During my time watching Hyrule Total War I have posted up a number of unit list ideas based upon research into Zelda lore (yes, even my carpet riders are actually in the lore, at least there is a single occurance of one in Ocarina of Time), and due to the sheer size of the original thread, they have become buried and lost. So, I am digging them back up, and posting them all here, just in case people want to see. There are a number to come, so if you could refrain from posting for a few mins, it'd be great
First up:
The Kingdom of Hyrule
I have been watching Hyrule Total War pretty much from the beginning of the mod, and seen it grow in a vast number of ways including some I helped found myself. Yet as time goes by, I see that we need to look forward to the Campaign map that is brewing, and the adaptations to the races Unit Lists which will be required when we reach the stage where the Custom Battle mode is at a “complete” level. I did want to also include ideas for the names of Buildings for the player and AI to build in the Settlements, but was unable to find a decent building list anywhere for Medieval Total War 2.
I want to bring up the idea of progression through the Campaign Mode, in that as we play over many successive turns as our chosen faction we need something to strive towards except the domination of the map. Total War has crafted this concept brilliantly in that it makes you want to not only upgrade your towns and castles in order to gain access to greater defence and various bonuses these buildings apply, but because doing so will also gradually improve the number of units we can make use of and replace those we gradually get bored of with newer ones. The reason I bring this up, is that as awesome as the mod is so far, I feel that with the small unit lists we have there is not enough progression to keep the average player as vested in their campaign as they would be during Medieval Total War 2's normal campaign map. I know full well that UndyingNephalim has purposefully designed the units so that they each feel unique with the hope that they will not grow stale, but I feel that simple edits can bring about a few more units to better keep us interested. I hope this view is not taken badly, as it is purely my own view of the way we need to adapt for the time when we have to look further than a Custom Battle. I will start with the Kingdom of Hyrule:
In many ways, the Kingdom of Hyrule is the generic faction which helps make all the others more exciting. It's the average faction, the one with no true strengths and no true weaknesses. It is the one which will almost probably be used as the one which all other races are balanced against due to the nature of the way the faction is laid out. This may seem almost like I am looking down upon the way that the Kingdom of Hyrule have turned out, I am not, merely stating a truth of balancing a strategy game and modding new factions, there is always one race which starts off rather average but this can be a strength to its design. Of all the races, making them average means they are best equipped to face the many different races out there, but they are not quite there with that yet and so some tweaking shall be necessary. After looking at what I consider to be the “average” faction of Medieval Total War 2 Vanilla, England, I have been working out the new units that should be added, though I wish to note that I am not adding as many units as England has due to the idea added already about units specifically recruited by owning regions with a Temple inside:
Englands Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Peasants
Town Militia
Levy Spearmen
Spear Militia
Heavy Infantry
Armoured Sergeants
Armoured Swordsmen
Bill Militia
Billmen
Dismounted English Knights
Dismounted Feudal Knights
Heavy Bill Militia
Heavy Billmen
Light Cavalry
Demi Lancers
Hobilars
Mailed Knights
Merchant Cavalry Militia
Heavy Cavalry
English Knights
Feudal Knights
Early General's Bodyguard
Late General's Bodyguard
Knights Hospitaller
Knights Templar
Missile
Archer Militia
Arquebusiers
Longbowmen
Mounted Longbowmen (unused vanilla unit)
Peasant Archers
Retinue Longbowmen
Sherwood Archers (via woodsmans guild)
Yeoman Archers
Artillery
Ballista
Catapult
Ribault
Trebuchet
Bombard
Culverin
Mortar
As you can see, the England Unit List is pretty extensive, and you can see the gradual improvements in the units as a player of England would progress his towns and number of turns that have passed. In the most basic sense, the Peasant is the first unit of a unit list and it's successor is the Town Militia. This unit does not render the Peasant obsolete, but offers a slightly better unit for an extra cost for you to make use of if you choose. This is the sort of thing that I believe is missing, and so first I will show the current list and then the updates I have for the Kingdom of Hyrule Unit List.
Current Kingdom of Hyrule Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Town Guards
Swordsmen Recruits
[Missing]
[Missing]
Heavy Infantry
Hylian Infantry
Castle Guards
Dismounted Hyrulean Knights
Ironclad Elites
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Light Cavalry
Mounted Recruits
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Heavy Cavalry
Hyrulean Knights
Knight General
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Missile
Crossbowmen
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Artillery
Repeater Crossbow
Trebuchet
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
As you can likely see from the Unit List as it currently is, it has a lot of missing space to fit into an average shape of a normal unit list for a Total War faction, though in its current standing it perfectly suits for the Custom Battle mode. At the moment, the points I have identified as the most desperately needing attention are the forces lack of any anti-cavalry troops and its huge deficit in missile units, though I do believe that the “swordsmen” have excellent progression. With that in mind, I am going to add my updated unit list below and then explain my thoughts regarding these new units.
My Kingdom of Hyrule Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Town Guards
Swordsmen Recruits
Gatekeepers (Most basic Spearmen)
Heavy Infantry
Hylian Infantry
Castle Guards
Dismounted Hyrulean Knights
Men-At-Arms (Second “tier” Spearmen, the mainstay of the Spear unit type)
Hylian Phalanx (top tier Spearmen, elites of the force, heavily armoured)
Ironclads
Ironclad Elites
Light Cavalry
Mounted Sentries
Cavalry Recruits
Knight Errants (Missing link between Recruits and Hyrulean Knights)
Heavy Cavalry
Hyrulean Knights
Ironclad Lancers
Mounted Crossbowmen
Knight General
Missile
Sentries (Basic Archer troop type)
Bowmen (Main Archer troop type)
Crossbowmen (Less armoured and weaker than current ones, no shield, main crossbow)
Pavise Crossbowmen (Current Crossbowmen, but with more armour)
Artillery
Repeater Crossbow
Ballista
Catapult
Trebuchet
From the list, I have added 1 Light Infantry unit, 3 Heavy Infantry units (and renamed one), 2 Light Cavalry (and renamed one), 2 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Missile Units and 2 Artillery units. In my opinion, these additions have not only fixed the missing gap with anti-cavalry units but also given a more logical progression up through the types of units you can field. Though there are a lot of missing fields still, I am going to ignore filling those in further as any additional units I would suggest are special and driven by acquiring certain places or defeating utterly certain foes. The best part is that a lot of these units could be made using the existing models for units for the Kingdom of Hyrule with weapon and head swaps to give them the uniqueness necessary. The unit descriptions are below:
Unit Descriptions:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Gatekeepers = Basic Spearman Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Gatekeepers are the first line of defence against a Battering Ram smashing through the outer gates of a Town's defences, these troops recruited from the general populace are armed with spears and shields in order to hold back the incoming waves of troops that would pour through in the Hylian settlement. Unfortunately, these Gatekeepers are not the best trained, and spend much of their time during peace monitoring the activities of those entering and exiting the town rather than practicing drills for combat. As such, they are not battle-hardened and liable to break without significant backup.
Special Abilities = None
Dismounted Hyrulean Knights = Renamed Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
At the time of the latest demo, the Knights on foot are still called “Hyrulean Knights” with the mounted version called “Mounted Hyrulean Knights”. I made this change purely to suit the way that Medieval Total War 2 vanilla deals with Knights without horses.
Special Abilities = Same as before
Men-At-Arms = Main Spearman Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Kingdom of Hyrule is one of the few to keep a constant military ready in order to respond to the many possible threats against the Kingdom; from roving bands of bandits, to solitary monsters to rebellions in the provinces. As such, they are required to deal with a variety of threats and so the Man-At-Arms has become a staple of the forces of the Kingdom. Often found guarding vital castles and forts, the Men-At-Arms are a discipled and well-trained regiment of Spear-wielding Hylian men and women, though not as battle-hardened as many units out there, they are equipped and trained enough to withstand many foes including the threat that Cavalry brings to the battlefield.
Special Abilities = Spear Wall
Hylian Phalanx = Elite Spearman Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Kingdom has often been embroiled in many wars over the years, against almost all of their neighbours and those beyond. As the years have rolled by, the armies of this Kingdom have advanced and shifted considerably, but there are relics of the past which cling on and maintain their place in the Hyrulean Military. Amongst these units is the Phalanx, a highly disciplined and heavily armoured force of pike wielding Hylian men whom are tasked with holding the line against all those who come before them. The great length of their pikes, courage of steel and their advanced tactics for defending positions has rightfully given them a great deal of respect amongst their own allies and their foes.
Special Abilities = Spear Wall
Ironclads and Ironclad Elites = De-powered Additional Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
It seemed peculiar to me that there were Ironclad Elites without any Ironclads to get these elites from, and as such I viewed the Ironclad as a less powerful and cheaper version of the Elites and come before them in the unit tech tree. The Ironclads would thus remain the pinnacle of Hyrulean military might.
Special Abilities = Same as before.
Cavalry Recruits = Renamed Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I think it is just me being picky, but “Mounted Recruits” did not quite sound right to me.
Special Abilities = Same as before.
Knight Errants = Medium Cavalry Unit, lighter armoured compared to the Hyrulean Knights.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Hyrulean Knights are the highly respected cavalry with whom the Kingdom owes are great debt. These Knights have long patrolled and defended the Kingdom from its many foes, and are the pinnacle of romanticism and heroism in the minds of much of the populace, yet these braves souls do not just appear from thin air. Knight Errants are those fiery young men and women who are driven by the desire to become these great Knights and become viewed as heroes by their fellow Hylians. Impetuous to a fault, these Errants seek to prove their worth by driving forth into the enemy, which causes them to have a high mortality rate but helps to temper and forge them into the legendary warriors of the future.
