New Content Discussion [SPOILER]

[Plantpaladin]

I don't think we'll see anymore of the bonelords before they appear against the orcs since I don't see Gorthog being killed off so quick and there's only so much they can genocide before they reach the orcs (and since it's kind of a sneak attack, I don't think they'll engage some orcs prematurely)

My guess would be it's a fight with the souleater legion involving Ornasion or something else completely involving Haran tel Kazor since it's been a while since we've seen him. I wonder if it'll have a link with the plague in Rengar mentionned in the short stories (I don't think we know exactly when it started).

Undead vs Demon like Dead Forest sure. Dark elves vs Demon would be something new.
If we cant progress bonelord storyline then what is the characters not linked to the "rebels" doing in the meantime?

 

[Jayborino]

Why did I do this:

Current Faction Statuses of Arkain (Human stuff done as of now)

Faction Statuses of Arkain [SPOILER]

I am actually up-to-date for once, so here are the factions and their current statuses in an effort post that is driven by what can only be described as mental illness. Please discuss so we can make this proper and accurate, thank you! First pass here is through Dogs of War in Act 8 for the...

www.hiveworkshop.com

 

[Jayborino]

Made a big update to my above Factions thread, I'd appreciate any input over there! This isn't a double post, it's been a day.

Anyone ever think that Maronogin prioritizes money because he actually makes his Demon Slaves rich after promising them wealth?

 

[Plantpaladin]

Impressive work Jayborino, Ejara nexus vs Dwarves in the future?

 

[Shar Dundred]

Today is the day.

 

[Zergy]

Are we going to play with new Toys in the Undead faction?

Also you better explain to me what happened to the Pigmen??? Cause Jayborino is assuming that they got wiped out...

 

[Jayborino]

Are we going to play with new Toys in the Undead faction?

Also you better explain to me what happened to the Pigmen??? Cause Jayborino is assuming that they got wiped out...

If we get more info, I'll update the faction in my post. From my perspective, they no longer exist. Gorthog is off to do something new and no one else is looking for the Pigmen. Coupled with the burning/destroyed huts, I think they are gone for the purposes of the story even if they aren't actually outright extinct.

 

[Karmondia]

R.I.P. Destroyer. This chapter actually made me like Okri!

I'm calling it, Vanessa will become the new chieftan of the Goldaxe clan, now that Dogran is dead.

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

My review of the mission:

• Lady Meya is planning the fall of the bonelords! I now have the idea that she will stab them in the back during the Risen resistance and then she'll be killed by them or Aridon for disobey him. Either way, now she's one of my favorite undead.
• Aridon's dislike for the orcs is starting to annoying me. Poor Ejara nexus, after all the work they put in the Nerogs and their other orc experiments, now they are forced to cut the cattle u_u
• Farewell Dogran. You may be a mercenary, but you own my respect. I wonder Maronogin's reaction after learn of one of his champion's dead.
• I don't expect that demonic machine to follow the Destroyer to Salria. Surely he pissed it off.
• Now we know his true name. Rest in peace, mighty Destroyer. Even when I considered you one asshole orc, you proved me wrong.
• I wonder, since Vanessa is back, she could be in charge of the Goldaxe clan for a time, or at least in the new Risen resistance alongside uncle Hortnog.
• When the clans learn about Gorthog's new form... Oh boy.

Gameplay:

• Haran's boni was my choice.
• Since orc structures have pikes, I used ranged units and spellcaster to deal with the enemies. Try to tank with Haran and use Meya's death coil to heal him when its needed.
• You may use one of your banshees to take control of one of the enemy workers. Yoy already know why...
• I destroyed all enemy bases except for the goblins. There is paths that can guide you to the Cliffhunter and Bloodhand bases.
• When faced the demonic machine, uses the ghouls that spawm to make it easier.
• And don't forget: Explorer the map.

A good mission, with many things to think and speculate. Good job as always for the team.

 

[Kaftarepir]

I really liked the mission shar well done my man!
As I hate the Orcs I wanted to see them Eradicated but seeing second quest to rescue them by the machine was really unexpected and amazing.
nice one!

 

[Plantpaladin]

Went with riders + Banshees(Boni) + Catapults, lots of good stuff to posess. You can break through the enemy lines with some possesion and catapults. Be careful with riders so they dont get killed attacking building. Use catapults and possesed orcs(u get gold on attacks).

 

[LISBOAH]

End of Act Eight
-So it's confirmed that the Ejara created those creatures by mixing Orcs with Nerubians. Pity we didn't have access to them in this mission.
-Meya is right. The Scarec Nexus has 0 imagination.
-Dogran's talk with Meya was so polite that it left me speechless. Him being trained by a demon clearly worked. RIP Dogran.
-I would have to say that the Demon Machine arriving out of nowhere was subtle plot armor. Okri would be killed by the endless waves of undead hadn't it arrived.
-I wonder if Meya will play a role in how the Bonelords will be defeated. Maybe she will ensure that the reinforcements that were meant to support went somewhere else.
-I actually want for the Bonelords to be defeated. Are we certain that they aren't ancestors of the same people that compose the Golden Guard?

I don't expect that demonic machine to follow the Destroyer to Salria. Surely he pissed it off.

I find this a bit convenient.

• Now we know his true name. Rest in peace, mighty Destroyer. Even when I considered you one asshole orc, you proved me wrong.

He at least knew what he was.

• When the clans learn about Gorthog's new form... Oh boy.

He is isolated now. He's now a Mog'thar, and both of his fellow co-conspirators are dead. Amari can now get rid of him.

You may use one of your banshees to take control of one of the enemy workers. Yoy already know why...

You really think that Aridon would let living orcs among his own ranks, even if they are possessed?

• I destroyed all enemy bases except for the goblins. There is paths that can guide you to the Cliffhunter and Bloodhand bases.

Same. I didn't want for my undead to be filled with bullets for no reason. My allies of the Zirr Nexus on the other hand...

• When faced the demonic machine, uses the ghouls that spawm to make it easier.

That fight was actually somewhat easy. I only required to use two of the Restoration Runes around.

