Contest: Design a Unit- Public Poll

In my most recent game I noticed how bad a deal Ashen Veil gets with their unique tech compared to the other religions; so, here's an entry for Necromancy.

Cold Wraith
Strength: 5
Movement: 1
Requires: Necromancy, Ashen Veil state religion

Promotions: Combat line, anti-race line, sentry. Definitly no defensive promotions and probably no city attack promotions.

Special:
Undead.
Ignores city defense. (It's ethereal and can go through walls)
May move into impassible terrain.
Whenever it kills a living unit, it creates a Tortured Soul for its owner; Tortured Souls are strength 2, movement 1, Undead, ignore city defense, move into impassible terrain, no upkeep costs (mini-wraiths without the soul stealing, basically).


Cold Wraiths should look like a bunch of mist. Tortured Souls would look like ghostly people.

I'd write background for them, but I'm not familiar enough with the AV story to make it fit right. I may come back and edit this later when I've read more on it.

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Dark Hunter/Arcane Hunter /Fell Hunter/Something similar

Atk 5, or 6, move 2, cost aroound the same as a ranger
availible with feral bond (same as Balon Duin Halfmoon)

requires silver as a resource
*Since marble isn't being used, I propose you make the marble graphic mithril and add silver back in, or make a new graphic for one or the other. Silver has traditionally had magical connections. Otherwise, maybe they require reagents?

Starts with Beast Slayer promotion, which excludes getting Subdue animal promotion and grants +40% vs animals. A.K. 2 availible for another +40%.

Would be upgradeable to beastmaster

Essentially a counter for werewolves, which have been totally game winning for me. They should own ravenous, have better than even odds against similar level blooded weres, and have a long shot if unupgraded against greater. But they aren't great against other tier 3 units. Maybe a bonus against vampires too, but not as much, maybe 25% innate.

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Fair sorcerer and Dark Charlatan for the Balseraphs

The existing types of magic and sorcerers are too organized for the Balseraphs in my view. They need a more fairlike less organized and less academic sorcerer: the fair sorcerer!

The fair sorcerer is not a single unit as it should replace the traditional sorcerer upgrades. The fair sorcerers start quite friendly but get darker and darker after the upgrades... As you will see the fair sorcerers aren't able to use all spheres. Therefore they have to invest xp in more "worldly" promotions. That is intentionally. As they aren't couch potatos they are much better off with worldly affairs.

Fair sorcerer

The fair sorcerer starts with Hunting and a city requires a carnival to build a fair sorcerer.
Not as educated as other adepts the fair sorcerer is limited in the use of spheres: He can use only Mind. But he should be able to use some new spheres/abilities: Illusion and Clairvoyant. To these later. He is limited to Channeling 1. He can invest xp in the promotion Subdue Animal.

Dark Charlatan

The upgrade of a fair sorcerer to a dark charlatan should follow the same xp-requirements as from adept to summoner or mage. The required technology is Drama and not Sorcery. The Dark Charlatan can further upgrade Mind, Illusion, Clairvoyant and additionally gets access to upgrading Entropy spells. He has Channeling 1-2, Divine 1, Summoning 1.

Dark Charlatan Princes

The dark charlatan princes are the arch mages under the charlatans. There is a maximum of three per faction (which would be three worldwide). The dark charlatan princes can further upgrade spells from Mind, Entropy, Illusion and Clairvoyant. Dark charlatans can be upgraded to princes with the technology Strength of Will. The dark charlatan prince has Channeling 1-3, Divine 1-2. Summoning 1-2.

Illusion sphere or simple promotions

level 1: Double - Casts two illusionary doubles of the spell caster for one turn.
level 2: Harmlessness - the spell caster turns in a harmless unit (like gypsy wagon) for one turn (or even longer). In this form he can't use spells (but keeps the promotions). He can be transformed back every turn. As the harmless shape the fair sorcerer can explore rival territory.
level 3: Great Firework - Disables all living units in the neighboring squares from attacking for the next turn.

Summoning 1: Circus of Nightmares - Casts an illusionary Circus of Nightmares (could be quite colorful) with strength 6, movement 2 for one turn. The Circus of Nightmares is one unit consisting of a tiger, a bear, a taskmaster (all colorful).
Illusions are not demonic, not undead, but summoned. They resist diseases and can pass through impassable terrain. They can only attack living units (undeads, demons, golems don't see illusions). Illusions ignore city defenses.

Clairvoyant sphere or simple promotions

level 1: Horoscope - Sentry +2
level 2: Tarot Cards - Sentry +3, can see stealth
level 3: Crystal Sphere -Examine foreign city.

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FFH still seems to be a bit lacking fantasy flavour in the nautical departement. And because this is dark fantasy I present you:

Ghost Ship
Strength: 4
Movement: 4
Carry: 1
Preq. tech: Sailing
Available to: Barbarians, Ashen Veil.

Special: When defeating a ship there is a 20% chance that this will produce a new Ghost ship under barbarian control. Can only carry undead units.

I also thought about giving it a Fog promotion. The Fog promotion would make it undetectable to any unit unless it was in a square adjacent to the Ghost ship. But that would make it a bit too overpowered. As it is, this unit would make a nice extra hazard for ships as well as a good choice for Ashen Veil civs but still have some drawbacks.

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Animal unit, Strength 5 or 6, movement 1
Starts with sentry, web ability.
When spawned, spider stays within a 3x3 area of where it spawned. Sentry allows spider to spot anyone within its 3x3 territory. If a (non-barbarian) unit is in that area at the start of the spider's turn, it uses its web ability to ensare it. This works like a ranged spell (up to 2 tiles away), so that the spider can trap units anywhere within that 3x3 area. The effect is that the ensnared unit is rooted for 3 turns (enough time for the spider to come attack it). Also might be good to have the attack poison the unit.
If a giant spider is defeated, it provides +1 silk in the capitol city of that civ. Also, if subdued it still has the abilities but web ensare only works on adjacent tiles (too powerful if the spider can move about). And maybe there could be some special use for a subdued giant spider if you are Veil religion.

