|
| Thread: Insect Faction Suggestion: complete story and units |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
posted September 04, 2009 06:52 AM |
|
|
Insect Faction Suggestion: complete story and units
Update 1: Improved first post, it is more organized overall. Added racial skills and abilities, hope you enjoy it  . If you have the skills to make the Insect Army a mod for TOE I'll help you, just contact me! I'm not a modder but I'm a bottomless pit of ideas ;p.
Update 2: Added Appendix: How to counter the Insect Army in the end of the post, just after the list of creatures.
I really like the idea of playing and fighting against a town with insect-like and worm creatures, given their immense variability and possibilities of abilities. So I visited this thread that gave me the coordinates to suggest a faction (http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=27325) and took my time to think and write about it. I don't know if it has been posted before (probably the idea of a insect faction was) but I'm new to the forums and there's so much to read that I coudn't find it. That said, here it goes:
Faction: Insect Army
Alignment/worship: The leader Demons Spiders worship Urgash the Dragon of Chaos. The other insects were usurped from the domain of Sylanna, the Dragon of Earth, and now serve Urgash too.
Main race for heroes: Mutated Grasshoper the size of a man with roughly the same intelligence. They posses superior and inferior members just like a human being. They also have individual personalities, though their thoughts are controlled by the hive mind. They rely opon spellpower and knowledge but they don't cast regular magic. Their racial abilities are used instead.
Racial Skill: Venom Mastery.
Overall Strenghts: Good damage dealing, overall fast, deadly with venom, very tough creatures in high tiers, immune to frenzy and puppet master.
Overall Weakness: No magic, low tier, poor shooters. Concentrates on venom damage that could be countered. Low HP on mid and low tiers.
Layout
1-) walker/burrower/shooter (burrowers can ignore obstacles just like a flyer, by going underneath them);
2-) walker;
3-) walker/shooter;
4-) walker;
5-) walker/burrower;
6-) walker;
7-) walker/burrower.
The Creatures in resume:
1-) Killer Worm Swarm - Terror Swarm - Spitter Swarm
2-) Worker Ant - Bullet Ant - Venomous Ant
3-) Praying Mantis - Slasher - Claw Thrower
4-) Giant Centipede - Huger - Worm Centipede
5-) Stinger - Deathstalker - Emperor Scorpion
6-) Atlas Beetle - Ox Beetle - Rhinoceros Beetle
7-) Black Widow - Demonic Spider - Death Walker
Foreword
Hi there and welcome to my Insect Faction thread  . On this part I'll just make somethings clear so that there are no confusions. This thread and faction is not a mod, just a suggestion for a developer or a modder that wants to take up this project. If you are a modder and want to implement this faction on TOE I would surely help you, just contact me.
Also I'm no entomologist but it is clear to me that spiders and other creatures like scorpions and centipedes, belong to the group Arthropoda and class Arachnida while insects belong to the same group but are from the class Insecta, so they are not exactly like the insects. Some things that make spiders different from insects: no antennas, no wings at all, the abdomen of spiders isn't segmented like the abdomen of insects, insects have 3 pairs of legs spiders got 8 legs, spiders have 8 simple eyes while insects have compound eyes.
However they belong to the same phyla (Arthropods) and they have similar niches/behaviors. And the name "Insect Army" is just a generic name that is better than, say, "Arthropoda Army". I also use worms in the army, they are not insects at all (they are from a completely different phyla - annelids) but I feel they add variation to the army. And remember: this is a fantasy world so we don't need to be bound by reality. Of course it must be a coherent faction (I think it is coherent enough) but that also depends on the story yes? Just like dwarves having a dragon in their faction .
The Insect Army focuses on the ability of burrowing instead of flying to bypass obstacles, so when you see the burrow ability you can consider it a flyer that can remain hidden underground (they can move underneath the ground and bypass obstacles on that manner). Their Racial skill revolves around the use of venom and their heroes have venom mastery skills on the start.
BRIEF STORY AND BACKGROUND:
The story revolves around the Demonic Spiders: leaders of the Insect Army. Those monsters were originally created by Urgash, the Dragon of Chaos, during the Mythical Age of Ashan, just after Urgash, jealous of Asha's creations (the elder races like elves, dwarves, humans, etc.), created the demons. The Demons Spiders did not come to being by evolution but were created by Urgash as a backup for the demons. They are intelligent, selfish and malevolent beings not bound to the will of the inferno faction.
After the battle of the primordial dragons, Asha and Urgash, in the end of the mythical age, Urgash was banished to the core of Ashan and the Demonic Spiders were deprived of their intelligence and forced to live in the deepest levels of the underground by the efforts of the Asha's followers. For some time now, somehow, the Demon Spiders regained their intelligence and want to avenge their time imprisioned, preferebly destroying every non-arthropod or non-annelid being and conquering the world for themselves and the Insect Army.
For that they first created a nexus of magic based on several powerfull artifacts touched by the blood of Urgash that enabled them to control the insect hordes that, normally, lived their insect lives underground and were not a cohesive and determined force (that including all arthropods and annelids). They called this nexus of power and control the Hive Mind. With it, the High Council of Demonic Spiders used the Hive Mind to subdue and control those creatures, quietly mutating them while other races kept fighting their wars.
