One of the main concepts behind the development of Conqueror’s Blade has been to ask a bunch of “what if” questions? Not specifically as to who might’ve emerged victorious had the armies of Harold Godwinson and Zhu Yuanzhang ever met on the field of battle, but more along the lines of how neat would it have been if the most iconic medieval weapons, armor and tactics from east, west - and all points in-between - actually clashed. The answer to which, of course, is "pretty neat"!

Why is it neat? Well, many of us are aware of the relative superiority of English archers, the versatility of the Mamluks and the martial process of Samurai, but because there was no historical arena in which the best of the best could spar, the only means we have to decide such matters is through computer games. Sadly, while there have been a good few over the years that have allowed civilizations to duke it out from on high, battlefield granularity and verisimilitude have rarely seemed a priority.

That's not to say liberties shouldn't be taken when gameplay is king. In setting Conqueror's Blade on a world whose territories and resources have been seeded to facilitate war above peace, and by allowing warlords to take their units from whatever unspecified historical nation they wish, Booming Games have set out to build a compelling sandbox arena ahead of one that's historically accurate. Conqueror's Blade isn’t on a mission to decide the best historical units per se, but to reward the players that can assemble and deploy the most successful combination of units and tactics - one that it's not been possible to assemble on such a range of scales before.



What's perhaps most exciting of all is how broad the selection of units and weapon could one day become. At launch, Conqueror's Blade will feature an impressive array of medieval tech, but only a relative few cultures and civilizations have inspired the game's units thus far. There are plenty of obscure war machines still to be reproduced and dozens of iconic units still to be represented. It's likely that not all of them will find their way into the game, not because there's only so many that can be recreated, but because much depends on what happens next.

Unlike the various feudal ages from which Conqueror's Blade draws, the history of the game has yet to be written and how the game is played will ultimately decide how it expands - inexorably leading to the biggest “what if” of all: What if together we move beyond mash-up and form a new and distinct medieval age, possibly with its own units and technologies evolving as a consequence of player agency? Though it may take us closer to the realm of fantasy than reality, it’s a pretty neat thought as we all strain at the leash to get conquering. One thing’s for sure, the past is far from certain!

Imagine there are two warlords going at each other toe-to-toe on the battlefield. Normally, in a game where honor is a virtue and battles are won and lost on skill alone, we’d predict the most experienced of them to win the fight, but in Conqueror’s Blade there are numerous overlapping factors to consider: Weapon and armor quality, proper use of abilities, timing, environment, movement and blind luck are just some that spring to mind. With Conqueror’s Blade also being something of an open arena, there are also other players to consider. The appearance of a third combatant to our little scenario - which should always be anticipated, by the way - would be expected to tip the balance of power in favor of the two allies. However, if he or she knows what they’re up against and are capable of, the lone warlord should never be underestimated (as some of your Best Bits attest). 

Let’s rewind our imaginary skirmish to the start of the Siege Battle, where 15 disparate warlords who barely know one another are ranged against 15 organized warriors - a small core of which are members of the same House. While the thrown-together defenders have imposing battlements on their side, the attackers have little things called a battle plan; in the pre-battle setup phase they’ve selected troops that complement one another, and via the power of chat have communicated where and when to focus their attacks. Because both teams contain skilled individuals the battle won’t be easy for either side, but, as seasoned multiplayers will know, it’s likely to end up that the more organized attacking team will claim victory - and enjoy the spoils.



