Arcana: Advanced Unit Design

Troops default to companies of 100 soldiers.

Troop Type

Peasantry
Militia
Men at Arms
Nobles
Big!

Personal Weapons

Pick a main weapon and an optional side weapon. A two-handed melee weapon cannot be used with a shield.

Swords

Shortsword

Cheap and easy to acquire, shortswords are commonly carried by pikemen and archers as a weapon of last resort.

Cost: 4 Gold

Sidesword

Popular with both soldiers and civilians, side-swords are adept at fighting both armored and unarmored opponents. They are commonly used with a buckler.

Cost: 10 Gold

Scimitar

The term Scimitar applies to a whole family of lethal curved swords.

Cost: 10 Gold

Broadsword

Heavy one handed swords, often with an ornate hilt guard. Usually carried by cavalrymen and other soldiers who prefer its brute force over more elegant blades.

Cost: 12 Gold

Longsword

The quintessential knightly weapon, the Longsword or hand and a half sword can be found in use just about everywhere.

Cost: 15 Gold

Zweihander

A massive two-handed sword capable of battering its way through even the most heavy of defenses.

Cost: 15 Gold

Katana

Samurai Swords

Cost: 20 Gold, 25 Mana

Buster Sword

Giant cloudswords

Cost: 5 Gold, 2 Adamantium, 10 Mana

Lightswords

These aren't the energy swords you're looking for.

Cost: 35 Mana

Axes and Maces

Warhammer

A heavy two handed blunt weapon, sometimes with a spike in addition to the hammer itself. Primarily used for bludgeoning armored opponents.

Cost: 15 Gold

Axe

While never a glamorous weapon, the axe is highly versatile and a potent armament.

Cost: 4 Gold

Mace

A development of the club, maces are used largely in the same fashion. Variations such as the morning star might include spikes.

Cost: 5 Gold

Polearms

Spear

Cheap and effective, the spear has largely been replaced by the longer pike in most professional infantry units but remains in use with more traditional cavalry in the form of the lance.

Cost: 3 Gold

Halberd

An axe blade and spike mounted atop a long pole. Halberds are excellent for supporting the more cumbersome Pike, and are also carried by royal guards across the known world.

Cost: 10 Gold

Pike

Perhaps the simplest and most effective way to arm an army. Pike formations are equally able to ward off cavalry and opposing infantry with a forest of pikes. Against disciplined enemy infantry armed with pikes, engagements tend to become a contest of endurance in the "push of pike".

Cost: 5 Gold

Firewand

Not really a 'wand' by any means, but a magical spear that can immolate its tip or else throw a small amount of magical fire across short distances.

Cost: 10 Mana

Upkeep: 2 Mana

Ranged

Throwing Axe

A thrown axe of the sort used by Franks and Dwarves everywhere.

Cost: 5 Gold

Javelin

Light spears primarily intended for throwing.

Cost: 3 Gold

Bow

Simple bows are still popular in many regions for hunting and defense.

Cost: 3 Gold

Compound Bow

Weapon of choice for the sensible barbarian horse archer.

Cost: 5 Gold

Longbows

Standard longbows made of yew, or more favorable or less favorable but cheaper or more common woods.

Cost: 10 Gold

Crossbow

While having a slower rate of fire than traditional bows, the crossbow's bolts are considerably more potent.

Cost: 5 Gold

Arbalest

The more powerful metal cousin of the basic crossbow, an arbalest is one of the deadliest ranged weapons around.

Cost: 10 Gold

Arquebus

Simple and easy to construct, the Arquebus was the first firearm used by the Alfar Imperial Legions.

Cost: 5 Gold

Leadcaster

More expensive and much more complex than a simple Arquebus, the magitech Leadcaster is the pinnacle of recent firearm development.

Cost: 10 Gold, 5 Mana

Hand Leadcaster

A compact version of the shoulder fired standard leadcaster. While it lacks the range and power of the full sized gun, its smaller size makes it perfect for use by mounted troops.

Cost: 10 Gold, 5 Mana

Mercury Bow

Made from liquid Mage's mercury and infused with a constant Mana charge a Mercury bow is lethal in the hands of the well-trained, and deadly in the hands of the hurriedly trained allowing it a certain popularity in military circles.

