Monolith shipped Middle-earth: Shadow of War on 10 October 2017, scaling the Nemesis System up from roaming patrols to five fortresses with named garrisons. Talion and Celebrimbor forge a new Ring of Power and take Mordor region by region, turning orc captains into branded followers instead of just killing them. The game launched with a paid Market selling gold and war chests, and Warner Bros. removed it entirely on 17 July 2018, which cut the grind out of the Shadow Wars endgame and replaced it with a shorter Epilogue that rewards the Masks of the Nazgul.
Starting Middle-earth: Shadow of War can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a action game built around The Nemesis System and Domination and branding. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Role
| Role | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Predator | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Ranged | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Wraith | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Mounted | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Predator. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Mounted as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn The Nemesis System
Every orc captain carries a personal list of strengths and weaknesses, and the game remembers what happened between you. An orc who kills you gets promoted, keeps the scars and mocks you about it the next time you meet, which is why the same fight never plays out twice. Traits such as Immune to Ranged, Immune to Stealth and Vault Breaker exist specifically to shut down whichever tactic you lean on.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how The Nemesis System works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Minas Ithil
The first explorable region and the one that teaches the Nemesis loop before the fortress game opens up properly. It is still a Gondorian city when you arrive, which makes it visually unlike anything else in the game.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Dagger: it's the most accessible early upgrade. The stealth weapon, used for assassinations and Brutalize, and it scales with the Predator tree rather than with open fighting. The Darkest dagger is a story reward rather than a random drop, unlocked by completing Knife in the Dark.
Step 4: Understand Domination and branding
Once Celebrimbor's Ring is upgraded, you can brand a weakened captain instead of executing him and he joins your army. Branded captains can be planted inside enemy garrisons as spies, promoted into bodyguard slots, or betrayed on command during a siege. Orcs with Iron Will cannot be dominated at all, so those you have to kill.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Cirith Ungol
The pass connecting eastern Gondor to the western edge of Mordor, dominated by its tower and by spider infested tunnels. Its fortress is one of the earlier ones players take once branding is properly online.
Essential Mechanics Explained
The Nemesis System
Every orc captain carries a personal list of strengths and weaknesses, and the game remembers what happened between you. An orc who kills you gets promoted, keeps the scars and mocks you about it the next time you meet, which is why the same fight never plays out twice. Traits such as Immune to Ranged, Immune to Stealth and Vault Breaker exist specifically to shut down whichever tactic you lean on.
Domination and branding
Once Celebrimbor's Ring is upgraded, you can brand a weakened captain instead of executing him and he joins your army. Branded captains can be planted inside enemy garrisons as spies, promoted into bodyguard slots, or betrayed on command during a siege. Orcs with Iron Will cannot be dominated at all, so those you have to kill.
Fortress assaults
Each of the five regions has one fortress held by an Overlord with War Chiefs beneath him. You weaken the garrison first by killing or branding the chiefs, then assault the walls, and the fight is far easier if you spent time seeding spies rather than charging straight in. Winning installs your own Overlord and changes who holds the region.
Orc tribes and their perks
Captains belong to tribes such as Machine, Mystic, Marauder, Warmonger, Feral, Terror and Dark, and the tribe decides both their toys and their legendary gear drops. Legendary sets are tribe aligned, so the Dark sword comes off a Legendary Dark captain and the Feral set bonus lets you mount unbroken graugs and drakes. Recruiting for tribe rather than for level is how you build a garrison that fights the way you want.
The Epilogue and Masks of the Nazgul
The post campaign content originally shipped as Shadow Wars, a long sequence of defence sieges that leaned on the paid Market. After the July 2018 update the Market was gone, Mirian became the only currency for training and upgrading your army, and the endgame was cut down into the Epilogue. Completing it secures the Masks of the Nazgul and unlocks new summoning and cursing abilities.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Killing every captain you beat instead of branding them, which leaves you assaulting fortresses with no army of your own
2. Attacking a captain with the tactic he is explicitly immune to, then dying and promoting him for no reason
3. Charging a fortress without weakening the War Chiefs first, which turns a manageable siege into a fight against a full strength garrison
4. Slotting gems by rarity rather than by slot, so the Wealth Gem ends up in a weapon where it does nothing for your Mirian income
5. Assuming the game still contains loot boxes and gold purchases, when the Market was removed permanently on 17 July 2018
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand The Nemesis System and Domination and branding
- Choose Predator as starting role
- Clear Minas Ithil main content
- Acquire Dagger or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Cirith Ungol
- Brand captains rather than executing them, because a branded orc keeps his level and traits and fights for you during the fortress assault in that region.
- Check a captain's trait list before committing, since Iron Will blocks domination outright and you will waste the whole approach trying.
Tips for New Players
- Brand captains rather than executing them, because a branded orc keeps his level and traits and fights for you during the fortress assault in that region.
- Check a captain's trait list before committing, since Iron Will blocks domination outright and you will waste the whole approach trying.
- Traits such as Immune to Ranged, Immune to Stealth and Vault Breaker exist to punish a one dimensional player, so keep at least two of Combat, Predator and Ranged usable.
- Seed branded spies among an Overlord's War Chiefs before you assault a fortress, then trigger the betrayal mid siege for a fight that costs you almost nothing.
- Shame a captain to demote him, then recruit him afterwards at a lower level if you want him cheap, or to remove a trait that makes him awkward.
- Put a Wealth Gem in your Ring rather than a combat gem, because Mirian pays for every army upgrade after the Market was removed in July 2018.
- Legendary sets are tribe aligned, so if you want the Feral four piece bonus that lets you mount unbroken graugs and drakes, hunt Feral legendary captains specifically.
- Gems upgrade through Regular, Carved, Polished, Refined and Perfect, so improving the gem you own is usually cheaper than chasing a marginally better weapon.
- If you bounced off the game at launch because of Shadow Wars, the July 2018 update replaced it with a shorter Epilogue that rewards the Masks of the Nazgul.
- Explosive barrels and grog barrels in orc camps do more damage than your bow, so shoot the barrel rather than the orc standing next to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many regions does Shadow of War have?
Five, each with one fortress: Minas Ithil, Cirith Ungol, Nurnen, Gorgoroth and Seregost. Minas Ithil is the first region you explore and Nurnen is the third.
Are there still microtransactions?
No. Warner Bros. removed the Market, gold and war chests permanently in a free update on 17 July 2018. Mirian earned in game is now the only currency for training, upgrading and customising your orc army.
What are the skill trees?
Combat, Predator, Ranged, Wraith and Mounted, plus story skills granted by the campaign. Wraith is the one to prioritise if you care about branding and army building, since it governs domination.
How do gems work?
There are three types. Warrior Gems give attack effects, Life Gems give health and health stealing effects, and Wealth Gems give bonuses that vary by slot, most usefully Mirian income in a Ring. Each comes in Regular, Carved, Polished, Refined and Perfect grades.
What do I do after the main campaign?
The Epilogue, which replaced the original Shadow Wars grind. Completing it secures the Masks of the Nazgul and unlocks new summoning and cursing abilities, and it is far shorter than the version that shipped in 2017.
More Middle-earth: Shadow of War Guides
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Middle-earth: Shadow of War Overview
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Best Builds
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Tier List
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Walkthrough
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Tips & Tricks
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Weapons Guide
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Combat Guide
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Boss Guide
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Maps & Locations
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Crafting Guide
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Middle-earth: Shadow of War, check out these related guides:
- Helldivers 2 Beginner's Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Black Myth: Wukong Beginner's Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Monster Hunter Wilds Beginner's Guide: action game with similar mechanics
