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Welcome to the official Might and Magic Heroes VI thread.
This is a fantasy turned based strategy game developed by Black Hole and published by Ubisoft

DRM
This is a Ubisoft PC game so of course we do have DRM.
This time you won't have to be online all the time, you can actually play the game online but you will have to authenticate the game offline the first time after installation.

If you play online you will have many more features available, all under the name of the MMH6 online system: Conflux

Some of these limitations are there to avoid cheating during online gameplay

Core Gameplay

The Heroes formula is pretty much the same since the first installment of the game.
You control a faction in a map with your own castle and heroes.
Micromanaging the resources you'll be able to create new building in your castle to recruit more armies for your heroes.
Some other buildings will be incresing the town defence or giving you special ability unique to each faction.
Your heroes will be exploring the map conquering mines to gather more resources for you buildings, gather artifacts to potentiate their abilities and killing neutral creatures to level up, gain more skills and so on.

The most common objective during a game is to destroy all the other players on the map.
To successfully destroy a player you'll have to conquer all his castles and kill all his heroes.

Factions
Right now the game is featuring 5 factions.
Describing in a neat way every faction and their creatures would have required too much time.
That's why most of the content of this section is coming from a fan written manual.
The authors are spamm, alexrom66, Pavlov and Magic_Art from the Heroic Corner forum.

Each creature has a standard version and un upgraded version, that's why there are two names for each of'em.
Some abilities are common to both versions others are exclusive to one of them.

The Holy Empire is a theocracy protected by medieval knights and monks. They worship Elrath, the Dragon God of Light, who grants them magical powers based on his elemental dominion. Their objective is to lead a life worthy of Elrath’s ideals of Truth and Purity, to shape the world in his image, and to spread his sacred Light.

Core philosophy
“Law & Order” rather than “Good & Mercy”
Driven by the Angels, Elrath’s chosen, Haven believes in the flawed nature of the self, which must be cleansed in the light of Elrath. Their objective is to lead a life worthy of Elrath’s forgiveness, shape the world in his image and spread his sacred light.

Religion
Haven worships Elrath, the Dragon of Light, and its first servants – the Angels. With the Angels mostly gone, the Holy Empire is the primary remaining base of worship for the Dragon of Light.

Magic
The Holy Empire is mostly composed of Humans who have switched their allegiance from Ylath to Elrath. Supported by the few Angels remaining, they pray to Elrath in exchange for blessings and miracles.
In this system of belief, magic power is proportional to faith. Angels are a bit different. Being an elder race directly related to Elrath, they have an innate affinity with Light magic.

Approach to warfare
“Stand your ground”
Mounted knights make up the Empire’s heavy shock troops, supported by heavy infantry (the Sentinels, renowned for their discipline and military coordination) and missile weapons (the justly feared crossbowmen).
Each noble is responsible for training his local militia and men-at-arms, and each troop is under the command of the noble who raised and paid to outfit it. The entire army is under the command of whichever noble the Emperor has appointed to the post. In theory, anyone is eligible. In practice, very few are ever given command of an army – the Emperor simply doesn’t trust many of his vassals with that kind of power.
The Emperor personally leads the Imperial Host, a collection of battle-hardened troops made up of the best soldiers the Empire has to offer. These owe their allegiance to the Emperor himself and no one else, and there isn’t a force in the Empire who can stand against them.

Haven Creatures
Sentinel | Pretorian

The Sentinels are volunteers who have proven their loyalty to the Emperor and their devotion to Elrath. Renowned for their discipline and military coordination, they are the first line of defense of the Holy Empire. They have sworn an oath to protect their brothers-in-arms with their heavy shield and, if needed, their lives. For their own personal protection, they rely entirely on their faith.

The Praetorian is an upgraded Sentinel. Also called the Gold Cloaks by the small folk, the Praetorians have earned their honorable status through acts of courage and demonstrations of fearlessness. They form the personal guard of the Holy Emperor, and of the Dukes of the Realm. Only a handful of Sentinels are chosen to become Praetorians once a year on Elrath’s day. They must then swear a sacred oath before Elrath himself, pledging to sacrifice themselves if duty requires. Their golden armor was originally meant to impress the Empire’s enemies and allies alike, but now their legendary reputation surpasses the shine of their uniform.

Abilities
Shielded | Sentinel, Praetorian
The Sentinels of the Holy Empire are renowned for their discipline and military coordination. At the first sign of an attack from the sky, they lift in unison their powerful shields forming a veritable wall of protection over their heads. Whenever any sentinel cries “to the sky”, the others react immediately,
crouching and raising their shields.

Shieldguard | Sentinel, Praetorian
The Sentinels of the Holy Empire have earned their honorable status through acts of courage and demonstrations of fearlessness. On the battlefield, they react quickly to protect those who are in danger around them, moving in unison like the first rays of light on a cold winter’s morning.

Shield Bash | Praetorian
The Praetorians of the Holy Empire have earned their promotion from Sentinel to elite guardians as much for their selfless dedication to their duties as for their excellent skills in melee. If an enemy attacks those they are assigned to protect, they strike the aggressor immediately in a cry of rage, assuring that the act does not remain unpunished.

Crossbowman|Marksman

Many stories are told about how Ronan Falcon, armed only with courage and honor, triumphed over the human clan lords and united them to form the Empire that would bear his name. But it is closer to the truth to say that the crossbow is the true reason why he was victorious. To this day, the Crossbowmen of the Empire are still feared in every corner of Ashan!

The Marksman is the upgraded Crossbowman. Marksmen are veteran Crossbowmen who traditionally guard the walls of the capital city of Falcon’s Reach. One of the numerous tests to join their ranks reflects on their remarkable skills. They are sent on a hunt with one bolt and must return with two geese brought down with a single shot. Captain Borloo, a legendary Marksman, is said to have found the test too easy. He brought back a wolf and a bear.

Abilities
Armor Piercing | Crossbowman, Marksman
The Crossbowmen of the Holy Empire are feared by common soldiers as well as knights. Their coordinated volleys are renowned, but their lethal reputation comes from the tremendous power coiled in their
weapons. The bolts launched from their crossbows are said capable of piercing dwarven marble.

Piercing Bolt | Marksman
Marksmen have become masters of the crossbow and learned lethal techniques allowing them to make maximum usage of each of their powerful bolts. Not only do the front lines of their enemies fear their piercing strikes, but those standing behind their target must remain extremely wary.

Sister | Vestal

The Sisters of Elrath are devoted to the worship of the Dragon-God of Light. Chosen for their spiritual gifts, these women have dedicated their lives to bringing light and warmth to all the people in need. Sisters of Elrath are respected and loved by all the citizens of the Empire, and in war times they are on the front lines to care for the wounded.

The Vestal is the upgraded Sister. The Order of Vesta draws its name from the widowed wife of Emperor Ronan II. Vesta Falcon retired from public life the day her husband was killed in battle and dedicated herself to Elrath in pursuit of powers that might put an end to fighting once and for all. Today’s Vestals can be found on battlefields and are known to pacify their enemies so that other members of the Holy legions can finish them off. One might question if Vesta would be pleased by this evolution.

Abilities
Heal | Sister, Vestal
The Sisters and Vestals of the Holy Empire, emboldened by their faith in Elrath, master the healing powers of the Dragon-God of Light. Many soldiers recount the tale of being saved in extremis in the heat of a bloody battle by the warm hands of a Sister. Some even claim that they were dead, but that the priestess
brought them back to life.

Pacification | Vestal
The Vestals of the Holy Empire walk with a natural aura of purity and truth that brings spiritual pause to the enemies they attack. Their resolve and beauty has been known to strike their enemies speechless. A well-known Elven ballad recounts a battle with Vestals, claiming that each blow they delivered felt like being slapped on the face by your mother.

Griffin | Imperial Griffin

Griffins were created in the Mythic Age from the spontaneous magical fusion of lions and eagles. At that time the surface of Ashan was irrigated by dragon-veins, remnants of the Dragon Gods’ wars, and animals that drank of these untamed rivers of dragon blood and magic were permanently altered by it. It is said that an act of compassion by an eagle who rescued a lion being carried away by the current of a dragon-vein gave rise to this formidable species.

The Imperial Griffin is the upgraded Griffin. In the days before the wars between the Elves of Tuidhana and the Holy Empire, the two realms enjoyed times of lasting peace. During the Years of Healing, Elven smiths were said to have been so impressed by the harmonious bonds Humans had forged with Griffins, that they taught them the secrets of Starsilver. This metal is as strong as it is light, and when properly crafted makes extremely effective armor for the flying beasts. The mysterious Elven glyphs found on the bardings of the Imperial Griffins are remnants of that long forgotten friendship.

Abilities
Diving Attack | Griffin
When Griffins take flight in the heat of a battle it is not a sign that their morale is low. They dive on their opponents in a strafe of claws and beaks that can level a line of enemies. Many a man on Ashan will tell you that hell is below the earth deep within the bowels of Sheogh. Anyone who has ever met a Griffin in combat knows that the sky should be feared even more.

Unlimited Retaliation | Griffin, Imperial Griffin
Griffins are said to be animated by the magic of the Dragon-gods and are prized allies of the Holy Empire. Their fury in battle, their wild resolve, and their amazing agility permit them to retaliate against any and all assailants that surround them. As the saying in the Empire goes, “Outflanking a Griffin’s as easy as stealing a kiss from a maiden when her father’s holding her hand.”

Diving Assault | Imperial Griffin
Imperial Griffins have spent many years with their human allies, and have learned the tactical importance of weakening an enemy line in battle. When they take to the sky, they return and strike their opponents at the moment they think the greatest danger has passed. As the great Emperor Connor the 1st once said, “We’re never outnumbered, for as long as we have a Griffin with a breast plate who can still fly.”

Radiant Glory | Blazing Glory

Vessels of the will of Elrath, the Dragon-God of Light, Radiant Glories are shining spirits who can flare into brilliance and blind their enemies. In the Spirit Realm, Elrath’s dominion is filled with myriads of these creatures. They are often sent as envoys and advisors to Elrath’s most faithful followers.
The generals of the Holy Empire soon found a use for these beings of burning light.

The Blazing Glory is the upgraded Radiant Glory. The Blazing Glory is a Radiant Glory that has been elevated by Elrath to a higher status. Directly exposed to the immaculate aura of the Dragon-God of Light, they are considered to be the manifestation of righteousness. They are greatly feared in battle, for in order to defeat one of them, one must find a good moral reason, or be cursed with guilt for eternity.

Abilities
Speed of Light | Radiant Glory, Blazing Glory
Glories are thought to be spirits of pure light, and they attack with blinding speed. An appropriate old saying best explains their power: “Parrying the attack of a Glory is like trying to pin your shadow to the
wall.” Try it! It’s not an easy matter.

Cleansing Light | Radiant Glory, Blazing Glory
“Glories are to justice what a hammer is to an anvil.” When magic has been used on the battlefield to change the outcome of a fight that a Glory deems just, it brightens in anger emanating a cleansing burst. The will of Elrath is that all battles are won through courage and faith, but never trickery.

Searing Light | Blazing Glory
A Blazing Glory is said to be a mirror of pure truth that can reveal your soul. Its gaze blinds those who are unwilling to repent from their faults. In the heat of a battle, the Blazing Glory will often force an enemy to look into its purity, causing both pain and blindness. Those who survive the searing light are never quite the same.

Sun Rider | Sun Crusader

There are many knights in the Holy Empire, but only those deemed worthy by Elrath himself can join the Order of the Holy Sun. Commonly known as Sun Riders, these champions of the Light ride enchanted steeds summoned from Elrath’s spiritual realm.
These magical mounts are said to be able to ride on the faintest ray of light.

The Sun Crusader is the upgraded Sun Rider. A Sun Crusader is a Sun Rider who has accepted a Holy Quest. This is a personal pact made with Elrath that generally involves thwarting a particular enemy or finding a particular object. Once the oath has been sworn, the Crusader rarely remains sedentary and often becomes a knight errant, dedicated to the pursuit of his quest. In times of war, the Holy Emperor recalls the Crusaders to protect the realm. This commitment, made by all Crusaders, takes priority over their personal quests.

Abilities
Charge | Sun Rider
The legendary charge of the Sun Riders is a sight as beautiful as it is deadly. Many first-hand stories claim that the riders gain force the longer the distance they cover before their attack. Some of this is due to the increased speed of their mounts, but when seen from afar, one would swear that a magical light accumulates around their bodies in an ever-growing aura as they cross each parcel of ground between themselves and their enemy.

Blinding Charge | Sun Crusader
“May Elrath’s Light guide you swiftly on to your next life! Prepare to meet your Dragon-god!” The war cry of the Sun Crusader Baron Bernard has been passed down from generation to generation and exemplifies more than anything the tremendous amount of time he had to smite his enemies while he charged down upon them. It is said that his armor and shield reflected the light of the sun, creating a beacon that singled out the target of his wrath, blinding his adversaries. It was considered by many to be a merciful power, as it gave its victims a brief moment to prepare their soul for the transition from life to death.