 

[Lazarator]

What a great new map. It was a good challenge to destroy all lot of those orc bases and maintaining the income of gold from them, especially since there are consistent waves of enemy attacks as soon as I finish building Haunted Goldmine and a Necropolis. The three enemy bases that have been giving me the issues are the centaur base, the Goldaxe Clan base and the Goblin base. Man, that Goblin base had too many troops and it was heavily fortified. I had to go around and destroy the Destroyer's base first and build my secondary base camp there in order to destroy the Goblin base from behind, while the allied AI kept them busy on the front line. Poor Destroyer, though. At least he died the way he lived and expected to die - like a true warrior. #R.I.P.DESTROYER

 

[Jayborino]

F to pay respects. Our boy Dogran got some lines!!!! Good map that is really tying the Undead in appropriately. So the main Cliffhunter armies took a big hit (minus Skullblade but they also now lack a chieftan)... just in time for our other two separated groups to come back for the big climactic battle for Salria

Does Brokta even know where to go? Rangul is dead and Vanessa yeeted herself away. And sure, there's some doubt among the Undead, but it's not like they can do anything about it. 8 Acts and none of the original Nexuses have changed much at all except Scarec getting the Bonelords.

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

You really think that Aridon would let living orcs among his own ranks, even if they are possessed?

Whatever that old sack of bones thinks, we shouldn't care

 

[nchp1903]

Holy shit I finally cleared it. I went in expect an easy no-build mission, but instead get a lot of stuff thrown into my face, and took me a while to get back my tempo.

That, and I wasted even more time to destroy Destroyer's base with Destroyers. It was worth it.

Alright, here's the review.

Spoiler

GAMEPLAY:

• Good starting army, with everything fully upgraded to boot. The Rohir Nexus really is generous.
• Haran's Boni is the right choice here, providing the Undead with a strong ground-based ranged attacker, because Crypt Fiends just won't cut it. For that reason, I picked Meya's Boni.
• It is crucial to deal with Flammedus and his fiery boys first, so that Tremalon will not be distracted be able to match the first wave against the Bloodhand and the Blackaxe on his side. If not, they will swarm in and destroy his Black Citadel. Plus, Possessing a few Khans and Impalers are pretty damn good.
• Workers/Peons could build Bestiary to train Frostbringers. But why bother, when you already have Frost Wyrms? If they have Slow Poison instead of Frost Attack, I'll consider it. Then again, they're Frostbringers, not Poisonbringers.
• The Goldaxe were so annoying. Amidst the chaos, it's hard to deal with Dogran's Mirror Image and Bladestorm, and if I left my base for too long, the bloodlusted Goldseekers would shred through my buildings like butter.
• I had a bright idea of stealing them for myself, but holy shit, Spiked Barricades are so broken. Plating of Seekers doesn't mitigate the spikes' damage either, so I had to go for Frost Wyrms and Banshees.
• Killed a few Salrians in hiding for shits and giggles, and the Hero dropped a Ring +4. Meya already had a +5, so kinda useless.
• With Goldaxe and Flammedus taken care of, I secured the expansion and deal with the Blackaxe. The Witch Doctors were their strongest assets, but with Possession, they turned into my source of free healing. Even took a few Warlords for their Trueshot Aura.
• With the Blackaxe gone, the Bloodhand expansion got fucked by Tremalon and his overpowered spellcasters. I lended a hand to help speed up the process.
• To get to the Cliffhunter with ground units, I had to either get through the Goblins or take the long bottom path. I was too lazy for both, so I sniped both the Goblin's Fortress and Okri's Fortress with Frost Wyrms. The goblins' strongest units (Cannon Towers, Shredders, Pyromaniacs, Rocketeers) couldn't hit air units, and since Warmech can't use Air Form because A.I reason, their anti-air was bad.
• Towards the last Bloodhand base, and that's how the screenshot above comes into life.
• The boss fight was kinda boring. The Eliminator could use its Twin Shockwaves thing, but other than that, Okri could just Mana Burn it and take the free win. As if that was not easy enough, Tremalon sent in two fresh batches of Ghouls, through the fire, to distract the Eliminator. Best commander since Lerrig.

STORY:

• Meya seemed to have more freedom of thoughts and expression compared to the others like Haran, and her personality is more fleshed out now. The lore entries being read from her perspective instead of a Rasi scholar is also fun.
• She is also interested in both Dogran and Okri? New ship has arrived, boys.
• Also, too few funny lines from Tremalon. And Destroyer said nothing to Meya and Haran. I would expect him to be more aggressive.
• Dogran showed up to speak a few lines, informing us of events we've already known, then died shortly after. Chad.
• The last scene with the Eliminator arriving was very surprising to say the least. Such a strong war machine, and Kersidar let it run loose like that to chase after a single Orc? He's either arrogant, uncaring, or had more Eliminators in his pocket. The trope of "a boss from an early chapter becomes a regular mob in the late game", and all that.
• in the end, Okri was knocked far away, and Destroyer gained a massive attack speed boost to draw the Eliminator's attention from Okri, then finished it off.
• The Bonelords wanted the Zirr and Ejara to fight alongside them, but then they blamed Haran for taking the Orc's corpses. Meya was pissed, understandably, and she let Okri escape, probably to inform Amari of the current events, so that they can be more well-prepared against the Bonelords. Let's see how long Sas can remain alive.

DESTROYER:

• Yes, I dedicated a whole section to talk about him.
• He said he's changed, and while I'm not sure how, I can indeed speculate. I think the traits that stay the same is that, he still wants to be a vanguard in every fight, he wants glory, he hates cowards, but most importantly, like Ishzog said, he don't want to be forgotten. However, the method of which he achieved that is the thing that changed. At first, he wanted to carve a legacy by partaking in the invasion, to make the Humans remember his name in fear. But now, at his moment of death, it seems that he wants to be remembered as a warrior who fights bravely in the last moment, and sacrifices himself to protect the next generation of warrior, which is why he calls Okri "strong little Okri", and also why she forgives him.
• I might be digging too deep into this, but a lot of generic Golden Guards thugs are Heroes, but a major character like Destroyer is not. We know how a hero got a Name (or Title) and a Proper Name, like Gardon Bloodclaw, the Warmonger for example. But since his name is revealed at the end, it makes a nice twist, because back then, when he wants to be remembered, he wanted them to remember The Destroyer, but now he wants them and especially Okri, to remember him as himself. He's also modeled after a Champion, so perhaps, it means to say that, he's not and never will be a Hero, but he will always be a champion.

