Middle-earth: Shadow of War: Complete Guide

A guide to Monolith's Nemesis-system sequel: the Act structure and regions, how to build an orc army, combat and skill picks, fortress sieges, the Shadow Wars endgame, and the two story DLCs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Definitive Edition (final content patch 2018; the in-game Market and loot boxes were removed that year). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status in 2026

Shadow of War is complete and no longer gets content updates. The Definitive Edition (August 2018) includes the base game plus all four DLCs: Blade of Galadriel and Desolation of Mordor (story expansions), and the Slaughter Tribe and Outlaw Tribe (Nemesis expansions). WB Games still runs sales, most recently for The Lord of the Rings 25th anniversary (August 2026), often bundled with Shadow of Mordor GOTY.

In 2018 Monolith removed the Market and loot boxes (gold sales ended first, and the Market itself was gone by July 2018). The endgame Shadow Wars were reworked in the same update: shorter, with extra story scenes, and presented as the game's Epilogue. Online features such as Online Conquests and vendettas still depend on WB's servers; check in-game if they're unavailable.

Quick Start

1. The Nemesis System is the game. Orcs remember you. If one kills you, he's promoted and gets stronger. If you run away, he may taunt you later. Kill him properly to end the story.
2. Read the orc info before fighting. Hover over a captain to see strengths, weaknesses, immunities and enrages. Exploit weaknesses (for example, stealth kills or poisoned grog) and avoid what enrages them.
3. Dominate, don't just kill. Once you unlock domination, good captains become followers. Your army is only as strong as your best captains.
4. Gather Intel. Interrogate orcs (Worms) glowing green, or collect intel documents to reveal hidden captains' weaknesses.
5. Take the Fortress in each region. Siege battles follow a set pattern: kill or dominate the Warchiefs, then assault the fortress with your army.
6. Upgrade your skills in order. Start with combat and survivability, then domination-related skills.
7. Gems in gear matter. Socket gems for damage, health or experience/money.
8. Legendary gear sets drop from Legendary orcs. They have set bonuses when you wear several pieces.
9. Protect your followers. Death threats, betrayals and rivals can take your best captains away.
10. The real ending is after Act IV. Finish the Shadow Wars (Act IV) to see the true ending.

Story Structure

Regions: Minas Ithil, Cirith Ungol, Gorgoroth, Núrn and Seregost. Each has its own Fortress, climate and Overlord.

Combat Basics

• Attack / Counter / Dodge is the core loop. Counter prompts appear over enemies' heads.
• Stun, then execute. Build Might through hits and counters, then use Execution for an instant kill on most enemies.
• Stealth: Shadow Strike, Predator Strike, Ghost Step and drain let you control fights before they start.
• Ranged: the Elven Light bow (Wraith Bow). Focus aiming slows time.
• Vaulting, jumping and riding: Graugs, Caragors and Drakes can be dominated and ridden once you unlock the skills.

Enemy types

Skills: Where to Spend Points

There are six skill categories: Combat, Ranged, Wraith, Predator, Mounted, Domination. Each skill also has upgrades that change how it works.

Early priorities (Act I–II):

1. Combat: Execution upgrades, Shadow Strike, and Critical Strike-style Might boosts.
2. Wraith: Elven Rage and Wraith Stun.
3. Ranged: more ammo, arrow upgrades, and headshot upgrades.
4. Predator: Shadow Strike and Ghost Step. Great for stealth.
5. Domination: as soon as it unlocks, invest to recruit better followers.

Later priorities: skills that affect groups, Might, and mounted combat.

Army Building

Captain qualities: Level, class, traits and tribe matter.

What to look for in a follower:

• High level and Legendary rarity.
• Useful immunities (for example immune to ranged, immune to stealth).
• Class matching your plan: Warchiefs with siege upgrades for attacking fortresses, bodyguards for defense.

Keep followers strong:

• Send them to Pit Fights to level up.
• Use Missions (like Ambush and Duel) to raise their level.
• Swap in higher-level replacements when you find them, and use missions like Recruit and Duel to keep your roster growing.

Betrayal: Some followers betray you. Loyal followers are less likely to. Dominated followers who have been shamed or have a friend who was killed are riskier.