Sun Steed | Sun Crusader
The Sun Crusader has attained a level of faith in Elrath that links his own determination to that of the Dragon-God of Light. No obstacle may impede him from attacking the target his pure heart has decided must be vanquished. His mount is momentarily transformed into light, and like some holy wraith, allows the rider to go anywhere and through anything for a brief and devastating moment. This power alone has changed the art of warfare on Ashan over the last centuries for a Sun Crusader may flank an opposing army by simply charging straight through the enemy lines.

Celestial | Seraph

Physically imposing and striking in their perfection, the Angels of the Light are Elrath’s messengers – and shock troops – on the face of Ashan. They are taller than Humans, far more beautiful, and project an aura of power and confidence. Celestials, on the other hand, are smaller and more Human-like in their appearance. They started to appear after the creation of the Falcon Empire. Their true origins remain a mystery, but their devotion to Elrath is total.
In battle they wield the twin blades of Judgment and Mercy.

The Seraph is the upgraded Celestial. The Seraphim are champions among the Celestials. Their given names are often those of more legendary Angels fallen during the Elder Wars, and some priests actually think that they are reincarnations of older Angel souls, returned by Elrath in this great time of trouble. Whatever their origin, they are extremely skilled in battle and fight with an absolute heroism and fearlessness that seems to come from an era of living legends.

Abilities
Blade of Mercy | Celestial
“The Celestial has a blade that can bring a valiant soul back to life on the battlefield. This magic is neither arcane nor ritualistic. They call upon the power of Light instinctively, using their faith in Elrath as a catalyst.” This note, taken from the writings of a teacher of the Wizards of the Seven Cities, is amazingly accurate. Soldiers of the Holy Empire fight with greater courage and less fear when there is a Celestial amongst their ranks, for death is not necessarily permanent.

Blade of Judgment | Celestial, Seraph
“If ever you strike an ally of Elrath, the Celestial will know it, for the steel in her blade will tremble.” from the Requiem verses of Queen Tuidhana. The Celestial’s Blade of Judgment is said to be attuned to the pain taken by her allies. It stores the transgression as a power, and when the ally’s aggressor is attacked, the pain adds to the target’s woes.

Blade of Epiphany | Seraph
“I was dead I tell you, and the Arch-Angel Michael brought me back. I came back stronger and faster. Alive again... to do Elrath’s bidding!” This is a typical testimony of a resurrected soldier in Michael’s campaign against the Prince of Hate. Had it not been for the tremendous resurrection powers of the Seraphim, the demons would have certainly destroyed the Holy Empire.
Absolute Purity Seraph The Seraphim’s determination and faith in Elrath make them immune to all magic that attempts to hinder or sway them from their path. This tremendous ability has given rise to a well-known expression in the forests of Irollan. “Curse a Seraph? You might as well try cursing the sun!”

Demons are embodiments of Chaos. They believe that the only meaningful moral value is individual freedom, and they feel no need to justify their actions. They kill because they can, or they want to.
That’s why they are viewed as “Evil” and dangerous, and why the other factions of Ashan prefer them to be locked up in their prison-realm, Sheogh, that Sar-Elam created for them.
However, there are individuals, among these nations, who are seduced by this absolute notion of Free Will above all, and end up converted to demon worship.

Core philosophy
“Might makes Right”
The ability to commit an act is sufficient justification to do it. Conquer, plunder and rape the weak – or not, as you wish – indulge yourself in selfish pleasures, convert the fools who do not understand the true meaning of “liberty”. Power is to be taken by the strong, and lorded over the weak.

 

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Religion
Demons worship their progenitor – Urgash, the Primordial Dragon of Chaos.

Magic
Demon magic is drawn from raw chaos and destructive by nature. Overall, demons show an unsurpassed ability to use the most negative aspects of all kinds of magic.
Most of their spells are in fact corrupted versions of the “regular” elemental spells.

Approach to warfare
“Divide, Summon and Conquer”
The entire nation of Demons is an army. Each one lives only to ravage and destroy, and is quite capable of wreaking tremendous havoc on his own. Forged together into a disciplined army, they would be nearly unstoppable.
Fortunately (for their enemies) instilling that discipline is harder than it looks, and the lesser demons often need to be driven along by massive, whip-wielding taskmasters. Chaotic by nature, Demons have a wild combat behavior and erratic tactics.
The mere intimidating presence of the demon legions on the battlefield isn’t enough, and they’ll use every trick at their disposal – destructive spells of all kind, mind control, shape-shifting, curses, etc. One of their most devious statagems is calling reinforcements from their prison-realm right to the battlefield.
Only then, once the enemy has been sufficiently softened up, will the demonic forces charge. If the demonic ranks hold their discipline, they generally power straight through anything opposing them. If not, they turn into a ravening mob.
Demonic weaponry is serrated, barbed, and spiked to cause maximum pain and damage, and to make healing any wound they inflict that much more difficult.

Inferno Creatures
Maniac | Demented

Maniacs are the spawns of Ur-Jubaal, the Demon Overlord of Madness. These demons are the spirits of the unbalanced, infuriated and unpredictable nature of Chaos. A true offspring of their creator, the Maniacs excel at spreading fear and panic. The Maniacs cry and shriek in pain when attacking, and laugh when wounded.

The Demented is the upgraded Maniac. Maniacs that survive the path of Madness for an extended period of time gain a twisted sense of humor and everything begins to seem either ironic or simply hilarious. This helps them drain resolve and assurance from their opponents. A joke from a Demented is no laughing matter.

Abilities
Twisted Mind | Maniac, Demented
The Maniac’s sense of reasoning has crossed the normal boundaries of sanity. All forms of morality and logic have been abandoned and attempts to sap their morale or influence their mind find nothing but a multicolored mental wilderness. The Blind Brothers, who captured quite a few Maniacs during the 2nd Eclipse, say that explaining to a Maniac the reasons his violent behavior will lead him to a horrid death is
like convincing a tree not to grow more bark for the winter.

Maniac Laughter | Demented
Defending against a Demented is extremely disconcerting. It attacks a little before or a little after a normal creature would make a blow, making it slightly harder to defend against and giving it the advantage of unpredictability. When its blows come through, they land where their enemies least expect them to fall. This bolsters the Demented’s resolve, and some swear they even heal themselves with the unpredictable misfortune that they cause to their enemies.

Hell Hound | Cerberus

Hell Hounds are servants of Ur-Vomoch, the Demon Overlord of Voracity. These two-headed fire breathing mastiffs outclass even the saber-toothed tigers or dire wolves in size, speed and ferocity.

The Cerberus is the Hell Hound upgrade. When the two heads of a Hell Hound start to bark in chorus, taking on the sound of one ferocious voice, it is a sign that they are gaining the intellectual coordination of a Cerberus, and are now capable of attacking multiple targets at once.

Abilities
Unlimited Retailiation | Hell Hound, Cerberus
A Hell Hound is never caught off guard and attacking one never goes unpunished. Trained for the hunt of extremely dangerous prey and as guards for even more dangerous treasures, its doubly keen sense of
smell and hearing make it impossible to attack without getting at least one bite in return.

Eye of Gluttony | Hell Hound, Cerberus
Once a Hell Hound or Cerberus has been wounded by an enemy, its senses are filled with an uncontrollable hunger to bring down its aggressor. The odor of its assailant overcomes it and gives rise to a ravenous frenzy. In this state, the two-headed beast’s attacks are more devastating against its marked foe until all its aggressors are killed or the combat ends.

Voracious | Cerberus
A Cerberus is voracious, and as the saying goes in Sheogh, “Two heads are better than one, as long as you have two plates to feed them with.” The Cerberus affects multiple targets when they are aligned in front of it: it makes it all the easier to find something to bite.

Succubus | Lilim

Some children of Asha, having promised themselves to Urgash and the lords of Sheogh, are raised after their death as Incubi or Succubi. As reincarnations of powerful Demon cultists, they have a relatively high and unusual rank in the hierarchy of Demonkind, though many of them lack the wit, devotion, or power to be anything more than servants or courtesans. Their “mortal” origins make them useful as spies, infiltrators, and diplomats, and to support this role they are granted powers of illusion, charm, and shape-shifting.

The Lilim is the upgraded Succubus. A Lilim is a Succubus that has become a battlefield specialist. She is a welcome addition to many of the legions of Sheogh. Her powers of seduction have been honed into disarming weapons that make fighting them extremely difficult. A Lilim sees a battle as a prelude to a passionate death, and one might find her kissing a fallen foe as the last glimmer of light leaves their enamored eyes.

Abilities
Pleasure in Pain | Succubus
Attacking a Succubus is never a painless affair. Each battle becomes a romantic dance similar to the courting parade of two wild Griffins at the beginning of spring. When one attacks the Succubus, there is a natural and instinctive pheromone-driven reaction, and the pretender does a little bit of damage to itself in its over aggressiveness as if to prove to its partner that he or she would make a worthy mate.

Enthrall | Lilim
“I knew I should o’ killed her! But something made me wanna kiss her instead.” Many a soldier who was lucky enough to survive an encounter with a Lilim on the battlefield, tells the same story. The creature has a mesmerizing power, and its sulfurous perfume seems to contain a hidden promise of pleasure, if its assailants would simply throw down their weapons.

Rapture in Agony | Lilim
A battle with a Lilim is an exhilarating experience that has given even the most faithful warriors pause for reflection. Each successful attack against the beautiful creature comes with a dose of delicious pain. The tale of Lord Harris who left his young bride to battle the Lilim Frissona a thousand times is told at wedding parties all over Ashan. It is politely considered a warning for the groom, but most brides consider it a warning for them to assure that their wedding night becomes an unforgettable experience for their new husband.

Breeder | Breeder Mother

Bestowed upon Ur-Aazheel, the Demon Overlord of Proliferation, the Breeder is an obese, pulsing mass of flesh that continually “spits” Imps from shifting orifices in her skin. Almost incapable of movement, she constantly twitches from her insatiable need to procreate, and much of her vital energy is consumed in efforts to control the mutations of her body.
She feeds on mana, that she can smell from a mile away, and when hungry, is not reluctant to consume her own offspring.

The Breeder Mother is the upgraded Breeder. Breeder Mothers are Breeders who have mastered the primordial drives of proliferation and are able to duplicate themselves. No one has ever found a Breeder Father, and for good reason. Breeder Mothers have no need of anything other than the immense chaotic primal power of Urgash to increase their own numbers, along with the flow of Imps that continuously spurt from their bodies.

Abilities
Mana Leech | Breeder, Breeder Mother
Mana is a creative resource that allows one to make something out of nothing. The creatures of Ur- Aazheel, the Demon Overlord of Proliferation, can smell Mana a mile away. Breeders not only rely on Mana to reproduce but can also channel its power from an enemy to their leader, whenever they are the
target of an attack.

Proliferation | Breeder Mother
“Breeders breed fear. Breeder Mother breeds good reason.” This Orc proverb used to illustrate the difference between an Orc of too many words and an Orc of action, draws it origins from the demonic creatures that they have fought bravely for centuries. Breeders multiply extremely quickly, and when one thinks that there are already a good number, there always seem to be a few more than originally counted.

Tormentor | Lacerator

Tormentors are the servants of Ur-Traggal, the Demon Overlord of Pain. Consumed by the endless suffering of Urgash, they inflict upon their own bodies unthinkable horrors. They draw power from their own agony, and use their deformations to strike their enemies. The Tormentors’ skeletons are their main weapons, as they are able to tear out pieces of their body to use in combat. Their ribs can pierce through their chests to pin an adversary, their bones can elongate and project through their fingers to provide them with razor-like talons.

The Lacerator is the upgraded Tormentor. Lacerators are Tormentors that have learned to expulse not only shards of bones from their bodies, but also gastric acids and bile. It is excruciatingly painful for the masochistic Lacerator, but even more so for its victims.

Abilities
Retractable Spikes | Tormentor
It is said that nothing is more painful than a compound fracture, when pieces of bone pierce through the skin. A notable exception is when someone else’s bones come piercing into your own. The Tormentors, who worship pain religiously, have the power to use their bones as weapons. They explode from their bodies like spikes and attack indiscriminately anyone who has the misfortune to be standing beside them. It hurts their victims even more than it hurts them.

Taste of Pain | Tormentor, Lacerator
Ur-Traggal, the Demon Overlord of Pain, awards power to demons that seek situations where pain is distributed abundantly. There is no better place than on a battlefield. Ur-Traggal’s favored creatures, the Tormented and Lacerators, have vowed unwavering allegiance to the philosophy and become more powerful with each blow they deliver or receive. Thus their common phrase of greeting “Give me your pain!” is often politely accompanied by a generous punch in the face.

