Troop Changes from the High Overlord of Alamaze

[Brekk]

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By Command of Brekk the Resolute, Wielder of Balance and Guardian of the Game
"The winds of fate howl across the realm, and with them, change rides swift and sure. Let all who dwell in the kingdoms take heed, for the Age of Reforging has come."

A Salute to the Sage of Numbers – Olorin
Before we speak of fire and steel, we raise our banners to Olorin, the Archmage of Algorithms, the tireless seer whose runes and calculations brought clarity to the chaos. Without his wisdom, these changes would still lie dormant beneath the dust of forgotten tomes. For his unending patience and arcane mathcraft, we offer a bow and a bottle of the finest elven wine (and perhaps a headache potion).

The Great Reforging
A Call to Arms, a Shift in Power, a New Dawn
Heroes, warlords, and whispering assassins... the realm stirs. Troops across Alamaze have been reborn. Companions have been recalibrated. The very art of combat has been reshaped by fire, lore, and logic.
These are not whispers of small tweaks—they are the clang of the blacksmith’s hammer, reshaping the battlefield itself.

What Has Changed

1. Troops are No Longer Just Numbers – They Are Lore Made Flesh
   No more generic rankings. Each troop now reflects the mythos from which it hails.
   

Shambling Mounds are now what legends foretold: beasts of melee fury that devour in close combat. Their ranged capabilities? As useful as a wet torch.
Elves, once mere whisperers in the missile phase, now unleash symphonies of death from their bows when ranked "Awesome" or higher. You’ll feel their might now, both in long-range and short-range phases.

1. Missile Combat – Once Nerfed, Now Noble Again
   The bowstring has been pulled taut once more. Archery phases will matter, and those who specialize in it will rain down ruin upon their foes. Retreat timing is no longer an afterthought—it may save or doom your armies.
   
2. Trolls – The Rampage Restrained
   Once stacking the absurd power of 5 brigades (10% per brigade, up to 50%), the horde has been leashed. New cap is 3 brigades (30%). Enough to be fearsome, not realm-breaking.
   
3. Storm Values – Shock Troops Rise Again
   Storm values for population center attacks have been tuned across the realm. Troops built for siege and wall-breaching will now truly shine. Think of them as sappers of stone and steel, wreaking havoc where others falter.
   
4. Defense and Recruitment – Rethought and Refined
   Defensive modifiers and troop recruitment totals have been carefully recalibrated. Some troops were too few, some too plentiful. Balance has been restored... for now.
   

What This Means For You, Warlords of Alamaze
Your army composition matters now more than ever.
Combat phases are meaningful and punishing.
Spells and troop selections will be revised.
Your kingdom’s unique flavor is now reflected on the battlefield.
Gone are the days of cookie-cutter battles and math-blind engagements. You’ll now find yourself reading your foes, adapting your strategies, and making choices that truly shape the fate of your kingdom.

What’s Next
We are also reworking:

• Spell Lists
  
• Troop Compositions Per Kingdom
  

Expect these changes soon, and remember: this is a living world. Mistakes will be uncovered. Lessons will be learned. Your feedback is not only welcome, it is necessary.
Let your voices rise in the taverns, in the war halls, and in the shadows.

Join the Discussion
Have thoughts, concerns, or celebratory ballads? Post below. Test the new world. Challenge the balance. Brekk watches... and listens.

With Iron and Ink,
Brekk, High Overlord of Alamaze
Breaker of Bugs, Master of Missiles, First of His Name

[Strongwill]

So windstorm will be important again… a pop centers entire strength is in the archery phase will this still be the case? It was why it was nerfed years ago.

Love all the post about changes…

[Brekk]

Strongwill,

PC's should remain the same, as nothing was touched with them. This was solely an adjustment to troops, so archery phases by troops will be significant again, so in some ways, windstorm in a group vs group confrontation could be a much better choice than a damage or death spell, depending on who you are facing.
The PDF is significantly different than the book right now, but before I change the book, I wanted feedback and thoughts.

