The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders tier list

Image of Sauron facing the tower of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War.

Image of Sauron facing the tower of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War.
March 30, 2023: We've updated our TLOR: Rise to War tier list.

Looking for a list of the best The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders? As you might have guessed, this base-building strategy game is set in the Lord of the Rings universe and brings fan-favourite characters from across the setting to do battle during the war of the ring period. These commanders lead your armies into battle against either Mordor or the free peoples of Middle Earth, depending on which faction you choose.

Rise to War is jam-packed with commanders, whether it's familiar faces like Aragorn, Gandalf, or Saruman, or lesser-known characters from outside the films, such as Gil-galad. So considering the number of battlefield leaders you can acquire in-game, we thought the only proper thing to do was rank them so you could see who is worth adding to your army.

For help in some other mobile games, check out our AFK Arena tier list and Genshin Impact tier list. We've also got a YuGiOh Master Duel deck tier list, for tips in the card game.

Gondorian soldiers in Lord of the Rings: Rise to War
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Lord of the Rings: Rise to War Commanders tier list - Free Peoples of Middle Earth

Tier
Commander
S
Galadriel, Thranduil, Radagast the Brown, Gandalf the White, Elrond, Dain Ironfoot, Gil-galad, Aragorn II King of Men, King of the Dead, Éowyn
A
Gimli, Legolas, Arwen, Gandalf the Grey, Balin, Aragorn, Theoden, Frodo & Sam, Eomer, Denethor, Celeborn, Thorin Oakenshield, Hirgon, Isildur
B
Haldir, Dwalin, Ori, Merry & Pippin, Eowyn, Faramir, Hirgon, Boromir, Círdan, Elladan, Balin, Imrahil, Faramir
Sauron in Lord of the Rings: Rise to War
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Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders tier list - Armies of the Dark Lord

Tier
Commander
S
Witch-King, Sauron, Saruman, The Undying, Black Serpent, Kirun
A
Khamul, The Shadow, Ugluk, Lurtz, Grishnakh, Mouth of Sauron, Gothmog, Azru-Khor, Cestaro, Lurtz, Zegrid
B
Agzok, Maltok, Khaldoon, Yusraa, Ugthak, Grima, Sharku, Shagrat, Gorbag, Lathar

Who are Lord of the Rings: Rise to War's commanders?

Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders are generals who lead your armies, and each of them has their own skill tree that makes them a powerful warrior in their own right. These skills can boost damage and add combat effects, such as fire, to your commander's weapons.

You can also equip them with armour, granting you stat bonuses and effects for your army. However, your choice of available commanders does depend on whether you chose a good or evil faction at the start of the game, so pick wisely.

How do I get more Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders?

As mentioned previously, your choice of available commanders depends on whether you chose a good faction, like Rohan or Lothlorien, or an evil faction like Isengard or Angmar. In order to get more commanders, you need to acquire Rare Treasures with which to bribe them. Rare Treasures is basically Rise to War's roundabout gacha mechanic, so while you don't pull commanders directly, the gifts that you receive from Rare Treasures decide whether you get a new character.

Depending on rarity, each commander has a respect meter that you have to fill to recruit them, as well as two potential gift options. You can offer them either of these items to earn respect, then eventually add them to your roster. Be warned, though, some of the high-rarity characters have pretty huge meters, so bestow your gifts with care.

Lord of the Rings: Rise to War commanders in season 4

Though the latest season of Rise to War content isn't here yet, we do know the four new commanders to expect. They are as follows:

  • Treebeard
  • Skalhelm
  • Falgin
  • Glasha

And that's our Rise to War commanders tier list. If you're looking for more in-game advice, be sure to check out our Lord of the Rings: Rise to War guide for some handy tips to help you get started.