like a wall. Check the citizen meter. If you've rescued somewhere around 190 citizens and you're low on health, just sit there and repeatedly tap Parry. Eventually, you'll get 200 citizens. ============================================================== =======Path of the King (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli)========= ============================================================== ================= Paths of the Dead ================= Run forward, and through the mist. The mist does nothing but slow your progress, so don't worry. The fastest way to get through the mist is to turn around and press the jump back button (L2)Soon you will encounter a wave of dead soldiers. Fight normally, and take them out. A health potion appears if you need it. As you continue, a large rock will emerge from the ground, and enemies appear. This happens a lot in this level and the next. In order to get through, you must defeat the enemies. Use the nearby war pikes by pressing R1 if you want to. The stone shatters once the last soldier is defeated. Press on, and you'll enter another foggy area. This time, two dead soldiers attack. Kill them and move on. You will see a stone bridge over the path. Shoot the archers on the bridge with your ranged attack. Then go directly left (BEFORE going under the bridge). You'll go up a ramp and then across a bridge. A path branches off to the left, but continue forward. Part of the cliff juts off to the left when you continue. Go on it and get the elfstone. When you turn around, dead soldiers attack. Destroy them, and continue on. At the end of the path, there's a boulder. Push it over to kill a few enemies. Backtrack and go back to where the path splits. Go down and continue on. A pack of shielded foes attack near the path split. Attack with fierce attacks (T button) to destroy their shields, and then finish them off with speed. If you need health, there is a red health potion down the path on the right; if not, continue on ahead. Soon you will reach a gorge with a raised drawbridge. There's a crank to your right, and three archers on the other side of the gorge. Stand near the crank, and when the archers fire, block. Then quickly press R1 on the winch. It takes three turns, so press R1 two more times as soon as it lets you. The drawbridge goes down. Get the red health potion on the left of the bridge (if you need it) and then cross it. CHECKPOINT As soon as you make your way into the mist, dead soldiers attack. Stay close to your companions so they can take some damage. Once you're done with them, go up the ramp against the right wall. Take care of those archers on the top, and get the red health potion. Go back into the fog and continue. In the next area, columns fall in your path. Don't rush ahead; stay close to your companions. Use fierce attacks and parry often. Contine and you'll eventually reach a ladder. Kill the guards and climb up it. S stone wall rises in your path and you're faced with enemies. Sfter killing a good amount of them, a dead soldier with a life bar over his head appears. Attack quickly. When he dies, the path is clear. Keep going, and you'll notice an alcove to your left with a red health potion. Continue on and you'll reach a room with a gigantic statue. Fight off the enemie and press R1 on the statue. It creates a bridge, so run across it. Follow the path to the left of the gate, and you'll go around and under the bridge. When you emerge on the other side, you'll notice a crank. Suddenly two health-bar-over-head guys attack. Kill them, and a red health potion appears in the alcove. Go to the crank and raise the gate all the way up. Go back down under the bridge to get back to the gate. This time, shielded enemies attack. Deal with them with fierce attacks. When they're dead, head through the gate. You'll reach a huge chamber. Start across the bridge, and two rock will jut out around you, trapping you. Suddenly dead soldiers come out of both rocks. Look at the counter in your upper-right hand corner of the screen. You have to kill that many enemies to pass. When you're finished, the rock crumbles. Get across the bridge, and you win. ==================== The King of the Dead ==================== BOSS: King of the Dead You start off directly in a boss battle against the King of the Dead. The king will swing three times quickly, and then pause. The best strategy is to parry the three blows, and then return the favor with continual speed attacks. Then go back to parrying. Continue this. He frequently sinks into the ground. You can get an extra hit on him by pressing R2 as he's sinking. After trading blows for a while, he sinks and emerges all the way on the other side of the level. Do not rush after him. Stay where you are, and he summons four dead soldiers. If you don't attack, they just stand there. Draw one close to you by shooting it with ranged attack. When he gets to you, destroy him with your weapon. Repeat this step one at a time on the rest of the soldiers. When they are all killed, he goes