One Does Not Simply Walk into Mordor - Let's Play Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for GBA

Okay, so now let's talk about shrines. Of the three main types of "shops" (I guess you could call them), they are probably my favorite in the game. Why?

BECAUSE









Unfortunately, they can get real expensive real fast, because every time you purchase an extra Attribute or Skill point, the price of the next one increases by an amount equal to the original cost. The first att. point is 100 g, the second is 200 g, the third is 300 g, et cetera, et cetera. SO YEAH.

by the way, is it just my computer being weird, or are some of my images up there broken...?

Once our lovely, pleasant, not-at-all-psychoticprotagonist has finished praying at the shrine, she heads off to bigger and better things.



: Heeeeere orcsie, orcsie, Ms. Eowyn has a present for yooooouuu~



: GAH! FREAKING BIRDS! D:<

: Huh? Wuzzat?



: A-HAHAHAHA! DIIIIIEEEEE!

: Oh, that's wuzzat.

>:D

D:







... is it just me, or was that one Uruk Hai actually running away from Eowyn?

: Silly orcs, if you run that just means you get stabbed in the back instead of the front~ :DDD

: My wealth grows~

Aren't you a princess, though? You should already be plenty wealthy.

: You can never have enough monies.



: Sidequest? HELL YEAH!

: But first, I will hack apart this log in search of lewt.



: Aww, nuts. Nothing. Oh well.



: GAH! FUCKING BIRDS!



: See you in Hell, Crow. or whatever hell-equivalent we have in middle-earth, at any rate



: Oooh, shiny~ I think I will call you Mr. T, and we will kill everything and be best friends forever... or I'll sell you off for a handful of gems at the nearest opportunity. Whatever works.

: Mr. T, meet Allie. I use her whenever I need to cut a bitch. Which is always.



: Now, of course some people just don't know when to quit.



: That is when you go for the coup de grace. Also, are those bandages? Cool, I can use those so I don't have to go barefoot everywhere. stupid uncle theoden suspending my allowance just for dipping into the treasury to buy a few new pairs of shoes



fuck yeah, +10% move speed~

: Now, let's try these babies out.



: Wheeeee~



: Wheeeee~




: Wheeeeeeeee--OHSHITANORC!
no wait that's not right



: AHAHAHAHAHA AN ORC >:DDDDD



: ohshi--maybe i spoke too soon D:

: No, wait, I was right the first time. AHAHAHAHAHAHA, DIIIIIEEEEE!!!







: I see yoooouuu~




: Huh... He was carrying fruit. Do orcs even eat fruit? ...meh, who cares. *NOMNOMNOM*



: Mmm, roasted crebain with fruit salad. Yummy.

SO. Fruit is one of three random edible loots you can find on enemy corpses. It restores a little HP when you eat it. The other two are mushrooms, which restore some HP and SP, and elven waybread, or lembas, which heals your HP up a ton.











: Soooo pretty... I bet it'll go for a lot at the shrine~ :3c



: OFF WE GO

: dafuq? Where did you come from? I thought I killed all you guys.

: Wicked harpy! I shall exact righteous vengeance upon you! The deaths of my comrades shall be repaid, with your life as the weregild!



: Son, please. Don't go all Sasuke on me, or I will have no choice but to go Killer Bee on yo' punk ass.

:... pardon?

: Imma make you squeal like a pig >:D

: Oh my.

*RETURN OF THE CENSORED*



: You can't touch this~

SO. That's about everything for this level, and we have a couple more pieces of equipment to vote on whether wear or sell.

FIRSTLY



This gives us +1 to accuracy and health, and +5 to our maximum SP total. It is a charm, and what we currently have in the charm slot is a collar, which gives a measly +1 to defense. The choice seems pretty obvious to me, but I feel obligated to give you guys the option anyway.

After that is



which is also an obvious choice, as it is simply superior to our current armor. But coming up is one that may require a little more consideration.



The T-Sword, or "Mr. T", as Eowyn has dubbed it, is a very strong weapon for this early in the game. It has a low accuracy for a sword, and but a +5% to crit, but that 9-19 melee damage is incredibly tempting.

HOWEVER.

That (2H)?

That means it's a two-handed weapon. Which, in turn, means that we cannot equip a shield while using it.

Which is an important thing to consider, since Eowyn is a SHIELDmaiden.

So yeah.

Anyways, that last item is just another collar. So that's going straight to the offering bin.

ALSO. Fairly important decision.

