An idea to spice up late game and..

[MiKa523]

..encourage more civs to increase the AC:

I had this idea regarding the 4 horsemen appearing between AC 60-70, but since the devs don't want to include that many items, I'm not sure about it.
Maybe some modmod will pick it up, so here it is:

All 4 horsemen carry an item, one part of their gear, which is special and gives the unit that defeats the horsemen and takes the item a little buff.
For instance:
-Stephanos Crown (immune to magic)
-Buboes Sword (gives +1 Attack Strength)
-Yersinia's Armor (gives + Defense Strength)
-Ars Moriendi's Boots (give either Blitz or +1 Movement)

The idea is that you get a bonus, if one unit is equipped with all 4 gear parts, like certain promotions (spells) or increased strength.
This would add more variety to the lategame, because you could gather items to get a gear set and improve your hero or strong unit a lot.

In addition I was thinking about maybe adding a new type of victory, which is achieved by merging all 4 items and Orthus Axe with one unit that then will become some kind of godlike ubar hell unit uniting all the civs under his evil leadership.

 

[Niley]

Stephanos wears a crown? I haven't noticed that...
Ars Moriendi's Boots - that sounds... strange.

I think it would be some individual pieces of armor, you know, like breastplate, pauldrons, bracers, gauntlets and so on... to make a unique Armageddon armor set. Something like that.

 

[MiKa523]

Yeah, of course the pieces of the gear/armor are open for discussion and suggestions.
I'm not even sure what they wear, but I've seen this 3 pictures in the FfH2 special thread and took the crown since I was looking for a helmet thingy

 

[Chip56]

The crown of arkazien already gives magic immune, something else might be in order for stephanos. Also every one should be more then a generic +1 move, it should be something special something tied to the rider.
Maybe command for stephanos?
For Yersina Plaque & disease carrier?

 

[MiKa523]

Yeah..some more unique effects would be nice, but you have to consider that the 4 items should not be overpowered when united in one unit, because the additional effects for wearing all 4 parts are also getting on top of that.
That's why I suggested simple things like +1 Strength, which isn't realy much considering late game units.
It should encourage to gather all 4 items to really get something out of them.

 

[Chip56]

Of coure it shouldn't make them overpowered.
But I'm more afraid of strong magic immune unit then of a strong unit with for example 30% command (no magic ring of fire, etc..).
Also +1 base strength isn't "weak" and there is no specific counter against. However diseasse can be countered (use of undead, demons, angels, catapults, priests, etc)

 

[Psychic_Llamas]

Stephanos's Crown suits him perfectly, being the personification of conquet and war. but i would prefer the bonus to be a little more... unique. something like "grant a temporary 'Bloodlust' (or some better name) promotion to all units in your stack, which gives +2 attack stength, but -2 defence, and perhaps the ability for the unit to cast an 'unyeilding order' like spell.

EDIT: just saw the cross posts. yeh command 1 2 and 3 would be perfect for stephanos.

Sword of Buboes, is equally fitting, but again id rather an effect which is more flavourful. perhaps grinting the unit fear, blitz (though this is already taken by orthus's axe) ignores defence bonuses and first strikes, prevent withdrawals.

Stave of Ars Morendi or Ars Morendi's Hourglass would suit him better than some lame boots. have them both allow the owner to cast a spell which does minor area affect damage to enemies but heals those in the casters stack, or, a cool affect for the hourglass would be to 'warp time', freezing all enemies (like charm person but with much lower resistance) but also affecting non living units, and to add +1 movement to those in the casters stack.

Shroud of Yersinia i think would suit him better than armour imho, (would have to await on seZ's next horseman model before we could truly decide ) again giving a unique bonus such as allowing the weilder to spread the 'plague' and cast 'contageon' like Mary Morbius, and/or having a chance of passing on the diseased and/or poisoned promotion after battle. or perhaps a +2 poison strength, and poison immunity to the unit.

obviously just ideas, im not suggesting each item use everything i said about them, else theyd be WAY too overpowered! lol

 

[xienwolf]

Geez... Are you all forgetting about the pinacle of Armageddon?


I'd say toss in the Cloak of Wrath, and have it allow you to summon Ira the same way the Avatar of Wrath does.

 

[TheGreatSteve]

In addition I was thinking about maybe adding a new type of victory, which is achieved by merging all 4 items and Orthus Axe with one unit that then will become some kind of godlike ubar hell unit uniting all the civs under his evil leadership.

It's called Conquest Victory

 

[[NWO]_Valis]

In addition I was thinking about maybe adding a new type of victory, which is achieved by merging all 4 items and Orthus Axe with one unit that then will become some kind of godlike ubar hell unit uniting all the civs under his evil leadership

Not going to happen till assasins stop kiling equipment in your stacks.

Also do not try to convert FfH into HoM&M. The conditions are fine as they are.
[the reward items are a nice feature thou but without the merging, please]

 

[Switchblock]

Well the overpowering equipment can be considered a double-win feature, like the Baron, but I haven't played enough games where the horseman appear to know how hard they are to kill compared to their equipment bonuses.

 

[Fafnir13]

Geez... Are you all forgetting about the pinacle of Armageddon?


I'd say toss in the Cloak of Wrath, and have it allow you to summon Ira the same way the Avatar of Wrath does.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Well done, sir.

Another way to think of these items is not that they are a motivation for raising the Armageddon counter, but a reward for beating one of the horsemen. My poor friend ended up having to defeat two of them in a horrible game we had going. He nothing to show for it but a unit with a few more xp's.

On the subject of the horsemen, could we please tell them to not sit in conquered towns one (a) their health is replenished and (b) there is a defending unit in the town. That goes for Orthus, too.