100% Achievement Guide: Shadow of War

This is a comprehensive 100% Achievement guide detailing a step-by-step walkthrough to take you from 0 all the way to 100%. If you are looking for a particular Achievement or Collectible, use Ctrl+F & type it into the search bar for more direct help.

I run support & debug help on all my guides. If you have any questions, problems, or find errors in the guide itself, do not hesitate to leave me a comment & I will get back to you as soon as I am able to. Happy Hunting!

Introduction:

Achievement Breakdown: (55)
Story Related: (7)
Side Quests & Challenges: (11)
Collectibles: (4)
Upgrades & Followers: (15)
Warchiefs & Captains: (11)
Miscellaneous: (4)
Online: (3)

All Achievements can be earned in one run of the game, there are no missable Achievements. Difficulty will not affect any Achievements. For the most part, everything is more or less straight forward, though some Achievements will require a little bit of set up before they can be completed.

All of the Collectibles in the game become visible on the World Map of each area as you explore them, so no location guide is necessary. Apart from your regular “item pick-up Collectibles”, we also need to use every type of Bait in the game as well as ride all 7 different Mounts. Three of them are common but the other four can only be found in certain Regions. I will list what Beasts/Bait can be found at the start of each Region. Summoned Mounts do count towards the Achievement.

Uruk Missions are called Nemesis Missions in Shadow of War. They were called Power Struggles in Shadow of Mordor. These are the randomly generated Uruk Missions that will appear on your world map involving a specific Captain doing something like Camp Raids, Duels, Trial By Ordeals, Executions, etc. There are a few Achievements that will require some of these Missions.

It may not seem like it initially, but Mirian is very important when your get into the army building phase of the game. It is used to upgrade your Fortresses, Uruk Captains, & Assault Teams. Be sure to collect & hoard as much of it as possible. Dismantle any Gear that you do not plan on using.

Almost all the Achievements are really simple, though there are 3 Achievements in particular that you should keep in the back of your head as you progress through the game. The first is the Nemesis Achievement – Encounter the same Uruk Captain in a Nemesis Mission 3 times without killing them, the Blood On Blood Achievement – Getting a Blood Brother Uruk to kill their brother, & the Trolling Achievement – Killing an Uruk Captain while riding on the back of a stunned Olog. The first two may come naturally, but you really want to try for the Trolling Achievement any chance you can get. I unlocked/include the strategies for these Achievements at the top of Sequence 3.

There is an Online component to this game called Online Conquest. If you play your cards right when you siege Fortresses & have as high of an Assault Rating as possible before you take a Fortress you can completely circumvent having to grind these for the Such Great Heights Achievement. Completing Online Conquests to boost your Attack Rating is very tedious.

The DLCS are also quite simple, the only caveat being the Baranor the Conqueror Achievement in The Desolation of Mordor. We will need a Gold Rating at the end of the DLC for it. To get it quite easily, we will need to complete two playthroughs of it: one to unlock all the other Achievements, & the last short playthrough to speed run the DLC. It is a lot simpler than The Lord of the Ring or The Hunt Is My Mistress Achievements from Shadow of Mordor.

For those interested, here is an organized list of all the Achievements/Secret Achievements. This is how I derive my Achievement Breakdowns & the first reference I create before I begin my 100% journeys.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2345551265
*Guide contains major spoilers.

Sequence 1: The New Ring

1. Minas Ithil, Cirith Ungol
2. Gondorian Quests: 7/12
3. Haedir: 6/15
4. Shelob Memories: 6/16
5. Gondorian Artifacts: 22/54
6. Achievements: 12/72
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Minas Ithil: Level 1-10

Bait: Spiders, Caragors
Mounts: Caragors, Graugs

Gondor Quest #1 – Fellowship: Story Related.
We will need to complete all 12 Gondor Quests to unlock the For Gondor Achievement.

Gondor Quest #2 – The Eyes of Sauron: Story Related.


Achievement #1 – Better Luck Next Time: Meet an Enemy or a Follower who has cheated death.
Over the course of the game as you kill Uruk Captains, there will be a random chance that one of them will return barring wounds of how you killed them. They can be encountered in the form of Ambushes or just randomly finding them on the map. This can be earned as early as Minas Ithil if you have been killing a fair share of Uruk Captains. I unlocked this as I was hunting for the Collectibles.


Achievement #2 – Fit For War: Complete a Challenge to upgrade a piece of Gear.
These Challenges are available for Legendary or Epic Level Gear. In Minas Ithil, you may come across Epic Level Uruks. Kill one, & you will get a random piece of Epic Level Gear. To upgrade it, you will have to complete a random Challenge usually killing an Uruk Captain or Grunts a specific way. Some Challenges are easier to complete than others. When you fulfil the requirements, pay 25 Mirian & upgrade the Gear to unlock the Achievement.


Achievement #3 – Forger: Forge a higher-quality Gem by combining three Gems of the same quality.

As you explore Shadow of War, you will be able to collect Gems from Orc Grunts who carry them. There are 3 types of Gem: Warrior, Life, & Wealth. When you collect 3 of the same type of Gem, combine them into a Carved Gem to unlock the Achievement.

Gondor Quest #3 – Shadows of the Past: Story Related.


Achievement #4 – Rule of Three: Unlock 3 Gem Slots.
All 5 of your different Gear can be given a Gem. To unlock the Slot, you need to pay 1000 Mirian which can be gathered from dismantling low quality/unwanted Gear or from Orcs who are carrying it. You will need 3000 Mirian. After you unlock your 3rd Slot you will unlock the Achievement along with it.


Achievement #5 – Speak Friend & Enter: Open one of the Ithildin Doors.
After collecting the 6 Ithildin Runes found in Minas Ithil, head to the Barrows. You will then have to solve a riddle by placing 6 words into the poem to unlock the door. For the door in Minas Ithil, the order is: Shadows, Drums, Cadence, Land, Wrath, Doom. The Achievement will unlock after you place the final word in the right order & open the Door.

There are five Ithildin Doors to open in the game, while there is no more Achievements associated with them, opening them all will give us access to the Legendary Bright Lord Gear Set after beating the game.

Gondor Quest #4 – The Seeing Stone: Story Related.
Completing this Quest will unlock Gondorian Artifacts to now be collected throughout the game.

Collecting all 11 Artifacts in an area will award you with a Skill Point. I recommend collecting all Artifacts & other Collectibles before leaving a Region for immediate benefits/saving time later on.

Cirith Ungol: Level 20-25

Bait: Caragor, Graug, Spiders, Ghul
Mounts: Caragors, Graugs, Drakes


Achievement #6 – Vandal: Destroy a Monument.
Upon reaching Cirith Ungol, we will now be able to destroy Monuments. There are five here, simply locate one, climb atop its head, & smash it. You only need to destroy one for the Achievement. It took a few seconds after destroying one for it to unlock for me… this game apparently has some notoriously glitchy Achievement unlocks so be patient.


Achievement #7 – Dismantled: Disable an Outpost.
In Cirith Ungol, there are 3 Outposts. On your map will be a Quest Marker for each. You will need to complete an objective to lure out the Uruk Captain who runs the Outpost. Defeat them to dismantle the Outpost & unlock the Achievement.


Achievement #8 – Promise Keeper: Issue a Death Threat, & then successfully kill the target.
After completing the first Shelob Quest – Knife in the Dark, we will unlock the Death Threat Skill. Dominate a Worm & you will be able to issue a Death Threat to any Uruk Captain in Sauron’s Army creating a new Mission type, Honor Death Threat. Enter the Mission & kill your target to unlock the Achievement.

Not that we have the Skill unlocked yet, but you cannot Dominate the target for this Achievement since that does not count as killing them.


Achievement #9 – Bound By Blood: Complete an Online Vendetta.
After completing the first Shelob Quest – Knife in the Dark, Online Vendettas will begin appearing in the game world. These are created when other Online Players die in the same Region as you. Advancing Time will help them show up, though they can show up naturally on their own as well. Enter the Mission & defeat the Uruk Captain to unlock the Achievement.

Gondor Quest #5 – No Man’s Land: Story Related.


