The Road to Edain 4.0: The Scout Heroes news

Today, we would like to present to you an update dealing with the topic of Scout-Heroes. The scouts will be a new group of heroes in version 4.0. Their role will be to explore and spy enemy territory early in the game, and to stay useful through their special level mechanics in the rest of the game. In version Edain 3.8 we introduced Very-Early-Game-Heroes to the game. The scouts will be an improvement of this concept to make these heroes more important not only in the Very-Early-Game, and to give every faction their own possibility to spy on their enemies in one way or another. In the following text, we will present you each Scout more closely and explain their basic functions.

In Edain 4.0, every faction will have their own scout hero, which can be used quite early in the game. Scouts may be a great advantage if used wisely, but in general the player is not dependent on them.
Even if you can't build anywhere you like in the BfME I building system, it's still important to keep an eye on key locations and see where the enemy expands. This can give you the possibility to react to the actions of your enemy and interrupt him. For this reason, we developed the Scout Heroes, who have exactly this as a primary role, besides having different secondary purposes.

Unlike most heroes, scout heroes don't have to level up by gaining combat experience, as most of them have alternative levelling routes via upgrades or abilities. This allows you to use them for scouting in good conscience without feeling you're missing out on experience by not fighting with them. It also ensures that the heroes won't become useless in the later game. Of course, scouting your enemy is important in every phase of the game, but it should be the decision of the player if he uses these special characters for fighting.

The costs of the scout heroes will be between 50 and 200 resources, but the revival costs will increase with every level up to 500 resources. While scout heroes don't start out as very powerful, most of them grow quite significantly over the course of the game and would become too strong for their starting price if that didn't adjust. Their basic values are very low, so in the early game they are quite useless in battle, and are forced to explore, spy and conquer settlements instead of fighting. Also, every scout hero has 2 or 3 abilities from the start, giving them several options.
Due to this integration, we had the opportunity to make unused characters as Pippin, Bilbo, Gildor, Carthaen or Shagrat and Gorbag quite feasible for the player.

We also took care to ensure that every faction has at least one early counter against stealth, either through their scouting hero or a rank one spell like the Eye of Sauron. That way, you can always do something against stealth, but the counters are themselves conditional and tied to a weak hero or a spell cooldown. This gives both players the opportunity to outmaneuver each other.

Gondor and Rohan

Gondor and Rohan will have access to Pippin and Merry. Exactly as in BfME I, these two are no strong fighters, but have a very useful camouflage ability, making them the perfect scouts. Besides their weapon switch they have the following abilities at level 1:

Merry: Eagerness of the squire - Temporarily Merry moves 20% faster
Pippin: Curiosity of the fool – For 20 seconds, his sight increases by 50% and invisible units next to him will be revealed

Additionally, their abilities Squire of Rohans and Guardian of the Citadel won't be passive at level 5, but will be an upgrade, leveling them up directly to level 5 for 400 resources. The bonuses will stay the same.

Arnor

Carthaen becomes the scout hero of Arnor. In contrast to Merry and Pippin, who will cost 50, Carthaen is one of the most expansive scout heroes with 200. Due to his Weapon Toggle and his ability Resolve, Carthaen has the option to join the fighting later. Costing much more resources than the Hobbits, he has much higher values from the start.

Directly at level 1, Carthaen has the ability Lone Guardian, summoning a Dunedain-tent, which is invisible for enemies, but reveals the nearby area. Therefore, Carthaen is not forced to remain at a certain place for scouting, but he has no passive function helping him to get experience.

Imladris

Rivendell has Gildor as a scout hero, being able to see far away places and having a passiv connection to the Library, the central building of Rivendell. As in the current version, he will use a bow, so he will act primary from the distance.
Gildor can use the following abilities:

• Level 1: Experienced Scout - Gildor does not get experience for fighting, but he levels with every built Scholar Expansion. At level 10, Gildor is able to use stronger versions of his abilities
• Level 1: Foresight – Reveals the target area for 60 seconds.
• Level 1: Elven Coat - As long as Gildor doesn't move, he's invisible
• Level 3: Gildor's Chant - The purity of Gildor's chant weakens enemies and strengthens allies in a medium range. Enemy units, who perceive Gildor's chant are only half as fast. Allies are twice as fast. For the duration of the ability Gildor can neither attack nor move
• Level 7: Shot of Mercy – A shot, dealing critical damage to a hero, and having a random special affect.

