Shadow of War hands you the Nemesis system and an entire army of orcs to recruit, betray and command across Mordor. It is a sprawling, free-form platinum whose real time sink is the post-game Shadow Wars siege campaign. The full trophy list runs to 53 trophies — 40 bronze, 11 silver, 1 gold and the Middle-earth: Shadow of War Platinum — and this guide walks you through exactly how to earn every one.
Below you'll find a difficulty and time breakdown, a visual trophy chart, the smartest way to approach the run, a full step-by-step roadmap, the trickiest trophies, common mistakes to avoid, faster-platinum tips and an FAQ.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Platinum — At a Glance
| Difficulty | 4 / 10 — very achievable |
| Time to platinum | 50-70 hours |
| Trophies | 53 total (40 bronze, 11 silver, 1 gold, 1 platinum) |
| Playthroughs | 1 playthrough plus extensive post-game |
| Online required | No |
| Platforms | PS4/PS5 |
Trophy Breakdown
Here's how the 53 trophies in Middle-earth: Shadow of War split across the four tiers:
The list mixes story-progression trophies for each region and the Shadow Wars finale, Nemesis-system trophies for dominating, shaming and exploiting orc captains, fortress-conquest and defense trophies, and a broad set of combat, mount, gear and skill milestone trophies earned through general play.
How Hard Is the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. Platinum?
The platinum is moderate in difficulty but very long, with almost no true skill wall thanks to the forgiving combat and generous stealth and dominion options. The genuine gate is the Shadow Wars post-game act, a lengthy series of defensive fortress sieges you must survive after the main story, which is more a test of endurance and army management than reflexes.
Because the Nemesis system is procedural and free-form, most requirements are about doing each activity type rather than following a fixed order, so almost nothing is strictly missable in an open save. You need to complete every region's storyline and side content, win fortress conquests, dominate and exploit specific orc captain traits, and see the game through to the true ending, which only arrives after grinding the full Shadow Wars siege sequence.
How It Compares to Similar Platinums
On our difficulty scale the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. platinum sits at 4/10 (very achievable) and takes roughly 50-70 hours, so it helps to see where it lands next to similar games. That makes it one of the more demanding platinums in this cluster — a clear step up from Gotham Knights — so go in with patience and a plan.
| Game | Difficulty | Time | Trophies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle-earth: Shadow of War (this guide) | 4/10 (very achievable) | 50-70 hrs | 53 |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 4/10 (very achievable) | 80–120 hrs | 53 |
| Gotham Knights | 3/10 (very achievable) | 35-45 hrs | 49 |
| Far Cry 5 | 4/10 (very achievable) | 30-40 hours hrs | 73 |
The Smartest Way to Approach It
Play through all the region campaigns to build up your army and unlock upgrades, and while doing so, deliberately vary your approach to captains so trait-based and takedown-style trophies fill in naturally. Use the Nemesis system to your advantage by shaming, dominating and re-recruiting orcs, and build a stable of strong bodyguards and fortress defenders before the endgame.
For Shadow Wars, stack your fortresses with high-level, upgraded orc captains and overlords so each defensive siege is winnable with minimal restarts, and keep dominating fresh high-level captains between sieges to replace losses. Knock out the miscellaneous combat and exploration trophies (drakes, monster mounts, gear and skill milestones) during regular play so the post-game phase is purely siege progression rather than a scramble for stragglers.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Trophy Roadmap
Work through the main story and each region's storyline missions, building your army via the Nemesis system and unlocking combat and dominion upgrades along the way.
While questing, deliberately dominate, shame and exploit orc captains with varied traits so the Nemesis-system trophies fill in, and complete side activities, monster mounts and gear milestones as you encounter them.
Capture every region's fortress through conquest, assembling and upgrading strong overlords and bodyguards so your holdings are well defended heading into the endgame.
Clean up the remaining miscellaneous combat, exploration, skill and collectible-style trophies before starting the finale so the post-game is pure siege progression.
Begin the Shadow Wars post-game act and grind through its full sequence of defensive fortress sieges to reach the true ending, unlocking the final story trophies and the platinum.
Trickiest Trophies in Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum.
Shadow Wars completion — Survive the full post-game siege sequence; go in with maxed, upgraded fortress overlords and keep dominating fresh high-level captains to replace losses.
Nemesis-exploitation trophies — Vary your tactics against captains, targeting their specific weaknesses, fears and immunities so trait-based takedown trophies unlock across normal play.