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Unit type: Disciple

Cost: Should cost @ same as other civs disciple units

Strength: 3

Movement: 1

Requires: Herbalist (if tier 1), Barracks (if tier 2)

Promotions: Medic II & III, woodsman/guerilla I, City Garrison I & II, Flanking I & II, March, Mobility I, II & III, Magic Resistance

Starts With: Medic I, Cure Disease

Special: Defensive unit, cannot attack.

Design Philosophy: Grigori get the shaft when it comes to curing disease, since they are agnostic and cannot build disciple units. This would provide a non-religous unit that would allow them to mitigate disease without overpowering the civ. I wanted the Grigori Medic to be a tier 2 unit, arriving on the scene about the time other civs are getting their disciples, but the building that seems to suit them best is Herbalist, which if used as the only prereq would make them available in tier one. Using both Herbalist and Barracks as prereqs would delay them a bit.

Flavor Text: The Kingdom of Grigori began to thrive, as men from all corners of Erebus, tired of being used as pawns by the Gods, saught a way to determine their own destiny. Whether carried by this wave of immigration, or inflicted upon them by the Gods as divine retribution, the Grigori began to suffer from diseases for which they knew no cure. Cassiel had the power to cure these ailments, and could even confer that power to others, however, he was also shrewd enough to realize that this would put him in the position of acting as a God himself, and all that he had been fighting for would be lost. Instead, Cassiel summoned the best herbalists and natural healers in the Kingdom, and formed the Ordine Medicos. Members of the Ordine Medicos travel throughout Erebus, seeking natural remedies to the ailments that inflict the Grigori, and are widely known for their ability to cure disease without divine intervention. Although quite often found travelling with Grigori military units, the Ordine Medicos take a vow of non-agression, and will only fight to defend themselves, and those in their care.

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Hollowcloak (Disciple unit): The unit's graphics should depict a single, mysteriously hooded and cloaked traveller. No actual body should be visible, such as face, hair or hands. He could have glowing eyes.

Prereqs: Knowledge of the Ether (early game tech)
Cost: 4x Axeman (Hollowcloaks could very well be produced by something which is not hammers.)
National unit (maximum three allowed)

Promotions: Combat I-V, Mobility, Drill (All), Flanking (All), March, Dimension I. (Should preferably have access to more Strength/First strike/Withdrawal promotions).
Starts with -25% Strength when defending.
Move: 3
Cannot be upgrades to or from.

Special:

A Hollowcloak has no strength value; it always equals the opponent's strength.
A Hollowcloak recieves no defensive bonuses.
A Hollowcloak negates all defenders terrain-based bonuses.
A Hollowcloak may never enter an enemy's cultural borders.
A Hollowcloak recieves +25% on defense with the discovery of three appropriate Ether-related techs.
A Hollowcloak recieves +50% Strength when within no cultural borders.
A Hollowcloak recieves -100% Strength when sharing tile with any other unit.
A Hollowcloak may not attack Avathar units, such as Dragons.

Design philosophy: Hollowcloaks are elite units that never obselete. They are extremely strong in single combat, for instance versus Heroes, but expensive to build and easily overtaken by multiple units. They particularly shine in the wilderness by themselves and cannot be used efficiently in stacks or on offense. They are particularly handy for civilizations lacking military techs. While not all the details are equally important or designed for ease of implentation, the general idea should be implentable.


Flavour text:

Mysterious loners, little is known about the nature of the Hollowcloaks. They are rumored to be manifestations of primal energy, their clothes animated by nothing but force of will. What ulterior goals they serve is beyound mere mortals, but they dislike civilization and their powers wane in power in its prescense. Swords and shields are of little use against the Hollowcloaks psychic prowess, but the confidence of experience and numbers is invaluable.

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Bright day
Not all that thought through but what the heck

Kite men
Kurioartes and/or Sheaim
Recon or melee
Strength: ?
Starts with Guerilla I, Woodsman I, Great Kite, ?commando?
May not gain City Attack promotions.
Comes from: ?Way of the Ancients?

Great Kite: essentially unit can paradrop.

Use: not a frontliner this one. His job is to wreak havoc on enemy in its home stopping the their advance dead in its tracks. For this it uses rather questionable tactics of pillaging and holding Bridges Hopefully Just Far Enough. All of that while beset from all sides and striving to survive.

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Chalid said:

Keep in mind that the guy who has choosen the unit will make the graphics for the unit. Sorry abman...

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Chalid said:

Keep in mind that the guy who has choosen the unit will make the graphics for the unit. Sorry abman...

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abman said:

What, you don't like my ant-like spider?
I don't think my bad spider model is civ compatible anyway. I'm still a long way from making units.

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BeefontheBone said:

I went for the Fair Sorceror, although he could use a better name - that one sounds like he happens to be blonde

How about "Jester" or "Harlequin" ? In fact, a Harlequin should probably be a melee/assassin-type unit. Hmmm...

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Kael said:

Chalid was just kidding about the person that picked it does the art. If that were the case everyone should vote for the cold wraith, knowing Woodelf he would probably make us some half naked undead chick.

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woodelf said:

Originally Posted by Kael
Chalid was just kidding about the person that picked it does the art. If that were the case everyone should vote for the cold wraith, knowing Woodelf he would probably make us some half naked undead chick.

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It isn't going to be? Damn.

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