First, we have to pick up a tea box holding the models from the ancient vault. Should be a small one, if memory serves.
Nope, that's army of Jotuns from Dominions.
Here we go. A highly unpractical Earl Grey box...
With this stupid removable cover piece I had to glue back in.
Yet however inferior this box had, it was still able to host the whole game in it. The papercrafts at least. From various buildings to small critters, everything fitted in and was easily transportable.
I would like to get the cards and board as well, though, so we must check the other ancient vault.
I did cover it a bit in Random art thread, this one has drawings in stores. But now, I am not seeking pictures...
But the three sacred folders...
The first holding cards and tokens...
The second does frog comics of old...
And the third does board games. I've just realized my room resembles a Slavic folktale... It is in this third folder, I can uncover the cards.
As you can see,
they're of upmost quality I can't draw.
And this is the board. I remember having two, the first being just plain white with these checkers, and a lot smaller than this one. This one has a desert theme going on. I think the terrain didn't do anything, other than that water spots were impassable for some creatures.
It was kinda basic game, the variety came in all the different units but the overall rules were simple. I can't recall everything about it, for it has been a long time ago, but I remember enough - Two players would divide the cards into two decks. At the start of the game they would have a number already in hand, and each subsequent turn they would draw new ones. By using cards you could place units, buildings, or cast spells.
There was a "claiming" mechanic, when opponent's building had your units next to them and none of theirs, you would seize it over turn and could use it to your benefits. This added and interesting dynamic, as many units can be summoned only from certain buildings, and a lot of the time one player would have the unit and the other the building. But because of this claiming, that didn't mean no one could use those cards, it was essential for one player to seize the building and for the other to defend it, and prevent the opponent from gaining units. The one last standing wins.
So let's see what cards and models we have here.
I am pretty sure these were the first ones to be made - The swamp of Blobiness and Blob of the Swamp. The sole usage of the swamp is as a summoning ground, so it needed to be placed strategically, close to the opponent to spout units but not too much so that they couldn't rush and seize it.
The blob is a bulky unit with 14 hp, 2 dmg, 1 speed, like many of the slime-themed creatures, with lots of hitpoints, weaker attack potential and pretty slow, but it can attack all units next to it, not just one, which can be useful. This one also reduces damage taken, all attacker with attack 2 do 1 dmg instead. It can be only summoned from the aforementioned swamp, and takes 1 turn from usage to be placed onto the board.
Another two of the first models, Ancient Giant and Parthenon of Zouba. Now Zouba is a misheard name from the Czech dub of Warcraft III, namely the one line from the ogre units: "It's clobbering time!". In the Czech version, they say something else instead, and to be honest, I am still not sure what
My best guess is "I am ready(the smart head), and my name is Stoupa(the dumb head, misheard as Stoupa)". For me as a kid that was the funniest thing ever, so with all things ogre, with Q'uaksna involved, expect Zouba to be lurking somewhere. I guess in the universe of this game he's some kind of ogre ancestor deity.
The Parthenon is a summoning ground, but can also heal nearby ogre and giant units. The Ancient Giant, similarly to the blob, needs it for its usage, but unlike the blob it gets on the board instantly, only it's inactive for a round, placed in the Parthenon (can be attacked though). It's a very powerful unit, 11 hp, 5 dmg, speed 2, and reduces damage of spells and magic attacks by 1.
Two spells, Infinite wisdom (boosting magic attacks and other spells for three rounds on certain squares), and Firebreeze, dealing area fire damage. The firestorm is cast by a bird called Amon, which has its model, though isn't in the game itself, just a piece of lore for this silly game.
Ancient Obelisk and Cobra. The obelisk doesn't do anything itself, though it is quite big so might serve as a obstruction. Cobra gets a boost if the obelisk is under the same player, +2hp and 1dmg, its base stats are 7hp, 15mp, 3dmg, 2 speed. It can apparently use a spell, some sort of hypnosis, but it is not explained on the card. I guess unit abilities were written somewhere else, so the effect, cooldown and mp cost aren't here, but I'm sure it was some sort of temporary mind control spell.
An ancient stadium, Thróks and Hoplamachi (corrupted names of the gladiator types they're based on). Both units need the stadium to be summoned, and have the same stats- 6hp, 3dmg, 2 speed, with Hoplamachi having slash and pierce def 1, and a bonus against cavalry which doesn't exist xD
Monument of Fatness and Mudslime Swarm. The monument gives attack bonus to ogres and giants in certain radius. The swarm needs to be summoned from some sort of swamp, its stats are no longer readable sadly. Also its model was lost, it was a brown puddle with a bunch of small blobs with mouths onto it.
Wisps and scholar. The wisps need a particular miraculous swamp to be summoned, have 3hp and dmg, 5 mp, 2 speed. They can cast Blinding Light, so that's probably some sort of a stun. Can regen their mp, 1 point every two turns. The scholar can use certain buildings to learn spells (I have deciphered a healing spell, some sort of a buff, and banishment, sounds pretty rad) over turns. He has 2 hp, 5 mp, 2 speed, and can't perform regular attacks.