Exploding Spikes | Lacerator
“Stab Lacerator in back or Lacerator’s back stab you.” An old Orc proverb taught to children to remind them to finish a job quickly once it has been started, draws its origin from legendary encounters with Lacerators. These creatures have the extraordinary power to expulse explosive pieces of bone laced with acid from their bodies that cause damage to all those around them.

Juggernaut | Ravager

Servants of Ur-Khrag, the Demon Overlord of Destruction, Juggernauts are easily identified by their immense horns and their basalt-covered fists and hooves. In battle, they rush violently (and sometimes blindly) into the enemies lines, impaling their enemies with their horns, crushing them with a swing of their massive arms, or trampling them to a bloody pulp.
When needed, they even make good battering rams.

The Ravager is an upgraded Juggernaut. The Ravager cannot be mistaken for a Juggernaut. When it appears on a battlefield, it becomes the only unit that the enemy sees. Its aura of imminent destruction has made more than one experienced leader throw caution to the wind and concentrate attacks on the Ravager. It is difficult to argue such hasty decisions in the heat of battle, for the creature is one of the most powerful and destructive forces to walk the sulfurous grounds of Sheogh.

Abilities
Organic Armor | Juggernaut, Ravager
The Juggernauts have made a pact with Ur-Khrag, the Demon Overlord of Destruction. In exchange for their promise to destroy all that Asha has created, they have been given an organic armor that mutates constantly, making it impossible to hamper magically. Many a wizard has died with eyes open in
astonishment, as his most powerful spell has no affect against the creatures.

Unstoppable Charge | Juggernaut, Ravager
Juggernauts relish opportunities to destroy all living and un-living creations of Asha, the Dragon-Goddess of Order. Whether organic or mineral, their charge creates a wake of destruction that obliterates everything in its path on the way to its target. It is said that they particularly adore the sound of shattering stone. It is music to their ears that remind them of the mines in Sheogh where they often choose to live.

Taunting Presence | Ravager
The Ravager’s presence on the battlefield is so impressive that all enemies around it consider it to be the only force capable of determining the outcome of the battle. This magical aura of imminent destruction acts like a beacon and the Ravager draws all attacks towards itself, even when a closer and more dangerous foe is standing right next to the aggressor.

Pit Fiend | Pit Lord

Defeated, wounded and jailed, Urgash, the Primordial Dragon of Chaos, is consumed by hatred for his sister Asha and her Creation. Ur-Hekal, the Demon Overlord of Hate, is the expression of that endless enmity and the mighty Pit Fiends are his most spectacular agents.
It is said that the only creature a Pit Fiend does not hate is itself, and even that is open for discussion.

The Pit Lord is the upgraded Pit Fiend. Pit Lords are Pit Fiends who have risen from within their own complex internal hierarchy. Considered to be the embodiment of pure Hatred, they are surpassed in power and ruthlessness by only the most vehement Arch-Demons.

Abilities
Hateful Retaliation | Pit Fiend, Pit Lord
“Never underestimate a raging Pit Fiend’s intelligence. They may fight like a possessed creature, but they have one hell of a good memory!” Those legendary words of advice were given by the Arch-Angel Harrodal to Pavel Griffin the week before he was slain in battle against a legion of demons. Pit Fiends never forget to retaliate against a creature that has done them damage in a battle, no matter where they are on the field of battle. They seem to keep a mental hate list, and there is always room for another
name.

Blinded by Rage | Pit Fiend, Pit Lord
A Pit Fiend is driven by Hatred the way a cart is driven by a horse. Nothing can control its anger on a battlefield and it is immune to all mental attacks that would affect even the strongest of wills. Ur-Hekal, the Demon Overlord of Hate, is said to be the only power capable of making a Pit Fiend stop an attack, and since Ur-Hekal has never found a good reason not to attack someone, his favored creatures are considered uncontrollable even by the Princes of Sheogh.

Blade of Hatred | Pit Fiend, Pit Lord
“Suddenly, all I could think about was that Rapheous owed me three crystals, and that I needed to make him pay. So I threw a fire ball at him.” In this excerpt from a Seven Cities’ Court martial Trial the wizards were the first to understand the maliciousness of the Pit Fiends’ power of Hatred. When confronting a Pit Fiend the attacker might become momentarily infected by its hate. At that point anything can happen, and one might even attack an old friend over some ridiculous old squabble, until brought to reason by an attack from the true enemy on the battlefield.

Boundless Hate | Pit Lord
A Pit Lord is the embodiment of pure Hatred. When it leashes its Boundless Hate, all enemies on the battlefield suffer the consequences, and even his allies take note. As the saying goes in Sheogh, “Never forget to bring a present to a Pit Lord’s spawnday party. He’ll certainly hate the present, but he’ll hate you more if you forget.”

Necromancers began as a splinter sect of the Wizards, and grew into a powerful nation. They worship the “Death” aspect of Asha. Their interpretation of the Goddess’s darkest aspect is fanatical, emphasizing death alone and exalting the state of un-life to which all Necromancers aspire. Necromancers study death-magic in order to become eternal, but on their way to un-life, they learn how to control the spirits of the deceased (ghosts) or how to raise the dead from their graves (skeletons).

Core philosophy
“Embrace the Void. Enlightenment can be found only after the passions of the flesh have been stripped away. Time is our ally, for all things that live will someday die...”
Morbid fascination for death and fanatic devotion to the cause.

Religion
Necromancers worship Asha, the Primordial Dragon of Order in a twisted version of her “Death” aspect.

Magic
The Death Lords focus on the destructive paths of Magic, with a predilection for the Primordial magic of Order (discovered by Sar-Elam, the Seventh Dragon) and the elemental spheres of Darkness, and Earth. They have also developed their own branch of magic, which they call Necromancy. Most of their spells consist in eroding the body and dominating the spirit.

Approach to warfare
“A dead enemy is a good ally”
Necromancers, like Wizards, are rarely seen on the front lines. They usually stay in the rear echelon, either as command cadre, or as support units.
Necropolis troops are mainly composed of “puppet” undead units like skeletons and ghouls, controlled by necromancers – wave after wave of the walking dead, countless in number, infinitely obedient, immune to fear or pain. These lesser Undead are generally slow and clumsy, but they have the numbers to drown their enemies in bodies, and the ranks of the dead enemies are “raised” to replace their own fallen lines.
Besides mindless walking dead, armies of Necropolis also include more powerful entities such as vampires and liches. Necromancers also engage ghosts in battle, for quick surgical strikes. In many ways, ghosts are to the Death Lords what the Djinns are to the Wizards.
Overall, Necromancers’ armies are slow but literally unstoppable, for killing what is already dead is not an easy matter and will often take time. Time that Necropolis will conscientiously exploit to slowly erode the body and dominate the spirit of their enemy. Necromancers will generally press an attack for hours, knowing this is one of their advantages. Their troops, after all, never get tired.

 

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Necropolis Creatures
Skeleton | Skeletal Spearman

Skeletons are nothing more than dead, decaying bodies animated by the will of a Necromancer. Combining blind loyalty, indifference to hunger and thirst, and a lack of any sense of fear or doubt, Skeletons are considered to be excellent servants.

The Skeletal Spearman is the upgraded Skeleton. Some Skeletons are specially selected by the Necromancers to wield enchanted armor and weapons, making them more than simple Dragon fodder. These superior servants carry spears equipped with a bulb of Namtaru silk residue that can spew a web upon impact.

Abilities
Hollow Bones | Skeleton, Skeletal Spearman
“Fools! Don’t aim for their hearts! They don’t have any!” Captain Gregor’s legendary last order to his crossbowmen was immortalized by the only marksman to escape the encounter with unliving denizens of a tomb. The survivor recounted the incident to mad Emperor Laegaire himself, who was reportedly so upset not to have recovered the legendary bottomless flask of wine, that he appointed a goat to lead his armies that very same day. His reasoning was that a goat is better equipped to break bones than a band of
bolt shooters.

Webbing Spears | Skeletal Spearman
The necromantic power used to animate the Skeletal Spearman is tremendous and has an extraordinary side effect. In the immediate area around the Spearman target, all bones of any creature great and small that has fallen over the centuries, rise and form a sort of splintery and crackling garden that slows movement and commands respect.

Ghoul | Ravenous Ghoul

Ghouls are tormented spirits of the dead, bound by magic in lifeless corpses, and filled with hatred for the living. Powerful Necromancers can control them, but otherwise they are wild and destructive. Transformation into a Ghoul is used as the ultimate punishment in Heresh, and is a means of permanently removing a soul from the cycle of death and transformation.
Ghouls feed on corpses and often carry diseases in their blood and saliva.

The Ravenous Ghoul is the upgraded Ghoul. Ravenous Ghouls have been trained to fight by their masters. They are even more feral and vicious than their “wild” relatives. When brought to battle by the Undead Lords of the Seven Cities, they are often chained together like war dogs.

Abilities
Dead Flesh | Ghoul, Ravenous Ghoul
“This meat is as tough as ghoul’s skin.” A famous line from a Naga comic play, recounting the story of a resourceful swordsmith’s wife who during a famine feeds her husband leather armor for dinner, illustrates the principle characteristic of the ghoul. Both its flesh and skin are hardenened and tough and serve it as a
natural armor that is extremely resistant to all forms of physical attack.

Rage Against the Living | Ravenous Ghoul
“Unleash the ravenous ghoul, his hunger will lead us to the thief.” The guardian of treasure in Nar Heresh, Baron Deathlock, kept ravenous ghouls near the sect’s greatest treasures as watchdogs. Their heightened senses, driven by an insatiable hunger for living flesh, discouraged not only thieves, but rats and curious crows. When they catch the scent of a living creature they are possessed by the odor and move visibly faster, gaining both strength and a raging fury in preparation of a feast.

Ghost | Specter

Upon their death, the children of the Dragon Gods rise as spirits to the moon, to await reincarnation under the guiding hand of Asha. However, traumatic events can cause the creation of a Ghost, a spirit bound to the material world by a powerful, negative emotion.
By performing a specific ritual, Necromancers can convert Ghosts into loyal servants, under their absolute control.

The Specter is the upgraded Ghost. Specters are created through particularly slow and painful deaths. Their wounds, forever petrified and apparent, cause them to constantly relive the agony of their demise. Specters can psychically inflict upon an enemy the same suffering that they received. Necromancers control these tormented spirits by persuading them through magic, making them believe they are the only beings that can assuage their agony.

Abilities
Incorporeal | Ghost
Ghosts are present both in the Spirit World and Ashan simultaneously, but never completely on either. This allows them to move through walls and trees without hindrance and when attacked physically, a part of the damage is lost to thin air. “My sword went right through him... and then it... went right through me!”

Wail of the Netherworld | Ghost, Specter
Heals undead allies, possibly resurrecting creatures if the stack still exists. Living creatures around the healed target suffer minor damage that adds to the amount healed.

Immaterial | Specter
“Of all the children of Ashan, it’s their dead I hate the most! I smashed that specter seven times, before it finally gave up its ghost.” The Arch-Demon Zol-Moran is said to have been the first to encounter an army of specters on the battlefield. His legion of Juggernauts was decimated and he swore that the next time he escaped Sheogh, he would bring magic users.

Death Seal | Specter
“It was as if the specter had marked his soul for harvest.” In the diary of Priestess Jane, she explains the difficulty she had resurrecting soldiers who had been attacked by specters. She claimed that the specter had the power to seal its victim’s rendez-vous with death, making it extremely difficult to bring them back to life during the heat of a battle.

Lich | Archlich

Higher ranking Necromancers are given a life-prolonging elixir that is milked from the venom of the Namtarus, Asha’s sacred spider spirits, that they must mix with their food. This “treatment” turns them into Asakkus, or “Liches”, their bodies desiccated but now freed from the passions of the flesh.
They keep aging however, until they ressemble little more than walking mummies. The venom mixture also colors their entire eyes bright green.

The Archlich is an upgraded Lich. An Archlich is given that title when he has continued “living” beyond what his or her physical shell would have normally permitted. Though this passage might seem arbitrary, it is not, for a Lich feels the moment pass when death should have come. As they journey beyond the sacred cycle of Life and Death, they gain comprehension of greater powers, some which can be used to sap the life force of living creatures.

Abilities
Dark Embrace | Lich, Archlich
“When a Lich is on the battlefield, watch the shadows... they grow longer.” The Lich emits a permanent aura of Darkness that makes magical cursing as easy as calling someone a dirty name. Though Liches themselves seldom use vulgar language, many a sorry opponent has sworn and cussed when suffering
from their augmented spells.

Life Drain | Archlich
The Archlich has gained mastery over the cycle of Life & Death and can play with its energies. It can drain life from an enemy and pour it into the hungry body of an undead ally. This tremendous power, considered wicked by many, is considered to be a relatively altruistic action by necromancers, for it cannot be used to heal themselves.

