The 9 testing days of Winter Mayhem have come to a close. We hope that everyone had a lot of fun! We really appreciated everyone's feedback during these testing days - it helps our teams identify and target many issues and areas to improve on as we continue to prepare and develop the game.

For those of you who may have missed it, there were a number of streams and videos going live as hundreds of battles were underway. We wanted to highlight a few channels that went live to these last few days for everyone's viewing pleasure:

We have another CBT Sneak Peak video for you today, with all you need to know about Resources, Crafting, Armies & Ambushes.

https://youtu.be/VsbELbm8czQ
Before you set foot in the open world, you should make sure to turn your resources into a mighty army that is able to protect your precious caravans. Defend your goods with all you have and beware of the bandits out there!

Stay safe and enjoy the Winter Mayhem!

Even after a bumpy start, our closed Winter Mayhem phase has been so much fun, and has generated so much useful feedback for the development team, that we don’t really want things to end! There were some issues that crept up on us on the first day that we’re still working hard to sort out, including Steam access problems. We really appreciate everyone’s help to diagnose the problems, it helped us get things fixed and we’re continuing to have all hands on deck.

So we’ve decided the testing is not going to end - at least, not yet! We’ll be firing up the servers for another four days, keeping the Conqueror’s Blade slay ride on course until late Sunday night (or the early hours of Monday morning, depending on where you happen to be in the world). What this means is that you now have a good excuse for avoiding all that unpleasant gift shopping. You’re welcome!

Check out the updated Winter Mayhem details here and note that, as with the last three days (and unlike the first two), this impromptu four-day extension will remain limited to pre-order pack owners and veterans of the first two Siege Tests. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the action. A pre-order pack is all you need to enjoy the last days of testing before gaining access to closed beta testing early next year.

Thank you to everyone who’s joined us, not only during the last week but in previous tests and in all our activities over the last couple of months. It’s been a hell of a ride to finish off the year, and the good news is that we’re only really getting started.

The Winter Mayhem event is going to be extended for 4 more days - December 20 - December 23 (Thursday - Sunday)

• Time slots are going to remain the same!

The following changes will be configured to improve the experience:

• We will add the ability to instantly heal units after battles (and give out more silver in order to do this)
  
• We will set the level of all newly created characters to level 30
  
• We will give all newly created characters the books which allows you to learn your class skills (You’ll be able to find this in your inventory)
  
• We will swap one of the maps for a new one!

Additionally, for some added fun, we have some new missions for everyone to compete in! The missions are:

• Score as many victories as you can
• Kill as many enemy units as you can
  
• Kill as many enemy warlords as you can

The Top 10 people in each of these categories will receive 1 month of premium time during our open beta test.

We will announce the top 10 lists after the end of the Winter Mayhem when all the dust settles and the bodies are counted.

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Thank you to everyone who took part in the first open server weekend for Conqueror’s Blade, during which we had many thousands of players simultaneously enjoying the game for the first time.

We had a couple of issues, as was to be expected for a game in pre-beta, but the feedback has been positive and many of you seemed to have a lot of fun.

The first part of the Winter Mayhem event is now concluded and the servers are poised to come back online for part two - more fun-filled days of seasonal siege testing into which only those who’ve pre-ordered the game will be allowed access. To continue enjoying Conqueror’s Blade and to ensure you are among those who’ll be pioneering the full breadth of the game early next year, you might want to consider upgrading your player account.

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• Pre-Order
  
• Redeem Code

For this the first in a series of topographic guides looking at ways to achieve victory across the numerous lands of Conqueror’s Blade, it seemed only right and proper to take a look at the very first battle many will have fought over during the very first Siege Test: Augolia.

Traditionally Augolia has been the dominant settlement of Ostaria, which has inevitably made it a focus for many a rising kingdom looking to assert itself in the region. Situated across rolling terrain and fortified within a dry moat, what the castle may lack in royal stature it more than makes up for in stubborn defensibility, which is why it has played host to many a desperate - and often successful - last stand. That the outer walls appear to be in a perpetual state of reconstruction is an unavoidable consequence of the city’s enduring significance.



