An article showcasing a special fortress map to be included in AotR 5.0.

Posted by MathijsRevora on Apr 24th, 2020

The Fortress of Dol Guldur. Few dared go there. Fewer still ever made it out. A twisting net of dark halls, crumbling steps, and ruined towers. It is home to the Necromancer and his servants, both living and dead. From its pits spread the foul blight that corrupted the majesty of Greenwood the Great.

When Battle for Middle-earth II was first released, it came with several fortress maps - including one representing Dol Guldur. While developing our Dol Guldur faction, we decided that this map did not suit our vision for what a Dol Guldur fortress map should be like. So we started from scratch!

But this map isn't quite like other fortress maps. Because Dol Guldur doesn't have a gate. Instead, its passageways are lined with a great many defensive plots, which turns the siege and defense of this map into an exciting mix of RTS and Tower Defense gameplay.

The attacking player must attempt to advance through Dol Guldur's dangerous dungeons - through one or several entrances into the fortress - destroying towers, catapults, terrifying statues, and the risen dead, while the defending player must rebuild his defenses and hinder the enemy while sending out his own forces to claim victory.

Dol Guldur's North Gate is being defended by 4 defense plots on the outside and many more beyond.



We've divided Dol Guldur into 8 distinct areas, each representing a different part of its evil, miserable culture.

Red dots represent the 3 entryways into the fortress.



Area I: The Front Gate

An enormous raised causeway leads into the intimidating, maw-like Front Gates of Dol Guldur. It's defended by raised platforms for archers to shoot from and a myriad of defensive plots. This heavily guarded entrance has the most direct line to the defending player's fortress, but is difficult to breach.



Area 2: Webbed Ruins

Home to a population of Giant Spiders and other twisted manifestations of nature. The Webbed Ruins look out over a second entrance into Dol Guldur - one that appears closest to the defending player's fortress, but is difficult to traverse.



Area 3: The South Tower

This is where the confrontation between the White Council and the Necromancer unfolded during the third Hobbit film.



Area 4: Pit of Dol Guldur

During the slow decay of the Silvan fortress that once crowned the bald hill of Amon Lanc, many tunnels and pits were dug throughout the hill.



Area 5: The Barrow-hills

A desolate area outside the Fortress' walls. Ancient kings and princes of Rhovanion were put to rest here, until the Necromancer's phantoms caused their bones to stir once more.



Area 6: The Orc-garrison

Those orcs that were forced to live within the confines of Dol Guldur were rewarded little for their bravery. The lucky ones lived in crude dwellings of bone and skin - the less fortunate slept on cold stone.



Area 7: The Slave Pens

But worse than the orcs' were the conditions of the slaves that dwelled in Dol Guldur - tortured husks, taken from their homes or from the eaves of Mirkwood as they travelled, they are the Necromancer's playthings, working and living to provide the living elements of his army with sport and sustenance.



Area 8: The Dark Citadel

At Dol Guldur's zenith lies the Dark Citadel, from where the Necromancer plots and prepares his assault upon the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.