warhammer gold blog

Day One

Jeremy:
Fly into Vegas late Thursday night, spend an hour in baggage claim trying to find my suitcase and discovering that it came out on a different carousel 15 minutes later than Adam’s (whose came out immediately upon us arriving).
Check into the hotel, paint.

Day Two

Jeremy:
Wake up at around 10, paint, rent a car, drive to the Cashman Center for registration. Paint. Talk to a few fans that recognized us and swung by while we were painting. We got some swag at the tourney, Shirt, Tape Measure, Water Bottle. The latter is a great asset to a portable painting kit.

Hang out with GW guys for dinner, get home late, sleep around 3am.

Day Three

Jeremy:
Wake up at 8, print out army list tweaks at the hotel’s business center, head over for the first 3 rounds of gaming.

Got crushed, but not annihilated by Dennis F’s Empire army (which fortunately didn’t have 2 steam tanks, 3 cannons, a mortar, and Karl Franz on a griffon, which seemed to be the fashion). Good guy, was very patient with a jackass who hadn’t played his tournament army in a real game yet (namely, me). Second game, I sit down to play against one of the aforementioned fashionable Empire armies. Then Robert H rescued me when he saw my nametag and told me I was at the wrong table, and that I was supposed to go get crushed (but not annihilated) by his Lizardmen instead. Another good game, but not yet the “…by the third game” whereupon I had been telling myself I’d finally realize how my army was supposed to work. Speaking of that third game, it’s the only one I won. Todd M’s Dark Elves scared me a lot, but difficult terrain and his uncooperative dice helped me out a lot.

We finished up there, and drove back to the hotel to show the game off for a bit. I became irrevocably unconscious and Adam abandoned me for a night on the town. (I think he got in around 3am again).

Adam:
We we’re out late last night, didn’t get a ton of sleep, woke up later then expected and of course we were one of the last people to show up and sign in. The GW staff was nice enough to call and make sure we were still alive and actually heading to the Tournament at around 9am (keep in mind first round starts at 9).

* Game 1 – Crap load of confusion when it came to who was playing where, everything got sorted out and I played my first game, Chaos vs. Chaos 4 the win!
The Gods did not favor either of their mortal Champions and the battle was a draw

* Game 2 – After the lunch break came back and found myself facing a rather nasty Empire force. Luckily their general was a really good sport, and he didn’t make too much fun of my 6 turns of watching my Chaos Warriors become Chaos Jelly under the wheels of a steam tank.
Favor is waning, however Chaos holds strong and survives with only a minor loss

* Game 3 – Tzeentch was not looking favorably upon me after my loss in Game 2. I was given a chance to redeem myself and show my might against another one of the Empire’s mechanical monstrosities. Just in case the Empire forces came with LOTS OF GUNS to make sure anyone that got by the tank got nice and shot.
Strategy prevails! Major Victory, to all you chaos generals out there I recommend staying the hell away from steam tanks and using hills and woods as cover. Guns hurt from afar but 5 chosen knights are enough to wipe out 40 handgunners if they can reach them!

We get back to the hotel fairly early, where we show off the game to some of the GW folks. Jeremy was so excited by the demo that he fell unconscious on the couch. I on the other hand rolled out to Fremont Street with the GW guys (and some tourney folk), got myself a nice steak dinner, a lot of beer, and then proceeded to toast Dave T’s birthday with more booze and a 300 dollar donation to the casino. Suffice it to say it was 4:30am before I staggered home.

Day Four

Adam:
Crawled out of bed at 7:00 this time, nursing a wee bit of a hangover. Got Jero, grabbed a danish and got to the tournament on time for once. A little less chipper than the day before, but still ready to go, I was riding high on my not so loosing record.

* Game 4 – WAAAAAAAAAAGH! Need I say more, ladies and gentleman never EVER let those greenies gain momentum. 1 WAAAAGH and 6 really bad dice rolls later resulted in one massacred Chaos Army. That and one very happy WAR fan. Not only did he get huge points for the win he finally got his BETA.
Yes sir folks that sheriff ran me right out of town.

* Lunch – We had a bit of an altercation over handing out beta passes, some folks might think we were attempting to cheat our sportsmanship scores up. Personally, I like to think of it as friendly encouragement. Luckily our new friend Mike “The Cop” agreed and all we had to do was grease a few palms with Beta passes to win our way a free night of food & lodging.

* Final Game – I was already reeling from a pretty vicious loss and an hour out in the Vegas heat stuck in a squad car, so I was defiantly not looking forward to playing those Nancy Pants Knights from Bretonia.
My gut feeling was right and I was pretty much stomped into the ground again. Luckily my opponent was a heck of a lot happier to see me again after I greased his palm with a beta. Maybe next time he’ll go easier on me.

Tzeentch continued to show his displeasure at my poor performance for the rest of the trip. Jeremy tells the tail more interestingly but here’s a quick summary of the horrors that incur when you loose the gifts of the gods.

1. You lose money, lots of money at the casinos! Somehow I managed to drop 100 bucks in 30 minutes playing $1 & $2 dollar Texas hold-um
2. You lose money, more money at the casinos! Attempting to find a cab resulted in me loosing another 120 at a blackjack table in uhh I dunno 3 minutes?
3. You win money??! Another wrong turn on the search for a cab nets me $300 bucks at craps
4. You find out you were just baited by the Gods your not that lucky! Random events with other Vegas goers costs you another $500 or so, trust me you don’t want to know
5. Just to make you remember your trip, Tzeentch delays you’re flight, grounds your plane in Dallas and makes you sleep next to an industrial grade waxer in the airport

Adam’s Total Tally for the trip

* 1 Major victory, 1 Tie, 1 Minor loss, 2 incredibly painful massacres
* $1000 bucks down the drain, half in casino and half in errrr “entertainment”
* 1 free night stay in Dallas Airport, warhammer gold room service was horrible and the beds we’re stiff I don’t recommend it!

