Best Ways to Kill Enemies in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Take your Shadow of Mordor experience further with Prima’s Beginner and Advanced tips. 

There are plenty of ways to make enemies pay with their lives in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. We love sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Uruk and snapping its neck, but stealth kills -as satisfying as they are- don’t compare to the nastiest, downright brutal maneuvers, guaranteed to make thousands of gamers record and then share these gruesome clips with friends. With that in mind, here are the best ways to slay baddies in the game. 

Tip: To perform these Abilities, you must unlock them over time with either Mirian or completing Power Struggles. 

Execution 

Might as well start with the most basic yet satisfying move. With Talion’s hit streak charged, press Triangle and Circle on PS4 or Y and B on Xbox One to deliver a wicked decapitation. Off with his head, indeed! 

Strike from Above

This Ability, unlocked through spending Mirian, gives Talion the option of executing foes from above with a nasty aerial takedown, achieved through pressing R2 plus Square on PS4, and Right Trigger and B on Xbox One.

Detonate 

Similar to most action games, particularly first person shooters, Shadow of Mordor contains explosive barrels that blow up when contacted. In addition, you can fire an arrow towards a fire to make it explode. Great way to take down several Uruk at once. 

Brutalize 

Uruk look nasty and talk a big game, but these creatures know when it’s time to run like cowards. This Ability, purchased with Mirian, results in Talion performing a particularly vicious execution that makes the victim’s buddies flee. To do it, press R2 plus Triangle on PS4, or Right Trigger plus Y on Xbox One.

Last Chance Finisher

Unless you’re some kind of gaming phenom, there’s a great chance Talion will eventually get overwhelmed and reside on the brink of death, where only a mini-game separates him from the living world and the great beyond. This Ability, though, gives you added incentive to successfully nail the aforementioned mini game, since doing this results in killing the nearest targeted enemy. 

Wraith Finisher 

Punish Talion’s enemies with a maneuver that makes their heads explode. Target an Uruk and activate Drain or Flurry Kill, then go for the final blow. Keep in mind you’ll need to complete Power Struggles to access Wraith Finisher.

Fire Arrow 

Scoring headshots with Elf-shot is one of the coolest things to do in Shadow of Mordor. Now you can take this to the next level by setting bad guys on fire. On top of that, a Fire Arrow will cause an even bigger explosion when used on barrels and campfires.

Dispatch 

With this Ability equipped, press down on the d-pad to make branded Uruks’ heads explode. We can’t get enough of this one. 

Death by Caragor 

Caragor do not discriminate, attacking both Uruk and Talion. At least on the positive side, you can gain a slight advantage by taming these beasts. Once you’re on top of one, instruct it to bite and then chew the opposition. Tasty! 

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is available now for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.