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The Men of the West are a playable faction in The Battle for Middle-Earth II and its expansion The Rise of the Witch-King. They are playable in all standard game modes as well as The Rise of the Witch-King's Angmar Campaign Epilogue. This faction represents the human kingdoms who fought against Sauron during the War of the Ring.

The Men of the West are a fusion of The Battle for Middle-Earth's two good factions: Gondor and Rohan. The buildings are all based on Gondor's architecture, while their units are a combination of Gondor's roster, and some of Rohan's. This faction has great advantages regarding cavalry, heroes, and infrastructure, although they don't have the monsters or heavy artillery of some of the other factions.

Lore[]

See Men at One Wiki to Rule Them All.

The Men of the West rebel against the Dark Lord.

Faction Overview[]

Strengths[]

The many heroes available to the Men of the West make them a force to be reckoned with. The fact that half the contingent can earn the Leadership ability is a huge advantage. Also, most of them can gain mounts that allow them to act as cavalry units,

The cavalry of the Men of the West is second to none. Because many heroes can gain mounts, you also get access to the Rohirrim, which makes for a very nasty shock troop unit against infantry units such as swordsmen and archers.

The Ithilien Rangers' Longshot ability can be devastating from both a pure damage standpoint and as a demoralizer for your enemy. It forces your foes to constantly be wary of attack and leaves them unable to park units anywhere the shroud has been pushed back. Combine this with the Ivory Tower's ability to reveal the shroud for 30 seconds and you have a superb combination attack.

Strategy[]

The Men of the West are one of the more complex factions you can play, due to the sheer number of structures and units at its command. There are vastly more units, structures, and especially heroes available to the Men of the West than just about any other faction. This level of complexity can make for a daunting experience when you start out because there are so many options to explore. That said, a few paths should be covered by anybody wanting to lead the people of Gondor and Rohan to victory.

First off, the number of heroes is staggering. Many have access to the Leadership skill, though the level they earn it at depends on the hero in question (please see the ''Heroes” section for more info). This means the Men of the West have a shortcut to rapid levelling up of new units, especially when near a lair. Naturally, this Leadership edge carries over to the entire battle.

They also possess a tremendous advantage in the cavalry department. While the Elves, for example, excel at archery, the Men of the West can run roughshod over any foes they encounter, forcing your enemy to invest in pikemen, This gives you another edge: when you race in to face down your enemies, you're likely to know what's coming. That way you can have your heroes dismount and take their pikemen hand to hand.

Units[]

Heroes[]

  • Eomer, the Leader of the outlawed Rohirrim: The young captain of Rohan can inflict terrible damage through the tip of his mighty spear. All nearby horsemen receive Leadership bonuses and earn resources for conquered.
  • Eowyn, the Shield Maiden of Rohan: The niece of Theoden is the match of any soldier in combat. Her spear can fell the dark creatures of Middle-earth.
  • Faramir, the versatile Captain of Gondor: As a Captain of Condor, Faramir is both a Ranger and a Knight, He can use the bow and sword with equal skill.
  • Theoden, the King of Rohan: Theoden increases the rate at which nearby units gain experience and provides a Leadership boost to nearby allies.
  • Boromir, one of the greatest Captains of Gondor: Fiercely proud of his people, Boromir can blow the Horn of Gondor to inspire fear in all nearby enemies.
  • Aragorn, the heir to the throne of Gondor: With a shout of Elendil, Aragorn can cause the enemy to flee in terror. He can heal nearby heroes and summon a party of Oathbreakers to fulfill a service to him.
  • Gandalf, the wizard: Gandalf gains access to an arsenal of special Istari powers. Use his Word of Power to blast back surrounding enemies.
  • Galadriel, the Storm Queen: When summoned, Galadriel can attack enemies with special powers and wizard blasts.
  • Create a Hero: Human players may choose to bring a player created hero that is either a Dwarf, Elf, Hero of the West or Wizard.

Workers[]

  • Builder: This loyal craftsman of Gondor can build a wide variety of structures.

Swordsmen[]

  • Gondor Soldiers: When gathered in formation, the soldiers of Gondor are a stout fighting force.

Pikemen[]

  • Rohan Spearmen (Rise of the Witch-King only): You can build these stout pikemen of Rohan in the Barracks.
  • Gondor Tower Guards: Gondor Tower Guards focus their skill on spearing monsters and enemy cavalry.

Archers[]

  • Gondor Archers: Archers of Gondor can work well with a group of soldiers or on their own. They are accurate and persistent.
  • Dunedain Rangers (Rise of the Witch-King only): These elite archers become invisible in wooded areas and can fire a volley of arrows anywhere on the map.
  • Galadhrim Warriors (Base Game only): Galadhrim Warriors are skilled archers and swordsmen, switching between their weapons with the practiced ease of hundreds of years of experience.
  • Ithilien Rangers: These elite archers become invisible in wooded areas and can fire a volley of arrows anywhere on the map.

