In the light of the Angmar Faction being released, I have started wondering if its style is or not in coherence with the general Lord of the Rings style. There are many elements who seem borrowed by other fantasy titles such as Warcraft, for example.
Angmar is one the faction with the fewest information (Lorewise speaking). We know of it but not it exactly. Part of it was inhabited by Men, according to the Tolkien Gateway they were thought to be somehow related to the Easterlings (but even that is not sure). Others assume that they were Black Numenoreans. Still, nothing is clear. However, gathering and organising certain points, we might actually come to imagine a much more lore-friendly Angmar.
The first, greatest mistake that the Angmar faction has inherited from its vanilla concept is the usage of Sorcerers. Curious about the role of magic in the Lord of the Rings, I opened Tolkien Gateway which is pretty much the wikipedia of the book and authentic Tolkien sources. I found this rather interesting except from one of Tolkien's Letters(Letter 155):
"a difference between the use of 'magic' in this story [The Lord of the Rings] is that it is not to be come by by 'lore' or spells; but it is an inherent power not possessed or attainable by Men as such."
So you do understand why I find Magic as used by Sorcerers quite disturbing, lorewise. The only known magic used by Angmar is the Witch-King's ability to raise the Barrow-Wights (and that is, luckily, quite achieved by your Barrow).
Furthermore, I oppose to the exaggerated use of Snow & Ice. It quite looks as if it were Warcraft. I would imagine Angmar as a faction in a semi-unnaturally dark and gloomy winter - a Mordor of Cold, cold and snowy aswell but more dead rather than truly white covered in snow. Maybe a little like Dunharrow. Something creepy, not Northrendish. Furthermore, Angmar means Home of Iron, so the lots of Iron we've seen in the Mordor style(architecture and units) would be fit for Angmar aswell (see below). (The atmosphere is highly related with unit design and architecture, so a more clear picture will be provided below).
Third - Angmar's Armies. Angmar's armies in vanilla RotWK were made of Thrall Masters who summoned either clansmen either orcs and then there were Black Numenoreans, Snow & Hill Trolls. Your system of Settlements covers perfectly the relation that Angmar forces and Rhudahur Hillmen had. To that, no objection. I wonder, however, whether the appearence of the Men of Carn Dum is quite "Correct". I understand that there is no Movie reference of how they would look like, BUT, an illustrator, John Howe, has some independent illustrations of the Mouth of Sauron, the Witch King of Angmar and the Black Numenoreans. These concept arts are not similiar to the movie depiction of the Witch King and Mouth of Sauron, but as you can notice, they are quite similiar to the Mordor Style in general. Thus they would make an excellent basis for the development of Carn Dum soldiers and Heroes.
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/e6393220d9f6add8bb9f521f690d91ca/tumblr_mlurz6AO0X1r6mibzo1_400.jpg)
(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tolkien/images/5/55/Witch-King-portrait.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151013105757&path-prefix=it)
(http://www.dana-mad.ru/gal/images/John%20Howe/Middle-Earth/john_howe_middle-earth_witch%20king2.jpg)
(http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/thumb/b/b8/John_Howe_-_Gothmog_01.jpg/180px-John_Howe_-_Gothmog_01.jpg)
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ff/b1/27/ffb1273c231da4b177b79ea332afce02.jpg)
(http://www.tolkiengateway.net/w/images/e/ee/John_Howe_-_The_Mouth_of_Sauron_01.jpg)
(http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/data/media/34/MouthofSauron1-port.jpg)
Lastly, I would like to cover the topic of Architecture. There is absolutely no trace in Tolkien's works about the Architecture of Angmar, but we can build one. Where from? Well, starting first from its name Ang-mar (Home of Iron). That and the Iron element in Mordor's architecture in the film. Just see Morannon, Minas Morgul or Barad Dur to understand what I mean. Now, it has to be different to that of Mordor obviously, but then again, not too much. Also, the Fortress of Mount Gundabad in the Hobbit could be a reference. Mount Gundabad is, after all, part of Angmar. I expect them to be of dark-gray/black color (as Mordoric architecture is) and with of course some elements of Ice/Snow/Frost, but not too much - just enought to make it look creepier - not Northrend-ish. The other part, of course, I let to decide to the artist's freedom.
Here, I close my discourse, hoping I have transmitted my ideas clearly and made a quite convincing argument! Good luck with the mod!
I too agree with Odysseus and Fredius.
As 'painful' as it could be for our own lore sensitivity, there are some things that we just have to accept, provided that we have, on the other hand, a suitable concept that meets all the 'requirements' needed to be part of this quality-centred Mod. And, this is exactly the case of Angmar; you could never do without all the fictional elements of the faction so easily, and then hope to find all the answers and proper solutions in the lore (primarily, because the lore itself doesn't give us enough material to speculate on in the first place). Therefore, I appreciate so much all the efforts of the Edain Team that were exactly aimed to fill all the holes and flaws, as Odysseus says, concerning Angmar, while they nonetheless tried to respect lore boundaries as much as they could (especially in their detailed and consistent RPG concepts, I presume).
That said, and considered all the just premises mentioned above, my honest lore-based judgment about Magic and Sorcerers doesn't change: it's all a sort of 'abomination' (I apologise for the loaded word) of Tolkien's vision.
