Golem

[magian]

The new warpedia release has provoked some discussion about unit changes for beta 5. One of the most popular topics is the new mammoth, its 4 wounds and its hefty defense bonus. This all got me thinking, how can a 4 wound unit be balanced? What would make a unit an effective late-game city defender? The answer I came up with is the GOLEM.

So, the golem (or colossus) is a massive humanoid hunk of rock and/or metal, animated by magic. It doesn't think, it doesn't feel it just acts in accordance with its magical programming.

As far a game stats go, the golem would be a 3-4 turn unit, it would be quite slow (being a lumbering chunk of stone) have decent strength and 4 wounds. Now comes the kicker, it is MINDLESS, meaning that morale, fear, chaos and command have no effect on it. So, if it is stacked with a paladin, the paladin's command will not boost the golem's strength. If it is fighting against a medusa, the medusa's fear will not reduce the golem's strength.

Why is the golem the best answer to my questions? Well, Beta 4 is chock full of stack bonuses and stack minuses. A stack with a mid level paladin and a mid level dreadknight is very powerful in itself. Add in some fear and morale and you have an army that won't take a single loss against fairly strong stacks.

A unit with 4 wounds gets twice the stack bonus of a unit with two wounds (because each wound gets the bonus) so a 4 wounder that can receive stack bonuses will only add fuel to the fire (the fire being overwhelming power stacks). Therefore, I propose the stoic, relentless, mindless golem.

[LichKing]

I like the idea of a mindless unit, but since there won't be new graphics or units for now, I don't think it can be put in practice . Anyway I don't see how your golem would 'balance' the mammoth, since they would do basically the same thing (defend).

[magian]

I wasn't trying to counterbalance the mammoth. I was trying create a unit that would actually be an effective late-game defender while still being a balanced unit itself. I think the golem would be a more interesting (and more balanced) unit than the proposed mammoth.

Not sure if 'mindless' (as I previously envisioned it) would be enough though. It wouldn't prevent an opposing unit getting a morale bonus ,or a leadership bonus, when facing the golem in battle.

Mindless would be more effective if it entirely cancelled out auras (morale and fear) or heroism (chaos and command) for both the golem and any unit it is directly fighting in combat. So it would be a bit like the sandworm, but instead of ignoring walls it would ignore either auras or heroism, or both.

I think having a unit that is personally immune to all stack bonuses (other than walls) would take some of the shine off of stack boosting units. And those stack boosters could really use a little less shine.

[KGB]

Mindless would be more effective if it entirely cancelled out auras (morale and fear) or heroism (chaos and command) for both the golem and any unit it is directly fighting in combat. So it would be a bit like the sandworm, but instead of ignoring walls it would ignore either auras or heroism, or both.

Units that cancel bonus's are called a Devil and an Archon

Not sure how the Golem being mindless would translate into the opponents armies being mindless. That doesn't make sense. Having the Golem be immune to Fear and Chaos however would make sense.

Besides if you need defenders against stacks with large bonus's, invest in Orcs/WolfRiders/Ghosts.

KGB

[magian]

Units that cancel bonus's are called a Devil and an Archon

This is true, but that is like saying the sandworm is pointless because siege units exist. It isn't though, sandworms are useful and their personal ability to ignore walls makes them different enough to be interesting.

It is true that a golem being immune to fear and chaos makes sense. It also makes sense that it would receive no benefit from morale (it doesn't have feelings) and possibly command (it is too single-minded and stupid to follow complicated orders).

Perhaps facing a huge hunk of living metal intent on destruction causes its opponents to feel rather meek and forget any orders they were given.

Without being able to cancel its opponent's bonuses, it would be ineffective against late game stacks, so I'm not sure what the point of it would be.