Lamasu | Putrid Lamasu

In the year 512 YSD, the Wizards of the Seven Cities created the Beastmen as guards, servants, and “playthings”. The Lamasus were one of many experiments, specifically born of the unnatural fusion of human criminals and Manticores. The resulting creatures were naturally infected by a strange form of pestilence. Too unstable and short-lived, they were considered a failure until a humble embalmer discovered their true potential. A student of the Necromancers, he simply rose the Lamasus’ dead bodies and offered them as a gift to his masters. Their function as plague vector, coupled with their physical might and mobility, made them deadly and versatile troops in the Undead armies of the rising Necromancer cult.

The Putrid Lamasu is the upgraded Lamasu. Certain parasites are immune to the innate disease that the Lamasu propagates throughout its body, and develop a mutually beneficial relationship with their host over time. They feed off of all that the Lamasu kills or that expires in its presence, and in return, the Lamasu sometimes direct them into a swarm to use them as a weapon. These vermin-infested creatures are known as Putrid Lamasus.

Abilities
Aura of Putrescence | Lamasu
“When the blood of manticore and men are mixed, it gives birth to a sickness that kills its host and everything around it.” The wizards of the Seven Cities considered the Lamasu a failed beastman experiment, until a humble embalmer discovered their true potential. They have become some of the most terrifying creatures of the Necromancer armies as walking dead. Their natural disease kills anything that stays too close to it for an extended period of time.

Contagion | Putrid Lamasu
The Putrid Lamasu carries a strain of a natural disease that is infectious. The only way to rid oneself of the deadly contagion is to sleep, something that is extremely difficult during a full-fledged battle. The discovery of the cure was immortalized by the Sun Crusader, Lord Kilburn, after a legendary victory over the Archlich Mironor. “Praise Elrath, we have won... and now all of you! Find a safe place to take a nap!”

Breath of Vermin | Putrid Lamasu
“Wherever the Putrid Lamasu stalks, those who live off the dead stalk with it.” A host of small vermin often accompany the beast, living both within its body and its oily fur. These parasites can be directed into a swarm and used as a weapon against an enemy. Its effects are devastating, and as one naga poet wrote,
“...like an ugly gutter cat salting and peppering its next meal.”

Vampire | Vampire Lord
As they grow in power, Liches may earn the right to be embraced by the Spider Goddess herself to die and be reborn as Akhkharus, or “Vampires”. They undergo an excruciating ritual but gain a rejuvenated body, cleansed from all defects. Vampires don’t need to eat, drink, sleep or breathe anymore as all their organs are “petrified” and it is not blood, but the sacred spider’s venom, that now flows in their veins.
However, they need to drink human blood on a regular basis to thin this venom down, and prevent it from dissolving their body from the inside.

The Vampire Lord is an upgraded Vampire. When a Vampire reaches complete mastery over his new powers, he starts to age backwards, looking one year younger with each new century of unlife. He is now greeted as a Vampire Lord, and joins the ruling council of the Necromancers.

Abilities
Vampiric Embrace | Vampire
“They don’t just drink blood to heal themselves, they need it to water down the venom flowing in their veins.” When the armies of the Holy Empire first observed vampires fighting beside them during the wars with the Demons of the 2nd Blood Moon Eclipse, they didn’t know which of the two was the greater evil. It was the Great Inquisitrice Amanda who first wrote about their powers, reportedly having captured one and put it to the question. “If the Vampire cannot feed, its own blood, a venom of sorts, consumes it from within.”

Out of Time | Vampire, Vampire Lord
“Smash twice. Only sure way to kill it.” These words of advice from a warworn Cyclops are particularly good to remember when fighting a Vampire. When concentrating only on defense, the vampire is capable of entering the Spirit World just long enough to avoid an attack. If one wants to be sure to damage it, one must strike it again before it has time to regain its composure.

Vampiric Grasp | Vampire Lord
“She stabbed him the belly, and he bit her in the back, the angels healed her everywhere and the Emperor drank to that.” In the tavern song that recounts the epic battle between Amanda and the Vampire Lord Miroul, the Holy Empire’s Great Inquisitrice is bitten in a different part of her body with each verse. She keeps stabbing the Vampire in the belly to know apparently no avail. She is finally victorious, but few actually get to that fortieth verse in the song before succombing to the ritual of downing their glass along with the Emperor.

Fate Spinner | Fate Weaver

Namtarus, or Fate Spinners, are emanations of the Mother Namtaru, an avatar of the Spider Goddess, a truly divine reflection of the Death aspect of Asha. They can either assume the form of a spider-woman hybrid or that of a female humanoid with two legs and six arms. Worshipped by the Necromancers, who use their venom to sustain their ranks of Liches and Vampires, Namtarus will often be present at the founding of a Necropolis, like the queen of a hive, to fortify its foundations and nurture its growth.
The Namtarus regularly counsel their devotees through whisper, rhyme, and even dream. Under their protection, the Undead comb the region for lost souls which they then recruit to swell their ranks.

The Fate Weaver is the upgraded Fate Spinner. The Fate Weaver is Asha’s compliment to the Fate Spinner. Where the latter unravels the fragile threads of life and death from the substance of Void, the Fate Weaver incorporates them into its very fabric, following the pattern that the Spider Queen has ordained. Asha has also given them the power to control time whenever their purpose warrants.

Abilities
Dual Forms | Fate Spinner, Fate Weaver
“Spinner and Weaver, human or spider, they’re one and the same. Both will sever the thread that ties you to this world.” Hashima gave this warning to the armies of Eternal Empress before waging battle with the Necromancers of the Seven Cities. The Fates have the power to change form, but both are extremely
deadly.

Venomous Touch | Fate Spinner (spider form), Fate Weaver (spider form)
“Kill the spiders quickly. Time is death’s ally”. The Venomous Touch of the Fates favors them in a prolonged conflict on the battlefield. The Naga general Maturato devoted an entire chapter in his famous epic poem of war, encouraging his students to change their traditional tactical strategies when encountering the terrible spiders in combat.

Baleful Gaze | Fate Spinner (human form), Fate Weaver (human form)
“How amazing! It knows you’re trying to kill it before even you do.” The Arch-Demon Kha-Beleth was reportedly so amazed by the Baleful Gaze of the Fate Spinner that he spent a century trying to convince one to become his succubus. The Arch-Demon claimed that they could see briefly into the future and divine the violent intentions of their enemy. “I want one of those!”

Freezing Web | Fate Weaver (spider form)
“Tricky Spider got away. My blade still sticky.” The Fate Weaver is a formidable foe and very difficult to kill if given the time to spin a web around itself. The Orcs hate their trapping ability in particular, as it counters their traditional charge and slash tactics, and requires a great deal of patience to defeat.

Dance of Decay | Fate Weaver (human form)
“Life and Death is a sacred cycle! Growing older is just the proof that Asha still knows your name.” When a Fate Weaver starts to dance time seems to dance with her, and if you stand too close you will pass on to the Dragon-Goddess before your normally appointed time. The Dance of Decay accelerates the aging process, and is considered proof that the Fates do indeed draw their power from Asha, the Dragon of Order.

The Nagas are reptilian humanoids living in a religio-military feudal culture. They are at home on the land and in the sea, though they move more rapidly in the water. Viewing their time upon Ashan as fleeting and illusory, they strive for perfection in their behavior and their skills. The ideals of purity, simplicity, and harmony are reflected in their magic, their warfare, and their philosophy of life. They keep themselves apart from the other races, concentrating on personal and individual perfection rather than dreaming of power or conquest.

Core philosophy
“We all come from the waters, and one day shall return to them. Learn from the waters, and strive to imitate their purity and power.”

Religion
The Naga worship Shalassa, the Dragon of Water in all her forms and aspects (oceans, lakes, brooks, springs, rain, mist, snow, ice, and even blood and tears).

Magic
Nagas are masters of the “quiet” magic sphere of Water, which renders the body and the mind as malleable as a liquid. They place much store in wisdom and in study; for this reason their magic tends to work overtime and build gradually to a smashing crescendo.
Offensive spells may echo the effects of tidal waves or hurricanes; blessings permit the troops to attack in unstoppable waves; curses leave the enemy slowed and off balance.

Approach to warfare
“Face them one by one”
The Sanctuary is all about control and an iron arm. Control to ensure the enemy cannot reach one’s most vital assets or at least not too early. An iron arm to ensure that, where contact will take place, they will be the strongest.
As amphibians, the Naga are most at ease fighting on wet or watery ground; their natural forms are so well adapted to this that any enemy is at a great disadvantage. They will always try to bring the fight on this kind or terrain.
As they are largely indifferent to death, believing that they will be reborn to serve Shalassa in a higher form, Naga seldom feel the need to run from battle or save themselves. As a result, it is more likely that a Naga army will be decimated than surrender. This fearless character, tempered by wisdom and an implacable serenity, is a potent weapon. In times of trouble, there will always be a champion to move calmly towards the enemy and draw any danger to himself, giving his companions time to prepare themselves and gain tactical advantage.
In one-on-one combat, Nagas trust their iron will and martial perfection to make the difference versus any adversary, and their magic abilities to bolster and protect their champions.

 

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Sanctuary Creatures
Shark Guard | Wanizame

In the year 512 YSD, the Wizards of the Seven Cities created the Beastmen as guards, servants... and playthings. Perhaps one of the most bizarre experiments of a particularly imaginative wizard was to create a hybrid between man and shark, a breed which the wizard hoped would make unsurpassed naval troops. The members of the Wizard Council were not convinced and decided to trade the military use of the Sharkmen for a political one: they offered the creatures as a gift to the Naga lords. The Nagas welcomed the Sharkmen as equals rather than slaves, and offered them honourable positions as guards of their underwater palaces. In return, the Shark Guards follow their masters with unyielding pride and loyalty.

The Wanizame is the upgraded Shark Guard. Wanizame are Shark Guards that have proven their valor and dependability not only to their Naga lords, but to their brother Sharks-in-arms as well. This title is offered by representatives of both in a formal ritual that takes place deep in the ocean, although only those involved have ever witnessed it.

Abilities
Ferocious Wound | Shark Guard, Wanizame
“Use your chopsticks! You’re a true Naga, not a Wanizame!” This common expression in the Lotus kingdom, given by parents to their children as they learn table manners, refers to the way Shark Guards attack their enemies in the most uncivilized of manners. Not only are the wounds inflicted difficult to
staunch, but also they often cripple their targets, reducing their capacity to move.

Blood Frenzy | Wanizame
“You think he’s ugly, now? Wait ‘til the blood starts spilling.” Anyone who has ever fought and survived a battle with Wanizame remembers their Blood Frenzy. Their first attacks are ferocious, but once they’ve caught the whiff of blood, they become possessed with a hunger to finish off their prey.

Coral Priestess | Pearl Priestess

Coral Priestesses are healers and diplomats within Naga society. They come from the Coral Nagas, the smallest of the three Naga species who dwell in the lagoons and on the shores of the Jade Sea islands. Their scales are bright and multi-colored; their faces are almost human. One of the most unique features of the Coral Nagas is the fact their hair is made of living snakes. The snakes are usually asleep and arranged in an elaborate topknot, but a strong and unexpected emotion or danger can wake them up.

The Pearl Priestess is the upgraded Coral Priestess. The Pearl Priestesses have learned to tame their serpentine hair, and in fact use it as a weapon. They can order the snakes of their topknot to perform a mesmerizing dance that evokes the deep currents of the oceans, causing an intense sensation of cold and lethargy for all enemies facing them in combat.

Abilities
Waves of Renewal | Coral Priestess, Pearl Priestess
“May the Waters of Shalassa renew your body and spirit.” Countless Naga have heard this prayer of the Pearl and Coral Priestesses in the most heated moments of battle. It bathes them in a powerful aura that
heals their wounds, removes any negative thoughts, and dispels the effects of enemy magic.

Eyes of the Medusa | Pearl Priestess
“It was like the fire inside me had been drowned in a bucket of chilled ale.” This report, from a Dwarf pirate to his captain after a skirmish with a Pearl Priestess, illustrates well the effects of the Naga’s mesmerizing power. It dulls the minds of their enemies, making them much slower to react.

Kappa | Kappa Shoya

Often jokingly described as the offspring of a toad and a turtle, Kappas are in truth minor Water Spirits linked to the rivers and lakes, bound to a material shape by their alliance with the Naga priesthood. Travellers from other lands often make fun of the Kappa’s appearance and demeanour, but the Naga know better and never underestimate the martial talents of these strange creatures.

The Kappa Shoya is the upgraded Kappa. Shoyas are venerable Kappas, bound to the most sacred rivers and lakes, who constantly purify the waters from which they obtain their strength. In doing so, they accumulate concentrated doses of spiritual toxins that they can use as a weapon against their enemies.

Abilities
Leap | Kappa
“Jumps like Jaguar. Fights like demon.” Orc Warriors admire the Kappa for the challenge it gives them during a battle, as it leaps from an amazing distance to deliver a devastating attack. Because the Kappa is a minor spirit enemies often underestimate its intelligence, but it knows when and where to leap in order to gain the maximum benefit of surprise. The longer the pounce, the more destructive its landing.