[Strongwill]

Strongwill,

PC's should remain the same, as nothing was touched with them. This was solely an adjustment to troops, so archery phases by troops will be significant again, so in some ways, windstorm in a group vs group confrontation could be a much better choice than a damage or death spell, depending on who you are facing.
The PDF is significantly different than the book right now, but before I change the book, I wanted feedback and thoughts.

John, that’s great stuff. I didn’t know the fortification was coded differently than group to group. That’s good. The troll % was supposed to be reduced to 30% a couple of years ago, guess it never got changed?

[davekuyk]

It will take some time to digest these changes and provide proper feedback. Thanks for all the work! I look forward to digging into it.

One immediate benefit is capping the Trolls at 30% when having three brigades. This is, in some ways, beneficial, as one only needs to recruit three brigades to get the full benefit, rather than five. An alternative approach would be to adjust the bonus per brigade down.

[davekuyk]

Some analysis (thanks to AI for the help!):

Here are selected comments:

Alchemist: You guys must really not like them! The Alchemist went down in every category, two in Combined. Is this intended?

Amazons: The reduction in defense concerns me, as they were only "average" before, which was already low for a military kingdom.

Ancient Ones: The buff in archery seems out of character for this kingdom. I didn't see an issue with how they were before.

Atlanteans: Buffed in archery but nerfed in most other areas. This is a disappointment, as this was a chance to buff an underperforming kingdom.

Beholder: I understand the move away from long-range damage; however, it lost defense, granted it is a bit better in other phases. I am concerned, as this is mostly a nerf to the iconic troop for a struggling kingdom. I'd like to see an increase in the Beholder's defense. Poor defense is pretty...poor.

Centaur: I am unclear why this troop type saw downgrades nearly across the board. Every category but long-range was reduced with no buffs. If nothing else, they should be good at Charge. This is an indirect nerf to Atlanteans and Elves, as they recruit these (or would, before this nerf).

Chimeria: I note this states a max of 3 per group; is this intentional (was one)? They were buffed substantially in melee, making them much more of a close-quarters unit. I like the change.

Deathknights: Ah, the rich get richer! Missile phases reduced by one level, and charge and melee increased by two! Defense did go down one level. Overall seems like a buff. Disappointed we didn't see an outright nerf in some manner.

Druid: Substantial nerfs; however, given the kingdom, it doesn't really matter. They are going to summon troops.

Dwarves: Good buffs to melee and defense. Should be a help.

Ents: These have become top tier PC taking troops. Good change.

Halfling: Thankfully the military scoruge of the Halfling has ended! Or one would think, given these changes, archery buffed one level, every other category reduced or eliminated entirely. Do they now have among the worst troops? Perhaps.

Part Two Later

[Brekk]

Dave,

Quick update on a few of these. In the past, some were completely incorrect across all phases, so a few of the updates you're seeing aren’t actual changes, they're just corrections to reflect what those units were always intended to have.

Secondly, we’re going to review which companion troops are assigned where to improve overall balance, and we’ll be doing the same with spells.

Keep it coming though!

[Lord Garth]

Hey Brek,

Sounds great. I have some questions.

1) Did you simply Un-nerf archery and restore brigades to the old levels or did you buff it beyond that? I see in some brigade types where it made sense, you took out archery completely.

2) How have PC storm values changed? Did you tweak the formula found in the Rulebook?

3) Good call nerfing Trolls. 30% seems fair.

---

Oh and

4) Have these changes already been implemented?

[JohnnyUtah]

@Brekk Are you able to remove the limit of 15 troop types per group? That has a big impact on group composition, which will become more important.

[Strongwill]

So zombies and zealots are comparable troop types? Phoenix should be tougher as it’s a stand alone troop type, like pit fiend and Iron Golum. Imo