We’ve always said we wanted to add better value to the current range of pre-order packs and today we’re happy to announce the inclusion of two new premium items: All pre-order packs will receive the Janissary Unit Attire, while the Conqueror’s Pack is further augmented by the mighty War Elephant mount skin. Yes, if you have already pre-ordered, you will get the new addition(s)!

The Janissary Unit Attire skin is inspired by the elite slave units of the early Ottoman Empire, a disciplined force that often showed unwavering loyalty and great discipline. Janissaries were considered to be among the greatest archers in the world and were among the first military units to adopt firearms after they became widely available. 

Famously used by Hannibal during the Punic Wars, there’s evidence to suggest elephants were used in warfare as early as 1600BC. During the medieval era, war elephants were used across Southeast Asia, China, India, North Africa and the Middle-east, almost to the point of extinction in some regions. However, even in small numbers, elephants commanded an awesome presence on the battlefield.

Be aware that both the War Elephant and Janissary Unit Attire are cosmetic items and bestow no battlefield advantage beyond looking awesome. They are to be applied only to elephant mount and archer units respectively. The War Elephant skin will come with a standard elephant mount.

The Janissary Unit Attire skin will become available in-game at the start of open beta testing; at the same time as other resource and cosmetic items (Furious Samurai, Templar Commander kit, etc). Elephant mounts will be introduced as part of a subsequent major update.

As you may have heard we’re heading to TwitchCon Europe, where all in attendance will be able to sample the latest version of Conqueror’s Blade. At 09:00 CEST (00:00 PST) on April 13, we’ll be encamped at booth C19 in the main hall of the Berlin CityCube, ready and waiting with four gaming stations and two streaming booths - all thanks to our close allies at Alienware, SteelSeries and Avermedia.  

On the subject of alliances, we’re also teaming up with the brightest and best streamers from the Conqueror’s Blade community. They’ll be imparting their wisdom on the very latest code, so there’ll be no shortage of opinion and action to tune into over the coming weekend:

Saturday, April 13

13:00 - 15:00 - Lory

15:00 - 17:00 - D1rtyD3vil 

17:00 - 19:00 - KawauTV 

Sunday, April 14

13:00 - 15:00 - Divi 

15:00 - 17:00 - Dracon 

Remember that just before TwitchCon - this coming Friday - we’ll be firing up the servers for a full and free Open Weekend, so if you can’t be with us in person, you can join us in spirit by playing the game along with us. Click here for a full schedule of game access that will continue until April 20.



WIN FREE STUFF!

TwitchCon tickets have long been sold out, but for two lucky Conqueror’s Blade fans all hope is not lost! Just keep an eye on our German Facebook page and Discord channel from TODAY to be in with a chance of getting past the incorruptible TwitchCon sentries. (Note that we cannot offer travel or accommodation - you will have to make your own way to Berlin.) If you don't live in Germany, we got you covered as well! We will be giving away some test keys just in time for our Spring Mayhem on our pages for the other regions.

At the show, we’ll be giving away an exclusive Conqueror’s Blade goblet (see above), one that can be filled with an age-appropriate beverage and thrown dramatically at the wall when enemies threaten your border. Of, if you prefer, you can just keep it in its presentation box and save it for posterity.

FINALLY...

If you’re a keen creator of Conqueror’s Blade content, especially in the medium of streaming and video, we’ll soon be accepting applications for you to be able to share your craft more widely, while receiving our direct support - included greater access to in-house resources. Basically, if you’re serious about supporting Conqueror’s Blade, we’re going to get serious about supporting you. We’ll have more for you soon!

Joining up with allies at Alienware, Avermedia and SteelSeries, the Conqueror’s Blade team is on the march; heading for Berlin to engage with fans at TwitchCon Europe. To coincide with the weekend’s inaugural EU streamfest, we’ll be hosting an Open Weekend to which all are welcome from across the world! This will be followed by a limited-access event we’re calling Spring Mayhem, which is pretty much a continuation of the Open Weekend, but for our pre-order customers and other invited guests.

Simply put, whatever your plans for the coming weekend, know that the gates of Conqueror’s Blade will be flung open for everyone to enjoy the game. Beyond that, preferential access is just a pre-order pack away.

