Army-of-one
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A new city... A new race... A new note... For decades, developers and players have racked their brains over the creation of all this. Let's give it a try ourselves.
Who could fit into the colorful fantasy world without vanishing without a trace or ruining its integrity? Who can provide what the same Heroes' world is lacking? Who can embellish the tactical pattern of the game?
Wanderers.
Once, the roads of drifters—vagabonds without a homeland or a flag—intersected at a crossroads of a dozen paths. Spotting kindred spirits beneath the road dust (and some seeing their own kind for the very first time), the travelers decided to pitch camp side by side... and in the Brownian motion of bivouacs, an entire city grew spontaneously. A passing Hero decided to attack it but met such resistance that now even his name is erased from the chronicles of time. This was the first battle of the City of Wanderers.
Wanderers are few in number, for there are always more outcasts than those who cast them out. They are worse armed, for vagabonds always use whatever they find on the road.
However, at the same time, Wanderers are faster and more enterprising than the rest of the population. ("racial" ability – "Fellow Traveler": if an allied unit passes through adjacent cells on the battlefield, a stationary unit receives an additional move for a small number of cells)
I created each type of their troops so that they could boldly compete for the title of your favorite unit and rightfully be the main striking force (depending on the chosen set of possible tactics).
1. Scavenger
A stocky fellow with a giant backpack.
This is a wanderer who fell victim to greed. His thoughts are easily read across his stubbled face and half-mad smile: "There are so many little useful things in this world. Here's a blade fragment, here's some slightly spoiled unicorn meat, here's an almost new shield without a handle—all of this must be collected immediately! Sold! Get rich!"
True, no one is eager to buy junk from scavengers. But it would be a pity to just throw away carefully collected goods, so the Scavenger lugs around a giant bag of semi-useful clutter, trying somehow to coexist with his "wealth".
Essentially, Scavengers are shooters with low damage and good defense, hitting two cells away with a hail of various iron junk.
Abilities:
"Artisan": by getting a couple of shields and fastening them together, a scavenger can easily make a large mobile shield that protects against various projectiles. And by binding a bunch of spears—a slingshot that will become a problem for cavalry and infantry. Additionally, the Scavenger can sacrifice some junk to load it into a ballista, giving it an additional shot.
2. Mercenary
Although Mercenaries are fewer in number and worse armed than regular troops, they are more resourceful. For example, they can easily take a risk at the right time. A Mercenary is exactly one step away from being a Brigand. And he can make that transition right on the battlefield! (by holding shift, the player can split troops several times without spending a turn; the smaller squad turns into a "Brigand" unit, animation: a Mercenary exits the main squad's cell, drops his shield, takes off his helmet, stabs his sword into the ground, puts on a hood, and pulls out short blades)
The Brigand has the "Retreat" ability. When an enemy unit approaches, brigands retreat one cell without losses.
grade* of Mercenaries -- Landsknecht Brotherhood – very resource-intensive. After all, it is necessary to attract the best professionals of the military craft. However, Landsknechts are a real force on the battlefield—armed with long halberds, they hit two cells away and strike hard, and they hold their own in defense. Despite their low numbers, they can become the main assault squad.
They occupy one cell.
3. Werewolf.
Prone to a purely human "sorrow from intelligence"—reflection—the werewolf is unable to remain in one habitat like a normal beast. Like one afflicted with rabies, the werewolf wanders the world. There is no place for him among people either—during the transformation process, the werwolf destroys everything around him. And his appearance—great height, animal facial features, long claws, thick hide—does not add charm to the werewolf and prevents him from hiding in a crowd.
Abilities:
Metamorph: Four forms—werewolf, roc bird, bipedal, behemoth.
Sturdy: In werewolf form, he can carry allies on his back. In bird form, the roc can transport a unit to another location.
Pains of Transformation: during transformation, it deals a blow to several adjacent cells.
Metabolism: by devouring a fellow werewolf, it quickly increases its mass, turning into a behemoth.
Werewolf Bite: initially few in number, werewolves can increase their ranks at the expense of other troop types.
They occupy different numbers of cells depending on the form.
4. Adventurers – a squad of adventure seekers consisting of a mage, a warrior, and a shooter.
Over a long time, they have become so accustomed to sticking together and expecting a trick from everywhere that they only move as one, at a calibrated distance. They occupy four cells.
Abilities
Three attacks, with a choice—melee or ranged. That is, for example, they can hit three different targets or one target with all three.