Numerous artillery pieces are set along the full breadth of Augolia’s outer walls, with the main concentration of defensive firepower set upon the battlements of the barbican (A). In addition, Augolia’s wide battlements are able to contain a full garrison of defenders that can rely on unobscured views of any attacking force, whether the enemy assaults the walls directly or tries to secure the precipitous walkway that leads into the murderous heart of the city (B). The key to securing Augolia has always been left temptingly in its doorway. It’s in breaking through and moving beyond it that the battle is often won or lost.

• As soon as battle begins the attacking forces need to do two things - neutralise as much incoming fire as possible using siege engines, and move unprotected units into cover or towards the flanks to avoid being caught in what is dangerously open terrain.
  
  
• It takes time for the towers and battering rams to do their work, so be patient and coordinate your next move with your allies if you can, try to take one or both of the outer walls to the north and south of the main gate. If you can remain undetected, use ladders to get behind enemy forces that might be preoccupied with the centre ground.
  
  
• Even if you are unsuccessful in securing one or both flanks, you will in your efforts be able to distract defensive efforts away from the overeager allies forces that will inevitably be drawn towards the activity around the barbican and gatehouse.
  
  
• If the enemy is allowed to pour fire and arrows onto the unwalled neck and thereafter into the giant murder hole that is the gatehouse entranceway, attrition will be your undoing. However, if you can time another flanking assault to take the battlements while the defenders sense victory elsewhere, the odds might yet be reversed.
  
  
• If you can advance into the inner courtyard, you will likely be outnumbered. Disperse your forces to avoid being overwhelmed and try to take the final victory location without succumbing to mounted reinforcements.

• There are only three effective routes into Augolia; via the gatehouse and the north and south outer walls. If the enemy is properly organised and attempts a coordinated attack, either using the flanks alone or across all three zones, then a similarly coordinated defence will be necessary.
  
  
• Use artillery weapons quickly to limit the enemy to narrow fronts. If the walls are breached, provide an effective counter to the troops before you (i.e don’t charge into a wall of spears).
  
  
• If you do have to prioritise your defense, try to limit the enemy to a single attacking channel, ideally via the central barbican. Although it will fall quickly and give the attackers a precios victory location, you will have a significant height advantage and a devastating field of fire into a narrow channel that will quickly become packed with units eager to find sanctuary.
  
  
• Use fire pots upon the enemy below and when the main gate is breached, don’t overcommit your forces to plugging the gap. Try to keep the enemy contained in the entranceway and use ranged units to thin the enemy numbers so that any breakthrough units can be chased down by fresh reinforcements from the inner courtyard.
  
  
• The gatehouse area will be where the battle is won or lost. Be wary of raiding units trying to break the deadlock and you should be able to retain the numbers to sustain your terrain advantage.

Winter Mayhem will be five days of medieval combat across two stages - an open weekend during which ANYONE can take part followed by a three-day closed stage for our pre-order pack owners and prior siege testers. We’ll also be opening a second (NA) server introducing new content (2 new maps and 5 new units), increasing the level cap and awarding Silver coins and Honor points for new characters to spend.

As before the client will be available to download via the Game Center launcher prior to the Winter Mayhem servers coming online, with access again limited to specific time slots. To make things a little more interesting, there’ll be PvP objectives to complete in order to secure an exclusive armor item.

