A Closer Look: Aramon 3rd Party

Disclaimer: Here I will be taking a look at 3rd party creations for the Aramon race and giving my impression, both personal and objective, of said creations. I will try to make it rather fun, informative, and light-hearted. Any criticism is welcome, but these views are my own, for good or ill.

I will attempt to answer the following questions when evaluating the 3rd party object in question:

-Is the unit simple or complex? (does it need micro-managing for personal use?)
-Is the unit effective? (does it get the job done?)
-Is the unit flexible? (can it perform its task under varying circumstance?)
-Is the unit practical? (is there a Cavedog unit which can do the job instead?)
-Is the unit creative? (is it run-of-the-mill or does it stand out?)


I hope in this way to determine which of the plethora of 3rd party units are really worth keeping around in the long term. Again, these are just personal opinions and - since I don't know who made any of them, or if those people are still around - it is nothing at all personal towards those developers. Now... let's get started!

The first unit on the chopping block is the...

Aramon Airship

This guy goes against everything that Aramon stands for. It has long range weaponry, it is less than durable, and - most importantly - it flies. The very antithesis to the Aramon tradition. I'm sure whoever made it was only attempting to give Aramon something in the realm of aerial defense or competition, but in the long run it just feels unnatural.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
The Airship is relatively simple; it has two musketeers and a bomb-package, so all it needs is a general flight-path and its on its way. The only real problem is bunching these guys together, because if one blows up, the explosion of Hydrogen (?) gas will damage/destroy neighboring airships.

-Is the unit effective?
Not really. It takes waves to really do much of anything on its own, and only its Line of Sight distance is helpful in a land-assault. But then, for the price... 2700 can buy a lot of spyhawks.

-Is the unit flexible?
No. Its flight and bomb. Very light aerial support and that's that.

-Is the unit practical?
No. Spyhawks and ground troops are more worthwhile.

-Is the unit creative?
No. Blatant rip-off of the Veruna Dirigible, if beefed up.

This is, in my opinion, a total misallocation of valuable military resources. Put that mana into a knight and some support troops. You'll do more damage that way.

Aramon Flame Cannon

Big? Check. Scary? Check. Now what...?

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple enough - point and shoot, but if you don't watch where this guy is aiming, he could wipe out your flank before you know it.

-Is the unit effective?
Oh, very much so. With additional damage to its impressive 2400 base to buildings... that's quick city-leveling fun!

-Is the unit flexible?
Not too many ways you can use a slow, powerful cannon battery, is there?

-Is the unit practical?
Not really. It costs 1.5x the Cannoneer, does 400 more damage (or more for buildings), and is otherwise the same unit, with some slight modification here and there.

-Is the unit creative?
I actually can't decide. It lobs the fire shot, where the cannon shoots it straight, but not so high as the catapult. It does tremendous damage to friend and foe alike (maybe too much), but is well balanced. All in all, he's not TOO creative - because let's face it, he's just a bigger scarier cannon - but maybe I just have a penchant for the big explosions.

You decide - Cannoneer or Flame Cannon?

Aramon Martyr

'Martyr' carries a religious connotation. This Martyr explodes. Suicide Bombers, anyone? Aramon suffers a lot in the Book of Darien and the Iron Plague campaigns, but I don't think they'd every consign themselves to such measures as blowing themselves up for the greater good. They strike me as the type who'd bust down your door and start chopping...

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Yes and no; it takes some doing to get this fella into the enemy's ranks where he can do the most damage. Unlike his cousin the Taros Kamikaze Rat, he doesn't have cloaking so he has to march with the rest of the army. Good luck in not blowing your own boys to hell!

-Is the unit effective?
He doesn't have cloaking, and doesn't have the endurance to reach the enemy's lines under heavy fire. Only if the enemy stumbles onto him en masse will he be worthwhile. He's more expensive and less effective than the Rat.

-Is the unit flexible?
Heh, sure. He can blow up your troops or the enemy's. That's flexible, right?

-Is the unit practical?
Not in the least.

-Is the unit creative?
Yes and no; I like that someone took the 3do image of the Vagrant or whatever he was (Slave, Prisoner, whatever?), but he's just a sad rip-off. Aramon needs soldiers who will fight on and not succumb to despair!

Not worth it. This guy costs about the same as a cannon, but the cannon gets more than one shot to do some damage. Go with the cannon - or edit this guy down to cost less. Your choice.