Crashing Leap | Kappa Shoya
“Those blasted Shoyas have sent more of my men to the grave than the swords of their Naga masters!” Baron Gunnar, leader of the first imperial expedition to Hashima, shouted those words to his captains after his humiliating defeat against the Naga. When the Kappa Shoya lands from one of its Mighty Leaps, it splashes a toxic substance that is said to burn a man to his very soul.

Spring Spirit | Mizu-Kami

Spring Spirits are major Water Spirits linked to the purest waters. As such, they are found in the springs and waterfalls that are close to Water Dragon veins or nexuses. Often summoned by the Naga priesthood to participate in one of their rites of cleansing, they also guard Naga warriors on the field of battle by melding with these allies and providing them with spiritual and magical protection.

The Mizu-Kami is the upgraded Spring Spirit. Mizu-Kami are Spring Spirits that have chosen to take up residence with the Eternal Empress, vowing to protect her as if she were an avatar of Shalassa. She sometimes dispatches them as honor guards to her ambassadors and favorites, but they are usually reserved for the most sacred Naga rituals. These include Naga trials by combat and the cleansing suicide known as the “Drowning Kiss”. Receiving the kiss of a Mizu-Kami is a way for a defeated Naga lord to return to Shalassa with honor intact.

Abilities
Spirit Link | Spring Spirit
“They pass it on to a living creature through spiritual linking... We must duplicate it!” The Wizards of the Seven Cities were fascinated by the Spring Spirits who accompanied Naga ambassadors. In particular, it was their ability to bond with an ally and share any magical blessing from which one or the other benefited. The Wizards, who sought to master this power for themselves, were exasperated by repeated failures. It seems that their lack of faith in Shalassa was the major impediment. In fact, the Spring Spirits simply meld a part of their substance with their living allies, making the both of them one in the Spirit World.

Pain Mirror | Spring Spirit, Mizu-Kami
“Burn a tree and you burn part of yourself. Take a life and you take a part of your own. Kill a Spring Spirit and you kill a part of your soul.” The Elves of Irrolan hold Spring Spirits in great esteem. Though they recognize them as creatures of Shalassa, they symbolize one of the greatest teachings of Sylanna, the Dragon-goddess of Earth: harmony. Spring Spirits can link with their allies for beneficial purposes, but they can also link with their enemies to reflect the pain that is inflicted to them.

Lifeguard Membrane | Mizu-Kami
“Pound the water out of him first... and then maybe he’ll listen.” This popular expression, common throughout Ashan, means that a cuff on the side of the head is sometimes the best way to get the attention of someone who is ignoring your side of an argument. Its origin comes from the various Water Spirits, whose liquid material shape greatly reduces all physical and magical damage directed toward them.

Spirit Bond | Mizu-Kami
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Snow Maiden | Yuki-Onna

Snow Maidens are major Water Spirits linked to the frozen aspect of Water (ice and snow). They have lived with the Naga for centuries in harmony, isolated in their mountain retreats.

The Yuki-Onna is the upgraded Snow Maiden. Yuki-Onna are greater aspects of the Snow Maidens that can be found only at the summit of the largest glaciers. It is said that they are the daughters of Winter itself, and wield the powers of ice and snow like a warrior wields a blade.

Abilities
Frozen Touch | Snow Maiden
“Shalassa has three moods: one that scalds, one that cleanses, and one that chills you to the bone.” All Nagas learn this lesson at a very young age. Though water can be used as a weapon in all three of its states, the Frozen Touch of the Snow Maiden is most effective when one strives to paralyze clusters of opposing troops on a battlefield.

Frozen Caress | Yuki-Onna
The effects of the Frozen Caress of the Yuki-Onna were immortalized in a play about a daimyo who fell in love with one. To counter the maiden’s tremendous powers of cold that froze him nearly to death every time he kissed her, the daimyo went on a long quest to find a necklace of eternally burning pearls. He wore the jewels around his neck every time he was near the Maiden, and when that still was not enough to maintain his hardiness, he had them fashioned into a belt.

Ice Shards | Yuki-Onna
“Snow can be a warming blanket, but ice is always a deadly bed.” The Duchies of the Wolf and Griffin share the latter saying, as both of them are familiar with the dangers winter brings to their lands. The Yuki-Onna can call upon these powers to create daggers of ice that will line the soil, in wait for those foolish enough to tread the treacherous zone.

Kenshi | Kensei

These honourable and powerful warriors, part of the Deep Nagas (the largest of the three Naga species), are distinguished by their dark scales and faces that are more reptilian than human. They reside in underwater cities at the bottom of the Jade Ocean.

The Kensei is the upgraded Kenshi. Certain Deep Nagas are born with four arms, and they are trained to master a combat style known as the Four Waves that is adapted to their unique anatomy. Once they demonstrate a sufficient mastery of this martial art, they are reverently called Kenseis, “Sword Saints”.

Abilities
Challenge | Kenshi, Kensei
“It was as if time stood still... and there was only him and me in a cloud of slashing steel and a mist of invigorating blood.” This entry in the diary of the pirate queen Tawni Solace tells of a fierce battle with Nagas at sea. She is the first to speak of the challenge of the Kenshis. Once one of these valiant warriors
crosses swords with a chosen enemy, it is difficult to attack anyone else but him.

Battle Ready | Kenshi, Kensei
“As the ripples subside, the water returns”. Fighting a Naga Kenshi is like throwing a stone into a lake. Their martial art is inspired by the movement and flow of water, that will always return to the place it has been pushed away from. It is thus impossible to attack a Kenshi without receiving a blow in return.

Four Waves | Kensei
“High tide, low tide and the waves of blood between. The poet kills with his brush, the Kensei writes with his sword.” These lines from the rebel daimyo Yamana were reportedly sent to the Shogun of the Imperial Empress, as he was about to engage his battalion of Kenseis. They attest to the respect Yamana attributed to the celebrated Four Waves, the combat style mastered by these elite warriors. Yamana surrendered without a fight and was allowed to kill himself through the honorable “Drowning Kiss” ritual.

Kirin | Sacred Kirin

A powerful Water Spirit linked to the celestial waters in all their aspects (rain, hail, clouds, fog, mist...), the Kirin is known in the Naga culture as the bringer of wisdom and chooser of lords. It is said that a warlord who brings a Kirin to battle is blessed by Shalassa and the whole army benefits from the spirit’s heavenly aura.
It is also said that one who rides the Kirin may travel faster than the wind, but at the cost of his own life.

The Sacred Kirin is the upgraded Kirin. A Sacred Kirin is only to be found deep within the Spirit World, and rarely materializes on Ashan. The only way to commune with them is to bathe naked in the magical springs of Shalassa found on the highest mountain of Hashima. The petitioner must then take a literal leap of faith by jumping off the mist-shrouded rocks, praying for the spirit to hear them and interrupt their deadly fall.

Abilities
Trail of Mist | Kirin
The Kirin leaves a misty magical trail behind it wherever it walks that is thick enough, it is joked, to give even an Orc a proper bath. But on the battlefield very few find it a laughing matter. Though the mist never lingers long, the enemy armies always waste precious time groping their way through.

Water Flows Freely | Kirin, Sacred Kirin
“The Kirin is born of water, and like the rain, cannot be harnessed.” In an ancient Naga bestiary, discovered by the Necromancer Sveltana during her legendary journey across the Jade Ocean, the painting that accompanied these words showed a magnificent Kirin moving with determination through a forest of fierce warriors. On the battlefield, she later discovered that the Kirin’s legendary powers were more than a fable, as even the most powerful magic could not hinder the spirit’s swift and graceful movements

Hailstorm Aura | Sacred Kirin
“Where it walks, the water of the sky falls in thundering acclaim to its purity.” The Eternal Empress is said to sleep in a bed decorated with silk sheets, embroidered with images of the terrible Hailstorm Aura of the Sacred Kirins. Though the Empress slumbers in perfect warmth, those who have battled against these powerful spirits speak only of the tremendous cold they felt when the storm it summons hit them.

Trail of Clouds | Sacred Kirin
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Nomadic barbarian tribes, the Orcs are the scattered but proud survivors of a long persecution. They are strong, if straightforward, warriors and shamans with access to only certain types of magic – essentially either “blood magic”, which is chaotic in nature and linked to their demonic origins, or simple shamanistic spells.

Core philosophy
“Never again”.
This is our home. Your kind is not welcome here. We have made this place our own. No one shall take it from us, and no one shall ever tell us what to do again.

Religion
The Orcs have no god. The Orcs need no god. This being said, their Shamans pay homage to “Mother Earth” and “Father Sky”, two powerful spirits they meet when they travel into the “Dream World”. Sages of other factions have compared these spirits to the “Life” and “Death” aspects of Asha.

Magic
Because they are a “created race”, Orcs do not belong to Asha’s natural order. Thus, they have no connection to the Dragon Gods. As they were created then enslaved by the Wizards, they have nothing but hatred for Arcane magic. However, their demon blood grants them access to a limited form of Chaos magic.
Orc Shamans use blood rituals, sometimes involving the sacrifice of weak Orcs or Goblins, to focus and empower their “magic”.

Approach to warfare
“Rush now, think later!”
Orcs were created as shock troops to fight Demons, and their tactics reflect this. Lightly armored and heavily armed, they usually rush straight at the enemy, counting on their numbers, speed, ferocity and toughness to break the lines of the opposing army without suffering too many casualties.
Because they do not truly belong to Ashan, Orcs are not subjects to some of its laws. The most obvious example is Magic, which fails more often than not when in contact with an Orc (it works both ways; Orcs are nearly immune to magic, but also use it poorly, including magical artifacts).
Orcs are also highly resistant to Demon magic and powers. Their skin is almost fireproof, their spirit is immune to demonic possession and many other forms of mind-control, and they can’t be duped by illusory magic.
These powers come at a price however. When the demonic half of their blood takes control, the Orcs fall under the influence of the “Bloodrage”, a fit of frenzy that urges them to attack everything that crosses their path, without discriminating between friend and foe. In this altered state, the Orcs become insensitive to pain, but they fight with wild unrestrained aggression and lose all sense of self-preservation.
Orcs fight to win but they have developed a “code of honor” that they use when they face a “respectable” enemy (Demons or Wizards are automatically excluded from this category).

 

[nickcv]

Stronghold Creatures
Mauler | Crusher

Lightly armored and heavily armed, the Orc Maulers are the basic front-line of the Stronghold hordes. Their usual tactic is simply to rush straight at the enemy, counting on their numbers, speed, ferocity, and toughness to break the lines of the opposing troops and pound the hell out of them. Their heavy shields are not a decorative item, but used to deflect the incoming missiles that are inevitably hurled from the enemy ranks.

The Crusher is the upgraded Mauler. Crushers are a special cast of Orc Maulers that have gained an instinctive combat sense. They get a glimpse of their foe’s aggressive intentions in a flashing vision when in battle. Some claim it’s a gift from their patron god, Father Sky. Others attribute it to the chaotic powers that resides within their demonic blood.

Abilities
Taste of Blood | Mauler, Crusher
“Once the Orc bleeds, the smell of his own blood invigorates him and he grows stronger.” When the Wizards of the Seven Cities created the Orcs this incredible faculty amazed them, and it encouraged their tactical usage of Maulers in the front lines of their armies. The demons were the first to suffer the
onslaught of the Maulers, and their resilient aggressiveness even took them by surprise.

Shielded | Mauler, Crusher
“Father Sky and Mother Earth protect Orc children.” This typical Orc Shaman incantation before battle is not merely a means for bolstering morale. It appears that Father Sky provides them a sort of protection constantly from threats coming from the airs, for all ranged attacks are mysteriously shielded and are less effective than they should be. The Inquisitors of the Holy Empire call this ridiculous superstition, but whenever two crossbowmen are out of their earshot, they will swear that it is true.

Assault | Crusher
“Shaman gets last word, Warrior get last smash!” This famous Orc saying is not spoken as a joke by Crushers, and holds a great deal of truth. When a Crusher attacks and its enemy retaliates it attacks again. Though they may be Orcs of few words, their weapons speak for them.

Goblin | Goblin Hunter

Goblins are “degenerate” Orcs, who were originally “failures” in the Orc experiment, born from the blood of lesser demons (mostly Imps). Their fertility being inversely proportional to their physical and intellectual capacities, they have multiplied like rodents.
Goblins are small, scraggy, physically weak, but very swift and agile. Devious and cowardly, they rarely attack unless they greatly outnumber their opponents, preferring sneak attacks and (poorly constructed) booby traps. They will usually run from any show of force. In the Orc armies, Goblins serve as servants, scouts and skirmishers.

The Goblin Hunter is the upgraded Goblin. Goblin Hunters are Goblins who are smart enough to survive in the wild on their own. Independent tribes of Goblins have been found in the forests of Irollan, the Steppes of the East, or in the Pao Islands. Sometimes a common purpose leads them to join the ranks of the Orcs. Goblin Hunters should not be underestimated: they are particulary good at finishing off incapacitated enemies.