Overall had a blast, here is to better luck in Baltimore!

Jeremy:
Wake up at 8 again. Head over for the last 2 games. We’re both dead tired. My first game I learn that Dwarf Slayers, while not necessarily an incredibly strong force on paper, are quite a good tournament army. I managed to clobber enough of Chase H’s guys with big, strong hits that made most of them go to the happy mountain in the sky, having achieved a noble end. A good solid draw. The final game of the tournament was against Todd H’s incredibly, crazily converted Ogre army. This game was fun and laid-back, but also very eventful, as fight after fight ended up swinging things back and forth until he narrowly defeated me.

Phil Kelly took a break from designing things at the UK studio for a few days and was on hand all weekend. He handed out the awards. Adam worked with the GW guys running the show and gave EVERYBODY that won ANY award for WARHAMMER a beta pass (as well as some pins, posters, a hat here and there). Additionally, the top awards for WARHAMMER 40,000 and Lord of the Rings also got some beta love.

Oh, and um…then there’s the small matter of that Day 4 Beta riot.

A couple of phone calls, and a few under-the-table Beta passes later, we’re back in the hotel decompressing a bit, making sure we had all the beta passes people filled out stowed and noted. Then a roundabout adventure finding the wrong In-N-Out burger and another late night of, y’know, Vegas-y stuff.

Day Five

Jeremy:
Pack everything up, and get to the airport.
And wait at the gate for 2 hrs before attempting to leave for Dallas. Then fly there and do a couple laps before landing for fuel in Austin.
Then sit on the runway there for an hour.
Then get to Dallas 6 hrs late by the time the weather improved.

Gersh tried to sleep while the zamboni driver hustled back and forth polishing the floors from 2-4am. We finally got a flight back to DC not quite a day after we were supposed to land originally. But hey, I got my suitcase quick that time!

Thanks to all who showed enthusiasm there, for the GW guys for putting on a great event, and hope to see you again in November at the Baltimore GT!

Order players will find the Vampire Lord Neborhest’s tower amidst Mourkain ruins in the Marshes of Madness. Inside they will face many enemies including the long-dead, infamous Orc Warlord, Dork Redeye, risen again as an undead construct, and, of course, the Vampire Lord himself.

Lord Neborhest slammed shut the tome inked with blood and bound in bone. A cloud of dust rose around him. He contorted his wrinkled features into a grin full of ironic revelation and uttered, “With the ending of one civilization comes the beginning of another.”

With that, the Vampire Lord carefully placed an Orc skull warhammer gold at the center of a large glyph transcribed on the stone floor of his tower. This was the final element necessary in the necromantic conjuring. After a deliberate wave of his aged hand, a mass of bones and ethereal energy began to swirl. Satisfied, he continued. “And with the turn of every apocalypse this world suffers, I live on, forever learning, forever growing my power. This age shall be no different!”

The necromantic bulk roared to life taking form as a massive undead construct. It was Dork Redeye, the long passed Orc Warlord, infamous for the destruction of the ancient Mourkain Empire. The resurrected beast snarled, awaiting his master’s bidding.

Neborhest is of the Necrarchs, a nosferatu bloodline bent on growing their power through the incessant gathering of knowledge of the dark arts. The resting place of the Mourkain Empire, the Marshes of Madness as they have come to be known, has been his place of study for centuries now. And in this time the Vampire Lord has uncovered, and mastered, a wealth of the necromantic secrets of the long past civilization.

In all this time Neborhest’s marshes were largely undisturbed. That was until the recent arrival of Thorgrim’s Oathbearers. The elite Dwarf regiment braved the twisted marshes on an expedition vital to the arduous campaign to retake Eight Peaks.

The reclusive vampire peered out his narrow window. Through the tainted fog he saw the Dwarfs marching toward his tower. The ancient vampire cackled, amused by the mountain dwellers’ fervor. “Such resolve, such determination. It is clear they know not the power they come to face. The era of the Dwarf shall soon pass. Their intrusion into my marsh hastens this inevitability.”

Unmoved by the assailants’ approach, Nebhorhest retired to his coffin, addressing his new pet in passing. “Rouse me if any live past the tower’s defenses.”

The undead Orc Warlord, Redeye, roared in anticipation.

Destruction players will come across a Dwarf Ironclad crashed ashore near the Port of Barak Varr. Behind it is a wake of destroyed greenskin barges, and fortified within is the King of Barak Varr himself, Byrrnoth Grundadrakk. Players will fight their way into the nautical tank and eventually come to face with the stalwart king in an epic conflict.

King Byrrnoth Grundadrakk eyes narrowed as the extent of the destruction across the Port of Barak Varr came into view: fires raged, billowing clouds of smoke rose, and greenskins swarmed. He roared a command to his engineers below decks, “Higher! Stack the furnaces higher! I want to smell the fire of Grimnir’s rage aboard my ship!”

The stout king surveyed the length of his Ironclad. Its hull was forged with ore from the richest mines this side of Karaz-a-Karak. Its engine was seen to by the most reliable of engineers in all of Karaz Ankor. He whispered the prayer of his ancestors reassuring himself. “By axe, by forge, by beard, we shall endure always as the mountain does, and so will my ship.”

