Rune guide in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - the best gems for weapons, armor and rings. How to upgrade a swordsman in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - executions, finishing moves, counterattacks and critical hits Middle earth shadow of war character leveling

In Shadow of War, you cannot subjugate those orc captains that are higher than your level, so fast leveling is a must. Talion is not very willing to gain experience, but there are several ways to help him with this.

1. Buy XP boost

Yes, for real money. For two hours, you will receive twice as much experience. To be honest - this item is here for show, so that you know that there is such an opportunity, I don’t think that a sane person would donate to a game already bought for 60 bucks. But if you still decide, do it before going through the story missions.

2. Pass the story

Obviously, but the fact is that nothing will pump you faster than story missions. There are those, after which Talion instantly rises to a level, or even two. The balance is calculated so that if you immediately follow the story only, you will have enough experience to make the game passable, but difficult. One of the most profitable chains is Karnan's quests.

3. Complete missions of orc captains

Not counting the plot - the fastest way (and almost the only one). These are game-generated quests in which captains cut each other's throats, go hunting, or pass tests, and you can stop them. Similar tasks are generated for allies, only there they, respectively, need to be helped. You can also just cut the captains, but for this they give much less experience. Such quests are endlessly updated, so you can farm until you get bored and it doesn’t take much time.


Shadow of War: Guide

Do you prefer an easy game? There is nothing easier and... more boring, but you can always set the difficulty to the minimum and enjoy the fights by pressing two keys. If you decide to get the most out of the game, you have to choose a difficulty that deserves respect ... and a little nerve. And what is pleasure without stress? The mechanics of using "Frenemies" captains in Shadow of War was made clever in order to diversify the player's pastime, but it introduces some complexities and inaccuracies due to its unusualness. For a better and enjoyable passage of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the guide will be very useful, as it will help you understand how to play correctly.

To be honest, I did not see any tangible complexity in the difficult mode of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, sorry for the tautology. Well, yes, I had to die when I attacked the captain, and another one jumped out of the ambush ... and sometimes a second one. Yes, you have to press the mission repeat button 5-7 times. Yes, I was just tired of the captains with their revenges that they gave me (do you remember what revenge tasks are given for?). Yes, some opponents have to be beaten for 15-20 minutes. Yes, while hunting within the enemy outpost zone, I saw 20 orcs lined up around the captain, ready to repel any attack. Yes, I had to jump around the corner for 15 minutes to strike the enemy with a hidden blow ... do you know that if you wait, part of the captain's health will be restored? And yes, I had to drain almost every rat that got in my eyes ...

In general, I did not notice anything new in Shadow Of War ... except that the passage takes not so little time, so an additional aspect of this guide will be to speed up the game process. Reducing the time will be obtained through the correct and competent use of the game mechanics.

The first thing you should know is that you will gain experience in the game mainly through completing story missions. Of course, additional tasks, victories over captains, challenges, etc. bring experience, but tasks are faster and on the topic.

Now back to how to get the most out of the game. You see, if you decide to go through all the quests first, and only then storm the fortresses, you will encounter a strange and stressful effect.

The beginning of the game will be ... but normal, the middle part is difficult, and the ending is simple. If you follow the principle: "Quests -> fortresses", then you will have fortresses for dessert, and not all of them are so complicated (to be interesting). On the other hand, the opponents in the missions will be very strong and cause a lot of trouble, which can lead to nerves and tension, and we don’t want them, do we?

The best way to play, however strange it may sound, is to "keep on the wave". You will need to play in those zones in which you are suitable for the level ... An example is World of Warcraft. In it, the locations are divided according to the range of levels. It’s a little more difficult here, because you can cope with the game at low levels, so there are no guidelines.


Starting to outgrow the desired level, gather an army and storm the fortress. This approach will allow you to continue to enjoy the game without being overloaded with quests.

