Elf infantry - ANSWERED

[Sunrise Samurai]

As per suggestion, here is a topic to discuss the currently puny and overpriced elf melee infantry. My input is that the main roles are already taken by wolves, being cheap and numerous, and ents, which can tank and smash buildings. This being said, let the infantry instead be specialized into fast, elite units that have defined roles and higher cost of say 5 to go with decent health. The warrior keeps the spear, and gains a shield with a javelin spell to kill archers and gains pierce armor. This makes it a skirmisher and spearman in one with higher cost and value. The swordsmen gains a second attack per turn with normal armor and has bonuses set against other infantry. This would mean an elf swordsman is meant to combat swarms of swordsmen and spearmen rather than buildings.

[The Pendulum]

I've already started redesigning the elven swordsman with Coolguys help, even though he doesn't know it yet.

Now, I've taken some liberties with the swordsman and -basically- what I'm trying to do is make her a sort of Chainmail (mithril?) clad swordsman; my idea is to give her the look of a frontline (hold the line) kind of swordsman). This will make much more sense when I finish the art and polish it a little but, but I love the idea of the warrior having a shield and javelin. That being said, it's been very tough drawing shields for Elves for a few reasons. One: I don't know where to really take inspiration from. Are we going for a LOTR look where elven fighters can go from tree warriors (archers) to battle ready fightersthat we see on the front?

Could we keep the green tunics the archers have, and change the warrior and swordsman to have mithril chain mail? I will gladly redesign the warrior and swordsmen, though it might take me longer than some.

For now I've started drawing a more shield on the swordsman while slightly altering her stance to appear less rigid and more like she's leaning into an attack.

I really like the idea of Elven swordsman being line infantry so to speak,with warriors veiny part skirmishes, part spearwomen.

[Sunrise Samurai]

From the earliest posts to the later ones I can find, most of the inspiration has been from LOTR, so I see no reason to break that now. Even the new hero units come from it.

[The Pendulum]

From the earliest posts to the later ones I can find, most of the inspiration has been from LOTR, so I see no reason to break that now. Even the new hero units come from it.

Excellent! The swordswomen redesign is making good progress; I've been going to and fro, back and forth on this one. I'll post that one later today to see what we all think.

[The Pendulum]

Alright. I have two versions of the Elven Swordsmen redesign. Let me know which ones you like better, and what you like and dislike about them. P.s. My shadowing needs a little bit of work, of that, I am aware.

p.s. added the Elven Warrior redesign: included javelin on her back, recolored her tunic to silver to reflect mithril chainmail, did some other funky things too.

[Sunrise Samurai]

For the swordsman, maybe do it as a double sword thing instead of a shield

[Stratego (dev)]

they look cool!
i dont know the elven sword shape - we should vote for the one that looks elfish

[Alexander82]

I'd like two scimitar-like swords
Unless we want to add an additional dual wielding unit we might make the elven swordman some sort of sword dancer with two attacks

[The Pendulum]

How about what you guys said for two units; so we'll have one swordsmen with a shield,and another unit the other as a dual wielding sword dancer? I quite like my swordsmen design (i love it, actually) and frankly, don't feel like pissing away about 4 hours of poking pixels.

As someone suggested, we can keep the revamp swordsmen design (with shield) and then add another swordsmen type unit. It just doesn't make sense that any army would muster an army composed of melee infantry with nothing in their off hand, or with two swords. That's not to say we can't have a "special ops" style dual wielder, with two attacks though. Perhaps we can give the swordsmen with shields a "spell" too? Maybe something defensive, like "Shield phalanx" for +1 armor at the cost of ending their turn?