Special Abilities = Charge Without Orders, Warcry
Hyrulean Knights = Renamed Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Formerly these were the “Mounted Hyrulean Knights”, but removing the Mounted part makes more sense. The unit acts exactly as it always has.
Special Abilities = Same as before.
Ironclad Lancers = Specialist Heavy Cavalry
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Royal Family has many foes, even amongst their supposed allies, and as such has to ward itself against any possible threats it may incur, on and off of the battlefield. Most often, the Ironclads are the ones whom are tasked with keeping these very important people from harm, but at times they are also brought to the battlefield in order to protect the very Kingdom itself. Ironclads are picked from amongst the most veteran, courageous and heroic Hylians in the military and the “Lancers” are no different. Although they act in a small regiment, they are at the forefront of each devastating charge against their foes.
Special Abilities = Almost unbreakable, devastating charge, slow moving due to armour.
Sentries and Mounted Sentries = Basic Archer Unit and Light Cavalry Missile
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Towns require various levels of protection in order to keep peace within their stone walls, one of these are the Sentries. Often found patrolling the vast stone walls of these Hylian Cities, the Sentries also are tasked with keeping an eye on Criminals from atop the roofs of many buildings spread throughout the towns to aid with keeping the cogs of justice turning. When times of war are called, the Sentries leave their posts and are drafted into defending their homes from the invaders.
Special Abilities (Sentries) = None Special Abilities (Mounted Sentries) = That.. Circle manoeuvre where they shoot and run in circles.
Bowmen = Main Archer Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Battles cannot be won from me-lee alone, and often it falls down to the many missile troops of a land to rain death upon their foes in order to soften them for the bulk of their own forces. Often these missile troops take the form of drafted men and women who are trained in bow and arrow. Their role is simple, pelt the enemy with their arrows either until there are none remaining to fire, or none remaining to shoot.
Special Abilities = Flaming Arrows
Crossbowmen and Mounted Crossbowmen = De-Powered Unit and Medium Cavalry Missile
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Crossbowmen unit would be a less armoured and generally weaker version of the two crossbowmen units, but would be on par with the Bowmen as a Main Crossbow Unit.
Special Ability (Crossbowmen) = Armour Penetrating Arrows = deals far heavier damage against heavily armoured opponents. Special Ability (Mounted Crossbowmen) = None
Pavise Crossbowmen = Renamed Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Pavise Crossbowmen would look as the current ones in the demo look, but be alittle stronger due to the addition of the plain Crossbowman unit. Pavise Crossbowmen traditionally were useful in sieges, and so it makes sense for this unit to suit that role.
Special Ability = Deploy Shields = Deploys shields to hide behind but able to shoot past, giving them greater protection from their foes. Has a reduced firing rate.
Ballista and Catapult = Siege
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
As in Vanilla.
As I also mentioned, I would think it would be best to think some more again about the idea of units gained by acquiring certain Wonders and regions on a map. This is not only because it is awesome to get hold of these exciting new units, but because it is another incentive for a player to continue on the road to conquering the map. I will repost my ideas here for Temple Specific Units, and later discuss Units acquired by conquering an entire faction. I will only work on the Temple Specific Units at this time, as I believe we do not need more than these to begin with.
The Temples:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Fire Temple aka Temple of Fire, Goron Mines
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Maidens of Din
Hylian Priestesses devoted to the worship of the Goddess Din and maintaining and protection of her Temples. After years of study and religious sacrifice, these Maiden's have been gifted with the blessing of Din's Fire.
In basic terms, a unit which uses Greek Fire aka a Flamethrowing unit for Kingdom of Hyrule.
Water Temple aka Lakebed Temple, Ocean Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Maidens of Nayru
The blessing of Nayru's Love is a rare priviledge to those who tend to the Golden Goddesses' Temples, though it is not unknown for great heroes to recieve it as well. The Maidens of Nayru are amongst her most devout followers, who attempt to spread her love amongst the battlefield, to protect the soldiers of Hyrule.
Nayru is a goddess who's magic seems to be about defence rather than offence. Because of this, I feel a unit akin to the Druids of Roman Total War would work nicely. It would be great if they could somehow heal units, or recover their fatigue, but at the very least they could have a special ability which increases the morale of those fighting.
Maidens of Farore
Hylians are more used to combat upon plains and fields than forest warfare, and it shows in the difficulty of capturing the Forest Temple. In order to improve the efficiency of their armed forces in the forests, the Kingdom of Hyrule recovered Fairy Bows from within the heart of the Temple. These magical bows were gifted to greatest of Farore's Priestesses, who were tasked with guarding the Forest Temple.
I know, another ranged special unit for Kingdom of Hyrule, but the difference between this one and the Shiekah is that these are specifically ranged and damn good at it. My thought is that they would have their normal arrows being Fire Arrows, and their Special Ability arrows being "Light Arrows". They would also, obviously, be good at forest combat.
Temple of Ice aka Snowhead Temple, Snowpeak Ruins, Ice Cavern
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Yeti Mountaineers
Upon conquering the Arctic conditions of the northern mountain ranges, the Kingdom of Hyrule stumbled upon an ally which had adapted perfectly to the winter conditions but whom had a friendly nature akin to their own, the Yeti's. With this meeting came an understanding and eventually a partnership to benefit both species. Yeti's would join the Hylians in battle, in exchange for selling food from the provinces to them at a cheaper price.
I imagine them as a small unit, and probably working abit like an Elephant unit without riders, heh.
Shadow Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Shiekah
Having long ago sworn loyalty to the Royal Family of Hyrule, the Shiekah have since been amongst their staunchest, and rarest, of protectors. These ninja-like warriors are expert infiltrators, capable of hiding in plain sight and unleashing devastating ambush attacks.
A unit which is both ranged and melee, strong fighters, amazing levels of concealment but with a small unit size. Possibly they wear the Mask of Truth, just as a little throwback to Ocarina of Time.
With the discovery of the Mirror of Twilight in the Spirit Temple, the place soon became the prison of those deemed too evil to be allowed to remain within or near to the Kingdom of Hyrule. Arbiters were employed to keep these beasts and fiends in line, and also to personally decide whether or not they are guilty enough to be sent through the Mirror into the Twilight beyond. These Arbiters hide behind masks and hoods in their duty, being the omni-present jailers of the criminals of the land.
Every kingdom has a darker side, and these Arbiter's are the Kingdom of Hyrules'. These will be a unit similar to the Iron Knuckles unfortunately, but with 15 factions, it is hard to make too many which are unique! I see them as being heavily armoured, with broadswords as their weapon, and having a very strong morale.
Earth Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Really struggled with a unit for this one.
Wind Temple aka Fortress of Winds
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Really struggled with a unit for this one.
Temple of Time aka Cathedral of Time, Temple of Light
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Keepers of Time
The Temple of Time is not only the religious center of the Kingdom of Hyrule, but in reality is the grand cover for the location of the Blade of Evil's Bane and the Pedestal of Time, key to the way into the Sacred Realm. In the distant past, the Royal Family of Hyrule were on good relations with the Oocca people, who gifted them with a Dominion Rod, which is now locked away deep within the Temple. Upon gaining the gift, a few weaker duplicates were created by the Hylians and are now used in the defence of the Sacred Realm.
A unit which I originally concepted as working like the War Dog unit from Roman Total War, consisting of a bunch of heavily armoured Hylians armed with Dominion Rods, which control the "pet" unit of a large Statue. Instead, I imagine it being a group of these Dominion Statues being controlled by a single “Captain” wielding the Rod.
I will not go into specifics about the units I feel should be gained from defeating a foe entirely, but I do wish to elaborate upon the ideas involving other species. My thoughts were that if a faction has Rival factions they should -not- be able to gain a unit from defeating them utterly but instead have a unit whose concept and lore is designed to defeat a certain rival faction's units. This would make sense, as it is highly unlikely that the Kingdom of Hyrule would recruit Moblins into their forces due to their inherently evil nature. Conquering a faction entirely would suit for allowing a special unit of theirs as a reward for doing so, or at least only if they were Cordial with you to begin with.
I think my fingers are about to fall off from typing, but I really hope that this has been useful and helped each of us thing about where we are going with our ideas and where the mod will go once it reaches the Campaign Stages.
Last edited by The Holy Pilgrim; July 10, 2012 at 11:25 AM.
As with the last time I did this, my aim with this post is to once more analyse one of the factions contained within the Hyrule Total War Mod so far, with my first victim of the Brutal Blade of Analysis being the “Kingdom of Hyrule”. So, this time I felt it was fitting to turn my attention to the faction that most represents their hated enemies, the Desert Warriors of the Gerudo. Unlike the Kingdom of Hyrule who represent the games “Balance” faction, the Gerudo are not a force which is capable of having strengths against all, but instead they are a force which relies upon light numbers and swift movement. They are a Guerilla faction, far more than most, and are not really the sort to be able to take to an open battlefield and win easily against a more disciplined and organised army such as the Kingdom of Hyrule (unless that battle was in the Desert, in which case, they could.). A summary of what I perceive as their strengths is below:
Swift, manoeuvrable forces.
Undoubted ranged supremacy.
Guerilla tactics to wear down larger forces.
Excellent in Desert Warfare.
In my belief the Gerudo are by far the most complete faction list that UndyingNephalim has released so far, at least in terms of the structure of their forces. I believe only light tampering will be required, and probably the addition of not many new units. I have been considering adding in a supernatural unit or two, to fit with the concept of the Desert and them having a Goddess associated with it. I will once more post up the England Unit List, like last time, for the sake of comparison with an established Medieval 2 Total War Faction.
England Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Peasants
Town Militia
Levy Spearmen
Spear Militia
Heavy Infantry
Armoured Sergeants
Armoured Swordsmen
Bill Militia
Billmen
Dismounted English Knights
Dismounted Feudal Knights
Heavy Bill Militia
Heavy Billmen
Light Cavalry
Demi Lancers
Hobilars
Mailed Knights
Merchant Cavalry Militia
Heavy Cavalry
English Knights
Feudal Knights
Early General's Bodyguard
Late General's Bodyguard
Knights Hospitaller
Knights Templar
Missile
Archer Militia
Arquebusiers
Long-bowmen
Mounted Long-bowmen (unused Vanilla Unit)
Peasant Archers
Retinue Long-bowmen
Sherwood Archers (via Woodsman’s Guild)
Yeoman Archers
Artillery
Ballista
Catapult
Ribault
Trebuchet
Bombard
Culverin
Mortar
As you can see, the England Unit List (EUL from now on) is pretty extensive, and you can see the gradual improvements in the units purchasable as a player progresses his town onwards and upwards. The problem with the EUL, is that it is only partially relevant to the Gerudo Unit List in that it contains a large number of Missile units, which are one of the great specialities of their forces. I believe that to truly “fix” the last bits of the Gerudo list, I will need to re-arrange the unit guidelines laid down by the English Faction. First, I will fit the list of current Gerudo units into the EUL, and then re-arrange it into a more suitable list.
Current Gerudo Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Marauders
Glaive Grunts
[Missing]
[Missing]
Heavy Infantry
Gerudadorf
Bronze Knuckle
Iron Knuckle
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Light Cavalry
Mounted Marauders
Mounted Scouts
Mounted Dune Archers
[Missing]
Heavy Cavalry
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Missile
Scouts
Dune Archers
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Artillery
Battering Ram
Volvagian
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Much like the Kingdom of Hyrule list in the past, there are many gaps missing from the standard list, but much like the Kingdom of Hyrule it is perfectly suitable for the Custom Battle Mode. The list is going to need tweaking in order to better work in the Campaign Mode setting, so that the player will gain a true sense of progression and keep their interest vested in their campaign. I believe that for one, at least a single Heavy Cavalry unit or an equivalent is necessary. Also that more varying units are required for each grouping of units.
From the list I have added 1 Light Infantry unit (and renamed 2), 3 Heavy Infantry units, 2 Light Cavalry units (and renamed 3), 2 Heavy Cavalry units, 3 Missile units, and 1 Artillery unit. Though my opinion might not be shared, I believe these additions correct the lack of a substantial heavy unit in the midst of the Gerudo forces, and that the additions neatly represent the allies the Gerudo have called to their side from the desert. My hope also, is that my new ranged units will add some much needed diversity in the “missiles” being launched at the enemies, and finally make it seem as if they are a race dedicated somewhat to ranged combat over melee. Though most of these can be easily made, a few of the units would be somewhat tough to produce, but would be worth it.
Unit Descriptions:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Thieves = Basic Unit, Renamed Marauders
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
It is often said that the Gerudo are thieves, not to be trusted without your gaze constantly upon their nimble hands, though stereotypical this is in fact a reality of the Gerudo population. The Gerudo Desert is a poor land both in terms of wealth and food, quite often Gerudo entering other realms have to resort to such thievery in order to survive. In fact, it is so common place that they train to become Thieves before entering those lands, and are granted with a Scimitar to defend themselves should the “heist” go wrong.
Special Abilities = None
Notes = Considering the amount of times the Gerudo are represented as thieves and “scoundrels”, I think it is fair to say that when they come of age, they become a “Thief”. The name Marauder tends to give me images of savage warriors of some experience.
Sentinels = Renamed Glaive Grunts
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
When the Gerudo build or capture a fortress, they no longer have the need to fight only as a mobile and swift fighting force. The addition of great walls allow them to arm their troops in a more traditional military fashion in order to defend their Keep. Sentinels are the product of that shift in their military thinking, the Guards of a Fortress or City that both keep the peace and defend the walls.
Special Abilities = Schiltrom Formation
Gerune = A “Tanking” unit, capable of taking great damage whilst not dealing much in return.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
With the Gerudo dominance over the Deserts, they have come to find alliances with many of the peculiar creatures and elemental beings that dwell amongst the dunes. Quite often this is to reduce the many potential threats that are in the desert for the dying Gerudo, but sometimes it is purely out of respect for their religion and way of life. The Gerune are considered a somewhat set of kindred spirits to the Goddess of the Sand, or at the very least a creature which is under her guidance. The Gerudo have begun to utilise them effectively at halting the advances of their enemies into their realm, allowing the Gerudo to pepper them with bolts from afar.
Special Abilities = None, as such. They have high health and armour, but very little attack power. If there is any sort of “Taunt” ability, to keep their foe on them, it would suit.
Gerudadorf = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Assassins, spies and otherwise subversive Gerudo women, the Gerudodorf have been moulded from a young age to be able to slip in and out of tight situations. When the time comes, however, they are capable of unleashing their exotic fighting styles upon the enemy.
Special Abilities = None
Enchanted Hylian Soldiers
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Gerudo are known for many traits which seem to be associated with all their kind. Thievery is usually the one which springs to mind first, but second is always the scandalous activities of the Gerudo when it comes to men. Frequently they will enter a village, town or city in the attempt to court themselves a man or to steal one. Using their womanly wiles, abductions, forced marriages, charmed potions and other nefarious means they have managed to draw a population of Hylian men into their settlements, men who feel compelled to fight for their women. Whether they want those women or not.
Special Abilities = None.
Notes = I expect they would look like somewhat ragtag Hylian Infantry or possibly Gerudo-fied Hylian Infantry.
Hardened Gerune = New Unit, a heavier “tanking” unit.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The lifetime of a Gerune is as long as the dunes they resemble, and it is a known fact that those dunes of sand often cover up whatever they form upon. When it comes to Gerune, sometimes they are unlucky enough to be caught underneath a very heavy dune formed from the ever-moving desert. Often they end up residing beneath it for decades or centuries, and during that time their “sand” begins to harden. Resembling Sandstone more than Sand. The Gerudo have taken to digging these ancient, trapped Gerune from their Dune-prisons and bringing them into war.
Special Abilities = None. If there is any sort of “Taunt” ability, to keep their foe on them, it would suit.
Notes = They have high health and armour, but very little attack power.
Crescent Warriors = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Deep in Gerudo territory, there are secret training grounds where many of the women who show some prowess in combat are sent to, in order to hone their skills and learn to fight against other factions and their forms of combat. The Crescent Warriors came about from a need to be able to hold back the infantry of Hyrule, they carry Chakram to throw at their enemy before a charge. Though not armoured as much as most Hylian Infantry regiments, they are comparable in unit structure and ability.
Special Abilities = None
Notes = Carries a Chakram.
Bronze Knuckle = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Infused with spirits of long-dead male Gerudo, Bronze Knuckles serve as powerful tank units that cut swathes through enemy ranks. They are slow, but powerful.
Special Abilities = None
Iron Knuckle = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Animated by the spirits of long-dead male Gerudo warriors of the distant past, Iron Knuckles serve as powerful tank units that cut swathes through enemy ranks. They are slow, but powerful and unlikely to break.
Special Abilities = None
Marauders = Renamed Mounted Marauders
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Marauders make up the impetuous amongst the Gerudo population, those who crave the chance to bring bloodshed upon the foes of the Desert Colossus. Eager to get to the battlefield, the Marauders have taken to plundering nearby Ordona for their horses regardless of their condition or stock.
Special Abilities = Charge Without Orders
Crescent Reavers = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Where the Marauders of the Gerudo are merely young women who are barely trained for combat, but have money enough to have purchased a horse, the Crescent Reavers are dedicated warrior-women who train hard to learn how to properly handle their horses in melee. Where Marauders will use any horse they can find, the Reavers make use of war-horses plundered from the fertile fields of Hyrule and Ordona. They are savage riders, who carry two small javelins with them.
Special Abilities: None.
Outriders = Renamed Mounted Scouts
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Raised in foreign lands away from the Gerudo Desert, Outriders often serve as navigators for Gerudo armies marching into unfamiliar territory. They are fast on their feet, and proficient at both ranged and melee combat.
Special Abilities = Circle and Shoot
Desert Archers = Renamed Mounted Dune Archers
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
After years of honing their skills at the secret Gerudo training grounds, these mounted soldiers can fire and hit any foe from the back of a swift horse. There are no other foes that can match their speed and precision.
Special Abilities = Circle and Shoot
Tangu Skimmers = New Unit, Missile Cavalry
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
It is speculated by some that in the deepest parts of Gerudo history, that this unusual desert people were capable of magic at a level akin to that of the Hylians. Whether there is any grain of truth in that legend is debatable, but what is known is that there are some Gerudo capable of magic and that amongst the objects they enchant are the Tangu. Otherwise known to the rest of the world as “Flying Carpets”. The foolhardy and the insane take these enchanted objects into battle as their mounts, but those who do have proven to be an extremely swift force.
Special Abilities = Not sure.
Notes = I do know that this unit should be faster than any cavalry unit in the Gerudo force, but small in number and have a ranged unit riding the carpets. I wanted them to be the ultimate in irritating missile cavalry.