Abilities
Crippling Traps | Goblin, Goblin Hunter
“You don’t fight Goblins, you hunt them down. They have no sense of honour, and no proper place on Ashan.” The Emperor Connor III, who is famous for calling an end to the Orc Crusades, had initially wanted to exclude Goblins from the treaty. He had nearly lost a leg in a Goblin trap, and whenever he had
encountered them on the battlefield, he felt there was no glory to be had in besting them.

Vicious Strike | Goblin Hunter “There is much for us to learn from the Goblin. He is not dumb. He has intelligently adapted to his physical shortcomings, and has learned to critically strike his opponent when the odds are in his favour.” Queen Tuidhana, a long-time ally of the Orcs, is said to have asked each of her legendary assassins to spend a month hunting with Goblins in the forests of Irollan, before accepting them in her personal guard.

Harpy | Fury

In the year 512 YSD, the Wizards of the Seven Cities created the Beastmen as guards, servants, and “playthings”. Half-human and half-bird of prey, Harpies were originally used as scouts, messengers and skirmishers in the Wizards’ armies. They won their freedom along with the Orcs, who adopted them as allies, considering them to be favored children of Father Sky. Very different characteristics have evolved in Harpies born from such diverse species as ravens, eagles, or vultures. The Harpies who settled in the Pao islands were created from various tropical raptors native to the Eastern jungles, which explains their multi-colored plumage.

The Fury is the upgraded Harpy. Furies are Harpies that have survived enough battles to master advanced techniques in strafing attacks. They are impossible to counter-attack as they fly with incredible speed and manoeuvrability.

Abilities
Strike and Return | Harpy, Fury
“Follow them to where they nest! Or you’ll never be rid of them.” The Barons and Dukes of the Holy Empire know the tactics of the Harpy all too well. During the Orc Crusades they were a detested opponent, harassing both reserves and front lines at will. One had to observe closely their position and
rush them to their point of origin in order to fight them effectively on solid ground.

No Retaliation | Fury
“Honor is a luxury for those with the gold to armor their chests. I prefer my Furies. They cloak themselves in courage.” Crag Hack, the infamous barbarian who rose to the head of an Orc tribe, is said to have thrown those words likes javelins at Baron Rufus during a truce meeting in the middle of a three-day battle. The Unicorn Baron was complaining that the strafing attacks from Crag’s notorious Clouds of Furies were dishonorable because his men could not retaliate.

Dreamwalker | Dreamweaver

Orcs pray to Mother Earth and Father Sky, but Dreamwalkers are the voices of the tribes’ ancestors. To become a Dreamwalker, a shaman must first undertake a dream journey to the Spirit World to meet the spirits of his ancestors. During this inner journey, the Dreamwalker must also face his own demonic heritage and destroy the Chaos within himself. Many Dreamwalkers die during this trial. Those who survive return transformed: their body twisted and deformed by their struggle with their chaotic blood, but their mind imbued with a greater understanding of blood magic and the spiritual realms.

The Dreamreaver is the upgraded Dreamwalker. Dreamreavers have traveled so often and far into the Dream realms that they can summon a part of it onto the battlefield. These shamans are not only respected by other Orcs, but are perhaps the only living creatures that they might honorably fear. A conversation with a Dreamreaver is like talking to your worst nightmare, only it’s they who decide when you awake.

Abilities
Sky and Earth | Dreamwalker
“One man’s dream is another man’s nightmare.” This Seven City popular expression could be used to describe the effects of the Dreamwalker spell that sends its allies into a waking dream where their movement is liberated and hastened. When cast on an enemy, the dream becomes a nightmare, causing both damage and in increasing sensation of lethargy.

Sky and Earth, Mass | Dreamreaver
“Kill the damn Dreamreavers or they’ll have us all thinking we’re roasting over a sulfur pit!” The Arch- Demon Gru-Zhaal is said to have watched his entire legion caught under the effects of a Dreamreaver nightmare. Though he himself was unaffected by the spell, he channeled visions from his favorite succubus and felt her state of terror. Not only were the Orcs on the field moving twice as fast they should, his own troops were crawling, suffering from some imaginary pain.

Centaur | Centaur Marauder

Like the Harpies, Centaurs are Beastmen, created by the Wizards of the Seven Cities in the year 512 YSD. Half-human and half-horse, the Centaurs were originally given the menial tasks of carrying messages, pulling carts and working in the mines. They willingly joined the Revolt of the Orcs and scattered across the face of Ashan, seeking space, dignity, and freedom. They get along well with Orc tribes and have become their most valuable allies, out of common interest and like- mindedness.

The Centaur Marauder is the upgraded Centaur. Centaur Marauders are a cast of Centaurs dedicated entirely to the art of warfare. They have vowed never to be slaves again and initiation amongst their ranks requires them to renounce the bonds of marriage. This does not mean that they may not bear or foster children, but they are forbidden the pairings that are reserved for the other members of their herd tribes.

Abilities
Vigilant Scout | Centaur, Centaur Marauder
“Charge with your shields raised high!” This command usually means one thing: Imperial Sentinels are being asked to charge a contingent of Centaurs. The Centaur Beastmen were created by the Wizards of the Seven Cities originally to pull carts of supplies on the battlefield, but when trained as archers their true utility was quickly discovered. They are among the best harassing units on all of Ashan, and it takes
tactical expertise to outflank them.

Manoeuvre | Centaur, Centaur Marauder
“Both our flanks were chasing centaurs and our lines grew too thin. When the center broke, the battle was over in three short breaths.” The Wizards of the Seven Cities recorded numerous battle reports in the years following the Orc rebellion. These lines were of note, because the first to mention what would appear to demonstrate tactical intelligence on the behalf of the Centaurs. They refused to fight hand-to- hand combat, and chasing them down considerably weakened their enemy’s lines.

Mobile shooter | Centaur Marauder
“She doesn’t have to stop and turn her mount! She is both mount and rider!” The Sunriders of the Empire are as impressed as they are frustrated by the agility of the Centaur Marauders on the battlefield. They can fire deadly arrows and then move to higher ground, or dash to a place before firing from the most deadly positions. Years of skirmishes with the Holy Empire during the Orc Crusades have taught the Centaur Marauders to fight with uncanny discipline.

Jaguar Warrior | Panther Warrior

Among the Pao islands’ Orcs, the Jaguar Warriors are the tallest, the strongest, and the meanest. To become a Jaguar Warrior, an Orc brave must first kill a saber-toothed jaguar, one of the fiercest predators of the islands, with his bare hands. Needless to say, the mask of a Jaguar Warrior often hides numerous scars earned during this perilous rite of passage. In combat, they rush violently and blindly into the enemy, raking with their obsidian claws. Jaguar Warriors are often used as honour guards by the greatest Orc chieftains and shamans.

The Panther Warrior is the upgraded Jaguar Warrior. Among the Pao islands’ Orcs, the Jaguar Warriors are the tallest, the strongest, and the meanest. To become a Jaguar Warrior, an Orc brave must first kill a saber-toothed jaguar, one of the fiercest predators of the islands, with his bare hands. Needless to say, the mask of a Jaguar Warrior often hides numerous scars earned during this perilous rite of passage. In combat, they rush violently and blindly into the enemy, raking with their obsidian claws. Jaguar Warriors are often used as honor guards by the greatest Orc chieftains and shamans.

Abilities
Feral Charge | Jaguar Warrior
Jaguar and Panther warriors call upon the spirits of the great cats from which they draw their namesake. Often, their first attack resembles the pounce of a feline predator, dropping from the sky and pinning their prey, making immediate retaliation impossible. If their prey is not immediately killed, it is best not to run, for to do so is to give them a chance to pounce again.

War Fury | Jaguar Warrior, Panther Warrior
“Once it starts slashing, nothing but death will stop it.” The Necromancer Hafayaad wrote extensively on the tactics and strategies of the Orcs in battle. He made special note of the Jaguar Warrior’s capacity to resist curses and control once it had entered into the fray of battle, prompting him to recommend concentrating magical attacks on them until the lines had met, and then praying to Asha for her
intervention thereafter.

All-around Slash | Panther Warrior
“It was raining claws, and their growls sounded like thunder.” Many Naga consider the Panther Warriors the most beautiful and dangerous foe one might meet in battle. Their charge is furious and instinctive, and falls upon battle lines like a summer storm. Not only must the immediate target of their pounce be on their guard, but those beside them most also look for cover from the rain of death and fury.

Cyclops | Enraged Cyclops
Cyclops are the Goblins’ opposites. They too were a “failure” in the Orc experiment, but because they were born from the blood of major demons. The demonic part of their blood took over, and they became monstrous giants, body and mind twisted by chaotic surges.
While many factions would love to harness their power, only the Orcs have the strength, patience, and courage to “tame” them and give them a place in their villages as tireless workers, and on the battlefield as heavy shock troops and “siege engines”. Cyclops often measure more than 10 feet tall, and they definitely look more demonic than human. A curious trait they all share is that they have only one eye: a large, pupil-less disc, red and glowing.
No one knows for sure the cause of this mutation, but a popular wizard theory claims that it is the “Mark of Chaos”, a symbol of the Dragon-snake Urgash, coiled in a circle, eating its own tail. Most simply refer to it as “the Evil Eye”.

The Enraged Cyclops is the upgraded Cyclops. Though the Cyclops are by nature calm with a child-like simplicity, when they are hurt (physically or emotionally), they develop an explosive and terrifying rage, born from their chaos-tainted blood. This makes them dangerous to everyone, their own kind included. A select few Cyclops can intuitively channel this rage through their “Evil Eye” to incinerate their enemies from a distance.

Abilities
Slam | Cyclops
“Closing in on a Cyclops is like trying to keep the ocean at bay with the point of a spear.” The Deep Naga respect the tremendous blows of the Cyclops and consider it blessed by Shalassa. Wherever its mighty club strikes the ground a wave of fury is launched at the point of impact, pushing its rivals back. The sensation is similar to being hit by a giant wave when swimming along the coastal regions of the Jade sea on a stormy morning.

Sunder | Cyclops, Enraged Cyclops
“If you think their fort is impressive, you should see how quickly they can tear it down.” Earland Hammer, the renowned Bloodsmith, is said to have lived a decade with a tribe of Cyclops to learn how to most effectively swing a mass. He once encountered a trader that was extremely impressed by the immensity of their village architecture. Earland told him that the Cyclops have a natural talent for crushing stone and wood, and that they could turn a mountain into a prairie if they were ever given a good reason.

Impervious to Pain | Cyclops, Enraged Cyclops
“The creature’s too dumb to know when it’s already dead!” The Emperors of Falcon have a long history of underestimating the intelligence of the Orc nations. Their misunderstanding of the Cyclops capacity to continue fighting even after it has been killed is not due to a mental deficiency but simply the fact that it is impervious to pain.

Mighty Slam | Enraged Cyclops
“Mother Earth hears Cyclops’ rage!” The Shaman Palamona is said to have been the first Orc to have made friends with the Cyclops during her tribe’s flight for freedom during the Orc Crusades. She claimed to have been given a vision during a dream by Mother Earth, and walked straight into a Cyclops village the very next morning. As two Enraged Cyclops immediately tried to smash the life out of her, they both missed, and she was sent high into the air from the tremendous impacts of their Mighty Slams. She then floated gently to the ground between them, and the Cyclops have been the allies of the Orcs since that day.

Burning Rage | Enraged Cyclops
“They say the eye is the window to the soul. The Cyclops’ eye is a portal into Sheogh.” An Enraged Cyclops can concentrate its anger into a single beam of fiery energy that can literally set ablaze whatever it gazes upon. Or as the saying goes, “Cyclopes can’t wink, but no one has ever looked at one long enough to be certain.”

What's New in the Series?

Healing == Resurrection
When you heal a stack of creature you can resurrect permanently troops from that stack.
This gives every single faction a way to resurrect it's troops

Mines belong to the town territory
You cannot conquer a mine if didn't conquer the City/Fort that has control over that portion of the map.
This feature can be turned off in the map settings before starting the game

Towns Conversion
When you conquer an enemy town you can convert that town and all its building to your own faction.
The cost of this operation changes accordingly to how many building have been build in the town.

Just 4 Resources
You just have gold, ore, wood and crystals.
While it may seem that the game is much easier this way it actually makes map creations much more interesting cause you can have balanced maps without having to worry about a resource you need being at the other end of the map.
Building you town didn't become any easier anyway.

Town Screens are gone! But they will be back soon
The devs decided to change town screens into town windows to make easier and quicker the management of your own castle.
During the beta they received tons of complains from players so they decided to bring town screens back. They are not there yet, but they will be with an upcoming patch

No simultaneous turns in multiplayer, yet
Just like town screens the feature is not there yet, but devs are bringing it back

 

[nickcv]

Boss Battles
besides normal battles there are battles against boss.
You'll have to beat extremely overpowered creatures during the campaign hoping that your army will survive the challenge.