The Grasshopers, calm and noisy little insects, were mutated and now have the form of a humam being, with arms, legs and intelligence. Their will is secretly controlled by the Demon Spiders using the Hive Mind and they act as heroes and important commanders of the Insect Armies. They do that through their orb artifacts given by the spiders, which allows the control of the will of the insects and the use of the magical power of the Hive Mind to either mutate or control the already deadly insects during combat. The Grasshopers can't cast magical spells that other factions do, but they use their mana and spell power to increase the effectiveness of their mutation abilities in combat. They firmly believe now that the world should be inhabited by insects and their relatives, no the Elder races with their selfish and destructive ways. They believe the insects to be te perfect beings destined to dominate all under the sun light as well.
This process of mutation has been going on for quite some time now in the secretive shadow of the vast tunnels of the underground, and with the Kingdoms of the Elder Races weakened by constant struggles, vast hordes of giant and deadly arthropods and annelids march as the Insect Army from their deepest underground lairs and from the forgotten caverns of Ashan to conquer all.
REMINDER: All insects are immune to puppet master and frenzy, the Hive Mind has complete control over their minds.
Details on Racial Abilitiy and exclusive skills
Racial Ability: Venom Mastery. Only the hero's of the Insect Army can unlock and develop the exclusive skills Venom Mutation and Venom Manipulation derived from this ability.
Most of the creatures in the Insect Army have the natural capacity to generate deadly Venoms. The Grasshopers, heroes of the Insect Army, channeling the energy from the Hive Mind trough the use of their mana and their orb artifacts, have the power to mutate the creatures under their command so that their venom has a variety of new effects. The mutations last for the period of the combat, since they drawn from the limited power of the hero's mana and spellpower. Only the heroes of the Insect Army can learn the their 2 exclusive racial skills derived from their racial ability (Venom Mastery): Venom Mutation and Venom Manipulation. The skills work as follows:
Legend:
 Skills
 The faces define a ability derived from a skill, and their numbers determines if they require basic, advanced or expert level on that related skill.
A-) Exclusive Skill 1: Venom Mutation
Skill Levels:
Basic Venom Mutation: adds 10% damage to all venom damage dealt. Allows the use of venom mutations by hero during combat.
Advanced Venom Mutation: adds 20% damage to all venom damage dealt.
Expert Venom Mutation: adds 40% damage to all venom damage dealt. Allows venom mutation abilities cast by the hero to stack.
Related Unloackable Abilities:
IMPORTANT: All low level abilities stack on the same target and with higher level abilities, depending on their duration. All the abilities are used by the hero selecting them in the spell book and targeting the desired stack, unless the description below says otherwhise.
Lasting Venom Mutation: The hero can choose one stack to mutate during combat so that it's Venom damage lasts for more turns depending on hero's spellpower.
Paralyzing Venom: The hero can choose one stack to mutate during combat to give its venom a chance of Paralyzing enemy targets, the chance of triggering and duration of this effect depends on hero's knowledge.
Blinding Venom Mutation: The hero can choose one stack to mutate during combat to give its venom a chance of blinding enemy targets, the chance of triggering and duration of this effect depends on hero's knowledge.
Venomous attack: gives the ability to cause venom damage to a creature that normally could not.
Lasting Venom, Lasting Suffering: selected stack with lasting venom mutation casts suffering on expert level when dealing venom damage either on a melee or ranged attack.
Requirements: Lasting Venom Mutation.
Corrosive Venom Spit Mutation: selected stack can spit venom to any adjacent tiles and deal venom damage as it would in melee to a single target. This mutation has 30% chance of backfiring: the creature may suffer damage from its own venom during the mutation.
Requirements: Venomous attack.
Corrosive Venom Spit training: the venom spit has 15% less chance of backfiring.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Spit Mutation.
Corrosive Venom Spit Mastery: Corrosive Venom Spit no longer has a chance of backfiring.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Spit Mutation.
Corrosive Venom Vomit Mutation: selected stack deals area damage with venom (4 tiles) to creatures in adjacent tiles (including friendly ones). The damage dealt is equivalent to 50% of full venom damage. This mutation has a chance of backfiring: the creature and other friendly creatures may suffer damage from its own venom during the mutation.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Spit Mutation.
Corrosive Venom Vomit Mutation Mastery: Venom Vomit no longer has a chance of backfiring, but it still affects friendly creatures if cast in related tiles.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Vomit Mutation, Expert Venom Manipulation.
B-) Exclusive Skill 2: Venom Manipulation
Basic Venom Manipulation: Hero can choose a creature to inflict 10% more venom damage or change the type of damage dealt to either fire, ice or thunder damage instead of venom damage.
Advanced Venom Manipulation: Hero can choose a creature to inflict 20% more venom damage or change the type of damage dealt to either fire, ice or thunder damage instead of venom damage.
