Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-26149161-20170926181227

Mae govannen, mellyn, and well met indeed! This suggestion concerns an overhaul of Isengard’s basic features, an efficient reformation Saruman himself would be proud of. Basically, it stems from the premise that Isengard troops were not sent to battle with Rohan before TA 3019, 17 years after the mod starts. I have tried to make a lore-friendly and balanced Isengard, with the help of Hobit and Grievous. In fact, I believe the secretive, veiled Isengard with its half-orcs would be far more exciting than just another Orc night horde faction.

In this suggestion I reference three suggestions. The thing marked in the suggestion with italics is from “On the Dunlendings”, while those marked bold are from “The Fires of Industry ”. It should be clear when something is from “Bows of Isengard”.

Territory
Isengard would have control of all the Wizard’s Vale, from Isengard itself to Dol Baran, including foothills inside the valley itself, called Isengard Foothills. In the western portion of this Ents would rarely spawn, due to this being the location of Skinbark. A “desolate” area would spawn in the eastern side of the wood. However, Uruk Highlands and Fangorn Desolation would be removed, since they make little sense lore-wise. To make up for the lack of territory, structures and NPCs in Isengard would be incredibly common, and the addition of the Ruffian subfaction should spread out their range.

Isengard Highlands - Bare hills, covered in heather and fern with the occasional pine tree. Mountain Orc and Ruffian camps spawn here on occasion, and rarely some of the mainstream Isengard structures.

Fladrif Forest - Home of Fladrif the Ent, a beautiful forest of birches. Ents spawn here rarely, as do Huorns. Isengard invasions are common.

Fladrif Desolation - A logged zone of Fladrif Forest, covered in stumps and ruins. Uruk Logging Camps spawn here.

Southern Misty Mountains - An unpopulated part of the Misty Mountains, with no Orcs or Dwarf ruins. Excellent for pacifists!

Southern Misty Mountains Foothills - Similar to the Southern Misty Mountains, an equivalent area to the Foothills further north, but without Orcs.

Crafting

 * Isengard Chains - A decorative block made by placing three iron or copper bars in a pillar pattern in the Isengard CT. They can be placed on the ground, between pillars, or on ceilings.


 * Isengard Brick - Made with stone bricks on an Isengard crafting table. These are single blocks of stone, unlike the several bricks in the current Uruk Brick. There are pillar and stair varieties too, and look like black-grey marble.


 * Metal Pillars - Pillars made of copper or iron, black and russet. These flank the road inside Isengard.

The Ring-Wall
I assume that the current Ring-Wall is not the permanent structure for it, but in the book, the wall is described as black, with twin gates of steel. It was also not a real wall, but a stone cliff-ring as a worn-down volcano, and filled with Orc barracks.

Mobs
From now on, no Isengard units or invasions would spawn in Rohan. Had they been invading in TA 3002, the Council would realize Saruman had turned to evil. Instead, Mordor Orcs will attack the Wold and Eastemnet on occasion.


 * Guardians of Isengard - The main soldier of Isengard. These wear Dunlending Looted armor and have melee and archer variants. These would be akin to the Dunlendings and Half-Orcs.


 * Isengard Captain - From this NPC you would hire all Isengard units. He would be a Half-Orc. From Uruk-hai Captains one could now only hire Uruks.


 * Uruk-hai - Should get 20-22 health. Remember that these are just man-sized Orcs. The loss of a powerful unit would be balanced out by the Half-Orc units.


 * Mountain-Orc Mercenary - This would be a renamed Isengard Snaga who don’t wear Bronze or Isengard armor, and it would have 3 variants--a melee, archer, and warg rider. They should probably be hirable from Gundabad as well.


 * Mountain-Orc Mercenary Chief - The NPC from whom one can hire Misty Mountains Mercenaries. They spawn in Mountain-Orc Mercenary Camps.


 * Ruffian - One of Saruman’s spies, found in Enedwaith, Isengard, and Ruffian Camps. They have Dunlending and Half-Orc skins, and speak with orc-talk (i.e. “nar” and “garn”).


 * Ruffian Captain - A Half-Orc leader of the Ruffians. He spawns in a Ruffian Camp.


 * Half-Orc Warrior - A twisted hybrid of Orc and Man. These would have 25 health, and wear a full set of Dunlending Looted Armor or Uruk-hai armor.