The Ironclad approached the shallow port waters at a velocity meant only for the high sea. The king stood firm at the helm and shouted, “Brace yourselves lads! We’re going to be cuttin’ a swath through their barges!” Despite his own advice, the stout king’s grip remained around only his great axe.

In a matter of seconds the first of the greenskin barges was upon them. The Ironclad tore through it as an axe would hops. Another and another it crushed the barges without so much as shaking the ship.

The main cluster came into view. Hundreds of Orcs, Goblins and Snotlings alike crawled over, in between and even under the barges like ants on a hill. The crew held on for dear life in anticipation of the collision. King Grundadrakk still held onto not but his great axe.

And then the impact was upon them. A cloud of splintered wood and planks erupted. Greenskins soared through the air. The collision shook the ship, but still the weight of the Ironclad’s momentum continued warhammer gold . One after another the thunderous explosions of impact echoed through the mountainous cove, over even the carnage on the port.

The king wasted not a single opportunity to cut down the hated foe. Left and right he swung his great axe catching greenskins one after another in mid flight, separating limb from body and head from torso. He managed to catch an airborne Black Orc clean down the middle. The mangled greenskin corpse landed on deck.

Grundadrakk recovered from his battle frenzy if for but a moment to notice the beardlings. The young Dwarfs looked upon their king in awe. The tales they would sing about his strength if only they survived the day, he thought. He was going to see to it that they did.

Just then the Ironclad crashed ashore. Dwarf and greenskin alike flew through the air. Some landed on the sand of the rocky beach, others were not so fortunate. Engineer Stonebearer recovered from the impact and quickly surveyed the ship. Damage to the hull was evident, but it was still intact. He beseeched Grundadrakk.

“My king! We should fortify ourselves inside the ‘clad. If’n we can hold ‘em out long enough, we’ll get ‘em engines roarin’ again. Grungni willing, we’ll have another pass at ‘em filthbag barges.”

There was no denying the wisdom of Stonebearer’s words. The king followed his crew below deck. Just before sealing the hatch he taunted the mob of greenskins quickly approaching.

“The Great Axe of Barak Varr is hungry for vengeance! And I swear on the memory of my ancestors, I’ll be fillin’ its belly with the blood of a thousand of ya before the day’s through!”

Welcome folks to another episode of Scenarios 101! For those of you keeping track, this is the first episode of Scenarios 101…so…maybe it’s not another episode at all. Hrmm.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Scenarios 101! Hopefully everyone knows that WAR will have Scenarios, but many of you many not know the full details of how they work and what exactly you do in them just yet. Well, that’s what I’m here to fix! I’m not here to explain the stories or fancy backgrounds, or talk about the art… I’m here to tell you how these Scenarios work and, more importantly, how you can win them!
Scenario Basics

* All Scenarios are timed and come to an end after 15 or 20 minutes.
* All Scenarios are score-based up to 500 points. Doing various things within the Scenarios, such as killing players or possessing an artifact, will give your Realm points.
* You win if you have the most points at the end of Scenario OR if your team gets to 500 points first.
* All Scenarios have a universal resurrection timer. In other words, when you die, you may be able to resurrect within a few seconds or you may have to wait a bit (up to 30 seconds). However, if a buddy resurrects you, you’re back in action immediately.
* All Scenarios have a population cap. For the most part, this ranges from 12-on-12 to 24-on- 24.
* All Scenarios are bracketed to pit you against players of relatively the same level.
* Within the Scenarios, Realms are represented by colors. Red is Destruction. Blue is Order. White is Neutral.

With the basics out of the way, let’s get on to the nitty-gritty!
Nordenwatch

Nordenwatch is a 12-on-12 Scenario in Tier 1 Chaos vs. Empire. Anyone between levels 1-12 can hop in this Scenario and duke it out.

There are three capture locations in this scenario - the Fortress, the Barracks, and the Lighthouse - which can be taken by standing near the banner marking each locale. The more players in the area (up to 6), the faster they will capture the location. When a player enters a capture area, they will see a small bar on the UI that begins to fill . Once the bar has been filled, it is considered owned by the capturing Realm and they are rewarded with points that count towards your goal of 500. The longer a location is held, the more points the team will earn.

Each capture area has a flag that will be brightly marked so players can see which side owns that location at a glance. They will also be able to see who owns the locations by opening up their map and looking at the flag icons.

From each spawn location, players will be presented with the options of trying to capture a location nearby, head further into the island to take the Fortress, or cut left/right to take a shot at the enemy right away. The Barracks and Lighthouse can be approached from multiple angles, but the Fortress can only be approached along two paths. For those that prefer to avoid direct conflict right away, there are several back-route paths that let you move discreetly around the map without venturing into the open areas between the capture locations.

A team’s best bet for winning this Scenario is to focus on capturing two locations and holding them. You’ll need to split your forces to mount a strong defense at each location, but expect one of them to soon be overwhelmed by the enemy hungry to capture as second locale. Unless you are specifically guarding an area, expect to always be on the move reinforcing weakened positions or attacking vulnerable locations. Oh, and one last thing: the Fortress is the furthest capture point from the spawn locations but it gives more points over time. It is a good one to take early and hold on to, but expect some massive battles to take place up there!
Highpass Cemetary

Highpass Cemetary is a 12-on-12 Scenario in Tier 3 Chaos vs. warhammer gold Empire. Anyone between the levels 18-40 can hop in this Scenario and fight amongst the headstones. There are two capture locations in this Scenario: the Crypt and the Stag. Both are graves of highly revered warriors from days of old.

