WCSIn SC2, Diablito had already created the classic SC2 LoTR, War of the Ring, and the no-arbiter map LoTR v Eriador, which is called "boring". But no one expected two new LoTR maps to come from diablito one summer morning. One named The First Age, a once popular no arb map to the tune of Eriador which, just as its predecessor, has since gone out of style, and the other, which is still popular today, named Post-LoTR. We will speak of that map now.
Post-LoTR is not a cakewalk, but its challenging to be good at in a different way then WoTR. Each faction has a number of heroes, but by thirty minutes to an hour into the game, they are likely to be very few and by that point the Endgame begins.
Each faction spawns special elites. Melkor for example, spawns Lords of the Outer Dark, nasty goliath elites that you don't want to have to face in numbers. The players are grouped into one of three factions.
Evil:
Melkor
Avathar
Sauron
Valar:
Manwe
Orome
Ulmo
Humans:
Rhovinwaith
Eriados
These factions vie for the win, and their playstyles are different for each faction and race.
Evil is generally unable to help one another until the Endgame, which is where evil is best. Evil spawns the best elites in the game, and they have the best heroes as well, but generally, they are not so easy to win with because each of them must fight their respective battles alone.
Valar have to be good working together, in order to cover each of their respective weaknesses. Orome doesn't have any air heroes, where Manwe's base is incredibly open and easy to op. Ulmo doesn't get any offensive ground heroes, and must rely on his allies to break bases. Tol Eressea is Valar's big advantage. It can be the difference between a lost and a won endgame, because it is near impenetrable and spawns a ton of air. Valar cant win the endgame without heroes or main spawns, since their elites save for maia are very weak.
Humans are an easy race, and get some powerful elites. Of all the races, humans have the worst heroes but the best elites. Rhovinwaith cavalry can be quite powerful and so too can dunedain rangers. Humans must contend with only sauron, meaning that it falls to them to kill dragons. An incompetent human faction may mean sauron getting dragons in the endgame, a scary thought.
I've mentioned the Endgame quite a bit, and for good reason. Of all the LoTRs, post is most renowned for it's endgame. Why? Heroes are lost so easily, that after 40 minutes has passed, the Endgame is essentially using whatever resources you have left and using them in creative ways. When I say anything goes in Post LoTR endgames, I MEAN anything goes.
But don't just take my word for it, play this map for yourself. Come to channel "lotr", OR join the vent.
Chromium.typefrag.com
41379
lotr
One of the admins or mods will set you up if they're on.
I hope you guys will enjoy SC2 LoTR as much as I do, because one day the community could grow as large as BW, and that will truly be the golden age of LoTR.