Taken a stage further, Territory Wars are campaigns fought between houses and alliances and thus being organized is almost a prerequisite for taking part. However, just showing up at the right time and fighting supremely well as part of a well-drilled team isn’t always going to be enough. Prior to engaging the enemy, supplies and equipment have to be acquired and issued to the correct units, while during the ensuing war both sides have to be ready to take advantage of any opportunities to counter the other. Leadership is a huge factor and those with an appreciation for logistics will know how crucial the local economy and infrastructure are to a sustained campaign. In a duel, you must know your own limits, in a skirmish those of your units as well, but in a war, you must know your entire domain, the resources you can call on and, just as crucially, when they might be available. It’s no use starting a war if you can’t follow it through to the bitter end

So you see, while the eternal battle between quantity versus quality will forever hang in the balance, the deciding factor in any engagement - whether it’s fisticuffs between the last warlords standing, or an epic world-wide war for domination - will be one side’s preparedness over the other. In the wars of history, it has always been thus and you should expect the same of Conqueror's Blade (with a just a hint of luck on the side, for good measure).

As we remain between beta tests, unsurprisingly it’s been a thin week for video entries. Clearly however, some of you found some extra footage that had fallen down the back of the sofa, some of which isn’t half bad:

Best (Test) Bits - episode 5

Winners: fr33d0mpt, FrontalFear, Kendra, Yurry, Ser Medieval, Aruka.

As a reward for their efforts, all the winning entries will be receiving a Conqueror’s Pack. If you want one a top-of-the-range pre-order pack for yourself, here’s what you need to do.

Well done and keep those clips coming!

As implied in part 1 of our humble alt-career round-up, information in Conqueror’s Blade is as much an important resource as iron or wood - whether it be raw game knowledge, knowing what an enemy is up to, or just being able to draw on human experience to make informed diplomatic choices. With that in mind, we’ve conjured up a few more potential career options for those of you inclined to find more value in what comes out of other players rather than the ground around them.

HERALD
Traditionally the herald was employed by a local baron or lord to deliver the official news to anyone that listened. Heralds would also be the one observing battles and taking notes for posterity (famously, the French and English heralds during the Battle of Agincourt enjoyed the exact same vantage point - and probably shared some mead afterwards). Curiously, heralds also arranged rather more good-natured tournaments when their masters weren’t at war. Essentially they were medieval PR people, with diplomatic tendencies and some esports team management skills on the side. Such a role would be a perfect fit for any ambitious House that wants to get ahead in the modern age!

AMBASSADOR
While House and Alliance leaders are going to be the ones that dictate - literally - the nature and strength of the relationships that come to exist between themselves and other leaders, communicating via a wily subordinate will add nuance and subtlety to any diplomatic proceedings. Knowledgeable and well-versed in the art of communication, the ambassador has to work their way to a position of trust, while always remaining the dutiful outsider. As such they will be open to personal attack, but can also be the glue that holds an alliance together, perhaps even rising to become the true power behind the throne.



HISTORIAN
While the units and weapons of Conqueror’s Blade come from a familiar past, the gameworld and all its entities are of course entirely unique, which means the in-game future is by no means certain. We know it’ll involve plenty of conflict and some shenanigans, all of which will need to be documented in some way so that future generations can appreciate the many and varied efforts players will have made to establish themselves.
Scribes and artists, through their words and pictures, will have a pivotal role to play in curating lore, whether it’s through reporting live on a battle, or merely capturing its intensity through some magical moving visual medium. Most will likely not know that they'll be aiding history until long in the future, but they should that every word and brushstroke matters.

JESTER
Just as every village needs an idiot, every court needs a jester - someone to lighten the mood when the skies are grey, the coffers empty and a determined enemy is beating on the outer gates demanding your House leader’s head be delivered to them on a stick. In such instances, some ready jokes and good-natured banter will be as effective in stiffening local resolve as any 11th-hour cavalry riding to the rescue. Ok, maybe not, but perhaps during any uproarious meme-inspired laughter, you could make your escape and join a House with a sunnier disposition - one that doesn’t so readily sulk away the hours when it should be outdoors fighting!

Just as in the real world not everyone has the “right stuff” to become an astronaut, not all who play Conqueror’s Blade are going to be cut out for the life of a swashbuckling warlord. However, just because you may cower at the point of a sword, it doesn’t mean you can’t be useful to friends and allies in other ways. If you’ve been having second thoughts about charging into another battle, maybe you should think about following a slightly different career trajectory? There are more routes to being successful in Conqueror’s Blade than you might think!