Cost: 5 Gold, 3 Mana

Elfin Bow (Mana Bow)

Painstakingly and lovingly constructed by the greatest Alfar bowyers, the Elfin bow or Mana Bow is sometimes considered the answer to the new-newfangled Arquebus or Leadcasters. Simply put, it makes an already well-trained longbowman beyond the status of simply irreplaceable with projectiles propelled through the air to deal both awesome piercing and mana damage.

Cost: 10 Gold, 5 Mana

Exotic

Shotbuster

A buster sword with an integrated leadcaster or other sorcerous ranged weapon, making them particularly lethal at all ranges.

Cost: 2 Adamantium, 25 Mana

Hook

Telekinetically-controlled short spears.

Cost: 5 Gold, 25 Mana

Infinite Weapon

Rare high magic weapons made of liquid metal that can morph between multiple settings

Cost: 1 Adamantium, 50 Mana

Ninja Bullshit

A varied array of weapons used by ninja and similar assassins. Includes things like throwing stars, short knives, blowguns, etc.

Cost: 10 Gold

Sword-Chucks

Nunchucks, except made of swords.

Cost: 10 Gold, 25 Mana

Personal Armor

Light

Padded Jacket

A simple reinforced jacket.

Cost: 2 Gold

Barrier Jacket

Normally made of flexible metalicized cloth, barrier jackets have an inner weave of magical circuitry that reinforces and protects the wearer.

Cost: 35 Mana

Shell Coat

Essentially similar to a barrier jacket, except with hard armor plates at the shoulders, elbows and other strategic locations.

Cost: 50 Mana

Medium

Mail

While seen as somewhat dated in this era of heavy plate, older styles of mail armor are still commonly used by feudal foot soldiers and poorer knights alike.

Cost: 8 Gold

Lamellar

Armor consisting of small plates that have been laced together in overlapping rows.

Cost: 8 Gold

Plated Mail

Mail armor that has been reinforced by the addition of metal plates.

Cost: 10 Gold

Elven Weave

Having done away with clumsy mail millenia ago, the Alfar Empire outfitted its troops with comfortable (if somewhat heavy) soft armor made of adamantium fabric. Enchantments dispersed the impacts of blunt weapons and the adamantium weave could turn all but the best swords. Better still, elven weave can be worn even while travelling, making it popular with adventurers.

Cost: 5 Gold, 1 Adamantium

Enchanted Armor

Typically taking the form of a simple breastplate that has been imbued with enchantments to protect the rest of the body, enchanted armor is commonly used by those who prefer to avoid significant armor encumberance. Like elven weave, enchanted armor can be easily worn all day long.

Cost: 10 Gold, 8 Mana

Heavy

Partial Plate

While not providing the comprehensive protection of full plate armor, partial plate still offers better mobility and superior visibility over a suit of full plate, in addition to being cheaper to produce.

Cost: 15 Gold

Full Plate

The favored armor of nobility and knightly cavalry. Expensive, but is more than worth the price for the protection it offers.

Cost: 30 Gold

Superheavy Plate

Impossibly thick armor used by monstrous creatures or the super humanly strong.

Cost: 40 Gold

Adamantium Plate

A few lords or rich knights can afford special plate armor reinforced with adamantium, giving them almost unmatched protection.

Cost: 20 Gold, 4 Adamantium

Embodied Armor

Rife with enchantments, 'embodied' armor is the ultimate expression of heavyweight personal armor. Not only does it provide incredible resistance to attacks both physical and magical, it is surprisingly easy to move in and even augments the wearer's strength.

Cost: 25 Gold, 5 Adamantium, 25 Mana

Shields

Buckler

Scottish targes, bucklers, and other small shields. They cannot cover much target area against a rain of missiles, but provide a significant advantage in close combat.

Cost: 2 Gold

Light Shield

Shields of fair size but simple and light construction. Light shields provide good protection and coverage against lighter weaponry, but are too flimsy to withstand weapon weaponry.

Cost: 5 Gold

Full Shield

Good defensive boosts against all forms of attack.