Heroes Abilities
You hero has several core abilities:

Might Attack (MiA)
Increase the damage done by your Hero Strike
Increase the damage done by your might creatures

Might Defense (MiD)
Increase the defense of your creatures from might damage

Magic Attack (MaA)
Increase the damage and or the duration of your spells
Increase the damage done by your magic creatures

Magic Defense (MaD)
Increase the defense of your creatures against magic damage (both creatures and spells)

Mana
each spell requires mana to be used.
The amount of mana your hero has is (MaA + MaD) * 10
Spells also have cooldowns which means you cannot spam a single spell during a battle.

Leadership
increase the morale of your troops
Higher is the morale of your troops and more chances you will have that a stack may perform two actions during a turn. Undead troops (like those of necropolis) don't have any morale.
Morale can be both positive and negative, which means that if a stack has negative morale it may skip a turn.
Having troops of opposite faction in your army decrease their morale

Destiny
increase the luck of your troops
Higher the luck of your troops and more chances you will have that a stack may inflict double damage.
Luck can be both positive and negative, which means that if a stack has negative luck it may inflict half damage.

Heroes Classes and Reputation
During you gameplay the hero will have several decision to make.
If you attack some neutral armies on the map they try to run away you have a decision to make: you can purchase them or let the run away.

If you purchase them you gain blood reputation, otherwise you'll get tears reputation.
Gaining points towards one won't take away points from the other one.

Once you reach a certain amount of reputation towards one of the two alignments you can make your hero change class.
Changing class gives your hero additional special abilities that change according to your faction.

You can see in your hero window what are those abilities and decide what class you want to take.
Once you make this decision you cannot revert it.

When you change your class you can also reset your Hero skills and get back your skill points to change your hero.

You have several way to gain reputation, even using a skill grants you point towards blood or tears.


Hero Skills
Hero skills are not random anymore.
Every time your hero levels-up you gain a point to spend on the skill tree.

The skill tree is huge, you have skills both for might and magic, skills to increase your hero attacking skills or to improve the creature growth in your castle.

There are even skills that let you conquer a mine and take in advance one week of resources from that mine living it useless for one week (extremely good to take away resources from your opponents)

Skills belong to 3 levels:
basic, advanced and expert.

You cannot get advanced skills before level 5 and expert skills before level 15
Some skills require that you get a previous skills to get them.

Might Skills
Paragon
These skills are all passive skills.
They increase you hero leadership, destiny, might power, might defense, the amount of experience he gains and the chance of recruiting neutral creatures he encounters on the map.

Paragon also has skills to increment you hero movement on the map, reduce the penalty when walking on difficult terrain and to grant other heroes free experience points.

Realm
these skills increase your creatures production, the amount of resources your hero may find on the map, the hero's scouting radius and drain resources from enemy mains.

Tactics
these skills are used in battle and increase your creatures initiative, increase the damage done from your catapult during sieges, gives your hero the opportunity to replace your units on the battle field at the beginning of the combat, plus some others.

War Cries
these are all active abilities.
They increase your stacks defense or attack abilities

Warfare
just like war cries these abilities increase defense or attack abilities of your stacks, but are all passive.

Magic Skills
Magic Abilities are divided into 7 families: from left to right, they are Air, Fire, Earth, Water, Light, Darkness, and Prime.
Most Magic Abilities consume mana when used.
Some are support abilities, others inflict damage on the enemy, and others will curse them with negative effects.
Every faction has access to five magic families out of seven, with the exception of Stronghold, which has access to six.

Haven:
air, fire, earth, light, prime
Inferno:
air, fire, earth, darkness, prime
Necropolis:
air, earth, water, darkness, prime
Sanctuary:
air, earth, water, light, prime
Stronghold:
air, fire, earth, water, light, darkness

Right now damage spells are underpowered, we hope the devs will fix this balance issue as soon as possible.

Air
thanks to air you get access to lightning spells, wind spells, storms and summon air elementals.

Fire
increase morale of your troops, cast fireballs on your enemies, use a fire shield to your stacks, increase might damage of your creatures, summon fire elementals and force enemy stacks to attack the closest creature.

Earth
Destroy siege walls and obstacles, create clouds of poison, heal friendly creatures, create walls, increase your stacks defense and summon earth elementals.

Water
ice bolts, blizzards, froze the ground making impossible for enemy stacks to pass over it, ice armors, ice walls and summon water elementals

Light
Heal your troops, blind enemy stacks, increase the creatures defense, make enemy creatures damage themselves when they attack your stacks, summon light elementals and dispel negative effects from your creatures

Dark
Deal damage to enemy stacks inflicting them agony, decrease their morale, make your creatures regenerate themselves when they attack the enemy, dispel positive effects from enemy units, take control of an enemy unit, make opponents stacks weaker and summon darkness elementals.

Prime
dispel magic, increase Magic power and defense, increase movement and initiative of your creatures, deal damage, steal mana, slow the enemy stacks, teleport your units across the battlefield, make enemy creatures skip their turns.

Faction Abilities

Each faction has unique racial ability that Heroes can use in combat. Racial ability has four levels. Maximum available level of ability depends on level of the Hero:

I = hero level: 1
II = hero level: 5
III = hero level: 15
IV = hero level: 25

Racial gauge reflects the amount of “gauge points” – “fuel”, which is required to use the racial ability.
Full gauge has 400 points. When the gauge fills up to 100 points (1/4 of total) – level I racial ability can be
used.
When the gauge fills up to 200 points (half) – level II racial ability can be used (only for Heroes of level 5 or higher).
When the gauge fills up to 300 points (3/4 of total) – level III racial ability can be used (only for Heroes of level 15 or higher).
When the gauge fills up to 400 points (full) – level IV racial ability can be used (only for Heroes of level 25 or higher).
Single use of the racial ability (at any level) uses up all the gauge points and empties the
gauge.
Each faction has its own “standart” ways to fill gauge. Apart from these “standart” methods there are many other ways to fill gauge or to increase filling speed: town buildings, artifacts, heroic strikes etc.

Haven
The gauge is filled when friendly creatures are dealt damage or they gain good morale.
After the good morale triggers for ally stack the gauge is filled with +100 points. After a damage is dealt to friendly stack the gauge is filled with value = (Damage / FriendlyArmyHealth * 750).
FriendlyArmyHealth is total Health of friendly army at the start of combat.

Guardian Angel I
Target friendly Core stack becomes impervious to all harm for 1 turn(s).

Guardian Angel II
Target friendly Core or Elite stack becomes impervious to all harm for 1 turn.

Guardian Angel III
Target friendly stack becomes impervious to all harm for 1 turn.

Guardian Angel IV
Target friendly stack becomes impervious to all harm for 1 turn and is also healed for 20% of its health.

Inferno
The gauge is filled when creatures perform critical or fumble hits.
Whenever the good or bad luck triggers for ally or enemy stack the gauge is filled with +70 points.

Gating I
Select one of your demon stacks and then an area to summon a stack of demons of the same type. A gate will appear first: the summoned stack will come out that gate after 1 turn. The gated stack is returned to Sheogh if your selected stack is destroyed. Can summon Core creatures. Total Health of the gated stack will be equal to 3.43% of total Army Health at the start of combat.

Gating II
Select one of your demon stacks and then an area to summon a stack of demons of the same type. A gate will appear first: the summoned stack will come out that gate after 1 turn. The gated stack is returned to Sheogh if your selected stack is destroyed. Can summon Core and Elite creatures. Total Health of the gated stack will be equal to 6.875% of total Army Health at the start of combat.

Gating III
Select one of your demon stacks and then an area to summon a stack of demons of the same type. A gate will appear first: the summoned stack will come out that gate after 1 turn. The gated stack is returned to Sheogh if your selected stack is destroyed. Total Health of the gated stack will be equal to 10.31% of total Army Health at the start of combat.

Gating IV
Select one of your demon stacks and then an area to summon a stack of demons of the same type. The gated stack is more powerful, appears instantly and can also act in the current turn. The gated stack is returned to Sheogh if your selected stack is destroyed. Total Health of the gated stack will be equal to 11% of total Army Health at the start of combat.

Necropolis
The gauge is filled when creatures are dealt damage. Friendly losses generate more points.
After damage is dealt to friendly stack the gauge is filled with value = 750 * (Damage / FriendlyArmyHealth).
FriendlyArmyHealth is total Health of friendly army at the start of combat.
After damage is dealt to enemy stack the gauge is filled with value = 250 * (Damage / EnemyArmyHealth).
EnemyArmyHealth is total Health of enemy army at the start of combat.

Necromancy I
Raises friendly undead creatures based on the size of your army. Can raise Core creatures.
Ability restores Health in amount = 2.75% of total Army Health at the start of combat. Target area: 1x1.

Necromancy II
Raises friendly undead creatures based on the size of your army. Can raise Core and Elite creatures.
Ability restores Health in amount = 5.5% of total Army Health at the start of combat.Percent = 5.5 Target area: 1x1.

Necromancy III
Raises friendly undead creatures based on the size of your army. Can raise Core, Elite, and Champion creatures. Ability restores Health in amount = 8.25% of total Army Health at the start of combat. Target area: 1x1.

Necromancy IV
Raises friendly undead creatures based on the size of your army. Healing is distributed among friendly undead in targeted area. Can raise Core, Elite and Champion creatures. Ability restores Health of each stack in target area in amount = 11% of total Army Health at the start of combat.
Target area: 3x3.

Sanctuary
The gauge is filled when enemy creatures that have not been hit in the current turn yet are attacked.
The gauge is filled by +80 points when enemy stacks, that have not been attacked in the current turn yet, are attacked.

Honor I
All friendly Sanctuary creatures gain 7 Might Defense and Magic Defense for the current turn.

Honor II
All friendly Sanctuary creatures gain 7 Might Defense and Magic Defense and +14% Maximum Health for the current turn.

Honor III
All friendly Sanctuary creatures gain for the current turn: 7 Might Defense and Magic Defense, +14% Maximum Health and a frost shield dealing 2 damage (Water)/creature to attackers.

Honor IV
All friendly Sanctuary creatures gain for the current turn: 7 Might Defense and Magic Defense, +14% Maximum Health and a frost shield dealing 2 damage (Water)/creature to attackers. Attackers are also inflicted by the “Chilled” effect.

Stronghold
The gauge is filled when creatures perform attacks. Friendly creatures generate more
The gauge is filled by +20 points every time when enemy stack suffers from damage (except DoT). The gauge is filled by +10 points every time when friendly stack suffers from damage (except DoT).

Bloodrage I
All friendly Stronghold creatures gain 10 Initiative for the current turn.

Bloodrage II
All friendly Stronghold creatures gain 10 Initiative and 15 Might Power for the current turn.

Bloodrage III
All friendly Stronghold creatures gain 10 Initiative, 15 Might Power and 1 Retaliation for the current turn.

Bloodrage IV
All friendly Stronghold creatures gain 10 Initiative, 15 Might Power and 1 Retaliation for the current turn. They also inflict a brief stun when attacking, which negates retaliation.

 

[nickcv]

Conflux

Conflux is a online system, which rewards players, who choose to play while connected with their UPlay accounts. Though the game is fully playable offline, Conflux provides an opportunity to access extra features extending game experience.

Conflux features are only available when playing online, and they include:

Dynasty:
personal customizable Heroes, powerful dynasty weapons and traits. The Altar of Wishes is used to unlock these dynasty bonuses;

Achievements:
they now exist not only to compare your progress in the game with friends but also to earn
Dynasty Seals – “currency” to “buy” dynasty bonuses;

Community:
direct access to several services while playing (Facebook, Skype, etc.)


Traits
Traits are starting bonuses which player can select in campaign, single or multiplayer games.

All players have three traits for free. Seven traits are provided immediately upon unlocking respective achievements. All the other traits should be purchased for “Seals”.

Dynasty Weapons
Dynasty weapons are special artifacts for Main hand. As the other Conflux specialitets, they are available only during the online play.
Dyansty weapons accumulate experience together with the Hero, who wields it and advance up to 5th level. Every level brings additional boni or allows hero to use additional abilities.

Achievements
Achievements provide player with Dynasty Seals (a “currency”, which can be used at Altar of Wishes to purchase various dynasty bonus).

Other rewards for unlocking achievements include:
UPlay Points, that can be spent to unlock additional game content at Ubi account;
Titles (they’ll be displayed next to player’s name and will be visible for other players);
Unique traits.

Widgets
Widgets gives you skype integration with the game, chat in multiplayer games, leader-boards, friend list.
Devs said that more widgets will be coming with future updates of the game.

