Epic Battle: Helm's Dike

Helm's Dike
Level:	10 or higher
Size:	Solo/Duo, Fellowship(6)
Cluster:	Battle for Helm's Deep
Region:	West Rohan
Area:	Helm's Deep

File:Helms dike promotional.jpg

Helm's Dike is an Epic Battle introduced in Update 12: Helm's Deep. It can be run Solo/Duo or in a Fellowship by characters Level 10 and higher, and must be completed on Solo/Duo mode before other Epic Battles can be attempted.

All players are "Level Scaled" to level 150. Equipment is also scaled and Virtues are scaled to at least level 14.

Lore

Helm's Dike is an ancient earthen wall and trench which stretched across the entrance to the Deeping-coomb, a quarter mile ('two furlongs') before the Hornburg, with the twenty foot tall rampart serving as the first line of defence for Helm's Deep. On 3 March TA Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli together with King Théoden, Éomer and a band of Rohirrim Riders crossed the dike on their way to the Hornburg. Defence of the trench was led by Gamling, who managed to retreat after the dike was overrun during the early stages of the Battle of the Hornburg.

Quests

All quests, including the main objective, can only be completed once per day.

Solo/Duo

• [95] A Stone Obstruction
• [95] Powder at the Gate
• [95] Protect the Horses
• [95] Guarding the Watchtower
• [95] Flames at the Gate
• [95] The Statue of Helm Hammerhand

Fellowship

• [95] A Stone Obstruction
• [95] Powder at the Gate
• [95] Protect the Horses
• [95] Guarding the Watchtower
• [95] Flames at the Gate
• [95] The Statue of Helm Hammerhand

Walkthrough & Notes

Walkthrough Basic Strategy (Solo/Duo) As the first Epic Battle available, you are given an indefinite amount of time to prepare and set up defences, as the battle does not start until you speak with Gamling. There are four battle lines to defend, each location with two Commanders and at least four Soldiers, however the enemy will only focus on two locations at a time and will rarely attack you, even if you are the main damage or healing source. Naturally, doing this battle with a partner is highly recommended, especially early on when players beginning epic battles will not have a significant amount of Promotions to manage it by themselves. Side objectives will appear somewhat randomly, and in this case, they will usually spawn extra enemies that will draw attention from friendly Soldiers and eventually overwhelm them if not immediately dispatched. First Wave The first cluster of enemies will march towards either the western or eastern end of the Dike, and focus on the two battle lines on that particular side. If you begin on the eastern side, you will have access to a small catapult, which will hit more targets than a small ballista at the cost of a long cranking time. Take the opportunity to eliminate as many enemies as you can as they are marching. Second Wave The second cluster of enemies will march towards the side that they didn't march to on the first wave. Whether you started on the western or eastern side, you will have access to a small ballista to kill at least two enemies a shot. It may not seem significant, but it adds up when you are a non-healing class. Final Wave The final cluster of enemies will march towards the innermost battle lines, with enemies appearing on both sides of the gate. Basic Strategy (Fellowship 6-Player) Unlike Solo/Duo, you will not have much time to prepare before the battle begins. A full platinum run will require some organization and communication to ensure side quests are completed properly. It is recommended that fellowships consist of 6 Engineers, or 5 Engineers and an Officer. With properly placed barricades in the battle lines, you will not need to worry about the waves of enemies, allowing you to focus on the side quests. To achieve that, everyone will need to move to build all the barricades as quickly as possible. There are 8 battle lines to defend, 3 west of the gate, 5 east of the gate. Each line should have at least two armed barricades, except for the two eastern most lines which can survive with only one. Optimal barricade placement is to place barricades at the point where the NPC soldiers will begin to attack them. This will maximize the amount of time the NPCs can attack mobs. Even after the first wave begins, continue building every barricade available. Once the barricades are in place in front of the first wave, every engineer should pick up a barricade for use in side quests. With properly placed barricades, NPC soldiers can be in 2-handed stance throughout the battle and will take little damage. The first two side quests are determined by whichever side is attacked in the first wave. The third side quest is randomly assigned. A full platinum completion will require everyone understanding their roles in the side quests. See the side quest pages for guides on successful completion. Notes pending

Rewards
Legendary Item Experience Steed Experience Epic Battle Reward Points

Quest Text

Background Helm's Dike forms the first barrier of defence for Rohan's final stand. Saruman's army marches, angry and ready for war. Objective 1 Speaking to Gamling when you are ready to begin Gamling must survive Objective 2 Defend the Dike and buy the primary defence time Gamling must survive The defenders of the Hornburg are busy preparing for the onslaught that will soon begin. Those left at the Dike must buy them as much time as possible. Merit Rating This quest starts with Full Rating Merit. Major Merit Loss Soldier defeated Moderate Merit Loss Commander defeated Banner burned

Gallery

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