Black Uruk Fortresses are intimidating fortresses maintained by the elite Black Uruks of Mordor. They are quite complex in structure, and contain large amounts of loot and utilities, making them highly useful for evil players. They can even function as a ready-made base, requiring little to no modification by the player in order to be of use. They generate somewhat rarely, and can only be found in Gorgoroth and in the basic Mordor biome.
Black Uruk Fortresses primarily consist of Mordor Brick, and also makes heavy use of tiling and charred wood. Most of fortresses' internal structures are built into their walls, including a pair of guard-towers, a gatehouse, a small prison, a mess hall, and the main citadel at the back. The rest of the fortress consists of a small interior courtyard, which contains a forge area and training grounds. A Black Uruk Captain, from whom Mordor players can hire Black Uruks, spawns out in the courtyard.
The Walls[]
The Defences[]
Black Uruk Fortresses feature a single point of entry, barred by an Orc gate and an Iron Portcullis. A two-tiered gatehouse is built around the gates, through which one can access the fortress' defences. The first level of the gatehouse provides access to the battlements and allows players to open the gates from above, while the upper level is open to the sky and features a Table of Command. Banners of Mordor and the Black Uruks are mounted on the gatehouse.
The lowest floor of a watchtower, which connects to the battlements.
The battlements of the fortress are rather secure, as they feature roofs (unlike many similar fortresses) and the windows are barred with iron portcullises, which make it harder for bowmen outside the fortress to shoot the guards. Two of the fortress' corners feature small watch-towers, which have three levels - one incorporated into the battlements, an identical one just above, and a more open floor on the top.
The Lock-Up[]
An overhead view of the prison cells.
To the left of the citadel at the rear of the fortress is the Lock-Up, a small prison built into the outer wall of the fortress. This gated-off prison contains a quartet of small cells, featuring Orc steel bars, some thatch flooring, and a cauldron full of water. These cells never feature prisoners, likely because the Black Uruks have little patience for defeated enemies that aren't on the dinner table. Which brings us to...
The Mess Hall[]
Opposite the Lock-Up is the Mess Hall, where the Black Uruks gather and eat. Doors here lead out onto the battlements or into the main courtyard, and this hall is lit by chandeliers, giving it a bit of a friendlier feel, if the Uruks aren't out to kill you. The Mess Hall features a pair of long, charred wood tables, with stairs set up as seating, laden with plates of orc-food, mugs of Orc Draught, and barrels of the same. The Mess Hall also features a small fire-pit, complete with furnaces and a cauldron suspended over the flames, presumably for making stew out of the former occupants of the Lock-Up.
The Citadel[]
Weapons and armour set up in the Citadel.
The main section of the Black Uruk Fortress is the Citadel, a large structure built into the back wall. The Citadel can be accessed either from the battlements or from a large gate that leads down into the courtyard. This part of the fortress contains an armoury, barracks, and a small turret that provides an overview of the fortress.
Beds in the barracks.
The armoury section is located on both sides of the gate to the courtyard, and contains eight armour stands, eight weapon racks, and four chests. Most of the armour stands are usually empty, but some (typically two) will contain full sets of Black Uruk armour. The weapon racks are usually all equipped with Black Uruk equipment, while the chests contain typical Orcish loot, not unlike what would be found in tents.
The barracks contain twelve Orc Beds, six on each side, in stacks of two. Two chests can be found off to the side in the barracks area, which contain the same loot as the other chests in the Fortress.
The Courtyard[]
The Forge[]
The forge.
The inner courtyard of the Black Uruk Fortress contains a small forge area near the Mess Hall, around which the Black Uruk Captain usually spawns. The ground around the forge contains scorched stone, likely evidence of the improper safety procedures the Black Uruks follow. The forge structure itself contains some lava, two Orc Forges, and an Alloy Forge, while the surrounding area includes a vanilla crafting table, a Morgul crafting table, an anvil, a block of Orc steel, and a block of Black Uruk steel.
The Training Grounds[]
The Training Grounds.
The rest of the courtyard is dominated by a large training area, where the Black Uruks practice combat techniques on inanimate targets and, of course, on each other. The back of this area features a pair of beams with weapon racks mounted on them, allowing players to obtain another eight Black Uruk weapons, as well as a chest of assorted Orkish goods. The Training Grounds also feature a fenced-off brawl pit, presumably where the Black Uruks practice against each other, and a shooting range, where they practice against targets, which appear to be two punching bags and a dummy made to look like a Gondor Levyman.
Mobs[]
These fortresses are fiercely guarded by Black Uruks and their archer variants. A Black Uruk Captain also spawns in the central courtyard, from which sufficiently aligned players can hire troops. Good players would do well to be wary when attempting to break into one of these structures. They are among the most well-defended fortifications in the game, and upon opening the gate, players will immediately find themselves facing many Uruks (and taking down even one is no mean feat). Enemies of Mordor had best bring backup to a raid on one of these fortresses, if they don't wish to end up in the lock-up... or dead on the ground.
Loot[]
For any player allied with Mordor, these structures provide a great variety of valuable loot. Food and Orc Draught is plentiful here, as are readily-available weapons and armour sets. A typical fortress contains two full sets of Black Uruk armour, sixteen assorted weapons, two barrels of Orc Draught, and seven chests with assorted loot.
 The Hosts of Mordor 
|
|
Black Uruk (Archer) •
Olog-hai •
Orc (Archer, Banner Bearer, Bombardier) |