5. Pariah
(the most controversial unit because it's a copy of a copy and then some)
A dark elf warrior who escaped from the Matriarchate, having developed the skill to fight with two blades.
Abilities
Tactician: moves three times in a row.
Shadow Deception: after completing any of the three moves, he releases a shadow into the cell in front of him, which removes retaliation from an enemy unit.
They occupy one cell.
6. Likho.
Around this man—if we assume he is indeed a man—everything broke since childhood: milk soured right inside the cows, house walls cracked like glass, and those around him, by some cruel twist of fate, broke their legs, arms, and other body parts. It's no wonder his name was forgotten over time—soon everyone called him Likho (Misfortune), and everyone tried to drive him as far away from their lands as possible. During long years of wandering, Likho's hair grew to the ground, clothes turned into rags, and in his hand is a torn bag—all his possessions. Likho occupies four cells—simply because no one wants to stand next to him.
Abilities – casts powerful spells on enemies, but they only work when the enemy performs some action. Moreover, the spell is cast specifically for a certain action.
Examples: shooters will fire at their own. Infantry on the march will break their legs.
Mages will produce another spell instead of one and hit their own. A flying creature upon takeoff will be blown by the wind to another location. Units that have entered a defensive stance will not see their defense increase, but rather decrease significantly.
Wanderlust (Spirit of Wandering).
You rarely meet him, but you recognize him immediately. The rags of the world's wanderers wrap around the incorporeal spirit like thin ribbons and flutter in the wind like wings.
The cheerful spirit is hard to kill because he is incorporeal, but the spirit also dislikes causing harm—he has a weak attack for a seventh level.
However, Wanderlust loves to help—he can increase the movement range and initiative of his allies.
Wanderer Heroes.
As it happens, in the world of Heroes, every Castle has its own champion—a character recognized by players, outstanding due to their abilities. Who could become such a figure for the wanderers? What is most important for a Wanderer? What makes Wanderers unique in general?
Meet the first and most reliable hero – Ulysses - Patron of Encounters. He strengthens troops if they interact with each other on the battlefield.
I think it goes without saying what such an ability means for Wanderers, whose lion's share of tactics is built on interaction.
Second in strength is Ganglerie - The One Who Knows How to Listen. For every vagabond, it is important to pour out their soul, so upon hearing that Ganglerie has appeared somewhere, all Wanderers strive to cross paths with him. They say if you tell Ganglerie your true story, the past becomes brighter. As a result, the number of his troops is always greater than that of any other Wanderer Hero. After all, new and more warriors appear in the castle with a bundle of untold stories.
Ulenspiegel - The Mockingbird – an excellent support hero, although some risky players might take him as their main one.
Abilities:
"Your Mirror" — Ulenspiegel can look like any player's hero and Ulenspiegel's army can look like any player's army.
"Evil Joke". Ulenspiegel's sarcasm threw everyone who dared to enter into an argument with him off balance. When meeting an enemy, the opponent's various parameters drop significantly. The penalty remains until the end of the following two battles.
The appearance of this hero in the tavern on the first day can fundamentally change the game plan.
The next character Merk the Vagabond – only a madman would take him as the first hero, because his feature – "Free Wanderer" – means the player can allow Merk... to disappear! and head into a dark area of the map. Where Merk will walk anywhere and attack anyone, reporting his achievements via short but colorful dispatches. In fact, other than these letters, there will be no information about him. Only if another hero scouts the area of the map where he roams will the player see Merk again and be able to control his adventures.
On his journey, the Vagabond is greatly helped by the "Curiosity" ability; the stronger it is, the further Merk sees and walks.
Merk is an excellent scout. For those who love to control the map, Merk will help more than once.
Bayun – The Minstrel. (to be honest, a rather average hero, but you can't do without minstrels...)For every creative person, it is not what they write about that matters, but for whom. Thus the Minstrel (thanks to the "Writer" ability) can compose a song about a battle in which the minstrel himself participated for some other hero. And pass on the experience of that battle to him. True, when you strive for someone else, there is emptiness in your head afterward—the minstrel will not receive experience himself if he composes a saga for another. Although, it's true he can
write a song for himself too...
In battle, the minstrel is greatly helped by the ability... "song"!
By singing a little song to some squad, the Minstrel—yes, yes—can do whatever he wants with that squad.
About the architecture of the Wanderers, if it can be called that, will be in the next issue of my "graphomaniac essay". )
* Other grades for all units, or rather how which ability appears in which grade, have not yet been distributed as they require painstaking balancing.