Cost: 7 Gold

Tower Shield

These are large, heavy shields that cover practically the entire body against attack. They are very solid against projectiles and formidable protection for ranks of spear. Tend to be a bit unwieldy in a general melee.

Cost: 10 Gold

Pavise

Useless in close combat but provide exceptional ranged protection.

Cost: 7 Gold

Round Buckler

A magically-animated shield that can automatically move to interpose itself between enemies and the user.

Cost: 12 mana

Miscellaneous

Mounts

Supply Train

Various forms of ponies, mules, pack horses, oxen or more unusual animals are used to tow the various accountrements of war. Certainly better than carrying it all on your back.

Cost:

Rouncey

An ordinary horse suitable for a wide range of purposes, the expense of maintaining superior war horses means that many more common ones are used by cavalrymen and scouts in times of war.

Cost:

Courser

A capable warhorse used by mounted men at arms and poorer knights. While not as expensive or prized as a Destrier, they are well suited for use by cavalrymen.

Cost:

Destrier

The finest warhorses available, Destriers are tough and fast. They are unquestionably the mount of choice for Knights in both battle and tournament.

Cost:

Elephant

There is an elephant in the way.

Cost:

Warstriders

Strider Weapons

Giant Mauls

Simple clubs, hammers and related bashing weapons, appropriately sized-up for warstriders.

Cost: ?? Gold

Giant Swords

Warstrider-sized swords. Eminently capable of cleaving striders, knights, dragons and houses.

Cost: ?? Gold

Giant Bow

The magically-powered musculature of a Strider can use immense bows capable of firing a six-foot bolt through multiple layers of reinforced oak.

Cost: ?? Gold

Strider Leadcasters

A Strider Leadcaster is roughly equal in size to a light artillery piece like a Falconet.

Cost:

Concussive Blast Bow

A 'pure' magic weapon, blast bows fire a fast-moving ball of force across long distances. In appearance, they resemble a large open-ended telescope. Other than the various differences in mount, they are identical to blast cannons used by skyships or field artillery. The practice of calling them 'bows' dates back to the Alfar empire.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Point Cannon

One of the rare modern weapons with no counterpart during the era of the Alfar Empire, point cannon are so named due to their looks, that of a long tapering needle longer than a man is tall connected by an armored cord to a backpack of reagents and obsidian mana batteries. While a bit cumbersome due to their length, the blasts of blinding energy they fire are particularly capable at punching through armor and defensive enchantments.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Strider Armor

Iron Plate

Usually readily available and relatively inexpensive, iron is by far the most common metal used in warstrider construction.

Cost:

Adamantium Plate

Only the most expensive warstrider designs are protected by adamantium armor.

Cost: Adamantium ?

Artillery

Siege Engines

Bombard

A fairly simple large caliber gun or mortar used to batter down fortified walls.

Cost:

Trebuchet

Largely supplanted by cannons, the wooden Trebuchet is still used by the armies of more conservative or remote nations.

Cost:

Hammerer

An enlarged blast bow/cannon, sized to bash down walls with wave after wave of magical force.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Stormcaller

These large siege engines - the size of a large house - must be erected on-site, whereapon they can be used to create short-lived storms that can pelt the enemy with magical lightning. The intrinsic difficulty of deploying such bulky weapons limits their use to sieges or fixed defenses.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Field Artillery

Culverin

One of the most common pieces of battlefield artillery, the first Culverins were used by great effect by the Alfar Legions against enemies who could at best field unwieldy full sized cannons.

Cost:

Demi-Culverin

An excellent all purpose gun, the Demi-Culverin is a popular choice for armies on the move, where it is easy to transport while still retaining considerable range and power.

Cost:

Falconet

The lightest cannon in common use, a Falconet is roughly similar in size and power to the oversized firearms used by warstriders. Highly mobile, Falconets serve as an excellent defense against oversized enemies and giant monsters.

Cost:

Ballista

Somewhat like a giant oversized crossbow, the Ballista is an ancient but still effective field weapon.

Cost:

Mystic Focus

A mystic focus is a common addition to large structure, allowing a mage to 'power up' their spells by tapping into a substantial source of power.

