Aggressive vs. Defensive Strategies[]
There are many different ways to play Guardians of Middle-earth, and your tactics will constantly evolve during game play, which means you always need to be on your toes to react to your opponents as well as take the initiative and force them to react to you.
Understanding when to play aggressively and when to play defensively can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Additionally, coming into the game with an overall strategy and which of the two to emphasize can have a meaningful impact in the way your team approaches the match.
In this article, we will discuss some of the decisions you may be forced to make to help turn the tide of battle in your direction and secure the win against your opposition.
Aggressive Team Compositions[]
Team composition is a major factor in determining what kind of strategy you will want to execute. If your team plans on playing aggressive, make aggressive Guardian choices. Warriors, Enchanters are exceptional picks in this regard, as they begin the game very strong and don’t taper off until much later. Strikers are secondarily an excellent choice because of the damage they bring. However, they wouldn’t have reached their full potential until the mid-to-late game. An aggressive, early game loadout would be essential to keeping them locked down. Defenders and Tacticians definitely have their place in more aggressive strategies. Be warned though that some Defenders and Tacticians lend themselves to more defensive play, and so make your choice on which to bring to the game wisely.
Good examples of a strong early-to-mid game, aggressive team composition might look something like:
- Warrior
- Warrior
- Enchanter
- Defender
- Tactician
I would definitely choose more in-your-face Defenders like Witch-king or Éowyn. The same can be said for your choice of Tactician. Gothmog is an excellent example of a very aggressive, forward-facing Tactician who is always in the thick of things.
Aggressive Team Loadouts[]
Definitely select loadouts that unlock earlier to maximize your characters potential to harass and punish the enemy. Aim for Relics that unlock at levels 4 or 6. Follow up with other two-slots to unlock at 8 and 10. This will ensure that you are constantly applying pressure to your foe.
Potion choices like healing or shielding potions, Tower Dive potions and damage boosting potions will make sure you get into the thick of it and stay there. Lastly, focus around early game commands like Adrenaline, Smite and War Cry for your big, final push.
Aggressive Team Upgrades[]
Focus on upgrades like Stronghold for the Siege Soldiers and Blacksmith for their raw killing power. Towers upgrades should be of less interest to you, as your intent to be constantly pushing all of the enemy lanes, so very little fighting should revolve around your own towers.
Defensive Team Compositions[]
Defensive teams definitely construct and play themselves differently from more aggressive teams. In this kind of composition, you are looking the hold-the-line and grind the game out into its later stages to bring the larger Relics and high tier Commands online to really have an impact on the game. In this kind of team, Tacticians, Strikers and Defenders really shine due to their ability to maintain lane parity and then scale exceptionally well into the late-game.
Focus on Guardian selection that will ensure you can keep yourself self in lane, as well as hold out against more aggressive pushes until reinforcements arrive to drive the enemy away. You’re looking to only engage the enemy on your terms and when you have the level and Relic advantage, so you can blow them away in one large engagement and finally push the Fortress for victory.
An example of a more late-game, defensive team composition could look like this:
- Warrior
- Striker
- Defender
- Tactician
- Tactician
Warriors like Thrain really shine in a more defensively-minded composition. He can absorb a lot of damage as well as control the pace of the fight with his Crowd Control abilities. Powerful Strikers like Legolas or Haldir really come into their own in the late-game and can melt enemy teams if given the opportunity to fire at their leisure. More support-like Defenders such as Galadriel and Wulfrun will keep your team alive to make it to the late-game, and defensive Tacticians like Hildifons can defend their lane against huge waves of Soldiers and enemy Guardians until help arrives.
Defensive Team Loadouts[]
Defensive loadouts are strikingly different than aggressive ones. In this regard, you should look to build large four-slot Relics that give you massive bonuses in the late game. Be careful, though! These Relics won’t unlock until at least level 8, making you vulnerable to more aggressive comps.
Bring potions that can help keep you alive during the critical laning phase, as well as damage boosting potions to use late game to secure that critical team fight. Other clever choices include Cleanse and Stealth potions to get you out of those sticky situations.
Just as important is to focus on big, late-game Commands like Lightning, Summon Defense and Flash of Light to really make a huge impact for that final, cataclysmic fight. Swinging a battle in your favor could be a simple button press away.
Defensive Team Upgrades[]
Getting upgrades as quickly as possible is essential to maintain a strong defensive presence. Stables, for their Mounted Soldiers, can really bunch up and maintain lane parity and are good for holding a lane while you redeploy elsewhere to assist your allies.
Always upgrade your towers as quickly as possible. If you are letting a lane defend itself thanks to your Soldiers and tower, upgrade to Siege Stone for the best defensive qualities. However, if you are actively defending a tower against a strong enemy push, switch to Healing Towers so you can stay in the area and continue to fight, driving your opponent away, in part to your far greater sustainability.