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| Thread: A Storm of Steel- Moonshade's HOMM VIII Haven | |
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moonshade
Known Hero
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posted May 19, 2015 11:33 AM |
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A Storm of Steel- Moonshade's HOMM VIII Haven
A Storm of Steel: Men as Wolves
Backstory
Out of the multiple Duchies which comprise the Holy Griffin Empire, the men (and women) of the Wolf are probably the toughest, harhest and most enduring. According to the Wolfmen (pun intended), the wellbeing of the realm rests on two pillars- military might, and purity of faith in Elrath. If you want to imagine my take on Haven, imagine Game of Thrones' House Stark with a healthy dose of the Spanish Inquisition thrown in.
Gameplay:
Roster:
Affiliated Neutral Unit: Peasant
As powers stir & armies move across Ashan, huge populations are forced to leave their homes & wander the devastated lands. Despite their name, these simple humans are equally composed of city-dwellers. Often roused through the fire & brimstone sermons of Elrath's Clergy, they volunteer- or are coerced- to serve the Dukes of Wolf, offering considerable economic backing for the mighty warmachine that is Haven. Peasants appear as simple-garbed, bearded, slightly thin men, wielding rusted pitchforks. While very weak stat-wise (nearly identical to Zombies, though slightly stronger & mainly faster), their economic abilities make them extremely valuable to heroes who can capture their Hovels.
Abilities:
Taxpayer: Peasants constantly raise a small amount of gold for the player, icreased by the stack's size.
Work the Mines: Peasants can be garrisoned in a Mine structure, increasing its productiveness according to the stack's size. When Working the Mines the stack constantly dwindles, & they lose Taxpayer for the time being- although garrisoning a Gold Mine pretty much archeives the same effect.
Core:
Sentinel / Praetorian(tank): As always, these professional soldiers form the core of the human armies. Heavily armored and armed with sturdy pikes and robust shields, they form an unbreakable wall of steel before all enemies of Men. They are tanks pure & simple, with high Defense and HP, OK damage but low to mediocre speed.
Abilities:
Long Weapon (basic): Sentinels can attack an enemy unit from 2 hexes away, suffering no retaliation (but adjacent enemies can retaliate normally).
Wall of Steel (upgrade): When taking the Defend action, Praetorians gain 1.5 the normal Defense bonus and deal 1.5 retaliation damage.
Timber Wolf / Dire Wolf (damage dealer): The emblematic beasts of the Wolf Duchy, Wolves are savage & aggressive- but are recruited into the armies of Men by families of rural beast-handlers who lived on the forest's outskirts for generations. When unleashed, they run ahead of the rest of the army to maim & devour all that lives. Timber Wolves are brown, with Dire Wolves being darker with silver stripes.
They have high attack, damage, speed & HP, but very low Defense.
Abilities:
Large
Hunt (basic): Timber Wolves can stalk a target after they attacked it. Whenever it moves, they automatically move along it (if they have space). This makes them the ultimate anti-shooters.
Wolf's Bite (upgrade): As long as Dire Wolves kill at least one creature, they get an additional attack.
Archer / Sharpshooter (shooter)- The recent re-emergence of the savage & militant Wolf Duchy as the most dominant faction within the Holy Empire also influenced Haven Archers to change their weapon from crossbows to the less sophisticated- but highly accurate & reliable- longbows. Trained by rural hunters living on the outskirts of the Wolf Woods & even some hired Elven grandmasters of the bow, Archers provide ranged support while the main legion closes in for the kill. They appear as lightly-armored (very unlike H7- plate-mail is for fighters, not archers!), long-haired men carrying huge longbows, wearing cloth armor with the Wolf emblam over chain mail & using daggers for melee. Their stats are quite low, except Attack & damage of-course- you need to protect them, and watch them dice the enemy.
Abilities:
Shooter
Piercing Shot (basic): Archers fire their arrows with such force they can pierce through multiple enemies. If an Archer's shot kills at least one creature in the target stack it will hit the creature behind it in a straight line (friend or foe), & so on until no creature is killed.