Also, the way of passing the game will not be superfluous. After all, you don't want to miss anything, do you? The game has a lot of tasks and they are very diverse. We are talking about tasks related to captains. You can choose something interesting if you pay attention to the description, and not constantly get stuck in "chase and ambush". For example, it's nice to see how the enemy captain fights the graug.

Another of the curious moments - own mistakes. Looking from the outside, it's safe to say that you won't feel the whole atmosphere of the game if you don't enrage the hunter with a fire spear. It's amazing how quickly you can throw burning darts and how often you need to tumble until the last one lets go. This advice ... could not be entered, because we are all people and cannot unquestioningly follow the rules, so everyone will receive their share of tension.

There are many ways to kill orcs in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The question is how exactly do you want to do it. The game provides us with six branches of abilities, each of which contains about 5-6 skills. Points for pumping do not fall out to Talion so often, so the choice should be approached wisely. In our guide, we will tell you what skills you should pay attention to.

Best skills in Middle-earth Shadow of War:

First of all, when leveling a character, you should decide on your style of play. All skills are divided into six branches, each of which is responsible for a specific battle tactic. The last branch is a story branch and will open on its own as you progress through the corresponding quests. In addition to the main skills that have a large icon, there are also improvements. Do not neglect them, because they make many abilities much more interesting. Only one upgrade per skill can be active at a time.

Melee Skills:

  • execution- this is the skill that is worth buying in the first place. With a full power meter, it will allow you to kill weaker enemies in one hit. His Grim Resolve upgrade is also worth purchasing early on when your hero is still weak. He will often get hit on the head anyway, so let's take advantage of this. Arcane Power is only worth buying if you're going to use Stealth Mode a lot.
  • savage aggression- the ability is good not so much on its own, but thanks to the Spectral Execution upgrade, available from level 11. It will allow you to perform several executions in a row, spending on this concentration.
  • The perfect counterattack- in this skill, we are again interested in its improvements. Rain of Arrows is a must-have for those who are into ranged combat. You will have to run less in search of ammunition. Powerful Turn and Deadly Counterattack will bring noticeable melee benefits and allow you to execute enemies more often.

Stealth Skills:

  • Elven Agility- both upgrades for this skill will significantly speed up your stealth movement between enemies. We especially like Ghost Throw. Try to get them as soon as possible.
  • ghost chain- perhaps this is the best skill for stealth passing the game. With proper skill, you can take out a small camp in a very short time. The Beast Hunter upgrade will allow you to stealthily kill beasts as well.
  • poison probe- Do not underestimate this skill and all its additions. When used correctly, it will allow you to sow real chaos in the ranks of the enemy, since the necessary barrels, cages and nests are scattered throughout the game world in abundance.

Ranged Skills:

  • Explosion- this skill, as well as its upgrade Explosive Arrow, is worth pumping for all players, regardless of the style of play. It will allow you to significantly thin out the ranks of the enemy before entering into an open confrontation with him.
  • Predatory bird- another interesting ability that will allow you to shoot while in the air. The Talon Strike upgrade will make your landings into a group of enemies from a height very epic and will come in handy even for those who prefer close combat.
  • powerful shot- this skill, combined with one of the upgrades, will make your character's shots much stronger and more spectacular. Download it as soon as the opportunity arises.
  • Strike from the shadows- this skill is indispensable for destroying snipers in enemy camps. Just climb up and run around the towers. Fans of stealth mode are recommended to pump it without fail.

Ghost Skills:

  • Belt of daggers- Do not underestimate this skill, as it allows you to not only slow down enemies, but also build power. In combination with upgrades, it will become a significant help for you in battle, as it has infinite charges.
  • elven light- A great skill that can be used at full power meter. Upgrade one of the add-ons to it and enjoy the effect. Especially useful for players who prefer close combat.
  • ice storm- This skill is especially effective when combined with the Ice Storm upgrade. It also affects captains, which will save your character more than once in the midst of a fierce battle. Again, mandatory when choosing melee tactics.
  • Treasure hunter- this skill is worth downloading only for the sake of improving Brainstorm, which will allow you to save precious seconds in battle.