 

[Plantpaladin]

Adding kill order. and some more details.
Get to 100 and then get the Goldaze base right after their attack.
Continue with Centaurs which is hard but doable with enough banshees. Southern bases is a joke in comparison with ally support, retreat melee and heroes early because your ally can tank after initial push.
You can actually move base to Bloodhand because defending original base is a pain with going around as it takes time and you need to use shift for every move.

Did try out Haran's Boni and thought it was ok, banshees is still MVP. Keep at least one commander up for the aura, build 3. Always be ready to hit hold position of melee group if there is no units to fight.
Keep the duo of healing/mana statues up, you can get great casters and u need heal for orc. Keep 4 catapults for destroying buildings.
Retreat your melee and heroes once the enemy army is dead while attacking bases, finish off with ranged, siege and banshees. This will get them home in time to defend.

Story: Navy45 got the Haran guess and I got the Orc guess. Half right both of us.
Logical that other Nexus support the Bonelords. Gonna miss Destroyer
Weird that the bonelords use plural when refering to Aridon.
No more Banshees in the future against orcs? ;( Probable reason they'll lose.

 

[Navy45]

Just finished the new chapter :

Gameplay :

• Quite big macro mission (according to LoA standards, it would be gigantic anywhere else). Your ally is quite competent (not enough to do anything by himself but still... good support).
• A really great occasion to use Meya's boni considering how many enemies are susceptible to possession (especially the centaurs and goldaxe : big units like the khan and the bodyguard without the stun of the stasis ward). Though the mission is probably doable with other strategies considering the units we have access to (an aerial armada would probably be quite effective as well)
• I like the back entrances to the cliffhunter and dark troll bases (even though I didn't end up using either because reinforcing was easier by going up north.
• I ended up not attacking the goblins because they were purely defensive and I thought they would be involved in the second quest... probably passed an item or a tome there.

Story :

• I didn't think Aridon sent anyone, other than the scarec nexus, into salria, and this mission illustrated why. It is an extremely dumb move. The scarec have almost not synergies with other nexi. Well.. it's not like making stupid decisions because of arrogance and a lack of basic understanding of the actors in place is a character trait of Aridon ^^
• The destroyer died... the dominion has lost something great today (I'm a bit sad that he didn't get to solo one of the Bonelords because he would definitely have reduced them to bone meal). Though not very cool for Okri to not offer her mount when the Destroyer's legs stopped working.
• Funny how the demons didn't think to give their machine the ability to disengage a target. Still, the Souleater's heavy hitters are becoming scarse.
• Poor Dogran got more characterization in fights than in cinematics. Well at least it was one hell of a last stand (easily the most powerful hero on the map)
• So Meya has been dismissed. I wonder if she'll join the action in Kerrel (and on what side). Perhaps she'll get her wish after the bonelords fail... or perhaps things will get even more interesting.

 

[Enki555]

And, to think about all twists:
-Lots of ppl ranked Meya low but I can see how she is now accepted as mid A-tier to perhaps low S-tier. She is perhaps one of the most "free-willed" undead if we need to term her that way. Perhaps she can be in league with Rahandir, Saphira, Mordin and mbe even Keera and Krom... oh, the watcher's flock shall know discord and be rife with it... how unfortunate. And the faction sheet penned from her pov is a fun to read. And it seems she is rlly into manliness (smth I relate to sans shade of doubt wink). Dogran and Okri stood good chance of becoming her special treatment along with centaurs (they r feisty indeed, so careful) ... and there should be line 'twixt her and Destroyer. Also, agree with u fully, Meya: Scarec is devoid of any fun as there is no joy in naught but bones! The clash of pride 'twixt Rohir and Scarec... that nailed a coffin in defeat of Bonelords (thy folly be afore harvest as flesh is life not bones) quite likely.
-The last interaction 'twixt Meya and Bonelords... and that spelled fatal mistake for Scarec. And the price to pay for rejecting Rohir would be thy harrowing defeat. Perhaps Rohir reinforcements supposed to aid Scarec might find 'emselves diverted to another warfront thro' Meya (perhaps with Ironfist along Saphira and Krom). And perhaps RIP Haran & Tremalon; that's what the fates have store for you... can't wait for Risen Resistance! Wonder if Ardoz will join Scarec, Zirr Ejara & Lenira... with Daviliad entrenched in Dead Forest, Splecir & Rohir aiding Ironfist, Kezzar possibly deployed to thwart Demons and their slaves... odds are hard to predict. The insider info provided even the supposedly perfectly united force can fracture. The exile of Rohir was a fatal mistake... without spies, no wonder Bonelords lost.
-RIP Dogran & Destroyer... or perhaps we could see u again in undeath soon as prominent undead orcs remains to be seen or Aridon's prejudice goes far to deprive himself of varied host? We can expect those: skeletal troll, skeletal centaur, obv skeletal orcs, skeletal goblins (hopefully there is model), skeletal bearmen (model present?) etc. Vanessa could now be chieftain of Goldaxe for a while and Maronogin's reaction remains to be seen... and I portend Hortnog to die soon, another blow to Vanessa.
-And to see Okri surviving from clever plot armor was delightful and

