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Middle-earth: Shadow of War’s Orc Tales trailer hears from orcs on the front line

Shadow of War Orc Tales

Being an orc on the frontlines has to be hard work. Long hours, bad food, and the chance that a ranger can come out of nowhere and chop your arm off. The latest trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of War hears from those fighters and how they came to side with or fight against Talion and Celebrimbor.

Find about Talion’s new abilities with our Shadow of War skills guide.

Rather than just being potential enemies, the orcs, uruks, and trolls of Shadow of War can join Talion’s warband. If you spare a particularly strong troll or save the life of a talented orc archer, they’ll abandon their previous tribe and rally behind the Bright Lord. Some might just hate life under Sauron and find working for Talion to be a welcome change of pace. These are the soldiers that may break you out of a tricky spot or look after your fortresses while you’re away. Building up a trustworthy army is key, as some orcs are bound to defect should the chance arise.

On the other end of the spectrum are Talion’s nemeses. These are the trolls who escaped the fight with an eye missing, uruks who managed to take down Talion in a skirmish, and ambitious orcs with something to prove. Just as you build an inner circle, you can bet there is a group of disgruntled orcs ready to take revenge for the time you left them for dead. Your allies may do the same, should you leave them as food for a hungry drake. Just remember that the orcs in Shadow of War are just like oliphants – they never forget.

This expansion of the Nemesis system is not only great for providing those moments where a long-standing companion may come in to save your bacon, but it also elevates the average orc from being just a rank and file evil minion. Each one has the potential for honourable deeds, along with the capacity to stab you in the back.