Warlords - highlander style
So, we are long past due for another edition of “What has the Warlord 4th Edition Team been up to?”
The long and the short answer to that question is “a lot of things.”
When it comes down to the most essential feature of the Warlord CCG, it would have to be … Warlords. These are the iconic paragons of there respective factions, and essentially what many of the characters in an individual faction aspire to be. So, after taking some time to write out our design visions of the various factions and classes, we tackled Warlords. Considering that the Warlords do so much to define the environment and character of the game, we knew that this step could make or break our whole endeavor.
We could do brand new Warlord designs, or we could do reprint designs. Reprints of course would be easier, but some are too strong, others too weak, and still others just do not adhere to our design map.
So, just to let the readers in on what has gone through our minds, here are the Warlords that we considered in the first round of discussion as reprints for their factions:
- Deverenians: Ginerva of the Moon, Modred of Carcius, Sorceress Ygraine, Sir Aleron D’ilchant, and Madriga.
- Dwarves: Ahdi Akkhar, Gethseme Steelshard, Gris Ironfist, Garn Hearthstone, and Duty
- Elves: Kolivan, Morghen Dythanus, Behlial, Ahdre, Cathel Rowan, Havellin Tansiq, and Rustiq Umbala.
- Free Kingdoms: Iam Unsullied, Sir Robert the Vigilant, Logan Ebonwolfe, Trevaine Cartwright, Atu Amani, Beastmaster Eladric, Samuel, Huntress Volda, Lady of Mercy, Terak Justicebringer, and Jin Valford.
- Mercenaries: Angu Mournwater, Cassandra the Arcane, Xiathe, The Nemesis, Crucin Bascar, and Kayle, King Rowan.
- Nothrogs: Sargok, De’zicrah, Syvonne Ashenstorm, Sceth Hellbringer, Sulak Bloodgullet, and Rathra Dak.
It is hard to find a really good warlord for reprint. Some are heavily dependant on a number of specific other support cards, and that would then limit our freedom with limited number of cards in this release (think Jaqueline Windson, without ‘Bard Only’ actions it would be silly to print her again). Some Warlords might have been too weak when there were released, but could thrive in a reset – other Warlords have mechanics that were simply too weak or expensive to be seriously considered for return, like Trench.
As Warlords are the Icons of this particular CCG – some new Warlords would also be needed for this Fourth Edition of Warlord. We could take old Warlord that didn’t make the grade somehow and re-invent them, we could take classic characters and give them Battlefield promotions inspired by there original text, or we could take fresh, new ideas and gift them to the factions most deserving. It probably wouldn’t surprise you if we did all three.
Wow, that was longer than I expected it to be. And I didn’t even get to talk about starter deck construction. One thing that has been on our minds as a design team is that this product is going to have a different distribution model than all Warlord products before. The contents of the fixed starter decks are going to comprise the complete set of cards, with at sort of nominal, distributional rarity scheme.
Huh? What I am saying is that if you buy all 6 double starter decks, you will have every card in the set. You will have one of each Rare, two of each Uncommon, and three of each Common. As we very much want these to be playable decks, that means that whichever level four and five characters a faction might have will be playable in the deck they come in - provided your ranks hold up -, and our higher level items will have to be at least nominally playable as well.
While the truth of deck construction may yet change, it appears at the outset that each individual deck is going to be mighty close to ‘highlander’ in construction (common in faction characters may be the exception). Somehow the guy who made a deliberate splash on the map with ‘highlander’ decks is working on the set that will be packaged the same way. The world works in mysterious ways.
Tags: Designer Diary, highlander, Warlords
March 6th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Damn a lot of those warlords are unknown to me o_o’
what about Krun,Sorsha,Rathe,Taoth,Slayer?
so after looking at card spoiler:
Deverenians: Ginerva of the Moon, Modred of Carcius, Sorceress Ygraine, Sir Aleron D’ilchant, and Madriga.
->ok if madriga don’t use the daybreak/nightfall (remove this rule :p)
Dwarves: Ahdi Akkhar, Gethseme Steelshard, Gris Ironfist, Garn Hearthstone, and Duty
->very nice selection..but where is my Rac Ironbone?
Elves: Kolivan, Morghen Dythanus, Behlial, Ahdre, Cathel Rowan, Havellin Tansiq, and Rustiq Umbala.
-> not bad,except for Kolivan…and Rathe is missing ^^.Behlial was one of my favorite,(card management ftw !) maybe he need a “take 1 wound” in his order.
Free Kingdoms: Iam Unsullied, Sir Robert the Vigilant, Logan Ebonwolfe, Trevaine Cartwright, Atu Amani, Beastmaster Eladric, Samuel, Huntress Volda, Lady of Mercy, Terak Justicebringer, and Jin Valford.
