- Kingdom Under Fire Circle Of Doom
- Kingdom Under Fire Dark Elves Season
- Dark Elves Warhammer
- Kingdom Under Fire Dark Elves Game
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders is a fairly unknown smash-mouth hit for the X-BOX gaming system that went fairly unnoticed during a time of Halo 2 hypeness. Combining elements of Lord of the Rings, Gladius, and various strategy games, KuF is one heck of a mix of tactics unmatched by opposing games on the market. Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes is an action strategy game, and is the sequel to Kingdom Under Fire:The Crusaders, released in 2004 for the Xbox. Both games deal with commanding large armies in epic, magical battles. When the commanding unit enters a battle, the player can control the hero. Each group or army consists of 20 to 30 soldiers, but the player is limited to only five armies and two.
Dark Elves aren't easy on the eyes Go to page: Page 1 Page 1 Page 2 Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders went through (well, across one corner of) development hell on its route to the shelves. A relative of the Dark Elves, the Spellsword combines her magical runes to produce ever new attacks or to heal herself, compensating for her relatively shallow health pool. Kingdom Under Fire. See full list on kingdomunderfire.fandom.com.
(Redirected from Dark Elves in fiction)
Elves, a word from Germanic mythology, are frequently featured in fantasy fiction. In modern fiction, particularly because of the influence from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, elves are modeled mostly after his original description: tall, human-like creatures of otherworldly beauty, with Kings and Queens. Along with this development, Dark elves are often modeled as a more sinister counterpart to the High elves, like the Drow or the Trow, which are the fairy-like dark creatures of Orcadian and Shetland folklore. The dark elves (Dökkálfar) or black elves (Svartálfar) are presented in Germanic mythology as dwarves and gray ones.
General dark elf lore[edit]
Dark elves are known for their aggression, deceit, and stealth. They are very brutal and cruel by nature, having little mercy when it comes to cheating, battling, or anything dealing with the life of another being. They have little respect for even their own kind, at times waging war against each other. However, clans are known to band together, to combat invasions and attacks by other races. They usually do not mix blood with other races; if they do, it is often with a demon or related creature. They lurk in dark places and love the shadows. Rarely will they come into the light for needless purposes, but it is not usually believed light will harm or weaken them. Their weakness varies upon legend, and may include excessive heat, rain, nettles, or the blossoms of some plants and trees. Dark elves generally travel in pairs or groups, as their tendencies towards cheating and theft make them targets for retaliation and violence at the hands of other races.
References to drow in games & literature[edit]
Dungeons & Dragons[edit]
The drow, as they appear in Dungeons & Dragons, were created by Gary Gygax, who stated that 'Drow are mentioned in Keightley's The Fairy Mythology, as I recall (it might have been The Secret Commonwealth—neither book is before me, and it is not all that important anyway), and as Dark Elves of evil nature, they served as an ideal basis for the creation of a unique new mythos designed especially for the AD&D game.' ('Books Are Books, Games Are Games' in Dragon Magazine, Nov. 1979, #31.) They were first mentioned in the Dungeons & Dragons game in the 1st Edition 1977 Advanced Dungeons & DragonsMonster Manual under 'Elf', where it is stated that 'The 'Black Elves,' or drow, are only legend.'
Video games[edit]
The Baldur's Gate series of video games feature drow as enemies and NPCs, as well as part of the game being set in the drow city of Ust Natha. The drow cleric of Shar, Viconia, features in Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn as a party member and, in the second game, a possible romantic interest. In the Throne of Bhaal expansion, her alignment can be changed from neutral evil to true neutral if she is in a romance with a PC. The Eilistraee-worshipping drow male Solaufein plays a minor role in the second game, but his role can be expanded into a romance with a mod.
In Icewind Dale, a drow named Nym steals dwarven weapons and artifacts and sells them to the goblin and orc armies attacking the elven fortress, the Severed Hand. Since the armies are armed with dwarven weapons, the elf leader Larrel assumes the dwarves betrayed them, and ends the alliance between the two. Thus, Nym is single-handedly responsible for the fall of both the dwarves and the elves in the Dale. Nym can be found in the Svirfneblin village in the tunnels of Lower Dorn's Deep, where he will sell a number of magical artifacts and weapons to the player. Nym also appears in Icewind Dale II, where he appears to be in league with the Legion of the Chimera.
The original campaign and first expansion of Neverwinter Nights do not deal much with the drow but the second expansion, Hordes of the Underdark, does so extensively. Neverwinter Nights 2 continues to expand upon them in their story, as well as allowing drow and other Underdark races as playable characters.
The Dark Elves found in the Age of Wonders series are a species of Elf, but qualify as their own race because they are evil aligned. In the game it states that all Dark Elves were once regular elves, but since elves are immortal they suffer not death of life, but death of spirit. It is never stated why their spirit dies and the only Main Character who has that 'death' is Prince Meandor. Drow also appear in Atari's Demon Stone.
Video games[edit]
- Everquest (Dark Elves are one of the playable races)
- Everquest II (Dark Elves are one of the playable races)
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Dark Elves are one of the playable races)
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (also known as 'Dunmer' in the game and its expansions)
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (also known as 'Dunmer')
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (also known as 'Dunmer')
- Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes (As 'Dark Elves', although not entirely synonymous with Drow)
- Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders (As 'Dark Elves', although not entirely synonymous with Drow)
- Champions of Norrath (As 'Dark Elves', although not entirely synonymous with Drow)
- Champions: Return to Arms (As 'Dark Elves', although not entirely synonymous with Drow)
- Materia Magica
- Fight for Midgard (as one of the playable races)
- Lineage II (as 'Dark Elves' - one of the playable races)
- SpellForce (as 'Norcaine' - one of the playable races)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (as 'Dark Link' - a boss battle)
- Etrian Odyssey V (There are playable and NPC elves, some of which are dark)
- Total War: Warhammer II (two playable Dark Elf factions)
Trow in popular culture[edit]
- Trows are characters in Bungie's Myth series.