Aramon Avalanche

Um... Aramon. With Anti-Air? Really?

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple. Super Simple. So Simple it even ignores most of your enemies!

-Is the unit effective?
Sure. I guess. Against enemy fliers. Sure.

-Is the unit flexible?
No. Not one little bit. Shoot at the skies, and that's that.

-Is the unit practical?
No. Why would I pay 3000+ for something which shoots only a bit better at Air-Only units when I could pay 2700+ for something which shoots everything. So the Watch Tower isn't as effective one-on-one, it can take on a wider variety of targets.

-Is the unit creative?
Well yeah, I suppose. Neat 3do model, to be sure, but it just doesn't do enough to warrant its construction. Sorry. I'll buy a Watch Tower or two and kill twenty enemy Swordsmen for every Gryphon I'm likely to encounter with an Avalanche.

And what's with the name "Avalanche" anyway? It's not as if its coming DOWN on anyone, right?

Aramon Pikeman

A foot soldier with a sharp object... don't we have one of those?

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple. It's an Executioner, essentially. Standard soldier.

-Is the unit effective?
Yes, but he really only earns his bread when he's taking on Tier 2-3 units, as a Swordsman has him beat at Tier 1 on just about everything.

-Is the unit flexible?
Stabby stabby, slash, hack. He can serve as guard or assaulter, I suppose. Nothing awesome about him except he gets bonuses against monsters and higher tiers, but handicaps on forts.

-Is the unit practical?
I don't see why not, but he's not especially useful. I mean, yes he can do roughly 530 damage (to a Swordsman's 360) if he catches the right opportunity. But he costs a lot more and the 600 more damage he can take doesn't quite cut it.

-Is the unit creative?
Oh sure, sure. I mean, he could have been just a basic Executioner rip so an army would look more diverse with swords and - OMG! - pikes, but giving him the bonuses gave him a bit more character. Still not awesome, but a nice spin on an old idea.

Stabby.
"Everyone likes a nice fun-poke."

I think the avalalanche was good for those rok/witch drops and en massing dirigibles or other air types to wipe you out. Sure, you can build watch towers, but they would have to constantly switch back and forth between air units and ground, whereas the avalalanche can focus on what it was made to destroy: air units.

Vaerun

Aramon Cloud Warrior

My eyes! OH, my eyes! The graphics of this modified Thirsha unit are... painfully aweful. Painfullly. It'd be different if the sound bytes had been changed, or the unit was especially effective, but no. For a musket weapon, you have the lightning sounds. Its just not a unit Aramon needs, end of story. Same opinion as the Airship, I suppose.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple - fly in, shoot stuff, get out before you get killed.

-Is the unit effective?
Not really. Decent damage, I guess, but needs to hover to shoot and is easy prey to anything nearby with ranged attack.

-Is the unit flexible?
Any flying unit is more flexible than most ground units, but there's nothing special about this one.

-Is the unit practical?
Not really, send a Knight to get the job done faster.

-Is the unit creative?
I guess... in the end, its just a mess.

*click click* Deleted!

Aramon Battle Dwarf

If the Barbarian is "Medium" infantry, then this guy is "Heavy" infantry. Not sure why, though, when you have the Knight which is faster, cheaper, and has more HP.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Very simple, he's a dwarf who likes a good beer and a good fight.

-Is the unit effective?
Sure, with an axe that large, everything is effective.

-Is the unit flexible?
No more so than other frontline units.

-Is the unit practical?
No. He has nearly the same specs on cost, HP, and damage as the Knight, but moves at the speed of a Barbarian. There's no need for him.

-Is the unit creative?
Well yeah, I think it was probably one of the first Dwarf units in the game. I always thought it a little odd that a game with Trolls and Orcs didn't have Dwarves... but this guy belongs with the Delean race rather than Aramon.

Has his uses, I guess. In a straight march-line, he can go farther than a Barbarian, but that still means he's under heavy fire most of the way. Meh, I'd rather have a Knight which can cross that distance faster and get to bruising something.

Aramon Big Bertha

The French Tutorial Unit. I remember the days when my TA Big Bertha ripped havoc through the robotic lines of mine enemies... then I got to see the same thing happen to human flesh. And I smiled...

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Nope; typical defensive structure. Once constructed, it begins to bombard your enemies before they come into range of your other defenses like the Stronghold.

-Is the unit effective?
Yes - its the Big Bertha, man.