Expert Venom Manipulation: Hero can choose a creature to inflict 30% more venom damage or change the type of damage dealt to either fire, ice or thunder damage instead of venom damage.
Related Unlockable Abilities::
Master of Lasting Venom: effects of Lasting Venom ability lasts even longer.
Requirements: Lasting Venom Mutation.
Liquid Fire, Liquid Venom: Fire damage is dealt intead of venom damage, in the same proportion.
Cold Death: Cold damage is dealt, instead of venom damage, in the same proportion.
Thunder Bite: Thunder damage is deal equivalent to 50% of venom damage base value in its instead, and the thunder damage jumps to 3 any other creatures.
Scorpion Venom: effects of paralyzing and blinding venom abilities lasts even longer.
Requirements: Paralyzing Venom, Blinding Venom Mutation.
Thunderous Venom: Selected stack has full venom damage dealt in addition to 50% thunder damage, that jumps to 3 any other creatures.
Requirements: Thunder Bite.
Elemental Corrosive Venom Spit: Corrosive Venom Spit ability has a 60% chance of dealing additional random elemental damage on target.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Spit Mutation.
Thunderous Elemental Corrosive Venom Spit: Elemental Corrosive Venom Spit has thunder effect and jumps to 3 other targets.
Requirements: Elemental Corrosive Venom Spit, Thunderous Venom.
Elemental Corrosive Venom Vomit: damage from Corrosive Venom Vomit stacks with random elemental damage, that depends on hero's spellpower and knowledge.
Requirements: Corrosive Venom Vomit Mutation.
Hellfire Venom: Selected stack deals full venom damage in addition to fire damage on same proportion. The fire burns the victim for the same number of turns the venom is active.
Requirements: Liquid Fire, Liquid Venom.
Cold Slow Death: cold damage is dealt in the same proportion of venom damage. Victim is frozen and has its turn delayed until this ability is contered. Also, Venom damage cannot be dispelled or countered until the freeze effect is dispelled or neutralized by fire damage.
Requirements: Cold Death, Lasting Venom, Lasting Suffering, Master of Lasting Venom.
REMEMBER: Low level abilities used on a target creature remain and stack with the higher level ones (for instance: lvl 1 ability paralyzing venom and lvl 3 ability hellfire venom), for the duration of their effects.
Racial exclusive Abilities related to other Skills
Logistics
Speedy Excavation: Increases the area in which burrowed creatures can move.
Requirements: Basic Logistics, Pathfinding.
Burrowing Mutation: Hero can select one stack on his army, once per combat, to gain the burrow ability for the duration of the combat.
Requirements: Expert Logistics.
Warmachines
Venomous Ballista: ballista deals venom damage in addition to regular ranged damage.
Requirements: Basic Warmachines, Balista, Advanced Venom Manipulation.
Toxic Gas Ballista: ballista creates a cloud of toxic gas around the target, dealing venom damage in an area equivalent to a large creature (4 tiles). The gas has a 50% chance to spread randomly to additional tiles dealing damage on each one. The gas can spread in any direction and dissipates after spreading.
Requirements: Advanced War Machines, Venomous Ballista. Magical creation of Toxic Gas.
Toxic Gas Ballista of Mass Destruction: The hero loses control over the ballista but it now fires it's 3 shots in 3 random enemy stacks, producing 4-tile gas clouds in each shot that will randomly spread, causing damage. After spreading all the gas from each shot dissipates, so it lasts only 1 turn.
Requirements: Toxic Gas Ballista, Magical creation of Toxic Gas, Magic Insight, Arcane Excellence, Insect's Luck.
Tent of Nurturing: First Aid Tent can be used to cause the growth effect on worm swarms of hero's army.
Requirements: First Aid, Chemestry Master.
Defense
Giant Beetle Improved Carapace: All Giant Beetles in hero's army gain an additional 5% damage absorption.
Requirements: Advanced Defense.
Imbued Carapaces: Creatures in hero's army gain 15% magic resistance.
Requirements: Advanced Defense, Advanced Sorcery.
Lightening fast Worms: All Worm Swarms in hero's army gain the incorporeal ability as to emulate evasion.
Requirements: Basic Defense, Evasion, The Swarm Invasion.
Attack
The Swarm Invasion: All creatures on hero's army gain +1 to initiative.
Requirements: Advanced attack, Expert Logistics.
Fire And poison Claws: The Claw Thrower gains the ability to cause fire and poison damage in ranged attacks.
Requirements: Advanced Attack, Flaming Arrows, Basic Venom Mutator, Venomous Attack, Advanced Venom Manipulation, Liquid Fire, Liquid Venom.
Luck
Insect's Luck: creatures have 20% chance to kill 50% of an enemy stack in one attack as long as it deals venom damage and it is not resisted.
Requirements: Expert Luck, Soldier's Luck, Expert Venom Manipulation.
Enlightenment
Chemestry Master: Increases all elemental damage done by venom combinations in the Venom Manipulation Skill by 20%.
Requirements: Advanced Enlightenment, Intelligence, Graduate, Expert Venom Manipulation.
