Archers of Lothlorien stealthing among trees
Stealth is an ability wielded by many powerful beings in Middle-earth, especially in The Battle for Middle-earth II. For some it is even a characteristic, predominantly for the Elves - yet throughout the range of units and Heroes who are able to stealth, details of the ability vary.
First will be explained how Stealth is not entirely the same as Invisibility - and second will be listed in full all units who have this ability, organized by different environmental conditions.
Differences with Invisibility
- When anyone is stealthed, enemies may see and acquire them if they get close enough. When one is invisible, any enemy that is near them even right as they become invisible will turn away, and not know they are there.
- No archer unit able to turn invisible can shoot while invisible - whereas archers who can stealth may shoot while stealthed.
- Invisibility makes a unit unrevealable. Stealthed units, however, are by default able to be revealed, by the following things:
- A Murder of Crows at an Isengard Fortress and summoned Crebain
- The "Summon Familiar" ability of a Custom Elf-hero
- The two circumstances bring different visual unit-effects, as shown below.
Conditions
Units who naturally stealth only when near trees
- Lorien Archers and Swordsmen
- Mithlond Sentries
- Arwen
- Legolas
- Elrond
- Ithilien Rangers
- Dunedain Rangers
Units who can stealth anywhere
On their own
- Gollum
- Haldir
- Mirkwood Archers, who on top of naturally stealthing have this ability:
- Invisibility - Allows them to be completely unseen while standing still - Effect ends if they move or begin assailing an enemy.
- Thranduil, who on top of naturally stealthing has these three abilities:
- Wild Walk - allows him to shoot without becoming unstealthed
- Move Unseen - allows him to cause all nearby allies to be stealthed when moving, despite where they are
- Elven Cloak - allows him to be invisible while standing still - Effects ends if Thranduil moves.
Caused by Player
- Custom Elf-heroes or Corrupted Man heroes who have the "Stealth" ability
- Wormtongue, with his "Escape" ability
- Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, with their Elven Cloaks