-Is the unit flexible?
Static Defenses are never flexible, but they are nasty.

-Is the unit practical?
Not really. I mean it has a range far outstripping the Trebuchet, but you can buy a Stronghold and a Trebuchet for less than the cost of a Big Bertha. Its just unneeded, and kind of a game-breaker. I mean, a Treb has a range of 2700 with a 2000-damage shot. The Bertha has 5400 range with a 3000-damage shot. Yikes!

-Is the unit creative?
No. The concept is from TA and the 3do is the Bastion. It was solely meant for silly fun and helping the French to illustrate how to create/modify a unit.

I'll stick with my TA version of the 'Bertha', thanks.

Aramon Sylan Sorcerer

What is the obsession with giving Aramon - Land-Based, Honest Magic Oriented, Melee Supreme - units which defy this kind of logic? The Sylan flies, has modified destructive magic spells, and has no melee capacity whatever. Stop it!

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple enough to use, but with different spells it makes it more complex. Add in the fact that if you're not careful you can be shredded in the air, and you have to stay on your toes if you're going offensive with this guy.

-Is the unit effective?
Meh, I suppose, sure. He's got a few options and is crazy accurate when killing my Spyhawks, that's for sure. His attacks are not extremely damaging, but he can be a good support unit, since he can resurrect fallen warriors.

-Is the unit flexible?
Oh sure, he can stay behind supplementing defenses to kill enemy air units, or he can support an offensive and give better line of sight with on the spot first aid, or he can try it alone (or with minimal support) and pick of a few solitary enemies to resurrect his own band of guerrilla fighters.

-Is the unit practical?
I wouldn't think so; he's not THAT effective. To get anything done he needs numbers or support. I'd prefer to just make other units which get the job done faster. Its really up to you; I don't think he's useful for Aramon, but I could be wrong.

-Is the unit creative?
No; straight rip from Taros Dark Priest.

For some reason I'm thinking about Aladdin...

Aramon Axe Cavalry

Red Warlord's only real failure, I think. This guy just can't hit anything!

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple in concept, complex in use. For some reason, he can't find his target. He can throw and throw and maybe once in a while get lucky enough to actually hit the target, but by then he's nearly dead.

-Is the unit effective?
To be effective, one must be able to contact weapon with target. No.

-Is the unit flexible?
It could be... if it could hit anything. I mean, its Aramon's answer to the Veruna Amazon Knight, which I think is fantastic. This thing, however, is not.

-Is the unit practical?
No. Not at all. End of story.

-Is the unit creative?
Meh, not really. I mean, it is the exact same concept as the Amazon Knight (nothing wrong with that), but it just falls short on all accounts.

Elsin -> Kill Priestess -> Resurrect Priestess -> Citadel -> Amazon Knight +++ -> Victory

Aramon Centaur

This guy was created before Cavedog made the Veruna Centaur, I believe. And he's broken... that is, he's wicked powerful.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Very simple. Horseman on Steroids.

-Is the unit effective?
Very much so, too much, in fact, for his cost. Needs balancing.

-Is the unit flexible?
Hit and Run or Line cavalry, sure. He's fast and tough enough to do what you need. But he has no range.

-Is the unit practical?
If the unit was better balanced, I would say it was totally unneccesary since Knights fill the same role.

-Is the unit creative?
Because it harkens back to Greek Mythos, sure its creative. But gameplay-wise, its just another copy.

Aramon Church

Maybe the Martyr came here for his brain-washing...

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple, I think... what does it do, exactly?

-Is the unit effective?
I'm sure it fulfills its purpose, but what is that? Good radar distance, 300 line of sight, lots of mogrium storage... but what does it DO?

-Is the unit flexible?
Not a bit.

-Is the unit practical?
Not sure... what's it purpose?

-Is the unit creative?
Why not?!

I seem to recall being told what this thing did, but now I've forgotten. Ideas, anyone?

Aramon Colossus of Anu

The God Anu's little play-thing?

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Super Simple. Walk in, break stuff.

-Is the unit effective?
Oh sure, he's a dumbed down version of a deity. While he lacks the hitting power (1400-2000 damage to 15-16000 just doesn't cut it) of Anu, he does come close on HP (24k to 30k), at least in terms of comparability. He has, however, absolutely no self-healing. He's a golem, simple as that. In my game I sent one into the enemy camp and ran into Elsin after breaking just a couple of buildings and a score of enemy soldiers. Elsin put him down like a rabid dog. So yeah, he's bad-"***" and all, but doesn't have staying power.

