Bright Star, Black Tree

A Guide to the Kingdom of Adunabar







Adunabar is a kingdom claiming a proud history and facing a fearsome destiny.



Though no text of Tolkien uses the name Adunabar or explicitly mentions a civil war in the Reunited Kingdom during the Fourth Age, a short fragment of a story titled The New Shadow suggests that the peace brought by Elessars reign was troubled by the rise of a sinister cult.



In Dominion of Men, the Shadow Cult has thrown off its veil of secrecy and found a powerful sponsor: the newly formed Kingdom of Adunabar, a rival to the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor.



But Adunabar is not simply the military arm of the Cult. Its foundation can be traced back to the early years of the Fourth Age, which saw the resurgence of Easterling assaults upon the eastern lands held by the Reunited Kingdom. Disaffected lords, dissatisfied with the inability of the king to end the threat from Rhun, found the whispers of Cultic agents  promising great power, fanatically loyal soldiers, and even the service of those Orcs, Trolls, and Wargs that remained  impossible to resist.



So, putting forward a claimant to the throne also of Elessars line, Adunabar declared itself the rightful inheritor of the might of Numenor  the true master of Middle-earth in the age of Men. In the south as well as the north, Cultic agents and officers of the king have been busy gathering forces, making alliance with Orc-tribes and Troll-bands, and raising disciplined ranks of soldiers who see the lands of Gondor and Arnor as theirs by right.





Above: Contesting their claim for the White City.



As the only faction that begins solidly Cultic, Adunabar has a choice from the very beginning of the campaign: remain true to the ways of the Shadow, or turn to the Ways of the West. This is a decision of great moment, even more so for Adunabar than for other factions capable of conversion. For Adunabar, converting away from the Cult will not simply change a few units availability  it will change their entire unit roster.

Cultic Adunabar can use the several forts in the mountains of Mordor and the North to train Orcs, Trolls, and Wargs. From its cities, it can raise dread legions of men inured to the rigors of the Cult  heavy infantry in the main, with few (but powerful) archers and riders.



Converting (by ensuring that over half of your settlements officially follow the Ways of the West  that is, destroying Cultic temples and building Provincial Councils and other West-aligned buildings) will cause you to lose the ability to train all of these troops. In their wake, you may recruit Dunedanic forces that more closely resemble the soldiers of your great rival, the Reunited Kingdom. No Orcs, Trolls, Wargs, or Cultists, then  but formidable longbowmen, proud spearmen and swordsmen, and, unique to Adunabar, stout macemen, wielding weapons that can crush armor and the bones beneath.







Above: The staunch Nurn Guard, one of the mace units available to a non-Cultic Adunabar.



Unlike other Cultic-capable factions, conversion may happen naturally as you expand into West-aligned lands. Of course, conversion is not a one-way process: you can go back and forth at will. But you may want to decide early on whether it is worth preserving the ability to raise troops with the sheer power of Trolls or the speed of Wargs, or instead to shift to a more consistent Mannish roster with better ranged capability and some unique infantry.



Its difficult to say which route is better. Converting to the West as you conquer may be easier, since youll expand into non-Cultic territories that may be difficult to wrest back under the Shadow. But if youre the kind of player who loves smashing through enemy ranks with huge Trolls and bloodthirsty Uruks, you may want to make the effort.



Its worth taking a moment to consider the non-Mannish element in Cultic Adunabars roster. There are great differences between your bestial troops in terms of their quality and abilities.



Orkish troops can be generally grouped into 2 categories: Orcs and Uruks. Orcs are mostly fodder when compared to the mid-tier warriors of Mannish realms, with the exception of the Orc-champions. The Warcry of these Orcs gives them a bit of an edge, and their 2-handed axes are formidable weapons. Orc-hunters also provide massed archery  not very accurate, perhaps, but still useful against enemy archers, especially considering the general lack of bowmen suffered by Cultic Adunabar. The rest of the basic Orc troops can be useful in flanking or against weakened or demoralized foes, but they will not win your battles for you (and the lesser Orcs  the Raiders and Snaga-hunters  with their low morale can actually contribute to a mass rout if they are pressed too hard by the enemy).



