The Let's Play Archive

Myth II: Soulblighter

by Sevron

Part 1: Units

Units
The Legion

Berserk

“…returning home after the defeat of the Fallen Lords, the men of the North found their farms and villages virtually untouched by the Dark… a testament to the mettle of their homeward.”
“Though Gwyon and his brothers all died, they had succeeded in breaking the momentum of the Ghols’ charge… each scattering corpses until a step could not be taken without treading on one…”
A great melee unit that runs faster than Warriors, while also hitting harder and faster. The only downside is their low health and lack of any sort of defense. They also have delightful titles after their names, such as “who Jams the Gates of the Underworld”. You can’t beat that enthusiasm!

Bowman

"When asked of his advice on how many men should be trained in the use of the bow og'Un remarked, "One in twenty from each town. Go there, these men will make themselves known."
“…on occasion an archer of promise is sent to the Ermine, the homeland of the fir’Bolg, to study his craft at one of theta three war colleges: jo’Za-Thatal, wa’Ama-Tehal, or ai’Kijin-Tak.”
Our most stalwart ranged unit. The bowmen in Myth 2 are decent shots, unlike the fir'Bolg in Myth 1, so I don't know why their flavor text makes it sound like the fir'Bolg were worth a damn. They get flame arrows now, which are never really useful but look pretty.

Dwarf

"...turning the godhead of the ghols into a monument to Balin's victory. Nothing else has done more to sustain the mutual hatred since the ghols raided the crypt at Myrgard for 'victuals'."
"Within a year of Balor's defeat, the dwarves had reclaimed Myrgard and its provinces. Most dwarves chose to return to their homeland, but some built new lives in the West."
Ranged unit that throws powerful bombs and can also carry and drop satchel charges. Note that "dwarf" is both their race and profession.

Dwarven Mortar Hero

“‘Si vis pacem, para vellum’ has become a national motto for the Dwarves, and the advancements they have made in the area of explosives over the past sixty years have been awesome to behold.”
“Vnarin, son of Snorro, best explained the character of the men of the elite mortar brigade when he said, ‘It takes a certain kind of maniac to carry fire in his fist and death on his back.’”
Although not a unique unit, Dwarven Mortar Heroes have more health and do more damage than regular dwarves. They are also much, much more careless with their shots, making them prone do blowing up friends or themselves.

Heron Guard

“Once every seven years, warriors of renown from every corner of the empire gather to compete for the honor of joining the Heron Guard. From that multitude, less than six will be chosen…”
“…Eight Pride Stalking sped across the field of battle like a bolt of lightning… his swords flashing as his foes tumbled to the ground in lifeless heaps…”
The only men in the Legion who can stand toe-to-toe with the Mykridia. They used to be Journeymen, but gave up a life of peaceful servitude to turn their hands to war when humanity needed them most. Oh wait, I have that backwards- when humanity needed them most, they gave up their swords and laid down to die. Top shelf tossers, but we need them, so any port in a storm and all that.

Journeyman

“Their healing ritual has its roots in the initiation rites of the Heron Guard, but what brings about immortality in a truly exceptional person merely restores the vitality of lesser men.”
“…upon being reborn as a member of the deathless Heron Guard… the date of his initiation, according to the calendar of the old kings of Cath Bruig, would serve as his new name…”
At least the second flavor text explains why their names are so goofy. Journeymen are useful, as they carry 6 roots that can be used to heal a normal unit back to about 80% of their health. They are also impervious to being frozen by Wights, and can melee with a shovel if need be. In spite of this, I don’t like them. Read the Heron Guard’s entry to see why.

Trow

“…when Soulblighter confronted the Trow, demanding theyr continued servitude, they replied ‘Set iron to rest and choose you one from our number. Ask of his name and what he owes you.”
“…he spoke in a voice I felt so much as heard… his words slow and deliberate… each syllable the roaring of the ocean…”
It’s interesting that the Trow refused to serve Soulblighter. We don’t get to use them much, but when we do, you’ll be in awe of how quickly they mulch practically every enemy in their path.

Warlock

“…drawn to forbidden lore and others wise in the ways of metaphysical sciences as a moth to a flame… they are doomed by the very knowledge that gives them power over other men.”
“The Warlocks are grim, humorless men; their hearts hardened by the secrets learned in the pursuit of power. And when a Warlock grins, it is unlikely you would find his thoughts amusing.”
Allies of The Deceiver, they cast fireballs that even Berserks can’t outrun and that detonate with more force than a Dwarven bomb. However, they can only throw two before they need to recharge, which takes some time. They can also cast Confusion on one enemy, but it’s pretty worthless. And now they’re on our side!

