Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde
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Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde is a 2003 real-time strategy game created by Jaleco for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles. In Goblin Commander the player is led through a series of missions, which are broken up by short movie clips. During the missions, the player must learn to control the different units of the five Goblin Clans, along with massive titans, powerful turrets, and useful powerups and technologies, in order to achieve victory.
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[edit] Summary
Within the game, there are five different goblin clans;
- Stonekrusher (miner clan, who rely on their brutal strength in melee combat),
- Hellfire (forester clan, who use ranged weapons and dangerous inventions ie. muskets),
- Stormbringer (arcane clan, uses magic to summon the elements ),
- Plaguespitter (farming clan, experts in guerilla techniques and poison) , and
- Nighthorde (scavenger clan, who fight dirty and steal what they can).
Each clan has five unique goblin units, one turret and a titan.
The player must decide how to use these five strategies to defeat his enemy. The Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde Titans are the most powerful units in the game, but can only be used one at a time. Stonekrushers have a huge Ogre with a morningstar, who can eat his enemies or allies to gain health. Hellfire use a large warthog with a catapult to defeat enemies from afar. Stormbringer have a large metal automaton who can electrify his enemies or form an electrical whirlwind. Plaguespitter set forth a slime, which grows bigger with each enemies dissolved in its ooze. Nighthorde has a frightening spiked ball which rolls over goblins and can detonate.
[edit] Plot
[edit] The Conflict
A human sorcerer, Fraziel, created five goblin clans (Stonekrusher, Hellfire, Stormbringer, Plaguespitter, and Nighthorde) in order to help him construct a device called the Great Machine. However, early in the game, the Great Machine is sabotaged, killing Fraziel. Grommel, the Stonekrusher chieftain and the one closest to Fraziel at the time of his death, follows his master's cryptic last word - "Brother" - around Ogriss to try and determine which one of the other four chieftains was responsible for their master's death.
After defeating his other three brothers and taking control of their clans, Grommel returns to the mines where the game began to find that his last brother, Naxus, was behind his master's death. He also learns that the Great Machine was designed to create bombs intended to rob the souls of all of Ogriss' creatures, allowing the controller of the machine to remake the world in his own image. Naxus killed Fraziel in order to steal the machine, and prepares to activate it in order to create a world of chaos and darkness. However, Grommel and the clans under his control (including parts of Nighthorde) are able to deactivate the devices before they are sent through the Moongates (ancient teleportation devices). Grommel then confronts Naxus, but is trapped in a room full of these bombs as Naxus leaves through one of the Moongates. However, Grommel throws the single activated bomb in the room into the portal before it closes, presumably killing Naxus. All five clans are then united under Grommel with the intention of finding some purpose now that the Great Machine has been destroyed.
[edit] Gameplay
Goblin Commander has a very simple interface of setting waypoints for a particular clan to follow (you can control up to three). Each clan you control is linked to a particular button; pressing that button sets a waypoint at your cursor, which commands the clan to take whatever action is best for that situation, such as moving to the location, defending a friendly structure, or attacking an enemy or a piece of the environment. A player can also take direct control of a unit; in this case, all other units in that Clan will follow the directly controlled unit, and the button for that clan causes the clan to attack. While it does add a certain level of immersion, taking direct control of a unit is usually unnecessary unless coordinating a retreat. Micromanagement of units is all but impossible, though it is usually not necessary; the troops do well enough by themselves, and the massive nature of Titans' attacks make focusing an attack unnecessary. A clan can only be composed of ten goblins at a time, so unit choice is critical when composing your army.
Each of the five Clans available have a basic melee and ranged attacker, a medium and heavy attacker (both either melee or ranged, depending on the clan), a support unit, a Titan, and a Turret. Basic units are purchased in that particular clan's Clanshrine, although at first only the basic melee and ranged attackers are available to purchase (the others, if available for that particular mission, appear in cages, which can be unlocked with gold, souls, or a combination of the two). Titans and turrets can be purchased in the Hall of Titans.
Titans are large, powerful units several times bigger than any Goblin. They do not follow waypoints and must be controlled directly in order to function (other goblins can be assigned to follow the titans, however). Only one titan can be created at a time. They create a significant advantage for any army; generally, a group of goblins with a Titan on their side will triumph over one that does not.
Various buildings and landmarks can be captured throughout a map in order to bestow some advantage upon the army that captured it (such as a steady stream of Souls or the ability to teleport). Runes can also be found or purchased, which can be activated at the player's cursor in order to perform some effect (such as healing, calling down lightning, enhancing armor, even turning the enemy into sheep).