Cavalry[]

  • Gondor Knights: These champions of the West can crush opponents when moving at full speed.
  • Rohirrim: The elite horsemen of Rohan can swap between bows and pikes. Rohirrim can crush the opposition when moving at full speed.
  • Knights of Dol Amroth (Rise of the Witch-King only): The skilled and loyal Knights of Dol Amroth are a fearsome foe to behold on the battlefield.

Siege Equipment[]

  • Trebuchet: A Trebuchet can hurl a large stone or flaming projectile long distances.

Ships[]

  • Elven Transport: This defenceless transport can convoy units across large bodies of water.
  • Elven Storm Ship: This ship can be activated to cause a powerful whirlpool, sucking any enemies nearby to the ocean depths.
  • Elven Warship: This ship fires heavy arrows for maximum effectiveness against enemy infantry and ships.
  • Elven Bombardment Ship: Equipped with a long range ballista, this ship is perfectly suited for destroying enemy structures.

Structures[]

Buildings[]

  • Farm: The Farm continuously generates resources, which can be spent on expanding your army and base. Your command point limit increases by 50 with each Farm.
  • Barracks: The footmen of the West receive their training at the Barracks.
  • Archery Range: The Archery Range produces the West's able archers and the Fire Arrows upgrade.
  • Stables: From the Stables come the shining knights of Gondor and the elite riders of Rohan, the Rohirrim.
  • Siege Works: The Siege Works is the source of Trebuchets, which can hurl the masonry of Gondor against advancing forces.
  • Battle Tower: The Battle Tower automatically fires arrows at nearby enemies and can be garrisoned with Archers for greater damage.
  • Well: Units near the Well automatically heal when not under attack.
  • Heroic Statue: Units rallying near the Heroic Statue receive a boost to their armor and damage output and double experience within their area of effect. The Statue also increases your command point limit by 10 and reduces the cost of infantry units.
  • Blacksmith: The Blacksmith can research several unit upgrades, including Forged Blades and Heavy Armor,
  • Marketplace: Improve your economy and reduce upgrade costs by building a Marketplace.
  • Wall Hub: Wall Hubs allow you to expand your castle walls.
  • Fortress: The Fortress is the heart of the West's base. Customize it with improvements and expansions. Builders and heroes can be recruited from the Fortress.

Fortress Expansions[]

  • Wall Hub: Wall Hubs allow you to expand your castle walls.
  • Arrow Tower: The Arrow Tower automatically fires arrows at incoming enemies and can be upgraded with Flaming Munitions.
  • Dormitory: These fortified structures can be garrisoned for protection. Dormitories heal any units inside their walls and also increase your command point limit by 25.
  • Trebuchet: The Fortress Trebuchet hurls heavy stones at incoming enemies and can be upgraded with Flaming Munitions.

Upgrades[]

Unit Upgrades[]

  • Banner Carriers: The Banner Carrier displays the veterancy of your units and grants all troops in the battalion healing bonuses.
  • Fire Stones: When equipped with Fire Stones, the Trebuchets of the West hurl flaming boulders at nearby enemies.
  • Forged Blades: The smiths of the West can deliver these weapons, tempered in fire, to eager soldiers in the field.
  • Fire Arrows: Fire Arrows greatly increase the damage dealt to structures and enemy units.
  • Heavy Armor: Clad in Heavy Armour, the soldiers of the West become as sturdy as the walls of their Fortresses.

Economic Upgrades[]

Fortress Upgrades[]

  • Banners: Banners reduce the resource cost and recruitment time to build units from the West's Fortress. They also grant an experience bonus to nearby troops.
  • House of Healing: This small structure heals all nearby battalions to full capacity.
  • Boiling Oil: When your armies tip this bubbling cauldron, burning oil spills out of all four sides of the Fortress and onto enemy troops.
  • Flaming Munitions: Upgrade your Trebuchets and Battle Towers with fiery projectiles that inflict greater damage on your enemies.
  • Numenor Stonework: The masons of Numenor can lend their skills to further fortify your Fortress and walls.
  • Ivory Tower: The Ivory Tower increases the vision range of your Fortress and grants you a special vision power.

Wall Upgrades[]

  • Wall Hub: Wall Hubs allow you to expand your castle walls.
  • Gate: This primary defensive gate can be opened and closed for strategic deployment.
  • Arrow Tower: The Arrow Tower automatically fires arrows at incoming enemies.
  • Postern Gate: The Postern Gate is a stealth gate that allows only friendly units to pass through.
  • Trebuchet: The Wall Trebuchet hurls heavy stones at incoming enemies.

Powers[]

Tier 1 Powers[]

  • Heal: Heals units and replaces one dead man per battalion.
  • Rallying Call: Grants an armour and damage boost to selected units.
  • Rebuild: Automatically rebuilds a targeted friendly structure.

Tier 2 Powers[]

Tier 3 Powers[]

Tier 4 Powers[]

Gallery[]

Notes and Trivia[]

  • The logo for the Men of the West is the White Tree of Gondor as depicted on Gondor's flag, armour, and shields. The White Tree sits in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith, and its health is considered emblematic of Gondor's health by its people.


AragornMen of the West (BFME 2 only) Gondor Soldier icon BFME2
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