Factions
- The Dragon clan is a race of warriors who favor honorable and valorous combat.
- The Serpent clan is a renegade offshoot of the Dragon clan which uses stealth, trickery, and brutality to further its goals. Unlike their predecessors, they have mastered weapon technology to a certain extent (especially gunpowder) and has also dabbled into Necromancy.
- The Lotus clan is an ancient group of sorcerers that delves deeply into the corrupting aspects of magic.
- The Wolf clan is a race of formerly enslaved miners. Their clan members live basic, healthy lives, and their culture emphasizes strong ties to nature. Their former enslavement allowed them to develop armor made from the shale they used to mine.
Overview
Battle Realms follows the basic formula for many real-time strategy games. All of its factions have similar buildings with similar uses and workers. However, unlike in most real-time strategy games, the peasant worker unit is not just used for resource gathering and construction, but also for training into military units. Thus, military buildings in Battle Realms are not used for making units, but for transforming and upgrading them. Peasants gather the two resources in the game: rice and water. They also round up horses, which can be used to enhance military units in the game and can be outfitted as pack horses for peasants. Only one type of builder unit is required.
Peasants are the only units the player can produce outright. Most of the buildings available are training structures where peasants are trained into numerous other units. All the factions start off with 3 basic central training structures, which produce units along different paths of warfare, such as melee or ranged combat. In most cases, units can be trained at up to 3 structures to produce higher tiers of infantry.
Another difference in unit generation is that peasants are produced automatically, at no cost. However, the rate at which new peasants are produced is inversely proportional to the current population of the player's army.
Certain buildings can teach special techniques, or Battle Gears (commonly abbreviated to BGs), to units to improve their combat ability for a certain resource cost. This can allow units to defeat higher tier units they would normally struggle with or be defeated by. BGs also allow the player to further define the role a unit will play in a combat situation, such as damage absorption, building destruction, or reconnaissance.
One of the key elements of Battle Realms is the Yin/Yang system. Each army obtains points of Yin or Yang when in combat, depending on their moral alliance to the forces of light or darkness. The Battle Realms hero units, or Zen Masters, require Yin/Yang to be summoned and to improve their damage. Yin and Yang are also used at structures in the faction's base for military upgrades. The rate of Yin/Yang growth depends on the military strength and flair of the army and how far they are from the main base.
There are four available clans in Battle Realms, and each have a different philosophy towards life and combat. The Dragon clan favours honourable and valourous combat, while its offshoot, the Serpent clan, uses stealth, trickery and brutality to further its goals. The Lotus clan is an ancient group of sorcerers that delves deeply into the corrupting aspects of magic. The Wolf clan is a race of formerly enslaved miners. Their clan members live basic, healthy lives.
Game details
Unlike in most strategy games, all units in Battle Realms have a melee attack. However, missile units typically have drastically weaker melee attacks. Units are very detailed and have distinct fighting animations. Units can dodge projectiles if they run fast enough, and projectiles have different speeds and fire at certain angles.
A unit's attack has a property - either cutting, piercing, blunt, explosive, magic, or fire, as well as a bonus damage against buildings. The property of a unit's missile attack may also differ from its melee attack. Most units have resistances to particular properties, and weaknesses to others. For example, the Dragon Samurai has excellent resistance against cutting attacks, but a poor resistance to explosive and magic damage.
Story
In singleplayer, the plot mainly revolves around Kenji, last heir to the Serpent's Throne. When he returns from exile, Kenji comes across bandits raiding a peasant village. He can choose to either kill the bandits and save the peasants, or, he can side with the bandits and kill the peasants. If he chooses to save the peasants, he will follow the path of the Dragon clan. If he aids the bandits, he will follow the path of the Serpent clan.
In Kenji's Journey, the player may choose which territories he or she wishes to attack first. Kenji returns from Malcomson. He must decide whether to rebirth the dragon and save the peasants honor with righteousness or take up reins in his brother and fathers footsteps and lead the serpent. Taking specific territories might give benefits, and other Zen Masters may join Kenji. Later on, the player can summon these Zen Masters from the Keep.
