Beings of Tash Kalar

Northern Empire

Both Imperial decks are identical. If you want to know more about the reasons, please read the History of the Decks. Both historically and thematically, these decks originate from the oldest form of the game.

As for features, the Imperial deck is relatively balanced with no big weakness. Its strongest feature is movement – many cards allow you to move other pieces, with either standard moves or combat moves (and a few other special moves). It is also relatively good at upgrading and destruction (with combat moves and with the gunpowder-based cards). It also offers several ways to slay legends.

The ability to move or upgrade pieces allows for intuitive gameplay. It gives you wide tactical range without planning too much ahead: Just summon a being wherever suitable; you may upgrade it or move it into position later. This, together with the fact there are two identical decks, makes Empire a good choice for your first games, but it stays interesting even much later.

Swordmaster

Pattern
Together with the Axeman, this was one of the first beings created for the game. These beings were meant to be "regulars", i.e., line soldiers, and that's why they appear in a straight line of your pieces. The theme shifted a bit during development, but this remained.

Effect
I always imagined the Swordmaster appearing with her sword held in both hands in front of herself (similar to the pose on the card's reverse) and then lunging and swinging diagonally backwards, surprising an opponent there. If she succeeds, she gets promoted. We tried to capture this with the picture, but you know, it is just a picture. :) I hope to show you more soon...

Strategy tip
The Swordmaster can be very useful during the initial phase of the game. Opponents should watch for its pattern to avoid the situation described in the Guidebook. :) Later in the game, the Swordmaster is a rather weaker card, and if there is no situation to use its effect fully, do not wait – just summon it without effect to draw a stronger card.

Interesting facts
The history of the Swordmaster is highly tied with the Axeman. They started in the original deck, and their effect was just to kill a diagonally/orthogonally adjacent common piece. When the original deck split into Empire and Highland, their ways parted, but the effects remained similar. I just added an option to move to the destroyed piece's square to both cards, to strengthen them a bit. And later, their effects were altered to strengthen the theme and distinguish the schools. This became final also because the Swordmaster was such a good example for explaining the game. :)

Btw: I have a weird feeling whenever I see the Swordmaster's picture, because I was personally a model for it. :) I did this pose for David to explain how I imagine the Swordmaster killing the diagonally adjacent piece, and he said, "Stay like that for a moment," and made a draft. I have to say, it is not a comfortable pose. My legs and arm were hurting a bit before he was done.

Messenger

Coming soon...

Herald

Coming soon...

Bomb

Pattern
It resembles a stick of dynamite with a fuse. The final picture was done more round and "Imperial" style, but the pattern remained.

Effect
It is timed. If you give it enough time (i.e., with some actions still remain after summoning the Bomb), it explodes and destroys itself and all common pieces around, regardless of color. If not (i.e., when you summon it with your last action), it just fizzles.

Strategy tips
To make the Bomb explode, you usually need to have it prepared on the previous round, so you can summon it with your first action. It may be also used as a nice comeback when you play a flare card that allows you to prepare the Bomb by placing or moving pieces or using extra actions.

Note the exploding effect does not only destroy the summoned piece, it destroys also one of the pieces used for summoning the Bomb, if common. Thus it is better if that piece is upgraded or even not yours (using improvised summoning in a deathmatch melee).

Also note: It is not necessary always to use the exploding effect. You still can destroy one common piece by summoning the Bomb and you do not lose your own piece. Sometimes, you can even benefit from the fact that it fizzles. It is an easy pattern and thus easy to fulfill "summoning" tasks. As your last action, you can safely summon it on a colored space in the midst of your tokens.

Interesting facts
Originally, this was a kamikaze goblin sapper and I supposed it would move to Highland. But Highland has enough destruction so it remained in Empire, first as a dwarf sapper, then as a sapper, and finally straightforwardly as a bomb, since Empire has several gunpowder devices anyway.

Also, originally, the Bomb exploded regardless of the timing. It was a bit annoying for the opponent, as it was too easy to set up and thus hard to prevent even if it was expected. The fizzling option added nice tactical options and made the card much more interesting.

Chronicler

Coming soon...

Assassin

Coming soon...

Time Mage

Coming soon...

Summoner

Coming soon...

Hypnotist

Coming soon...