 * Half-Orc Axeman - A replacement for the Uruk Berserkers, these mail-clad warriors would have 30 health and a huge battleaxe. They would spawn very rarely, however, and be very expensive.


 * Isengard Slave - A mix of Dunlendings and rare, imaginably kidnapped Rohirrim, these are the tillers of land for Isengard and are its chief source of food.


 * Isengard Farmer - From him you would hire Isengard Slaves, and as all other mannish NPCs of Isengard he is a Dunlending.


 * Isengard Smith - An Uruk trader who deals in minerals, ores, and weapons. He spawns Isengard Furnaces and Forges.


 * Isengard Logger - An Uruk who sells wood supplies and axes to the player, and purchases cut logs. He spawns in an Isengard Logging Camp.

Structures
Isengard Plantation - A tilled field and ugly Orc Brick structure, worked by the slaves of Saruman. Farmers and Slaves spawn here.

Isengard Forge - An underground building made of Orc Brick and Uruk Brick, with forges of flame and anvils. A vent or smokestack leads to the surface, topped by a stone mound. From it vents smoke, and colored vapor as well. An Isengard Smith spawns here, and he can be reached by a spiral staircase.

Isengard Wolfstable- A new version of the Warg Pit, a shallow underground hall with a wide sloped stair to reach it. This allows players to actually leave with the wargs, and it is topped by a stone mound.

Isengard Furnace - Another underground building of Orc and Uruk Brick, all trademarks of Isengard’s structures. This structure is used for the processing of metal. It has several Mordor Furnaces and a spiral staircase, topped by a stone mound to reach it. A vent or smokestack leads to the surface, topped by a stone dome. From it vents smoke, and colored vapor as well. An Isengard smith spawns here.

Isengard Logging Camp: A camp similar to an Uruk Camp, but with more tents, displayed axes, and with a pile of logs next to it. An Uruk Logger spawns here. It is found in Nan Curunir and the Fladrif Desolation.

Isengard Mine - A deep mine system of tunnels and passageways. Similar to a Dwarven mine, but topped with a stone dome and reached by a straight staircase. Found in Nan Curunir and Isengard Highlands.

Isengard Treasury - A chamber, reached by a straight stair topped by an earthen mound, that leads to a guarded room filled with metal and coin. It is heavily guarded, and any player, good or evil, with less than 2000 Isengard alignment who steals coins will be assailed.

Isengard Storehouse - An underground hall filled with foodstuff (though no pipeweed yet). They can be reached by a spiral staircase topped by an earthen mound.

Isengard Armory - A cavern storeroom for armor and weapons. Since it would be an easy way to get gear, it would be guarded to all under 1000 alignment and be uncommon.

Ruffian Camp - A cluster of grey, brown, and black tents found in Isengard, Enedwaith, and Eriador. They do not have the small farms strangely found in the other faction camps. Rather, they have a fire-pit in the center. A Ruffian Leader spawns here. They can sometimes be found in larger groups.

Mountain-Orc Mercenary Camp - A camp found in Isengard, Misty Mountains Foothills, the Grey Mountains, Grey Mountains Foothills, Angmar, and the Misty Mountains. A cluster of tents around a firepit, with leather tanning racks and a spit. A Mountain-Orc Mercenary Chieftain spawns here.

Titles
[Gateward] - Get 100 Isengard Alignment

[Half-Orc] - Get 100 Isengard Alignment

[Orc-Man] - Get 100 Isengard Alignment

[Goblin-Man] - Get 100 Isengard Alignment

[Wizard’s Spy] - Get 1000 Isengard Alignment

Achievements
[Deploy the Garrison!] - Hire a Guardian of Isengard

[Mountain-maggots] - Hire from a Misty Mountain chieftain

[Tillers of the Vale] - Hire an Isengard Slave

[An Army in the Making] - Hire from an Uruk captain

[Vile Machinations] - Hire Goblin-Men

[Crops of the Wizard] - Trade with an Isengard Farmer

[Spies of Eriador] - Hire from a Ruffian captain

Thank you for considering this suggestion! As always, comments, Kudos, and constructive critiscism is most welcome!

Ithilion, Discussions Moderator (Auta i lómë)  