The whole sacrifice motive lying behind Angmar, albeit seeming to be a brilliant solution for the gameplay, is not justified and proven anywhere in the lore. The Witch King did gather in Angmar human beings with knowledge of black arts, and he is very likely to have taught them something more too, but this happened always in the clear limits of Human Magic and dark arts as well; arts that have always existed in Middle Earth, but everytime confined in their human and minor status, compared to the known and mightier Elven and Ainurin (mostly regarding the Istari and Sauron, in the Third Age) Magic. For example, I also think about that very smart scene in AUJ, although it was completely fictional, when Saruman dismisses Gandalf's thoughts about a Necromancer able to summon the dead, and when, at the same time, the very chief of the White Council shows his contempt for human magical dark arts (inferior and just a false reflection of the true Magic).
(http://45.media.tumblr.com/49062e6a4d851a0b200a8532db7030b4/tumblr_my0unnKQ7j1s9c6nao9_250.gif)
Not to mention that the very sacrifice theme works a bit in the opposite way in the lore. It often consists of a mighty leading figure, as Morgoth and Sauron, that weakens itself by spreading its own powers in the World and sharing them (sacrificing them) with its foul servants, in order to sustain and empower them (from the most authoritative lieutenant to the ordinary soldier). This is basically the main theme due to which the Nazgûl and the Mouth of Sauron are so bound to Sauron, and Mordor's gameplay and mechanics wonderfully embodies it. On the opposite side, I can't really recall any passage in which some magical beings had to use the vital energy of other weaker beings to cast and use Magic (as it happens in Angmar).
So, akin to Fredius, I almost never recruit Sorcerers if I can. Nevertheless, this was what I think about the strict lore and the current vision, and I obviously and deeply understand the Edain Team's purposes behind it. Thus, I would and could never try to slay or disown their great efforts in conceiving the holistic faction ;)
Excuse me for not replying for such a long time but real life has its own commitments.
I have read thoroughly your posts and most of them regard the sorcerers, either lore-wise either gameplay-wise. I have also made some more researches regarding the topic of magic in Arda and, based on the Lore and the Films I would like to make a proposal.
Now, according to the Lore, it is not that men are completely incapable of Magic. In fact, in his one of his letters Tolkien states: "and I suspect they [the Blue Wizards] were founders or beginners of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron." Also, the fact that the King of Angmar is referred as Witch-King further supports this standpoint. However, all the cases recorded happen under the instruction of the Maiar - for the Witch-King was under the instruction of Sauron and those men of the east under that of Alatar and Pallando.
By this statement, I clearly do not wish to contradict my previous one. I want only to specify that Sorcerers AS they are, are a complete abuse with the Lore.
I believe that, with some changes in the faction, it can be arranged that Angmar maintains the gameplay and still hold Sorcerers(but much more limited).
Now, Sorcerers in Angmar can cast 5 spells:
Black Ice - slows the enemy
Fell Strength - augments friendlies
Soul Freeze - freezes an enemy
Well of Souls - damages units, turning any it kills into wights
Corpse - causes a rain a downpour of exploding cadavers on the selected area
My idea is to apply these two spells a little differently. Now:
Sorcerers (as unit concept) are to be maintained. They are a possible upgrade for every squad of Men of Carn Dum and they give the squad the Fell Strength bonus. But, Sorcerers cost a little.
Black Ice and Soul Freeze - Well, some time ago I read a post about the possibility of a Weather Palantir Power for Angmar. This is it. The idea is that of a Winter Palantir Power that for a certain time slows down the enemy units in quite a large area and may (based on a random probability) freeze some.
Well of Souls - I was thinking that the Well of Souls could be a structure in the vicinity of which, enemies are weakened and turn to Wights when killed. I myself imagine it as a Black Stone well with 3 Pillars with glowing runes (like the barrows).
Corpse - Corpse is a spell that is useful for it deals area damage. Now, in the last Hobbit film, we have seen Hill Troll Catapults from Gundabad:
https://heirsofdurin.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/the_hobbit_the_battle_of_the_five_armies_trl_2-1080-mov_000104270.jpg (https://heirsofdurin.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/the_hobbit_the_battle_of_the_five_armies_trl_2-1080-mov_000104270.jpg)
(http://media.moddb.com/images/members/3/2854/2853656/image.13.jpg)
These could replace the original Hill Troll Catapults and have the option to fire either a Scattered Shot(that deals Area Damage strong vs units just like Corpse, though slightly less powerful), either a Boulder(just like the current Hill Troll Catapult - strong vs buildings).
This way, the gameplay/strategic elements of the curren Angmar Sorcerer are maintained, the lore is respected and balance still is maintained even if there is no more acolyte system since:
-The Winter Power is a Palantir power and cannot be cast always.
-The Well of Souls is a structure and has a certain cost.
-The Sorcerer would be a little expensive to add to the squads.
-The Catapult Troll can use either Scatter Shot either Boulder (you cannot have them both) AND Scatter Shot is a little less stronger.
*Details of the balance such as the cost of Sorcerers or Damage of Scatter shot I leave to the team.
I do not know if I was clear. If not, then tell me so that I make a fully detailed Angmar proposal.