After nearly a decade of development, the highly anticipated total conversion mod The Dawnless Days (TDD) for Total War: Attila has officially launched its version 1.0 campaign beta, breathing new life into the 2015 grand strategy title. This massive project completely overhauls the game, transporting players to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth to wage the War of the Ring. The release, which occurred on December 12th, has already caused a huge surge in Total War: Attila‘s player count, seeing the highest concurrent peak in almost a decade.
The Dawnless Days transforms every aspect of Attila into a faithful and ambitious recreation of Tolkien’s world. The mod is set during the climax of the Third Age, the final years of the epic saga, focusing on the great wars for the fate of Middle-earth. Players will find themselves on a custom campaign map of Middle-earth, complete with familiar regions and points of interest. While some areas, like Eriador, are still being developed, the core campaign map is ready for conquest.
The beta features nine fully playable factions, each with unique mechanics, missions, and unit rosters. The Forces of Good include Gondor, Rohan, Dale, Erebor, and the Woodland Realm (Elves). Conversely, the Forces of Evil consist of Mordor, Isengard, Lostladen Tribes (Harad), and Rhûrim (Easterlings).
TDD goes far beyond a simple re-skin, introducing deep, strategic gameplay that seeks to emulate the feel of the books and the visuals of the films.
Each of the nine launch factions offers a unique gameplay experience, with different missions, events, and army compositions. For example, Isengard players have reported a strong focus on utilizing raiding stances and powerful Uruk-Hai units, while Elven factions can eventually field incredibly potent, if expensive, units.
Players and reviewers have praised the mod’s battles for their epic scale, polished unit models, and a combat pace that feels strategic and challenging—a refreshing change of pace for some long-time Total War fans. Custom settlements and siege maps are also a significant part of the development plan. Despite the massive scope of the project, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the mod’s stability, with many players reporting a smooth experience even with the heavy demands of the new textures and models.
The Dawnless Days is a true labor of love, developed entirely by volunteers over almost ten years. The team emphasizes that the project accepts no donations, likely to avoid legal issues related to the intellectual property of The Lord of the Rings. The community is currently seeking 2D artists, 3D artists, and animators to continue work on the mod.
The 1.0 campaign beta is available to download on Nexus Mods and has proven to be a massive success, bringing a modern, high-quality Lord of the Rings grand strategy experience to a beloved, if aging, Total War title. It is a must-play for any fan of Tolkien or grand strategy looking for a challenging new campaign.