Spoiler

daddy

Destroyer landed to A-tier to me. Okri is perhaps one of the most sensible characters and fleshed out well as Meya. Ah Destroyer... you will be remembered, and forgiveness was quite wholesome. And to see that horrid golem finding its way out... is that one prototype from Forge of Kazgaroth (forgot the name)? Or does that imply Souleater nearby? The boss fight was piece of cake and ghouls were just pawns for ez victory. Tremalon is no general it must be quoth (-O' my Ras disguise shed...).
-Let's summarize the logistics of war: Zirr perhaps the weakest nexus in terms of defense as seas of crimson & puce can lay waste to its pathetic base. It must be recommended that Demon Slaves corpses purchased from Kezzar (very 1st SUB mission) can play a part in future update. Ejara should've brought latest batch of nerogs as a spice to demoralize orcs; perhaps new Ejara caster be introduced as a replacement for necromancer? The melee units should be shirked as casualties shall tally in siege, and spamming frost wyrms is crucial when taking out goblins (in fact, at all bases except trolls where anti-air defense is satisfactory). Make sure to leave some to defend Zirr when taking out bases or else it would end in failure. Perhaps Scarec sending some reinforcements after first base is destroyed? Anyway, sneaking behind Cliffhunter & Bloodhand is ideal and the victory can be seized. It will be infernal tho until taking out two bases (especially in Insane) and failed three times with Zirr destroyed and only managed to grind on 4th attempt. The ideal boni was broodmothers as bases needed constant push but haven't attempted banshee strat. Wonder if it's worth it..
-Once again, twisty Arkain awaits. Well done, team

 

[Karmondia]

I've beaten the new chapter on Hard.

Here are some thoughts:

• As nchp1903 said, Haran's bonus is the correct choice here... of course I picked Meya's (Possessing the enemy is fun)!
• Goldaxe is a beast, that you have to take out early, or you will get overwhelmed.
• The Goblin Federation's base is very well defended, breaking through it is very hard and not worth it. (I still did it though.)
• I made the mistake of possessing the peons of the Bloodhand clan. After I took out two bases, the mission refused to let me continue. It was like I didn't destroy the Bloodhand clan completely. After 7 minutes of looking around the map, checking if I missed a building or something, I realized that the possessed peons are actually still "part" of the Bloodhand base, so I had to kill them.

 

[Shar Dundred]

I don't expect that demonic machine to follow the Destroyer to Salria. Surely he pissed it off.

You don't run from the Eliminator.
Act Eight ended the way Act Four did: With a battle between the Eliminator and the Destroyer.

So it's confirmed that the Ejara created those creatures by mixing Orcs with Nerubians

There were doubts about that?

The boss fight was kinda boring. The Eliminator could use its Twin Shockwaves thing, but other than that, Okri could just Mana Burn it and take the free win. As if that was not easy enough, Tremalon sent in two fresh batches of Ghouls, through the fire, to distract the Eliminator. Best commander since Lerrig.

Try again now, I have fixed the boss fight's bugs.

She is also interested in both Dogran and Okri? New ship has arrived, boys.

And it seems she is rlly into manliness

Meya is interested in many things.

 

[nchp1903]

Try again now, I have fixed the boss fight's bugs.

Yep. Just tried it again, and it certainly feels much better now. Its attacks are more threatening, and it can use more triggered spells even when Okri burned all of its mana, which is always a good thing in boss fights than just letting them auto-attack. I guess the only thing that can be added to improve it is to give it a Phase 2 at 50%, which allows it to summon ranged minions, and uses more damaging spell.

Although, Meya may have donated a few items to Okri to trivialize the fight. Not sure if considered a bug, but still fun af.

Also:

Spoiler: Nice

 

[VastanX]

I really liked the new mission. My only "problem" was the lack of words when a base faction was destroyed. With all the "feel good" from Meya, I expected some words from her.

 

[Kasrkin]

Completed hard while also looking for any other problems.

 

[HuanJuan]

After finally released, and updated two times by Master Shar & His team, and I completed it two times. Here is my facts & stuff:

• Salrian Knight Hero "The Fox" had nothing to say, when he was finaly met with Salvation by death. He had a precious item ofcourse, but nothing more. He and his loyal soldiers made a last assault against the Cliffhunter clan, but no win, just massacre, failure.
• The goblins suprisingly stayed very defensive on the whole chapter, and they had nothing to say during battles. They are tough nut to crack on there. Their fortification was very formidable. Formidable was in the past. If they had the guts to counter attack us, we are probably had a very difficult situation here. Even if they switch active (assaulting us with attack waves), after the destruction of the forward bases of other clans. (Black Axe clan is with Grela, or they are not under one banner?)
• Only 3-4 enemy hero can be found on this map, from these only 2 of them has dialoges, and one of them has item drop.
• Haran'tel-kazor was now a level 8 hero on my side, but in this chapter he had no luck to improve his level. No experience was gained, no ability was upgraded.
• Interesting to see that The Destroyer is not a fully a-hole character, I mean, it was, but in the end: I'm gonna miss him. His skill - ensnare - can't able save him against his last enemy, because it has Resistant Skin. Sort of a sad end of his life, but he died as a true orc. (During Battle, yeah yeah, Okri killed it & burned it, because of Undead, Yaddi yaddi yada...)
• Bonelords are seriously cold hearthed. The undead is a miracle that they can stand united - for now -.

Ghouls can't come to help me duing the last part of the fight, second updated version of the chapter.

 

[Plantpaladin]

• Bonelords are seriously cold hearthed. The undead is a miracle that they can stand united - for now -.

Reason they stay united is that Haran'tel-kazor and other Undead raised by Aridon himself doesnt have free will to betray him. (cant find exact quote)
"I mean Aridon 100% would not have allowed that whole Forsaken thing to happen." "Shar Dundred"
The Undead and Dark Elves who do have free will dont seem to have enough courage to stand up to him.
Even Brian fears attacking him directly. Aridon is a failed god but he doesnt have the emotions of a child that eventually proves Arthas undoing.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

(I send before on wrong place) For the first time, i dont need the destructors to win Genethas, is possible win with normal units (And 3 cool dragons)!! This version is so better, i finally feeling the power of the mighty Golden Guard and overwhelmed/humilhated enemy base. I appreciate change of Renault summon a golen instead of aoe spell, fight against him was a nightmare specially in a bad terrain. I was really surprised that him "ressurrect" a Demon Lord, that's a nice concept, Renault is so much stronger than even SHB was show! The introduce of Renault sons was very interestly too (FINALLY A GOLDEN GUARD THAT IS NOT A 40º CAPTAIN MODEL!) I enjoy this chapter so much in this version!