-Is the unit flexible?
Nah, just a big bloke with a chip on his shoulder.

-Is the unit practical?
Nope. Save that 40k mana and just make Anu. It'll take forever, sure, but if that's what you're going after, just do it.

-Is the unit creative?
If it had been maybe just a Golem or something bland, sure, maybe. But no.

If these are Anu's toy soldiers, I wonder what mortals are?

Aramon Faerie

Another weak, feminine, magical flying unit. Why? Aramon is all about big cohones and breaking stuff to look tough. Not. Flaming. Faeries.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Due to the low hitpoints, these guys need some micro-managing, but they'll get some good shots in before they go down, especially in numbers.

-Is the unit effective?
In relatively small swarms, they can ambush small trains of siege units and support troops, even some of the lighter defensive structures.

-Is the unit flexible?
Light flying skirmisher, yeah I'd say they're pretty flexible. Not awesomely so, but fair.

-Is the unit practical?
For 600 mana, I suppose, sure. Aramon doesn't need a flying unit and the mana can probably put to better use. Your call.

-Is the unit creative?
Oh sure, a level 1 mythical flying combat unit, but I think it might serve better as a member of Zhon than Aramon, in keeping more with the flying/magic theme.

I'm not entirely opposed to the unit, but I am opposed to it being a unit of Aramon. Sorry!

Aramon Garrison

Free Room and Board + Cannon Defense + Short-Range Teleportation? Sweet.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Static Defense with some perks, always simple and easy.

-Is the unit effective?
Costing just 3000 less than a Stronghold, with shorter range, and a weaker (though faster) attack, the only thing that the Garrison has over its counterpart is the ability to Load and Unload troops.

-Is the unit flexible?
No, its static defense with a small perk of snagging someone out of harm's way. That's it.

-Is the unit practical?
Not really. I mean... one could just as easily modify the Stronghold to have a Load/Unload capacity. As it stands, the Garrison pales in every way (though oddly has a few dozen more hitpoints) to the Stronghold.

-Is the unit creative?
Actually yeah, it kind of is. I mean, I don't think I know of any other building with a load/unload ability. While I moaned about it being largely unneeded, it did pull my Elsin's bacon off the fire when the enemy came up after him. And just in time, too.

"Oh no! Quick, hide!"

Aramon Dread Sword

Sneaky, Sneaky...

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Tier 2 Melee with Cloaking. To get the most out of him, you'll want to micromanage his Cloak, so he's mid-ground on complexity.

-Is the unit effective?
Not really. He's faster, weaker, and does more damage than a Barbarian, but he also costs nearly 4 times as much.

-Is the unit flexible?
I'd say the only reason you'd want these guys is to use their cloaking ability for sneaky work, else spend your money elsewhere. I did manage to sneak in a group of 5-10 into an enemy base and destroy a Trebuchet which was plaguing me, but then they died almost before the dust had settled. Barely achieved their aims, that is.

-Is the unit practical?
Yes and No. I mean, their cloakability makes them worthwhile, but only for specialty tasks. Otherwise I'd just as soon begin building a forward base complete with a Trebuchet of my own - as I'll need to really get at them sooner or later anyway.

-Is the unit creative?
Yeah, I think so. Not quite a Ninja, but pretty neat.

Knock Knock
Who's There?
Dread Sword

Aramon (Ragnor) Dragonbane

I'm not a huge fan of 3rd party Named units (other than Monarchs), but then... that's just me. And I'll not reiterate my dislike for flying units of Aramon. I won't, I promise.

-Is the unit simple or complex?
The most complex thing about this guy is his damage bonuses and handicaps. At first glance, they're rather confusing, but the gist is this guy does default damage of 1600+ (roughly 2x the Gold Dragon) to everything except monarchs, gods, and Dragon/Drake units. He does 2x for Dragons/Drakes, .2 for Gods and Monarchs. Other than all that mess, he's your typical flying combat unit.

-Is the unit effective?
As mentioned, extremely effective against enemy Dragons and Dragon-kin units, but still good for normal units as well. And great range at 1000 (By comparison, a Stronghold is 600 or 650, and a Trebuchet is 2700). However, he's slower, weaker, and costs nearly as much as the Dragons. So is he really worthwhile?

