The Nauticans - the Army Concept (part II)

Continued from part I...

So, about using the enemy's strengths against itself. The idea really came into being after I experimented with some new unique unit types.

The Sandgangers were pivotal in the development of the idea to use the enemy's strength against itself. I wanted to create a unit that in itself would not be battle winning but would be battle changing particularly in relation to the enemy's tactical approach.

Sandgangers are relatively as useful against all standard rank & file and cavalry enemies (more about that in a future post). They can also be combined with other units to bring a greater impact than the sum of the units parts. Also, they can act as an effective missile shield and can tie up the enemy because they are unbreakable. They are not going to win many fights but they're not designed to, that's what their mates are for ! Ok, so this unit is not all about turning the enemy's strength in against itself but it does have some of those qualities.

I softened my approach to the concept realising that I did not want to prevent an enemy from benefitting from it's usual strengths. Also, it was important to ensure that the Nauticans were not a frustrating army to play against but just introduced some new tactical challenges and tough decisions for it's opponents.

There are other units, characters and magic items that either negate an opponents strengths or, to some degree, use those strengths in the Nautican's favour.

It's a concept I am going to explore further and maybe employ it some more... in subtle ways.

"How do Nauticans breathe on land ?"

The army gets a lot of criticism that begins like the above.

I can however answer this quite easily...

"With some discomfort !" or maybe "Just like you and I but with a wheeze" :)

But let's give a more reasonable response. The Nauticans are not natural land dwellers at the moment but the fact that the have the ability to breathe in air suggests that they have an unexplored history and maybe some of them evolved from land creatures. Alternatively, the Nautican may have just adapted over hundreds of years as they moved away from the deeps and closer to the shores.

Some of the units would in any case possess this ability eg. Sandgangers, Giant Crabs, Lobstrosities.

It has been noted that when a Nautican army is seen on the battlefield it is usually accompanied by a fine salty mist, maybe this aids their ability to absorb oxygen.

My final excuse... We are gaming in an imaginary fantasy world that defies physics and the biological realites of our own world. A world where cadavers blow trumpets, steam powered "helicopters" take to the skies and Trees can walk !

Disbelief is suspended when we deploy our forces, the Nauticans just want to be afforded the same privilege.

More tomorrow,
Sigmar