Special affects:
Gold - For 10 seconds -20% armour.
Green - For 10 seconds -25% damage.
Blue - For 10 seconds -50% ability recharge time
White - For 10 seconds blinds the target
The arrow randomly sports a tail in one of these colours, giving it one of the special effects.

At level 10 Gildors abilities change and get improved:

• Level 1: Experienced Scout - Gildor does not get experience for fighting, but he levels with every build Scholar Expansion. At level 10, Gildor is able to use stronger versions of his abilities
• Level 1: Foresight - Reveals the target area for 90 seconds.
• Level 1: Elven Cloak - Gildor is in disguise for 30 seconds, and can't be attacked nor attack
• Level 3: Gildors Chant - The purity of Gildor's chant weakens enemies and strengthens allies in a medium range. Enemy units who perceive Gildor's chant are only half as fast. Allies are twice as fast. For the duration of the ability Gildor can neither attack nor move
• Level 7: Shot of Execution -A shot, dealing critical damage to a hero, knocking him over, and having a random special affect.

Special affects:
Gold - For 10 seconds -20% armour.
Green - For 10 seconds -25% damage.
Blue - For 10 seconds -50% ability recharge time
White - For 10 seconds blinds the target

Due to Gildor's passive ability, it is possible for the player to level him without any fighting at all, but by imroving the Library. Also, Gildor's abilities offer him good opportunities for escape and exploration, though his quite low values might be his death in direct combat. Costing 150 he is much more expansive than the Hobbits.

Dwarves

The scout hero of the dwarves will be represented by Bilbo. There, Ered-Luin and the Iron Hills will have access to the young Bibo from the Hobbit, and Erebor will get the older Bilbo from the Lord of the Rings. Carc proved too strong as a scout hero, as his wings allowed him to reach any area of the map faster than any other hero and made him difficult to counter. As we wanted each Dwarven realm to be equal in terms of scouting abilities, Bilbo will be represented in all dwarf realms. However, Carc can now be summoned from the spellbook and reveals stealthed enemies with his flock of ravens, but he only stays temporarily.
Bilbo works exactly like all Hobbit heroes, meaning low basic costs and values, but having good camouflage abilities. In contrast to Merry and Pippin, Bilbo has no possibility to get a special upgrade, but can get his Mithril-mail, making him more resistent in battles. Besides, he keeps his Master Thief-ability, giving the player additional ressources without further action.
As a new ability, Bilbo gets at level 1:

- (young Bilbo) I'm going on an adventure! (old Bilbo) On a new adventure! - Bilbo treks full of joy in an adventure. For 10 seconds he deals 25% more damage and moves +25% faster.

As already noted, Bilbo can't affect his level by buying an upgrade, instead he is able to influence his values quite well by active and passive abilities, so it is easier for him to gain experience.

Lothlorien

As in version 3.8, Lorien will have access to the heroes Rumil and Orophin, who always share the same level. In Edain 4.0 we have further improved this system, so they will share their whole experience, making it easier for them to level up.
Haldir's brothers are quite agile and the player needs much skill to play them. If the player is skilled enough, they may become mighty heroes in the later game.
Rumil and Orophin can be recruited for 150 resources and have the following abilities:

• Level 1: Rumil and Orophin - Haldir's Brothers guard the Borders of Lorien. They share their battle experience, reveal nearby hidden enemies and can use their abilities at the same time by a Multi-Click
• Level 1: Hidden Attack - Rumil/Orophin uses his elven cloak for camouflage and disappear from the view of his enemies. The camouflage will be uncovered after 10 seconds. Attacks during this time wil uncover him for a short time.
• Level 1: Windrunner - Rumil/Orophin runs as fast as the wind. For a short time he moves 50% faster. The ability can be used during hidden attack.
• Level 3: Lembas-bread - Rumil/Orophin heals himself a bit.
• Level 7: Rumil's/Orophin's weapon is dunked in shining light. For a short time he deals +50% damage and throws enemies back.

All in all, these two heroes will be quite difficult to play, but worthwhile their use.

