Unit Design Garbage File

[Pandemonis]

Meant to write this up for the Sidar. But I accidentally thought of the Calabim instead

Unfortunately, the mechanic relies on the strategy and style of the Sidar, and the units and design of the Calabim. Thus making it absolutely useless for direct use in FfH. Besides, from what I hear the Calabim are already far too powerful anyhow (never used them myself as yet because of that).

Thrall

Calabim Special Unit, Replaces Worker

Starts with Promotion: Thrall
Grants Promotion: Thrall to all units in same tile

Same as normal worker for stats/abilities. Cost is 10% higher though.

Promotion: Thrall
Unit cannot attack Vampire units
Grants Promotion: Thrall to all units in same tile.

Vampires auto-convert any unit with Thrall Promotion without combat (like as if attacking a worker)


Intention was that you could gift them to your opponents and hope that they would make use of the free worker instead of deleting it. Then eventually forget to keep the other units away from him, and then BOOM, a whole civilization just waiting for you to claim them.

And even if that didn't work, at least they would think twice before attacking your defensless workers when they attempt to invade your territory. That or they would have to delete the worker and the unit who captured it immediately to prevent you from taking them over.

AI would never, ever handle this well.

Here's an idea.

"Thrall_A" Promotion
Req. Some
Can be granted to some Calabim Unit

Any unit killing a unit with this promotion will get promotion "Thrall_B".

"Thrall B" Promotion
Unit get : 0 if fighting unit with promotion Vampire


And here's why.

Spoiler :

I really love this idea, planting spies to facilitate a conquer through vampirism.

As TheJopa pointed, the AI would be very hard to convince to understand that, and would basically turn everything they have to the Calabim.

It seems like that in MP games it would just not work either, actually:
Im given a Thrall Unit. Either I make sure I never ever stack it with someone else, either I just destroy it.
A Thrall Ally approach my border:Either I use HN unit to destroy them, either I just close border and not care - can be very though to handle either ways.
Invisible Thralls that can enter enemy stacks...

I think there might be some approaches that can be interesting. ie.
A HN unit that will give a Thrall promotion to the unit who defeats it, Thrall promotion being "will always surrender to Vampires", not contaminating stacks, promotion is not visible on unit affected.
(C'mon Silveric, do defeat my [enter_poor_unit]!)
A HN unit that will give a Thrall promotion to the unit who defeats it, Thrall promotion being "will have n% chance to surrender to Vampires", "will have m% chance to transfer to each unit stacked with", promotion is not visible on unit affected
All combination of n% and m% can be interesting.

Another idea would be to compensate the potential danger by a genuine benefit, therefore excusing the visibility of the promotion and balancing its danger. I was thinking of something like get a bonus depending on numbers of thralls overall, or overall relative to those in your empire, but the design soon becomes too complicated to be good.

Overall, I think the best simple design would be something along the lines of:
HN unit give Thrall promotion to unit defeating them, Thrall being "Will Always Surrender to Vampire", not contaminating stack, promotion is visible on unit
"You better disband your Silveric and those defenders, now, you know'"

 

[xienwolf]

Pincushion

Balseraph UU, no pre-req tech or building

10
0
1
does not recieve defensive bonuses
No Maintenance cost
Always selected as first defender for stack.

 

[Pandemonis]

Pincushion

Balseraph UU, no pre-req tech or building

10
0
1
does not recieve defensive bonuses
No Maintenance cost

Starts with Defender Promotion.

Do you mean Homeland promotion, instead of Defender (+15% withdraw, with 0 attack ;15% Defense, NA because 0+15%=0 and no Def bonuses) ?
(Homeland is the promotion granted by Defender Trait)

If so, add Mutated and I buy it

 

[xienwolf]

I mean the promotion that makes you more likely to defend for the stack than your raw strength would indicate. That way when attacked, this guy gets eaten first.


I was just joking when I drafted it on the spot, but I am starting to fall in love with the idea. But then... I'd like to see my actual entry right now in the game too.... wish I could enter twice

Fixed it now. Had to launch the game and run through the Civlopedia because I haven't actually used this promotion in the game yet.

 

[Pandemonis]

Ah ok.

Not sure how the algorithm is coded tho, do you know if a 0 Def Str unit will ever have a chance to defend ?

 

[CXDamian]

Think it will have to have at least 1 defensive strength(so, 0/1), unless its only against marksman.

From wiki:

Is treated as though its defense is doubled for the purposes of choosing a defender of a stack of units. If a unit with this promotion is ever chosen against a Marksman, it will be the defending unit (regardless of other units).

of course, its not always up to date

 

[xienwolf]

Well, the intention is for a guarantee that it will defend, but no damage be done to the opponent, just the loss of ability to attack.

 

[Pandemonis]

Think it will have to have at least 1 defensive strength(so, 0/1), unless its only against marksman.

From wiki:
of course, its not always up to date

Thanks, I thought so.

 

[Pandemonis]

Well, the intention is for a guarantee that it will defend, but no damage be done to the opponent, just the loss of ability to attack.

Think Kill Self for Auto-Charm unit ?

 

[Party]

Suicide Bomber.....
You figure it out.

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

Suicide Bomber.....
You figure it out.

A pyre Zombie before undeath?

 

[Party]

Uhhh, sure?

What i'd really like to see would be the assassin (correct me if i'm wrong on the name) unit that had an all to brief appearance in the crusades expansion in Civ III conquests.

Invisible to all units except.....
Very high attack but has no defense. Will be destroyed without a fight if found out.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, the intention is for a guarantee that it will defend, but no damage be done to the opponent, just the loss of ability to attack.

Sounds to me an awful lot like a lifespark.

 

[xienwolf]

Could be, haven't played with them much either. Thought that they gave a bonus to heal rates in the stack, and could revive a unit if it died? (meaning you can still kill a lone attacker and get experience, and the spark isn't used up until someone actually dies). This guy would be guaranteed to die, and you would get no exp on a successful defender (and have to deal with the opponent next turn).