- Trowe appear in the flagship title of InXile, The Bard's Tale, as the prevalent enemy and a source of musical interludes.
- Jeremy Grey, owner of the Grey Detective Agency is a Trow in the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton.
Dark elves in popular culture[edit]
The Deed of Paksenarrion[edit]
In Elizabeth Moon's trilogy The Deed of Paksenarrion, the dark elves are a sect of elves that have wandered from the path and now follow the gods of evil, rather than the 'High Lord'.
Middle-earth[edit]
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, the Moriquendi or 'Elves of Darkness' were a group of the Elves that did not complete the Great Journey across the continent of Middle-earth and the Sundering Seas, and thus did not behold the light of the Two Trees in Valinor. The Dark Elves were in no way more 'evil' than the Light Elves; the latter just had a surpassing knowledge and skill, and were more 'noble' and potent.
In one theory as to their origins, Orcs are thought to be corrupted versions of the Avari.
EverQuest[edit]
In EverQuest (EQ) the dark elves were a very key role in the game. Players played as these elves in RP Online format. Each player could customize their way of playing through the world. In the sequel, EverQuest II, dark elves (properly known as the Teir'Dal) once again play a prominent role. They are governed by Queen Cristianos Thex from her throne in the ancient subterranean city of Neriak. The city is located at the east end of the Darklight Wood northwest of Freeport on the continent of D'Lere. A number of factions vie for favor and control within Neriak. While many Teir'Dal are native to Neriak, they can be found in most corners of the world of EverQuest II, a planet called Norrath.
Mega Man Zero[edit]
The Dark Elf is a key character to the plot of Mega Man Zero 2 and Mega Man Zero 3. She was initially created as the Mother Elf, the good being which had the power to exterminate the Mavericks. However, Dr. Weil cursed the Mother Elf, and it transformed into the ominous Dark Elf, creating two evil 'children' dark elves: Créer and Prier. The Dark Elf was so destructive that X sacrificed himself to seal her inside his body. However, years later, in Mega Man Zero 2 she was eventually released by Elpizo, who used her power to fight Zero. With Elpizo's defeat, the Dark Elf flew away. In the third installment, the Resistance and Neo Arcadia started to look for the Dark Elf, causing a clash between Zero and Weil. The Elf and her 'children', however, were caught by Weil and merged to Omega (or the 'Original Zero'). After Créer, Prier and Omega's demise, Weil's curse was finally broken and the Dark Elf became the Mother Elf once again.
Final Fantasy[edit]
The Dark Elf king Astos puts the prince of the Elven Castle to sleep for 5 years. In the game the player must find Matoya and have her make a cure to wake him.
Final Fantasy IV[edit]
A boss called the Dark Elf resides in the Lodestone Cavern. Being weak against metallic weapons, he created a strong, magnetic field within his lair. The bard, Edward, could play music which disrupted his concentration and with it the field. As a last resort he transforms into the Dark Dragon. His sentences contained odd capitalization.
Dungeons & Dragons[edit]
In the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, especially in the worlds of Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms and Eberron, dark elves are commonly called drow. They are dark-skinned and white-haired and are generally, but not exclusively, evil. Many other games and works of mainstream fantasy fiction derive their 'dark elves' or 'night elves' from the drow of Dungeons & Dragons. The drow in most Dungeons & Dragons settings are depicted as worshipers of the spider goddess Lolth and live in matriarchal societies.
In the Mystara/'Known World' setting, shadow elves are a race of subterranean elves who have been mutated via magic. In the Dragonlance setting, dark elves are not a separate subrace of elves (in fact, the drow of other worlds do not exist on this one). In this setting, 'dark elf' is a label given to any elf that is outcast from elven society, typically (although not always) for evil practices.
Fighting Fantasy[edit]
In the Fighting Fantasy gamebook role-playing series, dark elves are much like their Dungeons & Dragons counterparts. However, some details of their culture have been adapted to fit the Fighting Fantasy background.
Record of Lodoss War[edit]
Some dark elves from the fictional world of Record of Lodoss War are brown-skinned and not necessarily evil, but primarily aligned with the forces of Marmo, the enemies of the story's heroes. These dark elves are capable of deep loyalty and love, as personified by the only dark elf main character, Pirotess.
Shadowrun[edit]
As with most metahuman races in the Shadowrun world, many elves are born from the same ethnic groups that normal humans come from, meaning that there are African elves, Indian elves, and Arabic elves, for example. However, the closest thing to the 'dark elf' in Shadowrun is the elf metahuman variant subgroup called the Night Ones, most of which come from Europe. The Night Ones have an aversion to sunlight and are different from other elves by possessing a fine fur coat that covers their bodies, indistinguishable from their skin at a distance and usually colored black, violet, or dark blue. Popular media has dubbed them dark elves, and the group is sometimes stereotyped against as being members of a cult or an 'evil' metahuman race.
Warhammer[edit]
In the fictional universes of Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000, the generally evil Dark Elves (running parallel to the Dark Eldar in the Warhammer 40,000 universe) do not dwell underground, living instead in cities similar to those of High Elves, are not dark-skinned. Dark Elves are masters of torture and they worship the god Khaine, Lord of Murder.
