Kingdom of Rohan

Starting Situation
Rohan is located in the sleepy but soon-to-be war-torn region of south-west Rhovanion. They have a large collection of towns and castles under their control and are bordered to the south by the White Mountains, which stretch across the entirety of their domain. The northern reach of their realm is marked by the Forests of Fangorn and Lothlórien.

Early Game
In the populous regions of southern Rhovanion, there are few independent towns; only the Wold stands free of any liegelord. After these are brought into the fold, Rohan can attack west and take lands from Isengard or Dunland. Alternatively, there are opportunities to the northeast in the Brown Lands. War with your neighbours is inevitable but only Dunland is an active enemy at the outset. Gondor and Dol Amroth both hold as true allies to the south of the White Mountains.

Military Overview
Rohan is a famed nation of horsemen and they boast the most diverse and numerous roster of cavalry in Middle-Earth. Whilst they do also have a few dismounted units worthy of mention, for the most part, when their army isn't mounted it is made up of weak militia.

Special Features

 * Dwarves of the Glittering Caves

Rare Units

 * Guards of Meduseld (Edoras)
 * Minas Ithil Guardians (Minas Morgul)

Tips and Difficulty
The Kingdom of Rohan has a relatively easy campaign. Starting with a large number of regions and enough units to muster a respectable force, Rohan is poised to easily go on the offensive. Gondor provides a strong buffer against Mordor in the east, whilst the White Mountains provide an all-but impenetrable barrier to the south. It is possible for Dol Guldur to cross the Anduin from the Brown Lands, however they will usually be kept in check by the Realm of Lothlórien and the Anduin Vale, preventing them from marching south.

The main challenge in a Rohan campaign is the strength of the armies of the Dominion of Isengard. Whilst not at war to begin the game, conflict with Isengard is inevitable, and so it is wise to rally your forces near Foldburg and the Fords of Isen as soon as the game starts. This can provide a good defensive position for when Saruman decides to attack, though a skilled player will find that going on the offensive makes the hordes of Uruk-Hai much easier to deal with. A player should be wary, however, of the Last Stand armies Isengard will quickly spawn, owing to its low number of regions, as overextending yourself in an attempt to immediately crush Isengard will result in the loss of many troops.

Whilst the heavy infantry armies of Isengard present a challenge to Rohan's light cavalry in the early game, the defeat of Isengard signals a very easy remainder of the campaign, and so should be achieved quickly. A combination of skirmishing horse-archers and hammer-and-anvil tactics can be used to overcome the Uruk-Hai's melee and numerical advantages. After the defeat of Isengard, the player is almost set to expand at leisure into Dunland, and, if they wish, Enedwaith, before the final confrontation with Mordor.

A player should be wary of their eastern borders if Gondor is not performing well; keeping a spy near Cair Andros and West Osgiliath can give a Rohan player clear warning if Mordor has made its way across the Anduin. If this is the case, the player would do best to lend Gondor aid at Calenhad before Mordor takes it, lest they are attacked by surprise at a weakly-garrisoned Aldburg whilst their armies are on campaign in the west. Whilst the Independent Realms in the east of Rohan are ripe for the taking, they often provide little in the way of economic or military support, and it may be more worth dedicating forces to the war against Isengard in the early game than expanding into these eastern territories. This is particularly true of Éomer, as King Théoden being locked in place by an event during the opening turns can mean a powerful general is desperately needed in the west. Be aware however, that this increases the risk of Dol Guldur advancing across the Anduin.

In battle, Rohan should take full advantage of a combination of cavalry archers and melee cavalry to force the enemy into awkward positions. By skirmishing missile cavalry around an enemy unit, it can be convinced to turn to face the threat, leaving its rear vulnerable to a charge by melee cavalry. If a Rohan player finds they struggle for lack of infantry, it can be a good idea to ally with the Dwarves in order to complete the Glittering Caves event. Although the resulting Guard of the Caves unit is rare, being recruited only from Helm's Deep, they provide much needed heavy infantry that can be usefully used in tandem with Helm's Deep's Helmingas Archers to provide a deadly dismounted reserve.

Unit Roster
Note: As Version 5 will be released sometime in the relatively near future, and the removal of the Barracks Event has been confirmed, this listing will not be divided into pre-Barracks and post-Barracks units.

Common Units

 * Peasant Militia
 * Peasant Scouts
 * Eorling Spearmen
 * Eorling Axemen
 * Eorling Archers
 * Rohirrim
 * Rohirrim Archers
 * Éored Skirmishers
 * Éored Footmen
 * Éored Swordsmen
 * Riddermark Axemen
 * Helmingas
 * Éored Lancers
 * Riders of the Fold
 * Riddermark Cavalry
 * Shieldmaidens of Rohan
 * Rohan Bodyguards (General Unit)

Elite Units

 * Meduseld Doorwards
 * Guard of the Caves
 * Royal Guard