Achievement #10 – Hostile Takeover: Defeat a Warchief.
In the Shelob Quest – Rain of Arrows, we will have the opportunity to defeat a Warchief. Though there is the possibility you tracked down one of the other two Warchiefs in Cirith Ungol, this is a guaranteed opportunity to slay one.

Minas Ithil: Level 1-10

Gondor Quest #6 – The Arena: Story Related.

Gondor Quest #7 – Before Dawn: Story Related.


Achievement #11 – Avenged: Complete a Vendetta Mission.
Have an Uruk Captain or Grunt deliberately… or accidentally, kill you. This will create a Vendetta Mission for that Uruk. Track down the Mission & take revenge on the Uruk that killed you to unlock the Achievement.


Achievement #12 – What Was Once Lost: Complete Act I.
Story Related. Complete the first section of the final Shelob Quest – The Fall & recover Celebrimbor’s Ring of Power to end the first Act of Shadow of War. The Quest will not complete right away, there is a second half to it once we arrive in Núrnen.

Sequence 2: Ungoliant Reborn

1. Núrnen
2. Brûz Quests: 1/9
3. Carnán Quests: 1/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 2/10
5. Gondorian Quests: 7/12
6. Haedir: 9/15
7. Shelob Memories: 9/16
8. Gondorian Artifacts: 33/54
9. Achievements: 21/72
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Núrnen: Level 15-20

Bait: Caragor, Graug, Spider, Drake
Mounts: Caragors, Graug, Drake, Poison Graug (Sometimes available during a specific Online Vendetta Mission here in Cirith Ungol)

Brûz Quest #1 – Ring of Power: Story Related.
This will unlock Uruk Captain Domination & open up the majority of the Achievements for us to now unlock. We need to complete all 9 Brûz Quests for the Fall & Rise Achievement.


Achievement #13 – Power Couple: Send a Follower to support another Follower in a Nemesis Mission.
After you Dominate your second Uruk Captain, you will be tasked with ordering them to kill another Uruk Captain. Before entering the Mission it creates, Dominate another Uruk Captain or command a pre-existing Follower to Ambush the same Uruk Captain your first Follower is going to kill. When your second Follower is entered into the Nemesis Mission in the Sauron’s Army screen, the Achievement will unlock.


Achievement #14 – I Like to Watch: Watch a Follower murder another Captain without helping him.
Now enter the Nemesis Mission with your two Followers. When the Mission begins, do not attack the enemy Uruk Captain at all & let one of your two Followers kill them. Ideally, the enemy Uruk Captain will be weak compared to your two Followers otherwise this may take a few… Uruks. You cannot damage the enemy Uruk Captain at all.

This can also be unlocked easily when you Initiate a Follower into becoming a Bodyguard/Spy for a Warchief or after we take the Fortress & unlock the Fight Pits.


Achievement #15 – Feed the Beasts: Attract all 5 kinds of Beasts using Bait.
By Núrnen, we will be able to find all 5 different Bait sources available in the game. The Baits are: Spider, Caragor, Graug, Ghûl, & Drake. The first 3 can be found in all 3 areas we have been to so far. Ghûl Bait may only be found in Cirith Ungol at the moment I believe, & Drake Bait can only be found in Núrnen so far. When you have shot the final kind of Bait for the first time, the Achievement will unlock.


Achievement #16 – Everything Is Permitted: Shame an Assassin until he becomes Deranged.
This will take a bit of luck simply waiting for/finding an Uruk Captain who is the Assassin Class. When you do find one, knock their health down until you are able to Dominate them. Do so, & then Shame them which will reduce their Level. Now that you have this Captain identified, keep tracking them down & Shaming them until they finally go crazy. It should not take more than 3 Shaming attempts to do this, the Achievement will unlock as soon as they become Deranged.


Achievement #17 – Headhunter: Recruit a Follower of all 10 Advanced Classes.
I got this fairly early, but I essentially Dominated every Uruk Captain in Núrnen to help me with the next two Achievements. This will probably come naturally as you play.

The 10 Classes are: Assassin, Beastmaster, Berserker, Commander, Destroyer, Marksman, Tank, Tracker, Trickster, & Slayer.


Achievement #18 – The Operative: Turn all of a Warchief’s Bodyguards (minimum 2) into Spies, then confront him.
Pretty self explanatory. First Identify a Warchief then systematically go around & Dominate all his Bodyguards. If he does not have enough, take one of your Followers & Initiate him into the Warchief’s service, there has to be at least 2. When you have enough, a Betrayal Mission will be created where the Bodyguards will Ambush the Warchief. Enter the Mission, & when the Bodyguards turn on the Warchief the Achievement will unlock. The Nemesis Mission must be called Betrayal for this to work.


Achievement #19 – If You Can’t Beat Them: Recruit an Orc after he’s killed you three or more times.
Before attempting this, be sure to turn off “Allow Saviors” in the Game Settings, there is nothing worse trying for this then having your Grunt killed by a Follower “Saving You”. We are also going to try & tie this with the Vertical Mobility Achievement, taking a Grunt all the way up to Overlord & the Nemesis Achievement, encountering the same Uruk in a Nemesis Mission without killing them.

First, get yourself killed by a random Grunt & have him become an Uruk Captain. Now, track down his Vendetta Mission & get killed again. He may now become a Warchief. Track him down again & get killed. That was the third time, now we have to Dominate him. He will probably be too high of a Level for you to Dominate right away, this is good. We now have to Shame him back down to a Level lower than us. If you can manage it, try Shaming him twice for the Nemesis Achievement. We have already encountered him once in the Warchief Mission.

After you have been killed three times & they are at a low enough Level, Dominate them & unlock the Achievement. Remember this Uruk, we will need him to become Overlord… Do not make them a Warchief yet though, the Initiation process has a good shot of killing him. Wait until we actually control the Stronghold before we finish this Grunts epic journey.


Achievement #20 – Nemesis: Encounter the same Orc 3 times in Nemesis Missions without killing him.
If you were fortunate, you may have been able to earn this Achievement while trying for the last one. If not, choose an Uruk Captain in a Nemesis Mission. They either have to: be Shamed, Kill You, or Win the Mission (depending on the type it is). Advance Time until they are in another one, rinse & repeat.

The Uruk Captain cannot be a Follower for the Achievement, all 3 times the Uruk must be an enemy Captain. Luck plays a huge role in this Achievement as well, there is a good chance you may be able to get this Achievement without even trying randomly.


Achievement #21 – No Orc Left Behind: Rescue a Follower who’s been captured.
Eventually when you have enough Followers ripping around, one might fail their Nemesis Mission & get captured. This will create a Rescue Mission. Cut your Follower free from his binds then kill or Dominate the enemy Captain. Complete the Mission without your Follower dying to unlock the Achievement. This event type is pretty random. Just have Followers in Sauron’s Army & this should crop up at some point in your playthrough. In my entire playthrough I probably only saw two Rescue Missions.

Alternatively, this Achievement can be unlocked relatively easily during the endgame Shadow Wars...

Eltariel Quest #1 – The Witch-King’s Vision: After you get tired messing around with Uruk Captains, begin the first of ten Eltariel Quests.
We need to complete all 10 of these for the Banish the Darkness Achievement.

Eltariel Quest #2 – The Three Towers: If you have not already done so, Purify the 3 Haedir Towers in Núrnen & carry on with Eltariel’s Quests.

Carnán Quest #1 – Violent Nature: Story Related.
We will need to complete all 9 of the Carnán Quests to unlock the Undeath Defeats Undeath Achievement.

Sequence 3: For Gondor!

1. Núrnen
2. Brûz Quests: 1/9
3. Carnán Quests: 1/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 2/10
5. Gondorian Quests: 7/12
6. Fight Pit: 0/15
7. Haedir: 9/15
8. Shelob Memories: 9/16
9. Gondorian Artifacts: 33/54
10. Achievements: 26/72
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Núrnen: Level 15-20

Bait: Caragor, Graug, Spider, Drake
Mounts: Caragor, Graug, Drake, Fire Graug (Shadows of the Past Mission – Bellas), Poison Graug


Achievement #22 – Best Defense: Equip 3 Siege Upgrades on an Assault Team.
Before entering the Siege Quest – The Etten, enter into Sauron’s Army then into the Siege Upgrades Tab. From here alongside Brûz, place at least two more of your Followers in charge of an Assault Team. Beside them, there will be one of three upgrades you can give them costing Mirian. Purchase an upgrade for each of the 3 Assault Team Leaders to unlock the Achievement.