The Dark Elves of Warhammer call themselves the Druchii and are ruled with an iron fist by the Witch-King Malekith and his sorcerous mother Morathi. The Druchii live in the land of Naggaroth and are cruel raiders with much disdain for all other races, especially their lighter kindred, the High Elves. The Dark Elves were actually the ones responsible for sparking 'the War of the Beard', the great war that caused the rift in Dwarf and High Elf relations, though only the High Elves know this and the Dwarfs would disbelieve it if they found out.
In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Dark Eldar (Also known as the Drukhari) live in the extra-dimensional city of Commorragh from which they launch raids upon the rest of the galaxy to capture slaves to be brought back to Commorragh as playthings or torture victims. They are afflicted with a condition known among themselves as the Thirst, which forces them to consume the souls of other sentient creatures lest the Chaos God Slaanesh consume theirs. Dark Eldar are masters of torture, and use the anguish of their victims to satiate Slaanesh, the prince of pleasure.
The Elder Scrolls[edit]
In The Elder Scrolls series of role-playing video games, Dark Elves (often referred to as Dunmer) generally live peacefully with other races and by and large their entire race is not considered evil like many other fantasy series. They are the native and predominant race of Morrowind. They are considered generally conservative by nature and are distrustful of 'outlanders' (non-natives). Dunmer culture is split between the settled people of the cities and the nomadic Ashlander tribes. Dark can easily be applied to them as 'gloomy' or 'morbid', for such is their temperament. Dunmer are said to have been punished with their red eyes and dark-bluish skin colour by Azura, one of the most prominent Daedra, either for disobeying her in one of the most crucial moments of their history or for turning to worship the Tribunal, along with the Tribunal killing Nerevar, the savior of the Dunmer. Many Imperial scholars prefer the theory that the bluish-grey skin is an adaptive response to the frequent volcanic eruptions on Vvardenfell. A long lifespan is common among members of the race, most living up to 200-300 years, with the exception of wizards and necromancers who may live anywhere up to the thousands.
In truth, the term Dunmer more properly means Cursed Elves than Dark Elves. However, the term Dark Elves is far more complimentary. Although conventionally civilized, the Dunmer are known to possess somewhat savage and barbaric traits, especially amongst the royal House Wars of the ruling classes. While the Tribunal (a temple centred around a trio of demigods)were once their religious pantheon, they have since fallen out of favour to be replaced by Daedric worship, which had fallen out of practice long ago due to the rise of the Tribunal centuries earlier. As a result of the Armistice allowing Morrowind to maintain many of its own laws, it was the only province under the Empire which continued to practice chattel slavery of the 'lesser' races, including High Elves and Wood Elves; by the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion however this practice has been abandoned. An event known as the 'Red Year' occurs roughly 196 years previous to the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and 11 years after The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the volcano Red Mountain erupted, causing a wide array of destruction and chaos in its wake, forcing many Dunmer to seek refuge in nearby Skyrim and other provinces. Following the Red Year, the nation of Argonia invaded much of the remaining habitable parts of the province in revenge for centuries of slavery, further decimating the Dunmer race.
Midkemia[edit]
Midkemian dark elves - called moredhel (incidentally, a 'literal' word from Dark and Elf from Tolkien Elvish) - resemble the elves (eledhel) and the glamredhel, the 'mad ones', but have dark hair. They're quite warlike because of the 'path' they follow is towards power, 'might makes right', and 'the end justifies the means'. They mostly inhabit the Northlands, and also the continent of Triagia, and are usually only seen in the more populated parts of the world robbing and raiding. Some of the moredhel return to reside with the eledhel in a process of change inwardly and outwardly, called the Returning, but they are often killed by their kin before they reach the home of the elves, Elvandar.The truth, known only to the elves themselves and few elf-friends, is that the moredhel and eledhel are the one race both of whom were slaves under the Valheru. When the latter disappeared the field slaves turned their back on their former masters' ways and became the eledhel, while the house slaves who had been in closer proximity to their masters sought their power and methods and became the moredhel. The eldar, keepers of lore and of the Valheru's sacred objects, left Midkemia and made their home on the world of Kelewan unbeknownst to anyone, as they kill anyone who tries to enter their forest.
They play a significant role in the novel A Darkness at Sethanon (Riftwar series) and the video game Betrayal at Krondor. The Novel 'Krondor the Betrayal' goes quite in depth to show the 'moredhel' are not evil per se, but have a very xenophobic, stubborn, and harsh culture, going so far as to commit genocide against the glamredhel, whose descendants are later discovered in a different forest on Midkemia, in a slightly barbaric state.
GURPS Banestorm[edit]
On the world of Yrth as presented in GURPS Banestorm,[1] the dark elves are not a separate race, but are a xenophobic offshoot of the main elven culture. They think all non-elves in general, and orcs in particular, are an aberration against nature and a threat to the future of the world and the elven race, and thus conspire to either enslave or destroy those other races. They began as nothing more than a group of elves united against orcs, but over the centuries their beliefs diverged from the elven mainstream. They believe in using magic to improve on nature, guiding it actively toward union with the Eternal, the elven (and dwarven) conception of the divine. Most elves consider their belief perverted and dangerous. The dark elves are responsible for the Banestorm effect that brought humans, goblins, lizardfolk, and other non-Yrth native races to Yrth.
Might and Magic[edit]
Dark elves were part of as one of the dominant species on the continent Jadame of the planet Enroth, available as playable characters. Portrayed as red and brown-skinned counterparts to the wood and snow elves, these dark elves are peaceful and inhabit the country of Alvar, which includes Jadame's major port city Ravenshore in the south. The lands of Alvar north of Ravenshore are troubled by aggressive ogres. There is a dark elven prophecy concerning the end of the world.