 

[Zergy]

As promised, here's my Review of the Dogs of War and Shar Dundred's latest release. My apologies Council, I was aiding the master of Arkain pointing out the bugs in the latest releases. Now back to the topic of my promised review.

The Dogs of War Chapter:
The Gameplay and Map:
* The map is very memorable. No reliable source of Goldmine thus you have to rely on Workers to get some lumber or in other words 'Goblins Shredders' to commit deforestation in order to make a transaction to an invulnerable Orc harbor to exchange lumber for gold.

Lenard: Bet by the next map, which is we are going to fight Zoia's pirates and some remnants of the Dragon Regiments, the trees will come back and some Goldmines will be placed. It's strange though how trees magically grow back after cutting them down and 2 goldmines are placed on the island. Even though we haven't seen a single Goldmine on our first arrival.

Zergy: Yes, Lenard. Thank you for that insight now shut up and let me talk.

As I was saying. The map can be difficult at some point when trees become fewer and the travel time for workers between the forest and a lumber mill gets very far. So spend Gold wisely.

Lenard: But what about the Red Fist soldiers or Fire Golems that also Drop gold?

Why yes, Thank you for that Reminded! Lenard those Red Fist tyrants and their Blasted Golems do drop Gold, but it's unreliable.

The Factions:

The Gnolls: The Gnolls have been blessed by the Master of Arkain with huge buffs with Minor Nerfs to balance it...

Gnoll Brawlers - Are more Aggressive with the frenzy Ability, but sacrifice their Defend Ability. I prefer the Frenzy ability any time than a mediocre defense ability any time.

Gnoll Assassin- Although base damage feels like a tickle at first. But their Damage racks up pretty quickly in groups and add that with their poison bolts. A B-tier unit due to the fact that... it's very fragile.

Gnoll BloodHounds - Goodness Gracious Bloodhounds get a huge significant Buff to both combat prowess and unit Tier. Combat Prowess from a fragile combat Raider into an aggressive version of a Knight! Wolf Regiment got some Competition. From D tier to A! WOOF!

Gnoll priests - Have some mediocre healing output compared to troll witch doctors, but they do a pretty good job of maintaining the army's health. Plus add the fact they give this bastard a damage-boosting spell. Although it can be dispelled.

Lenard: Who cares, Zergy? That is a great SPELL! LET'S CAST IT AGAIN ANYWAYS!

Gnoll Mystics - They are disappointing to me now. The only gimmick that made them good in the first place was their Forked Lighting. Now they have been replaced with the bad spell, lighting shield. Sorry Shar but this unit has gone down to the toilet for me. I prefer brute force and direct Damage rather than disrupting enemies where I could just kill them with Armies overwhelming might.

The Redfist:

The Scarlet bastards are here once again to cause some story plot to happen. Good job Zelech. You did an awesome job... In convincing the Gnolls to join the orcs. Your racist walnut brain has forced the Gnolls to side with Orcs.

Lenard: We like to thank you for that. Also...

FUCK YOUR FIRE GOLEMS! I DO HOPE TO SEE THIS ARSE WHOLE TO BE BURNED BY HIS OWN SPELLS...

The Redfist is such a pain. Both in Combat and Attacks. Ugh! Their raids are so strong that they can break through the defense I've made. So I have to make a small defensive force just to stall them... Well at least they drop gold, just for me and Lenard to make new troops to bring them down once and for all.

Lenard: Also Zergy, remember to thank the Birdies that helped us kill the Redfist base.

Yes, Lenard. We couldn't have achieved the victory with out the Harpies.



Now on to...

To the latest Release - UTTER DESTRUCTION, the End of Act 8:

The Gameplay:

This mission is so much fun. I LOVE LONG MACRO MISSIONS. Destroying Enemy bases with a Smart AI ally to back you up and then. Just another relaxing mission, minus the counterattacks from the Orcs and Trolls and the Goblin BASE... Lost a lot of Good Seekers trying to break that base. Eventually, it did fall with the aid of Zirr Nexus and their leader, which is a bro, Tremalon.

Just note that if you combine your forces with the Zirr Nexus attacks a single base will Tremble to their Knees by the might of the Undead. Just try to have the patience to crack the Goblin base.

The Factions:

The Undead Rohir nexus - (Also, @ Shar Dundred, Thank you again for addressing the color Bug I report. It's a minor error, but at least you fixed it.)

Lady Meya, like what the other council members stated, is more flushed out in this Chapter. This is True, I can agree with her opinions about the Bonelords and their Arrogance. Plus, I do hope she will commit sabotage to fuck the Bone Lords... The BoneLord's beliefs are too radical for Arkain, even for Aridon's BALANCE. That Idiot Aridon...

It's surprising that the undead are still united with these kinds of Personalities in their ranks. Kinda reminds me of Duterte's Talk about the Philippine Police force and the topic of bad people posing as good people, lurking amongst the army.

Harentel Kazor - Still embodying the humble character I love, even though his mind is enslaved to the master... Still a very useful hero in terms of damage and tanking.

The Ejara Nexus: Their Spiders are so useful. Helped broke through the multiple bases that have organic units... It's just... The Goblins that pisses me off...

The Ending for the Act 8:

The Blood Hand clan is No More... Garfel you were everyone's favorite developed character. You died like a True Hero... I knew Garfel was gonna die but his death surprised me. The fight against that blasted Machine caught me off-guard. Even though the initial release has some trigger errors the overall fight was manageable even though Destroyer and Okri had some close calls...

You were once an Asshole, but ever since that chapter, I grew to like you... May your soul rest in piece.


Final Conclusion:
Act 8 is one the most thrilling acts I have ever played. Because it consists of the Ogre Legion and other exciting new exclusive chapters that fill the plot holes. No wait- One plot hole though... I remembered sorry. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE PIGMEN???!


Oh well anyways... The master of Arkain and his team have worked hard on these Acts and deserve months of rest. Until then... Looking forward to Act 9... The 2nd to last chapter that ties them all together...

Cheers!