The Four Clans
Dragon Clan: The Path of Righteousness
The ancient Dragon Clan prizes honor above everything else. They are Yang followers with honor as their symbol. Their warriors seek to become one with their weapons. Due to their devotion to honor, the Dragon deity assists them during times of great peril.
Serpent Clan: The Way of the Wicked
A derivative of the Dragon Clan, the Serpent Clan have forgotten their honorable ways and have resorted to thievery and deceit. Serpent clansmen are Yin followers. Unlike their Dragon ancestors, they do not scorn the use of firearms; instead they have learned to employ its use in many of their fighting arts. Even though the Dragon Clan knew how to use gunpowder, it was the Serpent Clan which uncovered its secrets. Stealthy, flexible, and cunning, the Serpent Clan uses a plethora of battlegears to disable their opponents and produce an advantage.
Wolf Clan: The Spirit of Might
The wild Wolf Clan prizes freedom above all else. They are Yang followers with freedom as their symbol. Unlike the other clans, they have no cavalry, nor do they have healers. They feed the horses to their wolves, which accompany them and partake in their battles. Their wounds knit surprisingly fast, even more so with the use of herbs. They know some magic, and much of what they do know is tied to nature. Wolf Clansmen are down to earth, hardworking people, and take a delight in nature. They are also known for their use of shale as their armor.
Lotus Clan: The Essence of Darkness
The Lotus Clan is the remnant of a Yang Clan of old, but it is now a Yin Clan. Lotus clansmen are Yin followers with corruption as their symbol. They follow the Forbidden Path, which focuses on death and decay. Their religion centralizes around three ancient brothers, now long gone, who tended the Tree of Corruption. The Lotus Clan's strategy is based on their immense understanding of magic, which translates to unit abilities and Battle Gear.
Zen Masters
Zen Masters take the role of heroes in this game. Zen Masters are the leaders of the clans, who make certain each clan's survival. They are summoned at a cost of Yin/Yang, as well as rice and water. You also need a keep to summon Zen Masters. Their Battle Gears are unique, and can turn the tide of a battle in an instant. To balance this out, these heroes can only be purchased near the end of the tech trees. Usually, these heroes assume the role of lords, mercenaries, wizards, semi-gods, and even monsters. Monks are enlisted for the Dragon and Wolf clans, while Ninjas are hired for the Serpent and Lotus clans.
Dragon Clan
- Otomo - This swordsman can, with a battle cry, inspire troops to hit harder and BECOME stronger. Otomo's innate ability allows him to regenerate the stamina of his allies when fighting as well. Otomo awaits the return of Kenji, last heir to the Serpent's Throne.
- Garrin - This horseman can summon a steed to aid him in battle. He is a specialist at the art of horseback riding and is immune to height advantages.
- Arah - Arah is a skilled marksman. She has long since achieved the unity with her weapon Dragon Clan archers pray for, and can use her bow and arrows to see distant terrain, paired with her incredibly vast attack range. Her expertly aimed shots rarely miss.
- Kazan - A large traveling monk and occasional circus performer, though a bit slow-moving due to his size, Kazan constantly drinks a toxic brew of his own design to set buildings aflame and burn his foes. With all other weapons out of reach, Kazan hits his foes with his drinking gourd. It is the closest thing at hand.
- Tao - The master of yin and yang, he uses the balance to his advantage, and reflects the strength of his foes back upon them. With him in play, players can summon two extra monks (or two ninja in the campaign).
Serpent Clan
- Shinja - Ruthless and warmongering, this cunning warlord can intimidate all warriors around him, sapping them of attack strength. To further prove his dominance in the tide of battle, he uses twin poisonous blades, giving him the ability to do more damage along with slow poison effects to his attacks. He is a realist and magic attacks do him no harm.
- Budo - Fat and none too handsome, this lumbering slavedriver uses his whip to speed up peasant movements. However, this drains the peasant's health, and after a few whips, a wounded peasant can die. After so much eating, he has the highest endurance of all zen masters, paired up with a fast-moving whiplash attack.
