[Wesnoth-dev] Orcish Stats:

[Richard Kettering]

Based on recent discussion surrounding the Slurbow, here are my 
proposed changes to the northerners:

Goblin Knight:
xp 150 -> 80

• goblin direwolvers are almost never seen.  Less often, even, than 
great mages.

Goblin Spearman
melee 4-3 -> 5-2
remove ranged attack
hitpoints 16 -> 20
cost 8 -> 7

• these units should be extremely weak in attacks.  They exist only to 
provide a defensive "meat shield" against cavalry (and other units, but 
most importantly, cavalry).

Goblin Impaler
melee 7-3 -> 5-3
hitpoints 26 -> 32

• again, less attack, more shield.  This is a more notable capability 
with this unit since these guys have a ZOC.
• I had originally thought that it should be similar to the human 
spearman - I now know that to have been a mistake.  It should be 
somewhat weaker.

Orcish Archer
xp 30 -> 40
hp 32 -> 30

• remember, they're cheaper than elvish archers, at least as good in 
melee AND can get a chaotic bonus, at times.

Orcish Crossbowman
xp 70
hp 43 -> 37
melee 4-3 -> 5-2
range 8-3 -> 7-3

• this should really take the teeth out of this unit's attack.  
Previously, against certain units like cavalry, it not only did the 
same damage as an orcish warrior, but was easier to get, and because it 
was using a ranged attack, had no risk in such combat.

Orcish Slubow
hp 45
melee 5-3
range 9-3

• The result of this is, sure, orcs can hire archers, but they never 
going to be especially good.  If someone in a campaign saves a few of 
them for special occasions in his recall list, yes, they could be 
reasonably powerful compared to level-1 archers.  However, this unit 
will be best used by hiring lots of level-1 units and using them 
indiscriminately, with little value put on their survival (use them to 
keep the grunts alive).

Orcish Grunt/Warrior/Warlord
+10% resistance to blade and impact

• These guys are the core of the faction.  They should be better than 
most other race's melee troops, to compensate for a lack of good orcish 
bowmen, and to give the orcs a more unique style of fighting.  These 
are the ones you want players (or the ai) hiring, these are the ones 
you want them to try and keep alive and level.  They should not be the 
few and the proud, they should be the most common and sensible unit for 
a northerner to use - in any situation.  Support troops for these guys 
should differ in different situations, but no matter what, it should 
always be  - not an "advisable" move to hire grunts, but an almost 
"mandatory" one (just like hiring either archers or fighters is fairly 
mandatory for a elven faction, if you don't want to lose).


Other units in the tree would fit well with this without stat changes.