As well before beginning Siege Quest – The Etten, make sure you have both of the Warchiefs in Núrnen as your Followers to unlock the next Achievement. Try & make your Assault Team as strong as possible. This will affect your Online Attack Rating that contributes to your Ranking. The stronger your Assault Team the more points you will earn & less likely you will have to grind Online Conquests later on.


Achievement #23 – It Came From Within: Start a Conquest with all Warchiefs as Spies.
Begin the Siege Quest – The Etten, if you have both the Warchiefs Dominated, the Achievement will unlock immediately after starting the Quest.


Achievement #24 – Vertical Mobility: Help a Grunt Become an Overlord.
After the Fortress is taken, take that Grunt you ascended into an Uruk Captain & promote him straight to Overlord to unlock the Achievement.

If you do not already have one, promote any Follower for now. Then, get killed by an enemy Grunt so he is promoted to Captain, Dominate him, then Command them to become Overlord. Simple.


Achievement #25 – First Steps: Conquer the Fortress of Núrnen.
Story Related. After you complete Siege Quest – The Etten & take over the Fortress of Núrnen, the Achievement will unlock after you select your new Overlord.


Achievement #26 – Follower Perks: Use a Training Order to give a Follower a Gang.
Now before we carry on with the Main Questline, let’s do a bit of house keeping Achievements. First, select one of your Followers (preferably someone you like) Command them, then give them Training Orders. There are a few different Gang types you can give them, each costing more or less Mirian. Select whichever tickles your fancy & unlock the Achievement. Of course, they cannot already have a Gang.

Sequence 3.5: Build Me An Army

1. Núrnen
2. Brûz Quests: 3/9
3. Carnán Quests: 1/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 2/10
5. Gondorian Quests: 7/12
6. Fight Pit: 3/15
7. Haedir: 9/15
8. Shelob Memories: 9/16
9. Gondorian Artifacts: 33/54
10. Achievements: 31/72
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Núrnen: Level 15-20

Achievement #27 – Blood On Blood: Make a Captain kill his Blood Brother.
Now this Achievement will take some luck & is totally randomized depending on the Uruks that spawn. Be ever vigilant for any Uruk that has the Blood Brother Trait. As soon as you find one, Dominate him immediately then track down their Blood Brother & Dominate them as well. Once you control both brothers, Command one to fight the other in the Fight Pits; the Achievement will unlock when one brother kills the other. It does not matter which of the two wins. I was fortunate enough to find two brothers here in Núrnen.

This Achievement is misleading as the description only says you have to Command a Captain to kill his Blood Brother. While I have not personally tested this, many people claim that the Achievement will not unlock if you Command a Captain to kill his Blood Brother in a Nemesis Mission. Even if you do not intervene & the Captain DOES kill his brother, it will not unlock. It seems Dominating both brothers & having them fight in the Fight Pits is the only way.


Achievement #28 – Overkill: Send a Follower to kill another Follower in a Pit Fight.
Simple enough. Select one of your Followers then Command them to fight another Follower in a Pit Fight. Enter the Nemesis Mission it creates, it does not matter who wins. When it ends you will unlock the Achievement. This is a good one to pair with Blood On Blood if you have the option.


Achievement #29 – Bad Boss: Strike a Follower until he’s had enough.
This is another random Achievement we might as well get out of the way. The fastest way to do this is to go into Sauron’s Army & select a Follower you do not really care about. Make them your Bodyguard now & summon them to your side. Now either grab them for some good ol’ shanking, or just beat on them with your sword. Eventually, they will have had enough & turn on you. Before they do, refrain from using Executions or anything that will severely damage them, we want them to Betray us before we kill them.

The Achievement did not unlock for me right away unfortunately. It worked for me the second Follower I made Betray me though. If it works right, your Achievement will unlock right after the Followers Betrayal Speech. When it ends, try backing away a little bit before attacking them, that might help make it register…


Achievement #30 – Life of the Party: Send a Destroyer on a Vendetta Mission.
First step is to make sure you have a Follower who is a Destroyer in your Army. Then, get killed by an enemy Uruk Captain or just a Grunt so that it creates a Vendetta Mission. Now go into Sauron’s Army & Command your Follower to now Kill the Uruk Captain in the Vendetta Mission. The Achievement will unlock as soon as the new Nemesis Mission is created by your Destroyer.

This may take a try or two, it did not work for me first try. If it does not unlock, Command your Destroyer to kill a different Uruk Captain, then re-Command him to kill the Vendetta Uruk. There is no trick to this Achievement as this is all it entails. Just keep Commanding him to kill the Vendetta Uruk until it unlocks. You do not have to follow through with the Mission at all.


Achievement #31 – Trolling: Kill a Captain while riding an Olog.
Once again, this is another very random orientated Achievement to unlock. Essentially, you want an Uruk Captain knocked down until he is Broken & at low health. Then with a nearby Olog, shoot them in the head & jump on their back, steering the Olog into the Captain until they die. There are a lot of problems with this Achievement. The first, Ologs do next to no damage to the Captain while you ride them. It took me three Ologs before I killed the Captain. The other huge factor for this Achievement… there has to be Ologs around. You really have to be an opportunist with this Achievement. Whenever there are a few Ologs near a Captain, try for it.

CrazyGoblin brought up that Olog Captains count for this Achievement making it infinitely easier to unlock since they deal more damage & have way more health. If possible, keep your eyes out for an Olog Captain who has the Clumsy Trait so that you can just grab them straight away. Alternatively, if they Olog Captain is your Follower you can grab them straight away as well.

Brûz Quest #2 – Conquest: Story Related.

Brûz Quest #3 – The Fight Pits: Story Related.
Completing this Quest will open up the rest of the game world to us, we can even return to Minas Ithil… Minas Morgul I mean.

Fight Pit #1 – Núrnen Maggots: Complete the first of 3 Fight Pit Missions in Núrnen. Before selecting a Follower to be entered into these Fight Pit Missions, be sure to check your opponent’s weaknesses. It is also good just choosing a specific Follower to be your Champion, deck them out with a Gang & good perks.

Fight Pit #2 – Núrnen Warriors: After Maggot Level of the Fight Pits, Warriors will be unlocked to complete. Re-spec your Champion if necessary. If your Champion loses, just Dominate the victor instead & try again.

Fight Pit #3 – Núrnen Champions: Chances are, you will not be able to complete Fight Pit #3 – Núrnen Champion yet, it will require an Uruk Captain at Level 35+. But keep an eye out on who the current opponent is, they might be weak to something you can easily exploit. I defeated the Level 35 Uruk Captain with only a Level 27 Captain of my own. Though be warned before attempting, this could create a very high level Uruk in your world which could be very troublesome if you are not prepared for it. This may be something to return to later on…

The Fight Pit Missions each have to be completed once to count towards the Achievement. Online Fight Pits do not count.

Poison Graugs: We have one final errand to run before we leave Núrnen. Head to the Haedir Tower in the center of Núrnen. From here, search Carnán’s Forest to the south west (the large open area surrounded by mountains with a lone mountain in its center). From what I can tell, the Graugs only spawn here at night in this location. Mount a Caragor & ride to this location, if a regular Graug appears here, do a circuit around the mountain in the center & return to the Graug spawn. Chances are it will still just be another Graug. Repeat the circuit; though it does not seem like it, this is a long enough distance that the spawns reset.

Stick with it, it took me 12 circuits before the Poison Graug appeared for me. When you eventually see the Poison Graug, break it & mount it to count towards the Rough Rider Achievement. Remember to attempt this at night, use the Haedir Tower to Advance Time if needed.

