How is the Lord of the Rings: Rise to War best factions competition looking right now? Surprisingly balanced. If you're looking to conquer Middle-Earth in the latest official Lord the Rings game, you'll want to know and understand the strengths, weaknesses, and gameplay history of each faction. Each area of this strategy game's map is split into six territories, and which you choose will have noticeable effects on your future battles.
With max player limits for each faction, server imbalance will be a major point of contention regardless of how a faction plays or how it stacks up against the competition. Most have filled up just hours after release, however, so which Lord of the Rings: Rise to War factions are underrepresented isn't an issue that should crop up early into the game's life. Until another season kicks in and resets things, you might just have to settle for what's left. But the least you can do is know what your eventual faction is good at.
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+ 2The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War best factions
Gondor
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land of Stone - Reduces construction time by five percent | Swan Knight | Éowyn | Sindarin for "Land of Stone," Gondor is a proud kingdom founded by the Númenóreans and populated by their descendants |
Best for: Defenders
If your creed is "defence is the best offence" then you may want to side with Gondor at the start of the game. Right now, it's considered the best defensive option of the lot, which can help those who like to take a more passive approach to battle.
Rohan
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forth Eorlingas - Increases march speed by three percent. | Marshal | Faramir | A kingdom location above the Ered Nimrais range, known for its wide open plains and the Rohirrim who patrol them on horseback_ |
Best for: Beginners
The Rohan faction is considered one of the fastest factions in the game right now. Thanks to the Faction Trait, which increases your army's march speed by three, it's easy for troops to charge into battle and land the first blow. This helps their early game damage, which can easily be the deciding factor in some situations.
Lothlórien
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elven Wisdom: Increases Commander EXP Gain by five percent | Marchwarden | Haldir | Spread across three regions on either side of the Misty Mountains, the kingdom of the Elves is led from the great Mallorn threes of Caras Galadhon. |
Best for: Experienced players
If one thing is for certain, it's that the Elves fare well on the Lord of the Rings: Rise to War best factions list. They're a powerful bunch. Even during the game's beta, Lothlórien often topped the charts, with a massive portion of it being those playing with the Elves. Their trait helps level up powerful commanders that much faster, which can help players speed ahead of newcomers with ease.
Erebor
| Train | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sons of Durin: Decreases Conscription time by five percent | Iron Warrior | Dwalin | Erebor is home to the mountains that feed the river Celduin as well as the Dwarves who toil underground, perfecting their craft. |
Best for: Veterans
Back during the beta, it was widely believed that the Drawves of Erebor performed on par with the Elves. This sort of result doesn't only stem from mechanical power, but from player choice as well. It's difficult to say in retrospect just how much a population imbalance caused this, but there's no reason to deny that those who picked it in the beta will do so again.
If you've played before, your kin will likely be here. Experience will play a big part in the wars ahead, and siding with the faction housing those who've been through it before will certainly help.
Mordor
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land of Darkness: Increases resource production rate by five percent | Ravager | Gorbag | Located in the southeast of Middle-earth, the domain of Sauron is walled in by the Ephel Dúath and Ered Lithui mountain ranges. The One Ring was forged here in the fires of Mount Doom, setting all of the turmoil in motion. |
Best for: Defens
While objectively not as good on the defence front as Gondor, Mordor can certainly hold down the fort. The trait bonus of extra resource production helps with a bunch of in-game tasks as well. Mordor is good for those who want to focus on defending without giving up too much on the utility and offense side of things. It's also just a "cool" pick.
Isengard
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring of Iron: Reduces Conscription cost by ten percent. | Snaga Thrak | Ugthak | Located at the southern end of the Misty Mountains, Isengard is known for its indestructible black tower, Orthanc. A wizard tempted by the power of the One Ring has established a foothold here. |
Best for: Evil-doers
Now teeming with Orcs, Isengard actually "wiped the floor" of server four. That alone is glowing praise for any faction and plenty of reason to believe it can do it again on release. But picking a faction because you think they look "cool" and them actually being powerful are two very different things.
Angmar
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Home, Siege Damage +5% | Fallen | Agzok | Located in the Misty Mountains, this evil faction is led by the the Witch-king. |
Best for: Mischievous players
Another villainous faction, Angmar is one of the latest to join the game, and as such it's likely to tempt new players. With solid defensive upgrades and tanky units at hand, it's certainly one to consider for new players.
Rhun
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Traveller, stamina recovery +5% | War Chariot | Khaldoon | A tribeland to the east of Middle-Earth, there's a range of cults and secret armies working here |
Best for: Weaker teams
Another evil group, the Rhun are located up in murky hills, far away from society. The stamina boost that comes with this faction will likely appeal to newer players, who need their fights to last longer to level up.
Lindon
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praised Land - increase wood and grain collection by 10% | Noldor Longshot | Gil-galad | A faction of elves who abandoned mainland Middle-Earth to live separately. |
Best for: Newer players
This elvish offshoot is a perfect fit for newbies to Rise to War, thanks to their increased resources yield. It'll make harvesting crops and building up your area much easier in those early periods.
Arnor
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land of the Kings - reduces building costs by 5% | Rangers of the North | Faramir | A group of mercenaries built just outside of the Shire and the surrounding area |
Best for: Players looking to level up quick
Arnor is a faction led by the familiar face Faramir. Thanks to the price drop on construction in this faction, it's a good choice if you want to build up your area fast, and by spending the least possible amount.
Gundabad
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close access to eagles and wraiths | Warlord | Lathar | An orc haven near the Misty Mountains |
Best for: Seasoned players expanding across the map
This icy faction arrived in season 3 back in March 2022. It's located in the mountains, next to Angmar and handily close to Eagles. As one of the newer factions, the chances are it may already be taken in your lobby - though if you can get into Gundabad, it's a solid evil faction to control.
Variags
| Trait | Unit | Commander | Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free access to Rhûn if not already taken by Mordor | Champion | N/A | A city of immorality located closely to Mordor. |
Best for: Players wanting a gruelling challenge
Another season 3 arrival, Viarags is a faction you may want to avoid. That's because if you want to make any solid progress on the map, you'll have to defeat either Mordor or Rhûn - and as you'll already know, that's no easy feat.
click to enlarge + 2What are the Lord of the Rings: Rise to War new factions?
- Gundabad
- Variags
Two new factions came to The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War in the season twthreeo update. These two new factions are playable alongside the current ten, making a grand total of 16 factions.
When is the Lord of the Rings: Rise to War new factions release date?
Excitingly, season three of The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War released on February 12, 2022. It added two new factions, four commanders, four units, and plenty of new equipment too. At the current rate, season four of the game shouldn't be too far off in the future either!
And that's your lot for now. We'll of course add more detailed analysis for this Lord of the Rings: Rise of War best factions list as we learn more about each team's intricacies. There's the chance more factions will be released to spice up future seasons as well. Just use the above as a reference before you pick your poison and you'll be off on the right foot.
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