Faction - Stalfos

[UndyingNephalim]

Stalfos

Main Color: Silver
Religion: No Deity Worship
Culture: Unnatural
Rival Factions: All
Cordial Factions: None

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities:
- Mindless Undead: Most Stalfos soldiers are little more then mindless automatons and as such are immune to fear, pain, and tiring.
- Unwilling Recruits: The Stalfos have a chance to gain more soldiers from those they slay in a campaign battle.
- Skeletal Menace: Stalfos are little more then bones held together by twisted magic, as such they are extremely frail and can be destroyed easily.
- Ultimate Recyclers: Stalfos are able to use any structure of any empire in the campaign and raise the dead of those races.

How to make them appear in the Campaign: The Stalfos will almost always spawn armies in a Long Campaign after several decades have passed.

The fear of death is shared among all mortal beings, and those that are fearful enough have in the past become entangled in many dark and unnatural means of preserving their lives. The Stalfos, also the ancient Hylian word for "Of Bones" are remnants of these long lost endeavors to achieve long lasting life. Little more then animated skeletons, Stalfos are completely mindless and without guidance will simply rot as any dead being would. In recent times however, the Stalfos has slowly been assembling into an army under the guidance of unseen masters. The Kingdom of Hyrule and many other races have done their best to utterly destroy all remnants of these undead, yet periodically they show up time and again. The fear of an all out Stalfos army looms in the hearts of many, and without a doubt that fear is becoming more true every day. The dead corpses and remnants of the long deceased are rising from their graves all the more and gathering in all the hidden corners of Hyrule. Being an army of mindless drones, the Stalfos have the advantage of being completely immune to all psychological effects such as fear. It is impossible for a Staflos army to flee, and they will fight until every bone in their carcases are smashed beyond repair. Despite this huge advantage, the Stalfos lack muscles and their only means of movement is artificial: Stalfos move slowly and awkwardly and are relatively easy to destroy with a well placed hammer to the rib cage. Even though they may be frail in combat, most people would only dare to stand against the march of a Stalfos army coming to collect the corpses of the dead.

Stalfos Unit Roster

Standard Units
Stalhound
Stalkin
Stalfos Eurdi (Hylian)
Stalfos Gerudo
Stalfos Zarko (Zora )
Fallen Skull Kids (Kokiri)
Stalfos Lizal (Lizalfos)
Parutamu (Moblin )
Scythe Lord
ReDeads

Defensive Emplacements
None

Siege Weaponry
None

Command Units
Dead Hands
Grand Reaper

Agents
Death Priest

Heroes/Bosses:
Lord Akazoo
Stallord
General Onox
Death Sword

Special/Other Units:
Wallmaster/Floormaster



Stalfos Eurdi (Stalfos Knights)



At one time generations past they were Knights that fought for the Hylian crown and country. Whether they were tempted by everlasting life, wished to strike back at the crown, or simply had their graves violated after a natural death, these skeleton automations are all that is left of these once proud soldiers. Armed with rusted swords, shields, and whatever armor they happened to have on at death, these new warriors of the walking dead now serve as the baseline unit in any Stalfos army, slaying the living for their unseen and unknown masters to convert into more soldiers.

Stalfos Gerudo



While it is tradition for Gerudo to burn their dead to ashes, during the grand executions of the Arbiter Grounds thousands of Gerudo corpses of criminals and fallen warriors were left to sink into the sands of the complex. Now rediscovered by the unseen masters of the undead, these animated shells of once proud Gerudo women march across the desert with the goal of slaying their living sisters to add their corpses to the army.

Stalfos Zarko (Zora Stalfos)




Submerged under the depths of Hyrule's waterways lay countless graves of long dead Zora, countless corpses for the Stalfos to raise and field into their ranks. While they no longer lack the grace of physique that they had in life, the undead Zora nonetheless are a deadly menace in combat. They haunt the waterways of Hyrule in search of more victims to collect for the grand Stalfos army, but are more then capable of marching to wherever their masters please. Armed with Zora armor that has stood the test of time, these mockeries of the beautiful Zora discard their elegance in exchange for unnatural durability.

Stalkin



The Stalfos are indifferent to the living: anything capable of being slain and added to their armies is a target. Violating the graves of children, the Stalkin, also known as Stalchilds, are the animated corpses of Gerudo, Hylians, and other races that never survived into adulthood. While smaller then their adult counterparts, their size make no difference as their unnatural strength is as potent as any animated skeleton. It's already trouble facing the corpses of long dead soldiers in battle, it's even more of a terror to face dozens of skeletal children in a melee.