Uruks are the true soldiers. Like other Orcs, they are not a match for a very skilled and well-armed Man in a one-to-one fight  but their sheer numbers per unit mean one-to-one fights are a rarity. Uruk Swords and Uruk Spears are the spiky backbone of your dark legions, capable in most situations but not excelling at any particular task. Uruk Guard and Uruk Berserkers are the specialists. The Guard provide an aggressive anti-cavalry arm thanks to their polearms, while the Berserkers can handle the suicide missions: hit Warcry and let them tear into the enemy. I suppose you could try to be tactical about it, holding them back until the perfect moment, but as I see it the point of such troops is to hurl themselves at the foe, frothing at the mouth, killing (and getting killed) in alarming numbers.









Above: Uruk Swords assault a settlement.



Finally, there are the Wargs and Trolls. There are 3 Warg units. The standard Wargs are the beasts themselves, riderless. Warg-riders and Warg-archers bear Orcs into battle, armed with swords and bows, respectively. All 3 varieties are a terror to horses, making them a good option when facing the armies of Rohan. They also offer some mobility to the foot-bound armies of Adunabar, for whom cavalry tends to be heavy and rare.



Trolls come in 2 varieties: the Hill-trolls of the Northern lands, and the Olog-hai of Mordor. Both are formidable, towering, and frighteningly fast units who can batter aside even the doughtiest defenders. If you plan to fight the Elves, I daresay youll need Trolls (catapults wouldnt go amiss, either). The Hill-troll variety are a bit less effective than the better-armed Olog-hai, but the main use of these units isnt in standing around and exchanging blows: it is to disrupt enemy lines and send foes flying so your more disciplined troops can follow up and make the kills.







Whatever your decision regarding the Cult, your faction faces an uphill struggle to secure its position in the world.



One problem is financial. While Adunabar is the largest kingdom at the beginning of the campaign, its strong military has its economy running at a deficit that will plunge you into debt within a few turns if something doesnt change. (A glance at your unit upkeep stats will show you that even low-tier units like Grim Spears have a rather high seasonal cost.) Building your way to financial solvency isnt an option, and increasing taxes across your kingdom is a good way to ensure that your governors develop disloyal traits.



The obvious answer to your financial woes is conquest. You have a huge and fearsome military, so put it to use! Assemble your best (and costliest) troops and unleash them in the general direction of the nearest wealthy settlements.

The other complication is your geographical position. Like the Reunited Kingdom, Adunabar is split into 2 sectors. The civil war that tore Elessars realm apart was felt both in the North and the South, so your party commands cities in eastern Arnor as well as Mordor and Ithilien.



In the North, your possessions stretch from Threeways to Rivendell, and include the wild lands of the Trollshaws.











Having recently captured the almost-abandoned Rivendell from the Elves, your Cultic soldiers have a strong presence here. Youll want to quickly consolidate those gains and keep up the pressure against the Reunited Kingdom, whose holdings can be found to the west.



This is the easiest theatre of war to manage. The RK holds only a handful of settlements in the area, and you are unlikely to come under attack from other factions for some time. With rebel settlements to your north and the passive Shire and Elves further west, only Tharbad to your south may emerge to dispute your claims to all of Arnor. To be prepared for threat from that quarter, strike the RK quickly, focusing on the troop producing centers of Bree and Annuminas  and ignoring, for the moment, the stronghold at Weathertop and the initially independent Fornost, which you can take at your leisure once the RK is driven out elsewhere.



You begin at war with the Elves, yet share no borders with them  until you take Annuminas. Before then, you may receive embassies from the Elven Realm asking for peace. Consider the offer if you are eager to increase your kings Authority (by decreasing the number of active wars) and trade with the faction. Indeed, you need never actually fight the Elves during the campaign, as none of their settlements are required for victory and they will prefer to defend their own territory rather than strike out against you. If, on the other hand, you want to follow through with your Cultic impulses and put the Firstborn to flight, it is better to remain at war and push them into the Sea, taking the Grey Havens before they can train more of their deadly warriors. (Taking Mithlond will also increase the Shadow Cults presence in all of your settlements  useful if you are keen to maintain access to those Cultic units.)



