The Orcs of Gundabad have long troubled much of the North of Middle-Earth. These bloodthirsty Orcs are split into many scattered tribes, and at night can be found far from their chief strongholds in the Misty Mountains, and trouble many lands between the Lone-Lands and Wilderland. The average Gundabad Orc may not seem like a challenge, but be careful: hordes of them are lethal, and they are often backed up by powerful and well-equipped Gundabad Uruks.
History[]
The Gundabad Orcs are the descendants of a group of Orcs of Melkor that sacked and captured Mount Gundabad not long after the War of the Elves and Sauron in the Second Age, which insulted the dwarves as they saw it as a landmark. The Orcs of the North had been scattered tribes, living in the Forodwaith and the remnants of the Iron Mountains. However, after his defeat at the hands of the Dwarves, a furious Sauron sent his own Orcs to stir up these tribes to war. They assailed the Misty Mountains throughout much of the latter half of the Second Age, attacking dwarven holds wherever they could be found, and eventually taking for themselves all of the Misty Mountains north of the Gladden River.
These orcs came into conflict with surrounding peoples many times. Their battles with the Dwarves lasted much of the Second Age, and at the start of the Third Age they came into conflict with Elves and the Men of Arnor as well. A band of them slew Isildur, the King of Arnor and son of Elendil the Tall, in the Gladden Fields at the dawn of the Third Age. Their strength had been bolstered by many of the Orcs of Mordor, who had been sent by Sauron before the War of the Last Alliance.
Dwarven warrior ambushed by Orcs of the Mountains.
Thirteen hundred years into the Third Age, the Witch-Realm of Angmar was formed in the North, and Gundabad became part of that realm. Their great fortress at Mount Gundabad provided passage between the western and eastern portions of the Witch-Realm. The Orcs and great Uruks of Gundabad bolstered the Witch-King's forces, and were present in many battles with the successor states of Arnor.
The Three Peaks of Mount Gundabad.
After the fall of Arthedain and the subsequent destruction of Angmar, many of the Angmar Orcs joined the forces of Gundabad, making it the most powerful faction of Orcs in Middle-Earth, though this was during a time when Orcs were relatively weak. Around this period, the Dwarves unearthed a terrible discovery under Moria: a Balrog of Morgoth. It slew King Durin VI, and was named Durin's Bane. In the twenty-fifth century of the Third Age, under the influence of Sauron, the Mines of Moria were populated with Orcs, which reproduced there and in other parts of the Mountains. The Balrog assumedly allowed those Orcs to inhabit the ancient dwarven stronghold. The orc soldiers built fortresses across the mountains, blocking passes into Eriador. Gundabad Orcs were responsible for many attacks on the travellers during this time, and also trapped a Gondorian army between the Limlight and a Balchoth army in the Battle of Celebrant. Some Orcs, chiefly those from Mount Gram and nearby holds, began to raid Eriador, fighting the Dúnedain of the North, with one band reaching even to the Shire.
Battle before the Gates of Moria.
After Azog the Defiler slew the wandering dwarf-king Thrór in Moria, Gundabad became embroiled in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. For seven long years, the Orcs of Gundabad fought armies from all seven Dwarven Clans, and the dwarves eventually sacked all of their fortresses north of the Gladden, though the Dwarves occupied none either out of lack of interest or strength. The war ended with the brutal Battle of Azanulbizar, in which many Gundabad Orcs were slain, and Azog himself was killed by Dain Ironfoot. Many of those Orcs fleeing the defeat escaped to the Ered Nimrais, where they persisted for several years (killing Walda, King of Rohan) before finally being defeated.
Orcs attack members of Balin's Expedition in Moria.
Bolg, the son of Azog, took control of Gundabad after his father's death. In the years after the Battle of Azanulbizar the Orcs regrouped and multiplied, and soon became a threat again. Their strength nearly returned to what it had been before the war, and travellers were again waylaid in the passes. Goblin-Town, an old cave system on the High Pass, became a major settlement of these Orcs, and was led by a great chieftain called the Great Goblin.
However, the Great Goblin was killed by Gandalf the Grey in a bid to free Thorin and Company from the Orcs that had captured them, and many others were killed when the Eagles rescued the dwarves. The wrath of Gundabad was once more kindled to fury, and Bolg led out a great army of Gundabad Orcs, Uruks, and Wargs from all the clans of the Misty Mountains to attack and capture the recently reclaimed dwarven city Erebor. They were met in battle by the Wood-Elves of Mirkwood, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, and the Men of Lake-Town in what was called the Battle of the Five Armies. The Orcs were defeated, Bolg was killed, and three-fourths of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were slain.
