Embarked units have an extra movement point and spend a flat cost to disembark
Borrows city names from other Civilizations in game.
+25% production toward naval units (+15%)
1 merchant specialist (0)
+50% sea trade route range (+0)
Free amphibious promotion to melee and mounted units trained in the city
Requires Compass
16 CS
4 movement
Start with Corsair promotion, giving 5x more gold than normal when attacking cities, ability to move after attacking, and chance to convert defeated enemy naval units
[Does not replace anything, allowing Umbar to still build galleasses for the ranged attack.]

Religion: Osse
Start Bias: Coast
Comments: By far the most naval-focused civilization in this mod. They are much better than any other civilization at naval invasions and are also well suited to gold-heavy playstyles.

Workers build improvements 25% faster
Can build Fortress improvements to claim territory and create defensible points.
Requires Civil Service
Cannot be built next to each other, must be built in Gondorian territory
Claims adjacent tiles
+100% defensive bonus
15 damage/turn to adjacent enemies (half the amount of citadels)
-1 gold/turn in maintenance
140 hammers (120)
18 CS (16)
Defend Near Capital Promotion [Up to +30% CS when near the capital. Falls off as the
unit moves away from the capital]
16 melee CS (13)
3 movement (2)
+1 Vision
Can Detect Invisible Units
Ignore Terrain Cost
Can Move After Attacking

Religion: Manwe
Start Bias: River
Comments: Gondor is best suited to playing wide - the worker effect in particular stacks well with Liberty, and their other uniques help to defend a sprawling empire. But overall they are a very flexible civilization in terms of preferred victory.

Melee and mounted units receive “Goblin Horde” promotion giving +20% CS when adjacent to friendly units. Stacks with the Discipline Honor tradition. However, they are 10% weaker in general. (thus net +10% CS next to friendly units)
[Special Thanks to seZereth & S3rgeous for Ogre aka Cave
Troll/Snow Troll/Olog-Hai Model]
Requires Trapping
110 hammers
16 CS
3 movement
Requires sheep
+50% CS vs cities
Mounted unit type: No defensive terrain bonuses. However, unlike other mounted units they cannot move after attacking.
Requires Mining (None)
30 hammers (40)
no maintenance (1 gold)
+0 culture (+2)
+1 production (+0)
+1 gold (+0)
+1 happiness (+0)
Airlift ability

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: Hills
Comments: Designed for early-game rushing of conquest victories. Cave trolls are unlocked earlier but are weaker than other troll varieties, and the lack of culture from tunnels will hinder Goblins in the long run. The Goblins may be the only civilization where an Honor opener is best – you need to start the conquests as quickly as possible.

The first 3 cities founded each provide 2 copies of a unique luxury resource and can never be razed.
Tourism doubled during golden ages.
+34% unhappiness from number of cities
-34% production toward military units.
Culture boost ability = cumulative culture output from last 16 turns (science boost = cumulative science output from last 8 turns)
(Can also create Great Works of Writing like Scholars)
Requires Construction
Must be built on a Hill
+1 food
+1 culture
+1 culture/adjacent smial

Religion: Nienna
Start Bias: Grass
Comments: The ultimate passive peaceful civ. Ideal playstyle is to open with Tradition, found 4 large cities and hoard as much happiness as possible. This also happens to make them well suited to dominating international projects like the Quest of the Ring…

Arnor survives having their last city captured if they still have living units. Newly founded cities start with extra territory [like Shoshone]
180 hammers (160)
18 melee CS (13)
Can Detect Invisible Units
Access to unique promotion tree: Ranger (free at unit
creation)→Hope→Courage→Ambition→Devotion→Perseverance→Longevity→Valor-Nobility→Star of the North. Please see the civilopedia in-game for details on each promotion.
+2 faith (+1)
+1 artifact slot (+0)
+2 tourism with Education (no effect)
Conquering Civs get double plunder (no effect)

Religion: Manwe
Start Bias: Grass, Tundra
Comments: Good at going wide, like Gondor, but with more focus on culture and religion. Rangers can become the best unit in the game when trained carefully. Tradition, Liberty, and Piety are all good openers.

