- "Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm. Shadow and Flame."
- —Saruman
Durin's Bane was a Balrog, a Maia of fire coerced by the willpower of Morgoth. After his master's downfall, the demon survived the War of Wrath and crept at the roots of Middle-earth beneath the Misty Mountains.
In the Third Age, greedy Dwarf miners of Moria searching for mithril unwittingly unleashed this Balrog, awakening him from his slumber. The beasts earned its monicker by slaying King Durin VI and forcing his people out of their ancestral home. The existence of the demon allowed for groups of Orcs to settle in and ensured outsiders would not dare enter Moria. However during the War of the Ring, the Fellowship had no other choice but to travel across the mines and thus encountered Durin's Bane. This resulted in a long confrontation between the Balrog and the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, that led to both their deaths.
For the Adventure: Shadow and Flame version of the Balrog, see the Durin's Bane (Adventure: Shadow and Flame) page.
Abilities[]
Ignite (W) - The Balrog gains +50% damage and armour, reduces the cooldown time of special abilities and causes enemy units to flee in terror. Left click to activate.
Fire Whip (R) - Attacks with flaming whip. Left click icon then left click target.
Scream (T) - Scream at and stun nearby enemies. Left click to activate.
Breathe Fire (C) - Breathes fire at target area. Left click then left click on target area.
Wings (V) - Use wings for a short flight. Left click icon the left click on target area.
Strategy[]
Durin's Bane is a devastating final tier spellbook summoned hero that severely damages or kills enemy nearby units in the initial shockwave, meaning that he is best spawned under large groups of enemy units to maximise the casualties. The Balrog's default attack inflicts AOE damage and so can dispatch large numbers of enemies at once; alternatively it can destroy enemy structures quickly - especially when Ignite is active. Fire Whip allows Durin's Bane to inflict severe damage and knockback on single targets, it is best used on heroes to significantly weaken them. Breathe Fire is one of Durin's Bane's most destructive abilities as it can destroy multiple enemy structures at once if they are close enough to each other. The Balrog's large amount of health makes it particularly difficult to take down but he is extremely vulnerable to Gandalf and so if Gandalf is on the battlefield, Wings can be used to allow Durin's Bane to quickly escape and attack another target.