Links

Fan Manual used for most of the contents of this OP:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0Bz5I7_BjhTG6YjFmMjVmMzUtOGY1YS00ZGVlLWJmMmQtYmRmNTBiNzQxMjkx
Be careful the fan manual is full of spoilers (there is even the full list of artifacts)

Official Website:
http://might-and-magic.ubi.com/heroes-6/en-US/home/

Reviews:

Gametrailers: 7.8
IGN 8

 

[Corky]

done, you guys can answer from now on

PHEW, was having the biggest case of blue balls xD. *want to post hnggghhh*. Is the demo indicative of how the game is in general? I.e is it a good/bad demo?

 

[zoku88]

You say that you have to authenticate the first time you play online. Is there a limit to how many times you can?

 

[Card Boy]

I will wait for a $25 sale, i am in no rush to get the game.

 

[xelios]

I will wait for a $25 sale, i am in no rush to get the game.

I wish I felt the same, been playing the demo quite a bit. It's fun and wayyy better than IV and V.

Also nice OP, but I tried highlighting those big black bars. I may be stupid.

 

[Brobzoid]

"This is a Ubisoft PC game so of course we do have DRM.
This time you won't have to be online all the time, you can actually play the game offline but you will have to authenticate the game online the first time after installation."


fix'd? hopefully, anyway. I don't play these games online so I would love to not have to deal with all that nonsense.

 

[Grimmy]

I really like the art. Amazing drawings.
Definitely interest piqued. But dunno if my laptop can handle the system requirements...

 

[Lord Phol]

Aye the creature design is among the best in the series IMO.
I do feel the game is lacking somewhat in the effects and animations department though.

 

[subversus]

what about town screens? are they in?

 

[masterkajo]

WOW! Awesome OP! Soo much info.

I played HOMM, HOMMII, especially HOMMIII some HOMMIV a wee bit of HOMMV and will definitly return playing a lot of HOMMVI!!

I am on the fence now but don't know if I want to pay full price. I mostly played Hot Seat with my brother and friends but since we grew up now and I live somewhere else I don't have that option anymore. Is the singleplayer worth full price alone?

 

[Xizk]

Been playing this quite a bit with friends online. Heroes series has always been one of my favorite online games to play with friends, as it's a no stress game and you can just bullshit with friends on mumble while you play. So far I really like VI and can't wait to play more. Even though there are fewer resource types in this game compared to the older ones, it feels like resources are more scarce and important in this one. You really have to capture mines early on or else you will fall behind, and I feel like this makes the game feel different in a good way compared to the previous games.

 

[yamo]

What's up with the huge spoiler sections at the beginning of the op?

 

[Zafir]

You say that you have to authenticate the first time you play online. Is there a limit to how many times you can?

There's no installation limit if thats what you mean. Your serial key is tied to your uplay account, so you just need to log in. A bit like steam I guess. Also like steam, while you can install the game on multiple computers, you can only be logged in at one place at the same time.

 

[MurkyZebra2417]

Great OT.
I'm Necropolis Mission 3 now, amazing campaign so far.

 

[nickcv]

PHEW, was having the biggest case of blue balls xD. *want to post hnggghhh*. Is the demo indicative of how the game is in general? I.e is it a good/bad demo?

the demo is actually the 1.1 beta version.
several things changed since then.

WOW! Awesome OP! Soo much info.

I played HOMM, HOMMII, especially HOMMIII some HOMMIV a wee bit of HOMMV and will definitly return playing a lot of HOMMVI!!

I am on the fence now but don't know if I want to pay full price. I mostly played Hot Seat with my brother and friends but since we grew up now and I live somewhere else I don't have that option anymore. Is the singleplayer worth full price alone?

i'm at the beginning of the campaign, but so far sooo good!

and the op is done!

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

interested but... how come there are NO reviews out yet for this game like at all???

 

[Sinatar]

interested but... how come there are NO reviews out yet for this game like at all???

PC exclusive in the holiday season being ignored by the gaming press?

No. Way.

 

[Corto]

This will definitely be mine... at a sale price though. Great OP!

 

[Gyoru]

Here's an unofficial hotfix for the blinking mouse problem in v1.1 of HoMM6:
http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4611096804/m/7481019359

It changes the FPS limit from 60 to 59, which prevents the blinking mouse cursor issue.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

PC exclusive in the holiday season being ignored by the gaming press?

No. Way.

:lol Harsh

 

[NEO0MJ]

Looks great, might consider it when I finish this seasons games.But why did they have to remove the classic dragons?

 

[Barack Lesnar]

That's an incredibly wordy OP lol... probably not very inviting for prospective buyers. I was just too fat and lazy to make an OT.

 

[krYlon]

interested but... how come there are NO reviews out yet for this game like at all???

There have been a few:
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/might-magic-heroes-vi/critic-reviews

Mainly from European sites it seems

 

[erpg]

I want to. I want to so badly, but the DRM is holding me back. I've never really been into the series very much but it sounds like something I could dive into and drown if I'm not paying attention to the time.

 

[fushi]

Ahh, the music in the demo's battle screen is the same as Clash of Heroes... nice.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

PC exclusive in the holiday season being ignored by the gaming press?

No. Way.

fucking shame if so


PS: yay i am no longer a junior it seems!!

 

[K.Jack]

I once purchased HoMM V during an ultra cheap Steam sales, but the game was absolute ass. Then I tried out the demo for VI and felt it was pretty amazing. I sunk some heavy hours into it.

I wish I had the money and time for this game right now, but it just isn't happening. So it's great to see this sitting comfortably in Steam's top 10 sellers list, just so I don't feel so bad for not giving them my money yet. They'll definitely get a $25 purchase from me though; hopefully it gets a discount during Steam's Christmas sale.

 

[ShaneB]

Insane amount of text! Informative I guess is an understatement.

I wanted to love this game, but my laptop can barely run it on the lowest possible settings.

 

[Danne-Danger]

Great OP! Though I'd kill to have stats for all the creatures in there.

 

[V_Arnold]

Oh god. I just realized how all the new creatures are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
Will buy this game next week.

 

[Kalnos]

I'll list some impressions...

Maps for skirmish are really bland and uninteresting thus far but they soon become terrible when you realize that by 'hard' difficulty the developer just means harder creatures and more of them earlier. I.E. Late tier units guarding your basic wood resource node. I think I saw a total of like 12 maps on the skirmish list, which is pretty disappointing.

The campaign dialog and voice acting is pretty cringe-worthy even if this is a Heroes of Might and Magic game. Granted I haven't played past the first 2 missions in campaign.

Lack of town screens blows. I didn't like the full 3D HoMM5 screens very much either, but this is even worse. Going back to 2D would probably be the best idea, they were memorable and you could find anything you wanted very easily. The UI in towns is confusing to navigate at first but becomes manageable.

The sound has some interesting issues... I had read complaints of units sounding like 'chipmunks' when the combat was sped up but I ignored them due to the fact that sounds were also speed up in previous games. Those complaints were valid though, and speeding up combat animations ever so slightly completely destroys the normal unit sounds. Music doesn't seem quite as good, even if it is the same composer, but it's probably something that needs to grow on me.

Annoying bugs, particularly the mouse flickering issue. I google'd and found a replacement .exe file that fixed the issue, but the average player won't know how to do that.

It uses Ubisoft's DRM UPlay which is terrible since it doesn't appear to do anything different than what Steam already does. You launch the title from Steam only to be greeted by an obnoxious UPlay launcher, awesome. At least they gave a limited option of offline play.

TLDR... I would rather be playing Heroes 3 or 5 at this point and I would definitely wait for this one to be patched before buying. If you're new to the series I would check out an older title on Gog or buy HoMM5 on Steam.

 

[lordy88]

Great Job OP! I've been waiting for an OT for a while, and I'm definitely hyped for this game (I'll probably pick it up during the Steam Xmas Sale). It's too bad that there aren't many English reviews out there yet, but regardless, I certainly feel that this installment is the best since HoMM 3.

 

[syllogism]

Honestly the game may be better than HoMM III. Unit designs are very good and have quite a bit of depth to them. I'm only a few missions into the campaign so it remains to be seen if campaign design is up there as well

 

[lordy88]

Honestly the game may be better than HoMM III. Unit designs are very good and have quite a bit of depth to them. I'm only a few missions into the campaign so it remains to be seen if campaign design is up there as well

One knock I definitely see that will prevent it from getting the heights of HoMM III is the small number of Skrimish matches. Most of my playtime came from exploring all of the cool maps 3 contained. How many are there in VI? 12? Oy.

 

[Kalnos]

One knock I definitely see that will prevent it from getting the heights of HoMM III is the small number of Skrimish matches. Most of my playtime came from exploring all of the cool maps 3 contained. How many are there in VI? 12? Oy.

There aren't many and some of them are remakes of old maps, Broken Alliance being the one I played.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Definitely needs some more skirmish maps. Also, like 2 more factions would be perfect. Five is just too little. I miss the titans (Tower faction in homm3) and of course the various dragons. Why did they limit the dragons to only the campaign?

99% chance we'll get a new faction for the inevitable expansion but there really should be a couple more with the main game. With more factions and skirmish maps + town screens (confirmed) + simultaneous turns in multi-player + various bug fixes like with sound and some AI tweaks = basically homm3 next-gen. It already plays a lot like it. Judging by how much the devs take player feedback to heart, I think we'll get most of these updates. It's just gonna take some time.

 

[Danne-Danger]

It needs a random map generator. Random maps was THE BEST thing about Heroes 3.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

It needs a random map generator. Random maps was THE BEST thing about Heroes 3.

That's a good one, too, and it's been discussed quite a bit on the official forums. I think the reason they didn't go with a random map generator was to be able to create better quality maps... hard to explain, like what Blizzard did with Diablo 3 by going from RMG to fixed maps to make them better quality.

 

[V_Arnold]

I have to say, the dragons as best units for almost all races was quite a bit dumb. Mostly because it is boring design. Yeah, colors are different. Yeah, black is strongest, followed by Gold. yeah, they shoot 2 units at the same time. Yeah, they are hard to get. And that is about it.

More variety > dragons, imho.

 

[Kalnos]

I have to say, the dragons as best units for almost all races was quite a bit dumb. Mostly because it is boring design. Yeah, colors are different. Yeah, black is strongest, followed by Gold. yeah, they shoot 2 units at the same time. Yeah, they are hard to get. And that is about it.

More variety > dragons, imho.

True. Heroes 3 had a great amount of variety though.. Angels, Devils, Hydra, Behemoth, Giants, Dragons, etc.

 

[lordy88]

I have to say, the dragons as best units for almost all races was quite a bit dumb. Mostly because it is boring design. Yeah, colors are different. Yeah, black is strongest, followed by Gold. yeah, they shoot 2 units at the same time. Yeah, they are hard to get. And that is about it.

More variety > dragons, imho.

I definitely agree, but No Black Dragons? No Titans? I do not approve.

But yeah, I really REALLY hope that the inevitable expansion has 2 factions instead of one. So we can get both of those critical units back into factions. This game is a great start, but needs a lot of additions to really make it excel unfortunately. But I love the potential, and if they pull it off, it will be played for a LONG time.

One last thing I'd like to mention. I haven't soaked a lot time so far into the game, but it seems from all the videos/impressions etc. I've taken a look at that the maps themselves lack a lot of the extra little buildings that added flavor to each area. Examples include Leprechaun patches, Seer Huts, Single Unit Dwellings, Neutral Dwellings, Water mills, etc. It just seems a bit barren. That's not a good sign.

 

[nickcv]

Great OP! Though I'd kill to have stats for all the creatures in there.

Thanks a lot! ^^

i've been thinking about that but i didn't want to get too technical

I definitely agree, but No Black Dragons? No Titans? I do not approve.

But yeah, I really REALLY hope that the inevitable expansion has 2 factions instead of one. So we can get both of those critical units back into factions. This game is a great start, but needs a lot of additions to really make it excel unfortunately. But I love the potential, and if they pull it off, it will be played for a LONG time.

i'd have loved more factions from the get go but i actually think this was a smart choice... it's much easier to find a good balance with less factions and then add the others later on.

Anyhow my top priorities are:
Mage Faction
Sylvan Faction

but i don't think we are going to get one positive and one neutral faction on the first expansion.

So i think we'll get or 3 factions (one positive, one neutral and one negative) or 2 factions (one positive + one negative or two neutral)

Probably the safest bet is:
Dungeon
Sylvan

what do you guys think?

 

[Kalnos]

I'd guess 1 neutral and if the game becomes successfully enough maybe 1 positive + 1 negative faction in a second expansion.

They really need more neutral enemies that don't belong to a faction.

 

[lordy88]

So i think we'll get or 3 factions (one positive, one neutral and one negative) or 2 factions (one positive + one negative or two neutral)

Probably the safest bet is:
Dungeon
Sylvan

what do you guys think?

Completely forgot about both neutral and elf units! Definitely on both accounts. There is a huge lack of neutral units in the world at the moment, and especially a big hole missing where elves used to be. I want my grand elves/druids/hunters/unicorns!