Rider Skills:

  • Caragor rider- Mandatory for pumping, as it allows you to sit on a broken caragora on horseback. Improvements are aimed at strengthening your combat skills on this animal. Recommended for pumping with any style of play.
  • Graug Rider- these opponents are less common than karagors, but they still occur. Subduing them is much faster than killing them, so at least the main skill must be pumped.
  • Summon Mount- this is your only opportunity to stop running between tasks on your own two feet. And in battle, animals can become indispensable allies.
  • Shadow Rider- another useful skill that, thanks to its improvements, will make your fight against caragors easier. They gave us a lot of trouble, so we were happy with this group of abilities like children.
  • dragon rider- Well, everything is simple. Who doesn't want to ride a dragon?) This is not only a flying vehicle, but also a mobile flamethrower. Take it, you won't regret it.

In a conversation about "Shadow of War" ( Middle-earth: Shadow of War), perhaps dominated by the question of how many loot boxes and microtransactions affect the experience (namely: not at all), but on the “stuffing” it is a skillful, innovative and quite original game.

"Shadow of War" is based on the "Shadow of Mordor" system of Nemesis, where any random enemy can kill you and increase your rank (during revenge missions and other confrontations between enemies). You are now recruiting new orcs (recruited in the game or possibly purchased from The Headhunter vendor) and set them on a series of fortresses in need of capture.

You can assign spies to get ahead of some high-ranking warlords when the siege begins, deploy your friendly orcs to cut the ranks overall, and even call in others to act as active bodyguards in the game.

There's a lot to use here, but if you're going to Mordor, make sure you know how to get to the other side.

12. How to automatically select items

Shadow of War requires clumsily holding R1/RB to select items or equipment. It's the same button as capturing orcs or activating missions, and it's... a bit of a nuisance, to be honest.

But there is nothing to be afraid of - there is a way to move around objects and select them, just like in any other game. Just go to the character screen, then scroll down to the Wraith line and next to the four icons you will see "Treasure Hunter".

Grab it and that's it - when you walk through the items, they are added to your inventory. Of course, those four badges mean you'll need to level up four times to get the points you need, but Treasure Hunter is the life level that eliminates one of the game's biggest cons.

11. Purposeful death has its advantages.

The very foundation of the Nemesis system is based on the fact that Talion cannot die, and makes the orcs regional antagonists, allowing them to collect abilities and armor to boot.

But this also has its benefits.

Let's say there's a special Orc with a certain set of skills that you'd like to recruit. Set up a mission to trigger their arrival or search the world and then fail on purpose.

They'll immediately get a level/ability boost, some new equipment, and a new rank - all of which you'll get afterward if you find them and defeat them in this new form.

Of course, it will be harder to fight, but otherwise you can’t level up your orcs so quickly, and although this may sound like an excuse, it is a much more effective and quick way to create a strong army.

10. Return the stolen/broken sword (even in the best possible way)

I wonder why you can not delete your starting equipment in the inventory? This is because the game keeps it just in case the orc decides to break your new set.

In fact, during any encounter with a captain/warlord/overlord, one can encounter an enemy who (if you get knocked down and left alive) will literally take your current blade and break it in half.

Although you thought he was gone for good, find the new "Vendetta" mission that appeared with said Orc and complete it.

After defeating a new enemy (don't recruit them) they will drop the stolen gear again - luckily with extra levels that match any upgrade they get to kill you.

9. You can attach several assassins to the governor

Tiny stats on the army screen - assign orcs/captains to capture warlords and assign spies.

Shortly after you've dominated a particular Orc and set a target for it, press the "Command" option on another and hover over the same Warlord whose days are numbered.

With a few traitors assigned, start this mission and watch your orcs reveal their true commands by depleting the Warlord's health so you can get an easy kill.