Clans also have three available types of upgrades, each of which can be improved three times. One always improves the effects of the support unit's special ability, and the other two are general improvements that apply to all other units, such as damage, range, or armor. The upgrades are aesthetic as well as functional; Stonekrusher weapons and armor shift from rock to metal to hot lava as they are improved, while Plaguespitter attacks appear more caustic and their weapons drip with acid. Because of this it is possible to judge the relative strength of an opposing force by how shiny it is.
[edit] Resources
There are two resources in Goblin Commander: gold and souls. Souls are predominantly used to create units, although they also unlock units, upgrade abilities, and purchase titans and turrets. Any map with a Soul Fountain has a potentially infinite amount of souls. Most souls are drawn from Soul Fountains, but killing an enemy in combat steals a fraction of its soul cost. Because of this, it is usually best to attack in overwhelming force and lose as few units as possible so that a loss does not increase an enemy's resources.
Gold is found by attacking and destroying pieces of the environment. Doing so releases coins, jewels, and other valuables into the area, which are drawn towards the nearest goblin and added to its controller's supply. Gold is used for everything Souls are except purchasing units from a Clanshrine, and unlike souls, gold is always limited; it is therefore necessary to blow up as much of the terrain as possible in order to ensure that one's force will be superior to the enemy's.
[edit] The Clans
[edit] The Stonekrusher Clan
The Stonekrushers were the first of the Goblin Clans to be created and their chieftain, Grommel, is empowered by the white moon Froxx. They live deep underground where they mine metal for the Great Machine. This is the first clan the player will have access to and also the easiest to use. Stonekrushers have a rocky texture to their skin and frequently wear mining helmets, with stocky upper bodies, skinny legs, and jutting lower jaws. Their medium and heavy units are both melee attackers, and their basic damage and armor can be upgraded.
Units:
Miner- Basic Melee
Stone thrower- Basic Ranged
Lugger- Medium Melee
Pit Boss- Heavy Melee
Drummer- Support (Healer)
Stone Ogres, the Stonekrusher titans, are reminiscent of Lord of the Rings' cave troll; a goblin mounted on a hunchbacked ogre wielding a gigantic flail. The ogre can swing its flail in an overhead smash (more powerful) or a horizontal sweep across the ground (more accurate), both of which deal massive damage and send enemy goblins flying in all directions. In addition, the ogre can reach down and eat the nearest unit (both enemy and friendly units are subject to this) to kill it outright and restore some of the Ogre's health. This is a balanced titan for just about any situation, and is particularly useful against small forces.
Rock Lobbers, the Stonekrusher turret, spits rocks at enemies, knocking them back and dealing moderate damage. They are highly durable and useful for keeping small forces at bay.
Drummers, Stonekrusher's support unit, passively heals all friendly units and is one of the most useful of its type.
[edit] The Hellfire Clan
The Hellfire Clan was the second clan to be created and their chieftain, Grax, is empowered by the red moon Heelinx. They live in the forests where they harvest lumber for the Great Machine. This is the first enemy clan the player encounters and the second that he is able to control. In the early game, the Hellfire clan is valuable for the high damage of its basic melee units; later in the game, the superior range of its missile attackers makes it possible to decimate an enemy force without being touched. Hellfire goblins have red skin and slight bodies, and use brass-colored metal weapons with green lenses for increased vision. Their damage and range can be upgraded, and their medium and heavy units are both ranged attackers (the heavy unit has a mortar attack useful for destroying buildings).
Units:
Lumberjack- Basic Melee
Archer- Basic Ranged
Hunter- Medium Ranged
Bombardier- Heavy Ranged
Scout- Support (Increases Vision)
Warpigpults, the Hellfire titan, use a rather unwieldy set of controls to toss boulders or burning pitch from a catapult mounted on a giant pig. Turning and backing up is difficult, and firing the catapult is done either by flicking a thumbstick or pressing a button; either way, a certain amount of finesse is required to use this titan properly, though it is very powerful (the only one with a ranged attack) when handled skilfully.
Lens Cannons, the Hellfire turrets, have superior range and damage but are slow to recharge between attacks. They are best used in conjunction with another kind of turret.
Scouts, the Hellfire support unit, increase the range of vision of your other troops, allowing them to attack further away. While useful in conjunction with other Hellfire units, with any other clan a Scout is next to useless.
[edit] The Stormbringer Clan
The Stormbringer Clan was the third clan to be created and their chieftain, Faine, is empowered by the blue moon Trist. They live in the mountains where they study electricity, which is to be used in powering the Great Machine. While frail early in the game, the ability to improve these units' health as well as their damage makes them some of the toughest to destroy once fully upgraded. They dress in robes and have blue skin, and wield staves, wands, and other wizardly weapons. The medium and heavy units have ranged attacks, one with a flamethrower-like spit and the other with a mortar attack that split into several pieces as damage is upgraded.
