Over my travels I’ve found some interesting concepts in the world of Esfah. Equipment from Vaghan (Dwarven) forges, Magical foci Blessed by the gods themselves, even sandals and boots that can take some one miles in a single step can be found in the battlefields. I happen to have quite the collection myself.
Let’s start with protective gear. Now my kin have a certain love of shields but we use them in not just defence but offence as well. Still there is something satisfying about the feel of a weapon clanging harmlessly against a well placed shield.
Items come in 4 rarities. Small: common: are lightly enchanted but still a potent upgrade to mundane equipment. Medium: uncommon: less prevalent and harder to get but still better than small equipment (gamer’s note, medium items may be brought to a force in pairs or singly. A medium brought as a single item is 2 Health worth but another medium item may be brought along with it for 1 health worth bringing the cost of 2 medium items to 3 health worth) Large: Rare items that are strongly enchanted and have their own special abilities.
Shields:
Mythril Shield: Large: 2 Health-worth: 1 Save, 2 Save, 3 Save, 3 Bash
Bash is up in the same space as counter and volley. It still grants saves against missile and army targeting spells.
Steel Buckler: Medium: 2/1 health-worth: 1 Save, 2 Saves, 3 Save, 2 Save
Wooden Targe: Small: 1 Health-worth: 1 Save, 2 Save, 1 Save, 2 Save
Swords:
Vorpal Sword: Large: 2 Health-worth: 1 Melee, 2 Melee, 3 Melee, 3 Decapitate
This vorpal blade will go snicker-snack on any ID Icons unfortunate enough to roll in the defence roll after this icon shows on an attack. It even works on a dragons Jaws icon too!
Dawn Blade: Medium: 2/1 Health-worth: 1 Melee, 2 Melee, 2 Melee, 3 Melee
Flicker Foil: Small: 1 Health-worth: 1 Melee, 2 Melee, 2 Melee, 1 Melee
Ammo:
Heartseeker: Large: 2 Health-worth: 1 Missile: 2 Missile, 3 Missile, 3 Impale
Impale is a range version of decapitate. Snicker Snack on ID Icons for the defence roll and will also work on Dragon’s Jaws results.
Eyebiter: Medium: 2/3 Health-worth: 1Missile, 2 Missile, 2 Missile, 3 Missile
True Flyer: 1 Missile, 2 Missile, 2 Missile, 1 Missile
Foci:
Magic Crown: 1 Magic, 2 Magic, 3 Magic, 3 Attune
Attune generates 3 of the elemental colour of the crown and then allows one unit in the army to skew all of its magic results to that colour regardless of racial color. One of these on a mage can summon a dragon all on its own!
Ring of Stars: Medium: 2/1 Health-worth: 1 Magic, 2 Magic, 2 Magic, 3 Magic
Sight Stone: Small: 2/1 Health-worth: 1 Magic, 2 Magic, 1 Magic, 2 Magic
Footware:
Seven League Boots: Large: 2 Health-worth: 1 Manoeuvre, 2 Manoeuvre, 3 Manoeuvre, 3 Wayfare
Wayfare serves 2 purposes. You can either get a burs of speed during a manoeuvre, or transport a unit to a terrain of your choice. This can be a really sneaky tactic as you can take a large unit where it needs to be or get that clutch manoeuvre win.
Winged Sandals: Medium: 2/1 health-worth: 1 Manoeuvre, 2 Manoeuvre, 2 Manoeuvre, 3 Manoeuvre
Speed Slippers: Small: 1 Health-worth: 1 Manoeuvre, 2 Manoeuvre, 1 Manoeuvre, 2 Manoeuvre
Artifacts: 3 Health-worth each.
Artifacts are to items as monsters are to troops. They are 10 sided that count each face as 4 results. Unlike items, artifacts have ID icons which function like normal monster ID icons. Instead of focus in on one specific action artifacts usually focus on two main actions with a minor third action.
Magic Carpet: Artifact: Elevate, Manoeuvre, Save, Manoeuvre, Manoeuvre, Elevate, Manoeuvre, Magic
This artifact is near mandatory for a missile themed army. With a 20% chance to double the missile results of a producing unit it can be devastating.
Dragon Staff: Artifact: Summon Dragon, Magic, Save, Magic Magic, Summon Dragon, Magic, Melee, Save
This ancient staff focuses heavily on magic and will be a consistent tool in both reserves and on the field. The best thins about this weapon is that you may summon a dragon while in the field for free if you roll the summon dragon icon as long as the dragon matches the element of the staff (Hybrids must match match at least one of their elements)
Mantlet: Artifact: sortie, Save, Manoeuvre, Save, Save, Sortie, Save, Melee, Manoeuvre
The product of Defence and mobility, the mantlet gives a good save contribution and manoeuvre capability when closing to melee. When it gets to melee however, it can also contribute surprisingly well.
Trebuchet: Artifact: Crush, Missile, Save, Missile, Missile, Crush, Missile, Melee, Save
An engine of long ranged death and offers one of a limited number of burial effects in the game any missile army would be happy to have this artifact on their side.
Blade Golem: Artifact: Save, Melee, Flurry, Melee, Melee, Manoeuvre, Melee, Save, flurry
Focusing on melee combat the blade golem is a whirlwind of slashing blade and deflective spins. Flurry is highly effective at melee range giving both saves and melee results as needed.
In gaming terms items help the army as a whole. They cannot be used on individual saves and will never count toward racial abilities. Items are strictly there to shore up various actions that you have a deficiency in. The good part to this is that you can also carry up to 2 items per unit in the army. A unit can carry up to 2 items with them upon moving from a front. For instance a dwarven warlord may be path to another terrain and carry along with him a red blade golem and a yellow blade golem. Also items must share a colour with their wielder (IE frostwings may only wield black or blue items. Amazons may use any colour item).
You don’t need to bring a lot of items to the table to make an impact. At most I suggest bringing 6 health-worth of items. Be it artifacts or normal items as long as you let them centre your army’s focus they will serve you well. Avoid bringing too many items as they will be buried if there aren’t enough units to carry them. They can shift your jack of all trades army into something more. Or make your missile focused army more manoeuvrable or more powerful and consistent. Use what you need and keep them out. When you raid your armoury, there is no limit to what a skilled general can do.
