 The Battle for Middle @-@ earth II introduces three new factions with unique units and heroes : Goblins , Dwarves , and Elves . Rohan and Gondor are combined into one faction called Men of the West . Along with Mordor and Isengard from the first game , there are six playable factions . The troops of Gondor provide a solid offense and defense with standard infantry and archers , and the Rohirrim of Rohan act as elite cavalry . The Elven archers are effective at inflicting damage from a distance , and their support units , the Ents , can perform a combination of melee and siege attacks , they are often considered the strongest defensive faction due to their strong missile units and powerful ' <unk> arrows ' . Although slow and expensive , Dwarven infantry , pikemen , and axe @-@ throwers are very powerful and well @-@ armored allowing them to prevail in even the longest clashes with enemy troops . A collection of wild creatures and beasts of Middle @-@ earth make up the Goblin faction , this includes goblins , trolls , spiders , and dragons , which are effective in large numbers . Their only advantage is that the goblin archer and soldier units are cheap to make at only 75 resources and build faster than other basic infantry . Isengard troops are highly trained Uruk @-@ hai under Saruman 's command . <unk> are used by Isengard as one @-@ man armies that move extremely fast and deal significant damage ( particularly to enemy buildings and heroes ) . Additionally , Isengard is the only Evil faction that can build walls . Mordor forces are a mixture of Orcs , Men , Trolls , <unk> , and Sauron 's lieutenants . Mordor Orcs have tough armor , making them useful for absorbing enemy damage while stronger units attack enemies . Trolls contribute greatly to the Mordor offensives , having strong melee attacks and the ability to throw boulders or wield trees like swords . 
