[TheAverageFan]

THE TWO TOWERS
5/5 - Ithilien & Shelob's Lair - 5/5

"It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much. He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace” –The Two Towers

"'But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No. I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo.'

'Neither did the Council,' said Frodo. 'Nor do I. I would have nothing to do with such matters.'

'For myself,' said Faramir, 'I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Númenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.'" -The Two Towers

Faramir, Captain of Gondor, carries a varied toolset. His arrows are effective against the winged Nazgûl thanks to Sky Watcher, enabling him to defend Frodo against attacks from above. With Gondor Attack Ehancement he also provides an attack buff to Soldiers and Rangers who follow Einar, making for a deadly pod. Lastly he like Frodo has a better chance of resisting the Ring due to Man of Quality giving him a buff on d20 rolls for Glyphs and Game Scenarios.

"After a while he spoke to them; but they were slow and cautious in answering. They named themselves Mablung and Damrod, soldiers of Gondor, and they were Rangers of Ithilien; for they were descended from folk who lived in Ithilien at one time, before it was overrun. From such men the Lord Denethor chose his forayers, who crossed the Anduin secretly (how or where, they would not say) to harry the Orcs and other enemies that roamed between the Ephel Duath and the River." -The Two Towers

Ithilien Rangers are among the best warriors in Gondor, killing countless forces of the Enemy throughout the Ithilien passage. With Clear Shot they excel at attacking those not yet in the heat of battle. And with Concealment 18 they can dodge any return fire with relative ease. Coupled with height or with Faramir their ranged attacks are deadly.

"'Tis said that there were dealings of old between Gondor and the kingdoms of the Harad in the Far South; though there was never friendship. In those days our bounds were away south beyond the mouths of Anduin, and Umbar, the nearest of their realms, acknowledged our sway. But that is long since. 'Tis many lives of Men since any passed to or fro between us. Now of late we have learned that the Enemy has been among them, and they are gone over to Him, or back to Him; they were ever ready to His will as have so many also in the East. I doubt not that the days of Gondor are numbered, and the walls of Minas Tirith are doomed, so great is His strength and malice.'" -The Two Towers

The Haradrim are the greatest of Gondor's foes during the War of the Ring. The Infantry, though weak on the defense, are fast and strong. They can reposition easily with Scatter and Disengage. And with Lob Weapons they can attack at Range when on a great height (when that would happen I can't say ). Volthrax seemed the right choice of general.

"There agelong she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Luthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadow; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Duath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.

Already, years before, Gollum had beheld her, Sméagol who pried into all dark holes, and in past days he had bowed and worshipped her, and the darkness of her evil will walked through all the ways of his weariness beside him, cutting him off from light and from regret. And he had promised to bring her food. But her lust was not his lust. Little she knew of or cared for towers, or rings, or anything devised by mind or hand, who only desired death for all others, mind and body, and for herself a glut of life, alone, swollen till the mountains could no longer hold her up and the darkness could not contain her." -The Two Towers

Shelob is a deadly creature in the dark. Possessing both Lurking Ambush and Lurk In Shadows, she works well in the shadowy caves atop the stairs of Cirith Ungol. Lastly her Paralysis Sting Special Attack can destroy Order Markers, rendering her foes hapless to further onslaught. With 6 Defense, only Samwise the Brave stands a chance against her. As a feral monster, Shelob follows Ragnar.

"Slowly his hand went to his bosom, and slowly he held aloft the Phial of Galadriel. For a moment it glimmered, faint as a rising star struggling in heavy earthward mists, and then as its power waxed, and hope grew in Frodo's mind, it began to burn, and kindled to a silver flame, a minute heart of dazzling light, as though Eärendil had himself come down from the high sunset paths with the last Silmaril upon his brow. The darkness receded from it until it seemed to shine in the centre of a globe of airy crystal, and the hand that held it sparkled with white fire.

Frodo gazed in wonder at this marvellous gift that he had so long carried, not guessing its full worth and potency. Seldom had he remembered it on the road, until they came to Morgul Vale, and never had he used it for fear of its revealing light. Aiya Eärendil Elenion Ancalima! he cried, and knew not what he had spoken; for it seemed that another voice spoke through his, clear, untroubled by the foul air of the pit." -The Two Towers

The Phial of Galadriel is Frodo's greatest tool against Shelob, destroying the effects of any Shadow Spaces or powers that trigger off them within 8 clear sight spaces. Shelob will have to attack from out of clear sight in order to use Lurking Ambush.


As always let me know what you think.

~TAF