Yes, it’s a lot of news for one article, so let’s focus on the detail:

WHEN:

• 09:00 CEST (00:00 PDT) 13th April - 20:00 CEST (11:00 PDT) 14th April

WHERE:

• Berlin CityCube, Germany

HOW TO TAKE PART:

• The event is sold out, BUT we have 2 tickets to be won!
• If you can’t make it in person, simply tune in live

WHAT’S PLANNED:

• Be among the first to see new content and try out the latest features!
• Check in with the top Conqueror's Blade content producers and streamers!
• Visit the booth and meet our awesome team!
• Win CB goodies, including in-game items and top-quality souvenirs!

 
WHEN:

• 16:00 CEST (07:00 PDT) 12th April - 10:00 CEST (01:00 PDT) 15th April

WHERE:

• Download the game from cb.my.com or through Steam

HOW TO TAKE PART:

• If you have a My.com account and the game is downloaded you’ll be good to go

WHAT’S PLANNED:

• Access for all!
• The game has been massively upgraded with many new features to explore
• Character boosts for all - be ready for endgame action!
• Special in-game events with permanent account rewards
• New maps and units

 
WHEN:

• 16:00 CEST (07:00 PDT) 15th April - 10:00 CEST (01:00 PDT) 20th April

WHERE:

• Download the game from cb.my.com or through Steam

HOW TO TAKE PART:

• Access by pre-order or test key access.

WHAT’S PLANNED:

• Did we mention the huge technical and feature upgrade?
• And the character boosts?
• Enjoy 5 days in which to dominate the new regions
• Exclusive to pre-order customers and those test access

 
The short answer is A LOT. We’ll be providing a detailed changelog in a couple of days, but we just want to highlight here the steps being taken towards a one-server goal.

As some of you know from dev interviews, the ultimate challenge is to create a truly global medieval environment, one in which warlords from different cultures can come together. Until now we’ve taken a fairly traditional approach, but for the next test we’ll be moving forward with two servers: one for the whole of continental Europe, and another for continental North America.

We recognise that there are many challenges ahead, such as allowing players to communicate separately in their supported languages (EN, RU, ES, FR and DE). We also have to ensure Territory Wars are accessible across all timezones. However, rest assured that we’ll be keeping a close watch on things to make sure we all move forward together.

https://youtu.be/EI_Mdqgam6w
 
April 12

• 16:00 CEST (07:00 PDT): Open Weekend begins - EVERYONE’S INVITED

April 13

• 09:00 CEST (00:00 PDT): TwitchCon Europe gets underway - WATCH HERE
• 20:00 CEST (10:00 PDT): Join the Open Weekend “Hero Battle” - DURATION 2hrs

April 14

• 20:00 CEST (11:00 PDT): TwitchCon Europe closes its doors
• 20:00 CEST (11:00 PDT): Fight in the Open Weekend Territory War - DURATION 2hrs

April 15

• 10:00 CEST (01:00 PDT): Open Weekend servers close
• 16:00 CEST (07:00 PDT): Spring Mayhem begins

April 20

• 10:00 CEST (01:00 PDT): Spring Mayhem ends

After a relatively quiet March, April has gotten off to a busy start. Check out the latest video recap to see what you might have missed, as we rally our forces for an even more important week to come.

https://youtu.be/KdqH9XzAOyo

Today we’re happy to announce that the World’s third most popular language (second only to Mandarin if you only count native speakers) is now fully integrated into the official Conqueror's Blade site. Just click on the flag icon in the top-right of your browser window and the Bandera de España should appear.

It may take a little time to have the full library of articles fully localized, but eager Spanish-speakers can expect to find an expansive selection of reading material that will only increase in size from here on out. We will, of course, continue to provide Spanish language articles on Steam, as has been the case for many months

As well as site features and news in Spanish, we’ve also introduced Spanish language support to the forums, to which we invite all players to contribute.

It goes without saying that Spanish will be fully-supported in-game when Conqueror’s Blade launches, alongside English, French, German and Russian.

As promised, we have a new video series starting this week, one that aims to offer a look into what features are planned for Conqueror’s Blade. In this pilot episode, we take a look at two new regions, Ungverija and Liangyun, both of which contain new landscapes and numerous unseen settlements (and will be mispronounced for years to come, if the expletive-laden multiple takes of our narrator are any indication).