Sequence 4: Blood in the Snow

1. Cirith Ungol, Seregost, Minas Morgul
2. Brûz Quests: 3/9
3. Carnán Quests: 1/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 5/10
5. Gondorian Quests: 11/12
6. Fight Pit: 9/15
7. Haedir: 12/15
8. Shelob Memories: 12/16
9. Gondorian Artifacts: 45/54
10. Achievements: 34/72
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Cirith Ungol: Level 20-25

Eltariel Quest #3 – The Ritual: When you are finished in Núrnen, return to Cirith Ungol. There is another Eltariel Quest we can complete.

While you are here, you might as well siege the Fortress of Dârz-Gurum as well & build another Army here. It is good starting to get a good roster of Uruks, if you find any exceptional ones, save them into your Garrison to be taken elsewhere. Of course, before Sieging the Fortress be sure to make your Assault Team as strong as possible to give yourself more points towards our Online Assault Rating.

Fight Pit #4 – Cirith Ungol Maggots: With the Fortress taken we can now complete the next 3 Fight Pit Missions.

Fight Pit #5 – Cirith Ungol Warriors: Unlocked after completing the Maggots Fight Pit.

Fight Pit #6 – Cirith Ungol Champions: Unlocked after completing one Warriors fight. Once again, the Uruk levels for Champion are pretty high. This might have to be completed when you acquire stronger Uruks… Deliberately exploit the Champions weakness for an easier time, you’ll want to upgrade one of your Followers specifically for this match.


Achievement #32 – Second Age Warrior: Complete all Shadow of the Past Missions in one Region.
The number of these Missions is different per Region. Cirith Ungol only has 4 to complete. After completing the main Shadows of the Past Missions, it will unlock a final Ancient Warchief Mission to complete. Finishing that Mission will award you with the Achievement. You just have to complete the Missions, the Rating you get on them does not matter.

When you are finished your business building Armies & grabbing the Collectibles in Núrnen & Cirith Ungol, it will then be time to travel to Seregost.

Seregost: Level 20-35

Mounts: Dire Caragors (First encountered in Gondor Quest #9 – Blood Sport, can also be summoned), Frost Graugs

Eltariel Quest #4 – The Chosen: Purify all 3 Haedir in Seregost & complete the next Eltariel Quest.

Gondor Quest #8 – Allies: Story Related.

Gondor Quest #9 – Blood Sport: Story Related.

Gondor Quest #10 – The Uninvited: Story Related. Completing this Quest will also award us with a Gondorian Artifact required for the Finished Tales Achievement.

Gondor Quest #11 – The Wages of War: Story Related. Completing this Quest will also award us with a Gondorian Artifact required for the Finished Tales Achievement.

With the last Gondor Quest complete for this Region, it is now a good idea to Capture Khargukôr Fortress & collect the remaining Collectibles here in Seregost. Be patient with some of the Collectibles, they are located inside hidden caves that can be really annoying to track down. If you hover your cursor over them, they will usually outline the whole cave system they are in. Go to each of the dead-end areas & one should be the entrance to that cave network.

Fight Pit #7 – Seregost Maggots: After the Fortress is captured, we will be able to access the next three Fight Pit Missions.

Fight Pit #8 – Seregost Warriors: Unlocked after completing the Maggots Fight Pit.

Fight Pit #9 – Seregost Champions: Unlocked after completing the Warriors Fight Pit. Champions in this Fight Pit are around Level 47+ & are very challenging. I had to sacrifice a bunch of low-level Captains & manually kill the Champions myself before I found one that could be exploited by my Followers.

If you don’t have many good Uruks kicking around, hunt for them in Online Vendettas. You can Dominate Uruks in these Missions & they will be saved into your Online Garrison. They can then be imported into whichever Region you desire.

Frost Graugs: Before leaving Seregost, there is one last errand we can run, finding a Frost Graug. These are very rare spawns, but it is not too long of a journey to where they spawn. First, head to the Haedir Tower that is the furthest to the West, the leftmost tower on the map. To left of the Tower, down below, will be a large frozen lake. Graugs spawn at the end of either fork at the top of the lake: straight across from the Tower & below where the Barrows are.

Most of the time, a regular Graug will just spawn here. If that happens, Advance Time at the Tower & try again. You will know it is a Frost Graug right away if it spawns, it is easy to tell apart from a regular Graug. When it appears, damage it enough to break it, then Mount it to count towards the Rough Rider Achievement.




Achievement #33 – Rough Rider: Ride all 7 types of Beasts & Rare Beasts.
The Beast types are: Caragor, Graug, Drake, Dire Caragor, Poison Graug, Fire Graug, & Frost Graug. After finding the Frost Graug we should have found all 7 of them.

If you are still having issues unlocking the Achievement, I will include the location of the Fire Graug when we go to Gorgoroth so that you can cycle through them all to see which one you ended up missing.

Minas Morgul: Level 35-40

Eltariel Quest #5 – The Tower of Sorcery: Story Related. Quickly back track over to Witch-King controlled Minas Morgul to complete another Eltariel Quest.

Do not bother wasting any time killing off/Dominating Uruk Captains here, it won’t matter as we cannot siege the city yet.


Achievement #34 – Banished: Defeat Suladân.
Story Related. Defeat the Ringwraith at the end of the Eltariel Quest – The Tower of Sorcery in Minas Morgul to unlock the Achievement.

Sequence 5: A Free Middle Earth

1. Seregost, Gorgoroth
2. Brûz Quests: 3/9
3. Carnán Quests: 2/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 9/10
5. Gondorian Quests: 12/12
6. Fight Pit: 12/15
7. Haedir: 15/15
8. Shelob Memories: 15/16
9. Gondorian Artifacts: 54/54
10. Achievements: 40/72
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Seregost: Level 20-35

Eltariel Quest #6 – The Scourge: Story Related. Return to Seregost to defend against a Nazgûl assault.

If you are still searching for one, a Frost Graug will appear halfway through this Quest busting through one of your walls.

Eltariel Quest #7 – Fire & Fury: Story Related.


Achievement #35 – Brought to Heel: Defeat Helm Hammerhand.
Story Related. Defeat the Ringwraith at the end of the Eltariel Quest – Fire & Fury in Seregost to unlock the Achievement.

Don’t confuse this Achievement with the Quest that came before this one.

Before we carry on to Gorgoroth, be sure to grab all the Collectibles here in Seregost. As well, it might be a good idea upgrading all 3 of our Fortresses thus far as well as the Captains manning them. Our Fortress Defenses contribute towards the Such Great Heights Achievement (reaching Rank of Captain in Online Conquest). Captain Rank takes an overall rating of 2500. We do not actually have play any Online Conquests to unlock this if we really maximize our Fortresses.

This will definitely take some time, but it will also level us up very fast. The best method I found to quickly level up units… was to actually get them all killed in the Fight Pits. Take your low-Level Captains & throw them into Fight Pit Warriors or Champions (whatever Level you are able to Dominate Uruks safely at) & have them get killed by a higher Level Uruk. Then, simply go & Dominate the victor of the fight, essentially replacing a mere Level 20-30 Uruk with a Level 40 one.

As a benchmark for this point, I obtained a Citadel Defense Level of around 400-450 for Cirith Ungol, Núrnen, & Seregost. I became Level 47 myself by the end of it. This will save us grinding later on for better units & Level us up quite a bit in the process.


Achievement #36 – Master Forger: Forge a top tier Gem.
This Achievement will take some time but is almost guaranteed just by the amount of Uruks we will be killing on our way to 100% Achievements. The final tier of Gem is called a Perfect Gem. To get one, you need a series of Gem upgrades for the same type of Gem: Warrior, Life, or Wealth.

The math for this is 81 Regular Gems = 27 Carved Gems = 9 Polished Gems = 3 Refined Gems = 1 Perfect Gem.

Fortunately, higher level Grunt units & sometimes Beasts will drop Carved or even Polished tier Gems which can speed the process up. Either way this is going to be something you will chip away at over the course of the game. Due to the sure volume of Uruks I was killing upgrading my 3 Fortresses I got the Achievement. Believe it or not I actually crafted 3 Perfect Gems by the time I finished my Fortress upgrades, but I got a little addicted to building my armies up. Whenever you see Uruks that are carrying an Item, it always good to kill them.

