I feel like archery seems too sophisticated for the Uthuk and the idea of putting snake heads on arrows is just... so dumb. Maybe people are excited for them, but I think a ranged unit that is ranged because it throws spikes for spits poison or something would be much cooler! It could be the first ranged cavalry unit as well!

Am I just missing their appeal or something?

The Uthuk used bows and arrows as well as hang-glider launchers made of bone during the first darkness. That was thousands of years ago. I don't think shooting venomous snakes or snake-tipped arrows is beyond their technological capability.

For my part, I love poison effects in games, so I was looking forward to seeing Viper Legion and Malaana's scorpion utilizing that kind of mechanic. However, since Malaana is still far out on the horizon, I wouldn't disappointed to see Viper Legion wait a few years. I have them in BattleLore and I love them (despite them being on the weak side), but I'm fine with new things.

You mentioned something that shoots spikes. That's funny because @Parakitor and I were just talking about that over the phone last weekend. In BattleLore, the Grotesques could shoot bones out of their body.

I found that ability very cool and the Grotesques were one of my favorite units, from a design perspective. From a power perspective, they are low on the curve. Still, I would be all over a new Runewars unit that could shoot bone out of its body as a ranged attack. Unlike the other ranged units, though, I think that would be limited to range 1-3, which I think is fine because a) Uthuk are so fast that they really don't need range like the other factions, and b) it means Viper Legion won't be redundant when they are released in 2019 because they will be range 1-5.

I hadn't considered a poison-spitting unit. That could also be very cool. What if the very snakes the Viper Legion used to harvest for their arrows became tainted by the Ynfernal and became demon-snakes that spit poison? Hmm. Now that I write that down, it sounds way too similar to the Carrion Lancer.

I guess, in a world where cackling skeleton men ride giant ooze-drooling maggots into battle against cat-riding elves, snakehead-tipped arrows just don't seem that outlandish to me.

Agree viper legion is really silly, but I also agree with Tvayumat.

I like snake headed arrows. Very nightmarish . They should be scary

Let's also bear in mind that the last time we saw any representation of these guys was in Battlelore.

Remember what Rune Golems looked like, in Battlelore?



It's incredible what a little makeover can do.

EDIT:

I also present for consideration, Exhibit B. What I think of literally every time I picture snake arrows, and probably why I am so okay with them.

Better snake tipped arrows than the venom barred scorn that my sister shoots my way when I talk about wargaming in her presence.

Man those sarcasm arrows bite hard.

3 hours ago, Thornoo1 said:

Better snake tipped arrows than the venom barred scorn that my sister shoots my way when I talk about wargaming in her presence.

Man those sarcasm arrows bite hard.

White white add MS or 2 damage, surge: add 2 MS or 4 damage. Brutal 5, precise 5

lethal = #of runes on the table

I don't think it matters at all if people want them, even though I do. They were already mentioned in the lore guide, so they might as well be guaranteed at this point. Every other unit mentioned in the lore guide has been announced/produced with the only exception being the yeron riders for the elves. I'm reasonably sure we'll get those at some point as well. I suppose I could be missing others as well since I haven't read that guide in a while, but my point is the lore guide has been a pretty good forecast for the early expansions so far and I expect that will continue.

7 minutes ago, Willange said:

I don't think it matters at all if people want them, even though I do. They were already mentioned in the lore guide, so they might as well be guaranteed at this point. Every other unit mentioned in the lore guide has been announced/produced with the only exception being the yeron rides for the elves. I'm reasonably sure we'll get those at some point as well. I suppose I could be missing others as well since I haven't read that guide in a while, but my point is the lore guide has been a pretty good forecast for the early expansions so far and I expect that will continue.

Though Uthuk talked about Malaana and we didn't see her (much to @Budgernaut 's chagrin).

47 minutes ago, Curlycross said:

Though Uthuk talked about Malaana and we didn't see her (much to @Budgernaut 's chagrin).

I wasn't aware she was mentioned in the lore guide (again, been a while). I had thought she was only in the Battlelore video game.

3 hours ago, Willange said:

I don't think it matters at all if people want them, even though I do. They were already mentioned in the lore guide, so they might as well be guaranteed at this point. Every other unit mentioned in the lore guide has been announced/produced with the only exception being the yeron riders for the elves. I'm reasonably sure we'll get those at some point as well. I suppose I could be missing others as well since I haven't read that guide in a while, but my point is the lore guide has been a pretty good forecast for the early expansions so far and I expect that will continue.

I agree. Here is a reminder of what is mentioned in the Lore Guide that does not exist yet in the game:

DAQAN (pages 12-13)

• Battle chariots (from dwarf allies)
• Totem guards (warriors from Frostgate clans)
• Ironbounds (page 13: "... created the Ironbound: animated suits of armor ensorcelled to combat both corrupt warlocks and the enemies of the realm...")

WAIQAR (pages 17-18)

• Barrow wyrms (undead dragons, page 18: "When raised under Waiqar's banner, these barrow wyrms terrify all who can hear the the beat...")

UTHUK (page 25)

• Archers, with poisoned arrows (page 25: "Archers from the Viper Legion tipped their arrows with the heads of snakes to deliver painful poisons.")
• Bonewitches (page 25: "...bonewitches could twist the bones of their followers into weapons or break the bones of their enemies.") Note: I guess A'laak is one of them...
• Bloodwitches (page 25: "Bloodwitches could heal themselves and their minions with the spilled blood of their enemies...")

LATARI ELVES (page 29)

• Darnati spearmen (page 29: "How swiftly they shift their steps, facing any foe with a forest of razor tips.")
• Swordmasters (page 29: "In full armor, with great blades made heavy to carve through mounted foes...") Note: are these the Darnati warriors?
• Yeron riders (the yeron being a flying horse, as I understand it)

And to add to @Xargonaut 's list, Malaana is mentioned along with Ravos in the story about the Latari Yeron Rider spying on the warband of Uthuk Y'llan. She's the bloodwitch that kills him and his friend.

(And I agree that Kethra A'laak is one of the bonewitches.)