Cost: ?? Mana

Lightning Launcher

These crystaline contraptions fire bolts of powerful lightning against nearby targets. While it is limited to short ranges, the lightning is almost impossible to avoid.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Concussive Blast Cannon

A blast bow fitted to a wheeled carriage.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Point Cannon

Identical to the warstrider version in performance, though somewhat unpopular due to the difficulties in moving both the weapon itself and the power pack.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Skycraft

Weapons

Firepowder Cannon

Firepowder is an old if not supremely popular option among the siege-minded. While it has the advantage in simplicity, firepowder cannons are not terribly accurate.

Cost: ?? Gold

Upkeep: Firepowder?

Bomb Bay

Little more than a cargo hold that opens at the bottom, bomb bays let an attacker (inaccurately) rain explosive bombs down on poor saps below. As most competent armies are capable of adequately protecting themselves against skyships flying directly above them, bombs find themselves mainly used against large, slow or immobile targets such as fieldworks, villages or unwary forts.

Cost:

Mystic Focus

A mystic focus is a common addition to large structure, allowing a mage to 'power up' their spells by tapping into a substantial source of power.

Cost: ?? Mana

Lightning Launcher

These crystaline contraptions fire bolts of powerful lightning against nearby targets. While it is limited to short ranges, the lightning is almost impossible to avoid.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Concussive Blast Cannon

A 'pure' magic weapon, blast cannons fire a fast-moving ball of force across long distances. In appearance, they resemble a large open-ended telescope. They are particularly favored by skyship captains expecting to engage ground troops, as their concussive blasts can be set for a large (if less powerful) area of effect.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Point Cannon

Skyship-mounted point cannons sometimes draw their power from a single centralized site in the center of the ship, though they are otherwise little different from the field gun version.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

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Typical accelerated mana cannon

Accelerated Mana Cannon

These bulky weapons take the appearance of a triple or quadruple helix over twice the height of a man that generate powerful, intense energy beams. Like point cannons, they are a technical innovation that was introduced during the Necromantic War.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Ventral Hammerers

A few uncommon skyships are fitted with a downward-pointing hammerer - the weapon being far too unwieldy to use against other ships - for use in sieges or demolitions. These emit a massive shockwave upon hitting the ground, a force few structures can resist for long.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Armor

Wood Cladding

Skycraft are typically constructed out of thin wooden sheeting over a frame, which provides little to no resistance against weapon fire. It is thus common to armor skycraft expected to see fighting with thicker, denser wood, giving them effective immunity to hand-held missile weapons and substantially increased resistance to medium-sized field weapons.

Cost: ?? Gold

Iron Cladding

A few unusual skycraft have been fitted with iron armor; while providing superior protection against weapons it is fairly expensive and very heavy. As a result a skyship so armored tends to be something of a pig in the air, albeit a very difficult one to disable.

Cost: ?? Gold

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Halves all carrying abilities

Adamantium Cladding

The occasional lord with more money than sense will commission a skyship clad in Adamantium armor. While the amount of adamantium required is rather excessive, a ship so armored had none of the performance drawbacks of iron cladding.

Cost: Yes Adamantium

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Barrier Cladding

Some shipbuilders opt to forgo significant physical armor, instead relying on magical defenses to keep the skyship safe. While less effective against things such as cannons, magical protection is significantly better against spells and spell-firing weapons.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Magic & Equipment

Haze Field

More sneaky captains have their ships fitted with haze fields, magical wards that can hide a skyship against empty sky. While hardly perfect, they can help a ship to avoid 'unnecessary entanglements'. Many civilized ports consider any ship with a haze field as an outlaw vessel.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ?? Mana

Manajets

Some skyships have especially powerful enchantments, throwing out raw mana as propulsive force, making them faster and more responsive.

Cost: ?? Mana

Upkeep: ? Mana

Troop Barracks

The skycraft was built with particularly large passenger spaces and as a result, increases the amount of Infantry units it can carry by 100% per level.

Cost: ?? Gold

Upkeep: ? Gold

Heavy Lift

The skycraft has especially powerful enchantments, allowing it to carry particularly weighty loads and as a result, increases the amount of Mechanical units it can carry by 100% per level.

Cost: ?? Mana? Levistone?

Upkeep: ? Mana

Special Skills

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