After all, we're taking inspiration from epic sagas like LOTR, and I'm pretty sure the Elven army used shields from time to time. If not, then why can't we have one anyways? Pretty sure there isn't a racial restriction in shields for humans and orcs only! ;D

[Sunrise Samurai]

Lol I think here's another idea for shield phalanx. Grants +1 to both types armor to all adjacent units naturally, and another +1 if it uses the spell ability. Both stack with each other and other copies of themselves, but don't effect the host unit. A wall of these side to side would have +4 armor while advancing, except the 2 ends, which would be at +2. An army in formation could give +8 to interior units, though it would be unlikely to have anything attack the inside anyway. Mind you, the bonus cuts in half when they attack.

[The Pendulum]

Lol I think here's another idea for shield phalanx. Grants +1 to both types armor to all adjacent units naturally, and another +1 if it uses the spell ability. Both stack with each other and other copies of themselves, but don't effect the host unit. A wall of these side to side would have +4 armor while advancing, except the 2 ends, which would be at +2. An army in formation could give +8 to interior units, though it would be unlikely to have anything attack the inside anyway. Mind you, the bonus cuts in half when they attack.

I think that much armor would make them invincible, especially with wizards aura healing. Would also have to remove the swordsmen's healing ability too since they get all that armor. Besides, I think the healing should be reserved for lighter units/skirmishers/special ops style units anyhow. But that's just my opinion.

Are we all in agreement about two separate units for the elven sword infantry? One for sword and shield, the other for dual swords?

Edit: meant might be too much for interior units.

[draakjee]

I think that much armor would make them invincible, especially with wizards aura healing. Would also have to remove the swordsmen's healing ability too since they get all that armor. Besides, I think the healing should be reserved for lighter units/skirmishers/special ops style units anyhow. But that's just my opinion.

Are we all in agreement about two separate units for the elven sword infantry? One for sword and shield, the other for dual swords?

Do you mean the Lembas healing ability? That's a really small heal, i think it should stay.

And the new Elf swordsman (with scimitar and shield) looks great.

[The Pendulum]

I think that much armor would make them invincible, especially with wizards aura healing. Would also have to remove the swordsmen's healing ability too since they get all that armor. Besides, I think the healing should be reserved for lighter units/skirmishers/special ops style units anyhow. But that's just my opinion.

Are we all in agreement about two separate units for the elven sword infantry? One for sword and shield, the other for dual swords?

Do you mean the Lembas healing ability? That's a really small heal, i think it should stay.

And the new Elf swordsman (with scimitar and shield) looks great.

Thanks! Yes, lembas, I meant I feel they should only lose it (swordsmen lose lembas) if they get the shield phalanx spell. Otherwise, with the druids aura heal, they might become too resilient with additional armor, self heal and wizard aura heal. My opinion though.
Of course, if we all want lembas to stay If swordsmen get shield phalanx, I'm in favor of that too, since like you said, it's a minimum heal.

[Alexander82]

Then i'd go for a straight longsword (but longer than it is in your image)
And i'd wait for the sword dancer

[The Pendulum]

they look cool!
i dont know the elven sword shape - we should vote for the one that looks elfish

Should i make a new thread poll to vote these images? I also have third and forth revised version of these two as well (different coloring) for chainmail/leg guards we can vote on.

[The Pendulum]

Some more revisions to the Elven swordsmen: let me know what you think (or if you prefer the original design).

[Stratego (dev)]

I really like them! are the replacement of the current image, or are they "upgrades" of him?

[The Pendulum]

I really like them! are the replacement of the current image, or are they "upgrades" of him?

I had intended them to be replacements, but we can make her an upgrade instead. Perhaps the silver versions could replace the swordsmen in game now, and the gold breastplate version could be the upgraded version? *like with the undead knight*?

[The Pendulum]

Is this one still on the table? I really like this one and i think would fit great as an upgrade to the swordsmen.

Also, i think the Elven spearmen needs tweaking. I can understand elven infantry being weak, but i think it's a little too weak when a spearmen dies outright by attacking an orc rider un upgraded.

[Alexander82]

Infantry have been revamped and improved with the tech pack