Developer Phenomic and regional publisher Aspyr tell us about the Clan faction in their fantasy-themed offering
SpellForce 2 - Anniversary Edition presents the award-winning SpellForce saga hits: 'SpellForce 2 – Shadow Wars' and the add-on 'SpellForce 2 – Dragon Storm' for a spectacular game experience! Experience the age of heroes: roleplaying action & realtime strategy in a perfect mix of genres. Mysterious powers arise from darkness and shadow.
By IGN Staff For half a decade, the Dark Elves were deeply divided about the mysterious Shadows, their differences fanning the flames of a civil war. At the same time, turmoil shook the entire region as a new power took root in the land of Eo, casting a threatening pall and endangering even the most enduring of alliances. A member of the Dracon caste, the Dark Elf General Craig Un'Shallach joined his clan in fighting the Shadow menace. When the conflict went badly and defeat loomed, his daughter Nightsong slipped away to warn the Humans about the formidable army and its mad alchemist leader, Sorvina. She made her way to the citadel of the Shaikan, renowned warriors bonded by blood to an ancient dragon. There, she gained the aid of a brave fighter who joined her to save his own homeland and people.
Combining a fantasy theme with real-time strategy and RPG elements, Phenomic Game Development's SpellForce 2 - Shadow Wars shipped in the North American market last week. Cast in the role of the Avatar, the player must face the invading forces by commanding three diverse factions in turn. The Realm includes the Human, Elf and Dwarf races. Orks, Trolls and Barbarians comprise the Clans, while the Dark Elves and Shadows are aligned with the Gargoyles within the Pact. To bolster your forces in the trying battles that lie ahead, you'll also be able to enlist a selection of stalwart heroes each of whom can be customized with myriad skills, spells, weapons, armor and items. To tell us more about these sides, specifically focusing on how each of them plays, we enrolled the help of regional publisher Aspyr for a three-part series.
Includes eight exclusive 1280x1024 screenshots
SpellForce 2 - Shadow Wars
Clan Strategy Guide
The Clan faction fields some of the strongest creatures in the game. It consists of several brute melee fighters and some very strong ranged attackers. Playing it isn't too difficult; just be sure to build the right units for your purposes, and then hit your enemy where it hurts most.
the Spiritist, a griffon rider that uses ice magic to injure and freeze enemies. It's a versatile flying unit that can assume different roles - you can use it to support ground forces, make hit and run attacks or destroy remote outposts.
Both tier one and two units don't belong among the strongest in the game - unlike the ones you'll be able to build later. Still, you shouldn't underestimate the Archer and the Mercenary. They may lack brute strength, but they are very cheap. In fact, the Clan Archer is the cheapest combat unit in the game! For this reason, make sure always to outnumber the enemy's first- and second-tier units when using yours. Furthermore, the Archer is the only ranged first tier unit - it can remain useful even in the later game as cheap anti-air defense. When training your first troops, you shouldn't rely on Archers alone. Always back them up with Mercenaries, which can keep enemy units away from your Archers. They also have the ability to reflect incoming melee damage back to their attackers.
The next advanced Orc unit is the Shaman. It can shoot fireballs that hit several units at once. The main fire damage is delivered over time by a slow burning effect, so it's best to use Shamans as a support unit. Orc Veterans are solid melee fighters that can survive the longest battles. Also note that they do a lot of extra damage versus all kinds of mounted units. The final unit for the Orcs is the Totem, a flying Orc mutant. It is a good anti-air unit, and it is the only Clan one that can reveal the invisible Shadows of the Pact faction.
The second race for the Clan is the Trolls. First up is the Hurler, which can throw boulders at enemy ground and air units, inflicting massive amounts of damage. Even a small group of them can quickly down the strongest enemies, if you focus their fire. There simply is no stronger ranged unit in the game. The Devastator is basically a melee combat equivalent of the Hurler. It is also very powerful, with the ability to hit multiple melee opponents at once and absorb massive amounts of damage. In addition to this, its attack is twice as powerful versus buildings! The third Troll unit is the Fire Catapult. It enables you to destroy enemy structures quickly, and it can also be used to take out large numbers of enemy. Due to their extreme strength and their large size, Trolls take two control slots instead of one.
To complete your army of brute force, there are the Barbarians. The Axeman is a decent melee fighter and an excellent ranged attacker that uses pairs of throwing axes. Its ranged attack is only a bit stronger than its melee attack, but you can use it for both combat situations.