Sorcery
Magical creation of Toxic Gas: Hero can use toxic gas ballista.
Requirements: Advanced Sorcery, Expert Venom Manipulation, Expert Venom Mutation, Chemestry Master.
Ultimate Ability: Massive Mutation
All Creatures gain the burrowing ability, the ability to deal venom damage and all venom damage is increased by 30%.
Requirements: Expert Venom Manipulation, Expert Venom Mutation, Master of Lasting Venom, Burrowing Mutation, Speedy Excavation, Expert Logistics, The Swarm Invasion.
CREATURES
Legend:
A - Attack
D - Defense
Da- Damage
HP- Hit Points
I - Initiative
S - Speed
Symbols:
Ununpgraded Creature
 Upgrade 1
Alternative Upgrade
Tier 1-) Killer Worm Swarms
Description: The killer worms live in the underground and are essencially carnivore predatorian worms that hunt in large groups or swarms. They have developed some nasty abilities with their evolution on the underground, where they consume vast quantities of unaware troglodytes when they emerge from the ground. They have developed a predatory instinct and pack-like behaviour and only grow stronger with each killed victim. They are even more dangerous when fully matured in Terror Swarms when the blood of their victims regenerates them. There has also been a breed of killer worms capable of spitting corrosive venom, developed by evolution when infesting the Foul Hydras underground.
KILLER WORM SWARM:
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 1
D: 1
Da: 1-2
HP: 2
I: 8
S: 5
Abilities:
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Devour (The creatures in the swarm can devour corpses in the battlefield to heal and replenish its numbers).
TERROR SWARM
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 2
D: 1
Da: 1-3
HP: 3
I: 11
S: 6
Abilities:
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Devour (The creatures in the swarm can devour corpses in the battlefield to heal and replenish its numbers).
Growth (The swarm stack grows in power and size in three stages: in the first stage the stack gains +1 to attack and damage, on the second stage the stack gains +2 to attack and damage and on the third stage the stack gains the ability to torpor the enemy when attaking. The growth ability is triggered every time the creature kills at least 20% of an enemy stack and it becomes first a medium creature, and then a large creature, occupying 2 and 4 tiles in the second and third stages of growth respectively).
Vampirism (Creature heals itself and regain a portion of its numbers in proportion to damage dealt).
SPITTER SWARM
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 2
D: 1
Da: 1-2
HP: 2
I: 10
S: 6
Abilities:
Devour (The creatures in the swarm can devour corpses in the battlefield to heal and replenish its numbers).
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Shooter
Corrosive Venom Spitting (Creature causes venom damage in adition to ranged damage).
Tier 2-) Giant Ants
Description: The Giant Ants do the manual labor for the insect armies working in the suply lines, building, etc. However they can be called to battle too and serve as a basic melee soldier. Their quantity is their greatest advantage, and one can be surprised with their ability to call reinforcements, painfull and venomous bites, the trademark of the insect armies. Also, ants can serve as food for the Monster Spiders.
WORKER ANT
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 1
D: 1
Da: 1-2
HP: 3
I: 8
S: 7
Abilities:
Call reinforcements (This creature can summon half its numbers as reinforcements one time per combat).
BULLET ANT
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 3
D: 1
Da: 2-3
HP: 3
I: 9
S: 7
Abilities:
Call reinforcements (This creature can summon half its numbers as reinforcements ne time per combat).
Painfull Bite (the creature casts suffering, advanced level, on strike).
VENOMOUS ANT
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 2
D: 1
Da: 1-3
HP: 3
I: 9
S: 7
Abilities:
Call reinforcements (This creature can summon half its numbers as reinforcements ne time per combat).
Venomous bite (This creature deals venom damage additional to the melee damage dealt).
Tier 3-) Praying Mantis
Description: The Praying Mantis are creatures mutated by the hive mind to have the size of a man whilst keeping their insect features and mutating some others. They serve a two-fold role for the insect army: the basic footsoldier for their predatory nature and sharp claws and also with a different, mutated breed capable to throw their sharp claws as a boomerang at enemy units, serving the role of shooter for the insects.
PRAYING MANTIS
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 4
D: 3
Da: 3-5
HP: 25
I: 10
S: 7
SLASHER
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 6
D: 3
Da: 5-7
HP: 40
I: 10
S: 7
Abilities:
Cannibalism (This creature can consume units in another stack of praying mantis to heal themselves and replenish their numbers).
Wounding (This creature has very sharp claws and has 40% chance to cause bleeding damage over time to the enemy).
CLAW THROWER
Small Creature (1 tile)
A: 7
D: 2
Da: 5-7
HP: 30
I: 10
S: 6
Abilities:
Shooter
Infinite Ammo
Boomerang Claws (This creature has a 45% chance of hitting multiple enemy creatures in one throw. The area affected corresponds to 4 consecutive tiles).