->Huntress seems broken to me :O
->Jin Valford …hmm i don’t like it
Mercenaries: Angu Mournwater, Cassandra the Arcane, Xiathe, The Nemesis, Crucin Bascar, and Kayle, King Rowan.
->Cassandra FTW !
->The Nemesis seems broken to me.
->what about Black Tom?Sorsha?and bring back Yscar the elder one day,he was so fun to play
Nothrogs: Sargok, De’zicrah, Syvonne Ashenstorm, Sceth Hellbringer, Sulak Bloodgullet, and Rathra Dak
-> hmm not bad…but where is Krun?seriously,two siegemaster?keep Sceth,remove Syvonne and bring Krun :p
March 7th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Message in french for Hadoken (sorry, no way to contact him differently).
Hadoken, contacte moi sur le Temple of Lore pas le biais d’un message privé. J’ai besoin de savoir de quelle région tu es, de combien de joueurs Warlord tu disposes pour définir si tu pourras organiser des tournois ect…
C’est très important. Merci.
Mike
And about the Warlords selection:
Deverenians: 5
Dwarves: 5
Elves: 7
Free Kingdoms: 11
Mercenaries: 6
Nothrogs: 6
Something I don’t understand? Does that mean Dwarves will have 6 New Warlords? or is this a “pre-selection” where some of them will disappear in the final version?
About the choices.
.. going to look after my behlial . Fantastic !
.. Ginerva !! No Gargoyle Warlord ??? No nerfed Xod? :’(
.. Sir Robert => You can count on one more old french player with that choice!
.. The Lady => would prefer Adarymy (even if Nerfed) but The lady is nice.
.. Angu Mournwater => oO, must change everything on the card except the Dragon trait !
.. Cassie is back!
Nice choices anyway. Is there a way that list of warlord can be changed or is it the final list of the returned Warlord?
March 8th, 2008 at 6:38 am
[Editor: The line-up in the designer’s diary consists of Warlords that came up in the first round of discussions and thus does in no way represent the final line-up. Sorry for the confusion.]
I must be honest. I am very disappointed in the dev reprint lineup.
I do not know what criteria were used to select the characters for it but it seems to lack the diversity that the other factions have. I feel some characters that define devs as a faction are being left behind in the dust of epic and campaign. Here are some examples of who I am referring to:
Baron Bastein (if he was edited to function well)
Adonis the Cozener
Edric D’Ilchant
Talib al-Sirr
Lord Kestrel
Slayer
I do not know if newer more interesting warlords are being designed for devs but I would really like to see more diversity for the faction…meaning more than just spell casters and sword swingers, it seems at least to me that the stranger characters that stray away from this norm are the most interesting to play and build decks for.
The other factions seem to have a good assortment of characters available for reprint and although I am not familiar with many of them I would not mind playing them if I had no other alternative.
I would like Ablung the Maker to make it to the 4E as he is a great character for creating a variety of different strategies and combos.
Well, good luck with the reprint.
March 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Deverenians: Ginerva of the Moon, Modred of Carcius, Sorceress Ygraine, Sir Aleron D’ilchant, and Madriga.
The last three are really ok for me, especially Aleron!
Dwarves: Ahdi Akkhar, Gethseme Steelshard, Gris Ironfist, Garn Hearthstone, and Duty
No!! No Duty, plsssss!!!
Elves: Kolivan, Morghen Dythanus, Behlial, Ahdre, Cathel Rowan, Havellin Tansiq, and Rustiq Umbala.
All veeery good, especially old lil’ Behlial…
Free Kingdoms: Iam Unsullied, Sir Robert the Vigilant, Logan Ebonwolfe, Trevaine Cartwright, Atu Amani, Beastmaster Eladric, Samuel, Huntress Volda, Lady of Mercy, Terak Justicebringer, and Jin Valford.
Logan and Atu are…. crap?
Mercenaries: Angu Mournwater, Cassandra the Arcane, Xiathe, The Nemesis, Crucin Bascar, and Kayle, King Rowan.
OK here.
Nothrogs: Sargok, De’zicrah, Syvonne Ashenstorm, Sceth Hellbringer, Sulak Bloodgullet, and Rathra Dak.
Syvonne AND Sceth ??? …
CYA
G.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Hello
You can’t reprint Gris Ironfist…
I killed him in my fiction… for Legion… NO!!!!
Please, no anti Abyssal Warlords… Argh!
Chris
March 25th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Sceth has my vote … not only he is my favourite (along with terror ! :P) but also he is a siegemaster … if not the true siege master. and nothrogs are tacticians going to war with their mighty siege engines. So gief Sceth
May 20th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Please reprint an Abyssal Warlord, I love the Abyss. I love it the Nemesis is coming back. WOOOT I love my nemesis deck he rules.