Cataphract = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
When the Gerudo found their way into assaulting the fertile plains held by the Kingdom of Hyrule, they discovered that the thunderous knights of that Grand Kingdom were capable of mowing down their forces. Almost unstoppable heavy cavalry which would tear through their own like a hot knife through butter. To counter-act this, the Cataphracts were designed. Scale mail strategically placed upon the Warhorse with the rider themselves clad head-to-toe in similar armour. Though far slower than most Gerudo cavalry, they are capable of packing a hefty punch against even the famed Knights of Hyrule.
Special Abilities: Warcry or Wedge Formation
Geldman = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Deep in the heart of the scorching Gerudo desert, lies a region that some scholars have dubbed the “Desert of Doubt”, a place where the beliefs of the traveller are put to the test. What is real, and what is not. Almost none who travel there return from that dreaded place, yet the only one who has and remained alive in living memory was Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. On his trip to that most dangerous place, to discover what is real and what is not, he discovered the denizens of those doubtful dunes. The Geldmen are monstrous Sand Men who claim Lordship over the Desert of Doubt, yet how Ganondorf came to control them, none have dared to ask. It is just one of those many mysteries of the Desert.
Special Abilities: Frighten Foot, Frighten Mounted
Scouts = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Raised in foreign lands away from the Gerudo Desert, Scouts often serve as navigators for Gerudo armies marching into unfamiliar territory. They are fast on their feet, and proficient at both ranged and melee combat.
Special Abilities = None
Dune Archers = Tweaked Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Raised out in the open plains of the desert, the Dune Archers have keen eyes and an almost unshakeable aim. Their almost unnatural range makes them terrific for pelting the enemy across a battlefield with countless arrows.
Special Abilities = Fire Arrows
Toxophilites = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Gerudo Toxophilites are amongst the absolute elite in the world of Archery, they are very few in number and rarely ever exceed a handful of women. However, with the Great Bows they have crafted and their unbelievable accuracy, they rarely miss. Many of the Toxophilites are among the older generation of the Gerudo population, grey-haired and somewhat haggard.
Special Abilities: None
Sand Witches = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
As with all religions there are those who channel the powers of the Gods and Goddesses, those who bring their divine powers to their people. In many realms these are called Priests or Priestesses, perhaps even Monks or Augurs, but the peoples of Hyrule have a different term for those who follow the Goddess of the Sands; Sand Witches.
Special Abilities = Druid Chant
Notes = Capable of slinging burning hot sand over a reasonable distance, I view it like a somewhat Area of Effect attack, that does not set the foe alight but merely causes damage and morale loss. If possible, I would have it affecting the units accuracy.
Phantom Guides = New Ranged Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The desert holds many secrets; ruins of long-dead cities, riches of fallen kings, and artefacts of great power. Most who travel the sand wastes grow lost in the regions terrible sandstorms, walking in circles and moving far from their course. For a price, a traveller in the past could have purchased the services of spectral guides to keep them on a safe path, but those days are over. The Phantom Guides now aid the Gerudo alone, keeping them on the correct path and using their frightening appearance to turn the tides of battle.
Special Abilities = Can Hide Anywhere, Frighten Foot, Frighten Mounted
Notes = A small unit which slings ethereal balls of energy at the foe, short range. Best used to ambush a foe with a few ranged attacks to strike fear into them, or to emerge from hiding and charge into the flank of a unit.
Battering Ram = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Gerudo have never, and will never be associated with being experts of siege warfare, they do not have an engineering mindset, and it does not truly fall within the jurisdiction of their battle tactics. At the most, the Gerudo have managed to perfect the Battering Ram. A strong, wooden structure capable of destroying the gates into an enemy fort, keep or city.
Special Abilities = Same As Before
Volvagian = Same As Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I'm afraid I cannot comment on this unit, as I am not 100% sure of Nephalim's desired appearance regarding it.
Special Abilities = Same As Before
Eyegore/Rocklops = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The sands of the desert uncover many ancient devices of great interest. On the orders of their King, the Gerudo began excavating many regions of the desert for long buried artefacts. Amongst the more potent discoveries, were the Eyegores of the Deserts of Mystery. Similar to the Beamos seen across the world, these ancient Eyegores could fire beams of energy at their foes but could move. However, time has taken its toll upon them, and their once indestructible armour has worn and ground away, leaving them vulnerable but tough.
Notes = Slow moving, tough, in a group of 3, can fight in melee.
I have mentioned in the past numerous times about TSU's, or Temple Specific Units, units that are gained by the control of a certain wonder on the Campaign map. This is to encourage the player to continue to wage war, because of the benefits of doing so. My aim was at some point to include units gained by destroying another, but I will save that for later. For now, here are my current ideas for the Gerudo Temple Units.
The Temples:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Fire Temple aka Temple of Fire, Goron Mines
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Flare Dancers (Version 1)
Residing deep within the heart of Death Mountain are the Flare Dancers, elemental creatures of fire, born from the intense heat of the volcano. Long have they been a bane of the Goron, who they fight mercilessly. Where the Goron see foes, the Gerudo see potential allies.
Flare Dancers (Version 2)
After having taken control of the Fire Temple from Goron hands, the Gerudo thieves plundered the treasures within, totally desecrating the Temple in the process. Among the treasures acquired were Goron Tunics, and blades that burst into flame. These now are worn to mock the Goron, yet also to bring the blessings of fire to the battlefield.
The idea being for both, of a melee unit which makes use of flaming melee attacks rather than the usual ranged ones (aka, Fire Arrows). The difference between them being that Version 1 would have the fire as permanent but also as a non-Gerudo species, which gives the Gerudo some variation. Version 2 would have the fire as a special ability, but maintain the collective unity of the Gerudo having an all warrior women force.
Water Temple aka Lakebed Temple, Ocean Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Corsair
The Gerudo people are not trapped merely within the desert realms, or to be found in only Hyrule, but beyond. On the coastlines, it has become clear that the Gerudo have taken to the high seas and taken to the “art” of Piracy. Over the years, they have grown more vicious and cunning, taken to plundering all sorts of weapons from their foes. Corsairs are often armed with pistols stolen from trading ships of the Labrynna Navy, and frequently they are armed with cutlasses. Many of the Corsairs have begun to re-establish links with their former homelands as they capture the waterways of Hyrule, bringing their unique take on war to bear.
The sorcerous powers of Ganondorf have caused many problems for the Hyrule region, many of which seem to be accidental by-products of grander feats of evil. One of these grander feats was the creation of Phantom Knuckles, spectral knights upon terrifyingly evil steeds. These were once used to corrupt the Forest Temple and lure its Sage into captivity.
This unit is based upon the Phantom Ganondorf boss from the Ocarina of Time, I view them as heavily armoured knights, perhaps with a limited number of sorcerous ranged attacks but I'm not sure.
The conquering of the Ice Temple finally freed some of its more notorious inhabitants from within its darkest, deepest reaches; The Freezards. These strange elemental beasts of ice are highly dangerous, and entirely untrustworthy. Though it is obvious that in time they will turn upon the Gerudo, for now the Ice-Monsters seem willing to help those who freed them, but for how long will they do so?
When I first thought of this unit, I forgot that the Ice Cavern is near the Zora place and not the Water Temple, so it might not be the most appropriate unit. My belief is that the unit would be Mini-Freezards with a Freezard as their captain.
Shadow Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Vire
Keese are known to inhabit most dark regions of the land, but little known the darkest depths also house a similar but more potent creature; the Vire. Monstrous flying beasts, these creatures dwell deep in the heart of the Shadow Temple, hiding in the many knooks and crannies. On Ganondorf's claiming of the Shadow Temple, he bound four-eyed beasts to his will.
Speculum Shields The concept of a Mirror Shield has long been mixed with the legends and history of the Spirit Temple. When the Gerudo managed to reclaim that most sacred part of their realm, they uncovered some of the secrets behind that mysterious shield. Producing replica's which are not so potent, but still strong, the elite amongst the Gerudo have armed themselves with these devices and dressed up in armour akin to the perceived view of their Goddess. They boost the morale of their armies by their presence, but whether or not their Mirror Shields truly work is not yet known.
Mirror Shields, it has always tied to Gerudo lore a lot. It was needed somewhere.
Earth Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Struggled with this one.
Wind Temple aka Fortress of Winds
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Struggled with this one.
Temple of Time aka Cathedral of Time, Temple of Light
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Desert Colossus With Ganondorf's control of the Temple of Time, a new beginning in the horror this man was capable of unleashing was shown to the world. Using his vast sorcerous powers and some of the uncovered powers held within the Temple of Time, Ganondorf travelled back to the Desert to bring to life a blasphemous horror. Using that power, Ganondorf breathed life into the great statue of the Goddess of the Sand, The Desert Colossus. Now, that gigantic statue fights side by side with the Gerudo, helping to lead their people to the fertile fields they strive to own, and beyond.
I was thinking that with the Gerudo finally coming to own the Temple of Time, they needed a fitting reward for their great endeavor. A gigantic sandstone statue of their goddess seemed most reasonable.
I will not go into specifics about the units I feel should be gained from defeating a foe entirely, but I do wish to elaborate upon the ideas involving other species. My thoughts were that if a faction has Rival factions they should -not- be able to gain a unit from defeating them utterly but instead have a unit whose concept and lore is designed to defeat a certain rival faction's units. This would make sense, as it is highly unlikely that the Gerudo would recruit Kokiri into their forces due to their inherently child-like nature. Conquering a faction entirely would suit for allowing a special unit of theirs as a reward for doing so, or at least only if they were Cordial with you to begin with.
You are all getting used to these posts by now, so I have no real need to explain my aims and purpose for a third time, not beyond telling you that this post is dedicated entirely to improving he faction known as the Gorons. I will admit that this post may not be my finest hour, as when it comes to these posts the Goron's are a difficult faction to work with.