Dealing With Captains: A Checklist

Before engaging any captain, open his profile and check these in order:

1. Level vs yours. A captain several levels above you hits much harder. Come back later or bring a strong follower.
2. Immunities. Common ones cover ranged attacks, stealth, executions, beasts, burning or poison. Don't waste your time on a plan he's immune to.
3. Weaknesses. Examples include being terrified of beasts, vulnerable to headshots, or killable instantly by a stealth attack. Plan around the biggest one.
4. Enrages. Some things make a captain enraged and much more dangerous, such as being hit by fire or seeing a beast. Avoid triggering them.
5. Bodyguards and blood brothers. Killing one captain may bring his friend in for revenge. Deal with the bodyguard first, or dominate him and have him betray his boss.

Follower orders worth knowing:

• Bodyguard: a follower who comes to help when you summon him in a fight.
• Spy: a follower placed in the enemy army who can betray his Warchief when you give the order.
• Fortress positions: strong followers placed as Warchiefs or Overlord make your fortresses harder to take.

Fortress Sieges

Attack:

1. Before the siege, weaken the Overlord by killing or dominating Warchiefs.
2. Pick Siege Upgrades for your Warchiefs (e.g. siege beasts, drakes, catapults).
3. Break through the walls, capture control points, and fight the Overlord in the throne room.

Defense:

1. Pick a strong Overlord from your followers.
2. Assign Warchiefs and Fortress Upgrades.
3. In the Shadow Wars, keep upgrading: Sauron's armies get stronger each wave.

The Shadow Wars (Act IV)

Act IV is all about defending your fortresses. It was shortened in the 2018 patch compared to launch.

• Keep followers leveling.
• Recruit orcs strong enough to handle higher-level enemies.
• You'll unlock a series of cutscenes and the true ending once you finish defending the required fortresses.

DLC Overview

Collectibles and Side Content

Each region has collectibles that give lore, rewards and completion progress. Climb and cleanse the towers in each region to reveal the map and its points of interest.

Side quests worth doing early:

• The Carnán quest line (nature spirit) and Eltariel-related quests for story context.
• The Brûz story, which introduces one of the game's most memorable followers.
• Nemesis missions (ambushes, duels, rescues) whenever a captain you care about is involved.

Tip: Region completion helps you find more captains and gear, and makes the endgame easier.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Fighting captains without looking at their traits. A stealth-immune orc is not the one to sneak up on.
• Letting low-level orcs run the fortress. Upgrade and replace them.
• Ignoring gems. They're free damage and health.
• Skipping side missions. They unlock skill points, gear and followers.
• Dying to a captain repeatedly. Each death makes him stronger. Retreat and come back ready.
• Rushing the ending before the Shadow Wars. You miss the real ending.

Advanced Tips

• Shame vs Dominate: Shaming lowers an orc's level and can make him mentally unstable. Only shame orcs you want to weaken.
• Death threats: issue a death threat to an enemy captain for better loot, but he gets stronger.
• Online Vendettas and Social/Online Conquest: avenge other players' deaths and raid other players' fortresses (if servers are up) for rewards.
• Legendary sets: wear several pieces for set bonuses. Pick a set that suits your playstyle.
• Drakes: once you can ride them, drakes speed up fights and sieges.
• Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard and Nemesis. Nemesis difficulty changes how orcs react and level.

FAQ

Is Shadow of War still getting updates? No. The last big patch was the 2018 update that removed the Market; the Definitive Edition followed in August 2018.

Do I need Shadow of Mordor first? It helps with the story but isn't required.

Can I still buy loot boxes? No. All microtransactions and the Market were removed in July 2018; everything is earned in play.

How long is the game? The story is around 30–40 hours for most players, more if you do everything.

Is the Definitive Edition worth it? Yes. It includes all DLC.

What's the true ending? You unlock it by finishing the Shadow Wars in Act IV.

Are online features still up? They depend on WB's servers. Check in-game; single-player works without them.

Sources

• Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Steam
• Definitive Edition announcement (Steam, 2018-08-28)
• LOTR 25th Anniversary sale (Steam, 2026-08-27)
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Wikipedia