This looks like a miraculous swamp, I guess.
Tribal Clubber, and Ivory Boar. These don't have any special properties, only the boar deals 8 damage after moving. I guess there were some rules for combat, like AoW style flanking when you try to disengage, and that a faster unit strikes first, so combat probably took place after both players finished their turns, I can't really remember. The boar has 11hp,1mp for some reason, 4dmg, 2spd.
There were multiple of these tribal clubbers, only the orange one was tied to a car though. The green and yellow one served as starting units, one for each player. They all have 8hp, 2dmg, 2spd. Then there's this red one, which is supposed be a chieftain, I remember he has more hitpoints but only 1dmg, and a shaman, but for the lack of cards, no idea what the stats were.
Foul Emulsion and Deadly Mudbed. Another Warcraft III reference, the official Azure TD had really funny unit name translations, these two being one of these. I remember a third one, The Slime of the Underworld, which was supposed to be the ultimate/titan slime unit.
The Emulsion is stationary, though it has some ability that should allow it to move under certain conditions. It can strike all around itself, 9hp, 1mp, 1dmg, and gets +2hp if around a swamp. It has a second spell called "Drown", so possibly it can drag enemy units onto itself for extra damage? Don't know. It does regen mp, one point per three turns.
The Mudbed is a very interesting unit. Not only it covers 2x1 squares, so it's damage all around ability is even more useful, but it functions as a mobile swamp, therefore you can spawn other slime units, like the Mudslime Swarm right from it. It has also a spell, supposedly trapping enemy units in it. The stats are not very well readable, but I remember it being really hardy unit. Also does regen mp.
Sewer Crawler and Glob Hurler. The Crawler is very basic, only can attack all around like other slimes, has 11hp, 3dmg, 1 speed, and doesn't need a building, so it's pretty useful. The Hurler is stationary, gets the same +2hp bonus around swamp like emulsion, it can attack one tile further, and use a Shrapnel spell once. Otherwise has 6hp, 1dmg.
Two frog units, because of course. A horned Toad, and Mythical Croak. The toad has 10 hp, 2dmg boosted to 5 if charging, 2 speed. It needs to be summoned from a swamp, which when around it gets +1dmg boost. It regenerates one hitpoint per turn. A very cool unit, but couldn't find it's model.
The Croak is pretty basic, only has range2, 8hp, 2dmg, 2 speed.
Annoying Peeper and Ogre Rebel. The Peeper can't move, has 7hp, 5mp, 3dmg which it can divide between three enemy units, also has range 3. Can use some sort of stun ability called Annoying Stare, and regenerates mp 1 per one round.
The rebel has +1 physical def against one engaged unit of choice. It can use some warcry ability, and needs to be summoned from Weaponry tent, which doesn't seem to have card. Can't tell the stats.
Slime Mage and Furry Beholder. The Mage can only be summoned from the miraculous swamp, has range 2, 6hp, 5mp, 3dmg, 1 speed. Can cast a few spells, one healing Slime units and the others trapping enemies. Regenerates mp 1 per one turn. He's one of my favorites I have to say, like the design. The name is probably from Warcraft translation too.
The beholder doesn't have much worth of note, 11hp, 2dmg, 2 speed.
Two very powerful units, the Archwizard and Emerald Scarab. The Archwizard, has range 3, 8hp, 15mp, though no recorded spells, 5dmg, 2 speed, so a heavy hitter from afar. The Scarab is a ridiculously strong tank, with 22 hp, 5 dmg, 2 speed, and 1def against pierce, magic, and fire damage. What a beast. I think these high tier cards were divided separately from the rest, to ensure that each player got a share and one couldn't get them all.
A Crystal Tree and a Crystal Jammer. No description here, the tree was probably meant to be some sort of a summoning ground, and the Jammer would block spells, I guess. Could still be used as obstructions.
Marble Giant, and an unused smaller version of him. This was the most powerful unit in the game, with 41hp, 7dmg, 2 speed. Though it is not on the card, I remember to use it one had to have control of two particular buildings.
Debris and obstructions, randomly placed onto the board.
A bunch of crystal-themed unit, maybe were supposed to be a new faction. A living tree, faerie dragon, a wizard, golem, and some debris.
There was also factions of Celtic/Norse look, and I think we did play with these models, but I have no cards of them. There's a thug, a druid spellcaster, this Stonehenge-like building, and a goat. The goat was definitely a unit in the game at a point.
Then there was this orange wizard with two attack types, ranged and melee, and could summon a sulfur golem. I think this one was another starting unit for one player, the other one would get the Tribal Chieftain and Shaman.
An unused dragon-like model.
And that's it folks. But you know what? I think I might be interested in papercrafts again
This was quite a ride for me, and just seeing all this compact stuff, I once again see the appeal of the super easy maintenance and model creation. Might resurrect this project, or make a new one. Hope you found this curious, have a nice day!