Weekly Spotlight: Azure Isles

[Breca]

This week's spotlight is on the on the pirate realm, the Azure Isles...


In the warm waters of the South, the Azure Isles are home to a pirate stronghold. Islands and treacherous coral reefs pepper the perimeter, while formidable cliffs rise to mark the capitol. The pirates spend much of their time raiding merchant vessels and are a scourge of the southern seas. While punitive naval battles have driven the pirates back from time to time, no major invasion has been mounted against them. With all this raiding activity, it is easy to overlook that the Azure Isles have a small self-generated economy as well, with shops, craftsmanship and even some trade with distant realms. This helps to keep the Azure Isles stable through tough times.

[Breca]

Azure Isles flag...

[Breca]

Azure Isles units...

[Breca]

Azure Isles Mercenary Captain...

When a Mercenary Captain serves with distinction, she may become a Legendary Hero. The player may choose one additional ability for her permanently:

Sea Dog: Target one enemy Naval Unit. Gain control of that unit for the remainder of your turn.
Campaigner: All Units you control heal 10 Life for every Objective you currently control.

Only one card may be played per turn.

[Breca]

Azure Isles Spymaster...

When a Spymaster serves with distinction, she may become a Legendary Hero. The player may choose one additional ability for her permanently:

Insidious Envoy: Choose any Unit you control. Retreat that Unit. All enemy Units suffer a -1 Morale.
Guild Insider: Choose 1 target Mercenary your opponent owns. Take control of that Unit until the beginning of your next turn.

Only one card may be played per turn.

[Breca]

Azure Isles Trafficker...


When a Trafficker serves with distinction, she may become a Legendary Hero. The player may choose one additional ability for her permanently:

Den of Thieves: Choose one Mercenary Unit you control and place it on any undefended Objective on the map.
Veneer of Legitimacy: For the remainder of your turn, all of your units gain Crusader and Guardian. For the remainder of battle, all of your Units suffer -1 Morale.

Only one card may be played per turn.

[Breca]

The Azure Isles Spell Tree focuses on trickery and subterfuge:

Level 1
Poisoned Blade: Target Human or Elven unit gains Venom for 1 turn.

Level 2
Fell Mists: Thick mists obscure and negate all ranged fire in a province you own.
Mousetrap: Mousetrap affects a province you own. While in effect, no unit may leave this province. Any unit attempting to retreat is captured instead.
Thievery: Send an agent across your borders. For 1 turn, a bordering province receives a -2 Economy, while your Capitol receives a +2 Economy.

Level 3
Fog of War: Enemy Scouting into this province is negated for the next 9 turns.
Dead Winds: The winds die, and the seas are calm as glass. All ships in the sea zone are unable to move out. No naval battles may take place for 2 turns.
Scorching Sky: The skies burn. All flying units in the affected provinces have a -2 Initiative and -3 Morale.

Level 4
Siren's Song: Each turn, destroy one random naval unit in the affected sea zone.
Summer Haze: (Global). Can only be cast if the Spring Bloom global spell is in effect. Cancels Spring Bloom. Recharge Time for all Illusion Spells is -1, and all Death spells is +1.

Level 5
Fields of the Dead: Target marked battlefields only. Cancels Hallowed Ground. Raise 5 Skeletons under your command.

[Xerkis]

For some reason this week’s spotlight triggered a few questions I hope you don’t mind me asking:

The Azure Isles seems a bit like a secondary type realm (I know looks can be deceiving, and that’s not actually my point here either). Can the player choose any realm they want to as their realm to play? Even “secondary” realms (if there is such a thing)? Reading about Azure it took me a one that might be harder to play as – and one I would definitely want to.

You mentioned trade to distant realms. How is trade to other realms handled?

What are “objectives” in the game? A lot was mentioned within the cards about objectives.

Really cannot wait to get a hold of this game.

[Breca]

You are correct, Xerxis. There are Great Powers in the world of Sovereignty as well as minor powers. The Azure Isles are one of the minor powers. The player may choose to play any of 33 realms. (There is one AI-only realm that functions as an arbiter of the "Code of War" in Sovereignty. Think of that as fantasy version of the Geneva Conventions.) Choosing to play a minor power can be seen as simply playing a different challenge level. Keep in mind that the Campaign Missions for a Great Power might be far more ambitious, whereas a minor power's campaign missions might look to more localized objectives.