Scholar specialists empire-wide yield +2 additional science
Start with unique Palace called the Last Homely House
+2 culture (+1)
+1 delegate in White Council (+0)
+1 writing slot (+1 artifact slot)
2 scholar specialist slots (none)
[Special Thanks to Civitar for Unit Model]
5 movement (4)
+1 Vision
+1 culture from iron, copper, gems, gold, silver (0)
can be built anywhere with one of these resources (requires iron)
1 artisan specialist slot (none)

Religion: Varda
Start Bias: River
Comments: The key thing about the Eldar is specialists. They have potentially 1 additional artisan per city from Eregion Forges, and 2 additional Scholars in their Capital. This naturally makes them best suited to a Tradition opener and tall playstyle with plenty of population to work as many specialist slots as possible and focus on Great Person generation. They have the capability to tech faster than anyone else if played correctly, and can use this to found the White Council or get wonders to increase the delegate advantage even further. Clearly best suited to cultural or diplomatic victory.

-34% unhappiness from number of cities
[Special Thanks to Danrell for the Unit Model]
Movement penalty in rough terrain
Can found cities [like conquistadors]
Free Pillage Moves
Foreign Lands promotion [+20% CS outside friendly territory]
Open Terrain bonus
18 CS (16)
Foreign Lands promotion
Open Terrain bonus
Amphibious promotion
No bonus against mounted (bonus against mounted)

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: Plains
Comments: The Easterlings seem simple but are deceptively strong. They are well positioned to snowball with a wide, far-flung empire. And when there is not enough room to settle such an empire, their unique units can conquer one. Their weakness is mounted units. Wainriders are not as mobile as others, and Balchoth Warriors - in accordance with the Canon – are not particularly good against mounted units and thus the Easterlings as a whole have a more difficult time countering them.

Start with both the “Good” and “Evil” technologies, giving access to features available to both.
New spies start at level 3.
[Special Thanks to Nomad or What for an Excellent Unit Model]
3 movement
Man Flesh promotion (Heals 25HP upon destroying enemy units)
Unlocked at Military Strategy rather than Steel, later than other Longswordsman-class units.
Fire of Isengard promotion giving 5x attack strength against cities (siege promotion giving 3x)

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: River
Comments: Isengard has perhaps the strongest late-game army around, but their UA also makes a strong diplomatic game possible.

Sauron has exclusive access to a unique world wonder – Barad-dur - that massively enhances the defensive strength of the city and gives him an advantage in finding the One Ring before others. Sauron also receives vastly more powerful benefits from wielding the Ring should he reclaim it (see “Reclaim the One Ring” civilopedia entry and the Ring Wonder Diagram).
Special world wonder only available to Mordor
+5 production
+10 science
+1 food from thrall specialists empire-wide, making them easier to employ
+300 city HP
+15 city ranged combat strength
gives free Stable and 2 iron and sheep resources, guaranteeing the ability to train Olog-Hai
+100% production toward world wonders - which by the time Barad-dur is built, really means the chain of Ring Wonders leading to its reclamation.
Requires Palace, Castle, Armory, Constabulary, and Thrall Workhouse (which will require Workshop, Walls, Barracks)
Destroyed upon city conquest so cannot be captured
[Special Thanks to seZereth & S3rgeous for Ogre aka Cave Troll/Snow
Troll/Olog-Hai Model]
250 hammers (160)
27 CS (20)
3 movement (4)
+50% CS against cities (penalty vs cities)
Cannot move after attacking (can)
Requires sheep (horse)
Requires stable
Unlocked at Military Strategy instead of Chivalry, later than other Knight-class units
4 movement (2)
-15% CS to enemies within 2 tiles.
Invisible
+2 sight
Can Detect Invisible Units
Ignores Zone of Control, terrain cost, and territory ownership [can enter other territory without open borders]

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: Hills
Comments: Mordor is designed to follow a classic dark horse strategy. 2/3 uniques are not available until the late game and Nazgul must be acquired with Honor or slowly in war, making Mordor relatively weak for most of the game. They will naturally want to play tall with a well-developed capital and focus on unlocking and building the Barad-dur prerequisites. Nazgul make excellent scouts while not at war, and it might be worth starting with Honor for just this purpose. Otherwise Tradition is the obvious choice.