A host of Gundabad Orcs on the march.
But though they had been defeated, Gundabad was not destroyed. In the years following the Battle of the Five Armies they multiplied once more. Though the Beornings kept the High Pass open, soon their control dwindled, and the mountains became more dangerous than ever before.
In TA 2989, a group of dwarves led by Balin, son of Fundin reclaimed vital parts of Moria in an attempt to rebuild their ancient kingdom. But five years later, the Moria Orcs counterattacked and killed every dwarf in Moria. With reinforcements from Mordor and Dol Guldur being sent to Moria on a constant basis, the Moria Orcs grew stronger and well-equipped. At this point Sauron's realm in Mordor had begun to grow once more, and the Orcs grew bolder and stronger again.
Now, the scattered clans of Gundabad go to war once again, and have begun to raid the lands of their enemies around them. Though they have no one captain, they are united by a single cause: the destruction of their enemies. From the fields of the Bear-men to the filthy woods of the cruel Elves, the Orcs come to burn and kill.
Locations[]
The Orcs of Gundabad are the scourge of much of northern Middle-earth and generally spawn in the areas that other factions have abandoned. This includes Eriador, the Lone-lands, the Misty Mountains, the Vales of Anduin, Wilderland and the Iron Hills. In most of these they only spawn at night or underground to avoid the few that remain to counter them.
Waypoints[]
Gundabad Orcs raid many lands across the north of Middle-earth, but the following waypoints are all located with their definitively-occupied territory:
- Mount Gundabad (not available for enemy players) - The mountain beneath which Durin the Deathless awoke in the Elder Days, and a sacred site of the Dwarves before being overrun by Orcs.
- Mount Gram - A mountain inhabited by Orcs who often trouble the lands of Eriador.
- Goblin Town (not available for enemy players) - A warren of weaving tunnels and caverns beneath the High Pass, where Orcs scutter and scrape in the dark.
- High Pass - A long and perilous mountain pass from Eriador into Wilderland.
- West Gate - The western gate of Khazad-dûm, now called Moria: of old the great delvings and mansions of the Dwarves of Durin's Folk and a wonder of the Northern world.
- Mount Celebdil - The Silvertine, one of the peaks above Khazad-dûm. Upon its summit stands the fabled Durin's Tower.
- Mount Caradhras - The Redhorn, one of three peaks above the delvings of Khazad-dûm. The mountain is called Caradhras the Cruel and is said to have a will of its own.
- Mount Fanuidhol - The Cloudyhead, one of three peaks above the realm of Khazad-dûm.
- Dimrill Dale - Azanulbizar, below the East Gate of Khazad-dûm: the valley of the Mirrormere, wherein it is said Durin the Deathless first saw his crown among the stars.
- Mount Methedras - The Last Peak, southermost of the Misty Mountains, whence flow the Rivers Isen and Entwash.
- Dáin's Halls - A colony of Durin's Folk in the Grey Mountains, abandoned after Dáin was slain by a Cold-drake.
- Scatha's Lair - Once the lair of Scatha, a great Long-worm, before he was slain by Fram of the Éothéod.
Alignment[]
Gundabad is friendly with all of the primary Orc factions except Isengard, and is enemies with all of the Free Peoples. They encourage war crimes (the killing of enemy civilians).
Ranks of Gundabad:
- Enemy (-)
- Stranger (0)
- Mountain-thrall (+10)
- Mountain-snaga (+50)
- Gundabad Raider (+100)
- Gundabad Ravager (+200)
- Gundabad Scourge (+500)
- Gundabad Warlord (+1000)
- Gundabad Chieftain (+2000)
Inter-faction relations for Gundabad (GUNDABAD)
| Allies |
Friends |
Neutral |
Enemies |
Mortal Enemies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | •Angmar •Dol Guldur •Mordor |
•Dunland •Half-trolls •Isengard •Morwaith •Near Harad •Rhúdel •Taurethrim |
None | •Blue Mountains •Bree-land •Dale •Dorwinion •Dúnedain of the North •Durin's Folk •Fangorn •Gondor •High Elves •Hobbits •Lothlórien •Rohan •Woodland Realm |
Sphere of influence[]
Gundabad's area of influence contains most of the regions around the Misty Mountains and Angmar, centred around Mount Gundabad, Mount Gram, Goblin-Town and Moria.