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

Act 8 finished, that was a epic ending the last mission, finishing the plot of Destroyer, and giving us a great danger sense of what is coming. This entire act, the dominion suffer heavy losses, was Rangul, Ephrog, Gorthag (Even he was raised as a Moghtar), Lokar, Dogran, Destroyer, oh my God, 5 deaths and half! Shar Hundred was not joking when ask for who will death on the culling xD

I like that we seen more of Renault inner circle, that was his 3 son and 2 daughter, so much better than an generic Captain of Golden Guard, with Avatar skill. "Lords of Golden Guard" help me to like even more Renault character!

There is a interesting plot forming with Gorthag commanding the Mogh'tar, maybe have a chance of him save the Dominion of Bone Lords attack? Or in the future we seen him + someone to raid against the Dark One (Aedale? If Aedale control Lisara and take command that Mogh'tar that serves Lisara). I like Gorthag more now, than he is gaining more relevance in the plot!

And the missions on this act was more fun than i expected (Specially Lords of Golden Guard and Legion, that in the original was a nightmare for me to win!). Ansious for act 9!!

 

[Ahman]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?
I assume it should be Gardon, because his character is linked to more plotlines than Vandurce's character does.

 

[HuanJuan]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?
I assume it should be Gardon, because his character is linked to more plotlines than Vandurce's character does.

Obviously King Gardon & his allies is going to be the winner in that conflict. I'm not beliving blindly on it yet, but that's my ultimate assumption.

 

[Lazarator]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?
I assume it should be Gardon, because his character is linked to more plotlines than Vandurce's character does.

Agreed. Although in my opinion it's more likely that Gardon's army will emerge victorious, I am more excited to see how the final showdown between the Ironfist and Golden Guard will go down. Since there will be the undead on Gardon's side, I am hoping to see the Tribal Dominion taking part in laying siege on Renault's keep as well, since we get one chapter of orc campaign in SOB to fight against the Golden Guard...

 

[gaurdian of the flame]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?
I assume it should be Gardon, because his character is linked to more plotlines than Vandurce's character does.

I have a feeling that shar is going to Suprise us like he always do but personally i want van durce to win

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

I played the mission again, this time using Lady Meya's boni.
I advise you to attack the goblin base for one reason: Pyromaniacs and rocket launchers.
How to do it? I'll explain:
-Use siege units and gargoyles to attack a part of the base and cause the defenders to come out.
-Then use the banshees to take control of all you can, but be careful as they take a lot of damage and will most likely die trying.
-Be careful cuz some Knights spawn and attack the goblin base.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?

I am sure that Gardon will win, because Gardon have more to add to history with reborn of Ziyanor.

I advise you to attack the goblin base for one reason: Pyromaniacs and rocket launchers.

I attack goblins behind the base same time with the ally, Cliffhunter and Bloodhand was destroyed even before Goblin base in my gameplay

 

[LISBOAH]

Any idea on who's the winner in the conflict between Bloodclaw and Vandurce now that the story is heading towards a fixed ending?
I assume it should be Gardon, because his character is linked to more plotlines than Vandurce's character does.

Obviously King Gardon & his allies is going to be the winner in that conflict. I'm not beliving blindly on it yet, but that's my ultimate assumption.

I am sure that Gardon will win, because Gardon have more to add to history with reborn of Ziyanor.

There's an Arkain Timeline, made by Shar himself. Gardon wins and recreates Ziyanor.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

There's an Arkain Timeline, made by Shar himself. Gardon wins and recreates Ziyanor.

Yeah, i know, and Van Durce campaing against the emperor will fail even Aedale not be corrupted. Whoever what army the emperor have to his disposicion

 

[LISBOAH]

Yeah, i know, and Van Durce campaing against the emperor will fail even Aedale not be corrupted. Whoever what army the emperor have to his disposicion

What I find interesting is that in the True Story, the Emperor actually betrayed the Golden Guard. Whereas, in the SHB, the undead manipulated the message.
This means that, even if the Golden Guard were to defeat the Ironfist in the civil war, the Imperial Forces stationed in the coast would be prepared to deal with them and wouldn't be caught by surprise like they were in the SHB.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

This means that, even if the Golden Guard were to defeat the Ironfist in the civil war, the Imperial Forces stationed in the coast would be prepared to deal with them and wouldn't be caught by surprise like they were in the SHB.

And we know who wins because Golden Guard dont have stun for ultimate of the heroes that use starfall and tide spell xD

What I find interesting is that in the True Story, the Emperor actually betrayed the Golden Guard. Whereas, in the SHB, the undead manipulated the message.

That make more sense to me, Van Durce talk with his subordinated in Pride of Empire using hologram, why the emperor send a letter or a emissary? He talks directly to Van Durce make more sense, and give Van Durce total certain that he need to fight against the emperor in an near future if he win Gardon.

 

[HuanJuan]

That make more sense to me, Van Durce talk with his subordinated in Pride of Empire using hologram, why the emperor send a letter or a emissary? He talks directly to Van Durce make more sense, and give Van Durce total certain that he need to fight against the emperor in an near future if he win Gardon.

So Van Durce can communicate through Hologram, but the Emperor must send a vax sealed & Stamped, special brief message with a human messenger to Van Durce?

Ladies and Gentlemen, please find my brain pieces. Because it's just exploded.

 

[LISBOAH]

So Van Durce can communicate through Hologram, but the Emperor must send a vax sealed & Stamped, special brief message with a human messenger to Van Durce?

Ladies and Gentlemen, please find my brain pieces. Because it's just exploded.

I think the use of holograms is a True Story only thing.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

I think the use of holograms is a True Story only thing.

So Van Durce can communicate through Hologram, but the Emperor must send a vax sealed & Stamped, special brief message with a human messenger to Van Durce?

Its like Lisboah say, it's of True Story. But it's funny think about it, it's like you send mail in the era of internet!

 

[Mochi King]

So Van Durce can communicate through Hologram, but the Emperor must send a vax sealed & Stamped, special brief message with a human messenger to Van Durce?

Just realized this. Not sure if it's a plothole or something, but it does show that the emperor doesn't want to be seen as much. Since there were conjurers that were present in creating the hologram.