(Just so we're clear, these are not formal class options - only suggestions for player-created roles.)

SQUIRE 
Traditionally a squire was a personal assistant to a knight or lord, often tasked with helping them into their armor before battle. Obviously, if you attempted something similar these days - turning up at a guild mate’s house with a milking stool and some pliers - you’d likely end up in police custody. However, taking up the mantle of the trusted acolyte to a powerful warlord is not to be scoffed at. If you recognise your limits but remain determined to make it as a great warrior, no matter what indignities you’ll be subjected to, learning under the aegis of the finest in the land is probably the way to go. 

MARSHALL
Your PC might be clear of digital disease, but that doesn’t stop you from having virus software to ensure it stays that way. Likewise, if you’re part of a group of people that intends to expand its operations and be successful, it might be wise to have the most trusted among you keep a watchful eye out for saboteurs. Whether that’s by establishing robust recruitment policies or regularly patrolling your borders will come down to collective levels of paranoia, but know that not all your competitors - be they enemies or allies - will conduct themselves honourably at all times.



SPY
Spies excel at avoiding combat and are even lauded for their efforts at doing so. For them, it’s about gathering information rather than kills and trying not to be the one that cops the blame when everything goes wrong - intentionally or otherwise. You could be the type of spy that discreetly wanders the locality, reporting back on trade caravans and troop numbers, or perhaps you want to go deep undercover: going so far as to join an enemy house to lurk within its halls and report back your findings to the highest bidder. If you’re the kind of individual that thrives on deception, in spite of the cost to your mortal soul, spying may well be the role for you. 

SAGE
Instead of stealing information, perhaps you prefer the idea of being the font of all knowledge for all those around you? It’s a good time to start learning your trade, with much of the game unexplored and undocumented. Just pick a subject, research it day and night, find a platform to publish your material and make it your own. With dedication and a modest following (and a solid grasp of the facts, obviously) you could soon become the game’s go-to crafting guy, or the best person to ask when it comes to which units to deploy when outnumbered and all hope for victory seems lost.

(To be continued.)

For those that don’t religiously follow our updates, it’s likely that you’ve missed a few things. That’s why we’ve decided to summarise all that’s been happening around Conqueror’s Blade over the last week into a short video summary - so you can catch up at the end of each week knowing you haven’t missed a thing.

Oh, look, here comes the first one now!

Conqueror’s Blade Weekly News Roundup (March 8, 2019)

Thank you once again for all your video entries. We realise it’s difficult to provide them when access to the game is limited, although, if this week's compilation is any indication, that seems not to have been an issue:  

Conqueror's Blade Best (Test) Bits - episode 4 

Winners: FrontalFear, Ser Medieval, Zapped, Aruka, AndırZiro.

As a reward for their efforts, all the winning entries will be receiving a Conqueror’s Pack. If you want one a top-of-the-range pre-order pack for yourself, here’s what you need to do. 

Well done and keep those clips coming!

If, as the leader of an ambitious young House, you see a city that you think would look good with your banners fluttering above it, starting a Territory War is how to begin the process of adding it to your portfolio.



Since the current development plan is to rank Houses according to their fiefdoms, securing resource hubs (mines, farms etc) and settlements will be key to establishing their economic status and military power, while holding a city is a prerequisite for founding an alliance. Leaders pick their targets by scouring the world map and right-clicking on strategic targets to “declare war” on their current occupants.



By using a Wax Seal from their inventory, war declarations are made official and the shameless aggressor must them select a one-hour time slot within which the target has to be taken by force. If the attacker fails to turn up, or the battle goes badly, the city will remain in the hands of its current owner. Fare the day well and the new lords of the manor can start imposing itself upon the local populace.