While we have plenty to reveal over the coming weeks, Sneak Peeks will form an irregular series; dependent on the timing of future updates. Sometimes we’ll profile content that’s a short distance ahead, while at other times we'll ponder the far horizon. In either case, the plan is to reveal a little more of the unknown each time. We hope you’ll stay with us as we scout it out.

https://youtu.be/_HoLkQWNQmM

Purely in terms of the number of territories under its control at the end of the Guild CBT, The Legion wasn’t just rampant on the NA server, but dominated the entire test phase, with more land to its name than any other house. However, it would seem that according to its leader Buzzsaw, there was more to its successful strategy than outright domination... 

WHY DID YOU SET UP A HOUSE?

Originally I set up The Legion as a place for me and my friends to hang out and play games together. This eventually spread into multiple games, where we actively started recruiting dedicated members. Everyone who had a positive outlook was admitted into what has since then become less of a house and more of a mismatched family of misfits.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOUR HOUSE DISTINCT?

Our teamwork and willingness to do anything for the house. All of the members are extremely dedicated to The Legion on levels I, as the leader, could not have dreamt of. Although some people may consider us a large house, we also look to help smaller houses. But don't mistake kindness for weakness - we’re just not out to beat someone into the ground who is just trying to grow. Some larger houses will destroy players who simply exist until they don't even want to play the game anymore, but that isn't the way we want to play. 



YOUR HOUSE WAS A CHAMPION OF THE GUILD CBT STAGE. HOW DID YOU DOMINATE THE OPPOSITION?

From what I can tell what made us distinct was our actual use of strategy. Rather than just sending an entire house onto one city and zerging them, I looked more into uniting the smaller houses in order to preserve everyone rather than beating them into the ground and creating enemies that will last until the game actually goes live. This tactic allowed all of our allies to hold land and to increase the number of defenders we could have - after all, protecting one border is much easier than protecting three or four.

WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FOR THE HOUSE?

Take some land and live out my days peacefully in the middle of nowhere, while everyone else fights to the death for a mediocre amount of land.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE CLASS TO PLAY AS?

I always enjoyed the Poleaxe since its nice to just club some randos head in, but we all know range is meta

WHO ARE YOUR MOST TRUSTED AIDES?

Neko and Danni have been my right and left-hand men since we started. Neko is more in charge of the political mumbo and Danni is more of my strategic advisor. Chef is my main diplomat and everything of that nature should run through him.

If someone wants to join the house all they have to do is join our Discord and answer a couple of questions about themselves and all is good. If another house wants to work on relations all they have to do is hit up Chef and talk to him.

ARE THERE OTHER HOUSES YOU ADMIRE OR CONSIDER TO BE NATURAL ALLIES?

We've been good friends with Order of Ash since the beginning and have worked together in every stage since the start. Aishin Koi is a newer addition to the family and they are always willing to help.



Huge thanks to Buzzsaw for taking the time to respond to our questions. If you know of a House that is deserving of similar recognition that we should profile in a future article, please make your nomination via our Discord channel.    

Development on Conqueror’s Blade is advancing at quite a pace these days, but while we’re not quite ready to make an announcement, we do have one thing to shout about - a 15% discount on all new pre-order packs at cb.my.com/preorder and on Steam!

On Steam, the sale will start today at 19:00 CEST (10:00 PST) and continue until 19:00 CET (10:00 PST) on April 8th, 2019. Just to clarify, the discount applies to all Explorer, Adventurer and Conqueror Packs, either through Steam or from cb.my.com.

Not only is this the first significant discount to Conqueror’s Blade since the game was announced, with the final stages of closed access now weeks rather than months away, there’s also only a short time left until the pre-order packs and their contents become unavailable. If you’ve been waiting for the best time to join the ranks, this could be it!

https://youtu.be/UWR60JxYmRo

A news summary in name only this week, but what today’s video report may lack in detail, it more than makes up for in promise. Things are about to get busy!

https://youtu.be/nl-lQO_PAZs

Welcome to another roundup of news, delivered once again by the silky-smooth tones of your local community coordinator. It’s not been a week of breaking headlines, but that hasn’t stopped the Conqueror’s Blade newsroom being a hive of activity. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/f1bOTnCy6gA