Tier 4-) Giant Centipedes
Description: The giant centipedes, despite being slow, serve as melee, tactical troops for the insect army. They have developed a overly aggressive behaviour due to harassment from other species and the clash with wyverns, those species see each other as prey. In combat they evolved to use an attack that hits multiple opponents at once and also poisoning them. Some breeds have shown the ability to constrict the enemy as a defense. Other breeds were combined with giant worms by the Demon Spiders, making them overly large and capable of making a powerfull attack without retaliation.
GIANT CENTIPEDE
Medium Creature (2 tiles)
A: 6
D: 4
Da: 2-3
HP: 15
I: 10
S: 6
Abilities:
Venomous Multiple Hit (This creature swings its body and bites over 2 opponents with one attack, also dealing venom damage).
HUGER
Medium Creature (2 tiles)
A: 7
D: 5
Da: 3-4
HP: 22
I: 11
S: 7
Abilities:
Venomous Multiple Hit (This creature swings its body and bites over 3 opponents with one attack, also dealing venom damage).
Constriction (This creature can constrict a small enemy creature for 2 turns so that it can keep one enemy stunned and hit another subsenquentially).
WORM CENTIPEDE
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 8
D: 4
Da: 3-5
HP: 30
I: 10
S: 6
Abilities:
Venomous Multiple Hit (This creature swings its body and bites over 3 opponents with one attack, also dealing venom damage).
No enemy retaliation.
Tier 5-) Giant Scorpions
Description: The giant scorpions play the role of a standard cavalry unit for the insect army. The regular scorpions were mutated to Giant Scorpions that developed extra fast legs and the ability to burrow to catch and ambush their prey, usually centaurs and unicorns. In combat they first paralyze the target with the venom from their tails and only after that they proceed to kill their victims.
STINGER
Medium creature (2 tiles)
A: 14
D: 12
Da: 7-13
HP: 45
I: 15
S: 7
Abilities:
Scorpion Hunt (This creature's first attack on any stack has 30% chance to paralyze the prey until it is attacked again, not dealing any melee damage, only venom damage, regardless of the paralyze effect. Subsequent attacks on the same stack are done by the pincers and deal regular melee damage).
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
DEATHSTALKER
Medium creature (2 tiles)
A: 18
D: 15
Da: 8-15
HP: 40
I: 16
S: 7
Abilities:
Scorpion Hunt (This creature's first attack on any stack has 30% chance to paralyze the prey until it is attacked again, not dealing any melee damage, only venom damage regardless of the paralyze effect. Subsequent attacks on the same stack are done by the pincers and deal regular melee damage).
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Deadly Venom (venom damage is four times stronger than regular venom from other scorpions).
EMPEROR SCORPION
Medium creature (2 tiles)
A: 17
D: 17
Da: 10-18
HP: 50
I: 15
S: 7
Abilities:
Scorpion Hunt (This creature's first attack on any stack has 30% chance to paralyze the prey until it is attacked again, not dealing any melee damage, only venom damage regardless of the paralyze effect. Subsequent attacks on the same stack are done by the pincers and deal regular melee damage).
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Multiple Hits (This creature hits 2 opponents with its claws).
Tier 6-) Giant Beetles
Description: The hive discovered the potential of the Giant Beetles for the insect army when they were seen defending their lairs from dragon intruders, seeking to make the beetles their meal. The Giant Beetles have a very hard carapace and the capacity to impale or stun their opponents making them very difficult to defeat. The dragons learned that the hard way.
ATLAS BEETLE
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 20
D: 22
Da: 20
HP: 130
I: 10
S: 8
Abilities:
Carapace (Absorbs 10% of all melee and ranged damage).
Charge (Creature gains a 5% bonus to attack for each tile it walks, just like jousting).
OX BEETLE
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 22
D: 25
Da: 20-26
HP: 150
I: 11
S: 8
Abilities:
Carapace (Absorbs 10% of all melee and ranged damage).
Charge (Creature gains a 5% bonus to attack for each tile it walks, just like jousting).
Stun (Creature has a 40% chance to stun a target every attack).
RHINOCEROS BEETLE
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 23
D: 25
Da: 20-25
HP: 140
I: 10
S: 7
Abilities:
Carapace (Absorbs 10% of all melee and ranged damage).
Charge (Creature gains a 5% bonus to attack for each tile it walks, just like jousting).
Impale (Creature hits two targets in two consecutive tiles for half damage on second tile).
Tier 7-) Monster Spiders
Description: The Monster Spiders are some of the most terrifying giant insects to exist in Ashan. The Demonic Spiders were originally created by Urgash. With his banishment the Demonic Spiders were deprived of their intelligence and forced to live in the deepest levels of the underground. Now, somehow, they regained their intelligence and want to avenge their time imprisioned, preferebly conquering the world for themselves and the insects. They were behind the creation of the hive mind that now controls other insects and worms in Ashan and the recent forced evolution of the grasshopers to a man-like creature to command the armies of the hive mind. In combat the Monster Spiders are deadly, dealing huge ammounts of damage with their giant bites and powerfull venom. They can also burrow, either to ambush their prey or hide untill they think its a more appropriate time to act.