into the ground and emerges by you. Continue the strategy from before, and he'll go back to his summoning position. This time he summons archers. Take them out with your ranged attack. He goes back into the ground, and emerges into attack as usual. After damaging him this time, he does a different attack. After going under, he re-emerges in front of his statue. He blows wind at you, and you have to stay behind the boulder. After the first wind attack, pop out and shoot him with a charged arrow. Immediately run back behind the boulder. He'll do another wind attack, and again, shoot him and run back when he's done. After the third wind attack, he goes back to attacking with his sword. This time, he strikes five times a turn, with a pause between the fourth and fifth. Do the same strategy as before. He summons some dead soldiers a couple more times between sword attacks. Eventually he'll sink into the ground and emerge near the statue again. Immediately run to the back boulder, close to the screen. He'll do his wind attacks again, so do the same as before. He'll continue all these attacks, so just use the same strategies as before, and he'll be dead in no time. --- Once the King of the Dead has been defeated you have to escape as fast as you can. Run towards the screen and avoid the falling rocks. Here's a section written by Aruna on how to avoid falling rocks: "The first thing to note is that there are two types of rocks falling in this level. Some are scripted to occur whenever you arrive on the scene and the others are set to fall due to a time limit. In order to avoid the timed rocks you must move as fast as you can. The scripted rocks usually involve waiting for them to fall and then running immediately afterwards. "From the beginning keep running towards the screen and a rock will fall in front of you. Move to the right side to dodge the rock and continue running. Keep running and you will end up at a fight. The first thing to do here is to charge an arrow and wait for undead to spawn. That first arrow will kill one guy. Don't take on these guys on the main bit. Retreat to the bridge like section and reduce the number you fight with. Try and kill the archers quickly as they prevent you from fighting the others properly. Remember you must dispatch them quickly as otherwise the rocks fall on you. The next bit is a room with a bend in the middle. Stick to the bend even though a rock falls there-it won't hurt you and you will still run faster than when running around the boulder. You can keep running until a point where you head away from the screen and up a slope. Here stop and wait for the scripted rocks to fall. Then quickly run up the hill and go right. Another stone will crop up. Remain at the back and dispatch them-there is no room to maneuver unfortunately. After they are dead stick to the top wall of where you fought those guys and keep running- when this wall turns off cross over and run towards the screen-this makes you avoid the only rock that hurts when you get hit on the head. When you get to the mist keep going. Some prescripted rocks will fall a little ahead of you. Stop or slow down till these fall-they fall roughly at the edge of your screen when you enter the mist. Watch the pieces carefully as they fall down so that you avoid them when wading through the mist. Keep going in the mist and you will eventually come out of it. There are no more scripted rocks." You will get to a third wall. This is where things can get tough. Let your companions distract enemies, don't get surrounded, and use combos. Since they come out on the left side of the screen, stay on the right side so you don't have to deal with so much. Eventually, you'll kill them all. That's the end of the level. ============= Southern Gate ============= Run forward, and try to go through the gate. A cave troll attacks. Run back and to your left. There is a war pike stuck in the ground. Pick it up by pressing and holding R1. Aim it at the cave troll and let go. The object of this level is to fire all the catupults on the field, climb up the rubble on the right of the wall once the catupults on the left are fired, use the crank, and go through the gate. Once the cave troll is killed by your pike, swarms of enemies appear. Along with attacking, parrying is crucial. If this is your first time, you should probably try to get those catapults fired as fast as you can instead of trying to fight off every enemy. The first two catapults are in the left field. Fight your way to them, and fire them both. Once the second catapult is shot, it will reveal a way to get up on the wall. Run to the left field, where there is another catapult. Fire it; it damages the cave troll at the top of the wall. Make your way towards the rubble, run across it, and climb up the ladder. Go to the left and three Uruks attack. Take them out, and continue. Once the troll is in view, destroy it with fully-charged ranged attacks. Run out where it once stood, and a Mumak (giant elelphant-type creature) will appear. You