Fallen Skull Kids



The remnants of undead Kokiri, Fallen Skull Kids have lost their will to the necromancers that rule the Stalfos armies. Swarms of these abominations can chop up a larger force with their tainted Kokiri Swords.

Stalfos Lizal



Once vicious members of the Lizalfos, these fallen reptiles have now added their corpses to the ranks of the undead. While they may not retain the speed of their living counterparts, the undead Lizalfos are nonetheless superior combatants that know nothing of fear.

Stalhound



In ancient times when the art of artificial immortality was in its infancy animals were the first subjects to be tested before applied to people. While not as capable as humanoid skeletons when it comes to grasping weaponry, several beasts make fine additions to any undead army, in particular the canine wildlife of Hyrule. While clumsy compared to their living counterparts, these hounds nonetheless are just as lethal if they manage to pounce at the throat of their intended target.

Parutamu (Moblin Stalfos)



Moblins were among the first to willingly subject themselves to experiments in the realm of the undead. Now immortalized as bloodthirsty skeletons, these remnants of their barbaric race do nothing but rampage in the direction they face, slaughtering anything they come across that might serve as a potential recruit for the army of the undead.

Scythe Lords



The mysterious leaders of the Stalfos forces, it is unknown where these beings originated from. Looming over most other races, it seems that they retained their memories and their will after becoming undead, rather then simply reverting to mindless drones that most Stalfos suffer the fate of. In battle they tower over their enemies, flinging fireballs from their scythes and reaping down enemies that dare to come in too close.

ReDeads



While volunteers for the ranks of the Undead are never in short supply, a great deal of individuals resist the temptation of everlasting life. These twisted monstrosities are the remnants of those whose will was too powerful to become a mindless skeleton. Now an undead corpse, the ReDeads have no control over their bodies and are driven by instinct to wander aimlessly until a living being crosses their path. They may move extremely slowly, but ReDeads have the ability to unleash a deafening scream that can paralyze most enemies and allow them to move into range where they can maul their target to death.

Stallord



When the undead lack the numbers to bring down heavy resistance, the almighty Stallord is summoned from the depths of the earth to end the lives of those that oppose them. The remnants of an unknown beast from ancient times, the origin and nature of the Stallord in its lifetime is a mystery. Its profile in undeath on the other hand is well known and feared. Little more then a mindless machine under the leash of undead masters, there are few forces in Hyrule that can stand against this necromantic abomination and its massive claws.

General Onox




One of history's most notorious figures, Onox was one of the few Dragons that existed in Hyrule when their race neared extinction. Siding with the Great Fairy Veran, the two initiated a campaign of conquest that eventually led to them being banished with the interlopers to the Realm of Twili. Eventually Onox was slain in battle in an attempt to escape into Hyrule, and his remains rested from eyes for many years. Now resurrected from his improvised grave, General Onox once again continues his campaign of destruction, only this time that encompasses everything in his path.

Lord Akazoo



Once a prominent soldier in Hyrule's ranks, the once General Akazoo was promised Princess Zelda's hand in marriage until that right was unwillingly taken away from him. This lead to Akazoo openly declare war on his own people until the conflict lead to his death. Presumed killed for many years, Akazoo has now risen and assumed the role of supreme leader over the undead. Little more then a disembodied skull, Akazoo is nonetheless capable of taking direct control of other skeletal parts, his most prominent choice being the severed hands of Wall and Floormasters.

[Xebenkeck]

I just gotta say their AI is really dumb in the campaign. In like all 10 of my campaigns, they have only taken a city once. They otherwise just wander around until their army is nothing.

This part of the reason I suggest they work similar to Ikana, they spawn in a predetermined spot, like the Royal Valley from MC/LOZ or lost woods, and immediatly take that settlement.

Ikana always spawns and immediatly take Ikana, the Stalfos currently spawn anywhere and dont take a city, just wander until they are eventually worn down and defeated, which makes them a non-threat.

[Mattwensley]

Except if you ever have to face them in battles. Never routing means every single soldier makes his mark. However, I would enjoy fighting them for longer than 3 turns, as I can see them becoming a major threat in a long term campaign

[UndyingNephalim]

I just gotta say their AI is really dumb in the campaign. In like all 10 of my campaigns, they have only taken a city once. They otherwise just wander around until their army is nothing.