In this game, if you save and then quit a level, then load said save, you return to the beginning of that level. While keeping all experience and loot you gained. And this level has a shrine, where we can sell our vendor trash and buy skill and att. points.

I think you see what I'm getting at with this.

SO. Since this game can get real hard real fast, do you guys think I should do some off-screen grinding? I'll still let y'all vote on equipment, skill, and attribute choices, but it'll will mean putting off progressing NOW in exchange for hopefully not smashing into a wall later.



PLEASE BOLD YOUR VOTE ON WHETHER TO GRIND OR PROGRESS.


Welp.
Until next time,

Grind.

Grind. And wear the upgrades...and the 2 hander. She doesn't have a shield right now, so she's already failed the definition of shieldmaiden...

Also you're right. I forgot I had a GBA once upon a time...and it was the Two Towers version I played. Damn that was a long time ago!

Okey-dokey, then. Looks like we'll be grinding for a bit. Here's Eowyn current load-out and stats. i'm keeping the ally's longsword for now



individual bonuses from equipment:
keepsake: +1 accuracy, +1 health, +5 SP
t-sword: 9-19 melee damage, -2 accuracy, +5% critical
bull's cloth shirt: +2 melee armor, +2 missile armor, +1 strength, +1 health
wrappings: +10% speed
ugluk's half gloves: +1 strength, +2 accuracy, +1 health

total bonuses from equipment:
+2 strength
+1 accuracy
+3 health
+/-0 defense
+/-0 courage
+5 SP
+2 melee armor
+2 missile armor
+10% speed
+5% critical
9-19 melee damage

and Eowyn's current stat screen



now to start actually grinding

Okay, so here's some highlights from grinding.



See how low Eowyn's health is in this screenshot? See how she's standing over Lembas Bread?
This is what happen when she eats the lembas.



Yeah. See that? Her HP is now full.

I told you that was some potent stuff.

Also, here's a better screenshot of some lembas.



also, as a note, that symbol in the upper left-hand corner is just a notification that Eowyn has undistributed att./skill points from a level up

Alright, look what I found! This is perfect for grinding!



Of course, the Fragile attribute means that it has a chance of randomly breaking when swung, but I should be able to get at least a few kills out of it... dat +35% experience bonus *drools*

Oh geez, look what I found only moments after the polished hatchet finally broke.



If I didn't know any better, I'd think the game was actually aware and trying to help me, hahaha~

Here's a screenshot of what fresh athelas looks like, in case you ever need to know that. Like, if you're escorting a hobbit through the wilds and they happen to get stabbed with a Morgul blade wielded by the shade of an undying king.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--

er...
I mean...
ahem

THIS IS AN ORC DRUM
IT IS NOT ONLY USELESS, BUT ACTIVELY DETRIMENTAL
YET IT IS ALSO VERY, VERY RARE
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING IT IS GOOD FOR



AND THAT IS AS VENDOR TRASH because holy shit at that value it's fucking crazy, especially when most stuff we find this early on is almost never worth more than 50 gems, let alone 500

And not long after that, I find this.



: Man, I think I actually decapitated him with that one. Blood everywhere... awesome.



:...:/

:... ... :o

:... ... ... :D



...and that is how Eowyn met Wilson.

:DDD

Orc heads, by the way, are about as rare as orc drums. Except orc heads are actually vaguely useful.



Naturally, this means they sell for less than orc drums...somehow.

/c|ಠ_ಠ) o--{=====>

... of course, that's a moot point, as Eowyn made a very convincing argument for keeping the orc head Wilson--please don't stab me



:D

Also, I took the initiative to replace Eowyn's regular old wrappings with



since most of you guys demonstrated an interest in having her strength boosted, and it works great together with the orc head in her pack.

ALSO.



Eowyn, after grinding enough to gain four levels, has finally accrued enough monies to purchase two extra skill points.



Naturally



I do


Precisely



That.

SO.

Eowyn is now level six.



We have twenty att. points we can allocate



and six skill points.

The available skills are Nimble (above), which gives +4% chance of dodging blows per level, which we could pump up as high as level three if we so wanted for a total bonus of +12% dodge



Herb Lore, which could likewise be boosted as high as its third level for reference, dried athelas heals 60 hp and fresh athelas heals 120.



Keen Eyes, which could also be boosted as high as its third level



Double strike is another option, same as the previous three



along with Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

Also, I forgot about it last time



but Shield Bash was and is also available. Of course, we'd need to equip a shield if we wanted to get any use out of it...

Lastly, a particularly nice skill became available to us at level five...