must destroy it by shooting arrows at the three shields, and then the battle platform. Take care of the Uruks near you, while parrying arrows from the Mumak, and then destroy the Mumak with your ranged attacks. A cutscene shows the crank you must... crank, but don't do it yet. First destroy the waves of enemies on the wall. Once they're destroyed, use the crank; turn it until you're shown a cutscene with the gate opening. Before returning down, press R1 on both oil cauldrons. Then run down to the drawbridge, and kill any enemy on it. If you want to stay and build experience points, stay and fight. Otherwise, run through the open gate to advance to the next level. =============== Pelennor Fields =============== This level can be very tricky. Notice the counter in the upper-right hand corner. You and your allies must defeat 60 enemies before moving on. In order to do this, you MUST NOT simply charge into battle. Stick to the edges of crowds, and only kill those that come to you. Do NOT let yourself get surrounded. If you get surrounded, parry until allies come to help. If they don't come, do anything it takes to escape. Continue staying at the edges, and dispatching enemies one at a time. Soon you'll reach 60 enemies slain. There's a cutscene with Eowyn and Merry running onto the field. When you're back in control of your character, you're up on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. CHECKPOINT Your task now is to keep the mumakil from reaching Eowyn and Merry. Their life bar is at the top of the screen. Take out the Mumak in view with your arrows, and parry incoming arrows. In order to get to the second Mumak after the first is dead, you must cross the battlefield. To get down, look for the flag in between the middle and left ballista. Run down the ramp and onto the battlefield. Don't try fighting, even if you're attacked. Run straight across, and you'll see a ramp on the bottom of the cliff. Run up it, and take out the second mumak. This can be hard, because ground enemies will attack at the same time. If the mumak crosses in front of the ballista, shoot it with R1. Once it drops, you'll be shown a cutscene. Race left to the end of the cliff. Clear some enemies, and shoot the Nazgul with your ranged attack. It's life bar is in the upper-right corner. Once it flys away after enough hits, another mumak comes. Pay attention to what cliff it is nearest; you may have to run across the battlefield again. After taking it out, go back to the edge of the cliff to shoot the Witch-king some more. You will go back and forth between the Witch-king and mumakil until the Witch-king's life bar is completely drained. Make sure Eowyn and Merry's life bar does NOT get drained. ============== The Black Gate ============== In this level, you can also choose to play as Gandalf along with the other characters from the Path of the King levels. BOSS: Mouth of Sauron You start off in a fight against the Mouth of Sauron. He crouches, and then lunges forward with an unblockable blow. Whenever he crouches, interrupt him with speed attacks. You can also choose to run as he does this attack, then hit him as he recovers from his unblockable hit. The best way to beat him is to use combos, preferably Orc Hewer. Ranged attacks are useless, so stick to combo attacks. Quick attack combos can keep him at bay for the entire fight. Soon enough,he'll be defeated. This fight shouldn't be a problem at all. --- CHECKPOINT After the cutscene, notice the counter in the upper-right corner. You must defeat six champions, while keeping your allies alive. Their health meters appear one by one. Your allies will be in positions depending on what character you are playing as. Playing as ARAGORN: Legolas on left, Gimli in back, Gandalf on right. Playing as GANDALF: Legolas on left, Gimli in back, Aragorn on right. Playing as LEGOLAS: Gandalf on left, Gimli in back, Aragorn on right. Playing as Gimli: Gandalf on left, Legolas in back, Aragorn on right. If any of your allies' life meters start to dwindle, kill any enemies attacking your ally, and stand by him. He'll start to glow, and his life will regain. Try to stay by the ally that's in red. If they're still in yellow as they begin to heal, feel free to move away and attack someone else, or to go by another injured ally since there's a good chance they'll increase to green. Stay somewhere in the center of the field and don't fight unless someone comes at you first, or if there's anyone close by that you can strike. Remember to parry and to use bane moves. Archers tend to stay on the top side, so run to them and take them out quickly(Or attack by long range if you're Gandalf or Legolas). When a champion (life-bar-guy) enters, he'll probably attack one of your allies. Use this time to attack him with a pike to remove his armor (aiming may be hard depending on how many enemies are around him), after which you can easily take them out with quick combos at close range. You can also rush in while they're busy fighting someone else, attack with fierce