In Ashan, the world of Heroes of Might and Magic V, Dark Elves are a faction that lives in tunnels under the surface. They are descendants of the followers of Tuidhanna, originally a renegade Wood Elf Queen, whose people were blamed for burning down the Giant Tree, Brythigga, sacred to the Wood Elves.
Fading Suns[edit]
In the setting of the Fading Sunsscience fictionrole-playing game, the fictional extraterrestrial races of the Ur-Obun and the Ur-Ukar are essentially science fiction renditions of high elves and dark elves respectively, somewhat akin to the Eldar and the Dark Eldar in the Warhammer 40000miniature wargame. However, in contrast to the usual portrayal of dark elves, the Ur-Ukar are not inherently evil, but simply possess a predisposition for direct, sometimes violent behavior and display a certain moral ambiguity.
Rise of the Drow[edit]
Rise of the Drow[2] is a mega-adventure and setting published by AAW Games, set in Aventyr and with versions available for Pathfinder 1st edition and Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. The adventure takes characters across the surface and into the depths of the world where they confront the dreaded Drow.
Aventyr’s drow are unique, having blue-grey skin and grey or white hair, with dark elf skin pigmentation designed with fantasy realism in mind, lacking vitamin D from the sun. Written by Jonathan G. Nelson and Stephen Yeardley, developed by Thomas Baumbach, with a foreword by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, Rise of the Drow is 552 pages in length and designed for character levels 1-20. The original edition was nominated for an ENnie Award in 2014.
Famous dark elves in fiction[edit]
Shadowblade[edit]
Shadowblade is a warrior and is the most elite assassin in the world of Warhammer Fantasy world. He is an assassin in the society of the Dark Elves, who themselves are the masters of assassination. Even though he's still young by Dark Elf standards (a mere 150 years old) he is a legend amongst the Druchii, his exploits told as fireside tales to eager Dark Elf children. Most celebrated of all is his single-handed massacre of the entire crew of a High Elf Hawkship, whom he murdered one by one over several days, each killed in a different fashion. The mere thought of Shadowblade's murderous attempts is enough to keep all but the stupidest or brave Dark Elf from plotting against the Witch King for he is loyal only to the Hag Queen and the Witch King, although it is the Hag Queen alone that knows the true identity of Shadowblade.
Drizzt Do'Urden[edit]
Drizzt Do'Urden is a Drow in the Forgotten Realms fantasy world. Drow are dark elves that live in caverns deep beneath the surface known as the 'Underdark' of the Forgotten Realms. In R. A. Salvatore's novels Drizzt renounces the Drow's Spider-Queen Lolth, goddess of treachery and deception (and later embraces Mielikki, goddess of the forests and rangers). In doing so, Drizzt angers Lolth who, in turn, demands his family sacrifice him. Drizzt leaves behind the city of his birth, Menzoberranzan escaping the wrath of his family, and consequently his former house (the house of Do'Urden) is left to bear the wrath of the evil Spider-Queen. Finding himself a renegade, Drizzt seeks sanctuary from his past on the surface world. Whereas most Drow are evil and power hungry, Drizzt is benevolent and humble. On the surface he is often wrongly persecuted for the reputation of his race, yet through the years he slowly gains a reputation for himself, allowing him acceptance without prejudice. His preferred weapons are twin scimitars, although he is perfectly capable of using a variety of other weapons should the need arise. His primary companion is Guenhwyvar, a magical panther who is summoned to Drizzt's plane of existence by means of a small onyx figurine. Along the way Drizzt has also made many important friends, such as the dwarf king Bruenor, the dwarf's adopted daughter Catti-brie and the human Barbarian Wulfgar, as well as Montolio 'Mooshie' Debrouchee who revealed to the dark elf which deity his heart followed and the svirfneblin Belwar Dissengulp from Blingdenstone, the first member of a lawful race to accept Drizzt.
Gorath, Chieftain of the Ardanien[edit]
Gorath is a renegade Dark Elf (Moredhel) from Raymond E. Feist's fantasy world Midkemia. He betrayed his people to travel south across the Teeth of the World (a mountain range which separates the Moredhel from the rest of the world) in order to warn Prince Arutha ConDoin of the coming war in an effort to stop the Moredhel leader, Delekhan, and save his people from utter destruction. His story is portrayed in the video game Betrayal at Krondor and again in the novel based on the video game, Krondor: The Betrayal. This book is the first novel in The Riftwar Legacy, followed by Krondor: The Assassins, Krondor: The Tear of the Gods, Krondor: The Crawler (Not yet released), and Krondor: The Dark Mage (Not yet released).
See also[edit]
- The Night Elves and Blood Elves of Warcraft
References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dark elves. |
- ^Masters, Phil; Jonathan Woodward (2006). GURPS Banestorm. Austin, Texas: Steve Jackson Games. ISBN1-55634-744-8.
- ^Nelson, Jonathan G., Yeardly, Stephen (Second Printing 2021) https://adventureaweek.com/shop/rise-of-the-drow-ce/rise-of-the-drow-collectors-edition-hardcoverpdf/. Snoqualmie, Washington: AAW Games. ISBN0989973654
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dark_elves_in_fiction&oldid=1046069698'
Basics and Main Cast
Strategic Command Basics
KUFH is primarily an RTS (real-time strategy) game similar to what you'd find in Warcraft or whatnot. Despite what you may think it could be with its tactical level combat, you should engage to play KUFH as an RTS or you stand to lose (very easily) on all aspects and missions of the game. So how do you play an RTS on a console controller? We can tell you this -- it ain't easy.