- Utara - After killing a group of bandits similar to the ones that murdered her parents, she returned from self-exile as the strangest weapon in the Serpent Clan's arsenal. Her songs can sap her enemies strength and kill them, while creating poison attacks similar to the Serpent warlord Shinja. Her powers extend into the arcane as well, and she stuns all units when taking harm.
- Vetkin - A young handsome womanizer, this sai master can sap the will of his enemies, unleash a flurry of sai attacks and run faster than a horse can gallop. Tireless, he can go to the whole map without spending stamina. He also can drain his foes energy, and then run away, unharmed.
- The Necromancer - An undead sorcerer that has lived for ages and is older than all, aside from, perhaps, Lord Koril and the Dragon deity. He summons spirit warriors to do his bidding and summons the fallen corpses of his enemies to follow suit.
Wolf Clan
- Grayback - The noble Grayback is the heir to the Wolf Clan's 'throne'. In Winter of the Wolf, he is constantly called 'lord', a title that he dislikes. Grayback is a skilled fighter, and can often outlive his fellows. He can give a loud, vibrant howl, which increases the attack power of his allies. He is also one of the greatest and toughest hard-hitters among the Wolves, due to his spiked bracer and great pickaxe.
- Longtooth - Back in the shale mines, Longtooth astonished his Lotus and Serpent masters with his extreme agility and athleticism. During the Revolt of the Wolf Clan, he donned durable armor and boomerangs to slaughter his foes. Longtooth has the longest ranged attack of any other Wolf units, and aside from that, he can climb slopes and mountains with ease. His boomerang is coated with a strange alloy that allows it to pierce through multiple foes or buildings.
- The Shale Lord - This shale monstrosity was once an eloquent, young speaker of the Wolf Clan slaves turned into an experiment gone wrong by his lord Soban. He can flake off part of his shale flesh and give it to his fellow Wolf clansmen, at the cost of a small amount of health. When fighting, he regains stamina, and despite his large size, can run very quickly. His brawny, shale-infused physique, paired with his huge flailing arms, allows him to crush all buildings with ease and impunity.
- Gaihla - It is said that this nymph of the woods did not truly come to fight. She is gentle and kind-spirited, but if she is angered, she will wield a wreath of thorns against her foes, enchanting them all with Nature's wrath. She has a number of useful innate abilities. One allows her to walk unimpeded through forest terrain, and the other allows rice paddies to grow quickly, even if it is not being watered'
Lotus Clan
- Zymeth - Lord warlock and leader of clan Lotus, Zymeth's sphere of sorcery is weather. He blasts spheres of lightning onto his foes as a ranged attack, and can call heavy storms to his fields at the cost of much stamina. When raining, he calls lightning from the sky to sear his foes asunder while rice paddies regrow and regenerate faster.
- Koril - The eldest of all warlocks, this swordsman can warp space itself, and with a wave of his hand he can teleport anywhere. He serves under lord Zymeth but does not fully agree with all his political views. He also uses his powers for defensive effects, as any archers or ranged attackers will become furious at the way he shimmers and diverts nearly all ranged attacks.
- Issyl - Some may wonder why a young twelve year old boy sits at the Lotus high council, an evil grin playing across his mouth. None feel better when they learn that this is Issyl, master of time, who has aged backwards since an accident long ago. Swift, powerful, and unforgiving, he has the ability to increase the movement speed of his troops rapidly with his ability, called 'Haste', while mutilating his foes with his hourglass/weapon. He can also regenerate his flesh at an incredible rate.
- Soban - Once dismissed as a mere tinkerer, this odd, quirky scientist has no equal in terms of brilliance. He creates animated golems, using them as workers and self-destructing bombs, convenient for crowd control and gathering.
- The Three Dead Brothers (Lythis, Tausil and Sekh) - These three brothers are dead, yet their spirits somehow live on. It was they who once tended the Yin side of the Tree of Life, the Tree of Corruption. Lythis pruned the roots, Tausil guarded the trunk, and Sekh cut the leaves. They often return to give allies their blessings (battlegears), and may also suck out the energy of an enemy, sustaining their stamina.