Isengard

After extensive consultation with our testers, we decided to keep the hero Bill Ferny and make him the scout hero of Isengard.
He has a completely different game concept than all the other scouts, because instead of taking part in fights, he prefers to weaken his enemies by corruption, lies and deceit. His costs wil be 150 resources and his values are only a little bit better than those of the Hobbits. He is through and through a sellsword, who delivers special services only for extra payment.
Bill Ferny will have access to these abilities:

• Level 1: Bribery - Bill Ferny bribes the workers of an enemy resource building, which causes them to spy for him and reveal the nearby area for 30 seconds, as well as giving a small amount of resources to Bill.
• Level 1: Disguise - Bill Ferny disguises himself as the chosen unit and may himself spy on the enemy. Bill Ferny will be discovered by enemy reveal-effects or by his attacks and abilities.
• Level 1: Paying saboteur services - Bribe Bill Ferny, to sabotage enemy buildings. Bill Ferny reaches Level 3 and now has the ability 'Disinformation'

As soon as, the saboteur services have been paid, Bill Ferny gets the following additional ability:

• Disinformation - Bill Ferny sends an enemy building or hero wrong information. The hero or the building loses his sight for 30 seconds.
• Paying the information services - Bribe Bill Ferny , so he debouches the whereabouts of enemy heroes. Bill Ferny reaches Level 6 and has now the ability 'Snitch'.

As soon as, the information services have been paid, Bill Ferny gets the following additional ability:

• Snitch - The spy of Isengard has his snitches everywhere, and therefore knows about the enemy's secrets. For a short amount of time, the closest enemy hero will be uncovered.
• Offering head money - For the right sum, Bill Ferny smirches his own hands. Bill Ferny reaches Level 10 and now has the ability 'Cut-purse'.

As soon as the head money has been paid, Bill Ferny gets the following additional ability:

• Cut-purse - Bill Ferny is a trained thief an pickpocket. For a short time, Bill Ferny deals +50% damage, has +50% armor, +20% movement speed and steals with every hit heroes and units 5 ressources.

So, the player always has the option to offer Bill Ferny more money for more possibilities to use him.

Angmar

The realm of the Witchking has access to Drauglin, the beast-master, as their scout hero. Drauglin is one of the heroes, who got the most changes on the road to Edain 4.0. Some time ago, we already presented an update concerning Drauglin, which has been more or less criticised. Also, we did not know the further development of Edain 4.0, at that time. Additionally, there were some problems with his fellow wolf, which we could not fix. So, we had to remove the fellow wolf, but we replaced him by a comparable mechanic.
Drauglin will be primary a scout, too, but he is able to go for neutral creep lairs quite early, thus allowing him to conquer settlements much faster and gain more resources. Drauglin will only have an advantage against neutral creatures, against enemies he is not very useful in the early game.
Drauglin will cost 100 resources and will be one of the most agile heroes in the Mod. His abilities will be the following:

• Level 1: Skin-changer - The beast-master is a skin-changer, who can morph for 60 seconds into a wolf, getting faster and more agile, but having less armour. Drauglin regenerates hitpoints by attacking neutral units. Uncovers camouflaged nearby units. Every time Drauglin transforms into a wolf he gets experience.
• Level 1: The Beast-Master - Drauglin tames even the wildest beasts of Angmar \n He gets accompanied by two wolves which attack every enemy that gets close to Drauglin.
• Level 3: Master of the Hunt- The Beast-master can feel the weaknesses of his enemies and can track their trail \n For 30 seconds a chosen enemy unit or building gets uncovered and gives the Beast-master and his wolves +50% damage and +20% armour if they are nearby
• Level 5: Blade step - Drauglin jumps at an enemy and heavily damages him with his blades. The damage is twice his Basic Damage and also increases with every level . If an enemy is attacked from behind, then he suffers 100% extra damage. If a hero is attacked, then the hero will be paralysed for 2 seconds. Not available in Beast-Form.
• Level 10: Crescents - Drauglin throws an amount of sharp blades outward, which will return to him \n These blades deal damage on both ways .

Drauglin will keep the abilities Crescents and Blade step from the already presented update, the rest of his abilities have slightly been changed. Due to his Skin-changer abilitiy, Drauglin is able to gain experience with every transformation, so he easily survives the start of the game. A combination of The Beast-Master and Master of the Hunt , allow him to deal with neutral creep lairs, but not with normal units of the enemy.