Please enjoy the new video and be sure to join us for the open weekend, and, if you haven’t already done so, make sure you pre-order to stay with us until December 19 and long into the CBT season planned for early next year!

https://youtu.be/OPZd8_gZ5xs

• New server: NA region
• New maps: Harbour City Siege & Valley Fortress Siege (Closed Siege Stage only)
  
• New units: Prefecture Guard I, Vanguard Javelineer I, Demesne Archer I, Demesne Arquebusier I, Companion Cavalry I
  
• Level cap increase: level 30

Open Weekend: December 15 - 16

• Maps: Siege of Augolia, Harbour City Siege
• Times: CET 16:00 - 07:00, EST 10:00 - 01:00, PST 07:00 - 22:00

Closed Siege Stage: December 17 - 19

• Maps: Valley Fortress Siege, Harbour City Siege
• Times: CET 18:00 - 07:00, EST 12:00 - 01:00, PST 09:00 - 22:00

As an added incentive there’ll be an exclusive free "Brazen Bascinet" helmet for everyone who, during the course of the open weekend, manages to take out ten enemy warlords and wins a quick battle on each of the two maps, Harbour City Siege and Siege of Augolia. That’s two days in which to score ten kills and two map wins.

All those who participate in the open weekend will also receive a unique Gilded Karagura Saddle, which will become available once the game goes live.



Be sure to bring in your friends to come play this open weekend! If 5 or more use your referral link to sign up and complete the PVP challenges, you'll each get 20% off any pre-order pack! The discount will be applied automatically to your Pre-Order page after the conclusion of the open weekend days.

• New players connecting through Steam are required to “sign up” for beta via the launcher to acquire a temporary My.com account. This process could take up to 5 minutes and will require the launcher to be restarted. (The “Sign up” button in the Game Center launcher will change to “Play”, at which point the game files can be downloaded.)
• There is an unfortunate crash issue that some users with AMD processors experienced during previous Siege Tests. Due to the same client being used this issue persists, but will be eliminated in time for the closed beta test phase.

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We have another video update for you today, with news to share that we’ve decided to move back the CBT in order to guarantee the highest level of polish. We’ll also be sharing some brief footage of the most recent development efforts and explaining the reasons for the move, as well as looking ahead to what is going to be an exciting gameplay-packed December for everyone, with news of a special “open” event that will be kicking off real soon!

We really appreciate your patience and can't wait to see you ingame.

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/If1zjbN1daQ

UPDATE (13.02.2019): Thanks to user feedback we’ve been able to produce a video preview that better highlights the detail of the visual items in the pre-order packs. Some of the text in the original story has also been amended to provide better clarification.

https://youtu.be/UWR60JxYmRo
As you may be aware there are three pre-order packs currently on sale for players (the House Founder’s Pack is for guild leaders only), all offering a range of items designed to get you playing well and looking good on the battlefield. What you may not know is exactly what each pack contains and how useful each item within them is. Due to the overwhelming requests from you, the community, we're very happy to show you for the first time the items from our Pre-Order Pack! Please note that unless otherwise specified, items from a pack that are applied to a character will be bound to that character. Items from boxes (such as siege weapons and crafting materials), will be bound to a character only when opened. In addition, note that many in-game assets are still in development and may not reflect their final look. Hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be enlightened, should you wish to take your interest in Conqueror’s Blade to another level.

Rather than go through each of the three packs, we’ll be looking at the Conqueror’s Pack. Yes, it’s the most expensive option, but it also contains everything that’s in the other two packs, and much more besides.



We’ve hosted two successful Siege Tests recently, but the far more interesting and expansive test phases are (Closed Beta Tests among them) are still around the corner. All three pre-order packs come with guaranteed entry to these test phases, during which you’ll have full access to the entirely of Conqueror's Blade as it’s rolled out, including character development, crafting, trade, guild (“House”) and alliance management, as well as the entire scope of the game’s centerpiece persistent campaign.

 
After the CBT will come the Open Beta Test (OBT), which is when characters and stats are reset and the quest to make a lasting name for yourself in Conqueror’s Blade can properly begin. To give our most loyal customers a boost in the saddle, all pre-order packs come with a 7-day Early Access head start (3-day for Explorer’s Pack owners), so that eager warlords can stake their claim to immortality nice and early.

 
Conqueror’s Blade will be free to play, but to help those with limited access maximise their time, with Premium Account time all active characters can earn:

• +30% Hero combat experience. Hero XP can be used to level up hero, improve stats and unlock new battlefield units and equipment.
• +30% Honor earned from combats. Warlords use Honor to unlock new powerful skills and to help develop and maintain their House.
• +30% unit combat experience. Unit XP is required to improving unit stats and increase effectiveness on the battlefield.
• +30% Bronze Coins income. Bronze Coins are a bound currency that can be used for crafting weapons and armor, buying items from merchants, collecting resources and upgrading cities.