Units:
Acolyte- Basic Melee
Conjurer- Basic Ranged
Pyro Mage- Medium Ranged
Ice Mage- Heavy Ranged
Wind Mage- Support (Adds Armor)
Lightning Elementals are pieces of metal animated into a humanoid form with electricity, capable of dealing incredible damage at high speeds. They are relatively inexpensive to produce, have a shock attack that can affect multiple enemy units at a decent range, and can transform into a tornado that can level a structure or an army in seconds. However, they have very little health, to it is wise to keep them in their less vulnerable tornado state for as long as possible and keep them away from missile attackers.
Tesla Coils are turrets which rapid-fire electrical bolts at enemy troops. While the bolts deal little damage on their own, a pair of these can effectively stop just about any force.
Wind Mages are Stormbringer's support units, which increase the armor of all nearby friendly units. The increased armor greatly improves the durability of an already-tough Stormbringer army, making this one of the most useful support units in the game.
[edit] The Plaguespitter Clan
The Plaguespitter Clan was the fourth clan to be created and their chieftain, Syst, is empowered by the green moon Phoust. They live in the swamps where they use their knowledge of poisons to make fuel for the Great Machine. Plaguespitter units are relatively inexpensive and their units carry poisoned weapons, making a mass attack a viable strategy since the residual damage can kill off units not destroyed by the assault itself. Plaguespitters have green skin covered with knots and boils, and are usually hunched and emaciated, wearing little clothing. The medium and heavy units are both short-range missile attackers, one with a flamethrower-like acid spit and the other with an extremely powerful swarm of flies, and can upgrade their acid and speed. Both these properties make them suited to hit-and-run tactics and raids early in the game.
Units:
Cropper- Basic Melee
Savage- Basic Ranged
Bile Spitter- Medium Ranged
Shaman- Heavy Ranged
Spore Fiend- Support (Reduces enemy armor)
Slimes are the Plaguespitter clan's titans, and can be either the largest or smallest in the game. A slime starts out small and mobile, and attacks merely by touching an enemy. By attacking and destroying terrain and units, a slime can grow to massive proportions, decreasing its speed but greatly increasing its damage. In addition, an engorged slime can send out an acid wave, dealing damage to nearby enemies and shrinking it slightly.
Hive Turrets are large flowers that shoot spores at enemies. The spores have the same acidic properties as all other Plaguespitter units, and with a decent rate of fire are a good choice of turret for any situation.
Spore Fiends are the only support units capable of dealing damage. These legless goblins are held aloft by a balloon-like plant which spits acidic globs every once in a while, draining enemy armor and dealing a small amount of damage, making them useful for any confrontation (particularly against Stormbringers).
[edit] The Nighthorde Clan
The Nighthorde Clan was the fifth clan to be created and their chieftain, Naxus, is empowered by the purple moon Farthis. They live on an ancient battlefield, raiding temples and crypts to gain knowledge for the Great Machine. Nighthorde tactics are very similar to Stonekrusher tactics, though the Nighthorde clan tends to be less durable and more offensively-oriented than the Stonekrushers. The two clans also closely resemble each other, though the Nighthorde clan is purple-skinned with black-greasy hair and skull or bone motifs on their weapons and armor, and with a generally more malicious appearance. They can upgrade their damage and armor, and their medium and heavy units are both melee attackers.
Units:
Scrounger- Basic Melee
Reaper- Basic Ranged
Cannibal- Medium Melee
Grave Robber- Heavy Melee
Witch Doctor- Support(Drains Souls)
Battle Balls, the Nighthorde titans, are the least expensive and potentially most dangerous of any other titan. Battle Balls are simply mechanical spiked spheres that roll over their enemies, dealing more damage depending on how fast the ball was traveling. In addition, the ball can jump and land on top of enemies for added effect, or self-destruct for massive damage if it is low on health.
The Soul Vortex is the Nighthorde turret, with properties similar to Plaguespitter's Hive Turret. However, instead of dealing residual damage, this turret drains souls at the cost of a slightly decreased rate of fire, making it an effective choice if reinforcements are needed.
Witch Doctors are small and frail but serve a valuable purpose in the heat of battle. Using their "attack," a Witch Doctor can create a vortex that increases the amount of souls gained from killing an enemy, allowing more reinforcements to replace it after the battle is over.
[edit] Runes
- Heal: Heals friendly units
- Eye: Reveals a portion of the map
- Earthquake: Damages units in the selected area
- Fire: Damages targeted units
- Acid Rain: Damages units in the selected area
- Slow: Slow enemy units
- Lighting: Damages targeted units
- Shield: Protects friendly units
- Freeze: Freezes enemy units
- Saw: Damages targeted units and those nearby
- Soul Drain: Damages targeted units and steals souls
- Sheep: Transforms units into sheep.