This part of the reason I suggest they work similar to Ikana, they spawn in a predetermined spot, like the Royal Valley from MC/LOZ or lost woods, and immediatly take that settlement.

Ikana always spawns and immediatly take Ikana, the Stalfos currently spawn anywhere and dont take a city, just wander until they are eventually worn down and defeated, which makes them a non-threat.

I'm still not sure why they wander around, as the Mongols spawn in randomized locations and take the nearest city. I sort of wanted to make the Stalfos unpredictable rather then coming from a predetermined spot, as once you know where they will spawn players can just huddle armies there and kill them off the moment they arrive. I'll see what I can do, I actually have another alternative that might be a bit more frightening.

[Duke Serkol]

I'm still not sure why they wander around

Well, that does sound like typical Stalfos behaviour.

[Mjolnr839]

I'm still not sure why they wander around, as the Mongols spawn in randomized locations and take the nearest city. I sort of wanted to make the Stalfos unpredictable rather then coming from a predetermined spot, as once you know where they will spawn players can just huddle armies there and kill them off the moment they arrive. I'll see what I can do, I actually have another alternative that might be a bit more frightening.

For me they ALWAYS make a beeline right for Hylia Marine and try to take it, and the few times they don't they end up taking over most of the Gerudo territory.

90% of the time though it's Hylia Marine they are after. It's like Stalfos nip or something.

[Agent 51]

I had the Twili and Stalfos wage war on each other.

What I thought was going to be hilariously lopsided was actually a long and drawn out conflict that allowed me to eat up the rest of the Gerudo no prob.

[Duke Serkol]

So... am I the only one still hoping for the Staltroop and their Sheikah like shields to make it in?

[VGF254]

I thought there would be a Darknut Stalfos?

[Ulfgard the Unmaker]

So... am I the only one still hoping for the Staltroop and their Sheikah like shields to make it in?

That'd be pretty cool.
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My experience with the Stalfos is that they either take Faron's Reach and then get forced into vassalage under the Kokiri, or they take Hylia Marine and get blasted out of existance.

>Stalfos as vassals to Kokiri.
>WAT.

[Duke Serkol]

Actually that kind of makes sense. Think about it, during the civil war before OoT, the Kokiri were the only ones that remained uninvolved and they kept baby Link safe.
How?

Because they were separated from the war by a forest that turns anybody who stays too long into it in a Stalfos. And they are safe from the Stalfos because the Great Deku Tree keeps them away along with Deku Babas and other nasties.

[Mjolnr839]

That'd be pretty cool.
----


My experience with the Stalfos is that they either take Faron's Reach and then get forced into vassalage under the Kokiri, or they take Hylia Marine and get blasted out of existance.

>Stalfos as vassals to Kokiri.
>WAT.

for me they take Hylia Marine 90% of the time, and the other 10% they take almost all of the Gerudo lands until they get into a war with the Twili.

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

That'd be pretty cool.
----


My experience with the Stalfos is that they either take Faron's Reach and then get forced into vassalage under the Kokiri, or they take Hylia Marine and get blasted out of existance.

>Stalfos as vassals to Kokiri.
>WAT.

For me, they do none of that. They either wander around Hylian lands indefinitely or they enter into the Gerudo lands, take some territory, and start a war with the Twili. It's actually pretty comedic. They really never attempt to take Hylia Marine as I am always at war with the Kingdom of Hyrule regardless of what race I am (I do not play as Hylians) and the Stalfos can't take the competition. The vassalage to the Kokiri sounds pretty awesome though. And it is supported by lore.

[Ulfgard the Unmaker]

It just hurts my brain. I'd be pretty pleased if something else happened. I just have a hard time being concerned about the might of the undead legions when they've got a bunch of halfpint hippies as their overlords.

[Mjolnr839]

so how about the Stalfos from ALttP that have their hands float around as a Javelin unit for the Stalfos?

they would work just like the Head Throwing guys for the Brits in Rome.

[Ulfgard the Unmaker]

Speaking of which, Stalfos units that threw skulls would be pretty entertaining. I don't recall any Stalfos that did that in the games, but it's been a long time since I've played more than a half hour of any of them.

[Mjolnr839]

these guys. they don't throw them but their heads float around the room chasing you.

[Duke Serkol]

Could be interesting

[Xebenkeck]

Skeldritch:

As a defensive emplacement?

[Duke Serkol]

Not a bad idea at all.