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vanarus-ma

MA Vanarus, Land of the Chuds

Lore

"Vanarus was partly conceived during the development of Dominions 3. Hints were included in the descriptions of Bogarus, but I never got around to finishing it.

Vanarus is the predecessor of Bogarus. It is a nation of ruling Vanir that have subjugated and intermingled themselves with the previous rulers of the land. Kievan Rus' is one of the sources here, but I've also used the Chudes, a people that appears in the myths of various peoples from the eastern Baltic seaboard. I haven't found very much on the Chuds, so they are mostly my creation. The "Pine of Skulls," shape-shifting and shamanic bear cult practices fit the nation. These features, as well as the Thunder Priests mentioned in the descriptions of the nation appear in Rus, the early version of the nation.

I wanted the national troops of the nation to reflect the change from the earlier era to the late Bogarus. Versatile Vanarusian sages are slowly replacing the mighty Vanir and will eventually develop into the Starets and mages of the late era. "
–Illwinter

When the Vanir entered the land of Rus in between the Early & Middle Ages, they were simply exploring & looking to trade. However, conflict between them and the local Humans & Chuds over a sacred site spiraled into war. The Vanir won the initial battles, founding the city of Novgård at that site. When the Humans & Chudes allied to push the Vanir back into the sea, the Vanir subdued the Humans with their illusions & superior strength, forcing the Chudes to fight the Humans as well. Then came the Black Knights of Ulm, who were certainly there to conquer. In the face of a greater threat, Novgård & Rus rallied together, defeating the Ulmic invasion. From there, the Kingdom of Vanarus was formed, led by the precious few Vanir that were remaining. As a result of this chaotic period, the Chudes had fallen behind the Humans in terms of numbers, but they still held a bit of their former prestige.

General Overview

FIXME Vanarus trades Astral for Water and Death, and its Skinshifters of old have been lost their sacred status in favor of the nation's few "true" elves. Compared to the Early Ages, most of Vanarus's troops have fallen behind in edge, while the magic spread has somehow gotten even more awkward. Still, you have a wide toolkit you can use to address most problems that come your way, especially once you get your hands on a forest or two.

The bear-worshiping humans and the Elves of Vanheim combined to make a more Rus with better Stealth raiders with better access to Blood and Death.

National Features

Race Military Magic Access Priests Buildings
Prefers Cold 2
Snow-Move
Humans
Cold Resistance (3)
Chudes
Cold Resistance (5)
Above Human HP, Attack Skill, Strength, and MR
Vanir
Cold Resistance (3)
Glamour
Stealthy (65)
All Infantry
Berserkers
Large Skinshifters
Sacred Elves
Lousy Range
air 33 (rare 4)
death 22 (rare 3)
blood 22 (rare 3)
fire 22
water 22
nature 22
earth 11
National Summons
air 22astral 22 (Requires astral 33)
air 22astral 11nature 33 (Requires nature 44 )
air 22water 11earth 22nature 44 (Requires nature 66)
air 33astral 11nature 22 (Requires air 44)
water 11death 11 (Requires water 11death 11)
water 33nature 11 (Requires water 22)
water 33earth 11nature 22 (Requires water 33earth 11)
Average (holy 22)
Stealthy
Summonable holy 33 (Requires astral 22)
Can perform blood sacrifices
Standard Forts
Forest Wizards & Witches

Capital Special Sites

Novgård Pine of Skulls
* Enables recruitment of Oath-Bound
* Enables recruitment of Vanabogs
* Produces 2 per month
* Produces 1 per month
* Enable recruitment of Chud Skinshifters
* Produces 1 per month
* Produces 1 per month

Notable Units

Your nation is made up of common human Rus, having cold Resistance (3) which grants them immunity to chill Auras combined with most foot troops having Snow-Move, lets them scert by most downsides of being a cold nation.