Reception
The initial unpatched release of Battle Realms was met with criticism due to enemy AI that was seen by some to be almost impossible to beat on certain levels, though later patched versions were better-received.[1]
Community
Battle Realms endured a brief popularity, mainly due to its 'Living World' system. It was also noted for its strategies, and many players and Battle Realms community members have fun talking about the newest strategies and tactics as well playing the game itself. There are still quite a lot of players left, the majority playing through the internet gaming service 'GameRanger'.
Kenji Oja
- Arc Words: The above-mentioned quote. It's the first line Kenji speaks in the campaign, and the first line in his final speech in each campaign.
- Awesome But Practical: His Battle Gear, "Critical Strike" can be used roughly four times before needing recharging, and inflicts A LOT of damage.
- Bad Ass
- Blood Knight: As leader of the Serpent.
- The Butcher: His title as Serpent leader.
- Eleventh Hour Superpower: As Dragon Leader. After the Nightvol reveals itself, he unlocks his Ki powers and gains massive stat bonuses that lets him more or less one-shot everything.
- Evil Is Petty: To showcase his turn to the dark side, Serpent Clan Kenji is rude and disrespectful while Dragon Clan Kenji is polite and humble.
- The Exile: In the backstory. The game starts as Kenji returns home.
- I Am Not My Father: As Dragon Leader.
- In the Blood: As Serpent.
- Ironic Echo: Across the campaigns. Upon being forced to burn down a village in the Dragon campaign, Kenji bemoans the fact that he may turn out like his father. Otomo, attempting to console him, answers that "there are worse men to be". In the Serpent campaign, Otomo's introduction has him sounding disappointed over Kenji having turned out like his father. Kenji replies "there are worse men to be".
- Lightning Bruiser
- Samurai: As Dragon Leader. His final appearance dons a traditional hakama just to underline it.
- Self-Made Orphan: He has the reputation as the one who killed his father. He didn't. The Nightvol did.
- Stupid Good: Dragon Clan Kenji at one point refuses to respond to the news of a wolf (or lotus, depending on your previous choices) military buildup on his borders to go MacGuffin hunting, proclaiming he's "got no quarrel with the other clans". Shinja quickly disabuses him of the notion.
- Sword and Gun: He gets a gun early on in Campaign Mode.
- The Exile: Returns from a long one in the beginning of the Campaign.
- Took a Level in Badass: Has two 'evolutions' through the campaign where his appearance and stats change. Ironically, the first change is actually a weakening, as Kenji with Hat has more resistances than Kenji with Gun.
- Unexpected Successor: Kenji was the second son and (in the Dragon campaign) implied to have been The Unfavourite. The death of his father and brother made him leader by default.
- Villain Protagonist: Once again, as Serpent Leader.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: His final appearance in the Serpent Campaign.
- Yakuza: His final Serpent appearance looks like one, complete with full-back serpent tattoo.
The Ninja/The Nightvol
- Big Bad: Of the campaign. Sort of.
- Catch Phrase: I am the dark.
- Demonic Invaders
- Hidden Agenda Villain: We never learn its motivation until the very end of the game. By leading the clans into a war that would weaken and kill most of them so the Horde could cross the northern channel and invade.
- Instant-Win Condition: Once it unveils its true nature, you only have to kill it to win.
- Large and in Charge/One-Winged Angel: As a member of the Horde.
- The Man Behind the Man: It hides behind the clan that shelters it and only confronts you once said clan is defeated.
- No Indoor Voice: Its voice sounds like something not human, even when compared to the Lotus clan.
- Taking You with Me: Killed by Greyback in the Serpent campaign, who drags it with him over a cliff.
- The Quiet One: Has less than ten lines in the game, and its longest sentence is seven syllables long.
- This Cannot Be!: In the Dragon campaign,
- You Killed My Father: Killed the last Serpent.
Dragon Zen Masters
Otomo
- Battle Cry: His Battle Gear inspires nearby allies to fight harder.
- BFS
- Crucified Hero Shot
- Heel-Face Turn: In the Serpent Campaign, he is pissed off with all the needless slaughter and leaves to rebuild the Dragon Clan.
