Fords of the Bruinen

Fords of the Bruinen
Campaign	Lord of the Rings Campaign
Mission Number	3
Playable Heroes	Strider, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Arwen, Glorfindel
Previous Mission	Shadow of the Past
Next Mission	Treason of Isengard

"But the pursuers were close behind. At the top of the bank the horse halted and turned about neighing fiercely. There were Nine Riders at the water's edge below, and Frodo's spirit quailed before the threat of their uplifted faces. He knew of nothing that would prevent them from crossing as easily as he had done; and he felt that it was useless to try to escape over the long uncertain path from the Ford to the edge of Rivendell, if once the Riders crossed. In any case he felt that he was commanded urgently to halt. Hatred again stirred in him, but he had no longer the strength to refuse. "

—Fellowship of the Ring, Flight to the Ford

The four Hobbits are led by the ranger Strider into the wilderness to lose their relentless pursuers and reach the safety of Rivendell. They camp at Weathertop: the ruins of the Amon Sûl, a once great watchtower of Arnor that was destroyed by the Witch-king and the forces of Angmar. Strider leaves to scout the area and the Hobbits are once again attacked by the Nazgûl; Strider is able to fend off the Ringwraiths but not before Frodo is gravely wounded by a Morgul Blade. He must reach Rivendell immediately before the poison takes hold and he falls into shadow.

Fords of the Bruinen is the third mission of the Lord of the Rings Campaign, the heroes playable in the mission are Strider, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Glorfindel and Arwen. If any of these heroes die, the mission is failed.

Guide

New Objective - Find tracks of Dúnedain presence near Weathertop

The mission starts with only Strider controllable as he searches for traces of his Dúnedain brethren, there are three exits from Weathertop, all of which lead to Strider discovering a blade of Arnor. Smoke is then seen rising in the distance which Strider is prompted to investigate. Upon arriving at the camp, Strider discovers the bodies of his fellow Dúnedain Rangers before he himself is ambushed by Risen Dúnedain, who the player must defeat.

New Objective - Survive the attack by the Risen Dúnedain

Strider's splash damage is particularly useful, as he can kill multiple enemies in a single attack. So long as he is continuously attacking, Strider should be able to easily survive the attack and potentially level up to level 2 in the process. Meanwhile, the Hobbits inadvertently alert the Nazgûl to their presense. Strider hears the Nazgûl's cries and hurries back to Weathertop before it is too late.

New Objective - Protect the Hobbits from the Ringwraiths

Strider wields his sword and a flaming torch to fend off the Nazgûl. Initially, the five Nazgûl attack one by one which allows Strider to drive them away with ease. However, the final attack consists of all five Nazgûl at once which can lead to Strider's death if not properly micro-managed. Players must take advantage of Strider's splash damage by attacking Nazgûl close to others so that his attacks deal damage not just to one, but two or three Nazgûl at a time. Strider can cast Kingsfoil to replenish health and the player can also use the Kingsfoil spell book power to prevent Strider from dying if required. Once the Nazgûl have fled, Strider tends to Frodo who has been stabbed by a Morgul Blade; if the blade shard reaches his heart, Frodo will become a wraith enslaved by the Nazgûl and Sauron.

The four Hobbits now become controllable, Frodo loses health over time and so the heroes must quickly escape Weathertop to the area prompted by the minimap. Here, they find the three petrified Trolls that Bilbo encountered on his adventure.

New Objective - Find at least 5 bushels of Kingsfoil to slow Frodo's poisoning

Strider instructs Sam to help him find the Kingsfoil plant which can be used to slow the Morgul poisoning. The player must find 5 bushels to complete the objective - all of these bushels are isolated to the area surrounding the trolls so the player should not have to travel too far to find them. Frodo is still losing health during this section but Strider can cast Kingsfoil nearby him to restore some of his health; each bushel found reduces the rate at which Frodo loses health. One of the bushels is found on a ridge - it is best to send Strider to retrieve this bushel because of the nearby Cave Troll guarding it which could kill Sam and result in mission failure. It is advised to destroy the Cave Troll's lair as the treasure it drops will be useful later in the mission. Once all 5 bushels are found, Glorfindel arrives and allows Frodo to ride his horse Asfaloth to Rivendell.

New Objective - Defend the Ford of Bruinen

The Nine pursue Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen, where they are confronted by Arwen and several Rivendell Elves. These Elves must defend the Ford from waves of Risen Dúnedain, Orc Warriors, Orc Archers and Warg Packs. Once the first wave is defeated, the player gets two Builders who can build Rivendell Orchards, Rivendell Dormitories and Wells. The Rivendell Elves are upgradable so it is advised to build several Orchards and destroy the Cave Troll lair to the north to gain more resources to afford these upgrades. Players should aim to level their Dormitory up to level 3 so that they can recruit the highly elite Veterans of the Last Alliance as these units are devastating against enemy units.

Glorfindel, Strider and the three Hobbits arrive at the Ford after 3 minutes. As they arrive, another wave of attackers make their way to the Ford and so it is important to sent Arwen and troops forward to prevent the attackers cutting the Hobbits off and killing them. The Hobbits should be sent to the safety of the east bank whilst Strider and Glorfindel remain at the front line. Subsequent waves become more difficult with a greater number of enemies and Castellans of Dol Guldur, which can punch through friendly lines - they should be targeted by heroes as they are particularly vulnerable to Arwen's Loudwater's Fury and Glorfindel whilst Revealed in Wrath is active. Once all waves are defeated, the Nine return but Glorfindel summons a great flood which washes the Nazgûl away - killing their mounts and robbing them of physical form. The mission has been completed.