Commanders

Sprite Unit Name Special Attributes Comments
Scout
25
5
1
Stealthy(60)
cold Resistance (3)
mountain survival
Forest survival
Snow-Move
Scout that can move unimpeded through the cold.
Vanarusian Herse
40
22
1
cold Resistance (3)
Snow-Move
Cheap commander, faster than independent commanders in cold.
Vanarusian Gode
45
3
1
holy 11
sacred
cold Resistance (3)
Snow-Move
Cheap priests. Can bless contingents of non-stealthing Oath-Bound.
Vanarusian Jarl
90
13
1
sacred
cold Resistance (3)
Snow-Move
Bigger 80ld leader.
The Chud Jarl is 30 more gold to be a warrior priest with better stats.

The Chud's higher Magic Resistance and Morale prevents an army from crumbling by sniping him.
Chud Jarl
120
13
1
holy 11
sacred
cold Resistance (5)
Snow-Move
Vyedma
135
2
2
Forest Rec Only
water 11earth 11nature 11random1100% 11
stealthy (40)
cold Resistance (3)
Snow-Move
supply Bonus (10)
inept researcher (2)
Forest survival
Female
The mages from the forests (even without a fort) with a wide path spread like the Imperial Alchemist of MA T'ien Ch'i, but are cheaper and not cap only.
Their stealth allows for sneak attacks.
They start with 1 in Earth and Nature, with 1 in 4 getting Nature 2 that can be boosted to nature 33 or 4 in combat with Strength of Gaia and Thistle Mace.

Vyedma is the cheaper of the two and starts with 1 path in water. Gives you a 1 in 4 chance for water 22. Even if you don't get that random, she is still a water mage by giving her boosters (Water Bracelet) and gems. She is a guaranteed water fluffer: Mossbody, Quickness.
Only needs a Thistle Mace in hand to cast Foul Vapors, and the person to turn to for Bone Melter.

The Vyedun can be more important, starting with both fire and air instead of water. 3 in 4 are level 2 in a path (Fire, Air, or Nature). Has easier access to cross evocations like Sulphur Haze and Magma Eruption.

Both can potentially do cross evocations such as Geyser, Freezing Mist, Acid Rain.
Vyedun
155
2
2
Forest Rec Only
fire 11air 11earth 11nature 11random1100% 13
stealthy (40)
cold Resistance (3)
Snow-Move
supply Bonus (10)
inept researcher (2)
Forest survival
Vanarusian Sage
165
2
2
air 11random2100%
100%
15
cold Resistance (3)
adept researcher (4)
Snow-Move
Your fast researchers who get a large spread of different paths. Their first random is of the old Rus magic, while the second comes from the Vanir. Most of the crosspaths they don't get are covered by the forest mages or Vanabogs.

Many are air 2 mages, few are even air 33 for casting Storm and more. Few are Fire/Death that can decay the enemy.

Though not cheap, 1 in 3 are blood mages for blood hunting and create communions which makes better use of their paths later in the game.
Vanabog
335
20
4
Capital Only
air 22death 11blood 11holy 22random1100%
10%
15
sacred
glamour
stealthy (65)
Mounted
Like many in the Van lines, he is your Viking Elf Lord Thug and master of Air, Death and Blood.
If he is not raiding enemy lands, he is back home, forging, Raising Undead, or summoning Demons.

In combat that Glamour and ability to Cloud Trapeze allows for surprise raids.

Air is known for its thugging power, access to Fire and Skull of Fire also allows for army wipe evocations, Fire Shield, Phoenix Pyre and Bane Fire. The death randoms also spam undead and conjure Wailing Winds by spending an extra gem with a Skull Staff.

Troops

FIXME description of the workhorse options, for the sake of sanity better skip the clearly subpar and generic stuff (common indie like units with no gimmicks), merge units into a single description entry if functionally similar battle roles with only minor differences in gear.