+1 Production and +1 Culture from each Ivory, +2 Culture from each Oasis
+1 trade route slot at game start
333 hammers
2 movement
30 CS
12 Ranged CS
1 Range
-10% CS to adjacent enemies
bonus vs mounted
Cannot move after attacking
Requires ivory
Requires Construction
+1 gold
+15% CS for Haradrim units within 2 tiles
15 damage/turn to adjacent enemies (half the amount of citadels)
Can be constructed on plains, grassland, tundra, desert, hills, forests, or jungles both inside and outside Haradrim borders. Cannot be built next to each other

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: Desert, Jungle
Comments: Harad is flexible, with modest bonuses to gold and culture while also being able to use Mumakil and Cantonments offensively for domination victories. If going for a culture victory, the extra trade route slot can be helpful.

Horse Quantities Doubled.
+1 Movement for all Mounted Units.
24 CS (20)
[The Rohirrum will also have +1 Movement from Rohan’s UA]
Heavy Charge Promotion [when attacking, will either push back enemy unit or inflict extra
damage whenever it damages enemy more than enemy damages it.]
+25% production toward mounted units (+15%)
+2 Culture from horses
+30 XP for Mounted Units

Religion: Orome
Start Bias: Plains, Grass
Comments: Rohan is perhaps the most militaristic “Good” civilization in LOTRC. All of their
uniques have a strong synergy centered around the Rohirrim unit. Acquiring a large number of horses for a cavalry army is essential.

Melee and archer units have double movement in friendly and neutral forests and jungles. Archer units have +25% ranged attack strength when standing in a forest or jungle tile.
+1 culture (+2 food)
no food from wheat, deer, bananas (+1)
+1 GPP toward Besains
3 Ivonwin specialist slots (none)
each Ivonwin produces +4 food
Medic I
Medic II
can begin golden age
Requires no Tech
Can be built in forests and jungles
+2 faith
+1 faith with Calendar
+1 culture with Drama and Poetry
+1 culture with Diversion

Religion: Yavanna
Start Bias: Forest, Jungle
Comments: The Silvan Elves are strongly centered around religion and culture generation,
particularly culture from tiles rather than great people, as Besains will actually make Great Scholars and Artisans slightly more costly due to pooled GPP thresholds. It is imperative to get a worker unit and Lembas garden as quickly as possible. If done correctly, the Silvan Elves can have the strongest early game of any civ. Can do well with Tradition, Liberty, or Piety.

Double quantities of all mined and quarried luxury and strategic resources (except Mithril). Can see and work “Mithril” which is invisible to all other civilizations. Mithril is a relatively rare luxury that gives +8 happiness, +6 gold, and +4 production when improved with a mine.
[Special Thanks to Civitar for the unit model]
Requires Steel (Chivalry)
1 movement (4)
Requires iron (horse)
25 CS (20)
Cover 1 promotion
Drill 1 promotion
2 artisan specialist slots (1)
2 artifact slots (0)
+2 Great Artisan GPP
+50% tourism from great works (none)
Conquering Civs get quadruple plunder (no effect)
Requires mountain within 2 tiles

Religion: Aule
Start Bias: Hills, Tundra
Comments: Dwarves are all about artisans and great artifact generation. They will have potentially one more artisan specialist per city due to their UB, and more artifact slots and artisan GPP than any other civilization can hope to rival. Because of their UB and the urge to chase after rare Mithril deposits, it is extremely important to scout well and choose good settlement locations – or just get lucky with the spawn. The Dwarves are naturally geared for a culture victory, but the stupendous amount of gold they tend to get from mine-focused spawns and Mithril, plus the ability to sell Mithril at scandalous prices to the AI, makes them well suited to diplomatic victories as well. Note that Mithril has the same spawn patterns and quantities as Uranium in a normal game.

All units generate golden age points with kills and have +1 movement during golden ages, and golden ages last 50% longer. [similar to vanilla Persia]
[Special Thanks to Nomad or What for Unit Model.]
19 CS (21)
slightly cheaper than regular longswordsman
3 moves (2)
Orc Raider [Can pillage tiles at no movement cost, double plunder from attacking cities, +50% CS when attacking, -20% when defending]
[Special Thanks to seZereth & S3rgeous for Ogre aka Cave Troll/Snow Troll/Olog-Hai Model]
Requires Chivalry
200 hammers
22 CS
2 movement
Cannot move after attacking
+25% CS in Snow and Tundra
+50% CS against cities
Requires sheep
Requires stable

Religion: Melkor
Start Bias: Tundra, Hills
Comments: Angmar’s UA makes them good at wars of attrition. They thrive on constant war and both their unique units have benefits when attacking cities. A straightforward civilization for domination victories.