BLACK WIDOW
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 26
D: 20
Da: 50-65
HP: 170
I: 11
S: 9
Abilities:
Web (Creature can use its turn to throw a web that immobilizes the target creature or creatures in adjacent tiles. The web hits 4 tiles and lasts for 2 turns. The enemy cannot retaliate when under the effects of the web. The web can be destroyed by using fire spells on it. The web also affects friendly creatures).
Venom (Causes aditional venom damage to enemy stack with each attack).
Ant Eater (This creature can consume ants to restore health and numbers).
DEMONIC SPIDER
Large Creature (4 tiles)
A: 31
D: 28
Da: 50-75
HP: 200
I: 11
S: 9
Abilities:
Burrow (Creature can remain underground until it attacks, can burrow again on next turn. Creature can bypass castle walls and other obstacles with this ability).
Web (Creature can use its turn to throw a web that immobilizes the target creature or creatures in adjacent tiles. The web hits 4 tiles and lasts for 2 turns. The enemy cannot retaliate when under the effects of the web. The web can be destroyed by using fire spells on it. The web also affects friendly creatures).
Venom (Causes aditional venom damage to enemy stack with each attack).
Ant Eater (This creature can consume ants to restore health and numbers).
Confusing attack (When Attacking creature casts confusion, expert level, on target).
Fire Burst (Due to its demonic roots this creature has the power to use fire as a weapon. It can effectively spit a fireball, expert level, 4 times per combat).
Dominate mind (This creature has the ability to try dominating the mind of other creatures. This ability has a 40% chance of sucess and causes frenzy on a enemy stack. Two uses per combat).
DEATH WALKER
(Large Creature 4 tiles)
A: 30
D: 25
Da: 50-65
HP: 190
I: 15
S: 10
Abilities:
Ant Eater (This creature can consume ants to restore health and numbers).
Very Fast (This creature is so fast that it is most likely the first to act on the battlefield).
Deadly Venom (This creature has the most powerfull know venom. With that it has 40% chance to kill half the enemy stack).
APPENDIX: How to counter the Insect Army
So you think the Insect Army is "imba" or just want to learn strategies to defeat them? Don't worry! I'll give here ideas and proposals on how to counter them! Of course it's all hypothetical. This faction exists only on paper and has been created with the intention of being helpfull for the developers, hopefully giving them good ideas for H6!
With that said and understood, how should we start? Let's first look at the strong and weak points of the Insect Faction:
Overall Strenghts:
 Good damage dealing;
Overall fast (with burrowing too);
Deadly with venom;
Very tough creatures in high tiers;
Immune to frenzy and puppet master.
Overall Weakness:
 No magic;
Low tier, poor shooters;
Concentrates on venom damage that could be countered;
Low HP on mid and low tiers.
From here 3 things immediatilly stand out that should worry us: they deal good damage, they are deadly with venom and immune to some of the most popular dark magic spells. On the weak side they can't use any magic at all, so they cannot weaken the enemy, buff themselves, dispell effects and so on. Besides that they have poor shooters (tier 1 and 3 if upgraded to shooter, they don't start as shooters). Also they concentrate on venom damage a lot. With it I suggest we take the approach of creating new spells and related abilities that would not only add more fun to the game but also counter the venom power of the insects. I'll divide them in their respective schools:
LIGHT MAGIC
Lvl 1 Spells:
Resist Venom
A single target receives 20% resistance to venom, it lasts depending on the spellpower of the caster.
Lvl 2 Spells:
Sylanna's Blessing
A single target is immune to the next venom attack (1 attack that causes venom damage is ignored, after that victim receives venom damage again).
Lvl 4 Spells:
Improved Resist Venom
A single target receives 40% resistance to venom, it lasts depending on the spellpower of the caster. It stacks with spell lvl 1 resist venom.
Lvl 5 Spells:
Healing Venom
Venom Attacks heals the ammount of damage it would deal to the victim. Works only for the first creature to attack the target of the spell. If another creature attacks, it's venom is different and will cause normal damage.
NEW ABILITIES
Master of Sylanna's wrath: Grants Resist Venom and Sylanna's Blessing mass effects (all creatures in hero's army are affected for the duration of the combat and the hero's spellpower).
Master of Blood Resistance: Spell Improved Resist Venom has mass effect.
 DARK MAGIC
Lvl 1 Spells:
Uncontrollable Venom
Target Creature suffers 20% of it's own venom damage when attacking and dealing venom damage. The Spell Lasts depending on the spellpower of the caster.
Venom Rejection
Target Creature suffers 30% of the venom damage it would inflict each turn. Duration depends on spellpower of the caster.
Lvl 5 Spells:
Absolute Hunger
By the alteration of the creature's body condition it suffers the effect of frenzy spell as to emulate a state of absolute hunger. It lasts for one attack only but the creature must deal melee damage, otherwise the spell continues.
NEW ABILITIES
Master of Cursed Venom: Grants Uncontrollable Venom and Venom Rejection mass effects.
 SUMMONING MAGIC
Lvl 1 Spells:
Insect Trap
Puts a series of mines on the battlefield similar to fire trap spell. But this spell binds the insect creature in place for 1 turn. Only work on creatures of the Insect Army.