Sprite Unit Name Special Attributes Comments
Vanarusian Archer
10
5
9
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Men with short bows. Vanarus has easy access to Wind Guide and moderately easy access to Flaming Arrows from Vyedun, making cheap archers a possible target for these buffs (alongside the many javelins Vanarus also has).
Vanarusian Huskarl
10
12
9
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Cheap humans with javelins.
The spear is more defensive while the axe does more damage.
Vanarusian Huskarl
10
12
9
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Vanarusian Hirdman
12
17
14
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Upgrade on Huskarls with better armor, morale, attack skill and defense skill.
Vanarusian Hirdman
12
17
14
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Vanarusian Hirdman
12
19
14
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Hirdman with greater Attack and Defense skill. More balanced in offensive and defensive capabilities compared to the other two Hirdmen.
Vanarusian Berserker
15
17
21
ambidextrous (1)
berserker (2)
Cold Resistance (3)
Snow Move
Your DPS guy, being an armored Berserker with a sword and an axe.
Doesn't get that shield prot but benefits when mixed in with shielded infantry for survivability while helping them grind down the enemy.
Their faster movement means that they should still be behind a shieldwall so that they don't run past them.
Chud Hirdman
35
21
28
ambidextrous (2)
berserker (2)
Cold Resistance (5)
Snow Move
Successors of the Chud Berserkers. Higher stats and protection than the Vanarusian Berserker.
They make expansion easier, though are a bit pricey. Will likely slow down the armies they are with.
Oath-Bound
35
22
25
Capital Only
sacred
bodyguard(3)
Cold Resistance (3)
glamour
stealthy (65)
Snow Move
Sacred Elfs going sword and board. Are Hard to kill. Also useful for protecting your mages.
As expanders, they will take fewer casualties than Chuds while being able to take a blessing. Like the Chud Hirdman, they are slow on the march.
Chud Skinshifter
Gold 40
5
33
Capital Only
Cold Resistance (5)
Snow Move
Berserker (+1)
Mountain Survival
Forest Survival
Recuperation
Wounded Shape: (Werebear)
Like the EA Skinshifter but suffers that standard demystifying, losing its sacred status and has a weaker Berserk.
Now cheaper buying cost, don't have to create a blessing for them, but higher upkeep.

Still needs support even though they hit hard and get more HP in bear form.
Benefits greatly from casting Regeneration, but their lack of protection makes them more of a tool to be used carefully against tough enemies.

Heroes

FIXME any breakout hits that might sway someone towards luck or away from it ?

Sprite Unit Name Special Attributes Comments
Old Bear Thunder - Last Perkunu
Turn Arrival Limit: 5
air 44astral 11nature 33holy 11 13
Sacred
Poison Resistance(5)
Cold Resistance(5)
Shock Resistance (22)
Shape Changer: (Werebear)
Snow Move
inept researcher (8)
Mountain Survival
Forest Survival
Recuperation
Supply Bonus (30)
Summon in battle: (Great Bear)
Your break into high air magic. Also brings astral and Moonvine Bracelets to the table.
Yngvar - Varyag
Turn Arrival Limit: 15
air 22death 11holy 11 11
sacred
Cold Resistance(3)
inspirational(1)
glamour
stealthy (65)
Mini-Vanabog without horse. Always brings with him 3d6 Oath-Bounds once as an event.
Baba Yaga - Hag
Turn Arrival Limit: 20
air 33water 11death 33nature 22 23
Cold Resistance (15)
Poison Resistance (15)
Shock Resistance (5)
Fear (8)
Flying
Forest Survival
Supply Bonus (20)
Fills two holes in your Magic Path lineup, Water & High level Death with a Skull Staff, both of which are not particularly easy for Vanarus to fill.

Magic

Reserch priorties

  • Conjuration: Powers, Elementals, Awaken Draugar, Howl, Send Vodyanoy, Contact Gamayun, Summon Mound Fiend, Magic Duel
  • Alteration: Mistform, Immolation, Mossbody, Windguid, Incinerate, Manifest Vitriol, Soul Vortex, Frozen Heart. Battle Fortune
  • Evocation: Geyser, Sulphur Haze, Fireball, Shadow Bolt/Shadow Blast, Thunder Strike, Storm, Falling Frost, Wailing Winds, Rain of Stones, Astral Geyser.
  • Construction: Corpse Man Construction, Research items
  • Enchantment: Claymen, Regeneration, Flaming Arrows, Foul Vapors, Ziz, Reanimate Archers, Antimagic,
  • Thaumaturgy: Terror, Raging Hearts, Gamayun spells: (Communion, Mind Burn, Paralyze, Soul Slay.)
  • Blood: Demon summons