What we know about the Goron, is that they are basically walking tanks and probably the most capable defensive faction of the entire list. They have rocky hides, are powerful warriors and strong-hearted morale. They are relatively slow as a faction, and when the game is capable, will be brilliant in defending against a siege. The Goron as a people believe strongly in the values of honourable combat, and in the pursuits of martial arts such as sumo wrestling and fist-fighting. If I was to write a summary of my perceived strengths of the mountain faction, it would be:
Tough armour and high health
Excellent morale
Me-lee combat specialists
Excel in defence and under siege
Excel at infantry combat
They also happen to have negatives, which would be best shown laid out in a similar fashion.
Small units which are easily outmanoeuvred and overwhelmed by most factions
Highly expensive units, even the most basic are
The majority of the force are slow moving, and incapable of rolling
Slow, rare cavalry
Poor at laying siege
Poor at ranged combat
Unlike the Gerudo whom I just worked upon, I do not need to further emphasise the ranged abilities of the Gorons, merely to establish some progression in their units. For the most part, the focus of the Goron forces needs to be on giving them a strong set of Infantry and Heavy Infantry. Improvements to Cavalry and Missile units can come from TSU's, showing a logical progression in the abilities of the Goron military as they expand and conquer. As with the other times, I shall be using the England Unit List (EUL from now on) as an example of a Medieval 2 Total War Faction Unit List.
England Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Peasants
Town Militia
Levy Spearmen
Spear Militia
Heavy Infantry
Armoured Sergeants
Armoured Swordsmen
Bill Militia
Billmen
Dismounted English Knights
Dismounted Feudal Knights
Heavy Bill Militia
Heavy Billmen
Light Cavalry
Demi Lancers
Hobilars
Mailed Knights
Merchant Cavalry Militia
Heavy Cavalry
English Knights
Feudal Knights
Early General's Bodyguard
Late General's Bodyguard
Knights Hospitaller
Knights Templar
Missile
Archer Militia
Arquebusiers
Long-bowmen
Mounted Long-bowmen (unused Vanilla Unit)
Peasant Archers
Retinue Long-bowmen
Sherwood Archers (via Woodsman’s Guild)
Yeoman Archers
Artillery
Ballista
Catapult
Ribault
Trebuchet
Bombard
Culverin
Mortar
As you can see, the EUL is a pretty extensive, and you can see the gradual improvements in the units purchasable as a player progresses his town onwards and upwards. The problem with the EUL, is that it is only partially relevant to the Goron Unit List in that it contains a large number of Infantry units, which are one of the great specialities of their forces. I believe that to fix this for the Goron list, I will need to re-arrange the unit guidelines laid down by the English Faction. First, I will fit the list of current Goron units into the EUL, and then re-arrange it into a more suitable list.
Current Goron Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Guardians
Berzerkers
Tribal Monks
[Missing]
Heavy Infantry
Ruby Guardians
Rams
Fire Warrior
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Light Cavalry
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Heavy Cavalry
Mounted Fire Warrior
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Missile
Bomb Throwers
Dodongos
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Artillery
Powder Keg Launcher
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
[Missing]
Much like the Kingdom of Hyrule list in the past, there are many gaps missing from the standard list, but much like the Kingdom of Hyrule it is perfectly suitable for the Custom Battle Mode. The list is going to need a lot of tweaking in order to better work in the Campaign Mode setting, so that the player will gain a true sense of progression and keep their interest vested in their campaign. I also believe that the Goron have an absolutely tiny unit list in comparison with other forces and as such, will need a variety of additions.
From the list I have added 3 Light Infantry unit (and renamed 1), 5 Heavy Infantry units (and renamed 2), 1 Light Cavalry unit, 1 Heavy Cavalry unit (and renamed 1), 2 Missile units, and 1 Artillery unit. I will readily admit that this one was tough to get ideas for, that is why most of the units are merely expanding previous units to have more than one incarnation (for example, the list now has weak-average-strong monk units to pick from). I do believe I have at least added some much needed progression, but I will readily admit that there is a long way to go, and others may have more or better ideas than I.
Unit Descriptions:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Guardians = Same as Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Many modern myths surround the sheltered lives of the Goron people, some say they only eat the priciest of jewels, whilst others say they have no women and pop out of holes in the ground as an adult. Of all the myths, the one which is a known fact is that the Goron are famed for the martial prowess that all of their people possess, the act of combat being viewed as a sport and encouraged to all the younglings. Often this combat is unarmed, and with the durability and power that they possess, they can deal great damage to those who pick a fight with them.
Special Abilities = Can roll
Berserker = Same as Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Some Gorons fall into the rage that they have long strived to control and master. These angry individuals roll into battle and plough through the enemy lines. They are hard to control, but few can fight more violently than these infamous members of Goron society.
Special Abilities = Can Run Amok
Tribal Monks = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Goron are a secretive race, who let very few people into their underground cities and befriend even fewer than that. This has led to much speculation amongst scholars of the other races about their culture, or to be more specific, their religion. It is clear that they have religious beliefs, but the facts about them are scant. The few tidbits of knowledge known is that their priests, or Monks as they are known, spend a great deal of time perfecting the art of war.
Special Abilities = None
Notes = This would be a lesser version of the original Tribal Monks. This one would be armed with a metal stave, and would be classed as a Spear-man unit despite not quite acting like one. They can roll, the only Monks capable. Unlike the rest of the Goron models, I view these as skinnier than the others. Same model as the current Tribal Monk, without the spade part of the Monk Spade.
Warrior Monks = Renamed Tribal Monks
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The study of war is a long one, and the Monks spend a great deal of their lives in the pursuit of how to wage it best. Quite often they are getting long in the stalactite, so to speak, when they begin nearing perfection. These Monks pass on their knowledge to the younger generations of Goron, maintaining their hard-worked wisdom and producing batches of Warrior-Monks.
Special Abilities = Same as Before
Notes = I believe the unit needs a more yellow texture, and maybe more of the armour that the concept art has.
Gor Elders = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
As the Gorons reach ripe old ages, they often begin to despair at the way the younger generations are acting, and give them a damn good talking down to, to set things right. At times, these elderly Gorons take to the battlefield, and begin yelling at the troops to tell them how to do things properly. Whether or not the Gorons enjoy being yelled at, it somehow has a beneficial effect upon their combat, but it is not known if this is purely to get the Elders to quieten down and have a snooze.
Special Abilities = Chant.
Notes = Old, decrepit Gorons. Horrendous at combat.
Torch Slugs = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
It is known to many that Death Mountain is not truly a Mountain, but a live volcano that houses the Goron capital city. What is not known by many, is that the lava within the mountain has life brewing within it as a lake does; amongst those creatures of lava, are the Torch Slugs. Torch Slugs are slow moving, easy to kill creatures which have the unusual property of constantly being on fire. They are extremely populous and breed quickly, causing the Gorons to snare them and use them for war. They may be slow, but they are in huge swarms which will eventually set ablaze their assailants. Or at least keep them occupied for their slow masters to flank them.
Special Abilities = All attacks are on fire.
Notes = Little attack power, little armour, little health, slow speed, absolutely gigantic swarm size.
Deep within the heart of Goron culture lies the art of combat, and at the heart of that, is Sumo Wrestling. The Goron excel at the sport, and a great deal of their free time is devoted to either watching it or participating. Many of the greatest Sumo Wrestlers gorge themselves on the strongest of rocks, to bulk up their frame and toughen their hides. These highly fattened Goron often go to war.
Special Abilities = Can Roll
Notes = Sumo Wrestlers are basically the strongest unit in a small set of units which are unarmed combatants. Guardian being the weakest, Berzerkers being the average, and Sumo Wrestlers being the strongest.
Sohei = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Sohei are those Monks who have progressed as far as they can in the art of war, whilst they often spend their time teaching the younger generations the deadly art, they do still go to war and practice those skills that they have learnt. Arming themselves with giant Naginta's, the Sohei are amongst the more feared units in the Goron arsenal.
Special Abilities = Unbreakable
Notes = Uses the pale texture from the current Tribal Monks, made to look more extravagant than the current model. Perhaps with more extensive and noticeable tattoo's across their bodies.
Gor Ancients = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
In Goron Culture, there are those known as Gor Elders, those who tell the young ones what is wrong with anything that they do. However, they are not the wisest or noisiest of the people, nor indeed the oldest. The Gor Ancients are incredibly old, and treat the Elders like they would a young one, but they are known to be as stubborn as rock and insist on going to war to show them how it is done. Often they are clad in the armour of their youth, and their croaky voices rattle over the heads of the Goron during battle. Unlike the elders, there is more of a measure of respect dealt to these old Gorons.
Special Abilities = Chants, keeps morale high for units around them.
Notes = Even more decrepit than the Gor Elders.
Bracelet Brothers = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Gorons have no true magic potential at all, yet somehow they have created objects which have a vaguely magical feel to them; amongst those are the Power Bracelets and Gauntlets. Often these objects are used by those in the mining communities, to help them clear gigantic boulders tossed aside by the mining process. The Miners have formed a union known as the Bracelet Brotherhood, in order to defend their mines from the monsters that dwell within the heart of the earth.
Special Abilities = Have one boulder to throw at the enemy, counts as a catapult missile but only has a short range.
Notes = I feel they would be quite dirty looking Gorons, covered in the grime of the mining process but with Power Bracelets and Gauntlets being their only “weapons”.
Watchers of the Goron Sacred Stone, the Ruby Guardians are walking walls of death. Armed with a massive shield, a deadly megaton hammer, and a will of unbreakable stone, these Gorons are unmatched in defence.
Special Abilities: Same as Before.