Yeah. It's a decent tactical support move, plus it lets you zoom all over the place at crazy speeds. Sadly, we would only be able to put one point into it at our current level. Also, 65 Spirit represents almost fully half of Eowyn's current maximum sp, so yeah.

As a final piece of news, Eowyn now has a shield that she can equip alongside Allie (the Ally's Longsword).



...not exactly a masterpiece, but it's a start.

So, do you guys think we should make her a proper shieldmaiden now, or stick with Mr. T and wait for something a little more tempting to come along?

Shieldmaiden.

I like the sound of Rohan Sprint, but if not, Shieldmaiden works too.

... Without any additional context, I am uncertain as to whether you mean the skill Shieldmaiden, or if you mean that you want her equipped like one (i.e., to swap out the T-Sword for Ally's Longsword and the Buckler). For now, I'll assume you meant both. (I'm not sure if the Shieldmaiden even works without a shield equipped...)

Well we have enough points for both. You only need one skill point to raise the level of a skill, though you need to be a high enough level to do so. So even if we raised Shieldmaiden as high as we could at our current level (which would be its third level) we would still have three skill points left. And considering we would only be able to raise Rohan Sprint one skill level, that still leaves us with two unassigned skill points.

Unless you want me to distribute those skill points myself (and honestly I'd probably just put them into Keen Eyes >.>), I suppose I'll save them for now.

Also, since neither of you had any suggestions for how to distribute the stat points, I'll leave those untouched as well. I'll wait a while longer before getting back to playing, though, just in case anyone has any other suggestions they want to make.

Equiped. Do as you like with skills.

Well, all right, then. Eowyn is now equipped with Allie and the Buckler.



I've also distributed four of the six skill points between Shieldmaiden and Rohan Sprint, as per keifufairies 's suggestion.





I'll wait a while longer, though, in case anyone else wants to pipe in with a suggestion.

Gratuitous stat stuffs for whoever likes that sort of thing.

Individual equipment bonuses:
blue sapphire keepsake: +1 accuracy, +1 health, +5 SP
hood: +1 critical armor
cape: +1 melee armor, +1 missile armor
ally's longsword: 5-11 melee damage, +1 damage, +10% critical
bull's cloth shirt: +2 melee armor, +2 missile armor, +1 strength, +1 health
buckler: +10% shield block
great orc's wrappings: +2 strength, -1 courage, +10% speed
ugluk's half gloves: +1 strength, +2 accuracy, +1 health
orc head (backpack): +1 courage

total bonuses
+4 strength
+3 accuracy
+3 health
+/-0 defense
+/-0 courage
+5 SP
+3 melee armor
+3 missile armor
+1 critical armor
+10% speed
+10% critical
+10% shield block
5-11 melee damage
+1 damage

Also, I just noticed that Eowyn has a surprisingly high attack power all of a sudden, for a base damage of 5-10.
With nothing equipped.
Yeah. Fully decked out, she has a projected damage output of 12-23.
crazy.

: I'm just awesome like that. :^3

Double strike and Keen Eyes!

Alright, that's what I'll put the remaining two skill points in, then. Good thing I saved 'em~

I'll get on that right after this coming update. :)

Okay, so first things first...



...here's what Eowyn's sprite looks like with a shield equipped. With most of the other character sprites, shields are kinda hard to see. But not on Eowyn's.

Also, here's what the Shieldmaiden of Rohan skill looks like.







It's a pretty neat back and forth sort of animation. :D

: Hey, old timer. I didn't see your horse anywhere in this level, and I've replayed it like a dozen times today.

(o_o): ...That's because it's one level over, Princess.

: ...Oh. I knew that. seriously? that does it, i am so out of here.

And here's Shieldmaiden combined with Rohan Sprint (yes, you can stack different buffing skills, and most of them each have their own fairly unique animations, though there is a touch of repetition between some of the characters), which isn't quite as impressive, visually, as Shieldmaiden.







: Sayonara, sucker.

And after a brief screen transition, Eowyn finds herself in the next area.



Before she can do anything, the camera decides to pan over the level in a heavily hinting manner.



One pretty horsie~



#scenery porn



Two pretty horsies~



: !! Treasure senses... tingling!



Three prett--OHGAWD



oh god



oh god

:I... I think I need to lie down for a moment....



whyyyyyyy horsiiieeee ;____;

While Eowyn collects herself,

I take Eightball 's suggestion and put a point apiece into Keen Eyes and Double Strike.