Magic Access

Blood is less about boosters and more about how many blood slaves you can gather so you can empower. Vanarus doesn't have cost-efficient blood hunters so that's a negative. A good way to start nationally is with a blood 22 Vanabog, empower until blood 44 so he can make the boosters and the Robe of the Magi to boost other paths, though blood is likely already on your pretender. Vanarusian Sages can make the Armor of Twisting Thorns with some help.

Fire naturally peaks at fire 22 but Vanabog and sages can forge Skull of Fire, to then summon Flame Spirits to then forge Flame Helmets end ending with a Fire King sitting at fire 77.

If the Last Perkunu arrives or a Vanabog is empowered, you can make Winged Helmets and then Bag of Winds for air 77 Storm queens. in combat a Vanabog with gems can turn your air 22 mages into Thunder Strikers with Storm.

Water is easy to boost with a Vyedma summon a Vodyanoy or Beregina. then use Water Bracelet and Robe of the Sea to make her water 55 to summon a water queen.

Earth access is limited to earth 11 on Vyedun/Vyedma, or earth 11blood 11 on Vanarusian Sages for earth sabbaths. If you can grease the wheels with some gems or a pretender, you can create Earth Boots and Blood Stone to make a recruitable mage earth 44 in combat, but more likely to also spend Earth gems on Troll Kings, Earth Kings, and Father Illearth.

Astral is not a native path but if you have a astral 22 you get Gamayun. Give her a Starshine Skullcap to make her astral 33 and she can replicate.

You get a Vanabog with Skull Staff for death 33 unless Baba Yaga shows her face, then we get into Liches.

We get nature 33 on a forest mage with a Thistle Mace and nature 44 in combat (Strength of Gaia). To go higher we need the Last Perkunu, or a Cloud Vila to make a Moonvine Bracelet to make a Treelord's Staff. This gets you a Leshiy. If you want to go absurdly high, get The Copper Arm to equip him with all the boosters so he is nature 88.

Vanarus has access to the following paths for the purposes of rituals:

Elements

Sorceries

  • No astral magic, astral 33 via astral 22 (indie, pretender, empowerment) Starshine Skullcap on Gamayun.
  • death 22 on Vanabogs, death 33 via a Skull Staff, death 55 via a Skull Staff, Baba Yaga - Hag (empowerment), Skullface on Lich (expensive!)
  • nature 22 on Vyedmas or Vyeduns, nature 88 via Thistle Mace, Moonvine Bracelet (Cloud Vila or Mountain Vila), Treelord's Staff, The Copper Arm on Leshiy (expensive!)
  • blood 22 on Vanabogs, as much blood as required via empowering and boosters.

National Spells

FIXMEnational spell or summon cost and usecase, judgment if it's good. fix from Rus

One of Rus's selling points is its sheer amount of exclusive summons.