Gorgoroth: Level 25-40

Mounts: Fire Graug (Is also available during certain Online Vendetta Missions)


Achievement #37 – Purge: Purify all 15 Haedir.
Upon reaching Gorgoroth, Purify the last 3 Haedir Towers to reveal the Region map & unlock the Achievement. There are 3 Haedir Towers per area: Minas Ithil/Morgul, Cirith Ungol, Núrnen, Seregost, & Gorgoroth.


Achievement #38 – Finished Tales: Recover all 54 Gondorian Artifacts.
After the you collect the final Artifact in Gorgoroth, & you have collected all other Artifacts in the four previous Regions the Achievement will unlock. If you are missing some, go into the Gondorian Artifacts tab of your Quest Log & it will tell you what Region the missing ones are in. If you know there is one you are missing in a Region but cannot see it on your map, try returning to the Haedir Towers & Purify them again to enter “Celebrimbor Vision”. You may have just forgotten to locate one.

Fight Pits #10 – Gorgoroth Maggots: After you take Ghâshgôr Fortress, the Fight Pit Missions will become available. The Fight Pit Maggots here starts at Level 30+.

Fight Pits #11 – Gorgoroth Warriors: Unlocked after completing Fight Pit Maggots. The Uruks here start at Level 40+.

Fight Pits #12 – Gorgoroth Champions: Unlocked after completing Fight Pit Maggots. The Uruks here start at Level 50+. As always, exploit the hell out of who ever you are facing. If no good Weaknesses are available, kill the Uruks yourself afterwards until a better one arrives.

Sometimes when you challenge a contestant, a much weaker fighter will appear in their place; sometimes even Follower not an enemy. When this happens, you have hit a stroke of luck as killing them still counts as winning a Fight Pit Champion.

Gondor Quest #12 – To Gorgoroth: This is the final Gondor Quest we have to complete.


Achievement #39 – For Gondor: Complete all 12 Gondor Quests.
The first few of these Quests will be Story Related, but eventually they become Side Quests. If you completed the 11 Quests prior to this one, the Achievement will unlock after completing this final Gondor Quest. You can see which ones you are missing in the Gondor Quests tab of your Quest Log.

Eltariel Quest #8 – Reversal of Fortune: Only available if you Purify the 3 Haedir Towers here in Gorgoroth.

Eltariel Quest #9 – Gravewalkers: Story Related. This can be completed before Reversal of Fortune, but I recommend doing that Quest before this one.

Carnán Quest #2 – Carnán’s Bane: Story Related.

Fire Graug: If you have not mounted a Fire Graug at this point, here is where you can find them in Gorgoroth. From the Haedir Tower in the bottom left corner of the map, head North past the arena area towards the crags here. The Fire Graug is a rare spawn, if there is only a regular Graug here, Advance Time & try again.





Achievement #40 – Wild Things: Kill a Drake while riding a Graug.
There is an easy method to accomplish this Achievement, but we will need the Graug Call Skill Upgrade for the Call Mount Skill. If/when you have it, go into your Quest Log & replay the Eltariel Quest – Fire & Fury.

In this Quest we have to defeat a number of Drakes. Simply shoot one down to around half health or till it is broken. Then, summon your Graug, mount it, then continue to shoot it in the head with your bow until it is dead. You only need to be mounted on a Graug, not kill the Drake physically with one. This is a very easy way to get this Achievement. After it is unlocked, exit the Quest & return to where we are in the game.

Alternatively, you can find & break a Graug anywhere & then use the Drake Call Skill. Mount the Graug & then just shoot down your Summoned Drake for the Achievement.

Sequence 6: Shadow & Flame

1. Núrnen, Cirith Ungol, Seregost, Gorgoroth, Minas Morgul
2. Brûz Quests: 9/9
3. Carnán Quests: 9/9
4. Eltariel Quests: 9/10
5. Fight Pit: 12/15
6. Shelob Memories: 16/16
7. Achievements: 45/72
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Núrnen: Level 15-20

Brûz Quest #4 – The Best Defense: After we complete Carnán’s second Quest we will unlock the next Brûz Quest back over in Núrnen. Defend your Fortress from an invasion force.

Brûz Quest #5 – Damaged: Rescue your captured men with Ratbag & put the rebellion down.

Brûz Quest #6 – Missing: Team up with Ratbag to rescue Ranger the Olog.

Cirith Ungol: Level 20-25

Brûz Quest #7 – The Poisoned Road: Carry on with Brûz’s Questline over in Cirith Ungol.


Achievement #41 – The Web Revealed: Uncover the final Shelob Memory & reveal the Web of Fate.

Before leaving to Seregost next, we can finish this Collectible series if you have collected all 15 Shelob Memories in the 5 Regions. Follow your Quest Marker to the final Web of Fate puzzle. Complete it, & you will witness the full fragmented cinematic we have been piecing together.

Seregost: Level 20-35

Brûz Quest #8 – A Sighting: Brûz’s Questline will now take us back over to Seregost to go & save Ranger… again.

Carnán Quest #3 – Frozen Flame: Story Related.


Achievement #42 – Lord of Horror: Defeat the Balrog.
Story Related. This will unlock after completing the third Carnán Quest.

Núrnen: Level 15-20

Carnán Quest #4 – A Stench on the Wind: Return to Núrnen to continue Carnán’s Questline.

Cirith Ungol: Level 20-25

Carnán Quest #5 – The Archers of Morgoth: These final Quests really have us running around…

Gorgoroth: Level 25-40

Carnán Quest #6 – Of Ghûls & Graugs: Chase Zog to the ends of Middle Earth!


Achievement #43 – Such Great Heights: Reach the Rank of Captain in Online Conquest.
Despite what the description might imply, you do not actually need to complete any Online Conquests to unlock this Achievement. Your Online Rank is dependant on your cumulative Assault & Defense Rating of all 5 Fortress. It takes an Online Rating of 2500 Points to earn Captain Rank.

Your Defense Rating is straight forward, the Level of your Uruk Warchiefs & Overlord plus the Citadel Upgrades directly translate into points towards your Defense Rating. Assault Rating is a lot trickier. This is determined by how well you do in Conquests & the strength of your Assault Team. To avoid doing any Online Conquests, if you design your Assault Team well enough before taking the Fortresses in the Campaign, they can give you all the points you need. If not, you will have to complete Online Conquests to raise your Assault Rating. These can be very difficult to complete depending on whose Fortress you end up having to assault.

Brûz Quest #9 – Worse Than Death: This final Brûz quest we must complete, make an example out of him...


Achievement #44 – Fall & Rise: Complete all 9 Brûz Quests.
To progress past Brûz Quest #3, you have to complete the Carnán Quest #2 – Carnán’s Bane. Afterwards the rest of Brûz’s Quests will become available one after the other. Complete the ninth quest to unlock the Achievement.

Núrnen: Level 15-20

Carnán Quest #7 – The Burning Forest: Return to Núrnen to complete the next Carnán Quest.

Seregost: Level 20-35

Carnán Quest #8 – Fire From Ice: Head over to Seregost & stop Zog from reviving Tar Goroth once more.

Minas Morgul: Level 25-35

Carnán Quest #9 – Army of the Dead: The final Carnán Quest will be in Minas Morgul where we can finally put an end to Zog. This can be a tricky Quest to complete. Try being as stealthy as possible; avoid Zog. When you Purify all 6 Totems all enemies but Zog will perish.


Achievement #45 – Undeath Defeats Undeath: Complete all 9 Carnán Quests.
The Achievement will unlock after completing the final Carnán Quest & killing Zog for good. All Quests can be played sequentially after arriving in Núrnen for the first time.

Sequence 7: Where the Mûmakil Roam

1. Lithlad
2. Eltariel Quests: 9/10
3. Fight Pit: 12/15
4. Achievements: 48/72
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Lithlad: Level 30-45

Before we complete the final Main Quest & wrap up the Campaign, we have one more area to explore & conquer. Lithlad, though only if you own The Desolation of Mordor DLC.

For the Shadows of the Sand Achievement, we need to earn a Gold Rating on all 6 Shadows of the Past Missions here in Lithlad.