Also, I would like to remind everyone that we still have twenty (20!) unallocated attribute points.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel like joining Eowyn in drowning my sorrows.



horsiiieeeeeee wwwhhhyyyyyyyy ;_;

After going out and getting smashed for a couple hours, Eowyn is finally ready (read: drunk enough) to face the horrors (read: dead ponies) ahead.

: Okay, I'm ready, I can do this. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.



: Alright, I'm doing great. Just gotta take it one step at a time. I'm not gonna freak out, it's just a dead horse. I'm not gonna--



: ...

Horrified and infuriated by the actions of those vile, abhorrent goblin-men, Eowyn's world turned bloody crimson. A ragged cry of bestial rage tore from her lips, her eyes alight with a dread flame.



She charged the two uruk-hai, lashing out with her longsword at the nearest target. Black, vile orc blood flew through the air as battle-sharpened steel ripped through the hapless fiend's throat.



Immediately, before the uruk could recover or its ally come to its aid, she struck again, in her fury shearing through the breastplate like a knife through hot wax.



The orc staggered, a choked gurgle emanating from its misshapen mouth as blood dribbled down its lips. Its beady, sunken eyes were wide and glassy, staring ahead in shock.



With a final gasp, blood spurting from its two deep wounds, the uruk-hai collapsed.

It was dead before it even hit the ground.

But Eowyn's vengeful fury was far from quenched. Rounding the mutilated corpse of what had once been a proud and noble steed of Rohan, as beloved as bosom kin to the Rohirrim.



The uruk brandished its crudely fashioned iron blade, nothing like the keen steel broadswords which had been wielded by the uruk-hai forces at Helm's Deep. Saruman's forces were splintered after their defeat, a once-fearsome army now divided, it's commanders reduced to squabbling amongst themselves, devolving into little more than brigands and bandits while their "noble leader" secluded himself within the ring of Isengard.



For a brief moment, pale crimson flames seemed to dance across the length of Eowyn's blade as it arced through the air, cold steel slicing through a crude mishmash of iron and leather, tearing the uruk's guts.



With a pained, guttural cry, it too fell.

Eowyn strode forth, hearing the clamor of more orcs ahead. Her eyes gleamed with a cold light, her visage fair and fierce.



She was a daughter of the house Eorl, descended from a long line of proud warriors. She could trace her lineage, through song and poem, to none other than Eorl the Young, first king of Rohan.

And to the uruk-hai she faced, there was no greater evidence of that noble lineage than her stature, her stance, her very presence which seemed to command fear and respect. She was, in will and spirit and flesh and blood, every bit a warrior of Rohan.



With well-practiced ease, Eowyn danced between the uruk-hai, her sword flashing in lines and arcs. Blood flew through the air as she fought, effortlessly overwhelming her foes. Her movements were fierce, yet there was a grace of tranquility to them.

Eowyn was fighting, but she no longer saw her opponents.



They blurred together, falling one after another before her onslaught.



Sometimes it felt like her blade cut through more bodies, and sometimes less.



But she did not care.



She was beyond rage, beyond bloodlust.



Some might have called it Nirvana, the state she had attained, where such emotions meant nothing to her.



She felt strangely detached from the scene before eyes, as though she were merely a spectator with no investment in what was happening.



As though it was not by her will alone that her arms moved.

But in the end, it mattered not. The enemies, regardless of numbers, fell without note. And Eowyn fought and fought, until at last she stood before the mouth of the cave, covered in blood and surrounded by the bodies of fallen foes.



With a sense of something like pride, she viewed devastation she had wrought upon the uruk-hai. Lifting her eyes to the heavens, she let out a loud, clear cry, raising her sword as she bellowed in grim victory,

: FOR PONNYYYY!

fuck i should not write when i am so tired it always ends up weird

And Some Fruit (in several of your screenshots). Kinda weird that Uruk-hai carry fruit.

In any case, stat dump in strength and accuracy. Kill everything fast, and you don't need defense or hitpoints!

To be fair, it's not as nearly as weird as them carrying lembas.

And yeah, that sounds about right. ;D

Well. I hardly got any sleep last night, and my brain is only half-functioning in its drowsy state, but I played a bit more and figured I could make at least a short update.

Isn't that right, Wilson?



...
....
.....Wilson says yes.

: Well, I glad I got that out of my system. Maybe now I can--oooh, barrels!



: Yaaay, loot~ Nothing could possibly ruin this day~



: Gya-haw-haw! C'mere, boys! Lookie what I found! 'S'some 'umie, eh wot!

:...

:... Yaaay, free exp! :D