 
We all love our characters to be as distinct and as individual as possible, which is why we’re giving all pre-order customers the option to apply a unique hairstyle that will have other warlords thinking “maybe they’re born with it…?”

 
Titles were very important to feudal lords and they’ll matter in Conqueror’s Blade too. They can be set easily in-game and will be displayed near the character name for all to see. Pre-order titles are limited to a single character per account. The “Conqueror” title will forever be exclusive to the Conqueror’s Pack and “Adventurer” and “Explorer” titles (from their respective pre-order packs) will be included as part of the deal.

 
The Conqueror’s Kit is a selection of 8 supply boxes, each containing one of a vast array of single-use siege items in various grades of quality and rarity. The weapons include Ballista, Cannons, Mortars. Culverins, Flaming Comets, Grapeshot Cannons, Hwacha Launchers, Scorpios and War Rockets. It goes without saying that unpacking one at the right time and in the right place can change the outcome of a battle and even decide the fates of entire wars.

 
Resource collecting for specialist hero items can be time consuming, but with this kit you’ll have precisely everything you’ll need to craft your first improved armor set and weapon, which you’ll be able to equip and use from level 10 onwards. As well as being a great time saver, this kit offers a good introduction to crafting in Conqueror’s Blade.

 
The Samurai Kit comes with three items, foremost among them being a suit of armour for all heroes (regardless of class or gender) that will give them the indomitable appearance of one of medieval Japan’s most iconic warrior caste. The Samurai of Fury Armor is a purely cosmetic item. There are male and female versions, but the armor is identical to each class and weapon specialization. It will not replace or change the effectiveness of any equipped items, abilities or armor.

https://youtu.be/8b8vjDI_3fw
 
If you want your trusty steed to look as imposing as you do in your oriental finery, you’ll be wanting to slip your horse into this decorative barding. As with its human variant, this armor doesn’t replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor. Complete the full Samurai look with a fitting banner for your squads, so that they may display their loyalty to you both on the battlefield and the global campaign map. The Samurai unit banner is a decorative item and does not replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor.



The ashigaru is an elite infantry unit perfectly aligned with and loyal to the Samurai. With this decorative armor you can equip your most treasured melee unit and it will enhance your combined standing on the field of war. Note that the Ashigaru Detachment armor can only be applied to a melee infantry unit, not to a cavalry or ranged unit. As with all decorative items, the Ashigaru Detachment armor is a visual enhancement item and does not replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor. It can be applied to different units outside of battle, but active on only one unit at a time.



 
As with the Samurai Kit, this set comes with three impressive items, none more iconic than this crusading suit of armor fit for any knight. There are male and female versions, but the armor is identical to each class and weapon specialization. It will not replace or change the effectiveness of any equipped items, abilities or armor.

https://youtu.be/O4IJdbUhCnM

Templar Commander Kit: Horse Skin & Banner[/h1]
If you want your trusty steed to look as imposing as you do in your crusading finery, you’ll be wanting to slip your horse into this decorative barding. As with its human variant, this armor doesn’t replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor. Complete the full crusader look with a fitting banner for your squads, so that they may display their loyalty to you both on the battlefield and the global campaign map. The Templar unit banner is a decorative item and does not replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor.




The Knights Templar is an elite unit perfectly aligned with and loyal to the Templar Commander. With this decorative armor you can equip your most treasured mounted unit and it will enhance your standing on the field of war. Note that the Order of the Knights Templar unit armor can only be applied to a cavalry unit, not to a melee or ranged unit. As with the warlord and horse armor, the Order of the Knights Templar is a visual enhancement item and does not replace or change the effectiveness of any currently equipped items, abilities or armor. It can be applied to different units outside of battle, but active on only one unit at a time.