  • Summon Simargl Conjure 2, air 11 1airgem, ( Simarglx1). Too slow if your trying to amass a flying fores but fine as Patrol chaff. You have the air mages but Air gems are also precious, especially when you access better summons now.
  • Summon Firebird Conjure 3, fire 11astral 11 2firegem, ( Firebirdx1) hard to use as Vanarus don't have Astral mages but if you get an influx of astral gems, empower and be spamming for the influx of lucky events in your fort, especially since they also something Siegers should mess with.
  • Sloth of Bears Conjure 3, nature 22 8naturegem, ( Great Bearx10 + [lv]) Summon more bears for Sieges but not soo good in combate.
  • Contact Sirin Conjure 3, astral 22 8astralpearl, ( Sirin) if you run into a big astral indie, A way to steal Male Commanders. If that doesn't work, giving them Handful of Acorns and some other weapon that can be used in the misc slot like The Pebble Pouch can dispatch a variety of problems
  • Summon Likho Conjure 4, death 11 10deathgem, ( Likho) Summon and let her sit in a eneimy Provence to cause annoyances.
  • Awaken Draugar Conjure 4, death 22 12deathgem, ( Draugx3) They are undead with a chill aura and fear and hit harder when on their last legs. They are comparable to Wights, with Draugar being better equipped to win the grind game.
  • Contact Alkonost Conjure 4, astral 22 15astralpearl, ( Alkonost) Summable by Gamayun, they are Flying Greater Priest, leader, and Throne Claimer. Decent alround Utiltiy.
  • Summon Rusalka Conjure 4, water 11death 11 16watergem, ( Rusalka) Hard for MA to use. Create more Low-level Death mages with water gems and a way to expand underwater. Can kill most things with a Water Lens Summon a Water Elemental and then spam skeletons until the assassination target is dead.
  • Send Vodyanoy Conjure 4, water 22 20watergem, ( Vodyanoy) only target Sea province. Conjure a Stealthy Water mage underwater. She won't Be Establishing a foothold underwater by herself and without gems, but she can raid if you had already created a foothold down there. Is A means of fighting a water war if the ocean nations had failed to conquer most of the independents. They are also will climb water magic for you, getting you into Water Queens and Naiads
  • Send Lady Midday Conjure 5, air 11death 11 10airgem, ( Lady Midday) Basically summons a weak Disease Demon. Is Very fragle.
  • Summon Zmey Conjure 5, fire 22 5firegem, ( Zmeyx1) Cool 3 headed Dragon but held back by the fact its a reptile and all of Rus's line is a cold nation. May be ok if taking a Hellbless or fighting in hot lands. Lead them with a Alkonost.
  • Contact Gamayun Conjure 5, astral 33 25astralpearl, ( Gamayun) Get a Flying Air and Astral mage. Very mobile with Fly and Cloud Trapeze to support your army with Paralyze and Mind Burn. If you have Astral on your pretender, summon one then put a Skullshine Skullcap and put her in charge of summoning more.
  • Send Bukavac Conjure 5, water 44 5watergem, ( Bukavac) only target Sea province. They are very hard to deal with especially if your having a bunch of Vodyanoy sends several aginst one providence. These are Giant Trampler that will clear out Fishman settlement and many of their armies.
  • Contact Beregina Conjure 6, water 33earth 11 35watergem, ( Beregina) a amphibious Water mage with nature support spells and may to take a decently sized force underwater. the Middle age have the easest time summoning them.
  • Contact Cloud Vila Conjure 7, air 44 40airgem, ( Cloud Vila) Mountain and borders only. Take a Perkunu and make it a flying true Healer instead of a Werebear. You could be spending those Air gems to work towards Air Queens while having an easier time summoning Mountain Vilas.
  • Contact Mountain Vila Conjure 7, nature 44 40naturegem, ( Mountain Vila) Mountain and borders only. Nature Air communioning, True Healer 2 mage comes prepage with a Vine Bow for going off-script. Mix of Faery Queen and Ivy King, those too expensive to use recklessly. if you only need a generally strong nature mage, an Ivy King is far more resilient for cheaper.
  • Contact Leshiy Conjure 8, nature 66 60naturegem, ( Leshiy Leshiy) Forest only. Takes a lot of climbing to get a nature mage that can be potalty nature 77 while in forests. Only get so someone, not your pretender can hold up Gift of Health or Enchanted Forests

Notable Generic Magic

Combat Magic

Get Sages and Forest mages with wide path spreads, Lots of air, thug elf on horses, some Sabbath mages, some good summable mages in Gamayun.

the Vyedma and Vyedun are your mass-produced mages, grabbing a lot of them to focus on an Elemental or Nature of spells. while your fort sages perform a similar role with the exception of blood randomness.
with boosters and gems, they mass evocation and fluffing. Chaffing with Elementals or Swarm, and Sages can Skilly spam with a staff.
If you don't have Earth Boots a gem to Summon Earthpower lets your forest mages fluff your troops' strength and protection.

