Every Faction in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War (& Which You Should Choose)

When starting a game of The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, players can pick one of ten different factions from both the good and evil sides. Each side shares commanders. Aragorn can be recruited for Rohan as well as Gondor, for example, but Mordor won’t be able to use him.

Factions also share units. The primary troops of Isengard are Uruk-Hai, but they can unlock the ability to recruit regular orcs from Mordor as well. Each faction has special traits and special unit types unique to that faction that will provide strategic bonuses. They also each control various territories on which players can build and relocate their settlements.

This is what makes choosing the right faction so important. The best faction in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War is incredibly subjective and will be whichever one the player is most excited about playing. Since every faction is different, it’s good to know more about each so players can make an informed decision.

Good Factions in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

• Gondor – Gondor features prominently in The Return of the King and also in Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The special ability of this faction is Land of Stone, which decreases construction time by 5%. Their special unit is the Swan Knight.
• Rohan – Rohan takes visual design from Scandinavian cultures, but they are known for riding horses instead of sailing ships. This is the faction players should choose if they love cavalry. It’s also home to Éowyn, one of fiction’s greatest shield-maidens Rohan’s special ability is Forth Eorlingas, which increases army march speed by 3%, and the Marshal is their special unit type.
• Arnor – Rangers of the North are the Arnor special unit. Their special ability is Land of Kings, which reduces construction costs by 5%. They are found north of the Shire.
• Lothlórien – This is one of the elvish factions making their home in the forests. Elven Wisdom is their unique faction trait, giving commanders an EXP gain of 5%, and Marchwarden is their special unit type.
• Lindon – Another high elf faction, all the way to the West. This is where elves go to board ships to depart Middle-earth. Praised Land increases wood and grain collection yield by 10%. Ñoldor Longshot is their special unit type.
• Erebor – There are multiple factions for elves and men, but there is only one faction for dwarves, so players wanting to experience the game with dwarves must choose this faction. Erebor has a unique ability called Sons of Durin which reduces conscription time by 5%. The Iron Warrior is their special unit type.

Evil Factions in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

• Isengard – This is the best faction to choose for players who like orcs. Some may argue that Mordor is better, but since Isengard has Uruk-Hai, which are stronger orcs that can go out in sunlight, Isengard is often a better faction choice. Isengard has Ring of Iron, the faction’s special trait that reduces conscription costs by 10%. Snaga Thrak is their special unit type.
• Mordor – This faction sets events in motion, and they have a mountain that is very important to the Lord of the Rings story. Land of Darkness is their special trait, giving them an increase of 5% to resource production, and Ravager is their special unit.
• Rhûn – Located around the appropriately-named Sea of Rhûn, this faction is composed of the Easterling tribes of Evil Men. Though it can’t be recruited immediately, this faction can likely obtain Mûmakil or giant war elephants. Their special ability Eastern Traveler gives them a stamina recovery rate of 5%, and War Chariot is their special unit type.
• Angmar – The Witch King, leader of the Nazgûl or Ringwraiths comes from Angmar. This faction also features Evil Men and is the game’s northernmost faction. Steel Home adds 5% to siege damage, and the Fallen is their special unit type.

The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War is available on Android and iOS.

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