First, you need to think like an RTS player -- the mini-map you can bring up by holding the R trigger is your primary means of giving all manner of commands, casting spells, and using map-based abilities (mainly spells but some other unit abilities are non-tatical). If you've experimented with Gerald's or Lucretia's campaign, you'll know that the L and R triggers will also serve to let you cycle through your available (i.e., non-dead) units. What you may find unhelpful is that the mini-map adjusts its size depending how far you move your arrow cursor away from your currently selected unit. IGN can assuredly tell you that for most of the game, you will be focused on the strategic movements of friendly and enemy units on this mini-map.
Tactically, you can only control your personal character (Ellen, Rupert, Leinhardt, Morene, Cirith, Walter and Ogreman) while giving strategic commands to your other troop leaders. Only your core troop (the unit under your leader) will have officers. Officers are there to assist your personal leader with his or her attacks in tactical mode. Tactical mode is what makes KUFH different from your standard RTS. In tactical mode, your leader's level of performance will determine how fast you can destroy an enemy unit -- in single player, that means that you have the opportunity to destroy another enemy unit with almost no losses on your side (some wounds maybe, but your forces can heal wounds -- they just can't raise the dead).
Unit special abilities are best used from the strategic mini-map. Press the D-pad and hold R trigger (L trigger, if you experimented, allows you to set waypoints using the green or yellow keys) and press the green key on the spot where you want to use the ability. Never use the main screen to activate your special abilities, with the exceptions of fire arrows on defenceless villages and opening floodgates with sappers (the floodgate building doesn't show-up on the map, which is a keenly stupid mistake). Other units have special abilities and spells unique to themselves; as they are fairly self-explanatory on the spell effect screen, here's a brief IGN run down:
- Scouting (no cost). Creates an expendable 'scout unit' that you can move separately around on the map. Scouts can be used to sight for large slow-moving but long range units such as siege units. Scouts can also be used to draw enemies away from your main force or to lure them into an ambush (such as trapped ground). Scouting is the default skill of all your core troops (all four leading characters) so your core troop will always remain as melee/infantry fighters. Scouts can detect traps like sappers, but cannot disarm them.
- Fire Arrow (20 SP). Allows human archers to launch arrows tipped with fire to create a blaze within forest terrain or on a preset structure. This use of SP for setting fires is more efficient than the sappers' fire-starting ability, which costs five times more.
- Direct Fire (400 SP). Allows archers to fire direct shots at an enemy in one salvo. keenly useful only against units that are weak against ranged attacks and usually a gross miuse of SP unless directed at cavalry charing straight onto your archers.
- Set Trap (100 SP). Orders sappers to set-up a series of reusable traps on a patch of ground. Traps remain until removed by enemy sappers.
- Remove Traps (no cost). Orders sappers to remove enemy traps from a spot on the ground. Removed traps often generate a small amount of SP for your forces.
- Open Watergate (no cost). Orders sappers to open a watergate or dam. This will usually be an objective in a mission. This is one of the few abilities you want to use while on the main screen, since the watergate usually does not appear on the mini-map.
- Set Fire (100 SP). Orders sappers to spawn a fire at a location. Usually done in forest terrain, although it may be set on clear terrain (as evidenced in Lucretia's campaign). This may be why the SP cost is higher.
- Suicide Attack (5 SP). Lich only. A ghoul is spawned much like a Scout and is sent to a designated target, where it will explode for some damage.
- Cast Spell (usually 750 SP). Casts one of the spells linked to the various magic skills (holy, earth, fire, ice, lightning, curse). Each spell is a major chunk of SP, so cast it only on units that are weak against that particular element. Spells range from Meteor to Blizzard and have a wide variety of effects. Curio is one of the few human spells that will heal Hironeiden and Ecclessian units.
- Elemental Boost (200 SP). Dark Elf/Vellond only. Imbues troop with 'elemental boost' which is a mix of all the elements in one bag. It does less damage than 'pure' elemental damage (as from your equipment) but the damage stacks with your weapon's element, making the elves do more damage than they can take.
- Tree of Illusion (450 SP). Some menus have it as the 'Tree of Healing', but they are the same spell. Basically creates a holographic tree whereby all Dark Elf and Orc units may regenerate life. Mandatory in desert or wasteland missions where no natural forest is available. Note that the longer the units stay near the tree, the more healing they recieve.
- Enrage (400 SP). Orc only 'healing spell'. Basically the same as Curio except for the higher cost and the nasty fact that it cannot 'area heal' a unit. However Enrage cannot be aimed -- it is cast only on the unit the current Enrage spell is assigned. It costs slightly less than the tree of illusion spell, but the advantage is that you do not need to wait for the healing to take place, it may be used even while a unit is in tactical battle, which is a good thing.
- Order Support Craft (no cost). Support units are usually air units, although the Swamp Mammoth is a ground support unit. Support units may attack in tactical combat or be ordered to move to a specific spot on the map. Unlike spells and abilities, support craft will keep attacking or dealing damage until they are killed or ordered somewhere else.
Tactical Battle Basics
In a tactical battle, the goal is to find the enemy troop's leader (the only unit with a red life bar when atacked) and kill it as fast as possible. Since enemy leaders have special abilities that can seriously kill your personnel, you need to quickly find the enemy leader before major damage can be unleashed. Enemy leaders are usually different in appearance -- in some orc troops for example, the orc leader rides a wolf into battle (or the leader is a big ass ogre). In Dark Elf troops, the leader may have a fancier shield. Against enemy paladins, the leader has a full wing helmet.
Only battle experience will allow you to pick out enemy leaders, but the best tactic to find him quickly is to head to a suspect group of enemies and attack them; if no red bar appears under any enemy (denoting the leader), move to another group and repeat the process. Once you find the leader, keep hammering at him or you may lose him. Try to avoid using special attacks from your officers once you find the enemy leader, since the shift in the camera will usually disorient you. If possible, knock the leader out from the center of the battle. This does two things, namely --
- Isolate the leader. If you lose track of him or her, there's less people around so you can find the enemy leader easily.