Players begin the Scenario behind three closed gates. One gate leads to the Crypt, one gate leads to the Stag, and the center gate leads to the central graveyard. Most players will bull rush straight out the front gate to get to the fighting. However, a smart player will go left or right to secure a capture location as quickly as possible.

When you capture a location, a large glowing ring surrounding the tomb will change colors from white to red or blue (depending on your Realm). Capture both locations, and your team is awarded points towards a victory. I repeat: you must hold both locations in order to earn points. Capture both and a buff will appear near your spawn location. This buff will give you a small damage boost. After thirty seconds or so, the capture areas will revert to their neutral state and battle for control begins again!

The action in this Scenario can be pretty hectic due to the confined space around the capture areas, and wide open middle of the map. Be ready for some twitch warfare and make sure you keep the enemy away from your captured tomb. As this is a relatively small 12-on-12 map with only two locations to fight over, attrition becomes a big issue. A staunch defense facing a hard-hitting offense will make for a battle for the ages in this Scenario.

That’s it for this episode of Scenarios 101! Hopefully you’ve got some basics down for these scenarios as well as general basics for our instanced battles. Stay tuned for more in future newsletters.

Until next time…BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

Order players will attempt to infiltrate the House Arkaneth Black Ark staging ground on the cragged shores of the Blighted Isle. Here they will fight their way through various regiments and their commanders as they are deployed from the mouth of the floating fortress, until finally they have to face off with the veteran Beastmaster Lorkoth and his prized beast, the War Hydra Scornlash..

Usira declared it Khaine’s will that she and her sisters be let loose through Azurewood, while Malcivus insisted it was his birthright to have first pick of the artifacts within the Halls of Lileath. Kehron reminded everyone of his favor with Malekith’s Court, just as Lordling Krethek noted the number of warriors loyal to him. All the while, Rayth Blackfire was certain to remind everyone of her convent’s aptitude for persuasion.

Yet Lorkoth remained silent. He sat staring, not at any one of the other five commanders in particular, but rather at the air between them. Despite the calculated retort, exchange of wit, and lashing of tongues that lasted for hours on end, the space that divided them remained as empty as when they first convened. They were no closer to divvying up the spoils of conquered Calumel.

Lorkoth had seen the gathering of five unruly heads contending for control many times before in Karond Kar: they were those of a Hydra. There he wielded molten brands, cruel magic, and refined techniques to break the will of each head individually until the whole operated under one will: his, and his alone. Sitting at the large table, in the lavish council room of House Arkaneth, he dreamt of exercising such techniques against his quarrelsome fellows.

The banter continued ringing in the aged Beastmaster’s head until, finally, he decided to make a calculated move of his own. Rising to his feet, Lorkoth dismissed himself from the meeting with a slight bow. “If you would excuse me, there are matters I must attend to in the menagerie,” he spoke. “I shall leave these tactical matters in your capable hands. My beasts and I are, as always, ready to serve the Witch King, should the resolution of your designs call for it.’”

Unaware the Beastmaster had not entertained the verbal contention with participation, the other five were happy to see him make his leave. They gave dismissive side glances as he departed, and then quickly resumed their bickering with renewed energy.

Lorkoth descended down a spiral staircase into the belly of the Black Ark. The narrow passage opened up into a large cavernous room. The air here was thick and stifling. He followed sulfurous tendrils past Cold One pens, Harpy perches, and Manticore rookeries, toward a deep and reeking pit. The sounds of snapping bones, the rending of flesh, and the gnashing of many teeth grew louder with every step. The creature within the abyss let out a bestial roar as the dismembered remains of a hapless warhammer gold apprentice were thrown, end over end, through the air.

It is good to see the journey did not break your spirit,” Lorkoth said to the pit’s occupant with satisfaction.

All five of the Hydra’s heads turned at the sound of Lorkoth’s voice. They sniffed the air, confirming his scent, and then quickly dropped to the ground in submission. Lorkoth walked the length of the monstrous beast.

Loyal Scornlash, what sort of master would I be if I fail to live by the principle in which I broke you?” he asked the monster. “Look at you now. You are greater than the sum of your unruly parts. I have molded you into the perfect destroyer. My beast, it is time we forced others to understand as we do.”

Scornlash rose to attention as if it understood the subtleties of its master’s words.

Mere moments later, Usira’s chalice tipped, crystal decor shattered, and the ground shook before the wall of the council chamber collapsed. Scornlash crashed into the room with a bestial roar echoing from its many jaws. Lorkoth stepped into view from behind the beast.

Noble kin,” he began, “In all of your vigorous deliberations, I fear you missed the alarms being sounded on the mainland. The troublesome insurgency known as the Shining Guard is upon us. Perhaps you should mobilize your loyal subjects, just as I have mobilized mine. Lady Arkaneth will have all of our heads should she find Calumel lost just as she had won it.”

Lorkoth watched in delight as the five heads of council finally moved in unison.

As you have no doubt seen in recent podcasts and newsletters, we’ve added Keeps and Siege to Warhammer Online! Now it is time to offer an in-depth explanation as to how these systems work and how they are integral to the Realm v Realm™ (RvR) experience.