8. How to use fighting pits effectively

Fighting pits are one of the coolest features in Shadow of War - this is the place where your best orcs fight against random creatures of the game, for which only the AI ​​​​controls the animation.

But while you can order any newly captured captain to infiltrate the upper echelons of the fortress as an assassin, you will always return to the same place (the fighting pits themselves) for the duel to take place.

To get around this, capture the orcs and win them over to your side, but wait with the mission assignment until you literally fall into place in the pit. Once you're there, tap on the Army screen and then let your orcs know who's fighting who. A mission will appear nearby and you can start it.

Repeat this for all of your captured orcs and you'll save a lot of time. Just remember: capture/dominate as many orcs as you need and then fight.

7. Only quests and captain kills give experience

It's unclear how they made such a mistake, but Shadow of War literally forgets to tell you how the XP system works.

In other words, if you think you can roam the open world killing thousands of orcs and rank up, then don't expect an XP boost.

But there are only ways to gain experience - it's killing the captain (found in the world) or through missions. Yes, Warlord and Overlord kills give XP, but they start from the map as icons.

Note that story missions give over 10,000 XP once you get into Act 2, so if you need to rank up your entire army, prioritize those missions and objectives. The strength of your army is equal to the level of Talion, so sometimes you need to participate in a battle, story, or something else.

6 Ghost Vision Reveals Rats That Give Health

Health return is much more difficult in Shadow of War, mainly because there are no items that restore it, and your counter will only regenerate up to the gray part.

Basically the rats will spawn around once the health is low enough, so back off, hold circle/B and poke the little tiny heads.

5. It is necessary to jam correctly in order to saddle Olog

A small but significant difference, although the game suggests that a stunned Olog will let you ride him, and it's not the circle / B button that will help.

It is better to wait until Olog starts attacking, a tooltip with a button icon above his head will appear, and then press the circle to stun him. Then press R1 / RB and you will successfully saddle the beast, now you can control it to clear the area.

The same goes for missions where you need to "quietly kill" or "quietly dry" enemies. Shadow of War only wants you to see melee animations, not long-range headshots.

Hopefully this will be fixed in post-launch patches, but just remember: it's most likely not you, but the game is finicky.

4. Reinforcements and stones

These are two extremely important components of the game and can be easily viewed in the bunch of menu hints that make up the first act of the game.

Reinforcements: Perhaps when you take part in the first Siege, or when you tell an orc to kill another, you noticed the "Training Orders" option and found a couple of buffs there. Typically, it's elemental damage, a troupe of additional orcs, or a special weapon change, etc. that the orc uses in each subsequent battle, but then... they disappear from the same equipment screen.

The reason is that these are add-ons locked in loot - equipment drops from the market that you can purchase with real money or gold coins that are given for daily tasks. Extremely useful: try to complete a few tasks before putting on your favorite Borgface The Stab-Lover with the best power-ups.

stones: you might think that they need to be collected again, at first you want to spend some Mirian to open the right slots with "gems" for each weapon, because they greatly affect the gameplay.

They work like this: (besides the fact that "red" = "damage", "green" = "life" and "white" = "XP / recruitment level") all stones of a lower level can be given to a higher one. You will need the first three levels to create one second; three second for the third and so on. So don't let go of orcs collecting gems (indicated by white arrows on the minimap), kill them, and even if you get a standard gem, combine them all together in a sequence for better buffs.

3. Distract orcs with noise

The "Distraction" ability in "Shadow of Mordor" has been updated, no longer needing to aim at the orc for the tooltip to appear.

Now instead of looking at who's ahead, just hold L2 / LT and aim. Whatever mode you're in, ghost mode or normal mode, use this to create a triangular/Y noise distraction at the location your crosshair is pointing at.

A very useful thing for destroying Captains who have moved away from their bodyguards. This can also be used to lure enemies out if you're on that pesky mission where you can't be detected.

2. Orcs can serve as human shields

In normal combat, we all deplete supplies. And when the screen quickly fills up with lots of orcs from various factions, hold R1/RB to grab one.