No Range Penalty (upg.)
Elite:
Cavalier / Champion (damage dealer/ support)- The Wolf Duchy's powerful cavalry are second in might only to the superhuman Wolf Knights. Raised to ride & fight from a very early age & composed of the Duchy's finest warriors (mainly the sons of noblemen, but also simple warriors & mercenaries seeking to earn a Knighthood title & possibly land of their own), they're meant to break the enemy lines as Sentinels & Wolf Knights advance to finish what's left. Cavaliers are heavily armed & armored (including some barding for their stallions- who are white for Cavaliers & black for Champions), their faces hidden by Wolf-faced visors. They wield lances & broad shields with the emblam of the Wolf, with Champions being better armed & armored. They have overall average to good stats, improved to excellent (regarding damage) as long as they keep on moving (which also supports nearby units in Champions' case).
Abilities:
Large
Charge! (basic): As always, Cavaliers' attacks deal more damage the further they've moved towards their target, and also push them back one tile.
Trample (upgrade): Champions deal a certain amount of damage to all Small enemy units in their path to their chosen target, which also increases according to the movement they've used.
Inspiring Charge (uprade): True to their name, Champions' heroic charge inspires the human army to greater acts of bravery. As long as they've moved the turn before, the morale of nearby troops increases.
Inquisitor / Witch Hunter (shooter/caster)- Using the sheer size & anonymity offered by Mankind's grand cities, the enemies of the Faith- Chaos-worshipping cults, Faceless-run secret societies & immortality-seeking, Void-touched Necromancers- grow ever stronger & spread their insidious brand of corruption to those pure of heart. Against such evil, the Church of Light sends its finest warrior-priests- the Inquisitors. Unafraid of what it might hide, they prowl Ashan's darkness in search of heretics- to investigate, judge & deliver righteous punishment in Elrath's name. Inquisitors appear as red-haired, hat-wearing women dressed in ordinary clothings with pieces of leather & chain mail, carrying an ornate handgun (or hand-crossbow- hadn't decided yet) & a silver sword. Being a mainly counter-Dark unit, they have average to low overall stats, with a slight emphasis on Attack & Damage.
Abilities:
Shooter
No Melee Penalty (basic)
Darkness Ward (basic): Inquisitors are immune to Dark debuffs up to 5th level & suffer only 50% damage from Dark magic.
Spells (basic): Bless, Dispel
Bless the Ammunition (upgrade): By spending some mana, Inquisitors' attacks (both melee & ranged) will deal additional Light damage.
Peryton / Savage Peryton (flyer / saboteur)- These beasts are actually the products of unethical experiments performed by House Chimera Wizards at the behest of the nefarious Stag Duchy, to fight their Griffin Duchy enemies & their tamed Griffins. With the Stag Duchy long-ago conquered by the Wolf Duchy & reduced to bands of wandering ruffians, they added Perytons into their own ranks. Their savage & bloodthirsty temper actually meshes quite well with the Wolf armies' own aggressive attitude. While certain sects within Elrath's church claim Perytons to be unholy monsters, their effectiveness is undoubted, & the Inquisition for example favor their employment. Perytons appear as birds of prey (light brown, upgraded to grey), having the heads of stags (horns included) with sharp wolf-like fangs. They have overall low to average stats (with good speed), but powerful abilities if used strategically- providing Haven with a much-needed debuff ability.
Abilities:
Flyer
Horrific Rend (basic): Perytons' attacks are so intense they have a (very large) chance to reduce enemy speed & Morale for 2 rounds.
Improved Retaliation (basic): Perytons can retaliate up to 3 times. Together with the Haven faction ability, this makes them nearly equal to Griffins (who get Unlimited Retaliation).
Vengeful (upgrade): Upon retaliation, there's a certain chance Savage Perytons would choose the target of their attacks.