Some sages create Sabbaths with Blood and air being the main paths that course the least fatigue on the slaves, with Fire, Nature, and Earth also boosted on the master to cast big spells like Rain of Stones and Sulphur Haze, Purify Blood.

Vanabog is your recruitable magic powerhouse when not currently used as a thug. They put up Storm so your plentiful air mages become air 22s, and air 33s.

THough you don't have native astral the Gamayun should not be discounted as they can be just as hard to nail down as Vanabog, casting Astral spells like Soul Slay and also calling down Lighting.

A tactic in the late middlegame is during a big battle is Blood Rain and Wailing Winds to moral route mortal units.

Ritual Magic

You Have many National Summons.

Your are one of the few nations to benefit from Summon Flame Spirit as your evocator and Raging Hearts.

Having a Van, makes use of Cloud Trapeze. with Aupex to boost your precious air gem income.

Vanarus gets lots of way to invade underwater, Getting underwater mages, and raid with Send Bukavac. Also spend water gems on Clayman and Green Lions for troops.

You don't have astral in forts but Contact Gamayun gets you flying Air astral mages to summon more Gamayuns for 25astralpearl. Gamayun can conjure Alkonost for throne claimers.

You do have good death even before Baba Yaga. Corpse Construct and Draug for chaff. Londead Archers to pain someone when you have Wind Guide. Ziz to siege Mound Fiend for more undead chaff. At higher death Wraith Lords is logical with your normal research priorities.

some sages get crossed with Earth and Nature, but your best blood is crossing it with air. With Storm Demons and messing up capitals with Wrath of Pazuzu.

Magic Items

Gets lots of crosspaths for forging.

Can make Kithaironic Lion Pelt to protect a mage's head and chest.

Is recommended to find a way to get Earth Boots so you can get more earth 22.

Your do have fast researchers, boosted by Owl Quills, Skull Mentor and Lightless Lantern

With 2 boosters you can make important Rune Smashers. Though not native making Spell Focus and Eye of the Void combined with a Rune Smasher grants High Magic penetration on a mage.

Lantern Shield is an interesting item giving your elf thug get an entourage of Corpse Candles and grants fear which pairs well with the van's hard-to-hit nature.

Mass produce Corpse Construct with Lightning Rod and Storm Spool

Strategy

Power Curve

This is probably the most difficult section to get consensus for. Describe how strong the nation is during expansion, the early, mid and late game, and what makes it strong/weak at each of those points. This should give readers an idea of where the weaknesses of a nation lie (if they have not been shown already) and when to take advantage of a nation's strengths.

Expansion Strategies

List some example expansion strategies here. If a strong bless or pretender is required then leave the specifics for the pretender section.

Example Pretender Builds

List some example pretender builds. Try to use the following format to keep authorship and pretender design rationale clear.

Deives of the Sun: awake, Order 3, Growth scales, above average dominion strength, Blood 3 at least, the rest may vary, but normally take Heat 1, Misfortune 1, Magic 0 or lower. The idea is to start blood hunting early, in order to start producing Soul Contracts early and en masse. Deives of the Sun reduces unrest in her province by 10 per turn without population loss, so does your Order 3 scales and good dominion candles. She also produces 2 fire gems per turn, in addition to the "free" blood slaves thanks to unrest reduction, which creates a significant discount towards forging Soul Contracts or towards empowering other commanders in Fire/Blood. Growth scales should offset population loss from blood hunting/patrolling, although the intention of this build is to patrol as little as possible. Vanabogs can have Death 2 or 3, meaning they can lead a lot of Devils. Vanabogs also can have Blood 2 or 3, as well as Fire 1, making them into good blood hunters or Soul Contract producers in the latter case. Chud Skinshifters can handle the early expansion. Since you will be using Chud Skinshifters and then Devils, a bless is not necessary.

See More

vanarus-ma.txt · Last modified: 2024/07/09 04:46 by johnnydown