- Isolate the leader. IGN repeated this because it is important. There'll be less enemies around to attack you (from the back) to distract you while dueling.
The Main Cast
So now that you know the basics of KUFH, introduce yourself to the leaders. Unlike the first game, the moves for the leaders vary widely in addition to each one sporting a new common set of moves (like finishers). Some leaders have more special attacks than others while some specialise in certain areas. This makes generalising your leader difficult but makes each campaign different.
Know your leader as well as your units. Often times, how well you control your leader during a tactical battle determines how well you can do strategically in the whole game. For the most part, you still want to seek out leaders and end battles quickly. But with some characters, you will be hard pressed to fight the new elementals in KUFH (i.e., Cirith) without good upgrades or training. That said, you will need to exploit your leader's fighting ability to make them count where they excel at. Rupert Story/Bio: Raised alongside Gerald by Hugh, Rupert has decidedly become the more physical 'brother' of the two. Simple and gruff, he has made himself to be Gerald's right hand man when Gerald becomes a great lord or leader down the road. Until then, Rupert has to entertain himself by offering sarcastic jabs at Ellen, cracking orc heads, and getting drunk. A few months before Rupert is killed at the Holy Ground by Regnier, Rupert volunteers to be the messenger to the Elves and Dwarves. He promises to bring back aid to Hironeiden. Nevertheless, after Rupert breaches Stormdeen to reach the Dwarves and Elves, he finds himself mired in Vellond troops and other dealings. Game Use: Thankfully, Rupert plays as much as you can imagine -- slow but powerful, although not terribly slow. For those of you who have played Kendal from the first game, Rupert is familiar in both range and temperment. Rupert's strength can be put to good use once you 'isolate, simplify, complete' an enemy leader at the edge of the battlefield. Few can survive repeated pummelling by Rupert's hammer. Moves List: Quick Tackle ... Swing Combo ... then tilt stick forwards and Hammer Time ... Double Swing ... then tilt stick fowards and Lawnmower ... Stay Down ! ... and simultaneously Power Tackle ... tilt stick fowards then Hammer Head ... Hammer Strike ... after enemy hits Rupert press (SP) Mega Lawnmower ... during 'Lawnmower' press (SP) Giga Lawnmower ... (SP) Grand Launcher ... (SP) Grand Slammer ... hold Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Accessory - SP Gain Armor - Melee and Range resistance Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Holy Skill Officer 2 - Fire Skill Ellen Story/Bio: Ellen joined Gerald's troop two years ago. She has earned a sordid reputation as a deadly swordsman and a level headed tactician on Gerald's staff. Her unexplained hatred of elves, regaredless of their kindred (dark, wood, etc.) and tolerance of dwarves may stem from the fact that Ellen is a half-elf. More about Ellen's past is revealed -- she was an Ecclesian guard captain who was sent on a mission to seize Arein. Her use of a helmet is no accident. It not only serves to protect Ellen's head, but to shield her heritage as a half-breed. Game Use: Ellen's the kinda woman you can depend on; forget those 'purty princesses' or 'Cetra healers', when you want a group of dead orcs, Ellen is the woman you summon. Unfortuantely, Ellen's ability is no longer tied to her range skill, but her SP total. Increase Ellen's melee skill to increase her available SP so she can use that crossbow without abandon. Ellen plays pretty much like Gerald (you know they will have massive sex, so write your lemon ecchi fan-fic now) and that can either be sad or familiar, depending on your attitude towards the Hironeiden. Moves List: Talon Thrust ... Falcon Thrust ... then tilt stick forwards and Eagle Slasher ... Talon Slasher ... Talon Avenger ... Falcon Swipe ... tilt stick forwards then Falcon Storm ... tilt stick forwards then Falcon Avenger ... tilt stick forwards then Bushwhacker ... and simultaneously Counter Thrust ... just before enemy hits press Evasion ... after enemy hits Ellen press Avenger ... after enemy hits Ellen press (SP) Arrow Shower ... (SP) Gatling Talon ... (SP) Gatling Arrow ... tilt stick forwards then (SP) Gatling Falcon ... tilt stick forwards then Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Armor - Lightning and Earth resistance Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Holy Skill Walter Story/Bio: A leader in the Patriarchal Guard in Ecclessia. His son Thomas was an officer under Kendal in Kingdom Under Fire The Crusaders. Captain Walter is a crucial element in the plotting surrounding the Ancient Heart -- his visions (of which Walter believes to be sent by God) are what spur him into action against the Patriarch Dmitri the 3rd. Unknown to Walter, his plan to take the Ancient Heart to the prophesied sanctuary is naught but a small part of a larger, more sinister plan -- one where Walter must ultimately make the greatest sacrifice asked of any soldier of the Church. Game Use: Walter is Regnier, right down to the speed. Instead of a Soul Edge rip-off, Walter charges with his shield. On paper, Walter appears to be a 'counter-fighter' since about 25% of his moves depend on his ability to counter them after being hit. A weapon or armor with KO recovery speed 30% to 50% may be helpful if you're intent on relying on Walter's short range mace. The best medicine for Walter is simply to buy a deadly mace and point him in the direction of the enemy and press the X button repeatedly. How effective Walter is depends on your available SP to cast Holy Explosion, which makes his core troop one tough mother to take down. As for officers, its fairly well know that Paladins make for good healing officers -- you can skip this if you prefer and go for a second officer for more elemental attacks. If you do this, just be sure to use Holy Explosion in melee, or your troops will suffer heavily. Moves List: Divine Fury ... Divine Strike ... tilt stick forwards then Divine Pummel ... Divine Smash ... tilt stick forwards then Eradicator ... Punisher ... tilt stick forwards then Shield Charge ... tilt stick forwards then Charging Smash ... tilt stick forwards then Charging Strike ... tilt stick forwards then Charging Pummel ... tilt stick forwards then Rest In Peace ... and simultaneously Divine Smite ... just before enemy hits press Shield Revenge ... after enemy hits Walter press Vengeful Strike ... after enemy hits Walter press Vengeful Pummel ... after enemy hits Walter press Vengeful Smash ... after enemy hits Walter press (SP) Holy Explosion ... hold (turns on and off) Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Shield - Melee and Range resistance Armor - Melee and Range resistance Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Ice or Earth Skill Morene Strident Story/Bio: A half-vampire Overseer sent by Lord Valdemar as a political officer in Lucretia's troop. Half-vampires rule Vellond, which used to be Dark Elf territory. Now it is a conglomerate of greenskins, Dark Elves, and other unwanted non-human and non-demihuman humanoids under Valdemar's rule. Morene is to Lucretia as Mr. Spock is to Cap'n Kirk, without the mutual buddy feeling. Since Morene has joined Lucretia's troop, the two females have been at odds constantly, as Lucretia suspects Morene's presence is much more than it appears. In Kingdom Under Fire Heroes, we learn Morene's unit is comprised of Lucretia's battle-hardened Dark Elves. We also learn Morene's sexual preferences are freaking awesome. Morene's part in the plot surrounding the Ancient Heart is glimpsed at in KUFH. Her missions though, occur after Lucretia's campaign. Morene must now report back to King Valdemar and scheme to take the Ancient Heart with a new Dark Elf buddy, Ilfa. Game Use: Morene is a SP reliant fighter -- her attacks are ranged based, and she has a new special in addition to her old officer support special in Crusaders. Unlike Lucretia, Morene is slower and cannot 'warp around' using haste. Morene's stubby little girl claws can't reach as far you want them to (not even down your pants), so you will suffer not only from a range problem, but also from Morene's slow striking speed. However, Morene's SP attacks are fairly powerful since she can occupy a crowd (this would be great if it was a bukkake crowd, but then again, Morene is a vampire ...). This lets Morene keep her own troops alive if they are outnumbered, as she wounds everyone equally. This naturally assumes Morene has a high melee skill and that you keep developing it. Low SP for Morene spells disaster of mythic proportions. Moves List: Skullcrusher ... Gutspiller ... Soul Taker ... Blade Frenzy ... and simultaneously Dive Bomber ... and simultaneously Evasion ... Evasion ... after enemy hits Morene press (SP) Bone Blade ... (SP) Bloody Winch ... after 'Bone Blade' connects press (SP) Brain Buster ... after 'Bone Blade' connects press (SP) Twister ... after 'Bone Blade' connects hold (release to stop) (SP) Spinebreaker ... after 'Bone Blade' connects tilt stick forwards Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Armor - Melee and Range resistance Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Ice or Earth Skill Cirith Story/Bio: Self-indulgent, air-headed, and a total flesh pot, Cirith serves Lucretia as an officer. Cirith is easily distracted by handsome males of any species, and has an idealistic and naive outlook of most of the world. She also has the temperment of a malicious child, and often follows what she would want to do on a whim as evidenced by her desire to keep a human slave as 'a pet'. Lucretia's campaign is Cirith's first foray into actual battle. In Kingdom Under Fire Heroes, we learn Cirith ambled her cute Dark Elf butt back to Arein where she meets Morene when tasked with finding the Ancient Heart. Cirith's previous forays mark her to be a member of the Dark Elf resistance - the 'Kaedes'. However, her attempts to seduce Rithrin and she hurriedly flees. Her campaign details her true intentions -- she's not as air-headed as she appears to be. Game Use: Surprisingly, Cirith is not like Lucretia in terms of fighting, despite they are both slutty elf women wearing medieval dental floss while flexing their gams for your viewing pleasure. Cirith's combos are as complicated as Lucretia's, being a mix between normal and SP using moves but Cirith suffers from 'too much onanism, not enough martial training' -- that is to say, Cirith is slow as heck and her previously awesome (The Crusaders) lightning attack is now just a midget sized ball of electricity. However, Cirith has a very helpful move that lets her evade and attack at the same time -- simply tilt the stick in a direction and press A. This move lets Cirith side-step incoming attacks, but is rather stiff and mastering it to make it an effective attack takes time. Generally, Cirith should content herself with whacking over-eager humans with her oversize vibrator-katar. Focus Cirith's lightning attacks on human knights and other electricity-weak enemies -- that's still her one claim to fame aside from being Rithrin's butt slut. Don't forget to bring the SP by increasing Cirith's melee skill level. Moves List: Somersault ... tilt stick forwards then Double Somersault ... tilt stick forwards then (repeat motion) Viper Rush ... Viper Sommersault ... during 'Viper Rush' tilt stick forwards then Sidewinder ... during 'Viper Rush' press Electric Charge ... during 'Viper Rush' tilt stick forwards then Evasion ... Evasion ... after enemy hits Cirith press Punishing Stiletto ... and simultaneously (SP) Lightning Vortex ... (SP) Sidewinder Charge ... during 'Viper Rush' press Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Accessory - SP Gain Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Ice or Earth Skill Leinhart Story/Bio: A vampire sent by Valdemar to oversee Regnier and to insure the freak's (Regnier's) loyalty to Vellond. Leinhart has fallen under the influence of Regnier and has beceome instead his right hand man. However, Leinhart's loyalty to the Vellond throne and to Valdemar