blows to knock the armor off, then run back and throw a pike at them, thus effectively disposing a champion. You can also throw two war pikes to kill them instantly. If you're out of pikes, or just want to try something different, then you can also choose to attack them from behind using fierce attacks as they're busy trying to kill an ally. Then finish them off with combos. Continue this strategy and remember to check on your allies. After three 'life bar' enemies fall, you'll begin to be attacked from the sides of the level along with the front. Keep using the same tactics, but just be ready to run to your allies since they'll usually be needing your help more often.Keep this up and you'll soon be finished getting rid of all six champions. CHECKPOINT BOSS: Ringwraiths Ringwraiths attack. Don't even use your melee weapon. Immediately run to the war pikes and use them on the Ringwraiths. Attack the Wraith that's close to killing your allies, or simply throw them at random or use them all on a single Ringwraith. Don't worry as there's enough pikes in the level, plus they regenerate after some time.After using the pikes, begin using your arrows. Charged or not, the attacks should do a good deal of damage and finish off the Nazgul in no time.If you're feeling brave, then you can also take them down in melee combat(I suggest that you've rid of all but one of them). Use quick combos, and parry. Fierce attacks will hurt them somewhat, so stick to combos that are quick enough not to be interrupted midway. Soon enough,the Ringwraith should fall. ====================================================== ============Path of the Hobbits (Sam/Frodo)=========== ====================================================== ===================== Escape from Osgiliath ===================== Go into the opening in the wall. You will be attacked, so parry and strike when you get the chance. Keep going, and you'll be at the bottom of stairs. Take out the archer with your ranged attack. Climb up, and you'll be attacked by a few orcs. Kill them, and move on. The wall in front of you explodes, killing a couple orcs and opening a path forward. Go into the opening and you'll be attacked by two orcs, and an archer behind some rubble. Kill the two orcs on the ramp, and run up it. At the top, a Nazgul and a meter in the upper-right appears. If the meter fills, you die. The meter fills when you're out in the open on rooftops. Make the meter go down by getting under cover under rooftops or sheltered areas. Run across the open rooftop to the staircase. Two orcs run down the steps and attack. Stay in the corner, under cover, and defeat the orcs. Run up the stairs and kill the two archers at the top. Continue across the rooftop. A catapult pulverizes a few orcs in front of you. Run under cover, and take care of the two remaining orcs. Climb down the ladder. At the bottom are two orcs. You can sneak behind them and use your physical attack (O) to knock them off the ledge. Once they're dead, climb down the second ladder. Down the ladder and out the opening is a big battle. Take your time, and don't get surrounded. Once you're done, get the red health potion by the staircase, and then go up the stairs. Once inside the building, kill the archers on the ramp with your ranged attacks. Then climb up the ramp, and kill all the enemies on the balcony. Near the archer is a green health potion. Run out the opening in the wall, and you get a checkpoint. CHECKPOINT Climb up the ladder, and at the top, the Ringwraith is once again looking for you. Quickly run across the rooftop towards the bridge and aviod enemies as much as possible. While running up the bridge, you can fight the enemies if you want, but if the meter is running high, dodge then enemies and get to the other side. Once on the other side, run towards the screen to get under cover. Take out the archers with your ranged attack, and make sure the meter drains. Run out on the rooftop and take care of any remaining enemies. Run to the opening in the ground, get the green health potion, and climb down the ladder. Kill all enemies at the bottom, and run up the steps, killing enemies as you go. At the top, use the action button (R1) behind the giant bell. It crashes down the stairs and makes a new opening appear. Run across the balcony and get the red health potion, and then run back down the steps and out the opening. Kill a few enemies, and run up the steps. Run across the rooftops and watch the Ringwraith meter. Keep running across, and you'll see a small spot of cover opposite the stairs. Get under it, and let the meter drain. You can also get the green health potion here. Climb over the pile of debris to the next area. Fight off any enemy you see, and return to the previous cover spot whenever the meter starts to fill. When there are no more enemies, press on to the remains of an archway. Stay underneath it for cover, and fight any enemies that near you. Watch out for the archers' arrows. You can throw daggers from the safety of the archway to kill