Still hoping for an undead civil war. The humans have it twice, and orcs had it once. I want that entire damn mountain quaking before the war of the nexus. Also hoping Aridon doesn't have too many tricks up his sleeve. That would kinda make the story boring (like the one where he died in game, but set up a spell to kill Ornasion and his legions). I just want him to hide after that war, and then decided to rest/watch from afar. His name is 'the Watcher' after all.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

Still hoping for an undead civil war. The humans have it twice, and orcs had it once. I want that entire damn mountain quaking before the war of the nexus. Also hoping Aridon doesn't have too many tricks up his sleeve. That would kinda make the story boring (like the one where he died in game, but set up a spell to kill Ornasion and his legions). I just want him to hide after that war, and then decided to rest/watch from afar. His name is 'the Watcher' after all.

I want too and i have hope, with Kazardius figuring out that Ziyanor still lives and will reborn as a nation, i like the idea of Rahandir lead a civil war against Aridon, unfortanelly i don't know plausible reasons to him do that unless Aridon betray him somehow (Maybe Aridon staying each more paranoic somehow and Rahandir lost his trust in him?), the interlude that Rahandir rise that Angelic as a undead give me hope of this, specially that Rahandir is the only undead really free of Aridon, and if he decides rebell, he maybe can use your own champions undead against him, i don't know who raised Saphira and Mordin, but if was Rahandir that make interestly. Have the dark elves too that is not a undead race, is just a race of the caves like the Caves Orcs, so there is something brewing.

A civil war in the undead will be interestly because they don't have losses in all True Story, they just winning, the only loss that they have was betrayal of Largoth, they have to retreat after killing Ornasius but they killed a Dreadlord, so they win, even if they need to scape of Souleater Legion. See the 8D chess of Aridon falling apart would be so much fun

 

[DD Mikasa]

So i got done with the latest chapter, and it was a plesant surprise and a change of pace from the slog "Dogs of war" was.
Gameplay wise, the chapter wasn't i would call it hard, i went with the most basic of army compositions and that worked wonders for me, 9 knights 1 captain to boost the defense, 2 frost wyrms, 2 catapults 2 obsidan statues and the rest were brood mothers.
-The brood mothers are kinda strong their parasite ability and their strong ranged attack make them fill two niches that of ranged attackers and that of necromancers spaming skeletons (for 1 less food supply ofc you miss access to unholy frenzy and cripple but still)
-The ally is quite helpfull, if you manage to combine the attacks with him, you will without a doubt manage to overwhelm any base that isnt made of goblins those fuckers are tough to crack, i choose to take the alternative rout and kill the two remaning bases without having to take out the goblin base, carefull though since there are so many orc bases it might happened that the ally base might get attacked when he has left to attack and it might get overwhelmed (especially if its attacked by two wave of enemies at the same time)

Story wise
I find it ironic that the demon construct chased destroyer all the way to salria only to be killed by him, abit anti climatic that destoryer got crushed by the falling debris though
So we're officially in that stage of the stroy when the majority of the introduced characters start getting culled left and right, how many are left from the old cast (the ones coming from the first book).
So what are the nexues really? Have they had always this much autonomy (they seem to engage in politics way more that you'd expect from creatures that are under the absolute controll of Aridon). At times it feels like they like messing each other up as much as they like messing the living up.

Also anyone miss Ornassion and the two headed ogre dude? They havent made an apparance IN such a long long time!

 

[MyPad]

Managed to catch up to the latest chapter as well, since I had to start all over from scratch.

End of Act 8 Scenario:

Meya and Haran prepare their combined forces on a frontal assault on the Orcs and their allies. Gathering 8 of Meya's finest knights, a lieutenant and 4 meat wagons, as well as Haran's broodmothers, with 2 frost wyrms to support them, Meya and Haran prepare to move out northeast. Little did they know how formidable the Goldaxe Clan could be.

After what seemed like an eternity of repetition (I'm sure Meya enjoyed it, but still), Meya found a winning strategy that would let her keep her toys intact. By assaulting Flammedus' forces, Meya and Haran can finally launch a sustained assault against the Goldaxe Clan.

Each and every member of Goldaxe Clan stationed there fought to their last breath. Among them was Dogran, a fierce axemaster, whose movements could easily fool enemies, and whose dance can tear them to shreds. After a long struggle, Dogran fell. It would not take long for the base to fall as well.

Haran, perplexed as to why Tremalon hasn't broken into the lines of the Bloodhand Clan encampment yet, suggested to Meya that they support the Zirr Nexus in their next assault. Delighted to play with such strong creatures, Meya agrees. Not soon after, the encampment was destroyed.

Next, Meya and Haran would plan to besiege the fortress of the Goblin Federation, but alas! Not even her knights can withstand the destructive capabilities of incendiary weapons. After sending some of her forces to be slain (massacred), Haran suggested that they rethink their strategy. Perhaps they could lean more into the Frost Wyrms as part of their assault force. Seeing no other choice, Meya agreed.

Days would pass. The fortress would stand for a while, until flying beasts with the power of frost would fill the skies. Frost Wyrms. During that time, Meya and Haran would realize that they would run out of resources, so they took out the Blackaxe Clan as well, making use of their treasures.

The goblins stood little chance against the cluster of Frost Wyrms that would lay waste to their fortress. Even with their technological prowess, they are still vulnerable to aerial assault. Pechan should've requested for more watch towers, it seems.

After the fortress fell, Meya and Haran finally can besiege the last two main camps, the Bloodhand Clan base and the Cliffhunter Clan base. As Meya and Haran began their final assault, Tremalon would come to support them. Their support was more than enough to shake the foundations of the two base camps, collapsing under their weight. Finally, they have succeeded. Yet, it seems that Meya has other plans.

-------------

Trapped with nowhere to go, Okri and The Destroyer are standing back to back against ghouls from every side. Preparing to fight, they slay each ghoul that would come to test their mettle. While doing so, they have not noticed burning rocks crushing the remainder of the ghouls.

Brian have mercy! It was the Eliminator (?)! Ruthless and unwavering, it stood before Okri and The Destroyer, as if it had a vendetta against the both of them. Readying themselves for a fierce battle, Okri and The Destroyer begin to swing at the Eliminator.

