EA Mythic have released some new details on the careers and environments that will feature in the upcoming Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning title. The information examins the Black Orc and Ironbreaker careers and the Badlands Zone while we get some insight into the process involved when bringing the popular game to the PC.
Dashiel Nemeth, Designer on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning comments on the process involved: When designing careers, we have a couple of really critical objectives. These start with character – the look, feel, and background of the career – and also encompass style and accessibility, which will make or break the experience of playing it. In essence, the career has got to be both cool and fun, and that’s no simple undertaking. To do this, we’ve established the character of each career, along with the essential elements of its function or role, and then built towards the middle, creating the entire package as a result.
With Black Orcs this wasn’t too tough. The miniatures are awesome, the art is intense, and in the end it’s a Black Orc and there’s a lot we know about them just from that, so character is a synch. Looking at his function, a few things are also obvious: He hurts people however he can manage, he uses weapons, even if those are his fists and tusks, and he’s also damn tough to kill. Square this up with our need to create a powerful Greenskin tank, and everything starts to come together just as nice as you please.
With the Ironbreaker we had somewhat less to work with – the visuals were great, but at a glance his character seemed to be almost generic to dwarfs. It’s become clear however that we’d got it backwards – the Ironbreaker isn’t like every other Dwarf, every other Dwarf is like him! Thus, we elected to focus on making him the essential dwarf. Capturing the qualities of sturdiness, steadfastness, and honor above all, we built a stout dwarfen defender who can hold a grudge like nobody’s business, and we dovetailed those concepts with mechanics that filled the role.
Careers – Black Orc
Now den, some times what da boyz need is a lad what can take a beating, and beat back! Dey need a lad wif a serious pair of tusks! Dem needs a Black Orc! - Grumlok, Orc Warboss on Strategy
Da bigger da Orc, da stronger da Orc. Da stronger da Orc, da more dat's Orc's da boss. No wonder da Black Orcs is always da bosses! - Splinta, a Goblin in the Bloody Sun Boyz tribe
Armed and armored to fight in the thick of melee as a warrior and tanker, the Black Orc matches physical hardiness with a down and dirty brawler’s fighting style to make himself the heart of any war band. With choppa and shield in hand, he can face down any foe unshaken, and his unique approach to fighting makes him as deadly with his fists as with either of those tools. He’ll knock you down so you can’t fight back, and then kick you while you’re down, because there’s no honor among Greenskins, and there’s no such thing as a fair fight – and that’s the way he likes it!
The Black Orc Specialty The Black Orc’s fighting style might best be described as brawling. He attacks with all the tools available – fists, feet, elbows, shoulders, and assorted other spiky bits, notably including weapons. His various attacks are designed to jar, disorient, or otherwise disable his enemy, and each of these conditions makes the enemy vulnerable to yet more punishment, in the form of other attacks which deliver additional effects based on the target’s condition. The Black Orc’s use of these tools revolves around the philosophy that the best defense is indeed a good offense.
Playing as a Black Orc Combat for a Black Orc revolves around engaging and defeating enemies one at a time, while weathering the fire of their allies. As a front line fighter, the Black Orc is well equipped to withstand the attacks of his enemies, protected by shield and armor, and possessing a hearty constitution, but his greatest strength lies in his ability to disable his primary opponent with jarring blows and unexpected attacks, and then exploit the openings that creates to reduce the enemy’s ability to fight back.
Fighting Black Orcs When you fight a Black Orc it’s most important to know your enemy and his abilities, so that you can counter them and keep him from reaching the potential of his deadly power. He will always have the tools to engage you, so there’s little sense in trying to get around him, but if you’re aware of his abilities – especially the multiple attacks he can chain off of one another – you can maneuver and use your own abilities to break up his chains, denying him maximum performance. Maneuver, selective engagement, and knowledge of the enemy are key.
The Black Orc Look - Fully armored in heavy armor (with lots of spikes) - Large very heavy shields (also with lots of spikes) - Choppas and great choppas (with spiky bits stuck on)
Careers – Ironbreaker
To strike an Ironbreaker is to strike an anvil. You are more likely to re-shape your weapon than to move him… and heavens forbid one lands on you... - High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer
The Ironbreaker is the quintessential dwarf – gruff, quarrelsome and taciturn. He is also your best friend on the field of battle, as any blow struck against his allies is a Grudge that is guaranteed to be repaid in kind. Equipped with his famed gromril armor, and practicing his elite weapon craft, he is a steadfast defender, proof against even the most powerful attacks, standing by his allies and ensuring their safety amidst the swirling chaos of battle. It is said that there are few warriors in the world who can boast they are as tough as an Ironbreaker, and none that can prove it.
The Ironbreaker Specialty Nobody holds a grudge like a Dwarf, and no dwarf is dwarfier than the Ironbreaker. Every blow struck against him or his allies serves to fuel his ardor, and this in turn influences his every action – the greater the grudge born against a particular foe, the greater the effect of the Ironbreaker’s attacks. The means by which the Ironbreaker exacts justice vary according to his choice of attacks, but one thing is constant: The only escape from his vengeance is death!
Playing as an Ironbreaker As an Ironbreaker, your goal is to get between your friends and your foes and use your defensive abilities to absorb and deflect attacks. If you can’t immediately claim a foe’s attention, your grudge bonuses begin to make you a problem foes can’t ignore as you grow more and more potent in your defense of your allies. Obviously, Ironbreakers truly shine in groups but even solo they are quite capable as long as they can get close enough to wear down foes with their axe or hammer.
Fighting Ironbreakers Fighting an Ironbreaker calls for some tough choices: do you try to wear away the anvil or do you attack his friends and hope that the anvil doesn’t fall on your head? The best approach is probably to remove the Ironbreaker through magic and ranged attacks, aiming to eliminate him before he can bring his power to bear. Barring that, a concentrated melee attack on the Ironbreaker may be your only hope to avoid creating an indestructible melee monster that knows your name and holds a grudge for a very long time.
The Ironbreaker Look - Fully armored in heavy Gromril armor (shiny and ornate) - Uses large heavy duty shields (elaborate and well crafted) - Wields an axe or a hammer (also in the fancy dwarfen style)