Mordor

Mordor gets the heroes Shagrat and Gorbag as scouts. In the Mordor-Update we gave you a short view at their new mechanic, but now we want to explain it further. For 200 resources the player can recruit the two heroes, being in fact only one hero. Whereas heroes as Faramir have a toggle between sword and bow, these two heroes have an hero-toggle between Gorbag and Shagrat. Each of the two has his advantages and another version of the abilities, thus being of advantage in different situations.
The abilities are the following:

Gorbag:

• Level 1: Shagrat and Gorbag – Switches between Shagrat and Gorbag. Shagrat: attacks have an area of effect, has a higher speed, but lower range of vision and is more effective aganist units. Gorbag: deals more damage, has lower speed, but higher range of vision and is more effective against single targets
• Level 1: Orc-Snooper - Gorbag lets an orc-snooper from Cirith-Ungol appear at the chosen building of Mordor. The orc-snooper has a high range of vision and can reveal nearby hidden units.
• Level 2: Gorbag's Greed - Gorbag's inexhaustible greed urges him forward. For a short time he gets +8 ressources when he attacks an enemy building.
• Level 5: Compulsive cooperation - Gorbag and Shagrat are forced to work together. For a short time, Shagrat will be called to Gorbag, who attacks enemies in his range. During the ability they can't be switched.
• Level 10: Orc Garrison - Gorbag temporary summons a horde orcs from Cirith Ungol

Shagrat:

• Level 1: Shagrat and Gorbag – Switchs between Shagrat and Gorbag. Shagrat: attacks have an area of effect, has a higher speed, but lower range of vision and is more effective aganist units. Gorbag: deals more damage, has lower speed, but higher range of vision and is more effective against single targets
• Level 1: Shagrat lets 3 black Uruk-Hai guard the chosen building. A building can be guarded by maximum 3 black Uruk-Hais and 3 Snaga-orcs.
• Level 2: Shagrat's Greed - Shagrats's inexhaustible greed urges him forward. For a short time he gets +8 ressources when he attacks an enemy building.
• Level 5: Compulsive cooperation - Gorbag and Shagrat are forced to work together. For a short time, Shagrat will be called to Gorbag, who attacks enemies in his range. During the ability they can't be switched.
• Level 10: Uruk-Garision - Shagrat temporary summons a horde Black Uruk-Hais for support.

All the abilities are equivalent to each other, meaning as soon as Gorbag uses his greed, also Shagrat's greed also has to reload. These two heroes are the most offensive and militant scout heroes in 4.0 and don't actually scout by themselves, but summon weaker orcs to do it for them - a very fitting scouting variant for Mordor in our opinion. We tried to include differences into the class of the scouts, so we found it interesting to give Mordor a quite offensive and militant scout, but without making the scout too strong in the early game. All in all, we really like the concept of the two Quarrellers, because it redefines them as central to the faction, making them far more than a gimmick.

Misty Mountains

The wild faction of the Misty Mountains provides a new hero from the Hobbit movie. This hero is the character Yazneg, who will be named the Hunter ingame. In one of the updates concerning the Misty Mountains, we already explained the naming of the goblin heroes of the Misty Mountains. So, Bolg will be the only goblin hero having a distinct name, whereas the Defiler, the Great-Goblin, the Moria-Chieftain and the Hunter are only titles.
The Hunter will cost 100 resources and have his Warg from the beginning, allowing him to reach to different places on the map fast and save, but rendering him unsuitable for direct combat. With this hero we tried to create a slight link to the Defiler in his abilities. You may judge whether we succeded by looking at the following abilities:

• Level 1: Bounty - The Hunter claims the bounty for an enemy. The Hunter gains experience by killing the marked unit. Can only be used on normal units, not on heroes, elite-units, monster or buildings.
• Level 1: Tracker - For a short time the nearest neutral creep lair is revealed to the player.
• Level 3: Tiring hunt - As a scout of the orcs the Hunter may pursue his enemies and hinder their movement. Temporary the Hunter moves +25% faster and slows enemies he passes by 25% for 4 seconds
• Level 5: Open wound - The Hunter causes an enemy a deep wound, dealing medium damage and bleeding 30 seconds afterwards. The target enemy will be revealed for this time and suffers 25% more damage from heroes
• Level 10: Gundabad-Riders – The Hunter summons a horde Gundabad-Rider on the battlefield. The Gundabad-Riders can be summoned to any point on the map.

We are not completely satisfied with his level 10 ability, so if you have a good idea, present it in the Concept-Discussion.

Of course, a new hero needs an appropriate design. Again this design has been created in a cooperation with Nazgul of the Special Extended-Edition:

We are quite satisfied with all the new and reworked scout heroes and we hope that you were able to comprehend our intentions. All in all, in our opinion, this new hero class offers many tactical options for the player, and adds many new and unique concepts to Edain 4.0.
We’re looking forward to your feedback!

Your Edain-Team