Beta 3 Changes

[KGB]

Piranha,

I am not convinced why it needs the +1 when attacking. It can easily bless to 8 strength with flight/18 moves. That's probably my only complaint now. At 4 turns, 7 strength, ignore city walls it seems OK.

I realize it is not giving its city walls bonus to the stack. However my big concern is that it is an 'ally' and so getting a new hero with 3-4 of these units or popping 2-3 from a ruin will be a very big deal (I'd rather get 3-4 of these units than 3-4 Devils especially in turns 1-20 and maybe even late game too). It means a hero/pegasi and 3-4 of these units (from the new hero/ruin) won't need a siege unit. Once blessed they are just a flying nightmare (would be 11 str if they are 8 str after blessing, +1 attack and with a hero/pegasi) ignoring all terrain as they race around the map. It would be almost impossible to stop / contain them especially in the early part of the game.

In fact the more I think about it the more the flight is what this unit needs to lose (then it can retain the +1 when attacking bonus). That's what makes it most overpowering. As a land based unit it's not nearly as deadly in the early game and will be mostly used for the purpose you are intending (attacking cities full of men) rather than simply racing towards weakly defended cities.

I also realize you aren't adding new units to the game because you have your artist doing the graphics work. But this would have been the ideal place to introduce a new unit: The Sandworm. Basically this unit is the giant Sandworm in the Dune series. It burrows underground (which is why it ignores city walls) and tunnels up to surprise attack (hence the +1 attack). It's native to Desert terrain (would give desert move bonus). That would perfectly give you the unit you are looking for and give you a desert based unit as an added bonus.

KGB

[Pillager]

Yeah, I miss the giant worm. Medusa schmedusa..the name should be gorgon anyway (sorry, I'm a myth-geek). The demon not flying might be an advantage in beta 3...if light cavalry are nerfed, then elves will (likely) fill the void.

[Pillager]

The spider and the minotaur are too similar right now (and the spider is superior). The only reason I build minotaurs over spiders is lack of gold. I'd like to see the minotaur get a couple more points of movement. Then I might choose to build it over the spider in certain situations/map locations.

[KGB]

Pillager,

I think that's the point of the Minotaur/Spider. Cheaper cost, more moves, less upkeep as a tradeoff for one less combat bonus. The Catapult/Battering Ram works the same way.

Since the concept of attack and defense combat bonus has been introduced with the Elemental (and upcoming in heroes) I'd much rather see the Spider get a +2 defense bonus (city only) and the Minotaur retain its +1 vs city. It makes sense that on defense a Spider builds webs in a city to ensnare attackers but on offense it doesn't.

KGB

[Pillager]

Well...the catapult is a three turner, so it really isn't in the same class as the battering ram.

Purely defensive spiders? It certainly works thematically, what with the webs and whatnot. But, I doubt I would ever build one.

[KGB]

Pillager,

Me either. But some players would especially if they got them as free production.

I think the Minotaur/Spider trade offs are OK as is. I never buy either one and only make the ones I find for free in cities. But then again I play a swarming style (lots of 1 turn units inflated by bonus units backed by a few strong hero stacks) because that's what works best and what worked best in the original War2 as well.

KGB