Torthad:
1. Clear the camp without Celebrimbor taking damage
2. Shoot 8 Bait
3. Kill 20 Orcs while Mounted on Beasts
Stealth is your best option for this Mission. Abuse your Bow & snipe the Orcs or dispatch them using the Beasts summoned by the Bait. Do not get surrounded & stay away from Graugs or Drakes.

Breged:
1. Reach the top of the mesa
2. Trigger less than 5 Mines
3. Do not get hit
This Mission can be a real pain. The first Mine always has to be detonated, so we start out with 1/5 Mines triggered already. You can set off only 3 more before we fail that Objective. Go slow & take your time, & study the rocks falling patterns. I found this to be the most annoying out of the Missions.

Indreth:
1. Fill your Might Meter without being detected/Combat Execute the Captain without being detected
2. Kill 4 Uruks with a Single Wraith Chain 3 times
3. Stealth kill 3 Caragors
This Mission is fairly simple. There are more than a few groups of 4 Uruks patrolling around as well as Caragors. Sneak up behind them & initiate a Stealth attack; chaining the stealth kills for all 4 Uruks in a patrol.

Derth:
1. Clear the camp
2. Hit 8 Uruks with Heahshots
3. Avoid getting hit
Employ stealth & ranged tactics to complete this Mission. Focus on the Headshots first, there are not as many Uruks in the camp than it seems. The Captain more or less can only be damaged through Ranged attacks. He will teleport away if you get to close to him. Play especially defensive.

Darthad:
1. Kill 20 Uruks with Glaive Attacks
2. Freeze 3 Uruks with a single Shower of Ice
3. Set 9 frozen Uruks on fire
A pure combat Mission. Complete the two Side Objectives before busting out the Glaive & get those 20 kills. It is a fairly straight forward Mission.

Tûr:
1. Defeat the 2 Captains
2. Kill 7 Orcs in Bird of Prey after using Eagle’s Eyrie
3. Hit 5 Orcs with a single Talon Strike
Like the last Mission, focus on completing the 2 Side Objectives first. Kite the Uruks around Vaulting off them & then kill the Captains; they both have Fears you can exploit.


Achievement #46 – Shadows of the Sand: Achieve a Gold Rating on all 6 Shadows of the Past Missions in Lithlad.
All in all, these are not too difficult to achieve, especially since none of them have Time Limits. For a few, you may need a specific Character Skill or two before you can access them.


Achievement #47 – Eastern Front: Conquer the Fortress of Shindrâm as Talion.
When you are ready, build up your Assault Force & siege Shindrâm Fortress. Having all 4 Warchiefs Dominated will make this pretty easy. Promote an Overlord, & the Achievement will unlock as you regain control of Talion afterwards.

The Fight Pit Missions here do not count towards the No Orc Lives Forever Achievement. As well, your Assault/Defense Rating for Lithlad will not count towards your Online Ranking for the Such Great Heights Achievement.


Achievement #48 – Elven Conquest: Complete an Online Conquest with an Eltariel Skin.
This Achievement is only available if you own the Blade of Galadriel DLC.

Before we go & complete the Main Questline, this is the optimum time to try for this Achievement. Beating the Main Questline will put us in Post-Game where we are going to need every Uruk Captain we can get. Online Conquests are difficult & we will be losing Uruks so we will want some time to replace those that die.

Online Conquests are exactly that, you will siege another Player’s Fortress with your Assault Force in that Region. It is highly luck based, you may get a Player who has a marginal Defense Rating & poorly optimized Uruks… or you may get a Player who has a maxed-out Fortress. Pick an area like Gorgoroth or Lithlad where we have access to higher Level Uruks. Núrnen or Cirith Ungol may give you easier Fortresses to siege, but it takes a very long-time farming for Uruks to higher Levels in the Fight Pits there to get a decent Assault Force.

Either way, wherever you choose to siege be sure that before you do you change your Skin over to one of the three Eltariel Skins to unlock this Achievement.

There is an insanely easy way to unlock this Achievement without losing any of your Uruks in the process. Go into Online Conquest in a Region, & then go over into the Friendly Conquest Tab. We have the option to siege our own Fortresses. Doing this option has no permanent consequences & is meant for a way for you to test your Defences. It will also unlock count as completing an Online Conquest & unlock the Achievement if you are in an Eltariel Skin without costing a single Uruk life.

Sequence 8: In the Darkness Bind Them

1. Gorgoroth, Minas Morgul, Cirith Ungol, Núrnen, Seregost
2. Eltariel Quests: 9/10
3. Fight Pit: 12/15
4. Shadow Wars: 3/3
5. Achievements: 55/72
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Gorgoroth: Level 25-40

Eltariel Quest #10 – The Bright Lord: Story Related. Now we will finish the Main Questline of Shadow of War. Return to Gorgoroth & enter the final Eltariel Quest. As the warning implies, be sure you have completed all Brûz, Carnán, Gondor, & Eltariel Quests before completing this Mission. You may not be able to complete them after this which will void the associated Achievements. You will be bringing in your Warchiefs from Gorgoroth as well, be sure to kit them out for the final battle.


Achievement #49 – Banish the Darkness: Complete all 10 Eltariel Quests.
Story Related. If you completed the first 9 Eltariel Quests up to this point, completing the Eltariel Quest – The Bright Lord will unlock the Achievement.


Achievement #50 – Forged By War: Unlock all 34 Player Skills.
You are able to unlock 33/34 before the end of the game. The final Skill Raise Dead will be unlocked after completing the Eltariel Quest – The Bright Lord.

Minas Morgul: Level 25-35

Achievement #51 – The Stuff of Legend: Equip a full Legendary Gear set as Talion.
You may have unlocked this earlier by killing Legendary Uruks, but this a guaranteed point in time to unlock it after taking back Minas Morgul. You will unlock all 6 pieces of the Ringwraith Legendary Set after defeating the Witch-King.


Achievement #52 – Stalemate Is Victory: Defeat the Witch-King & reclaim Minas Morgul.
Story Related. This will be unlocked after completing the final boss battle of Shadow of War. The Achievement unlocks after regaining control of Talion back in Minas Morgul.

Fight Pits #13 – Minas Morgul Maggots: After beating the Main Questline & taking control of Minas Morgul, the Fight Pit Missions will become available. The Fight Pit Maggots here starts at Level 30+.

Fight Pits #14 – Minas Morgul Warriors: The Fight Pit Warriors here starts at Level 40+.

Fight Pits #15 – Minas Morgul Champions: The Fight Pit Champions here starts at Level 50+. This is the final Fight Pit Mission. Completing this Fight Pit Mission will also unlock the Skill Upgrade Undying Loyalty.


Achievement #53 – No Orc Lives Forever: Win all 15 Fight Pit Missions.
Completing all 15 Fight Pit Missions will unlock the Achievement. There are 3 to be found in: Cirith Ungol, Núrnen, Seregost, Gorgoroth, & Minas Morgul.

These Missions are great for “exchanging” your low Level Captains for higher Level ones. Take your Level 20-30 Captains into Fight Pit Champions to get them killed, then just Dominate the high Level victor to replace your own.


Achievement #54 – Death Is Not the End: Resurrect a Follower Captain.
After completing the Minas Morgul Fight Pit Champion Mission, we will unlock the Skill Upgrade Undying Loyalty. The next thing we need is a dead Follower in the Sauron’s Army screen; their body needs to be laying there. If you have none, choose a Captain to be your Bodyguard then summon them. The best way to get them killed is summoning them into an impossible situation against a high Level Uruk. Using a Vulnerability that will instantly kill them is a great way of doing this too. You cannot kill them by swinging your sword at them otherwise they may turn hostile & stop being your Follower. Using the Destroy Followers Skill Upgrade does not seem to be a valid way of killing your Captain either since their head is exploded.

Either way you do it, with the Undying Loyalty Skill Upgrade equipped & a dead Follower’s corpse in Sauron’s Army; hover over their corpse then press Resurrect. Your Follower will be revived as Undead, & unlock the Achievement.

Shadow Wars:

The Shadow Wars are an Epilogue sequence of Quests where we must repel attacks on our Fortresses. There will only be 3 Stages we will have to complete, a far cry from the 10 Stages that used to be in the game.