-Is the unit flexible?
Ranged Aerial Combat is always Flexible.

-Is the unit practical?
Yes and no. Sure he's a capable destroyer, but by his cost, his rather limited uses (and limit on numbers), and the fact he can't take the damage needed to stand on his own... well. I'm skeptical, let's put it that way.

-Is the unit creative?
If I knew the story behind it, maybe I'd think so. The way this guy comes across its almost as if the creator liked Aramon the best, but didn't like having next to zero air power, so he made this. Just my opinion; though I do like that it seems to have a very specific purpose.

I wonder how this guy would stand up against one of those beasts from Avatar...?

Aramon Demon Slayer

This guys is similar to some of the other kind of demi-gods or sub-monarchs you might see elsewhere (Skeleton King of Taros/Tyrak for example). He doesn't really have a role other than warlord or solo adventurer (more for AI games, though).

-Is the unit simple or complex?
It takes some fancy foot-work with this guy and some support troops to get the most out of him. Granted the AI can be kind of dumb, I had this guy and about 6 other support troops hold a key pass...

-Is the unit effective?
Yes, he's effective. I'm not entirely sure why he's called the Demon Slayer, but he's hard, no bones about it. Three magical attacks, each better than the last. All Fire-Based. Maybe that's the Demon part...?

-Is the unit flexible?
Oh tremendously; he can lead a charge and duel with a Monarch (He won't win, but he weaken the monarch for the support troops to finsih off), he can be sort of a 'warlord/general' of one of your fronts (as mentioned previously) shoring up your defenses, or he can commandeer some troops and go off on a mini-crusade. Good for protecting a small group and builders setting up a forward base..

-Is the unit practical?
Well, there's no other Aramon Unit which can fill this guy's shoes except Elsin, and having an extra "Mini-Monarch" is better than having nothing. I don't know that Aramon NEEDS this guy, but he's certainly powerful enough to make you wonder.

-Is the unit creative?
Arguably... I don't think he's so creative as he may sound, since he's really just a Hero-type unit given a random name, and I think just about every race has seen a similar unit. So no, not really.

"Lords at night we ride
From the depths of Hell's domain
Reborn to reign this night
Roam throughout the endless wars"
-Slayer, Show No Mercy

Aramon Elven Archer

Elves. Sure, why not?

-Is the unit simple or complex?
Simple - typical archer

-Is the unit effective?
Not really. Built by the Acolyte, it costs nearly 4x the Tier 1 Archer, is weaker, and does less damage. However, its range is almost double with a third of the reload time (which means 3x faster shooting). Oddly enough, apparently this guy was meant to deal with Zhon's overwhelming aerial firepower, because it gets double damage to Zhon units. Of course, when you're doubling 150...

-Is the unit flexible?
Well, he's faster than many other archer units, but exceptionally weak. Defense, Assault support... hit and runs... maybe. Careful hit and runs.

-Is the unit practical?
For the price, range, damage and speed... I think I'd rather just go with a Mage Archer, whom I feel is more diverse and capable of holding its own.

-Is the unit creative?
Not really. Elves are great archers, yeah we get that, but what really makes this one special and noteworthy? Nothing.

"No peace shall I have again under beech or under elm." - Legolas, Lord of the Rings

for all of these you can make polls! lol

This seems pointless because you are probably unaware of the many kingdoms units that exist and how so little players give two shits about a dying game. The players who do care already have their own thoughts on the units and you would save time by just discussing which units players think are superior and in what ways... just my 2 cents. But carry on...

Bl4ckR4v3N wrote:

This seems pointless because you are probably unaware of the many kingdoms units that exist and how so little players give two shits about a dying game. The players who do care already have their own thoughts on the units and you would save time by just discussing which units players think are superior and in what ways... just my 2 cents. But carry on...

Wow... I figured I'd be more ignored than insulted, but thanks for that. Did you consider that this is as much for me as anyone else? Just saying, but others may find benefit, even if you don't.

I'm sorry, not trying to be rude, but if you have nothing to say other than "This is pointless," well then I'd really rather you stay silent on the issue.

Don't take it personal Bardan, but BlackRaven has a point. These 3rd party units are not being used anywhere. Maybe you can discuss units from the new era or the equinox mods.
It would help us, developers that are actually trying to do something for tak.
I like the way you see things in units that many players do not.
It'd be great for you to help me out with balancing and editing the new era mod after I release 3.3.