Lvl 4 Spells:
Anti-Toxic Gas
This spell generates a benneficial gas cloud that grants a very large area the immunity to toxic clouds generated by the insect's ballista (the area of this spell has the same size of meteor shower).
Lvl 5 Spells:
Solid Rock Ground
The ground of the battlefield becomes solid rock, impenetrable by the insects. They cannot use their burrow ability for the duration of the spell (that depends on spellpower of caster). Earthquake spells cannot be used for the duration of this spell.
WARNING: Any Summon Wasps or Summon Hive spells cast by the hero against the insect army will work against him, affecting one it's own creatures. The Hive Mind can instantly control all insects on the battlefield.
 DESTRUCTIVE MAGIC
Lvl 1 Spells:
Insecticide
Deals damage to one stack of creatures of the Insect Army. This spell grants more damage to insects than other destructive spells.
Lvl 2 Spells:
Insect Poison Cloud
Creates a cloud of poisonous gas that damages creatures of the Insect Army. The area is the same of a fireball. This spell grants more damage to insects than other destructive spells.
Lvl 4 Spells:
Water Wave
All enemy creatures go back 1 tile and loose initiative.
NEW EFFECTS TO EXISTING ABILITIES AND NEW ONES
Master of Ice: Grants freezing effect to Water Wave Spell.
Insect Exterminator: Insecticide deals more damage and jumps to 3 other targets. Insect Poison Cloud stuns the affected insetcs for 1 turn.
Conclusion: Magic is the key to counter the insects more effectively. If you don't use magic you are going to take a lot of casualties. Now, if you are an orc tough there's nothing you can do. Just kidding =D. There are charms that could be created and bought in their castle to grant venom resistance. And the insects have overall less HP than the orcs. Also the orcs could be granted a natural venom resistance on top of that. A lot of artifacts could be created too, I'll do it but that takes time.
REMINDER: All UNDEAD creatures are immune to venom damage (they are already dead anyway), unless that venom damage has a corrosive property. The vampires find the blood of the insects juicy too xD so they can heal themselves normally.
____________
Asha uses all 
|
|
MattII
Legendary Hero
|
posted September 04, 2009 07:02 AM |
|
|
Two things stand out almost immediately:
1. The names are terrible, really bland, and the overuse of prefix worlds like giant, humongous and monstrous make it look like no effort has gone onto them.
2. A lack of anything even resembling a hero.
On top of those two, the lineup looks like the list of enclosures in an insect vivarium, not a proper town.
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 04, 2009 07:07 AM |
|
|
Well it is an insect faction what do you expect? Humans? The hero is described in te beginning of the post didin't you read it?
The important things are the story, monsters and their functions and abilities not the names. Anyone can come and suggest names. And that took quite some effort to write contrary to what you said.
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
MattII
Legendary Hero
|
|
posted September 04, 2009 09:13 AM |
|
|
Quote:
Well it is an insect faction what do you expect? Humans? The hero is described in te beginning of the post didin't you read it?
Ah, so you did, although it looks to me more like a slap-dash, "let's make a bug look human" attempt at solving the problem than a "how can we make this look cool and reasonable" one.
Quote:
The important things are the story, monsters and their functions and abilities not the names.
Actually, since names are part of the whole appearance of a unit, they'd likely be as important as the story (I certainly never bothered to learn the story behind the races in H3 till recently, despite having owned the game for years), and while they aren't perhaps as important as the functions and abilities, those latter two can be changed, and besides, IMO abilities are overdone (H3 Castle had 8 for 14 creatures, H5:Vanilla Haven has 15)
Quote:
Anyone can come and suggest names.
Well if you're really stuck for names then maybe try the creature's scientific (latin) names:
T1) Annelid
T2) Formicid
T3) Mantoda
T4) Chilopod
T5) -
T6) Coleop
T7) Arachnid
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 04, 2009 10:42 PM |
|
|
I knew it would not be perfect since its a fantasy world and insects seen perhaps too "regular". But believe me I think that they would look and act very cool if transformed into a faction. Just imagine giant scorpions, demon spiders, worm swarms and such.
It would be great to have something different to fight other than demons for a change. Also there are enough factions with dragons and regular troops already. There would be quite a lot of variety in this faction since every insect is different and would take a peculiar form, look and function within the game. With the story I came up with the Demon Spiders can mutate the insects so anything can be done with them. Regarding the change of the names I can do it later and reduce the use of giant as a prefix. I'll incorporate it to the story description since being giant is what actually makes the insects a threat.
Edit: Changed the names of some insects.
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
|
|
posted September 04, 2009 10:54 PM |
|
|
I do not agree with the line-up though.
I think the Sand Worm and the Mantis make perfect top creatures, while imo Beetles, Spiders and Scorpions should be the lower tiers.
____________
Coincidence? I think not!!!!
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 12:15 AM |
|
|
Ok thanks for sharing your opinion .