Who could fit into the colorful fantasy world without vanishing without a trace or ruining its integrity? Who can provide what the same Heroes' world is lacking? Who can embellish the tactical pattern of the game?
Wanderers.
Once, the roads of drifters—vagabonds without a homeland or a flag—intersected at a crossroads of a dozen paths. Spotting kindred spirits beneath the road dust (and some seeing their own kind for the very first time), the travelers decided to pitch camp side by side... and in the Brownian motion of bivouacs, an entire city grew spontaneously. A passing Hero decided to attack it but met such resistance that now even his name is erased from the chronicles of time. This was the first battle of the City of Wanderers.
Wanderers are few in number, for there are always more outcasts than those who cast them out. They are worse armed, for vagabonds always use whatever they find on the road.
However, at the same time, Wanderers are faster and more enterprising than the rest of the population. ("racial" ability – "Fellow Traveler": if an allied unit passes through adjacent cells on the battlefield, a stationary unit receives an additional move for a small number of cells)
I created each type of their troops so that they could boldly compete for the title of your favorite unit and rightfully be the main striking force (depending on the chosen set of possible tactics).
1. Scavenger
A stocky fellow with a giant backpack.
This is a wanderer who fell victim to greed. His thoughts are easily read across his stubbled face and half-mad smile: "There are so many little useful things in this world. Here's a blade fragment, here's some slightly spoiled unicorn meat, here's an almost new shield without a handle—all of this must be collected immediately! Sold! Get rich!"
True, no one is eager to buy junk from scavengers. But it would be a pity to just throw away carefully collected goods, so the Scavenger lugs around a giant bag of semi-useful clutter, trying somehow to coexist with his "wealth".
Essentially, Scavengers are shooters with low damage and good defense, hitting two cells away with a hail of various iron junk.
Abilities:
"Artisan": by getting a couple of shields and fastening them together, a scavenger can easily make a large mobile shield that protects against various projectiles. And by binding a bunch of spears—a slingshot that will become a problem for cavalry and infantry. Additionally, the Scavenger can sacrifice some junk to load it into a ballista, giving it an additional shot.
2. Mercenary
Although Mercenaries are fewer in number and worse armed than regular troops, they are more resourceful. For example, they can easily take a risk at the right time. A Mercenary is exactly one step away from being a Brigand. And he can make that transition right on the battlefield! (by holding shift, the player can split troops several times without spending a turn; the smaller squad turns into a "Brigand" unit, animation: a Mercenary exits the main squad's cell, drops his shield, takes off his helmet, stabs his sword into the ground, puts on a hood, and pulls out short blades)
The Brigand has the "Retreat" ability. When an enemy unit approaches, brigands retreat one cell without losses.
grade* of Mercenaries -- Landsknecht Brotherhood – very resource-intensive. After all, it is necessary to attract the best professionals of the military craft. However, Landsknechts are a real force on the battlefield—armed with long halberds, they hit two cells away and strike hard, and they hold their own in defense. Despite their low numbers, they can become the main assault squad.
They occupy one cell.
3. Werewolf.
Prone to a purely human "sorrow from intelligence"—reflection—the werewolf is unable to remain in one habitat like a normal beast. Like one afflicted with rabies, the werewolf wanders the world. There is no place for him among people either—during the transformation process, the werwolf destroys everything around him. And his appearance—great height, animal facial features, long claws, thick hide—does not add charm to the werewolf and prevents him from hiding in a crowd.
Abilities:
Metamorph: Four forms—werewolf, roc bird, bipedal, behemoth.
Sturdy: In werewolf form, he can carry allies on his back. In bird form, the roc can transport a unit to another location.
Pains of Transformation: during transformation, it deals a blow to several adjacent cells.
Metabolism: by devouring a fellow werewolf, it quickly increases its mass, turning into a behemoth.
Werewolf Bite: initially few in number, werewolves can increase their ranks at the expense of other troop types.
They occupy different numbers of cells depending on the form.
4. Adventurers – a squad of adventure seekers consisting of a mage, a warrior, and a shooter.
Over a long time, they have become so accustomed to sticking together and expecting a trick from everywhere that they only move as one, at a calibrated distance. They occupy four cells.
Abilities
Three attacks, with a choice—melee or ranged. That is, for example, they can hit three different targets or one target with all three.