- Hero Antagonist: If you choose the Serpent Path.
- Heroic Willpower: His innate ability increases allies' stamina with every blow he deals. This makes him an awesome second for Kenji.
- Meaningful Name: His name means 'great attendant'. Which is exactly the role he fills, at least in the Dragon path.
- Mighty Glacier: Good offensively and defensively, but very slow.
- Stuffed into the Fridge
- Supporting Leader: Took control of half of the Serpent Clan after the Serpent died, and turned it into a Dragon Clan throwback. Upon Kenji's return he joins you willingly, and happily on top of it if Kenji chose to follow the Dragon path.
Kazan
- Bald of Awesome
- Breath Weapon
- Large Ham
- Meaningful Name: Japanese for "volcano".
- Mighty Glacier: In a manner of speaking. As he deals fire damage he's not very good against troops, but reduces bases to cinders in minutes.
- Playing with Fire: He spits fire.
Garrin
- BFS
- Blood Knight
- Cool Horse: Every horse is a cool horse.
- Determinator: His passive ability is a massive attack bonus against foes on higher ground than himself (including mounted ones).
- Heroic Bastard: The manual claims he may be Shinja's. If he is, the game never acknowledges it and Serpent Kenji treats him as much older than he would have to be were that the case.
- Horseback Heroism: He is rarely seen without a horse, and on one he is quite a force.
- Hot-Blooded
- Rags to Riches: Started out as a stable boy.
Arah
Tao
- Bad Ass
- Counter Attack: His Battle Gear.
- Ice-Cream Koan: His selection quotes are... Odd.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: He is a monk/ninja.
- The Quiet One
- Simple Staff
- Wild Card
- Yin-Yang Bomb
Teppo
- Genius Ditz
- Impossibly Cool Weapon: His Dragon Wheel.
- Mad Scientist
Serpent Zen Masters
Shinja
- Anti-Magic: His special ability reduces all his magic damage to near 0.
- Combat Pragmatist: Like most of the Serpent Clan, he isn't above using less "honourable" methods to win; in this case, poison.
- Deadpan Snarker
- Death Glare: His Battle Gear, "intimidate", (which reduces enemies' attacks) is represented by one.
- The Dragon: To Serpent Clan Kenji. He would probably find the trope name ironic, given he does not believe in dragons.
- Dual Wielding: Uses a pair of katana in battle.
- Face-Heel Turn: In the Dragon Campaign.
- Flat Earth Atheist
- Social Darwinist
- Sour Supporter: To a Dragon Clan Kenji. Eventually leads him to rebel as he considers Kenji too weak to rule.
- Supporting Leader: Took control of the other half of the Serpent Clan following lord Oja's death, but was unable to wrest control of the other half from Otomo. Kenji's first order of business in both campaigns is to defeat him, after which he joins you.
Vetkin
- The Charmer: His Battle Gear is called "charisma".
- Dirty Coward
- Dual Wielding: Sai.
- Fragile Speedster: Vetkin's ability is to not lose stamina by running. He also has the fastest running speed in the game bar none, and can outrun horses.
- The Hedonist
- Obfuscating Stupidity
- Tattooed Crook: Has a truly impressive piece of forearm and back tattoos.
Budo
- Bad Boss
- The Brute
- The Dreaded: Amongst serpent clan peasants. Merely implying he may be set to administer a region increases its productivity.
- Dumb Muscle
- Fat Bastard
- Mighty Glacier: Even slower than Otomo and Kazan.
- Villainous Demotivator: He can, literally, overwork your peasants to death.
- Whip It Good
Utara
- Ax-Crazy
- Brown Note: Her Battle Gear is a sad song that damages enemies and drains their stamina.
- Combat Sadomasochist
- Dark Chick
- Dual Wielding: A dual-blade sword... Thing.
- Glass Cannon
- Psycho for Hire
Taro Oja
- Big Bad Wannabe
- Dirty Coward
- Master of None: His stats are terrible. His main use is if you ally with a lotus or use witches a lot, as he makes enemies weak to magic damage.