Warrior

"Mauriac, ancient and honored, still speaks of his time with the Legion and their victory over Balor. Many of the great military minds of our day sharpened their skills under his command."
"Since the end of the Great War the armies of The Province have served as a kind of policing body...from the Free Cities of the North to Forrest Heart..."
These are your basic infantry unit. They have a good amount of health and have a sword and shield. The shield is actually functional- sometimes, a warrior will block an incoming hit and take no damage.

The Dark

bre’Unor

“…little is known of the bre’Unor, a fir’Bolg word referring to the various head-cults of The Ermine, aside from their fanatical devotion to the profane elemental spirit, b’Y’laggo…”
“…if this is who the fir’Bolg have been honing their martial skills on since time before memory, it is no wonder they are so good, nor that they would depart to protect their kingdom…”
Savage brutes, who have both a melee and ranged attack. No fair! But once again, Bungie lost me when they start praising the fir’Bolg again- those guys were not as good as the human archers we have now.

Brigands

“There will always be men lacking firmness of character or strength of will who are more than happy to carry out the orders of evil men to make their own lot in life a little more comfortable.”
“…thieves, thugs, and killers... these are the types of men that make up the brigand gangs... weak willed miscreants hoping to hide their sins amongst the evils of tyrants…”
Ugh, I would say these guys were literally race traitors- they sold out humanity to the undead. Can’t kill enough of them.

Evil Bowman

“…but not all men picked up the bow for love of their country or defense of their liege… for some it was for love of money, and others… an unnatural desire to kill.”
“…to the likes of the highwaymen of the Chalk Hills… and the bandit gangs of Tarhan Downs… it was business as usual… it didn’t matter who dies, as long as their bellies were full.”
Not only are they dirty humans working for the Dark, but they are damned effective too. Better ranged attackers than Soulless, and they have flame arrows to boot.

Fetch

“…the fetch wear the skins of men out of necessity, for if the eye of Wyrd were to fall on them not so adorned, He would recognize their alienness and smite them…”
“Not native to our world, it is said they fight for Soulbloghter in hopes that he will honor Balor’s pledge to send them home. Being stranded in our world has only served to fuel their hatred of us.”
The manual flat out claims that Soulblighter promised to do so. They can blast your units with lightning. They’re basically the Dark’s dwarves. They’re range is slightly better, but the damage slightly less, as far as I can tell.

Ghast

“…the unholy throng stumbled through the woods… their wretched claws searching… mouthing words noiselessly… drawn to the village they had called home not so long ago…”
“Its fist struck my face and a strip of putrescent flesh sloughed off, adhering to my cheek… my brain disconnected by the horror of it… if not for the fast action of my comrades…”
The first undead we come across. Although there’s no in-game mention of this, the manual says they are the first stage of what would eventually become a Wight.

Ghol

“…with the destruction of their most sacred shrine at Myrgard and driven out of the Dwarven lands, the Ghols have only redoubled their efforts to ‘…devour the dwarves from existence’.”
“…they celebrate the capture of the Dwarven capital at Myrgard with feasts under the full moon… re-enacting its spoliation, so they will never forget their moment of triumph.”
These guys are fast and generally move in packs. Their flavor text, combined with the dwarves’, outlines an enmity between the races that goes back forever, and they do seem to home in on dwarves in battle when they can. When they can’t, they just go for your ranged units. Since they can kill ranged units quickly, your only hope is to catch them with a grenade on the way in, or cut them down with warriors.

Ghost Berserk

“In honor of their heroism, Connacht allowed the men of the North who had been slain defending Llancarfan to be buried in the Mausoleum of Clovis- the Royal Crypt of the Cath Bruig.”
Ghost units are the same as their regular counterparts, just all ghosty looking.

Ghost Bowman

“To be a bowman in the Imperial Army was an honor second only to acceptance into the Heron Guard. It is said that their honor was so great they would not sleep as long as the crown was in peril.”
Ghost units are the same as their regular counterparts, just all ghosty looking.

Ghost Dwarf

“…the masons who built the mausoleum for Clovis, the first Emperor of the Cath Bruig, still haunt these ancient corridors, eager to destroy those who would plunder its sacred vaults…”
Ghost units are the same as their regular counterparts, just all ghosty looking.

Ghost Myrkridia

“(Many of them) were slain when they attacked Muirthemne, and their cursed blood seeped into the ground… not every mysterious disappearance could be traced back to the Spider-cults.”
Ghost units are the same as their regular counterparts, just all ghosty looking.

Mahir

“…an obsidian flame howled in a tongue he understood not, it’s words violent, clear, and distinct, tearing his breast and pulling him toward the dark thing which had risen from the shadows.”
“Though he couldn’t have been dead more than an hour, his corpse resembled a centuries old mummy… and it crumbled like dry leaves at a touch.”
Invisible buggers that can bee seen by the shadow they cast as they race along the ground. Never much more than a nuisance, albeit a really ugly one. They were apparently in Myth: TFL, but I can’t for my life remember where.