has never been questioned, thus Leinhart has been allowed to remain in Regnier's unit for some time. But there is more to Leinhart than meets the eye. In Kingdom Under Fire Heroes, we learn Leinhardt is the vampire 'son' of King Valdemar. Those players who finished the Crusaders game will remember Leinhardt as one of the few personages who survive the Encablossa War. Leinhardt's missions take place before Regnier swears allegiance to Valdemar - how this young vampire came under the sway of the fallen hero Rick Miner is now revealed. Game Use: Playing Leinhardt is like having a tri-D Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards -- which is the most retarded idea for a new name since pulling random crap out of an alphabet soup). The fledgling Appeasement Inspector looks smooth and cool when attacking, but you should keep in mind that he plays more or less like a combo-heavy Gerald or Lucretia. For players who enjoyed the combat of those rival generals, Leinhardt is a good choice on XBLive. Leinhardt's teleportation ability is similar to Lucretia's haste move except Leinhardt does not use SP to move around. This can be advantageous when you need to quickly cover ground in a tactical battle. Teleporting twice is usually enough to bring Leinhardt around large creatures (Scorpions usually) and hit the weak spot. Leinhardt's weaknesses are his short range and his rather ho-hum special attacks (save the SP for officer assists instead). For the record, you no longer have to increase his range skill to make his bat attack stronger (like when he was an officer under Regnier). He also cannot change his unit to a ghoul unit and 'cheese' several levels ahead for equipment bonuses since the skill system in Heroes is different from Crusaders. Moves List: Blade Rage ... Blade Somersault ... Blade Dive ... Meat Grinder ... Grind Launcher ... Grind Combo ... Launcher Combo ... Phantom Raid ... Phantom Rave ... Phantom Strike ... Phantom Counter ... after enemy hits Leinhardt press Double Phantom ... Ground Assault ... and simultaneously (SP) Jump ... (SP) Aim ... during 'Jump' tilt stick in a direction (SP) Bat Attack ... during 'Jump' press (SP) Supersonic Charge ... and simultaneously Equipment Upgrade: Weapon - Melee 15+ Armor - Melee resistance Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Ice or Earth Skill Urukubarr Story/Bio: Urukubarr was once chieftain of Clan Gorzanik, the most powerful of ogre tribes. When Regnier crushed the opposition, Urukubarr saw that Regnier was stronger than he, and as ogre traditon demands, the stong rule over the weak. From that day forward, Urukubarr has served Regnier, witnessed the unification of Hexter and in turn, seen its allegiance pledged to an even greater power -- Vellond. Urukubarr's campaign deals with his tribe's trials at guarding the Dragons' Tomb in Hexter. This was all before Regnier came, saw, and kicked Urukubarr's hoary ogre ass. Urukubarr's involvement in the Ancient Heart plot is minimal, but he does play a crucial role in holding one of the key elements involved in its discovery and destruction. Game Use: Urukubarr is a walking tank much like Regnier, but without the ability to imbue fire to his weapons at will. This doesn't mean the ogre chieftain is weak -- his arms (being as long as they are) can hit multiple enemies while attacking one target. This makes him easy to fight enemy leaders who are caught with a few escorts, although this should be a situation best avoided. Whacking leaders and enemies is easy with Urukubarr, but his chief weakness is his speed. Being slow in KUFH usually gets you killed; Kendal's 'Escape From The Encablossa' mission should've taught you that. Moves List: Atomic Swing ... Atomic Stomp ... Total Wipe Out ... Powered Wipe Out ... Deathgrip ... tilt stick forwards then Deathgrip Swing ... tilt stick forwards then Deathgrip Launcher ... tilt stick forwards then Deathgrip Catapult ... tilt stick forwards then Battlecry ... Warcry Rush ... when knocked back press Titan Stomp ... after enemy hits Urukubarr press Gigantes Stomp ... after enemy hits Urukubarr press Megaton Stomp ... and simultaneously Gigaton Stomp ... and simultaneously then (SP) Earthquake ... (SP) Earthquake ... while in motion press Equipment Upgrade: Accessory - SP Gain Choice of Officers: Officer 1 - Fire Skill Officer 2 - Ice or Earth Skill |
Mercenaries
'Occupation.'
'Gladiator.'
'Did you kill last week?'
'Nah.'
'Did you try to kill last week?'
'Yeah.'
'Okay buddy. This is your last week of unemployment. Either you kill someone this week or we'll have to change your status, got that?'
'Yeah.'
'Okay. Sign here.'
Unlike The Crusaders, Kingdom Under Fire Heroes really makes it a point to let you hire mercenaries since you can replay missions with the gold and experience you've earned. For the most part, you will not be able to hire mercenaries without seriously diluting your force's strength in a campaign's first attempt. Since you're also able to reset a unit's skill levels and re-assign the experience, mercenaries are moot unless you need a specific class of leader (Paladin, Dwarf, Elf, Orc, Dark Elf, Lich) to do certain moves.
Kingdom Under Fire Circle Of Doom
Once you hire a mercenary, keep in mind the game doesn't let you delete him or her from your force roster. Before you start messing up your clear file, you may want to think about augmenting your own default units first before venturing into the mercenary field.
Kingdom Under Fire Dark Elves Season
In rare cases, you will only need to hire one extra officer for their magic booster (what ever the hell that is). In Lienhardt's campaign for example, you may wish to purchase a second lich officer to augment Devald. Where Devald can supply one form of attack, the second lich can use a second attack. Naturally, if you've built Leinhardt into one tough mother-forker (meaning you have more SP than your Ecclesian god), you can repeatedly hit Black and White to unleash a chain of officer assisted attacks to decimate the enemy troops.Dark Elves Warhammer
Kingdom Under Fire Dark Elves Game
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