While time slots do give defenders an advance warning to prepare (defenders can make a pre-emptive strike on attackers moving across the map), the system is a necessary one in a game that spans multiple time zones, as it allows both sides to assemble their forces and assign tactics. Given that not that many medieval battles were surprise attacks anyway, the time slot system isn’t completely removed from how sieges and pitched battles were often undertaken.



During Territory War battles, victory for each side is assured when the enemy's base camp has been captured. If at the end of a losing battle for the defenders the time slot is not yet over, a counter-attack can be mounted, but if time is up (individual Territory War battles can last up to 30 minutes), ownership changes and the victor can start developing their new holding - and enjoy its growing status as a major regional superpower.

The three pillars that support Conqueror’s Blade’s blend of action strategy are undoubtedly it’s fast-paced combat, squad tactics and army-level campaigning. However, unpinning everything is the game’s easily obscured RPG foundation, which of course not only offers some measure of character progression, but carefully limits the units they can have by their side at any given moment. 

However, unlocking new units isn’t simply a case of dinging a new level and +1 archers suddenly becoming available in the next town. There are level requirements and you need to have “researched” prior units and technology, but you also need Honor to attract higher-tier units to your cause. From a role-play perspective this makes sense since we can assume that the more effective a unit is, the more invested it is in its abilities and so the more discerning it must be in its alignment.



In Conqueror’s Blade unit accessibility resembles a 4X game’s tech tree and begins with researching the necessary technologies, which is done via the Institute building at your Personal Camp. There are three areas of research to follow (during CBT this is limited to two): resource, equipment and unit technologies  - with the latter obviously pertaining to your personal retinue. However, before you can recruit a new unit you have to have the required resources at hand in order to craft the equipment each unit needs before it can take the field. In that sense, all three research areas are interdependent and fundamental to unit advancement.



This step is skipped during the CBT, but in later versions, once you have all the prerequisites for unit unlocking, you can approach the Recruit Master in any friendly town to hire your new troops. They will then be billeted in the Unit screen as Recruits (press ‘U’ to access) until they need to be called in action as either a new squad or replacements for a recently depleted unit - so long as you have all the necessary equipment for each recruit as it enters service. This is an important consideration since, without shining armor, weapons and fresh steeds to hand, your troop of knights aren’t going to be effective at imposing your will on the battlefield. Thankfully they’re not stupid and will simply refuse to serve unless they’re suitably equipped. 

At the start of the Guild CBT we challenged the game’s nascent Houses to take over as much of their chosen region as they could, with the most successful across each earning for their members a rather fetching unit skin. The criteria for success was simple: the House that controlled the most regional territories when the test ended would be crowned - and it’s archers clothed - as one of two server champions.

However, things didn’t quite go to plan: Across all three game servers (NA, EU and RU) the fighting was far more intense than we’d envisioned and we ended up with a couple of tied positions that were hard to separate. It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to crown three winning houses per server rather than just two (one for each region). 

Here we are then, the most dominant Houses of the Guild CBT, whose members during recent testing will be the ones in line for a reward (rather than their Guild Hub associates):

Top NA Houses (by territories controlled)

• The_Legion (19)
• Ming (14)
• Uncrowned (10)

Top EU Houses (by territories controlled)

• Blutschwur (15)
• SoulWings (8)
• SalutarisNova (8)

Top RU Houses (by territories controlled)

• CSM (12)
• DarkTriad (9)
• RedWingOrl (9)

Well done to all the above, who now enter the pioneering annals of Conqueror’s Blade’s short history. Honorable mentions too for the “Unlucky Sevens”: Chaos on the RU server, which held on to a respectable seven regions, while on the EU server both ThelynEnnor and Millennium missed out on lasting glory by a single territory.

To those that fought hard but ultimately came up short, don’t worry. We’ll have more world domination-style contests in the future, with other prizes to look forward to as guild and warfare mechanics evolve, units develop and more regions become ripe for conquest.