Rams = Same as Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Suited up in durable suits of Goron forged armour, the Goron Rams are walking hulks of destruction. More than a match for anything smaller than itself, these large beasts are strong enough to punch holes into the stone fortifications of their foes.
Special Abilities = Same as Before
Wanderers/Dismounted Wanderers = New Units
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Though the Gorons are generally not the most expansionist of peoples, sometimes the wanderlust strikes into their people, causing them to leave the safety of their volcanic home and seek out the world beyond. Their laid back attitude often causes these Goron to befriend those of the other races, and frequently this enables them to become traders. They do not, however, forget their roots and often maintain their honourable martial conduct in the realms beyond, often adapting what they learn and gather from those places.
Special Abilities (Wanderers) = None
Special Abilities (Dismounted Wanderers) = None
Notes = These are based upon the travelling Goron we see in recent years, such as the ones in Wind Waker or in Twilight Princess. My vision of the Wanderers are that they are Gorons who are equipped in exotic weaponry and armour, and are excellent fighters. I see the mounted ones riding on Helmasaurs.
Patriarchs = Renamed Mounted Fire Warriors
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Taming the Dodongo's of Death Mountain is not an easy achievement, but if anyone can do it, it is the Patriarchs. These mounted counterparts to their Infantry brothers charge into battle and plough through enemy ranks.
Special Abilities: Wedge Formation
Notes = To make the Patriarchs/Fire Warriors differ more from the Ruby Guardians who look very similar, I believe they need to be re textured so that their skin is more yellow and their armour more grey. I also believe they need a new weapon, either a Goron blade or a mace rather than a giant Hammer.
Dismounted Patriarchs = Renamed Fire Warriors
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Tempered by the Lava of Death Mountain, these Goron elites have trained rigorously in the inhospitable environment of their homeland's crater. Donned in a full suit of armour and armed with bone-crushing weaponry, the Patriarchs long to bring the wrath of Death Mountain upon their foes.
Special Abilities: Same as before
Dongorongo = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Deep within the Dodongo Caverns, there is a sub-species which has evolved to deal with the more extreme heats that lie beneath the shell of the Volcano itself. These gigantic Dongorongo's have a shell of basalt with pure metals embedded into the core of it, but this protection has come at the cost of their flame glands. Though incapable of spitting flames, the Dongorongo's are mounted by Goron's in a howdah.
Prior to the discovery of how to properly cultivate the Bomb Flowers of Death Mountain, the armies of the Goron made use of Slings to pelt their enemy before they came into range for me-lee In settlements beyond Death Mountain, these Slingers are still employed to keep the towns safe, at least until the Bomb Flowers begin to grow properly.
Special Abilities = None
Bomb Throwers = Same as Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The infamous Bomb Flowers native to Death Mountain have long been cultivated by the Goron. During times of war they use these explosive flora as ranged weapons. Very few enemies can survive the detonation of a Bomb Throwers bomb.
Special Abilities: Same as before.
Dodongos = Same as Before
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Ever since the Gorons settled in Death Mountain, they have been at odds with the Dodongo's of Dodongo Cavern, usually because of the rocky peoples need to mine within their caverns for their food. The two often clashed with one another, until war started brewing in the lands nearby. With the risk of conquest coming at them, the two ancient foes made an uneasy pact to fight side by side.
Special Abilities = Same as before
Kodongos = New Unit
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Dodongo's are the lowest caste of the reptilians that live beneath Death Mountain, with the ones above them being the Kodongo's. Though they have a vague similarity, the Kodongo's are larger, more vicious, and spew more deadly balls of fire. And fortunately for the Goron's, they launch those balls of fire against their foes.
Death Mountain has a relatively unique ecosystem compared to much of the world, with it being entirely centred around lava and rock instead of water and soil. One of the largest creatures to dwell within the unusual food chain, is the Heatoise. They resemble huge Tortoises with a granite shell and lava underneath. Using their proficiency, the Gorons have snared these giant creatures and turned them into weapons of war. Heatoises now arch their necks and spew molten lava high into the sky, bombarding castle walls and buildings with the unbearable heat of the volcano.
I have mentioned in the past numerous times about TSU's, or Temple Specific Units, units that are gained by the control of a certain wonder on the Campaign map. This is to encourage the player to continue to wage war, because of the benefits of doing so. My aim was at some point to include units gained by destroying another, but I will save that for later. For now, here are my current ideas for the Goron Temple Units.
The Temples:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Fire Temple aka Temple of Fire, Goron Mines
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Crimsonine Dragon Slayers
Goron history has shown their capabilities with dealing with the threats to them and their homes, the most notable of examples of this are when the dragon Volvagia awoke within the bowels of Death Mountain. A hero of the Gorons travelled down into the Volcano and finished off the dragon with a Megaton Hammer, inspiring a generation of dragon slayers in the process. In the generations afterwards, Gorons have begun leaving their mountain homes and seeking out the Dragons of the world, hoping to gain honour and glory through cutting them down.
Though I know of UndyingNephalim's disdain for most things cell-shaded when it comes to Zelda, the Phantom Hourglass game mentioned three pure metals; Crimsonine, Azurine and Aquanine, with regards to the way the Goron's live, I feel they are perfect metals to base units upon for the TSU's. My view of the Dragon Slayers, would be them armoured in pure Crimsonine armour (I expect it would almost look like armour made of carved ruby), possibly with decorations of the dragons they have slain upon their equipment. And of course, armed with Megaton Hammers, to emulate their hero.
Water Temple aka Lakebed Temple, Ocean Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Geozards
It is well known that the Gorons and Zora have been at odds for many years, since the first time the Zora attempted to claim Death Mountain for their growing empire. In order to try to conquer the Zora the Gorons struck a deal with the insidious Geozards of Zora's River, causing the fish-men to join their cause in exchange for a portion of the Zora realm as their own. Armed with Tridents, these aquatic men revel in the death they bring to their cousins and foes beyond.
All factions have a dark side somewhere, which is always revealed in a war. For the Gorons, this is theirs, allying with a known foe of most races for mutual gain.
As the Gorons rolled their way across the Deku Forest and Kokiri lands, they uncovered the hidden and mysterious Forest Temple. Within the heart of the ancient ruins, the Gorons made a discovery which showed just how closely tied the various lands of Hyrule truly are; the Bomblings. These insects seemed to be related to the Bomb Flowers of the Goron's homeland, capable of spewing small bombs at their foes and if necessary, blowing themselves up to take out a threat. These creatures are now treated as pets by many Gorons, but their uses have seen them incorporated into their military.
I did say that as the Goron's conquered more of the Temples, that their unit list would gain more Cavalry and Missile units. I imagine these Bomblings falling into both categories, being liken to horse archers. I imagine them being the swiftest unit of the Gorons, but not quite as fast as a Horse. I also imagine they would be somewhat weak in durability.
The march of the Gorons to the icy mountains that surround the Ice Temple caused an unexpected revelation to occur, that there were more Gorons in this world than those in Death Mountain. A similar faction of Gorons were in that ice realm, but whom had been pestered for years by the incessant Yooks and Yeti's. The Gorons aided them in their conflict, and in return, these Ice Goron's offered their support to the Goron nation. Now, armed in Azurine armour and wielding huge Javelins, they support the Goron army from afar.
I imagine these clad similarly to the Crimsonine Dragon Slayers, or at least, the armour having a similar appearance but this time taking on a more blue hue. They would not be quite as well armoured as them, however.
Shadow Temple
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Dark Ore Miners
Deep in the bowels of the earth are ores and jewels of great value and rarity. Amongst those, is a metal known as “Dark Ore”, which seems to only be found beneath places were Shadow magic has been heavily employed in the past. The Gorons have taken to mining this exotic metal but the methods are fraught with great danger, as Dark Ore seems to cause Shadowy creatures to defend its seams, and the Miners are constantly having to wage war those.
Not sure on their appearance, but my view of Dark Ore Miners is that they would look dark and grimy compared to most Gorons. Possibly wielding a Pick Axe. I view them as very tough units, but likely slower than most. Possibly not with great morale, due to being used to fighting in the dark confines of a mine instead of on the open plains of Hyrule.
Swords are a rare creation of the Goron who often favour heavy and blunt weapons which resemble their usual methods of fighting, yet not all are capable of following that path. Not all Gorons are huge, nor fat, there are some who are as slender as a twig and yet still have strength. Though often looked down upon for being incapable of participating in cultural events such as Sum Wrestling, these Gorons have taken to learning the arts of swordsmanship from those in lands surrounding them. Often, they take to armouring themselves in scale armour made of Aquanine, giving them an appearance of Jade Warriors.
Not the best description, but ah well. The Gorons are not all big and fat, Twilight Princess showed us that with a few choice characters who were more slender, thus, this unit is a nod to those. I view these as being one of the faster units of the Gorons, at least in combat, but less durable as a whole.
Wind Temple aka Fortress of Winds
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Rito Windwakers
Though in physical appearance the Rito and Gorons could not be more different, they have come to a common understanding culturally due to both living on a Volcano and sharing their beliefs and views associated with it. So, when the Gorons managed to acquire the Wind Temple, the Rito sent Windwakers to aid their friends in controlling that most hard-to-grasp of Temples.
I know the Rito evolved from the Zora, but I felt that with both races having access to a volcanic mountain that they would be suitable allies, even if purely for one TSU. I view them as the only mage-like unit that the Gorons can possess, ones who use windpipes to get dangerous winds to hurl into their foes. Slowing their movement if possible, but if not, doing damage or morale damage.
Temple of Time aka Cathedral of Time, Temple of Light
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Struggled to think of any ideas.
