Bodies and weapons littered the battlefield. The Daqan troops were fighting the thick rain and pervasive mud as much as they were fighting the unbroken line of Uthuk Y’llan. For a second, the commander feared the war would be lost before he could kindle the signal fires and alert the rest of Terrinoth to the danger. But then he spotted them – an unharmed unit of the Citadel Guard, young men more used to herding sheep than to warfare, but brave and capable of outrunning the demonic Uthuk infantry. “Guardsmen,” he called out. “Come here. I know you have the strength and speed necessary to reach the signal posts. Now you must prove that you have courage as well.”

Muster your troops, lead the charge, and go to war in BattleLore: Command, a digital application for iOS, Android, and PC based on the tactical combat board game BattleLore Second Edition.

Lead the valiant Daqan army in a single-player campaign to vanquish the vicious and demonic Uthuk Y’llan from Terrinoth, or command either army in skirmishes, playing against the CPU or against a friend on the same wireless network. Whether you have won countless battles in Terrinoth or never before ordered troops into battle, BattleLore: Command provides a challenging combat experience on your digital device.

Today’s preview will introduce you to the units composing the Daqan army: farmers armed in order to defend their homes, horsemen specialized in speeding across the battlefield, Rune Golems created to be the sentinels of Terrinoth, and enormous raptors trained to fight.

The Backbone of the Daqan Army

The people of Terrinoth prefer peace to war, but in a time of danger they readily take up arms to defend their homeland. Farmers, trained and outfitted by the Daqan lords who govern them, become Citadel Guards, the infantry backbone of the Daqan army. The Citadel Guards are melee troops, close-knit groups of soldiers trained to move, defend, and attack as one unified being, armed with poleaxes to slash and stab at the enemy in close proximity, and thick shields to defend against counterattacks. With their determination and their Superior Tactics ability, they often force enemy units they can’t destroy to retreat, allowing the Citadel Guard unit to advance. Citadel Guards are also among the select units in BattleLore: Command that can pursue a retreating unit and attack again. This relentlessness makes them invaluable in battle, capable of taking down not just other infantry, but cavalry, elite units, or even a Chaos Lord in defense of their homeland.

Hunters skilled in bow and arrow become Yeoman Archers and take aim at the Uthuk Y’llan instead of the wild game they are accustomed to chasing. These ranged units are capable of fighting in melee combat, but are better used to thin out unsuspecting enemies at a distance. If they do not have to move before an attack, they can take a double shot, and slay an entire enemy unit by sending arrows into their hearts.

Every unit type has specific values for movement, combat, and health. A unit of Citadel Guards, as you can see above, has a health of three and a movement of two: it can move two hexes at a time, and takes three blows to kill. Combat value represents how many chances a unit has to deal a blow, force an enemy to retreat, or activate a special ability. Results appear as they are generated randomly, so that no battle is decided before it is fought and there is always an element of surprise.

The Citadel Guard unit has slain part of the enemy unit, caused it to retreat one space (except that the enemy unit was supported), and earned a point of lore.

Vigilant Cavalry

Citadel Guards and Yeoman Archers can be quickly mobilized the moment that Terrinoth is attacked and are often first on the field of battle. As they fight for their lives, news spreads to distant lords who send whatever forces they can to help vanquish the threatening enemy. These forces include the Riverwatch Riders, mounted swordsmen who have spent their lives on horseback. Their horses are fearless in battle, ready to gallop through a rain of poisoned arrows or stand firm in the face of hellish and hungry demons. With a greater movement value than any other Daqan or Uthuk Y’llan unit, the Riverwatch Riders excel at rushing behind enemy lines, or occupying a strategic position before the enemy can reach it. Although they only have a combat value of two, they are Vigilant, meaning that no unit they attack can counterattack.

Riverwatch Riders can also enhance your other units’ strength by flanking enemy units, limiting the enemy’s options for retreat and temporarily increasing the combat value of any friendly units involved in the attack. Supported by Riverwatch Riders, the Citadel Guard have a combat value of four, meaning they are more likely to force the enemy to retreat, or destroy the enemy unit completely.

Living Stone and Winged Legends

Long ago, the leaders of Terrinoth made sentinels for the land which could be brought to life in a time of serious danger. They shaped clay and stone into hulking giants that could kill a man with a single blow of their fist and gave their creations life using ancient and now forgotten magics. The enchanted runes necessary to resurrect these massive constructs have been handed drown from generation to generation and now, for the first time in memory, there is dire enough need to awaken the Rune Golems. These formidable creatures ignore one retreat during combat, and have the potential to stun their enemies, so that the stunned unit cannot move or attack. Use Rune Golems to create an impenetrable line of defense, protecting a group of unarmed villagers, or send them to isolate and paralyze enemy units while your cavalry speed into Uthuk Y’llan territory.

The most powerful units of the Daqan army are the Roc Warriors from the mountainous regions in the north. For centuries, the clans dwelling in the crags have bred giant birds of prey known as Rocs and matched them with brave fighters in life-long bonds, so that the human and bird act together in battle. These raptors swoop in and out of the fight, descending to slash the Uthuk Y’llan with their giant, sharp talons and flying away again. Only Roc Warriors have Mobility, which allows them to move both before and after they attack, so that the Uthuk Y’llan don’t get a chance to retaliate. Use Mobility to suddenly strike down a pernicious enemy unit and then pull back to a safe location so the Roc Warrior can attack again, unharmed, next round.

You Are In Command

Driven to defend Terrinoth against the most powerful enemy it has ever known, the forces of the Daqan army fight with the utmost determination, fortitude and valor. They also offer a commander many intriguing tactical possibilities, both offensive and defensive. In BattleLore: Command you can explore the full range of these units’ capabilities in a variety of missions as they fight to keep darkness and chaos out of their land.

In our next preview we will examine the bloodthirsty Uthuk Y’llan army, composed of humans corrupted by demonic blood and vicious demons seeking to bleed and ravage whatever they can. In addition, we will explore lore powers– game-changing tools that you can use in the middle of combat to suddenly enhance your army’s capabilities. Finally, in our third preview we will look at the missions of the single-player campaign and the scenarios of the skirmish mode, from Strongholds, in which you must protect your own territory while trying to invade your opponent’s fortress, to Deathmatch, where your sole aim is to eradicate the enemy.

BattleLore: Command will appear in the App store, Amazon Marketplace, and Google Play in the fourth quarter of 2014. Meanwhile, check the minisite for further previews and more information.