It was a well fought, arduous battle. Moments before its end, Okri fell. Weakened by exhaustion and desperation, she could only watch as the Eliminator would prepare to deal the final blow, but ... WHAT IS THIS?! The Destroyer, mustering his remaining strength, swings at the Eliminator with ferocious speed, relentless until the Eliminator is undone. As the Eliminator is destroyed, its collapsing structure fell on top of The Destroyer's legs, crushing them.

Surprised, Okri would come to the aid of The Destroyer, who would urge her not to bring him along, for he would just slow her down. The Destroyer would request Okri to deal the coup-de-gràce, if for nothing more than to be remembered for who he really is. Okri cannot bring herself to kill her savior, even if the one who had slain her kin was him. As The Destroyer's life slowly fades away, Okri would come to find forgiveness, remembering him for what he did on this day. Dealing a swift blow, another chieftain of the Bloodhand Clan falls.

-----------------

The Bonelords now demand their share of the corpses obtained in battle, as they have demanded it before the battle, even without their support. Meya would come to resent them, and even come close to blows before Haran held her back. The seeds of discord can now be felt in the "united" forces of the "Watcher", and perhaps they may bear unwanted fruit at the least opportune moment.

Ending Notes:

With all his foresight, Aridon Redfist is incapable of seeing his own flaws. The irrationality of his recent behavior, compounded by the lack of an equal to keep him in check would bleed into the "united" front of the Undead. We've seen a small part of this when he ... changed his mind on who shall lead the armies of the undead against the formerly living Ornasion and his Blooddrinker Legion (now Kezzar Nexus).

(Sorry, I forgot the real name of The Destroyer. Will edit once I recall it)

 

[DD Mikasa]

There's an Arkain Timeline, made by Shar himself. Gardon wins and recreates Ziyanor.

I think the timeline regarding that might have changes, while i have no doubts Gardon will prevail and establish his own empire, we might see the B cannon of the FHB also get some screen time itself, i am still in the mindset Shar did not introduce 5 new characters whith fully fleshed out stories and with important status to kill them off instantly. I think Van Durces progeny have their part to play in ATS. Who knows some of them even might survive ( i dont have much faith in this assumption).

I want too and i have hope, with Kazardius figuring out that Ziyanor still lives and will reborn as a nation, i like the idea of Rahandir lead a civil war against Aridon, unfortanelly i don't know plausible reasons to him do that unless Aridon betray him somehow (Maybe Aridon staying each more paranoic somehow and Rahandir lost his trust in him?), the interlude that Rahandir rise that Angelic as a undead give me hope of this, specially that Rahandir is the only undead really free of Aridon, and if he decides rebell, he maybe can use your own champions undead against him, i don't know who raised Saphira and Mordin, but if was Rahandir that make interestly. Have the dark elves too that is not a undead race, is just a race of the caves like the Caves Orcs, so there is something brewing.

A civil war in the undead will be interestly because they don't have losses in all True Story, they just winning, the only loss that they have was betrayal of Largoth, they have to retreat after killing Ornasius but they killed a Dreadlord, so they win, even if they need to scape of Souleater Legion. See the 8D chess of Aridon falling apart would be so much fun

Unless the head of the undead nexuses is cut that would mean the Watcher ITSELF, the chances of them descenting into a war is nearly impossible, as far as i know Rahandir is the only undead under Aridons service that fully retains free will, and he is quite zelous in his trust on the watcher (albiet his last apparence, showed his faith being shaken a little) Undead gonna have losses in the future, They loose in Salria, they fail to capture the cannon when Gardon fires it towards the demons, they also almost lost the Bloodbath against Ornassion (remember Aridon itself had to get involved in that fight, only to realise he could not deal with Kersidar, The irony is that if Kersidar had helped Ornassion, He would have defeated the Undead.

 

[Nicolas Warchief]

Unless the head of the undead nexuses is cut that would mean the Watcher ITSELF, the chances of them descenting into a war is nearly impossible, as far as i know Rahandir is the only undead under Aridons service that fully retains free will, and he is quite zelous in his trust on the watcher (albiet his last apparence, showed his faith being shaken a little) Undead gonna have losses in the future, They loose in Salria, they fail to capture the cannon when Gardon fires it towards the demons, they also almost lost the Bloodbath against Ornassion (remember Aridon itself had to get involved in that fight, only to realise he could not deal with Kersidar, The irony is that if Kersidar had helped Ornassion, He would have defeated the Undead.

I think that mission that we use the Purificator will only have demons as enemyes, like the orc version of using Purificator.

Because Bonelords will be defeated in Salria, the Dominion will not fight against Ironfist because Amari is discipule of Brian.

It's like "Lords of Golden Guard", without Darkming/Sasrogan, Undead Nexus.

But one think that we need to think, who is cappable to defeat Aridon? I think only Rahandir, because Brian is not strong enough to oppose directly Aridon, as we see him make a deal with Aridon to leave Gardon and Orcs in peace. And is improbable that Rahandir will betray Aridon

I wanna see more losses to undead, but significantly losses, like humans and orcs are suffering the entire series, only the Bonelords is not enough considering the size of undead army

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

I finished reading the new tale:

• I knew that something horrible would happen since the humans are the protagonists, especially those affiliated with Zyainor.
• Seeing as they have dragon eggs, these are probably the Ca'Rach.
• Poor swamp baby. For a moment I thought they would perform a ritual to turn him into a black dragon... but a much worse fate awaited it. What impotence and indignation to see the scene...
• I just hope there are swamp dragons still out there, somewhere." It would infuriate me to know that Zyainor has them under his control and on the brink of extinction.

Now I'll feel bad when the "Last stand of the Golden Guard" happens. So sorry, but I can't side with Bloodclaw and the new Zyainor in this.

 

[Plantpaladin]

Ironfist is a faction loyal to Gardon who is a complete fanatic. Here he shows how far humanity has fallen in order to survive in this harsh world. Aridon is meditating but might wake at every moment, the Empire and demons will probably return even after their defeat. Dwarves are no longer allies and the orcs are at an uneasy peace.