- Overlord Jr.
- Posthumous Character: In the original campaign.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: His battle cries sound more like battle cries.
- Too Dumb to Live: Described as such by the manual's narrator.
The Necromancer
- Awesome, but Impractical: In multiplayer. Requires a special building, lots of rice, lots of water, three yang, and sacrificing three ronin. Those ronin will usually be more useful than he is, although the necromancer costs no population so you can always re-train them if you have time.
- In Love with Your Carnage: He joins you because of this.
- The Evil Genius
- Mook Maker: Creates zombies from the recently slain.
- The Necromancer: Well, duh.
- Stone Wall: Only fire is even halfway dangerous to him, but his melee attack is very lacking. The Necromancer is best kept out of combat, so his (sadly all too limited) stamina recovers faster.
- The Undead
Wolf Zen Masters
Greyback
- Barbarian Hero: In the expansion's campaign
- Battle Cry: Works almost identically to Otomo's Battle Gear.
- The Beastmaster: Wild wolves will never attack Greyback, and will instead join him as bodyguards provided he isn't full up already.
- Hero Antagonist
- Large and in Charge: He's almost twice the size of any of the Dragon/Serpent characters.
- Lightning Bruiser
- Powerful Pick: It's about as large as he is.
- The Strategist
- Taking You with Me: With The Nightvol at the end of the Serpent path.
Longtooth
- Improbable Hairstyle: Red punk hairdo.
- Improbable Weapon User: Boomerangs.
- The Quiet One
The Shale Lord
- Bare-Fisted Monk
- Golem
- Gone Horribly Wrong: For its creator, that is. Was a stroke of good luck for the wolf clan.
- Lightning Bruiser: Very fast for its size.
- The Speechless
Gaihla
- "Thread lightly in this place, for every forest is my temple."
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Started out with green hair, before having her sprite and portrait changed to brown-red in a later patch.
- Distressed Damsel: You have to save her in order to have her join you in both Kenji's and Grayback's journeys.
- Fertile Feet: Increases rice growth by standing in a rice field.
- Healing Hands: Her Battle Gear is area-of-effect healing.
- Squishy Wizard: Do not, repeat, not put her in combat. Especially not against fire users.
Lotus Zen Masters
Zymeth
- Bad Boss
- Big Bad: Of the Dragon Campaign. Subverted in the end when the Nightvol takes over the role when you kill him.
- The Chessmaster
- Evil Chancellor: To Kenji's father. Backstabbed the clan the moment the Serpent died and had the rest of the family killed and cremated.
- Evil Sorcerer
- Mundane Utility: His rainstorms also removes the need to water rice, greatly boosting regrowth.
- Power Floats: Has no visible legs.
- Smug Snake
- You Have Failed Me: Incinerates a mook who brings him news of Kenji being alive.
- Weather Control Machine
Koril
- Almighty Janitor: According to the manual he's even older than Zymeth, and possibly even shrewder politically. He doesn't take charge because it's a hassle.
- Dodge the Bullet: Koril isn't entirely "there" all the time due to his spatial magic, and is practically immune to missile weapons.
- Sinister Scythe: A one-handed Kama to be precise.
- Transporters And Teleporters
Issyl
- Creepy Child
- Healing Factor
- Improbable Weapon User: Uses a gigantic hourglass with spikes.
- Merlin Sickness
- Really 700 Years Old
Soban
- Artificial Limbs: His left arm is a mechanic claw-thing.
- Grumpy Old Man: Is the only warlock to actually show his age.
- For Science!: More interested in his research than anything else.
- Heel-Face Turn: Can join the Dragon Clan if you attack the Lotus after taking Serpentholm. Given his history of experimenting on Wolf Clan, also something of a Karma Houdini.
- Squishy Wizard: Moreso than the other three Lotus Zen masters: Soban can barely stand up in a fight, and is mostly useful for his golem-generation which frees up peasants.
Yvaine
- An Ice Person
- Big Bad: In Winter of the Wolf.
- The Vamp
- Weather Control Machine: her plan is to use Clan Wolfs totem to bring about unending winter.