As for Tharbad, their first strike against you will be aimed at Threeways. These lesser Dunedain are little threat to your Cultic forces, but youll want to subjugate them quickly before they expand. Taking Tharbad out of the picture early on gives your ally Dunland a little more security, and allows you to involve yourself in the war between Dunland and Rohan. Without your intervention, it is likely that Rohan will destroy the Dunlendings and vie with you for Tharbad.



Possessing Tharbad itself makes you, in effect, the master of the North. The crossing of the Greyflood here is the major passage into Eriador from the south (the only other crossing, eastward near Swanfleet, requires a long march through wilderness toward Rivendell  youll want to keep watch over that route as well). If you take and hold Tharbad, you are able to take even the very distant and independent settlements in in the northern wastes and near Angmar without fear of intervention from other factions. Several Orc-holds along the northern arm of the Misty Mountains will allow you to train more Orkish and beast troops.



The only other entrance points into your northern realm are through passes in the mountains themselves: the High Pass Stronghold east of Rivendell, and the pass near Mount Gundabad further north. The former pass is more of a danger if left unguarded. The Beornings in the Anduin vale will attempt to take the High Pass, thus opening a route to threaten your crucial settlement of Lastbridge. It is prudent to capture the High Pass Stronghold for yourself soon, then  and prepare to hold it against the descendants of Beorn.

Your southern territory is much more fraught, and consists of two fronts. The first consists of the lands along the Anduin, including Ithilien, and the eastern parts of Mordor about the Sea of Nurn.







The western portion of your lands here are under threat from attack by the Reunited Kingdom and Rohan. Calenhad is poorly developed and may soon be under siege by the Rohirrim, so it is essential to quickly bottle up the RKs starting forces in Minas Anor so you can reinforce the settlement. Once you can spare it, a decent army of spears and bows can hold the nearby river crossing, thus negating the cavalry advantage of your foes. When you are ready, you may attempt to march west toward Edoras  but for now, adopt a defensive stance here and gather your strongest forces to face your rival Dunedain.



The initial battle may be fought at Osgiliath. Placing an army on the bridge here usually compels the enemy to attack you and force the crossing. This puts you on the defensive, which is somewhat of an advantage  except that the RK will bring its very best troops to the fight, probably including its fearsome City Catapults. With those siege engines in play, you cant assume this will be just another bridge battle: if you set up your forces in a typical encirclement position around the bridge, they will simply be battered to pieces by the huge rocks and flaming missiles flung by the catapults. I find it best to set up my forces somewhat back from the bridge in this case, forcing the enemy to march closer to my position and taking the catapults out of the equation.



Another option is that this first major battle in your campaign is fought at the walls of Minas Anor itself. Minas Anor is a unique settlement on the battlemap, featuring huge towers and many city levels. But your siege need not end with a tremendously costly assault. If there are substantial forces inside the city, they may sally, turning the battle into a defensive one.



If you've brought siege towers, remember that they also carry powerful ballistas - so in a sally, keep those towers manned and set to fire at will.









Swords of the Shadow are among your strongest initial soldiers - they can match off well against even high-tier RK troops.









The most difficult enemy troops can be worn down through ballista fire and repeated charges.





You can take some satisfaction with the fall of Minas Anor, but its capture introduces new complications. To follow up your victory, you will have to send your forces south and west, into Gondor. The Reunited Kingdom can still muster formidable troops here from coastal cities like Pelargir and Dol Amroth, so it will not be an easy path  and moving more troops into Gondor will strip your defenses from places like Calenhad and Emyn Arnen, the latter of which may come under attack by Harondor at this time. Conquest in Gondor must be methodical. Defeat enemy armies in the field, but try only to capture new settlements once the one you just conquered can train troops to support your efforts.