This can be done on any part of the group, then leave with the loot, and every other orc that will strike will deal damage to it.

This is a great way to get out of the mess, especially if the captain can be grabbed without succumbing. Take advantage of the chaos: when more bodies appear on the screen, strike your target with blows, and then take it away.

1. Instant domination and recruitment of several captains

One of the deliberately designed disadvantages is the reduction of yours nearby. Before you manage to dominate/recruit the captain, holding Circle/B is almost always interrupted by another enemy.

To fix this, use the Combat Drain ability (simultaneously press X + O / A + B), which allows you to capture someone immediately, and not after 5-6 seconds.

And if you combine it with Double Charge (an ability that allows you to take on two enemies at the same time), you can dominate two captains at the same time. Both in-game cutscenes will dissolve one after the other, and even if there are no captains in sight, grab a regular orc for backup.

Talion's journey through Middle-earth continues in this epic saga! Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is the mobile version of the upcoming game of the same name. It is quite difficult to pass. In this guide, you will learn all the tips and tricks for the strategy.

Active positioning is key on the battlefield

In the tutorial mode, you will discover the secrets of the ability to give your champions individual commands on the battlefield. They are useful for dodging powerful attacks, positioning your units correctly. All of these techniques are key to mastering combat in Shadow of War, so keep them in mind and use them often.


In addition to the methods presented to you in the tutorial, there is one more thing you should keep in mind. Your team will automatically advance towards the enemies and this can cause your more fragile units to be compromised. When you're about to engage the next group of enemies, it's best to drag your tank class units ahead of them. They will draw the attention of all enemies. Don't forget to aim your shots to take out the enemies quickly.

Upgrade Your Abilities Frequently

You will need ability points and some mirians (silver coins) to increase the skills of your champions. You should spend points as soon as you can, because they need time to recover. Consider the amount of mirian to perform upgrades. Avoid the moment when you accumulate unused ability points.

Look for inscriptions

Shadow of War is different from other tactical action RPGs in the sense that it ramps up in difficulty quite quickly. By the time you get to the third enemy, you will have to fight to get through the regular enemies. If you've just upgraded champion rings, you may actually need to stop and go back to certain levels to get more inscriptions. When you are on the update ring screen, you can click on the missing inscription and see exactly where it will appear. It's a good idea to take the time to upgrade champion rings as much as possible, as this is the primary way to enable them.

Brand orcs early

When choosing between branding and executing an orc, branding a huge number of them early on is highly recommended. Branding orcs makes them join your team and you can then call them during levels. They are powerful allies, and can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat. The catch is that they run on cooldowns. Once the orcs are summoned, you must wait an hour or so before they can summon again. By combining many orcs, you can get them for every important moment of the journey.

When you decide to execute an orc, you will be rewarded with a rune. The problem early on is that additional rune slots require your champions' rings to be at a certain level. So you'll just end up with a bunch of unusable runes if you take out too many orcs. This is another reason why you should upgrade your rings as soon as possible.

Build a balanced team

Champions are divided into four different classes: fighters, tanks, rangers, and support. Fighters are melee attackers who get their way with quick and brutal strikes. Tanks are the warriors of the first flank, they have the highest health and defense. This makes them ideal for attracting attention from enemies. are early attackers, they focus on consistent, sustained damage. Supports are champions that can help and heal their teammates or weaken enemies.


For the best balanced approach, it is recommended to use a representative from each class. If you have problems with a certain level, you can try experimenting with a different composition.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War - The Mobile Game is a strategy game based on the PC version of the same name. Despite this, it is a completely separate project. The plot is somewhat similar and centers on a war between Sauron and a Ranger known as Talion. The mobile game is based on the collection of characters from The Hobit and The Lord of the Rings. Each warrior has unique stats, weapons, and special abilities that, when activated, can turn the tides of battle. Each character can be developed in terms of their combat skills, which the player can tailor to their own personal tactics.

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