  Cannon

Pattern
Just look at the picture. Do we need to say anything more? :)

Effect
Another of the Empire's gunpowder cards. Their common aspect is that they do not distinguish between friends and foes. The Cannon destroys all common pieces in the chosen direction. The upgraded pieces do not stop the fire, as the card would be too weak then; just imagine it bombards the entire line with sharp shards that destroy only the common pieces.

Strategy tips
In a two-player game, the Cannon is not very strong if the opponent is aware of the fact you may have it. It is still useful to stop some tasks, like chains or Line Dominance.

In a melee, however, it is a very useful card. Not only can it kill common pieces of various colors over the board, it can also kill an enemy common or heroic piece on the summon square when using improvised summoning!

Interesting facts
The pattern looks very natural, but it was not always like that. Originally, the cannon resembled more a cannon from Space Invaders (i.e., the same shape as the Hill Giant, except the summon square was on the top piece). During development, it was found weaker than expected and the requirements were reduced by one piece. The shape changed to the final form.

Also, the card was called Dwarven Cannon during development. Influenced by Warhammer, Warcraft, etc., I was thinking of the gunpowder part of the Empire as dwarven. It was removed as unnecessary... And, well, also to save dwarves as an option for some future decks. :)

Champion

Coming soon...

Infantry Captain

Pattern
As with most leaders, the pattern represents the captain in front of an infantry line formation.

Effect
It allows you to command your other pieces to move and fight.

Strategy tips
It offers less moves than the Cavalry Captain, but it is more versatile. It can be strong also with common pieces (as both moves are combat) and it better arranges patterns for the following beings (because you may move two pieces). However, its pattern is less compact and thus harder to create.

Interesting facts
Originally, the combat moves had to be performed with two different pieces. It was more thematic, but weaker. This is why now it is possible to move one piece twice.

Cavalry Captain

Pattern
As with most leaders, the pattern represents the captain as the leading rider of a cavalry formation.

Effect
Similarly to the Infantry Captain, this beings allows you to move another piece. The cavalry aspect is depicted in the way it can go far and do one deadly strike during the movement. (You may imagine it either as a "charge" or a "hit and run".)

Strategy tips
You need a good cavalry. The stronger beings you have, the stronger is the Captain. In some cases, it may be wise to postpone summoning the Cavalry Captain until you have at least one heroic piece in the arena. Of course, with a legendary piece, the Captain is deadly.

Interesting fact
Originally, the effect did not allow moves in any order – it was up to two standard and then one combat move. The possibility for a "hit and run" tactic was added later, to strengthen the card.

Gryphon Rider

Pattern
All lone riders in the game so far (Knight, Wolf Rider and even Centaur Spearman) have an L-shaped pattern. The Gryphon Rider is no exception; his shape is just a diagonal L. Also, with a bit of imagination, you can see the prancing gryphon in the pattern, with the rider summoned right behind his neck.

Effect
It is obvious: The gryphon rises to the clouds and then dive attacks any square of the arena. Then you may keep it as one heroic piece or dismount the rider from the gryphon and thus get two common pieces, the rider next to his gryphon. It is not written on the card that this option represents dismounting, but I am pleased that many players recognized that. :)

Strategy tips
In a deathmatch, you may go for a double kill (by summoning and by the leap). But generally, this card is very useful mostly in the High Form, both when fighting for certain spots (you kill an enemy heroic piece and install your own heroic piece on a space) or for quests that require lots of pieces (connecting, encircling etc.). When you go for a chain, you may shape part of the chain as a Gryphon Rider – then you may summon the Gryphon Rider and, with one action, fill in the last two missing pieces of the chain.

Interesting facts
I suspect the visual concept of a dive attack was inspired by the gryphon in Heroes of Might and Magic V.

The strength of this card changed back and forth as we were balancing the decks. At one moment, it had exactly the same effect as Eagle Lord, but we didn't like that fact. During balancing we realized the Empire needed to be strengthened a bit in the High Form (but not in deathmatches) and thus I added this option that is mainly useable in the High Form. I think it remained as the final version because we really liked the theme of it. :)

Knight

Coming soon...

High Preistess

Coming soon...

Master of Intrigue

Coming soon...

Gun Tower

Coming soon...