This is where we want to make our Fortresses as strong as possible in terms of Defenses & the Uruks that guard it. If we die & fail in the defense, we will be ousted from our Fortress & we must take it back; this will also make our Overlord get captured making a guaranteed opportunity to unlock the No Orc Left Behind Achievement. This can be very annoying, but it is the last thing we must do so do not freak out too much if there is a high turnover rate in our Uruks. Since we beat the Main Questline, the Uruk Level caps for Uruk spawns per Region is removed so higher Level Uruks can be found in any Region now. As well, always try Dominating the Assaulting Uruks for some quick replacements.

Shadow Wars #1 – Cirith Ungol:
Cirith Ungol is the first of our Fortresses to be sieged. Before beginning the Defense Quest; look over your Siege Upgrades. Try having all 6 Warchief Upgrades as well as their corresponding Citadel Upgrades for each of them. It is also essential having the expensive Metal Walls Citadel Upgrade. If you go into the Quest Marker for the Defense, you will be able to see an overview of the main attackers Level & what Assault Upgrades they currently have. As well, you can also see the individual Strengths & Weaknesses of the enemy Captains. Mine had: an Olog Assault Force, & a War Graug as well as being Immune to Curse but generally weak all around to Poison. Plan your Defense accordingly & do not use Defenses like Poison or Fire if they are Immune to them. You want your defending Uruks the same Level or higher than the ones attacking us.

Shadow Wars #2 – Núrnen:
The next Stage will take us over to Núrnen. The attackers are going to be around Level 35-45.

Shadow Wars #3 – Núrnen, Seregost, & Gorgoroth:
The final Stage has 3 Fortresses being sieged now. The Assault Forces will be around Level 40-55.


Achievement #55 – Peace In Death: Complete the Shadow Wars.
Story Related. Complete the final Defense Mission to unlock the Achievement as well as the epic final cinematic of the Main Questline. There will be more Defense Missions we can play, but they are no longer mandatory as we have already completed the Shadow Wars.

76% Complete!

Sequence 9: The Blade of Galadriel

1. Minas Morgul, Cirith Ungol, Seregost, Núrnen, Gorgoroth
2. Use Light Trap Against 20 Different Orcs
3. Use Blind Against 100 Different Orcs
4. Achievements: 64/72
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DLC – Achievement Breakdown: (9)
Story Related: (6)
Side Quests & Challenges: (1)
Warchiefs & Captains: (2)

(Does not include Elven Conquest Achievement)

Cirith Ungol:

Achievement #56 – I See the Light: Use Light Trap against 20 Orcs.
After the Prologue, Cirith Ungol will be the first area we have access to. After leveling up, purchase the Light Trap Skill at the end of the Ranged Skill Tree. Once you have, simply use it against 20 different Orcs to unlock the Achievement.

In all honesty, I felt like I used it against 40 Orcs before it unlocked for me. It may take longer than you think; stick with it & use the Skill obsessively until it unlocks.


Achievement #57 – Flash Mob: Blind 100 Orcs.
Using Light to blind Orcs is one of your major Skills in Blade of Galadriel. This will come naturally as you playthrough this DLC. Just use the Skill anytime you are in combat; I unlocked this shortly after I finished killing the last Machine Captain for the Beast Hunter’s Legendary Set. There is a Skill Upgrade called Link for the Light Bolt Skill which is ridiculously effective.


Achievement #58 – Unlikely Alliance: Recruit your first Follower as Eltariel.
Story Related. After arriving in Cirith Ungol, we will be tasked with recruiting some Uruks to the cause. Simply complete any of the 3 Eltariel Quests – The Architect, The Thrall, or The Bow of Morgoth to unlock the Achievement.


Achievement #59 – Holding the Line: Defend Cirith Ungol from a new threat.
Story Related. Complete Eltariel Quest #5 – The Siege of Cirith Ungol & defend the Fortress from the Machine Tribe Assault force. The Achievement will unlock after you discover that “new threat”.

Be sure to defeat the six Legendary Uruk Captains from the Machine Tribe before you leave as. There are 6 of these Missions per Region. Completing all of them will unlock a special Mission we can complete for the Complete In Defeat Achievement.

Seregost:


Achievement #60 – Scorched Earth: Deny Sauron’s control of Seregost forever.
Story Related. Complete the Eltariel Quest #7 – Poisoned Ground & rout the Uruks in Seregost.

Be sure to defeat the six Legendary Uruk Captains from the Dark Tribe before you leave.

Núrnen:

Achievement #61 – Problem Solved: Settle Fixer’s score with the Overlord of Núrn.
Story Related. Complete Eltariel Quest #8 – Like A Thief & raid the Fortress in Núrnen. There is only one Main Quest in this Region.

Be sure to defeat the six Legendary Uruk Captains from the Dark Tribe before you leave.

Gorgoroth:

Achievement #62 – Complete In Defeat: Defeat the Lawless.
To unlock this final Side Quest, you must have defeated all 24 Legendary Uruks in Cirith Ungol, Seregost, Núrnen, & Gorgoroth. Defeating the final six Legendary Uruks from the Feral Tribe here in Gorgoroth will unlock the Quest.

Simply slay The Lawless Legendary Uruk to unlock the final piece of the Light Bringer’s Set & the Achievement.


Achievement #63 – Banished Ambition: Defeat the Rogue Nazgûl.
Story Related. Complete Eltariel Quest #10 – The Battle For Mordor & defeat the Nazgûl Twins to unlock the Achievement.

Minas Morgul:

Achievement #64 – The Time Has Come: Witness the end of Eltariel’s path.
Story Related. Complete Eltariel Quest #11 – The Fall of Talion & finish the DLC to unlock the Achievement.

88% Complete!

Sequence 10: The Desolation of Mordor

1. Lithlad
2. Númenórean Artifacts 9/9
3. Achievements: 71/72
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DLC – Achievement Breakdown: (8)
Story Related: (6)
Collectibles: (2)

(Does not include the Eastern Front or Shadows of the Sand Achievements)

We will need to complete two playthroughs of this DLC: one for beating the DLC as well as leveling Baranor up & the second for earing a Gold Rating in the DLC. The biggest factor for a Gold Rating, is time. Finding all the Collectibles will really slow down our time so it is very unlikely we can unlock all Achievements in one go. But ultimately, this actually works in our favor. Some of Baranor’s Skills will transfer over between playthroughs so try maxing him out this first playthrough so we can just Speedrun the second playthrough with ease.

Lithlad:

Achievement #65 – No Way Out: Change the landscape of Lithlad.
Story Related. Complete Baranor Quest #2 – The Raid to seal off Lithlad from the outside world & unlock the Achievement.

Númenórean Artifact #1 – Great Huge Spring Smasher: Found in the Makhrosh-torgh Outpost in the South East corner of the map. It is hidden off the side of a stone walkway near some stacked crates & tall grass.



Númenórean Artifact #2 – Integrated Inferno-Hurling Launcher: Found in the Tozoshi Zadan Outpost in the middle South of the map. It is hidden below that large stone overhang on a cliff ledge underneath the waypoint.



Númenórean Artifact #3 – Improved Hook With Hinged Movable Bits: This Artifact can be found just North West of the Southern most Fast Travel Waypoint. Head to the large dragon skull & you can find the Artifact inside its mouth. Crawl between its teeth to collect it.



Númenórean Artifact #4 – Inline Toxic Death Dispenser: Now make your way over to the far South West corner of the map to Unduri Bakh Outpost. Enter the large stone hideout & you can see the Artifact directly ahead of you up some stairs near some crates.



Númenórean Artifact #5 – Fabulously Complex Chain-Reel Drive: This Artifact can be found in the North West corner of the map in Raushgil Outpost. It is located on top of a large wooden lookout arch, on the side that has the rope zip-line on it.



Númenórean Artifact #6 – Wee Enormously Powerful Power-Increaser: North of the last Artifact, is a circular arena ring where the Uruk Fight Pits take place in Lithlad. We can find the Artifact on top of the long wooden cages behind the arena against the rock wall.