Champion:
Nemesis / Azrael (flyer/damage dealer/support)- In the realms of Light, Elrath has many glorious servants. When Angels are touched by Sin, for even the Holiest can fall, Elrath dispatches his most fearsome servants- Nemesii and Azraelim. These Angels of Vengeance & Death have long sacrificed all their Angelic love & compassion for the holy cause. They serve as inquisitors amongst Angels, eternally searching for the sinful influences of Darkness, Chaos & Void among the heavenly realms & metting out harsh justice whenever they found them. As Ashan is besieged by evil and suffering humans pray & cry for salvation, Nemesii are sent to bring Elrath's judgement to all who deserve it.
Nemesii as grey cloaked and hooded figures with light and mist emenating out of their hoods, holding bejeweled scythes and possessing a set of wings covered with eyes. Azraelim wear silver cloaks, are better armored & possess 4 wings. Stat-wise, they are one of the more powerful and well-rounded Champions (although Cuisinarts have the potential for higher damage), offset by their high price & vulnerability to Darkness.
Abilities:
Large
Flyer
Child of Light (basic): Nemesii are immune to Light damage & gain +20% benefits from Light spells, projecting the latter as an aura to nearby units. They suffer double damage from Dark magic.
Avenging Angel (basic): Nemesii deal increased damage to creatures who previously killed some of your troops.
Allseeing (basic): Nemesii are immmune to Flanking & can see all invisible objects. The Blind spell negates this ability, & when cast a second time affects Nemesii normally.
Vorpal Strike (upgrade): The scythes of Azraelim cut through all magical defenses, ignoring protective spells like Stoneskin & damage-reducing abilities like Necrotic Flesh & Incorporeal. 5th level spells like Diamond Skin & Champion abilities like Shield of Darkness & Raiment of Souls are only 50% effective.
Return from Death (upgrade): Once per combat, Azraelim can resurrect some of your troops.
Wolf Knight / Cuisinart (tank/damage-dealer)- The real origins of these towering champions of Wolf are shrouded in myth and legend- though clearly they are much more than ordinary humans. Some claim they have Orc or giant blood ruuningthrough their veins, while darker rumors yet speak about occult rituals involving drinking wolf blood or a secretive military experiment performed by members of House Chimera at the request of the Duke of Wolf. Wherever they come from, none can deny the brutal strength and efficiency of the Wolf Knights. Wearing the heaviest armor and wielding massive axes normal men probably wouldn't be able to lift, they lead the charge of the Wolf armies and are unafraid to stand toe-to-toe with the worst monsters in Ashan- for they are monsters themselves.
Wolf Knights appear as heavily-armored, bearded giant men, wielding a gigantic battle-axe (which they normally use one-handed, or two-handed when performing a Devastating Blow). Their helms look like snarling wolves, & they wear a wolf-pelt cloak. They are averae Champions stat-wise (but also cheaper than Nemesii), with high Damage & HP but low speed (except when transforming into Lycans).
Abilities:
Large
Sweep (basic): With a swipe of their massive weapons, Wolf Knights can strike up to 3 targets in-front of them (with only the main target being able to retaliate).
Unshakable (basic): Thinking only of the kill, Wolf Knights never lose morale.
Devastating Blow (upgrade): Once every 3 rounds, Cuisinarts can focus their strength and attention on a single target. The targets of a Devastating Blow suffer 125% damage and have their Defense reduced for 3 rounds, and are also pushed back two tiles.
Battle Form (upgrade): Once per combat, Cuisinarts can transform into mighty Lycans (Werewolves) for 3 rounds. Lycans gain a massive stat boost and some different abilities, but after the transformation had ended Cuisinarts suffer a hefty Speed (or Initiative, if it will be used) penalty for 2 rounds, being physically and mentally drained by the ordeal. Lycans lose Sweep and Unshakable, but can perform a Devastating Blow as well and gain Wolfmind and Assault.
Wolfmind (Lycan): Lycans are utterly immune to Mind spells and morale loss. However, they cannot Wait or Defend (same as Wendigo).
Wolf's Bite (basic): As long as Lycans kill at least one creature, they get an additional attack (doesn't work on Devastating Blow).