5. Pariah
(the most controversial unit because it's a copy of a copy and then some)
A dark elf warrior who escaped from the Matriarchate, having developed the skill to fight with two blades.
Abilities
Tactician: moves three times in a row.
Shadow Deception: after completing any of the three moves, he releases a shadow into the cell in front of him, which removes retaliation from an enemy unit.
They occupy one cell.
6. Likho.
Around this man—if we assume he is indeed a man—everything broke since childhood: milk soured right inside the cows, house walls cracked like glass, and those around him, by some cruel twist of fate, broke their legs, arms, and other body parts. It's no wonder his name was forgotten over time—soon everyone called him Likho (Misfortune), and everyone tried to drive him as far away from their lands as possible. During long years of wandering, Likho's hair grew to the ground, clothes turned into rags, and in his hand is a torn bag—all his possessions. Likho occupies four cells—simply because no one wants to stand next to him.
Abilities – casts powerful spells on enemies, but they only work when the enemy performs some action. Moreover, the spell is cast specifically for a certain action.
Examples: shooters will fire at their own. Infantry on the march will break their legs.
Mages will produce another spell instead of one and hit their own. A flying creature upon takeoff will be blown by the wind to another location. Units that have entered a defensive stance will not see their defense increase, but rather decrease significantly.
Wanderlust (Spirit of Wandering).
You rarely meet him, but you recognize him immediately. The rags of the world's wanderers wrap around the incorporeal spirit like thin ribbons and flutter in the wind like wings.
The cheerful spirit is hard to kill because he is incorporeal, but the spirit also dislikes causing harm—he has a weak attack for a seventh level.
However, Wanderlust loves to help—he can increase the movement range and initiative of his allies.
Wanderer Heroes.
As it happens, in the world of Heroes, every Castle has its own champion—a character recognized by players, outstanding due to their abilities. Who could become such a figure for the wanderers? What is most important for a Wanderer? What makes Wanderers unique in general?
Meet the first and most reliable hero – Ulysses - Patron of Encounters. He strengthens troops if they interact with each other on the battlefield.
I think it goes without saying what such an ability means for Wanderers, whose lion's share of tactics is built on interaction.
Second in strength is Ganglerie - The One Who Knows How to Listen. For every vagabond, it is important to pour out their soul, so upon hearing that Ganglerie has appeared somewhere, all Wanderers strive to cross paths with him. They say if you tell Ganglerie your true story, the past becomes brighter. As a result, the number of his troops is always greater than that of any other Wanderer Hero. After all, new and more warriors appear in the castle with a bundle of untold stories.
Ulenspiegel - The Mockingbird – an excellent support hero, although some risky players might take him as their main one.
Abilities:
"Your Mirror" — Ulenspiegel can look like any player's hero and Ulenspiegel's army can look like any player's army.
"Evil Joke". Ulenspiegel's sarcasm threw everyone who dared to enter into an argument with him off balance. When meeting an enemy, the opponent's various parameters drop significantly. The penalty remains until the end of the following two battles.
The appearance of this hero in the tavern on the first day can fundamentally change the game plan.
The next character Merk the Vagabond – only a madman would take him as the first hero, because his feature – "Free Wanderer" – means the player can allow Merk... to disappear! and head into a dark area of the map. Where Merk will walk anywhere and attack anyone, reporting his achievements via short but colorful dispatches. In fact, other than these letters, there will be no information about him. Only if another hero scouts the area of the map where he roams will the player see Merk again and be able to control his adventures.
On his journey, the Vagabond is greatly helped by the "Curiosity" ability; the stronger it is, the further Merk sees and walks.
Merk is an excellent scout. For those who love to control the map, Merk will help more than once.
Bayun – The Minstrel. (to be honest, a rather average hero, but you can't do without minstrels...)For every creative person, it is not what they write about that matters, but for whom. Thus the Minstrel (thanks to the "Writer" ability) can compose a song about a battle in which the minstrel himself participated for some other hero. And pass on the experience of that battle to him. True, when you strive for someone else, there is emptiness in your head afterward—the minstrel will not receive experience himself if he composes a saga for another. Although, it's true he can
write a song for himself too...
In battle, the minstrel is greatly helped by the ability... "song"!
By singing a little song to some squad, the Minstrel—yes, yes—can do whatever he wants with that squad.
About the architecture of the Wanderers, if it can be called that, will be in the next issue of my "graphomaniac essay". )
* Other grades for all units, or rather how which ability appears in which grade, have not yet been distributed as they require painstaking balancing.