Gundabad's area of influence
Invasions[]
Gundabad invasions come in two forms: Normal invasions, featuring all types of Gundabad soldiers, and Warg invasions, which are restricted to Gundabad Wargs and Warg-riders. They occur in many areas of Middle-earth, as show below:
Conquest[]
Conquerable Biomes[]
Lindon, Blue Mountains, Eriador, Minhiriath, Lone-Lands, The Shire, Old Forest, Barrow-downs, Bree-land, Chetwood, Midgewater, Trollshaws, The Angle, Rivendell, Ettenmoors, Coldfells, Eregion, Swanfleet, Enedwaith, Dunland, Misty Mountains, Grey Mountains, Vales of Anduin, Gladden Fields, Lothlórien, Field of Celebrant, Fangorn (not the wastelands), Mirkwood, Woodland Realm, Long Marshes, Dale, Erebor, Iron Hills, Wilderland, East Bight. Northlands.
Ally aids only[]
Gundabad has no allies.
NPCs[]
The Orcs of Gundabad may be scattered and leaderless, but they all share one vile trait: their hatred for the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth.
- Gundabad Orc - Orcs from across the Misty Mountains allied only to themselves. They use random pieces of armour and equipment from various orc and neutral sets.
- Gundabad Orc Archer - Gundabad Orcs with bows or crossbows.
- Gundabad Warg - Evil giant wolves allied with the Gundabad Orcs. They can be ridden by Gundabad Orcs or archers.
- Gundabad Uruk - Powerful Uruk-hai who are descended from the greatest of the warriors of Mount Gundabad. They wield cleavers, waraxes, and bludgeons and wear Gundabad Uruk Armour.
- Gundabad Uruk Archers - Gundabad Uruks armed with Gundabad Uruk bows.
- Gundabad Banner-Bearer - Gundabad Orcs wielding both a weapon and the Banner of Gundabad.
- Gundabad Orc Chieftains - Leaders of the Gundabad Orcs who spawn in Captured Dwarven Towers and Gundabad Orc Camps. They allow you to hire all of the above.
Structures[]
The Orcs of Gundabad build few permanent structures, and often use abandoned or conquered fortresses as their own.
- Ruined Dwarven Tower - Crumbling reminders of the Dwarves that once ruled the Misty Mountains, many of which are now occupied by Gundabad. Some are simply abandoned, containing Dwarven crafting tables, forges, and loot chests, while others have been captured by Orcs, and contain Gundabad crafting tables, forges, and loot chests. The former can provide the player with the tools to smelt mithril without having to go to the Iron Hills or Erebor, while the latter serve as handy bases for the local Gundabad Orc Chieftains and their bands of irregular troops.
- Ruined Dwarven Mine - Remnants of the time where Dwarves ruled the mountains. The mineshafts are rotted, raided, and broken; they're also completely lightless, so Gundabad Orcs and Uruks are a common sight in their knotted tunnels. At the bottom of the entry-shaft one might find a dwarven forge or two, and the cobweb-choked tunnels often contain chests with valuable loot.
- Gundabad Orc Camp - Camps for roaming Gundabad Orcs that spawn randomly across the north. As with most camps, they contain tents, forge tents, crafting tables, skulls, orc torches, chests, small farms, and Gundabad Orc Chieftains.
Items[]
Gundabad crafting table - Crafting tables used to craft all of the following.- Gundabad Banner - The banner of Gundabad, depicting a grey Mount Gundabad on a black field beneath the symbol of the Red Eye.
- Orc Gate - Crude wooden gates reinforced with steel.
- Orc Bed - Poor-quality beds used by Orcs.
- Orc Torch - Tall, dim torches made with two sticks and one piece of coal.
- Orc Chandelier - Elegant yet evil light fixtures made with orc torches and steel.
- Orc Chain - Chains made from Orc Steel that function as ladders.
- Orc Bow - Bows used by the common orc archers of Gundabad.
- Gundabad Uruk Equipment - Cleavers, waraxes, bludgeons, spears, daggers, and pikes used by the deadly Gundabad Uruks.
- Gundabad Uruk Bow - Deadly but slow bows used by Gundabad Uruk Archers.
- Gundabad Uruk Armour - The armour of the Gundabad Uruks and their chieftains.
- Maggoty Bread - Stale bread that is rotting and full of maggots.
- Orc Draught - A vile remedy carried by many orcs to give them fighting strength.
 The Hordes of Gundabad 
|
|
Orc (Archer, Banner Bearer) •
Uruk (Archer) •
Warg
|
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The Westlands:
Angmar •
Blue Mountains •
Bree-land •
Dale •
Dol Guldur •
Dúnedain of the North Rhûn:
Harad:
Half-Trolls • Morwaith • Near Harad • Taurethrim The Deeps of the Earth:
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