Hopefully we’ve covered all the pre-order pack items in enough detail that you can make an informed decision about purchasing one of them. Be aware that many of the items are subject to change between now and release and, CBT access aside, most items will be issued prior to or during the Open Beta Test period, which has yet to be announced.

Please, if you have any comments, concerns or questions regarding any of our pre-order packs, don’t hesitate to let us know and we’ll update our communications accordingly.

The Conqueror’s Blade community team will be conducting streaming maneuvers this week, continuing its collective effort to inform and entertain via the official Conqueror’s Blade Facebook page. From special guests to in-depth looks at various aspects of gameplay, there should be something for everyone, regardless of their mother tongue.

Here’s who’ll be at the helm, where and when:

• EN: December 7, 18:00 CET (09:00am PST), https://www.facebook.com/ConquerorsBlade/ – Get your quiz on with CM Kaeden, who’ll have key codes to bestow!
  
  
• ES: December 7, 16:30 CET (07:30am PST), https://www.facebook.com/ConquerorsBladeES/ – CM Pablovanu will be delving into the depths of Conqueror’s Blade PvP, answering the questions of the Spanish community.
  
  
• FR: December 8, 17:00 CET (08:00am PST), https://www.facebook.com/ConquerorsBladeFR/ – CM Ishtrall will be parlaying with a special guest about their CB hopes and dreams.
  
  
• DE: December 7, 18:00 CET (09:00am PST), https://www.facebook.com/ConquerorsBladeDE/ – One of the biggest German clan leaders will be joining CM Chibs for an in-depth chat.

As with all games where a successful attack results in dwindling health, there is within the codified logic of Conqueror’s Blade a system that determines how damage is applied. Given all the weapons and player attributes in play, the system at heart is quite complex. However, with just an overview of the various damage types and the elements that govern how damage is worked out, it could make all the difference in your future closed beta battles.



Health: In order to survive any attack a player needs a resources of health, represented by Health Points (HP). The more HP a player has, the more damage can be absorbed, until, of course HP reaches zero and the player is returned to limbo. As you might expect, the amount of damage sustained will largely depend on the weapon being used.

 

Weapon type: There are three dominant types of attack in Conqueror’s Blade, determined by the type of weapon or ammunition. These are piercing attacks (delivered via a sharp point such as a spear or arrow), slashing or cutting attacks (such as from a edged blade) and blunt attacks from the hilt or butt of a weapon (or from a shield). Other types of attack include fire, bleeding and poison, which usually deliver damage over a period of time.

 

Damage: The damage from each type of attack is calculated differently, depending on the attributes and skills of the attacker, the weapon being used and the armor attributes of the defender. For melee attacks the relative speed between the attacker and defender - such as from a mounted charge - is an additional factor, while for ranged attacks attenuation is important - the proportion of energy in a projectile that’s lost over distance.

 

Armor type: Broadly there are three types of armor in Conqueror’s Blade, light, medium and heavy, which roughly equates to padded or leather armor, chainmail armor and plate armor. Historically there was a wide variety of armor types and mixes that were effective in many different situations, but broadly speaking link mail tended to be effective against piercing weapons (arrows often being an exception) and plate armor was a counter to heavy bladed weapons.     

 

Damage over time: While not a consideration for individual attacks, damage over time (DoT) is an important element of any combat encounter. Usually the more damaging a single attack is, the more limited its future use might be, either by extending the delay between attacks, or imposing some kind of stamina, agility or equipment cost. For example, a two-handed and/or heavy-bladed  weapon will usually have a greater reach and incur more damage per attack than a one-handed and/or piercing weapon, often at a cost to attack frequency by way of stamina requirements.


Skills and Abilities: Currently each weapon type (class) can have up to three abilities assigned. These abilities are specific to the weapon, but might not necessarily generate the same type of damage for which the weapon is typically associated. For example a spear is a piercing weapon, but there are skills that allow it to generate blunt damage, which, for example, would make it more effective against a heavily-armored opponent.