23 replies to this topic

[Nertea]

I'm going to be working out some irregular updates to give you all information on the various aspects of the mod. Unlike the old Sneak Peeks, I hope that these will be more gameplay-based and therefore more interesting. Also, you're probably tired of looking at nothing but renders

Heroes and Bodyguards

Dwarf nobles rarely go to war without a retinue of warriors whose duty is to advise, counsel and of course guard the life of the Dwarf in question. In the events described in There and Back Again, even the heir to the Lonely Mountain in exile had such a group of retainers who accompanied him on the Quest of Erebor as his companions and bodyguards. On the battlefield, these Dwarves can form a powerful armoured core who can shield the Hero from harm as well as being in their own right exceptionally powerful infantry units.

In The Dwarf Holds, you will be able to train several units of these retainers. Equipped in similar fashion to the Khazâd-uzbadu but sporting the livery and colours of the noble they guard, each unique unit is an expensive but devastating battalion of warriors. You can train one unit for each of the three major Dwarven heroes - King Dain, his son Thorin III, and the venerable Gloin. Besides their appearance, these troops also reflect the values of their patron in both statistics and abilities. Dain's guardsmen for example favour defence, and therefore sport additional armour. Thorin Stonehelm's Guard prefer the attack and have improved offensive capabilities as well as a power that temporarily increases their speed.

These units are best used in conjunction with the Heroes they guard, as these troops will defend them to the last, granting the hero in question an additional defensive bonus. They are effective against infantry, heroes and cavalry, and can handle monsters with some difficulty. However, their heavier armour makes them slower and therefore vulnerable to hit and run tactics. In the following screenshots, Thorin's Guard watch the walls while King Dain's picked men crush a small band of Orcs.

Edited by Nertea, 22 July 2009 - 09:07 PM.

[GothmogtheOrc]

Awesome! They look great and sound pretty cool. I also love the look of the dwarven base, particuarly the walls with the carpet

-Gto

[Ring o' Fate]

...Now I regret I lost interest in RA.

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

Very nice Nert clever idea.
Is that a new skin for Dain? I haven't seen it before.

[_Haldir_]

Those shots look amazing, great idea.
I'm guessing you have to buy the hero before you can buy the bodyguards..?

[Ring o' Fate]

Aw, I want to see Gloin!

[Yarrum]

Those units look great, glad to see progress here. Also, is that building in the background of screenshot one the Dwarven barracks you mentioned in the main thread?

[Spartan184]

They look awesome

[Nertea]

Very nice Nert clever idea.
Is that a new skin for Dain? I haven't seen it before.

Thanks... Dain isn't in any of these screens, the hero on the walls is Thorin III

Those units look great, glad to see progress here. Also, is that building in the background of screenshot one the Dwarven barracks you mentioned in the main thread?

Yep.

[Gfire]

Wow, very cool. There is max of one horde of each?

When I first started reading it I thought you would be able to do a combo horde with the bodyguards and the hero... That would still be cool, but whatever. Kinda weird, too. Not sure if the special powers would work.

Edited by Gfire, 12 July 2009 - 05:10 PM.

[Nertea]

Wow, very cool. There is max of one horde of each?

When I first started reading it I thought you would be able to do a combo horde with the bodyguards and the hero... That would still be cool, but whatever. Kinda weird, too. Not sure if the special powers would work.

I would like to do that, it would be cool - but there are too many issues with it to make it feasible.

[{IRS}Athos]

@ Ringy: Gloin was in a previous preview smoking a pipe on top of a wall. Just look through the website and you'll find him... eventually.

x____Athos____

[Gfire]

Thanks... Dain isn't in any of these screens, the hero on the walls is Thorin III

Wait - he's not wearing a stone helm.

[mike_]

Hush!

Though, so far as that goes, Dain's boots are of leather, not iron

Edited by mike_, 12 July 2009 - 06:43 PM.

[Clement]

Simply awesome!

I saw you changed a bit the texture on the walkable wall! (The red part) This one is really great.

[m@tt]

Thanks... Dain isn't in any of these screens, the hero on the walls is Thorin III

Wait - he's not wearing a stone helm.

Doesn't mean he doesn't have one

[Uruk King]

Thanks... Dain isn't in any of these screens, the hero on the walls is Thorin III

Wait - he's not wearing a stone helm.

Doesn't mean he doesn't have one

So does it come as part of an armour upgrade?

Either way, fantastic ideas concerning the Dwarven Hero retinue.

Can be recruited at a Barracks in minimal numbers provided you have already recruited a hero who can comission the desired bodyguard type or do they come with the hero as passive summons?

[mike_]

They're trained from their own building, and so far as I know, are unlocked as you purchase the corresponding hero.

[Gfire]

Hush!

Though, so far as that goes, Dain's boots are of leather, not iron

But his foot still might be.

But they come from their own building? That's tricky, considering the lesser build plots of the camp... Tough to get them on maps with less bases, I guess. IDK, how many structures to they have/need?

Edited by Gfire, 12 July 2009 - 08:55 PM.

[mike_]

That's for us to know and you to find out really though, don't fret. It works fine and doesn't really hamper gameplay at all.