Integrating keeps into WAR builds on the foundation and success of Dark Age of Camelot™. In that game, keeps were the epitome of land ownership and helped drive the sense of pride in RvR. In WAR, keeps are once again a focal point of pride for your Realm and worth the battle defend or capture them.
Keep Basics

* There is at least one keep per realm, per zone in all Tier pairings except for Tier 1.
* Tier 2 zones have one keep each (two per pairing)
* Tier 4 zones have two keeps each for a total of six keeps

The taking of a keep has three distinct stages:

1. Breach the exterior of the keep
2. Breach the keep’s inner sanctum.
3. Defeat the Keep Lord.

Look and Feel

All keeps are artistically-themed to reflect the buildings of their original owners. In other words, an Empire keep looks like an Empire castle and a Chaos keep looks very chaotic. High Elf keeps are white with tall towers, and Dark Elf keeps have lots of spikes. You get the idea. When captured, these keeps take on the look and feel of the invading army.

When a keep is captured, its geometry will not change, but the look and feel of the keep will be altered to reflect the new owner. An Empire keep captured by Chaos, will still look like an Empire keep, only now it is defaced by symbols of Tzeentch, littered with bodies, belching fire and smoke, and sporting Chaos banners.

Greenskin Keep

High Elf Keep

Chaos Keep

Dark Elf Keep

Dwarf Keep

Empire Keep
Keep Structure

All keeps share a similar underlying structural layout with three different levels (ground level, 2nd floor and roof). Access to the interior of a keep is gained via a single breakable door on the ground level. Inside the core structure are ramps that lead upwards (no ladders) to the various levels which offer access to platforms for offensive and defensive weapons.

Tier 2 keeps consist of a single fortified tower structure with a single door to breach/defend. Tier 3 and 4 keeps are protected by an additional outer wall (aka Wall Walks for the castle definition fiends), thus adding another door to breach before the keep can be taken. These doors can be damaged using player abilities, but the use of siege weapons, such as rams and trebuchets, are highly recommended!

In addition to the breakable keep door (likely under heavy siege), keeps with an outer wall have two interactive (postern) doors that defenders can use to get in and out of the keep.

Dark Elf Keep Wall

Chaos Keep Wall

Greenskin Keep Wall
Keep Ownership

At the start of the game (or when the campaign resets), keep ownership is based on the zone in which they stand (i.e., the keep in Ostland is owned by the Empire and the two keeps in the Chaos Wastes are owned by Chaos). In the Tier 4 neutral zones, ownership of the two keeps is split with Order and Destruction each owning one.
Keep Lord

Each keep is ruled by a Keep Lord and his retinue of 4 bodyguards. In order to successfully capture a keep for your Realm, the Keep Lord must be killed. This plays out as Public Quest™ and rewards are based on the PQ contribution system. When the Keep Lord is killed, all remaining guards are killed (despawned), and new Keep Lord (with retinue) of the appropriate Realm will spawn.
Guards

In addition to the Keep Lords retinue, keeps will have guards stationed in and around their walls. The fighting over Battlefield Objective will dictate how many guards are located in the keep. The more Battlefield Objectives you hold, the more guards you have at your keeps.

Guard levels are set to the maximum for the zone per standard RvR level caps (level 12 for Tier 1, level 23 for Tier 2, level 40 for Tiers 3 and 4).
Zone Control

Capturing an enemy keep will play heavily into RvR Zone Control. Once a keep is captured, the Zone Control meter will move significantly in favor of the victors.
Siege Weapons

Keeps and surrounding areas will have several pre-set locations where siege weapons can be deployed and used by players. Some siege weapons will simply work by interacting with them for a period of time to damage pre-determined targets (such as a door). Other siege weapons, such as the trebuchet, will give players a Ground Target Area Effect (GTAE) reticule which they can move to attack specific locations.

There are four types of siege weapons:

* Rams can be used against keep doors or other pre-selected targets
* Ballistae can be used against individual players or other siege weapons
* Cannons, Catapults and Trebuchets can be aimed to fire at a selected location, doing splash damage to players or other siege weapons
* Boiling Oil can be used to rain down liquid death from keeps and walls

Siege weapons must be built on Siege Pads found in the world or on Keeps. They cannot be deployed anywhere else and the number of siege weapons used is limited by the number of pads. Furthermore, siege weapons cannot be moved once placed, although they can be rotated.

Siege weapons do not require a Trade-skill to build and can be deployed by anyone. They are purchased from War Camps or from an NPC inside the keeps. Once purchased, a siege weapon will take up a single inventory space. These items have no weight, and can be carried and traded by anyone. Players can carry as many siege weapons as they want, as long as they have space in their inventory. When a player deploys a siege weapon, the item will disappear from the player’s inventory.

Siege weapons will increase in cost and power based on location/Tier purchased. (The exact cost of siege weaponry has yet to be determined.) A Siege weapon purchased in a higher Tier cannot be placed on a lower tier Siege Pad. Only one Siege Weapon can be on a pad at a time. Siege Weapons have a life span of 30 minutes and can be destroyed by the enemy before that time.
Siege Pads

Siege Pads are pre-set locations on which Siege Weapons can be deployed. They are physically represented in the world as large slabs of concrete, slate, or otherwise engraved pads.

Keeps will have one Siege Pad per destructible door for placing Rams (for the attackers) and several pads for Ballista, Cannons/Trebuchets, and Boiling Oil on the Bastions (for the defenders). The surrounding area of a keep will have 4-8 locations on the frontal arc of keep for Ballista or Cannons/Trebuchets, and 1-3 locations per side arc of a keep.