I will not go into specifics about the units I feel should be gained from defeating a foe entirely, but I do wish to elaborate upon the ideas involving other species. My thoughts were that if a faction has Rival factions they should -not- be able to gain a unit from defeating them utterly but instead have a unit whose concept and lore is designed to defeat a certain rival faction's units. This would make sense, as it is highly unlikely that the Goron would recruit Moblins into their forces due to their inherently evil nature. Conquering a faction entirely would suit for allowing a special unit of theirs as a reward for doing so, or at least only if they were Cordial with you to begin with.
Due to UndyingNephalim's speed at making models and my own delayed writing, I have decided to jump ahead of the “finished” factions and focus instead upon two factions that I am deeply fond of -before- they are started. This is in the hope that my ideas will be given serious thought, and hopefully be implemented, especially at this stage where it will be easier for Neph to do so. The two factions which I am fond of, are the Fairies of Tarm (some may have seen my unit list in the past for them) and the Forces of Twilight, and people may remember that I fought quite hard to get them implemented. Due to the Fairies being next after Lizalfos and Labyrnna, I feel they would be the better of the two to start with.
Due to the fact that the Fairies of Tarm have not been included in the mod as of yet, and that we only have a list of units and a short piece of lore behind the faction's actions, we are pretty much given free reign to prod about the unit list. Which frankly, suits me just fine. Below, I shall write a list of my perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Fairy faction, before attempting to write my own list.
Behind Wizzrobes, they are the strongest magic user in the game, giving them a strong basis in magic.
Fast moving army
Free Upkeep on units, and many units are very cheap to field.
Massive forces.
They also happen to have negatives, which would be best shown laid out in a similar fashion.
Not heavily armoured, and low health
Low morale in small fairy units
Lack Durability
Rubbish at siege warfare
My vision of the Fairies of Tarm is that the greater whole of their forces are huge units of small fairies, surrounding larger creatures, fairies and monsters which are allying with the Fairies. I view their race as quick moving, powerful from afar but easily cut down in melee. Due to the fact that we do not really have much of a unit list to work from, I shall spare everyone from having to look at the EUL, and instead jump straight into showing the current units laid out by Neph's unit list so far, and after that I shall detail my own suggestions for a unit list.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Tarminian Worshippers
- Pink Faries
- Green Fairies
- Violet Fairies
- Humanoid Manifest
- Giant Manifest
- Great Faries
- Phantoms of Tarm
- Tarm
- Navi
- Dezaia
Though it is not immediately apparent what the roles these units would have are, you can get some idea of the direction that Neph is going with them. The Fairies are accompanied by worshippers from Tarm who help bolster their forces and likely are “cannon fodder”, amongst these are the normal Pink/Green/Violet fairies which are the main bulk of the army and with those are the larger units such as the Giant Manifest which I can only assume is a Giant or Gigantic Fairy. It sort of flows along with my own ideas regarding the faction, which is good as I want my force to be in line with Neph's vision but be my own as well.
Instead of fitting those listed units into categories of which I cannot be sure, I am instead going to bypass my using section titled “Current [Insert Faction] Unit List” and jump to my own.
My Fairies of Tarm Unit List:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Light Infantry
Worshippers (Tarminian)
Spryte Darters (Tiny Fairy)
Will-'o'-The Wisps (Tiny Fairy)
Cloudscrapers (Tarminian)
Heavy Infantry
Sundancers (Tarminian)
Nymphs (Humanoid Fairy)
Banshees (Humanoid Fairy)
Faeids (Half-Fairy)
Korrigan (Humanoid Fairy)
Glaistig (Humanoid Fairy)
Light Cavalry
Fairies of the Gales (Hidden Fairy)
Moonchasers (Tarminian)
Heavy Cavalry
Veela (Large Fairy)
Golems of Tarm (Golem)
Eastern Jade Giants (Golem)
Missile
Pixies (Tiny Fairy)
Slyphs (Humanoid Fairy)
Fairy Queens (Large Fairy)
Artillery
Starcallers (Tarminian)
Heroes
Queen of Fairies (Fairy)
From the list I have added 3 Light Infantry unit (and renamed 1), 5 Heavy Infantry units (and renamed 2), 1 Light Cavalry unit, 1 Heavy Cavalry unit (and renamed 1), 2 Missile units, and 1 Artillery unit. I will readily admit that this one was tough to get ideas for, that is why most of the units are merely expanding previous units to have more than one incarnation (for example, the list now has weak-average-strong monk units to pick from). I do believe I have at least added some much needed progression, but I will readily admit that there is a long way to go, and others may have more or better ideas than I.
Unit Descriptions:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Worshippers(Tarminian)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
When Tarm fell from the sky, the impact was hailed as a sign from the Goddesses by the native and somewhat primitive peoples of the north-eastern lands of Hyrule, causing many of them to travel to the impact site and bare witness to their divine message. Instead, they came across ruins of great splendour and a race of tiny beings of beauty which inhabited them, gazing upon them with wonder. The fairies on the other hand, took to moving through the congregated people, healing any ailments that they could find. Wonder soon turned to worship, and the primitives took to settling the lands around the Ruins and treating them as sacred ground. Even to this day, there are many Tarminians who worship the Fairies.
Special Abilities = None Notes
These are essentially primitive Humans/Hylians who are basically the Hyrule Total War equivalent of Peasants. A Throw-away unit there primarily to use to carry siege weapons or for other less than savoury jobs.
Spryte Darters (Tiny Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The majority of the Fairy population takes the form of what appears to be tiny lights with wings attached, when in truth they take the appearance of attractive but absolutely tiny woman akin to a Hylian. These tiny women happen to travel at incredible speeds, and are known for their incessant pestering in battle and as a companion. Of all the fairy subspecies treated poorly, these were the most common amongst them, often caged inside bottles for instant wound recovery by larger "friends". Since returning to Tarm, these Sprytes have rallied against their oppressors and now flutter ready to combat them at any and all chances.
Special Abilities = None Notes
Fast moving
Huge unit size
Weak Melee Attacks
Low health but difficult to hit
Will-'o'-The-Wisps (Tiny Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
In the lands surrounding Death Mountain and the other volcanic regions of Hyrule, a subspecies of Fairy settled and adapted to the heated conditions in which they had chosen as their home. The potent Fairies adapted their magic to take on the spark of fire and gleefully reigned in their secret Fountains of Power. Even these mountain homes brought misery to the lesser species of Fairy, often from the accidental bombing of their fountain homes by clumsy Goron farming techniques.
Special Abilities= None Notes
Capable of firing a small number of flames at the enemy over a small distance. Comparable to javelins. 4-5 launches of fire, I expect.
Cloudscrapers (Tarminian)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The people of Tarm have grown to adapt their religion to feature heavily in the Sun, Moon, Sky and anything that travels up on high. This is due to the Ruins of Tarm seemingly dropping from the sky, and the winged nature of the Fairies they worship so fiercely. When it comes to war, the Tarminian's have grown to adopt names which are reminiscent of those places they have deified, and amongst those are the Cloudscrapers. These Tarminians are equipped with huge pikes which “scrape the clouds”, and carry hide shields, although they are only lightly armoured these Cloudscrapers are regimented unlike most of the Tarminian forces; an adaptation to foreign threats.
Special Abilities = Shield Wall Notes
Basically a Hoplite Regiment, but not too tough. I suppose if this was Roman Total War, their equivalent would be Militia Hoplites.
Sundancers(Tarminian)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Chief of the celestial objects that are worshipped by the Tarminians is the Fiery Orb in the sky known as the Sun. Much time has been devoted to this life-giving orb, songs of worship and dances of praise, one of these being a war-dance. The Sundancers practice their dances both with and without weaponry, their motions easily translating from worship to conflict with the littlest of adaptations necessary. Often these are armed with two weapons, and are covered from head to toe in heavy tattooing.
Special Abilities = Warcry Notes
This is the spiritual successor unit to the Worshippers, and is another unit of Tarminians rather than Fairies.
These are barely armoured at all
Fight with two weapons and are pretty deadly once they actually reach combat.
Nymphs(Humanoid Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Despite their name suggesting otherwise, the Nymphs are a force of Great Fairies that have equipped themselves ready for the wars that are slaying their cousins. Unlike most, these Fairies have long since realised that they cannot hope to survive without learning how to fight against their foes in melee combat. These warrior Fairies are armoured and carry axes to battle, yet they have sacrificed much of their magical talents in order to pursue their martial skills.
Special Abilities= None Notes
Fast unit
Spiritual successor to the Spryte Darters but with much smaller units
Good morale
Good all round unit that'll be core to Fairy forces.
Banshees (Humanoid Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Not all lands held Fairies in any sort of regard that was positive, those who settled in the south near to the lands of Moblins became known for their presence at the sites of death. This was mostly due to Fairies having a complete disdain for those who would kill and ravage a land purely for something to do. Instead of healing the sick these large Fairies would mask their ethereal beauty and stalk those who would bring suffering to others, leaving their corpses on display to attempt to teach others a lesson. Often these victims would be incapacitated by the unnatural screams which would pass their lips.
Special Abilities = Chant Notes
If I was to class these as any unit in any Total War game, they would be reminiscent of Hastati or Principes. My view is that these are not regimented, but scattered like the smaller fairies, but act similar to those two units I mentioned.
Prior to combat, they use a magical scream to strike their foes before melee combat is initiated. The scream would essentially be like the javelins that Hastati use.
Good morale, but perhaps would not be too fast moving due to their disguises.