Faction Skill: Counterstrike
Second only to the Dwarves, humans are the masters of a defensive, well-disciplined kind of warfare. While it is true Wolf Duchy troops are much more aggressive than, say, the noble Griffin Duchy or cunning Stag Duchy, the core of the fighting style remains the same. Whether through the hardened training & battlefield command of Knights, or through the sheer faith encouraged by Clerics, Haven troops fight their best when pushed to their limits, rising from the carnage to crush their enemies under a wave of blood & steel.
Basic Counterstrike: Adds one more retaliation strike & increases damage done when retaliating.
Advanced Counterstrike: Adds one more retaliation strike & further increases damage done when retaliating.
Expert Counterstrike: Adds one more retaliation strike & greatly increases damage done when retaliating.
Perks:
Guardian Angel: Select one creature to guard. Whenever it retaliates, your hero will attack alongside it. Requires Basic Counterstrike.
Call of the Wild: Your hero can summon Dire Wolves from the nearby forest. Wolves take 2 rounds to arrive, & with stack's size depending on hero's level, the type of terrain & the amount of exisiting Timber or Dire Wolves in your army (the more Wolves you have, the higher amount called). Requires Advanced Counterstrike.
Song of the Crusader: An activated ability. As long as your hero maintains this ability, your units gain increased maximum HP & their attacks inflict additional Light damage (this stacks with Inquisitors' Bless the Ammunition). If your hero knows Advanced Air Magic, can cast Winds of Wrath (unit gets double attack, or triple attack if it already has that ability). Requires Guardian Angel, Advanced Counterstrike & Advanced Light Magic or Advanced Air Magic.
Revive the Fallen: After combat, a certain amount of your slain Living troops are resurrected. If your hero knows Expert Light Magic, can cast Angelic Alliance (summons a stack of Azraelim, its size further increased by the amount of killed friendly creatures rather than spell power). Requires Song of the Crusader, Expert Counterstrike & Expert Light Magic or Expert Air Magic.
Wave of Steel: Your units can move after using Defend, alebit at a reduced pace. Requires Guardian Angel, Advanced Counterstrike & Advanced Defense, Tactics or Leadership.
Combat Training: Upon winning a battle & killing a certain minimum amount of enemy units, your hero can choose one stack of his creatures at 1.5 the normal upgrade cost. If all your creatures are already upgraded, they gain increased Attack & defense for the next combat fought on the same turn. Requires Wave of Steel, Expert Counterstrike & Expert Defense, Expert Tactics or Expert Leadership.
Fury of Wolves: Upon retaliating, your creatures get a morale & luck bonus. Requires Call of the Wild & Expert Counterstrike.
Born to Kill: Your units will retaliate before the enemy's attack is applied, unless said enemy has No Retaliation- and then they just retliate normally (ignoring the ability). Requires Fury of Wolves & Revive the Fallen or Combat Training & Expert Light Magic or Expert Air Magic or Expert Tactics or Expert Defense or Expert Leadership.
Haven Might-Related Skill: Tactics
Battlefield control & strategic troop employment is a form of art. Through careful positoning, even inferior armies can inflict severe damage & defeat much larger & better-equipped troops. Masters of tactics include Knights, Ronin (Sanctuary Might Hero),Warlords (Academy Might Hero), Overlords & Death Knights.
Basic Tactics: Before combat starts, allows positoning of your troops in a certain area.
Advanced Tactics: Before combat starts, allows positoning of your troops in a larger area.
Expert Tactics: Before combat starts, allows positoning of your troops in an even larger area.
Perks:
Haven Magic-Related Skill: Light Magic
Light Magic (12)
Level 1: Bless, Cure
Level 2: Mirth, Holy Word
Level 3: Divine Vengeance, Angelic Armor
Level 4: Sunray, Martyrdom, Resurrection
Level 5: Elrath's Intervention, Summon Light Elemental
Heroes
Might
Justiciar
Knight
Paladin
Magic
Confessor
Cleric
Healer
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted May 19, 2015 11:49 PM |
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Edited by MattII at 02:15, 20 May 2015.
