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"A single entity may be strong, but they can be surrounded and taken down," says Mann. They are obviously blessed with a big Area of Effect count when they start doing their thing. Each is perhaps three times larger than the humans, but it only takes about eight of them to face down an enemy of perhaps 100 men. It gives it a real kinetic feel."Ī line of trolls mount a devastating charge. Defenders will brace themselves or try to strike back, whereas the attackers will leap in or charge to do a hit. "Units are much more reactive to the charge.
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"We've done a lot of work with the charges and the charge impacts in combat," says the game's battle designer Simon Mann. It's nothing if not spectacular and gruesome. Goblins strap wings to their backs and are fired from catapults into the fearful ranks of the Empire. Orcs puke poison onto their victims, who swarm with swords to retaliate. While the humans have numbers on their side, the Greenskin battalions are usually smaller, though each unit is bigger and stronger.
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Fronts hurl themselves upon one another and grind each other down.
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The battles themselves progress much as you would expect from a Total War game. It's clear that these are all highly valuable units that are not to be wasted. On both sides there are also heroes, mages and wing-borne creatures, such as dragons.
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The creatures of the Greenskins include all manner of orcs, wobbly-bellied giants, trolls, Arachnaroks and goblins. They bristle with pikes and medieval firearms.Īpproaching from yonder hill is a very different host. They are the Empire, based loosely on the Holy Roman Empire of the high medieval era. The armies of men gather together in familiar Total War blocks and formations. This battle takes place in a wide ravine skirted by lava-draped cliff faces. For a start, the environments are much more striking than in real world Total War games.
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