I chose beetles to tier 6 because I wanted them to be a tank unit (tank+knight) and thought they would be better at this role than, say, a scorpion. I regret not including a giant worm as a high tier unit though (just picture the giant worms of Dune, that would be cool), but the story revolves around the tier 7 Demonic Spiders. Perhaps I can make giant worms tier 6 instead of beetles, as I agree with you that they would be cool.
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 06:13 AM |
|
|
|
hmmm, I think, since enlargened insects are pretty unnatural anyway and most insects could have some nice abilities, there is no specific order for using them, so your original line-up works pretty well, imo.
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 07:58 AM |
|
|
Thanks! It is a load of work to imagine a new faction but it is actually very entertaining .
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 11:19 AM |
|
|
Well ... putting aside my dislike for the Insect faction concept, I find it very weird to have a faction of insects, and not a single flying unit?
____________
What will happen now?
|
|
Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 04:04 PM |
|
|
|
btw, I know it may be a bit pedantic, but you know that you only have 3 true "insects" in your lineup?!?
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 10:37 PM |
|
|
Yep alcibiades yours is a valid point regarding the absence of flyers. But plz bear with me while I explain. First, that is because I don't like the concept of giant flying insects (like bees, flies, etc.) to the faction because I think they would be weaker and less cool than the ones I currently selected. And second the absence of flyers is on purpose, since the insect faction use the burrow ability to bypass obstacles, just like flyers, including castle walls. According to the story I invented they came mostly from underground too. I think burrowing is even better than flying in the game because they can remain burrowed and you never know where they will hit next.
And Jiriki9 you are correct. I'm no entomologist but Spiders, for instance, belong to the group Arthropoda and class Arachnida while insects belong to the same group but are from the class Insecta. Some things that make spiders different from insects: no antennas, no wings at all, the abdomen of spiders isn't segmented like the abdomen of insects, insects have 3 pairs of legs spiders got 8 legs, spiders have 8 simple eyes while insects have compound eyes.
However they belong to the same phyla (Arthropods) and they have similar niches/behaviors. And the name "Insect Army" is just a generic name that is better than, say, "Arthropoda Army". I also use worms in the army, they are not insects at all (they are from a completely different phyla - annelids) but I feel they add variation to the army. And remember: this is a fantasy world so we don't need to be bound by reality. Of course it must be a coherent faction (I think it is coherent enough) but that also depends on the story yes? Just like dwarves having a dragon in their faction .
Edit: added this post as Foreword in the first post.
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 10:53 PM |
|
|
I am currently making a faction myself called the Snake Cult, which is also based around different kinds of venom and disease, it's a fun concept... slowly wearing the opponent down with different abilities instead of the usual Power-House approach.
You go for the insects and I'll go for the reptiles eh?
Right now the only tips I have is to put some organization into this thread, it's pretty hard to read. Use some BB codes to make it easier to read.
____________
|
|
Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 10:57 PM |
|
Edited by Lexxan at 22:59, 05 Sep 2009.
|
Quote:
and not a single flying unit?
Well, beetles can fly, and the Worm can "fly" (but instead of moving over the units, it dives underneath them)
Btw: I had an Idea of a semi-insectoid Swamp town (with creatures like Rift Worm, Slimes, Moths, Larvey, Ants, Carnivorous plants, Troglodytes, and similar)
maybe that would be a better idea
____________
Coincidence? I think not!!!!
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 11:24 PM |
|
|
Hey Adrius I like the idea of a Snake Cult faction, good luck with it! Don't worry, no reptiles on my faction .
I'm new to the forums what do you mean by BB codes?
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 11:26 PM |
|
|
Bold, italics, Underline, fonts, smiles
Like, Example given: [ b][ /b] for Bold, etc.
That are BB codes
____________
Coincidence? I think not!!!!
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 11:32 PM |
|
|
Ok I'll add more of that, colors, italic and such.
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
|
|
posted September 05, 2009 11:33 PM |
|
|
Just makes it easier to read.
____________
Coincidence? I think not!!!!
|
|
KnightofHonour
Famous Hero
|
|
posted September 06, 2009 12:38 AM |
|
|
Changed the overall look of the first post. Is it better?
Question: is it possible to add links in the text to other parts of the same post?
____________
Asha uses all
|
|
Mytical
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Chaos seeking Harmony
|
|
posted September 06, 2009 09:08 AM |
|
Edited by Mytical at 09:09, 06 Sep 2009.
|
I like the idea and work put into this. Maybe a tad overpowered, but that is just personal taste. I will suggest one thing, but feel free to ignore it.
For Warmachines..consider the tent. Maybe even replace it with the tad overpowered ballista. Something like
Tent - Nest. 3 rounds after healing a insect stack 10% of the stacks number 'hatch' onto the feild. The first round they have 1 hp, 1 attack, 1 defense, 10 init, 10 speed, and do 1 damage. The second they have 1/2 of the healed insects stats (except init and speed which are still 10), and the third they have full stats of the stack that was healed. They do not have any special abilities that the original stack might have. They last only until the end of combat.
While this CAN get overpowered, most players would not leave them long enough to 'mature'.
____________
Message received.
|
| |
|
|
