As always, Heaven's Fall aspires to have a unique set of art assets to enhance the experience of the mod, while keeping it true to the style of the Warcraft 3 Engine. We've sought to continue this effort over the past year, creating various assortments of new and updated creatures.
Zear Fallen: Revisited
As progress continues on the Risen, the decision was made to make a few of the Zear Fallen units a little more unique to the Zear Theme -- such as the Sky Cannon, which was getting to look too much like the Rotsteel themed units of the Risen.
Sky Cannon
Description
This new epic-looking Sky Cannon lends itself a little more towards the Orc feel. It has a cannon mounted on the front with unique and interesting animations specific to its Attack One and Attack Two, the siege missiles and the energy blasts.
Spell Shifter (WIP)
Description
Although this picture only represents a concept art model that is not yet polished, it is an attempt to research into what the Zear Spell Shifter might look like with a bit more unique island-tribal flare to his design. If, or when, this model is implemented, the core function of the Spell Shifter caster will probably remain the same.
Encampment (WIP)
Description
Efforts were made here to make the Zear Encampment look a little more homely and solid. The Zear Fallen are nomadic people, prone to moving their civilization in search of their goals, but this doesn't stop them from building a decent looking home for themselves.
This artwork was made to maintain the "we live in tents, we're nomads!" feel while adding in a little more of the orc-base style to make the artwork a little more native to Warcraft 3 and suitable for the planned upgrading animations.
Freezing Legion: Revisited
The unit balance team, busily at work with the Risen, hasn't yet caught up to some of the aspirations for improving the Freezing Legion experience both as a player using the race, and fighting against it. However, it's been a known fact that the Icelord and Legion Grandmaster can be like a twin pair of badly-modeled, overpowered nuisances from the mod's older days.
Legion Grandmaster
Description
This model's been revealed once before, but the Balance Team has yet to fully complete his hero data. Nevertheless, a flashy new Legion Grandmaster is in store for the future Freezing Legion.
Frostwolf
Description
These friendly 1st-tier wolves have gotten a visual upgrade, mostly because ideas were thrown around in the Creative Design Team about making a beast hero that unified the themes of the Polar Bears and Frostwolves even further, and who could replace a hero slot from the Icelord and Legion Grandmaster as they are blended into one new epic hero. The beast hero has yet to leave the think tank and become a reality, but the new and exciting Frostwolf art is a part of that process.
Contributions to the Neutral Hero Team:
While the progress on the Risen continues, efforts have also been made to try to help the Neutral Hero Team fulfill the vision for the new neutral hero system in Heaven's Fall. With that, new neutral heroes are always being added to match the interests and ideas of various designers.
Tauren Juggernaught
Description
The Tauren Juggernaught is a proud and capable fellow, who wears a dauntingly powerful set of armor but also is without a decent weapon. His abilities, the Neutral Hero Team tells us, are already mostly implemented, and consist of things like Taunt, a Defensive Stance, and the power to regenerate health while in combat.
Wurmcrusher's Hovel
Description
A proposed new source of neutral heroes, this model recycles the existing to-be-replaced Zear Fallen Encampment model into a new and differently designed setup that could serve as a training camp for future neutral heroes.
The Risen
To be sure, the team is well aware that what you've all really been waiting for is the true, completed implementation of the Risen. Here on the 3D Artwork Team, we'd like to unveil some of our creations towards that end!
Plague Doctor
Description
This epic-looking hero has a model that speaks for itself. Naturally, he is a champion of the plague-based units, and he walks the earth carrying his plague-seeping golden chalice as it dangles back and forth in fully-animated glory that we here at the 3D Artwork Team are proud to present. As is evident, this hero is one of the true champions of the Risen.
The Annihilator
Alternate Land-Cannon Form
Barrel of Bones (WIP - Projectile & Unit)
Barrel of Plague (WIP - Projectile & Unit)
Description
The rotsteel Annihilator is a mighty air-siege unit capable of decimating enemies with the powers of rotsteel, bones, and plague combined. Upgrades from the Reanimation Facility and Cauldron of Contagion will allow this magnificent machination of destruction to fight by either dropping plague barrels or bone barrels upon enemies.
Risen Zombie
Description
The Risen stand apart and unique from the undead Scourge and Forsaken. This is a picture of what a zombie in the Risen's ranks will look like.
Skeletal Crawler
Description
The Skeletal Crawler is getting a visual upgrade from the WIP included in the current build of the mod, and you all are in for a treat! This new crawler comes complete with burrowing animations, and will have the ability to tunnel beneath the ground to become a trap-ward type unit. The burrowed crawler then will release a series of creepy crawler claws from beneath the ground, grabbing at surprised enemies in the area who step in the trap.
Invasion Skeleton
Description
With the ever-increasing population of Undead in the Risen, it was right and necessary that more variations of skeletons be present to allow players to differentiate by eye which of their forces have which stats and abilities.
Huntsman's Trap
Description
The Rotsteel Hunstman's single-target aimed shot was deemed by the balance team to be a little too strong, and in the battle for better stats and abilities the idea was had to give the Rotsteel Hunstman his own trap ability, which leaves behind the trap shown above. The trap model is fully modeled to actuate, clamping upon enemies as they tread unknowingly across the land.
An Investigation: Race 8
A member of the 3D Artwork Team thought it would be fun to doodle for an evening to investigate possibilities for future races. Although these are just WIP ideas that do not necessarily actually reflect future Heaven's Fall content, here are some more concept drawings:
Furbolg Tribe: Perhaps Timbermaw?
Description
These friendly and intelligent furbolgs have a catapult made from a mushroom stalk and some tree limbs. As you can see, they mine their gold with big-headed Furbolg Pups. You know those pups are too cute to die!
The Titanweld
Description
This race of mechanized beings, created by the Titans before time itself, could play an intrinsic part in the Heaven's Fall campaign storyline and the tale of why the ancient relics created by the titans have finally fallen to the surface of the world.