Armour Balancing

Gondorian armour reflects Numenorean craftsmanship — balanced, disciplined and reliable. Their plate is well-forged but not extravagant, designed for prolonged campaigns and versatile deployment across the many regions of the realm.

Gondor armour is slightly above baseline, reflecting their Numenorean heritage. Standard weight with dependable protection — functional and reliable across all theatres.

Rohirrim armour is lighter than most human factions, designed to be worn comfortably on horseback for extended campaigns. Protection is sacrificed for mobility — the Rohirrim rely on speed and the lance charge rather than standing in heavy plate.

Rohan armour is intentionally lighter — their cavalry doctrine prioritizes speed over protection. Infantry armour is also lighter, reflecting a culture that fights from the saddle.

Dwarven armour from the forges of Erebor is among the finest in Middle-earth. The Longbeards were some of the greatest smiths ever to walk the world, and their craft shows in every link and plate. Heavy, well-made and resilient — Erebor armour is built to outlast any siege.

Erebor armour is the second-best among non-elven factions, reflecting their legendary smithing tradition. Slightly heavier than standard but with significantly better protection.

Dale armour is northern mannish work, made prosperous again by trade with Erebor. Mail and scale predominate, cut for men who fight beside Dwarves and share their smiths, without the Dwarven weight penalty or the Dwarven protection bonus.

Dale fields 160 armour pieces across all five slots plus a starter kit. Cultural protection and weight modifiers are applied by the mod at runtime and are not published in the item XML.

The armour of the Iron Hills is the heaviest among all dwarven clans. Forged in the great war-smithies of the Ironfists, every piece is designed for frontline combat — thick plate, reinforced joints and unyielding construction. It is armour built for siege warfare and head-on assaults.

Iron Hills produce the best non-elven armour in the game. Their +5 protection modifier means every tier of armour is better than the equivalent from any human or orc faction.

Noldorin armour is the pinnacle of craftsmanship in Middle-earth. Forged by techniques passed down from the great smiths of Valinor, it combines supreme protection with astonishing lightness. Rivendell armour is as much art as it is defence — every piece is a masterwork.

Rivendell armour now shares the highest protection modifier (+5) with Iron Hills, Mirkwood and Lothlorien, AND has the lightest weight (0.70x). A Noldorin elite body armour provides 55 protection at only 15.4 weight. Elven craft excels in weight reduction, not raw protection above dwarves.

Silvan armour from Thranduil's halls is crafted from forest materials combined with elven metalwork. It is the lightest armour in the game — designed for woodland warfare where stealth and speed matter more than heavy plate. Despite its featherweight construction, elven craft ensures excellent protection.

Mirkwood armour is the lightest in the game at 0.65x weight multiplier. Their small roster (51 items) reflects a woodland kingdom with fewer armor variants than Rivendell, but what they have is exceptional.

The armour of Lothlorien is crafted beneath the golden mallorn trees by Sindarin and Silvan smiths guided by Noldorin knowledge. Balanced between the supreme protection of Rivendell and the featherlight craft of Mirkwood, it excels in all roles without dominating any single one.

Lothlorien armour items are planned but not yet implemented. Cultural modifiers are defined and ready for when the armour set is created.

Isengard armour is forged in the great pits beneath Orthanc — industrial mass production of heavy plate and war-gear. It is crude by elven or dwarven standards, but effective. Thick, heavy and designed to absorb punishment in pike formations and shock charges.

Isengard armour is the heaviest in the game (1.15x weight) but also provides above-average protection (+2). This reflects Saruman's industrial war machine — mass-produced but brutally effective.

Orc armour from the Dark Land is crude, heavy and mass-produced. Forged in the furnaces of Barad-dur and the slag pits of Gorgoroth, it is functional but lacks finesse. Heavy iron plates riveted together — effective enough for the expendable hordes of Mordor.

Mordor armour is slightly worse than baseline and heavier. This reflects mass-produced orc equipment — quantity over quality. In the future, unique creature armour (troll plate, fell beast harness) will add variety.

Gundabad orcs hold ancient dwarven cities including Mount Gundabad itself. Though their smithcraft is crude compared to dwarves, access to dwarven forges and captured equipment means their armour is serviceable — heavy and thick, built for the mountain orcs' aggressive combat style.

Gundabad armour is baseline protection but the heaviest in the game (tied with Isengard at 1.15x). The orcs benefit from captured dwarven forges — their armour is heavier than it needs to be but provides adequate protection.

Dol Guldur armour is forged in the dark smithies beneath the fortress of the Necromancer. As a major stronghold of Sauron, the fortress has dedicated forges producing serviceable war-gear. While crude by elven or dwarven standards, it is better equipped than Mordor's mass-produced output.

Dol Guldur armour is now baseline protection (up from -1), reflecting the fortress's dedicated forges and Sauron's investment in his southern stronghold. Still heavier than standard at 1.10x weight.

Haradrim armour is designed for the scorching deserts of the South. Light fabrics, leather and minimal plate — protection is sacrificed for mobility and heat management. Serpent Guard elite armour is the exception, incorporating more metal for ceremonial and front-line use.

Harad has the lowest protection modifier (-3) but also very light armour (0.85x). This reflects desert warfare — light, fast troops that rely on cavalry and archery rather than standing in heavy plate.

Easterling armour from the realms of Rhun is diverse and well-crafted. From the lacquered plates of the Loke-rim to the scale armour of the common soldier, Rhun produces competent equipment in large quantities. Their armour is balanced — neither exceptionally heavy nor light.

Rhun is baseline-equivalent to Gondor in armour quality. Their massive item count (594) reflects the largest culture roster in the game, with multiple regional sub-styles (Loke-rim, standard Easterling, etc.).

Dunlending armour is rough hill-folk equipment — fur, leather, and scavenged mail. Functional but primitive compared to the forges of Gondor or Erebor. What the Dunlendings lack in protection they gain in mobility, fighting as light skirmishers and raiders.

Dunland armour is slightly below average in protection but marginally lighter. This matches their infantry-focused, skirmishing warfare style.

Corsair armour is built for life at sea — medium weight, designed for boarding actions and close-quarters fighting on ship decks. Lighter than mainland plate to prevent drowning, but sturdy enough for the brutal melee of naval combat.

Umbar armour items are planned but not yet implemented. Cultural modifiers are defined for when the corsair armour set is created.

The armour of Arnor recalls the ancient Numenorean heritage of the Northern Kingdom. Though the realm has fallen, the Rangers and remnants of Arnor still maintain quality equipment — well-crafted, balanced, and carrying echoes of a greater age.

Arnor armour is above average, reflecting their Numenorean heritage. Baseline weight with +2 protection places them between Gondor and the dwarven factions.

The Variags of Khand are a fierce and warlike people from the arid lands east of Mordor. Their armour and equipment are not yet available in the current version of TAOM.

Khand armour is planned but not yet implemented. Cultural modifiers will be defined when the faction armour set is created.