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Rename the Cuisinart, there's no way you can ever make it sound good with that name.
Edit: Very much easier to read, thank you.
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War-overlord
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Presidente of Isla del Tropico
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posted May 20, 2015 11:38 AM |
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I had the idea of using Peryton in a Haven line-up myself. Perhaps I'll put some more thought into this and provide a Haven Proposal of my own in the near future.
If anything, thank you for the inspiration.
____________
Vote El Presidente! Or Else!
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orzie
Responsible
Supreme Hero
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posted May 21, 2015 11:21 AM |
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Edited by orzie at 11:22, 21 May 2015.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 21, 2015 11:54 AM |
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I still think you shoudl sum your ideas into one thread 
As for this faction...welll I think it is an interesting take on the wolf duchy, but it is a really atypical haven. Which is defintiely not necessary bad! But it somehow does not get through to my taste and your stronghold also still feels like the savage faction - so I think haven should not be (just) another savage one, and it feels a bit like that to me.
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moonshade
Known Hero
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posted May 21, 2015 12:21 PM |
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Haven & Stronghold...
both represent a differnet kind of savagery. Haven are humanity forced to fight for its survival, building on rigorous training, powerful arnaments, alliances with savage creatures (Wolves, Perytons and Lycans) & fanatical faith in the Light (embodied by Inquisitors & Nemesii) to compensate for the natural weapons & powerful offensive or debuffing magic humans normally lack. They are a kind of "fight fire with fire" faction, who will stop at nothing to combat their foes- be they other Haven towns, Faceless & their minions, Orcs, Undead or Demons. They're still generally defensive- as seen in their Counterstrike faction skill & Light magic affinity- but pack a more offensive punch (& thus becoming one of the more balanced & beginner-friendly factions). My Haven represents a more calculated type of savagery- humans who aren't afraid to cross into their wilder & murderous side if the situation demands- as opposed to the Orcs who revel in it & the Demons who are (blood)lust embodied.
When I imagine my Haven, I think of Game of Thrones, the Witcher games & actual medieval Europe. Life wasn't nice back then, & so are Haven. They're still considered a good faction, & the Dukes of Wolf overall want the benefit of their subjects & all of Ashan- but aren't afraid to dirty their hands to get it. BTW- my takes on Academy (the monster-creating, jungle-dwelling House Chimera) & Sylvan (a guerilla faction, with multiple Trap-related Perks for their Might heroes) also represent a "walk on the wild side".
The only "honorable" faction is Sanctuary- and even they (as Sayama Nagas) have the tricksy Dune Prowler & Kabuki Deciver units, & some poison-users (Spitting Cobra & Wyrm). It's a war, after all...
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Dave_Jame
Promising
Legendary Hero
I'm Faceless, not Brainless.
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posted May 21, 2015 04:41 PM |
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I have a specific question about the Griffin. You replaced it with the Peryton for the sake of "inovation" whit no inovation, as as you write, it fulils the same role(no problem there), but at the same time, you want to move it to stronghold (your free choice).
My point is, that I hate creature copies in multiple lineups, and if Peryton is just a griffin that is not a giffin for the sake of moving the griffin into another, also aggresive, lineup, then I would rather see niether happem.
IDK what your motives for moving the Griffin are, but if you create a "copy-paste" unit to replace it, it feels rather forced.
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moonshade
Known Hero
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posted May 21, 2015 07:15 PM |
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About Perytons...
they're similar, but not the same. Kinda like Timber Wolves & Wolf/Lynx Riders, or Blade Maidens (from Academy) & Dark Furies. Overall Haven plays much more defensive & support-oriented than Stronghold- they just pack more offensive punch now...
Regarding Perytons- was thinking about giving them a debuff-oriented ability, to make them bit different than Griffins. They're both fast fliers, but Perytons are slightly weaker & less resilient.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 22, 2015 08:59 AM |
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Ohk. I was not thinking about honorable, but more about discipline, I think, but when you say that most factions are more "wild" then I can accept it as part of the concept 
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