To place a siege weapon on a Siege Pad, players simply right click on the pad to open an interface window. This window will display the siege weapons available to the player to be placed on the pad. Only one person can interact with the Siege Pad at a time.

Players have the ability to destroy and repair Siege Pads to add another level of strategy and depth to the siege mechanic. Siege Pads can only be destroyed by Ballista, Cannon/Trebuchet fire, or special demolition charges purchased from War Camps or keeps. A destroyed Siege Pad cannot be used to deploy siege weapons as the ground is littered with wood planks and metal bits. Siege Pads have very few hit points but repair themselves after several minutes.
Siege Weapon Operation

Siege weapons are under the control of the player that built them and only one player can operate them at a time (except for rams). However, control can be relinquished leaving them open for another player to assume control.

A very simple UI element will be used for Siege Weapons utilizing a three click “golf swing” meter. The more accurate your clicks on the meter, the more accurate your shots will be.
Rams

Rams are large siege engines used to batter down doors. Up to 4 players can be seated on a Ram at time and damage dealt is determined by the number of players present (one person does 25% damage, 3 people do 75% damage). Rams provide cover from attacks on high and player are shielded from 50% of all damage that rains down from above.

Empire Ram

Dark Elf Ram

Chaos Ram

Greenskin Ram
Ballistae (Direct Fire)

Ballistae are large bolt throwers used to skewer an enemy warhammer gold player or destroy siege weapons. They are mounted on rotating platforms on the Siege Pads to allow for precise aiming and inflict massive amounts of damage to a single target.
Ballistae (Direct Fire)

Catapults, Cannons, and Trebuchets use a combination of the three-click firing system and ground targeting to create an engaging siege mechanic reminiscent of the Warhammer table top game. They cannot shoot through solid structures such as buildings, roofs, or other man-made structures. As such, players inside a keep’s gatehouse or inner sanctum are immune to this splash damage.
Boiling Oil

Deploy, dump, and burn. Repeat until attackers are deep fried.

The Renown System
By Brian Wheeler, Adam Gershowitz and Justin Webb

Renown is the system which measures Realm vs. Realm (RvR) participation by a player. It functions as an experience system for RvR and players can “level up” to earn Renown ranks that show their proficiency at fighting the opposing Realm. Renown gain is also capped based on a character’s level so a player can’t be Renown rank 50 and player rank 5.

The Renown system dictates the rewards made available to a player (items, abilities, titles, or otherwise). Renown is gained through many actions in WAR - killing other players, taking or defending battlefield objectives or keeps, participating in scenarios, and zone control.

Earning Renown

At the simplest level, you get Renown from killing other players. Each player has a flat amount of Renown they are worth depending on their current Player Rank (level). When one player is killed by another player, the deceased’s player rank and Renown rank are measured against those of the killer and the awarded Renown is adjusted upward or downward based on the parity of the two players. If the deceased player has been killed recently, they will be worth less Renown than normal, and sometimes none at all if they’ve come back into combat too quickly.

Renown for killing players is also awarded to members in groups. Group members must be active in RvR, and within a certain range of the nearly deceased individual to receive Renown. “Active in RvR” means that you must have performed an action against another player or benefited an ally who is also active. Renown is split amongst players on a percentage base.

For example: Bob, Joe and Mike are attacking Jack. Bob and Joe are grouped, but Mike is not. Bob and Joe do 70% of the damage it took to kill Jack and Mike did the remaining 30%. Let’s say that Jack was worth 100 Renown. Bob and Joe will split 70 Renown evenly, and Mike will get 30 Renown.

Renown is also granted to healers from a separate pool for aiding their allies. This is designed to provide incentive to healers to keep their realm mates alive whether they’re grouped with them or not. Every time you heal another player, whether they’ve been in combat recently or are currently in combat, you’ll get a little bit of Renown.

Players can also earn Renown for capturing and defending battlefield objectives and keeps. Each of these locations has a set amount of Renown, as well as a building pool of Renown, that is distributed when the keep or battlefield objective is taken or successfully defended. The amount of Renown granted increases in each tier (i.e., Tier 3 keeps are worth more than Tier 2 keeps) and is dependent on the number of players killed in the area.

Both winners and loser of scenarios will be granted Renown as a reward for their participation. The amount of Renown a player receives is directly related to the amount of points their realm earned in a scenario. The winners will obviously get more, but both sides will earn additional Renown for having fought in the scenario beyond any they’ve received from player kills.

Lastly, taking over an enemy zone will give you a chunk of Renown worth roughly 5 times your base if you’re actively fighting in RvR at the time of capture. Let’s say your base Renown worth is 100 points, you’ll be given roughly 500 points when a zone is captured!

Renown Rewards

As a reward for participating in RvR, characters will receive one Renown point per Renown rank reached. These Renown points can be used to purchase special character advancement rewards from your trainer. These rewards are primarily focused on improving your character’s RvR capabilities, but many offer minor benefits to PvE performance as well.

RvR Tactics are special tactics that can only be purchased with Renown points. These tactics have their own unique slots in addition to the existing career tactic slots to further customize your character’s abilities. Renown tactics have special effects that focus on RvR performance. In particular, they allow a player to become more effective against a particularly hated enemy. For example, if a player wanted to become the ultimate Greenskin killing machine, they would purchase many of the anti-Greenskin Renown tactics.

Examples:

* Stuntie Stompa – One slot tactic that increases your damage by 2% when fighting in Dwarf RvR areas & scenarios
* Emperor’s Champion – Two slot tactic that gives you a 5% increase in morale generation if grouped with an Empire player.
* Malekith’s Vengeance – Two slot tactic that lightly heals the player every time they kill a High Elf player.
* Bane of Kings – One slot tactic that gives you 5% more damage when fighting Realm lords & kings.

