Talion, the hero of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, is back in the upcoming sequel Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, an action role-playing game set in the Lord of the Rings universe. Here's what you need to know about Talion. Talion rose to prominence as a Ranger of Gondor, where his adept leadership and combat skills resulted in his promotion to Captain of the Black Gate. Soon after, servants of the dark lord Sauron (you might remember him -- and his eye -- from the Lord of the Ring movies) attacked the Black Gate, where Talion, his wife, and child were ritually sacrificed so that Sauron lieutenant The Black Hand could fuse with the soul of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor. But Talion's story didn't end there. Celebrimbor's soul fused with his instead, and Talion was resurrected, embarking on a mission of revenge entwined with that of his new, literal soulmate.Shadow of Mordor's story consumed most of that quest. Working in harmony with Celebrimbor, Talion became an unstoppable killing machine with ancient powers at his disposal, destroying the Black Hand and a healthy chunk of Sauron's orc army.But instead of choosing to rest in peace to be with their families, the two decided to continue their efforts against Sauron and his attempt to conquer Mordor. And that's where Shadow of War kicks off. Discover the latest adventures of Talion and Celebrimbor when Middle-Earth: Shadow of War launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 10.

Meet Talion and Celebrimbor from 'Middle-Earth: Shadow of War' 

By the end of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, protagonist Talion was an unbeatable Orc-slaying machine, able to swiftly dispatch  crowds of enemies in gloriously gory fashion. That was largely due to the powers granted to him by Celebrimbor, the elf lord whose soul became entwined with Talion's during the course of Shadow of Mordor.Talion and Celebrimbor are back in the upcoming sequel Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, ready to take up the fight once more against the Orc hordes. So how has Talion's toolkit improved since his last outing? Let's take a look at some of the new skills announced so far.In Shadow of War, Talion's skills are broken into six distinct trees: Combat, Predator, Ranged, Wraith, Mounted, and Story.Combat unsurprisingly improves Talion's basic fighting ability, with skills like Perfect Counter, in which a well-timed button press can knock an enemy to the ground, and Brutal Aggression, which allows Talion to execute a foe in such brutal fashion that nearby enemies flee in terror.The Predator tree focuses on stealth and is filled with skills like Poison Tendril, which allows Talion to poison grog barrels from afar and cause enemies to fight each other, and Deadly Spectre, which is used to lure enemies in stealth to meet a grim end by Celebrimbor's hand.Ranged upgrades Talion's bow and arrow proficiency. Skills on this tree include Detonate, which allows Talion to Shadow Strike into a fit pit, detonating it and setting nearby enemies on fire.Next is the Wraith tree, which focuses on Celebrimbor's abilities. These include skills like Elven Light, which unloads of a powerful blast of light that blinds enemies, and Treasure Hunter, which automatically collects loot from downed enemies.Then there's the Mounted tree, which grants Talion the ability to subdue and mount the beasts of Mordor, including Caragors and Drakes.Finally, there's the Story tree, which is unlocked as part of the main story campaign. This tree includes necessary skills like Drain, which lets Talion sap health from Orcs and beasts, and Spectral Glaive, which allows Talion to perform a devastating sweep attack with his glaive.Unlock these and many more of Talion's skills when Middle-Earth: Shadow of War comes out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 10.

'Middle-Earth: Shadow of War': Talion Abilities Breakdown

'Middle-earth: Shadow of War' - Official Launch Trailer

For those who fear the eight-legged freaks, we suggest you look away now because the Middle-earth: Shadow of War story trailer contains one massive spider. Either that or skip forward because you're not going to want to miss this epic trailer. The trailer showcases the game's hero, Celebrimbor (aka The Bright Lord for the Shadow of Mordor DLC) and the setting of Talion as he works to use the power of the New Ring to form his own army to take on Sauron and his Nazgul. The game will see you take part in a monumental battle for Middle-earth.Check out all the new allies, villains and creatures arriving with the game that you'll encounter as you play as Celebrimbor.