Faeids (Half-Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
There are many tales of the origins of the Faeids of Tarm; some say that they are the descendants of marriages between Great Fairies and Tarm tribal leaders, others say that they are daughters offered to the Fairies for a sacrifice who instead were granted a metamorphosis by the Fairies into something resembling them. Whatever their history, the Faeids now ready themselves for war with Pikes, armour and shields.
Special Abilities = Shield Wall Notes
Spiritual successor to the Cloudscrapers, acts as a Hoplite unit.
I imagine them as very beautiful Humans, rather than Fairies. Whether or not you want half-grown wings on them is entirely up to you.
Korrigan(Humanoid Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Korrigan are Great Fairies liken to the Sylph who stand at the height of a Human, but are affected deeply by the great tragedies of the mistreatment of their kind. Mistreatment, war and worse have come to these once beautiful Fairy women, having suffered and survived some of the more horrific things that they can bring. They have witnessed the desecration of their sacred Fountains, their wings have been rendered useless or pulled off entirely, and now bay for the blood of the mortals responsible. Once helpful, these women are now temptresses of their enemies demise, masking their ruined beauty with illusions.
Special Abilities = Fear inducing Notes
The most powerful of the standard units of Fairy kind, though obviously weaker than the specialist units such as Fairy Queens.
Very high morale.
Heavily armoured, armed with 2-handed blades. Their appearance should be midway between shocking and alluring.
Formed in ranks
Glaistig(Humanoid Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Along the great rivers of Hyrule there were Fairies known as Glaistig who ruled beneath the water or upon the banks. Often dressed in emerald and with flowing orange hair, these unusual fairies had an uncommon bond with the water, able to make it bend to their will. Like water, they could be both soothing and violent, and often did they take the more vicious approach to tainters of the water. With war brewing, many have left their watery homes and have equipped themselves for the coming war.
Special Abilities = Unknown Notes
I believe the Glaistig would be armoured in cast-offs of the Zora and Lanaryu factions gear.
They would have a ranged attack which would in effect, be whipping their foe with a stream of water. 3-4 uses.
I imagine them armed with weapons of the Zora or Lanaryu factions for melee fighting. My view is of them as a Principes equivalent.
Fairies of the Gales (Hidden Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The smaller subspecies of Fairy have ended up embedded in numerous containers over the years, yet few are as unusual as the container kept for the Faery of Gales. These Fairies have chosen to become embedded into the heart of a Boomerang, usually with the intended purpose of aiding a hero in their fight against darkness, but alas now being used in war against the mortals who threaten their kind. The metallic boomerangs become dangerous weapons in their tiny hands.
Special Abilities = None Notes
Despite looking like Boomerangs, these are melee units. They do not hit strongly, but are rapid attackers.
Fastest unit of this unit list, perfect for charging into a foe and immediately leaving to cause maximum damage at least cost.
High Armour, little health.
Strong Morale.
Moonchasers (Tarminian)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Across the many Human and Hylian realms there seems to be a constant with them when it comes to warfare, one which repeats itself in each territory though is often used in different manners, the use of the Horse. Near to the ruins of Tarm were huge fields of grass where herds of wild Horses roam free, yet when the ruins first landed there were some Horses that were near to the crash site and were changed forever by it. As the fairies emerged into the new world their city had crashed into, Horses with a somewhat supernatural appearance appeared alongside them. These were swift on their feet, but hugely temperamental, and over the years the Tarminian's have slowly tamed them as mounts for combat.
Special Abilities = No idea Notes
It's a poor description, I know, but my view of the Moonchasers are of them being a javelin throwing cavalry unit.
Fast moving
Low armour
Veela (Large Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Veela are Great Fairies who took to the skies and travelled far and wide upon the wind currents, often setting up home within the hearts of Storm Clouds. Similar to the Will-O'-The-Wisps, these Fairies adapted to their chosen home and adjusted their magic to suit the lightning infested home. Of all the subspecies of Fairy, the Veela have been least affected by mortal hands, though they have taken considerable lengths to attempt to halt Labrynna's technology from polluting the skies.
Special Abilities = None Notes
Very swift unit, can move and shoot.
Weak Melee attacks.
Medium ranged lightning.
Low armour.
Golems of Tarm (Golem)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The ruins of Tarm are home to many artefacts and treasures of the rare and powerful qualities, often ones which are sought after by adventurers and thieves alike. In order to protect their treasures from the outside world, the Queen of Fairies began turning the rubble of the City into Golems who would patrol the ruined streets for intruders. With war coming, these Golems now have taken to the battlefield.
Special Abilities = Unknown Notes
Small Unit Size
High Health
High Armour
Slow attacks and movement
A tank unit of sorts, draws in the enemy to surround them and attempt to take them down. Thus allowing the smaller, swifter units to sweep into their sides and attempt to rout the enemy.
Eastern Jade Giants (Golem)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Jade Mountains reside far to the East in the uncharted lands beyond Tarm and Labrynna, uncharted at least to the mortal races of the world. The Fairies of Tarm did not only spread to the west when they landed, but also the east, and it is there that the Fairies discovered the unusual properties of the mountains there. They hew the Jade from the mountains, carving out the faces of Giants into the mountain walls and sparking life into their stone hearts. As the Fairies have rallied to defend themselves and ready for war, these Jade Giants have been making their ponderous journey to the west to aid their creators in battle.
Special Abilities = Unknown Notes
3-5 men in a unit
Obviously very tough units, and very powerful. I am thinking they are probably the most expensive unit in the list.
Slow moving
My design for them would be having them being somewhat alien but with a humanoid appearance. I would see them made of jade, but with celtic symbols carved into their bodies.
Pixies (Tiny Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The Fairies that remained behind in the Ruins of Tarm are amongst the more potent of this magical and strange species. Though they possess the tiny appearance shared by Spryte Darters and Will-O'-The-Wisps, their power is of a greater magnitude. However, unlike their cousins they are not accustomed to the rigours of war and evil and as such can be a liability in combat. Yet their talents lie in bolstering their allies potential, and pelting the enemy from afar with arcane spellcraft.
Special Abilities = Chant Notes
Massive unit size
Fast moving
Low morale
Long ranged magical missiles but low accuracy
Low health but difficult to hit
Slyphs (Humanoid Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
The tiny Fairies which appear as balls of light are not the only subspecies of Fairy, there are others of a much grander height who are far less common than their smaller cousins. These tend to stand just slightly smaller than that of the typical Hylian or Human woman, and have the appearance of teenage girls wearing little clothing upon their forms. Once upon a time, they would gift their heroic visitors with a Bow imbued with their magic, but now they use those arms against those who were once considered friends.
Special Abilities = Fire/Ice/Light arrows as a special ability, whichever you prefer Notes
Weak Melee Attack
Low Armour and Health
Based upon my concept of a Fairy Warrior but without the spear and less armour. Instead I could imagine them bearing war paint upon their torso's and arms.
Fairy Queens (Large Fairy)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Rarer than the Great Fairies are the Fairy Queens, who essentially rule over their shorter and less powerful cousins. Usually only one of these Queens will reside in a Fountain, surrounded by those who serve her every need. However in these times of great uncertainty, these Queens have had to abandon their Fountains and join with their sisters in order to combat the threats that lay ahead. Their strength lays not only with their vast skills of magic, but also that of melee as well.
Special Abilities = Unsure Notes
Tiny units, probably 3-5 in a unit.
Exceptionally powerful ranged attacks, probably better to class them as siege attacks.
Capable in melee.
High health, morale and "armour".
Starcallers (Tarminian)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Tarm was an advanced city before it crashed into the lands that make up the world of Hyrule, although its technology was based purely upon magical means. Amongst the ruins were discovered the “Starcallers”, ancient devices made of mirrors which reflected and condensed star-light into a beam of energy to sweep across enemy forces. The Fairies rarely go near them, but the Tarminians have taken to using these ancient weapons of war.
Special Abilities = None Notes
I suppose you could think of this like a somewhat alien Beamos on wheels.
Would only have 2 machines in the unit.
Queen of Fairies
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Despite her diminutive size and childlike nature, the Queen of Fairies is without a shadow of a doubt the single most powerful Fairy of known existence. She holds her court within the Ruins of Tarm, and surrounds herself with what can only be described as puppet versions of the Fairy Queens she rules under. It is highly rare that she comes to the field of battle, but when she does there are few survivors.
Special Abilities = No idea Notes
Based upon the visual image of the Queen of Fairies from The Wind Waker, and the fact that she carries a doll of a Great Fairy. I love the thought of her child-like nature causing her to make these dolls or puppets in order to aid her. I expect the puppets would take the appearance of Wind Waker's Great Fairies.
Powerful spells with long range, no doubt.
Weak in melee.
Although normally at this point I would then reel off a list of Temple Specific units, I am going to leave these out and work upon ideas for them at a later date, and instead discuss quickly as to how to incorporate these units for campaign purposes. Neph has said before about how the Fairies can recuperate losses quickly due to many of their units being almost like mercenaries. So I will quickly lay out which units can be gained and how:
Units that are free and treated like Mercenaries = Spryte Darters, Will-'o'-the-Wisps, and Pixies
Most Tarminian Units would be able to be gained early on in the campaign, would be cheap and take probably 2 turns to build.
The Humanoid and Half-Fairy units would be gain-able after upgrading the religious building to a certain level, thus crippling development of stronger forces for the Fairies until later in the game. This would make them rely upon the free units more.
Huge Fairies can only be produced in lands which have a Fountain or Temple in them.
Golem units are built near end-game.
All units except Tarminians and the free ones, would be expensive to build and maintain.
Well, there you have it. My next faction will be the Twili.
PaulH's Unit List Compilation