Emyn Arnens vulnerability may require you to increase defenses in south Ithilien. The lone crossing of the Poros lies far to the south, but if you can hold it against Harondor you need never suffer siege from that direction. Of course, Harondor will become involved in conflict with Harad  a good potential ally for you, at least as long as you do not share borders. Harad often ends up as the victor in southern wars, and your soldiers in Gondor may be required to set sail to put these Southrons in their place. If that occurs, you will likely be at war with Harad for the rest of the campaign, for their lands and armies are vast.



Minas Ithil offers a unique opportunity for you. Initially the tower here lies in ruins; it is a suitable stronghold against enemy attack, but offers little in the way of development. However, you may rebuild the tower and turn Minas Ithil into a powerful city once more, capable of producing income for your kingdom and training soldiers like any other. Such rebuilding requires heavy investment, but its worth it to consider this in the mid-game, when you have established some breathing room for yourself and stabilized your income.



Further north, the small settlement of Lathron is the only guard at the Argonath, the ancient borders of the Dunedanic kingdom. In this area too can be found the settlement of Ost-in-Agorlad, upon the battle-plain before Udun. These towns are little shield against the north, but they may be untroubled for some time. The Brown Lands further north may fall to Rhovanion, Rohan, or the Beornings; if Rohan pushes east of the Anduin, they may assail you (requiring a response on your part), but the other factions will be a lesser threat.

The other part of your realm is Mordor itself, from the forts in the Mountains of Shadow to the inland Sea of Nurn.







The strongholds in the western mountains will be the source of your Orkish and bestial forces; in the east, the Nurn region provides most of your manpower. (If you have turned to the Ways of the West, it is in Nurn that you will be able to train the Nurn Guard  a recruitable infantry bodyguard unit wielding a heavy mace.) But while the forts and settlements in the west are well protected, the Nurn region is vulnerable. Eastward lies the growing power of the Chiefdom of Rhun, and the troublesome Chiefdom of Khand.



Khand begins the campaign as your ally, but they have designs on the independent lands of eastern Mordor, and may seek to push into your own fertile territory. Lond-nurnen  your initial capital  is on Khands Victory Conditions list, so expect an attack from that quarter eventually. (Also expect Khand to drop its alliance with you if their other ally, Rhun, attacks you.)



Rhun is a greater threat. Man-for-man their warriors are weaker than yours: poorly armed and undisciplined in the main, they will be cut down in great numbers by your fewer but better-trained troops. But they are a threat that cannot be easily eliminated or appeased. Like Khand, they may cast their rule over the rebel territories of eastern Mordor; unlike Khand, they will be expanding elsewhere as well: north of the Ash Mountains into Rhovanion (perhaps bordering your own settlements in the area), and into the far distant lands of northern Rhun. Only in a very long and costly war will you be able to subdue these Easterlings.



It is best, then, to adopt a defensive stance along the rivers that flow into Nurn. Eventually you will have the troops to send retaliatory raids into the Easterlings camps, perhaps even to their capital of Tham itself, but for much of the campaign you are obliged to hope for peace with the Chiefdom  and, failing that, defend your own.











Above: Axes of the Shadow hack through a line of Easterlings.



Your final borders will likely settle from Dol Amroth in the west to eastern Mordor in the east, including every town in between. In the North, youll cover ground from Forochel down to Tharbad, and from at least Annuminas eastward to the High Pass. Other factors will fill out the settlement count required: you may feel the need to push back against Rohan, for example, and thus conquer land in Enedwaith or Rohan itself. You may face an aggressive Dale around Rhovanion. The Easterlings or Southrons may require intervention.



Whatever wars it faces, Adunabar is well positioned to involve itself in any conflict. Indeed, its central position means it will be a target for the many opportunistic factions that surround it, eyeing it for weakness. But a king of Adunabar knows that these lesser Men lack the stern stuff of the Dunedain.



The Kingdom of Adunabar no less than the Reunited Kingdom lays claim to a mighty heritage. Its Numenorean kings feared neither Man nor Elf nor Vala, daring at the height of their ambition to bring war under sail even to the Blessed Realm itself. Whether your soldiers march under the star of Numenor or the Black Tree of the Cult, you have the power in the Fourth Age to bend Middle-earth to your will.