Trade Routes
Trade Routes are set up as diplomatic agreements between two realms. Each realm has 0-5 Resource types that it can offer as trade. For example, Wine, Gems, Lumber, etc. (Some realms are more mercantile than others.) But even the Azure Isles has Contraband...if it can find a willing buyer.

Importing a Resource type grants some kind of ongoing bonus to a realm while the Trade Route is active. For example, a realm that imports Wine gains a +1 Morale bonus for all Elite Units. A realm that imports Lumber enjoys lower purchase/upkeep costs for Naval Units. In a potential agreement, I might want another realm's Wine and offer my Lumber in return. I can make that offer, and the other realm can agree or reject that offer. Other realms may also come to you from time to time with alternate offers. Each realm weighs offers based on "what it wants" and also "how much it likes your realm." A naval power would likely value Lumber, and trade also has a way of discouraging war between partners, so realm AI's take both factors into consideration.

Objectives
Each realm has custom Campaign Missions as well as "sandbox" gameplay. The Campaign Missions follow your realm's "story thread," and Objectives are tailored to your realm's style and desires. A Great Power's Campaign Mission might look to uniting the civilized world. For a minor power like the Azure Isles, you are instead seeking a fabulous buried treasure and must occupy 3 specific provinces across the world for 1 turn each. Once you do, a new story thread is revealed (or you must make a difficult choice), which reveals the final Objectives you must meet to win the game. So the Campaign Missions move in 3 basic stages:

• 1. Opening Objectives

• 2. Moment of Decision: Choose A or B, which affects the course of the story...

• 3. Final Objectives

Good Hunting!

Breca

[Xerkis]

Can you please just take my money now?

[RedHawl]

And another question please.

You mention the sea raiding activities of the domain. Are there some mechanics in-game to simulate this? Such as trade route plundering, etc?

[Breca]

Originally, we had a separate "piracy" mechanic, but this didn't play as well as planned. Instead, we grant the Azure Isles a number of abilities that give it a the feel of a pirate kingdom.

Raiders and Mariners: The Azure Isles has a number of units with the Raider and/or Mariner abilities. Raider allows a unit to strike hard and fast, with diminishing power over time. Raiders are great for hit-and-run tactics, but poor over long battles. Mariners ignore landing penalties during amphibious invasions.
Thievery: This spell allows the player to reduce a neighboring province's Economy for 1 turn while increasing your own.
Galleons and Coastal Runners: Unlike the civilized Sea Powers which seek contact with the enemy, Galleons and Coastal runners attempt to avoid contact with other naval stacks. Their play style is to try and "slip past" enemy fleets and strike where least expected.
Protected Shoals: While the Azure Isles a minor power, it is difficult nut to crack, even when pitted against major sea powers. Its Galleons may serve as a first line of defense. Enemy units without the Mariner ability (virtually all of them) suffer combat penalties in an amphibious invasion. And even then, the Azure Isles are protected by daunting fortresses rising from the cliff sides. This means that the Azure Isles may menace coastal provinces, while remaining well-protected from their home base.
Contraband: What pirate kingdom would be complete without an export of Contraband.
Gentleman's Agreement: Perhaps most significant, the Azure Isles quietly enjoys a Gentleman's Agreement with Ariselle. Ariselle is the most powerful naval power in Sovereignty, and it projects its civilization across the world. At the same time, Ariselle understands that the Azure Isles serve as an important counterbalance to the ambitions of other naval powers. Thus, while Ariselle publicly condemns piracy of any kind, it quietly supports the Azure Isles so long as the Azure Isles do not challenge Ariselle directly. This Gentleman's Agreement is something that the Azure Isles would do well to uphold.


Good Hunting!

Breca

[RedHawl]

Thanks Breca this is helpful.
I am curious to see how the AI will handle the gentleman's agreement.

[Breca]

The Azure Isles' Unit spotlight: the Galleon.

Galleons are formidable pirate flagships, specializing in surprise attacks. When they are themselves caught by regular navy, they are far less fearsome, and will attempt to evade contact.

When a Galleon receives its first combat Medal, it may gain one additional ability of your choice:

Defense +1:
Evasion: This unit may not be captured.

When a Galleon receives its second combat Medal, they may gain a final ability of your choice:

Attack +1:
Shackles: Any enemy Unit retreating as a result of damage from this Unit is instead captured and becomes a Prisoner.