all the archers, or take little journeys out and back until all archers are destroyed. When you're ready, run across the area to the tower. An archer guards, and two orcs attack. Once they're dead, get under the safety of the tower. If you want, kill the archers that are under the tower with you. Climb down the ladder. At the bottom, orcs attack. Either fight them or quickly go on down the next ladder. At the bottom of this ladder, you are now in the sewers. Go down the path and you will be attacked. After defeating them, keep going. Soon you will see a bunch of archers and a big, fat champion. Take out the archers with your ranged attack. Make sure not to hit the champion. When the archers are dead, get semi-close to the champion, hit all four shoulder buttons at once to go invisible, sneak up behind the champion's back, and press R2. This instantly kills him. Kill any remaining orc that may be guarding the gate, and press the action button (R1) on the crank. Crank it three times, and the gate opens. Proceed through, and you beat the level. ============= Shelob's Lair ============= The first part of this level is a big maze you must get through, with a couple elf stones at dead ends. Throughout the level, you are attacked by large spiders. Defeat them by using Final Judgement, or just press Fierce Attack (/\) to knock them on their back, and finish them off with Killing Move (R2). You can also be atttacked by mobs of tons of tiny spiders. Try to avoid these. To get the first elfstone, hug the wall to your right and go right at every chance you get. Eventually you'll reach a dead end. Get the elfstone, and spiders attack. Don't get surrounded. Once they're dead, turn around and hug the right wall again. Keep gonig right at every chance you'll get, and you'll reach a dead end with a green health potion. Turn around, go straight, go right around the bend and then turn left. Keep going and you'll reach the exit of the maze on your right (marked by the two torches). Do not exit, however; keep going straight. You'll reach a slight bend left and then a fork in the path. Go right and you'll reach a dead end with an elfstone. After getting it, return to the exit of the maze. A mass of spiders blocks the way. Press the action button (R1) on a nearby torch and throw it at the spiders. It clears the way so you can proceed. You'll reach three spiders guarding a spider web. After killing the spiders, throw a torch at the web. It will burn up, allowing you to pass through. In the next room, you encounter an orc camp. Use your Elven cloak (L1+L2+R1+R2), to sneak in, grab the nearby torch, aim it at one of the overhanging bodies, and let go. Do that with the other body too. Kill the rest with your sword. If you don't like this method, you can use the Elven Cloak to sneak around the camp. ((THIS PART OF THE WALKTHROUGH IS INCOMPLETE. KEEP GOING AND YOU'LL EVENTUALLY REACH THE BOSS, SHELOB)) BOSS: Shelob (Thanks to Mike Paul for these tips): When you first start, you're in a big open rock quarry lookin thing. Shelob (big-assus arachnidus) is hovering over a recently webbed Frodo. She won't notice you until you get close, or throw a knife at her. The best way to get her attention is to toss her a knife. Make sure you throw it good and hard though, might as well get in that extra damage. When she runs at you, block her 3 or 4 attacks (it's random), and when she pulls a few feet away, charge your devastating attack as much as possible. ((NOTE: You don't have to use Devastating attacks; Orc Hewer's a good move throughout the fight.)) This won't be too much, because she'll lunge at you again in a couple of seconds. When she does, hit her with the devastating, and repeat the process 'till it goes to a cutscene. You'll stab that mutha in the head. Now you have control again. Shelob, obviously pissed, will jump up on the wall. Please abstain from stupidly trying to chase her, as you'll just get trapped. She sends out about 5 little spiders. Immediately run away from Shelob's position on the wall. If you're too close she'll jump out on you, which will not only damage you, but give you a heart attack if you are over the age of 30. I had to pause the game to regain composure : ) When you get to the opposite wall from Shelob and you can see her ass way over there... fight the lil' spiders. They shouldn't be too tough as they don't gang up on you as usual. Just stick with fierce, then stab em on the ground. Afterwards, run to either the left or the right along the wall. Because Shelob has decided to let you catch her! What fun! If she knocks you down, just get up and repeat the strategy from the beginning, parry and devastate. She should repeat the cliffhanger thing 1 more time before you get her down to half health, which will trigger another cutscene. You slice off that mutha's leg this time. Now's time to duck and cover because the spider's lost it and is now scuttling to and fro, and it does hurt if you get in her way... theres no pattern so dodge her as much as you can (using the Jump