The Siege of Nordinbad turns target priority into the main objective. Use the outer mounted crossbows on clustered lanes, destroy both siege towers, stop sappers before they reach the inner gate, and reserve strong fixed-weapon fire for trolls. Before launching the chapter, confirm all seven Lidless Eye scrolls were returned to Elrond; entering the Siege closes that missable handoff.
Before launch
Verify the seven-scroll quest is completed, equip every hero, and record current war-machine kills.
Outer wall
Fire into clustered lanes, watch the operator's flanks, and destroy the two advancing siege towers.
Inner gate
Sappers are the immediate failure threat; remove them before ordinary enemies and retain the machine for trolls.
Final defense
Defeat the commander, coordinate with Gorin and Beleram, and let the full chapter checkpoint finish.
Confirm the missable gate in Nordinbad
Open the quest log before choosing the Siege. Cult of the Lidless Eye must show the seven-scroll return to Elrond as complete, not merely seven items collected. Also confirm the first-Rivendell Frodo interaction and Glorihirin’s rescue/follow-up if this is the completion run.
Check recovery, equipment, and skills across Eradan, Andriel, and Farin. The defense moves between fixed weapons and ground combat, so no companion should depend on an empty slot. In co-op, agree who operates and who protects each emplacement.
Record the current war-machine statistic. The achievement route counts 150 war-machine kills, and knowing the starting value prevents an uncertain grind later.
Use the outer crossbows on valuable lanes
Wait for enemies to cluster within the weapon arc, then sweep the lane. Do not hold the emplacement after targets leave the firing zone or attackers reach the operator. A protecting player should call flanks and interrupt enemies that would force the operator off at the wrong moment.
The outer sequence requires destroying two siege towers. Watch objective prompts and focus the tower when it enters a valid lane. Ordinary enemies matter only insofar as they threaten the operator or wall. Firing continuously without reading impact can waste the short tower window.
In solo, leave the crossbow between volleys to assess companions and recovery. A mounted weapon is powerful, but the AI may not protect the exact side a human expects.
Stop inner-gate sappers first
At the inner gate, identify sappers by their approach and objective threat. They outrank ordinary goblins because one ignored runner can erase an otherwise strong defense. Eradan can remove a distant sapper, Farin can block a close lane, and Andriel can control a group crossing the same approach.
Keep the fixed weapon available for trolls. The current completion route recommends leaving it oriented away from the gate when not firing so accidental shots or tunnel vision do not obscure the objective lane. Re-enter when the troll is exposed and the operator has protection.
Call targets by lane rather than by hero. “Right sapper” gives every player an actionable location. If a companion falls, remove the immediate gate threat before reviving.
Defeat the commander and finish the defense
After the large waves, reorganize for the commander. Do not spend the last recovery item on a harmless survivor if the boss phase is imminent. Keep an exit from heavy attacks and punish only after a committed animation.
Coordinate the story sequence involving Gorin and Beleram and follow the objective prompts. Beleram use during the Siege does not replace the later final-boss restriction; the “do not summon” condition applies to the final Agandaûr encounter in the current achievement route.
Let dialogue and checkpoint completion settle before opening travel or exiting. Verify the campaign moved toward Carn Dûm and note the updated war-machine count.
Recover a short war-machine count safely
If the 150-kill target remains incomplete, current guidance names the Mount Gundabad Gate Chamber as a replay opportunity. Start the entire map rather than a late checkpoint so enemies and statistics initialize consistently. Use the mounted weapon on the prescribed waves and check Gameplay Stats after a stable checkpoint.
Do not overwrite the only endgame save casually. Confirm whether replay returns the campaign to its prior state through normal menus. A count likely to finish during the Siege should be allowed to progress naturally before beginning a dedicated repetition.
Continue with Carn Dûm for the final route or the achievement guide for remaining counters.