Conqueror’s Blade: Eternal brought with it three new Units to add to your Warband, inspired by the legends of Ancient China, and each bringing unique talents to the battlefield.
We spoke to the developers at Booming Tech about all things Eternal Units, from historical and mythological inspiration to tactical uses in battle, starting with the Wuxing Pikemen (3-Star).
Q: The Wuxing Pikemen use a fire pike weapon, based on the weapons written about in the military treatise ‘Huolongjing’ (specifically the fire lance). What spurred you to use that as inspiration?
A: The fire lance was a weapon that existed in Ancient China, marking the increasing use of gunpowder weapons on the battlefield and holding great significance in the history of ancient warfare. The unique combination of cold and hot weapon elements in the design of the fire lance is very intriguing, and we believe it has the potential to offer more diverse and engaging gameplay to Conqueror’s Blade.
Q: Would you consider using other parts of Huolongjing as inspiration for future Unit’s kits, such as land mines or watermelon bombs?
A: We have actually been making attempts to implement something similar to this into Conqueror's Blade. We hope soon you will be able to see some of the results in upcoming updates.
Q: Philosophy plays a massive part in China’s history, and Wuxing refers to the ‘five elements’ (wood, metal, fire, earth, water) and obviously the Unit’s weapons are fire-themed. Would you ever consider adding a water-based weapon for future Units?
A: This is an interesting idea. Unlike water, fire is enormously powerful and easier to control. In ancient warfare, there were quite a few specific applications of fire in different civilisations, and some of them do become the inspirations for units in Conqueror’s Blade, such as Incendiary Archers and the Siphonarioi.
Q: What is the best way to utilise the Wuxing Pikemen in battle? Should they be used for frontline fights, flanking manoeuvres, or holding the backline?
A: The Wuxing Pikemen are relatively fragile, but their firearms are capable of dealing damage to a large number of densely packed enemies, making them ideal for combating front-line troops to break through enemy formations.
Q: Which specific Units are the Wuxing Pikemen strong and weak against?
A: The Wuxing Pikemen can maximise their fire lance advantage against tightly formed enemy units, but they have difficulty being effective against troops with loose formations or at longer ranges. Therefore, when encountering the Wuxing Pikemen, a loose formation may be a better choice.
Stay tuned for upcoming Behind The Scenes looks at the Crescent Monks and Yanyuedao Cavalry!