Back move if neccesary) and eventually she'll jump back up on the wall. Same routine, She'll send out more spiders. Fight her again, and she'll jump back up again. After the 4th or 5th time she's done this, it'll be about time to finish her off. ============ Cirith Ungol ============ (note: thanks to Jamie Symonds for these tips) This is a LONG mission involving poor little Sam killing 80 baddies. In many scenes there are HORDES of orcs attacking each other and the trick is to "whittle away from the outside" and get the ones that aren't paying attention to you and who only have 1 other orc nearby. Also make use of invisibility when big bosses are around. You don't have to kill EVERYONE. You only have to kill 80 total. OK, in the first room, lure the 4 regular guys over to the fire pot and then spill it. Then get near the ramp wheel and go invisible to avoid the boss, and lower it. If you get into perfect mode with the others you CAN kill the boss but don't count on it. Go up the ramp, killing the 2 guys that come down either as you pass them or with ranged weapons when you get to the top of the ramp. Stay out of the reach of the boss. As you go across the hall kill the next 2 guys which should make 8. There are 2 more normal guys in the upper hall to reach 10, sneak past this boss too. Next room - spear the 2 guys below you and kill the other guy on the shelf. Go down the stairs and use the pot of fire here, then the next pot of fire further on. Go across to the right and use yet another pot of fire. So far so good. There are some AWFUL camera angles in here so just be patient. Now just go to work 'killing off the edges'. Don't wade into combat. Just take on people on the edge who are distracted. I use the Orc Hewer a TON in here and it works well. If you build your rating up and then work around to the right, there's a wheel to drop a ramp on a TON of guys and you can get perfect on all of them. In any case you should be up to around 69 dead by the time this room is clear. Don't go into the other big room full of orcs, there's no need to. Just clear out the main room. Go up the ramp and then up the ladder. Drop the barrels down to get your full 80. When you do and cross the bridge everyone else will flee. Go across that bridge, then the drawbridge and you'll see a mass of guys. Go up the stairs to the right to "distract them" - and go invisibly past the boss guy to do the catapult. You can kill him if you really want to by pressing R2 when you are behind him and invisible. You run up the falling apart bridge into the upper area. You have a final battle with the orc guarding Frodo which is really pretty easy after everything you've been through. You bash his shield and then just keep hammering him with spear after spear. He staggers after each spear and then just as he is gaining his feet you hit him with another one so it's pretty easy but you have to be quick or he will grab another shield. You see an orc run off with Frodo's mithril shirt and then this level is done. ============= Crack of Doom ============= The object of this level is to knock Gollum off the cliff. Make sure to Parry all Gollum's attacks. None of your weapon attacks can harm Gollum. They can, however, knock Gollum back in some instances. The only time you can knock him back with your attacks is when he's on all fours or when he's cowering (bent down with one arm over his head). If you hit him with a Speed Attack, he jumps backward and to the right. If you hit him with Fierce Attack, he jumps backwards and to the left. Use this info to get him towards the edge. A better way to get him off the edge is to go to the edge yourself and wait till he comes to you. You can't fall off, so just stand at the very edge. When Gollum charges or jumps towards you, move out of the way quickly. When he's close to the edge, corner him and knock him so that he teeters, and fights for balance. Use Kick Attack (O) to knock him off. He'll grab onto the ledge and hang there. Use your Killing Move (R2) to knock him completely off. He grabs onto the side of the rock and climbs back up. His health is lower. Continue this luring technique for the rest of the fight. After the second time you knock Gollum off the edge, a red health potion appears on the right edge of the platform. After the third time knocking him off, lava is poured on the platform. Avoid it by staying on the edge of the cliff. After knocking him off for the fourth time, part of the platform is broken off, leaving you with a smaller area. After the fifth knockdown, many rocks and much lava falls all over the platform. Stick to the edge of the cliff to avoid it. If you take damage, a red health potion appears on the left near the bridge. Knock Gollum off one more time, and you have beaten the main part of the game. *************************************************************************** ************************VII.Secrets and Codes****************************** *************************************************************************** --- PS2 --- For all codes pause the game, hold all the shoulder buttons in (L1, R1, L2, R2), and enter the right combination of buttons. Invincibility- Square, Circle, Square, Up Infinite Missile Weapons- Square, Square, Down, Circle Restore Health- Square, Square, Circle, Circle Perfect Mode- Circle, Down, Triangle, X All Attack Upgrades- Up, Down, Triangle, Square Always Devastating- Triangle, Up, Triangle, Down Target Indicator- Down, Circle, Up, Square These codes can be entered at any time without completeing the game. Three Hit Combos: Aragorn- Square, Down, Circle, Up Legolas- Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Down Gandalf- Down, X, Triangle, Down Four Hit Combos: Aragorn- Up, Square, Triangle, Down Legolas- X, Circle, Triangle, Square Gimli- Triangle, Square, Up, X Gandalf- Down, Triangle, Up, Circle Faramir- X, Square, Up, X Frodo- Down, Square, Down, Circle Sam- Up, Down, Triangle, Triangle Merry- Triangle, X, Square, Square Pippin- X, X, Down, Circle 1,000 Experience Points: Aragorn- Up, Square, Triangle, X Legolas- X, Triangle, Up, X Gimli- Circle, Circle, Triangle, X Gandalf- Circle, Triangle, Up, Down Faramir- Square, Triangle, Up, Square Frodo- Down, Triangle, Up, Down Sam- Triangle, X, Down, X Merry- Down, Down, Square, X Pippin- Triangle, X, Square, X Level 8 Skills: Aragorn- Up, Square, Triangle, Up Legolas- Square, Up, Up, Down Gimli- X, Circle, Down, Square Gandalf- Circle, Square, Down, Down Faramir- Circle, Down, Down, Down Frodo- Circle, Circle, Down, Down Sam- Circle, Circle, Triangle Merry- Down, Triangle, X, Square Pippin- Square, Up, Up, Circle Restore Missiles: Aragorn- Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle Legolas- Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Down Gimli- Circle, Circle, Circle, X Gandalf- Triangle, Down, X, Square Faramir- Triangle, Up, X, X Frodo- Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Circle Sam- X, X, Circle, X Merry- Square, Circle, Circle, Triangle Pippin- Up, Circle, Down, Square -- PC -- 5, 9, 6, 4 - Perfect Mode 6, 8, 6, 9 - Always Devastating 8, 9, 6, 7 - All Upgrades 7, 7, 9, 5 - Unlimited Missiles 7, 5, 7, 8 - God Mode 9, 5, 8, 7 - Target Mode 7, 7, 5, 5 - Restores Health *************************************************************************** *****************VIII. Frequently Asked Questions************************** *************************************************************************** Q. How do I play 2-player co-op? (OR how do I play online?) A. Go to the main menu. Press triangle if you're at the level selesct screen. - Q. Who are the secret characters? A. Faramir, Merry, and Pippin. - Q. How do I beat [insert level here] A. Look at the FAQ. If it's not there yet, just wait for it to be updated. - Q. I beat the game but it only says 87%. How do I get 100%? A. You must complete both bonus stages; Palantir of Saruman and Palantir of Sauron. You get Palantir of Saruman by completing Crack of Doom, and you get Palantir of Sauron by getting Gandalf, Sam, and someone from path of the king to level 10. - Q. How do I kill the second "elephant" on Pelennor Fields? A. Look at the FAQ. You have to run across the battlefield to the cliff on the other side. - Q. How long is this game? A. Just running through to beat the game, it takes about 10 hours, depending on your skill. With all the replay value, co-op, and online, you'll get over 30+ hours of enjoyment. - Q. How many levels are in this game? A. 13, but 15 if you count the bonus stages. - Q. How do I beat Gollum? He hangs on the ledge and just climbs back up. A. While he's hanging on the ledge, press R2 to knock him down. - Q. Why don't the cheats work? A. You must beat the Crack of Doom level in order for most the cheats to work (the 1000 XP cheat works before beating Crack of Doom). If it still doesn't work, look at the cheats on the game and look at your controller. On the PS2 version, the arrows look like they're opposite of what they are, as they're direct pictures of the d-pad. So up is down and left is right, etc. I will add a secrets and codes section soon. - Q. When I go to play any level, for some reason it only lets me be Sam. Why is that? A. You're using Warez. Buy the game. - *************************************************************************** ******************************IX. Thanks*********************************** *************************************************************************** Thanks go out to Mario De Gova and Prima's Official Strategy Guide for help, and thanks to David Robbins' TTT FAQ for an idea of the basic layout. Thanks to Michael [MPagar] for upgrades, and co-writing Black Gate. Thanks to Mike Paul for helping with Shelob. Thanks to Aruna for helping me with part of King of the Dead. Thanks to Jangoman for GameCube controls. Thanks to Matthew Jones for codes. Thanks to Michael B. for PC cheats. Thanks to everyone e-mailing me, offering help. Holy crap, that's four Michaels! Me, Michael [MPagar], Mike P., and Mike B. Thanks to Jamie Symonds for Cirith Ungol.