A player can also purchase additional defensive, offensive and stat bonus packages using Renown points. These bonuses have a global effect on the player’s performance that will aid them in both PvE and RvR. Each stat package has multiple levels, with a greater bonus for each upgrade level purchased. However, each level costs an increasing amount of Renown points to purchase!

Examples:

* Hard as Nails I – Increases your Toughness by 3, costs 1 Renown point
* Hard as Nails V – Increases your Toughness by 42, costs 14 Renown points
* Blade Master III – Increases your Strength by 9 and Weapon Skill by 9, costs 10 Renown points
* Fireproof I – Increases your Elemental resistance by 20 warhammer gold , costs 5 Renown points
* Improved Heavy Armor III – Increases your Armor by 900, costs 15 Renown points

In addition to the Renown points, players also earn a new title with each Renown rank. These titles will help separate players who have been around the block from those who are greener than green (no pun intended Greenskin players).

Renown Items

When players hit certain Renown rank thresholds they earn the right to certain items. These items can only be bought from special shops, called Renown stores. There is a “Renown store” in every war camp and they function much like regular stores. However, each item in a Renown store has a Renown rank requirement, which means that you can’t buy or use it unless you are above a certain Renown rank. These items reward players that keep their Renown rank and level close. We’ve even put some of the RvR armor set pieces in the Renown stores. You’ll still have to do certain other things to complete your sets, but I’ll let you guys figure that out for yourselves.

Once a player has reached level 40 and Renown rank 40+, Renown items becomes really interesting. While the Renown store is still a player’s primary way of upgrading their RvR gear, players who participate in city captures also get access to really awesome RvR armor sets. A combination of keeping your renown-rank high and storming cities and killing kings will put players on the right track to get the best renown gear in the game. All the renown 40+ items are effectively level 40+ items. So, the higher your renown rank, the better the items are that you can get from the renown store.

Welcome folks to another episode of Scenarios 101! This week we’ll be focusing on more Chaos vs. Empire scenarios: Stone Troll Crossing and Talabec Dam.
Stone Troll Crossing

Stone Troll Crossing is a 12 vs. 12 scenario in Tier 2 Chaos vs. Empire. Anyone between levels 7 and 23 can hop in this Scenario and duke it out.

This match is pretty straight forward… kill or be killed, but avoid the Trolls! That’s right, Trolls. You’re fighting on their turf and they’re not too keen on either Realm being in the area. Because you’re trespassing, our not so friendly Trolls will be hurling large boulders into the area from time to time. These boulders aren’t lethal, but they cause a hefty knock-back to both Realms. This throws a bit of variety into the standard team death-match.

When you first enter the scenario you’ll be presented with the option to go straight ahead or cut to the right to take an alternate path out of the spawn area. The majority of the play area is lowlands with large boulders breaking up the space, but there is a large tree mound in the middle that has spiraling walk ways up both sides for an elevated fight. Gain the high-ground, and you can do some damage in this Scenario by forcing the enemy to come to you. The disadvantage to being in this elevated position is knock-back vulnerability. Don’t get too comfortable on your perch because it’s just a matter of time before you’ll get knocked off.

Avoid those Trolls and lay down “the whoopins!”
Talabec Dam

Talabec Dam is a 12 vs. 12 or an 18 vs. 18 scenario in warhammer gold Tier 3 Chaos vs. Empire. Anyone between levels 18 and 40 can jump into this scenario and put up their best fight. This is one of our bomb run scenarios which features a single bomb that both Realms have to deliver to their intended bomb targets. In this case, Order is trying to blow up a large chaos sigil that is infecting Talabec Dam and Destruction is trying to blow up a windmill that is a major production engine for a local town off of Talabec River.

When you start this scenario you’ll be near your respective opponent’s target (Destruction spawns near the dam and Order spawns near the windmill). You can hop down in a few spots to either defend or go on the assault. As you approach the central location where the bomb is, you’ll notice that there are four ways into this location (2 from each side). You can either stay and defend this location for bomb respawns, or take the bomb and run. When the bomb is picked up, you have 60 seconds to get to your target or blow up and anyone around you gets knocked back. WAR bombs are deadly, but you also walk away with a hefty point gain for successful bomb runs!
Each of the bomb locations can be defended fairly well as you can only approach them from two sides; however both locations are highly susceptible to knock-back. You won’t die if you get knocked back into the river below, but any extra fireballs that come your way may make life a little difficult getting out of the drink!

This scenario really focuses on offense and defense at the same time. It can get hectic out there so keep your heads on. Don’t focus purely on killing other players… this isn’t Stone Troll! There’s only one bomb up at a time so you have be ready to move at a moments notice. Go for the bomb, get on defense, or go on offense… but make sure you’re going somewhere!

That’s it for this episode of Scenarios 101! Hopefully you’ve got some basics down for these scenarios and we’ll see you on the field!

Until next time…BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

Battle for Praag and Maw of Madness

Welcome to another episode of Scenarios 101! This month we’ll detail two more Empire vs. Chaos Scenarios - Battle for Praag and Maw of Madness.

Battle for Praag

The Battle for Praag is an 18 vs. 18 Scenario in Tier 4 Empire vs. Chaos. Anyone between levels 23 and 40 can hop into this Scenario and beat the snot out of each other!