Númenórean Artifact #7 – Big Stoatin’ Fire Tank: Head to the far North East corner of the map into Azri Aghash Outpost. The Artifact can be found near the center of the Outpost underneath a walkway below a broken stone wall.



Númenórean Artifact #8 – Retractable Extra Deadly Bits: This Artifact can be found just off the South East side of the Marauder Citadel itself. Climb on top of the Citadel roof & you can find the Artifact in between some crates near the walls.



Númenórean Artifact #9 – Horribly Sharp Chain Razors: The final Artifact can be found in The Vanishing Sons Outpost in the East corner of the map. Fast Travel to it & face the front entrance. Climb up the stone pillars to the left of the entrance on to the roof of the hideout to find the Artifact in the open near the roof edge.




Achievement #66 – Gauntlet: Collect all 9 Númenórean Artifacts & bring them to Torvin.
After collecting the final Artifact, return to Torvin & unlock all 9 of his associated Skill Upgrades & the Achievement.


Achievement #67 – Bombardier: Kill at least one enemy with each of the 6 ammo types while gliding as Baranor.
This Achievement can be a little tricky. After you have found all 9 Númenórean Artifacts (specifically the Inline Toxic Death Dispenser & the Integrated Inferno-Hurling Launcher) we will have access to all ammo types. Purchasing the Capacity Skill Upgrades for the Bombs can be very useful prior to attempting this.

The 6 ammo types are: Steel Bolts, Fire Bolts, Poison Bolts, Concussion Bombs, Fire Bombs, & Poison Bombs.

These kills do not have to be done in a single glide, but the kills need to happen while you are still in the air. The Bolts are all pretty straight forward, abuse your Focus Meter & get a Headshot to guarantee the kill. The Bombs are a bit trickier, which is why having the Capacity Upgrades really helps. Basically, equip your Bomb & while in Focus just throw every single Bomb you have of that type at an Uruk. 3 Bombs of any type at a single Uruk should kill them.

After your final kill, the Achievement will unlock. It took me a couple cycles through the ammo types to get the Achievement to unlock; it ended up being the Concussion Grenade kill I still needed. Pay close attention to your kills & if an Uruk has actually died while you are still airborne.

Eve Ann found a great strategy to unlock this Achievement with ease. Go to the Marauder Citadel & head just outside the South West walls. Here, there will be some air vents coming out of the ground. Simply walk up to them & it will shoot you into the air. Floating back & forth over it will keep you in the air indefinitely so long as you do not stray to far from it. Raise the alarm or lure Uruks out of the Citadel if there are none nearby outside to get your kills very easily. Reload your ammo when you need to, then return to the vent to polish off whatever kills are left.


Achievement #68 – Belly of the Beast: Leave your mark on the Overlord of Lithlad.
Story Related. Complete the Baranor Quest #3 – Infiltration & permanently scar the Overlord, Takra the Sandspider.


Achievement #69 – Festival of Blood: Save Serka.
Story Related. Complete Baranor Quest #4 – The Circus & rescue your brother from the Uruks.


Achievement #70 – Point of No Return: Defend the Oasis.
Story Related. Complete Baranor Quest #5 – A Warm Welcome & defend The Vanishing Sons hideout from an Uruk assault.


Achievement #71 – Reap What You Sow: Conquer the Fortress of Shindrâm as Baranor.
Story Related. Complete the final Baranor Quest #6 – The Conquest of Shindrâm & capture the Fortress to beat the DLC.

Sequence 11: Baranor the Conqueror

1. Lithlad
2. Achievements: 72/72
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Achievement #72 – Baranor the Conqueror: Complete the Desolation of Mordor with a Gold Rating.
A Gold Rating in Desolation of Mordor requires an overall score of 225,000 points. If you played the Shadow of Mordor DLC’s you may be familiar with these kinds of challenges. Fortunately, in no way is this as hard as those Achievements. If you beat this DLC previously, this will make things a lot easier. All 12 Torvin Skills will carry over as well as the 5 Serka Skills (though these will not have the Skill Upgrades unlocked). We will also get 1500 Gold, & depending on how well you did in your first run, you will have unlocked the Bronze or Silver Gear Augment. Be sure to attach these Augments as they are very useful.

Augments are insanely useful & can literally break the game. I had 3 different Epic Augments I found that all boosted how fast my Might accumulated. This culminated in… unlimited Might, as soon as I used it, it was back at full; it actually kind of made the whole run seem silly to be honest. The Bronze Gear Augment can really help your Augment drops.



The biggest factor in this Achievement is time. You want the fastest time as possible, at least under an hour & a half (which is quite a good window). The next factor is playing the DLC on Nemesis Difficulty for a x2 bonus to our score. If you completed your first playthrough on Normal, you have to reset the Difficulty to Nemesis. To do this, go into the Options & change it over; you will then want to die so your game resets on that Difficulty afterwards. I do not think you are able to just switch the Difficulty at the beginning or mid way through the playthrough.

While the Uruk Captains & Warchiefs can make or break your run, the Overlord is the exact same every time. If you can make it that far, the run is pretty much in the bag. If you find a Captain that is really difficult to beat, just run away & then whittle them down with Stealth Attacks from your Parachute. It is very effective, though obviously it will only work if they are not Immune to them. If you have leftover money, & already have 3 Legendary Bodyguards, then use up your money on as many Mercenaries as you can. This will eliminate some of the Captains on the field without you having to kill them yourself.

The Achievement Hunter, nekov4ego has a great written strategy plus video guide for this Achievement. While I could reiterate what he said, it is a lot easier just to add the link here since these are exactly the same steps I followed to unlock it. Might as well give him all the love & support for the strategies instead!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1447994657

https://youtu.be/-w39SoFlT5U

Conclusion:

This game was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. I did really enjoy Shadow of Mordor, but its plot was pretty lack luster. Shadow of War was not the case, even for its DLCs. Shadow of War was what Fallout New Vegas was to Fallout 3. Great game. This took me around 80 hours to 100% (1/4 of that time was spent just messing around) & I actually found it much easier to complete than Shadow of Mordor.

If this guide helped you achieve 100%, rate the guide or let me know in the comments. Helps me know if I am doing things right!



100% Complete
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[LeoLegendary]

Might be the greatest post ever

[Cynic 0055]

Hey Muggy, as far as I am aware the servers are still up & the Online Achievements (including Bound By Blood) are still unlockable. That being said, you did just re-remind me that Monolith got shutdown... so inevitably the servers for Shadow of War will also be deactivated. In the past, Monolith was really good about their Online Achievements & made them unlockable Offline when they shut down the servers for Shadow of Mordor... but with the studio shutdown... I am not entirely sure if they will have time to patch them.

I will do my best to monitor the situation... there is a chance this game might end up being impossible to 100%.

[Muggy]

How do you complete Bound By Blood in 2025?

[UN_SachaC]

Many thanks for making this thorough guide, highly appreciate it

[Cynic 0055]

Oh... I see what you are saying. Huh, I don't think you are "supposed to" but clearly you did haha You must have earned enough Xp & Points doing other things that your final time didn't matter as much in the end.

Either way, well done, one less thing you have to worry about!

[Madsen281]

but i got the achievement, with a golden score while just playing casually?

[Cynic 0055]

Hey Madsen281, nope. You are able to replay the DLC over again once you beat it. I reccomend a slow "100%" playthrough locating the Collectibles & unlocking every other Achievement in the DLC first before attempting to do Baranor the Conqueror.

[Madsen281]

Are you supposed to get " Baranor the Conqueror" on your first run, with a run time of 1 hour and 51 minutes?

[Vikrant]

There's a very easy way to obtain the "Trolling" achievement.

1] Dominate any low level uruk captain and make him your bodyguard.

2] Find a tied olog and clear the area of enemies.

3] Summon your bodyguard and attack him with only your Glaive attacks until he starts bleeding. Make sure to attack him with only Glaive attacks to prevent him from turning on you.

4] Once the captain is about to die, cut free the nearby olog and shoot him in the head and ride him.

5] As soon as the captain dies, the achievement will pop.

Good Luck

[around_the_fire]

Thank you so much. You are a legend.