Warning the Middle-earth: Shadow of War story trailer contains a massive spider

A sequel to the acclaimed Lord of the Rings action game has been announced, and it looks like a doozy. Fandom Games Editors Henry and Bob discuss the most interesting parts of the newly revealed story, as well as where the last game left us, questions about the Nemesis system, and confusion about how exactly Sauron got a physical body again.Middle-earth: Shadow of War is out August 22.

Fan Feed - 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War' Reveal Reactions

Official story trailer for Shadow of Mordor.

Shadow of Mordor

Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer - Banished from Death

Pollyanna McIntosh, of The Walking Dead, speaks to FANDOM at Comic-Con about her character in Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Shelob the massive spider lady - and her very personal and super cool connection to the man himself, J.R.R Tolkien.McIntosh plays Shelob in maid form, and although she looks very much like herself, has plenty of spidery elements to her character.Check out the full interview and get ready for the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor release date on October 13 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War's Pollyanna McIntosh on Shelob and Family Ties to J.R.R Tolkien

Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition Trailer

Tutorial video for the Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Palantir companion app. 

Shadow of Mordor Palantir Companion App - Tutorial  

Shadow of Mordor - Marwen Trailer

The war for Mordor begins. Watch the official gameplay walkthrough for Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Witness firsthand the next generation of the innovative Nemesis Systemfeaturing the addition of Nemesis Fortresseswhere players must utilize different strategies to conquer dynamic strongholds and forge their personalized Orc army.In this video, Talion and Celebrimbor have used the power of the New Ring to recruit Followers in their assault on a fortress in the mountain valley of Seregost. This is just one of the millions of possibilities that players will experience in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Available beginning August 22, 2017 on Xbox One, Project Scorpio, Windows 10 PC (Windows Store and Steam), PlayStation4 and PlayStation4 Pro.

'Shadow of War' Gameplay Reveal - 16 Minutes of Tolkien Action

Official walkthrough trailer for Shadow of Mordor.

Shadow of Mordor - Gameplay Trailer

Middle-earth is the topic for this LIVE episode of Qwizards at SXSW.

Qwizards [LIVE] - MIddle-earth SXSW

The game developers at Monolith personally welcome you to the new Shadow of Mordor Wikia. 

Shadow of Mordor Wikia - Welcome Video

Shadow of Mordor Director of Design, Michael DePlater, takes questions from superfans of the Shadow of Mordor Wikia Community.

Shadow of Mordor - Expert Showcase

Hear from Wikia Stars on their thoughts about the upcoming Shadow of Mordor game release. 

Shadow of Mordor - Stars Showcase

Gamers can download and play as the infamous White Wizard, Saruman in Guardians of Middle-earth on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network

Guardians of MIddle-earth

Guardians of Middle-earth - Saruman Trailer

Official 'Shadow of War' Shelob Reveal Trailer

The Shadow of Mordor Wikia annotates the latest "Marwen" trailer with easter eggs galore. 

Shadow of Mordor Marwen Trailer - Fannotation 

The new trailer showcases the open world competitive multiplayer system, dubbed Shadow War.

Defiance

Defiance Shadow War Gameplay Trailer

This second DLC trailer for Guardians of Middle-earth features the Goblin Cleavers selection

Guardians of Middle-earth

Guardians of Middle-earth Second DLC Trailer

Shadow of Mordor - Artifacts Super Walkthrough  

Shadows of Mordor The Bright Lord DLC Trailer

Shadows of Mordor - The Bright Lord DLC Trailer

Locations Super Walkthrough for Shadow of Mordor. 

Shadow of Mordor - Locations Super Walkthrough 

Up Next

A new Ring is forged...War awaits...and Nothing Will Be Forgotten. The next chapter begins with Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Watch the gameplay reveal on March 8. Available August 22, 2017 on Xbox One, Project Scorpio, PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro.Middle-earth: Shadow of War is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, winner of more than 50 industry awardsincluding the 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming at the 2015 D.I.C.E. Awards and the BAFTA for Game Design. Developed by Monolith Productions, Middle-earth: Shadow of War features an original story with the return of Talion and Celebrimbor, who must go behind enemy lines to forge an army and turn all of Mordor against the Dark Lord, Sauron. 

Feb 27, 2017

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