This Scenario features a tug-of-war mechanic with five capture locations running north to south in this battle strewn terrain. Only location is in play at a time, with the central location being first available for capture. It is a sprint from both sides to this location which must be captured and held by one side in order to move the battle forward to the next location. After a short period defending a flag (which grants points), the next location closer to the enemy camp will open for capture. The deeper you go into enemy territory, the more points you get for capturing a flag. Conversely, recapturing areas close to your home base will give fewer points.

When you first enter the Scenario, you’ll be presented with the option to forge straight ahead or veer left/right out of the spawn area. Going straight will lead you quickly to the center capture location. Going left will lead you past your “last stand” capture point. Heading right will lead you down a long path that’s usually free of enemy players until you get towards the middle of the map. You’ll emerge in prime flanking position of anyone guarding the center capture area.

The Battle for Praag offers a mix of close urban combat and large open battlegrounds. Realms will need to carefully coordinate their offensive thrusts and defensive maneuvers in order to move the battle beyond the middle three capture locations. Players on the offense need to move quickly from flag to flag, but be response to enemy movements. Defenders need to decide whether the best course of action is to cede control of a falling location and get in position to quickly take the next flag, or rally troops and fight off the invading attackers. Either way, be ready for a true tug of WAR in the Battle for Praag!

Maw of Madness

Maw of Madness is a 12 vs. 12 Scenario in Tier 4 Chaos vs. Empire warhammer gold . Anyone between levels 23 and 40 can jump into this Scenario and duke it out. This is one of our murderball Scenarios featuring an object of power that needs to be snagged and held for as long as possible. Simply put, this is WAR’s version of “YOU’RE IT!”

Hold the murderball and you’ll earn points over time for your side, as well as extra points for killing other players. If you’re killed while holding the ball, the other team gets double the normal kill value for your hide …and of course you drop the Murder Ball!

Both Realms start above the main play area which runs east to west, with the murderball located in the center of the map. Maw of Madness has large spikes and ruins scattered throughout the play area which players may climb or use for cover. Ranged players may find the center of the Scenario a bit tricky with line of sight being easily broken, but the outskirts offer nothing but clear lines and open terrain to nuke away. Melee characters will want to stay in the middle of the map using the terrain to their advantage in order to hang on to the murderball as long as possible!

Until next time…BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

Doomfist Crater and Black Fire Basin

Welcome folks to another episode of Scenarios 101! With this episode we’ll be switching over to Greenskin vs. Dwarf Scenarios!

Doomfist Crater

Doomfist Crater is a 12 vs. 12 Scenario in Tier 3 Greenskin vs. Dwarf. Anyone between levels 23 and 40 can play in this Scenario.

This Scenario is a hybrid rule-set as it mixes King of the Hill with Murderball! The Scenario take places in the bottom of a muddy crater with derelict Greenskin platforms. Several artifacts of power lay about the area. In the center is a large platform which can be used as a vantage point to see across the entire crater floor. Holding this center platform is the primary objective of this Scenario as it gives points over time to the team holding it. However, the opposing Realm will be able to pick up the artifacts (Murderballs) and killing players while holding these artifacts will result in more points gained per kill. Be careful though, there is a chance that these artifacts will kill you!

When you first enter the Scenario you’ll be presented with the option of charging straight ahead or heading to the right out of the spawn area. Going straight will lead you right into the muck and to the platforms which have varied height and directions. Making your way to the middle capture location is an easy task, but holding onto that area will be difficult as you can get hit from all angles. Players will be able to hold on to the center location if they have the numbers, but once the other Realm gets a hold of the Murderballs that offer boosted damage capabilities, they’ll be hard pressed to control the center for long!

Be forewarned, Doomfist Crater is chaotic! With the single capture location being elevated, you’ll always know who owns it and the Murderballs will always spawn for the opposite Realm. However, there’s always the possibility that both Realms have a Murderball or two, but that can quickly change as players go on rampages killing each other. To put it bluntly, this Scenario is a meat-grinder! Avoiding death in this Scenario will net you zero points, so get in there and kill someone!

Black Fire Basin

Blackfire Basin is a 12 vs. 12 Scenario in Tier 3 Greenskin warhammer gold vs. Dwarf. Anyone between levels 23 and 40 can play in this Scenario.

This Scenario features classic Capture the Flag mechanics just the way Greenskins and. Dwarfs like it - head-to-head! Each Realm must break into the opposition’s “base” and take the enemy’s banner back to their own base. The flag locations have three points of entry either by gate, broken gate, or super secret side paths (okay, they’re not really super secret, but they’re not blatantly obvious either). “Smash and grab” as they say, and get the enemy flag!

Spawn points for this Scenario will overlook the flag location so players can gather their forces together before charging out to defend the flag or assault an enemy location. Going straight through the map, across “Deadman’s Del”, will get you to the enemy the fastest, but this leaves you wide open to be hit from all directions. Try cutting to the east or west and take those afore mentioned side paths for a more protected route into the enemy base.

Black Fire Basin is a classic CTF map, which means kill or be killed. If you let the enemy take your flag, you’re going to fall behind quickly. If your Realm sits back on defense the whole time, you may actually win the kill counts, but if the enemy manages to capture even a single flag, you’re more than likely going to have to play catch up. Mass flag rushing will be common place and expect this Scenario to result in some truly bloody battles! Oh… and don’t mind the big frozen “fish”… he’s simply out of his cave.

That’s it for this episode of Scenarios 101! Stay tuned next time for more Greenskin vs. Dwarf goodness!

Until next time… BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!