Maul

“…tempted by Soulblighter’s promise of easy victory over an unprepared foe… their desire for new lands to dominate became unsatiable…”
“Like a nightmare clothed in flesh, the Mauls swept across The Blind Steppes, their grotesque appearance and incredible strength causing even the most hardened Warrior to tremble with fear.”
The flavor text is spot-on, really. Mauls take more killin’ than Thrall, are about as fast as Berserks, and hit harder to boot. Without using satchel charges, taking them on is a bloody mess.

Myrkridia

“…the world lived in the long shadow of the Myrkridia- a race of flesh-eaters too horrible to describe… creatures able to keep theta land stricken with fear for hundreds of years.”
“Tradition tells us almost nothing of the Myrkridia save for the horrible skull platforms they would build from the severed heads of their enemies.”
This is it, the worst of the worst. These monsters once brought humanity to its knees all on their own, and now they’re working for Soulblighter. Hopefully we don’t find anything worse out there.

Myrkridian Giant

“…we went looking for what had become of our scouts… what we found were less corpses than they were carcasses… the barest ribbons of flesh clinging to their gnawed and broken bones…”
“They were cannibals of the worst sort, proudly displaying their grisly trophies… and their bosses ruled with an iron fist… at the first sign of weakness, they would be torn to shreds.”
You didn’t really think Bungie would let us off easy by giving us Trow, did you?

Soulless

“…also known as ‘Hollow Men’. The Soulless’ weapon of choice is a barbed spear anointed with a venom causes excruciating pain… wounds contaminated by the toxin never heal…”
“…souls stolen by sorcery, these once-human minions of The Dark exist only to torture and spill the blood of the living… leaving pertinence and corruption in their wake.”
Your basic undead ranged unit. They float, so going over water is no problem for them. Luckily, they aren’t all that good at coordinating their fire.

Stygian Knight

“Empty shells of armor animated by mysterious sorceries, the Stygian Knights have no true spark of life, and thus no fear of death.”
“…it is said that the animation rituals require the caster to surrender a portion of his soul to provide the Knight’s semblance of life.”
The manual notes that these are made by Soulblighter himself, to act as guards for his human allies.

Thrall

“…Bahl’al spurred his army onward with a blistering wind. Three full days before his army arrived… the citizens of Tyr knew their doom lumbered nearer with each passing hour…”
“…they attacked the city of Covenant… reinforced not only by the slaughtered town folks and farmers… but also by the plunder of catacombs, crypts, and cemeteries of a thousand years.”
The standard undead melee unit. Slower than our warriors, and lacking shields, they aren’t much of a thread except in great numbers. They can soak up a lot of damage, so it’s best to use dwarfs on them with archers supporting whenever possible.

Wight

“…once known as the Messengers of Culwyeh, a name now forgotten by all but the most devout pupils of Necromancy, these miserable creatures seek only release from their hellish existence.”
“…preceding the assault on Covenant… two score and nine wights were herded into the Tiber an hour’s march from the city, there to stand until they burst, rendering the water undrinkable.”
They don’t have a melee attack or a ranged one- instead, when a unit is close to them, to scream and explode with a force many times greater than a dwarf grenade. Those closest are obliterated, and those nearby are frozen in place by the corpse’s pieces.

Wolf

“The wolves of The Ermine have been a menace to the people of the Free Cities of the North… since the area was settled in the Axe Age.”
“…wolves, feared for centuries as man-eaters and killers of livestock… used to great effect by the fir’Bolg during our time of conflict with them…”
They tag along with the bre’Unor. The move fast and hit fairly hard, so they have to be handled first.

Other

Deer
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“Second era tradition tells of a deer rising in the East, who ate the yummy green shoots and ivy and leaves which had dominated his land for time beyond memory…”
Second era tradition neglects to mention that there is something very, very wrong with their digestion systems.

Poacher

“It is said that an unscrupulous group of men made a deal with an equally unscrupulous groups of Dwarves in order to corner the bullet-riddled meat market.”
“Albrecht, the King of the Dwarves, having been presented with the latest invention of the famed Wehrfaktorie, is said to have replied ‘Such a thing would make war too terrible to wage.’”
Slow, terrible aim, really not worth anything at all.

Villager

“…always praising King Alric for the change in their lives. The villagers and farmers of the West have prospered during the peace following the Great War.”
“The humble farmers feed the West, suffering the worst in every conflict, conscripted before age fifteen to fill the ranks of the army.”
Somehow, I don’t feel like those two flavor texts exactly support each other. These guys don’t even really make good canon fodder, but at least they can distract the enemy for a few hits for us.