All region fortress conquests — Weaken and dominate the enemy overlord and warchiefs before assaulting each fortress to make conquest fast and reliable.
Orc domination and shaming milestones — Build up a large recruited army by shaming captains to lower their level, then dominating them, feeding both the army-size and shaming trophies at once.
Monster mount and drake trophies — Dominate the caragors, graugs and drakes you encounter and use each mount type in combat to tick off the beast-riding milestones.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Entering Shadow Wars with weak, underleveled fortresses, which turns the defensive sieges into repeated frustrating losses and restarts.
Ignoring the variety of captain traits, leaving you to hunt down specific Nemesis-exploitation and domination trophies in a tedious late grind.
Letting your best orc captains die permanently without re-recruiting replacements, weakening your army right before the endgame siege marathon.
Saving miscellaneous combat, mount and gear milestones for after the story, forcing extra busywork on top of the already long Shadow Wars grind.
Tips to Platinum Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. Faster
Build strong, upgraded fortress overlords and bodyguards before starting Shadow Wars so the defensive sieges go smoothly.
Keep a deep bench of dominated captains and replace battlefield losses immediately so your army never thins out for the endgame.
Exploit each captain's listed weaknesses and fears to knock out Nemesis-system trophies during ordinary combat.
Complete monster mounts, gear and skill milestones during regular play to keep the post-game focused purely on sieges.
Shame captains to reduce their level before dominating them, feeding army-size and shaming trophies simultaneously.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Platinum FAQ
How long does it take to platinum Middle-earth: Shadow of War?
Most players need around 50-70 hours to platinum Middle-earth: Shadow of War on PS4/PS5. Plan for 1 playthrough plus extensive post-game — and following a trophy roadmap keeps you on the efficient path.
Is the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. platinum hard?
It rates about 4/10 (very achievable). The main hurdle is shadow Wars completion — Survive the full post-game siege sequence; go in with maxed, upgraded fortress overlords and keep dominating fresh high-level captains to replace losses.
Do you need to play online for the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. platinum?
No — every trophy can be earned entirely offline in single-player; you don't need PlayStation Plus.
Can you get the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. platinum on PS4 and PS5?
Yes. Middle-earth: Shadow of War shares one trophy list across PS4 and PS5, and progress carries over between them via cross-save where supported.
How many trophies does Middle-earth: Shadow of War have?
53 in total — 40 bronze, 11 silver, 1 gold and the Middle-earth: Shadow of War Platinum.
What's the fastest way to get the Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. platinum?
Follow a step-by-step roadmap and tackle objectives in the right order so you never backtrack. The biggest time-savers are preparing your build and gear before the hardest fights, and clearing missable or collectible trophies as you go rather than saving them all for the end.
Is it worth buying a Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. trophy service?
A meaty, systems-driven completion where the Nemesis grudges and army-building make the long haul genuinely entertaining. If you'd rather skip the grind, our Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. Platinum Trophy Service unlocks all 53 trophies safely on your account from just $15.
What makes the Shadow of War platinum take so long?
The post-game Shadow Wars act is a lengthy chain of defensive fortress sieges you must complete to reach the true ending, and it is the single biggest time sink in the list.
Are trophies missable in Shadow of War?
Effectively no. The Nemesis system and open world let you complete activity-based requirements at any time after unlocking the relevant regions and systems.
Do I need the removed microtransactions or market for the platinum?
No. The original loot-box market was removed and was never required; you build your army entirely through the Nemesis system by dominating orcs in the world.
Prefer to Skip the Grind?
If you'd rather not chase every trophy yourself, our Command an army of orcs, conquer every fortress and grind out the post-game Shadow Wars siege for this free-form platinum. Platinum Trophy Service unlocks all 53 trophies legitimately on your own account from $15, with your choice of instant or realistic time-stamps. You can also browse everything we offer for the game on the Middle-earth: Shadow of War services page, or see the full catalogue of PlayStation Trophy Services.
Related PlayStation Platinum Guides
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Platinum Trophy Guide (PS4/PS5) — very achievable (4/10)
Gotham Knights Platinum Trophy Guide (PS5) — very achievable (3/10)
Far Cry 5 Platinum Trophy Guide (PS4/PS5) — very achievable (4/10)
Final Thoughts
A long, systems-rich platinum whose Nemesis army-building keeps even the marathon Shadow Wars grind engaging. A meaty, systems-driven completion where the Nemesis grudges and army-building make the long haul genuinely entertaining.