BUILDINGS:
The Vanir buildings are considerably weaker than other buildings and look like plants or are covered in them. Their hp slowly increases as time passes and when they grow to their maximum their hp is very high. They can’t upgrade their walls or towers but they grow to be quite strong like the rest of their buildings.

HEROES:
The Vanir have a hero called the witch. In the Archaic age the hero can do four things: counter mus with a ranged wand attack, pick up relics, sacrifice animals and do a certain magic that differs between the major gods. Each of the minor gods has a different tech which gives witches another magical power. Most magic powers are cast like Atlantean god powers—they have to regenerate and can be cast within the witches los (these cost favour to cast)—other powers briefly change the witches form, strength or vulnerability and some give the witch a permanent different attack or statistic. When witches are transformed they still count as heroes.

RESOURCE GATHERING:
The Vanir’s villager is the elf; the elf is good at resource gathering and building and is fast with a high hp. Their drop-off site is the store tree. When an elf starts gathering a resource a store tree will grow out of the ground. No store trees will grow within the los of another store tree or your town centre. Resources dropped off in the tree do not go straight to the stockpile and instead stay garrisoned in the tree. The resources filter into your stockpile at a moderate pace. Store trees cannot be destroyed and instead can be captured by the enemy who then receive the resource filter and the building as a drop-off site. All gathering techs are researched at the store tree.

SCOUT:
The Vanir scout is the eagle. The eagle is a flying scout which you cannot control but which can be destroyed by the enemy. The eagle will fly to unexplored areas of the map at its own accord but it is weak. Vanir start the game with a single eagle and can create more from their tc.

FAVOUR:
The Vanir gain favour from animal sacrifice. Witches can sacrifice herd animals for a certain amount of favour (about 1 favour per 10 food). All major gods can create herd animals for free in different ways but they take a while to summon. Sacrificed animals cannot be gathered from.

GOD POWERS:
The Vanir god powers are unique. Most god powers (the weaker ones) can be used an unlimited amount of times. The unlimited god powers must regenerate before they can be re-used and all their powers cost favour to use.

MYTH UNITS:
All Vanir mus are one of four elements—earth fire wind and water; three of each. There are myth techs that improve certain element myth units. All myth units can summon other mus called elementals of the same element for a favour cost. Elementals look like humanoids made out of the element which they represent. Elementals are created almost instantly but are not as powerful as normal mus. Earth elementals are big, with a high hp and are good against buildings; they are slow and not ranged. Fire elementals are fast and ranged, they have very little hp and a moderate attack. Wind elementals are aerial mus with a whirlwind attack. Water elementals can only be summoned on water and are fast and strong. Elementals take up one population space each.

WONDERS AND TITAN:
The Vanir titan will be a huge tree giant that resembles an ent. The wonders will be the magor gods' mythological homes; Freys will be his hall in alfheim, Freyjas will be her great hall in Asgard and Njords will be his great dock in Vaniheim.

VANIR TECH TREE:

ARCHAIC AGE:
Buildings:
Town centre
House
Dock
Hedge- The Vanir wall; weak at first but slowly grows to be tall and strong.
Temple
Farm
Store tree

Units:
Elf
Eagle
Fishing ship
Witch- Train from temple

CLASSICAL AGE:
Buildings:
Tree tower- The Vanir tower; weak at first but slowly grows to be tall and strong.
Infantry academy- Trains Vanir infantry and archers.
Armoury

Units:
Raiding canoe- Arrow ship
Transport ship
Berserker- Axeman dressed in a bear skin. Anti cavalry. Train from infantry academy.
Shieldmaiden- Swordswoman with large shield. Anti archer. Train from infantry academy.
Alfar bowman- Elf archer. Anti infantry. Train from infantry academy.

HEROIC AGE:
Buildings:
Chariot academy- Trains Vanir cavalry which are speciality units.
Market
Castle- Vanir fortress.

Units:
Cat chariot- Woman riding a fast scythe chariot driven by huge cats. Cats attack with teeth and causes trample damage with scythes. Only good against siege. Train from chariot academy.
Goat chariot- Moderate speed chariot driven by goats. Attacks with throwing hammers. Only good against villagers. Train from chariot academy.
Boar chariot- Extremely slow chariot driven by a giant boar and steered by a huge burly Viking. Attacks with long whip. Good against infantry and archers, too slow to keep up with other cavalry. Train from chariot academy.
Deer caravan- Vanir trade unit.
Knorr- Hammer ship.
Bombarder- Siege ship.
Tree ram- Non covered battering ram. The ram is a tree. Good against buildings. Train from castle.
Assasain- Fast elf infantry that attacks with throwing knives. Only good against heroes. Train from castle.

MYTHIC AGE:
Building:
Wonder

Unit:
Quarantiner- Siege weapon. Looks like trebuchet on wheels. Fires cows, pigs and goats at enemies. Has a small maximum range but a minimum range also. Has a huge attack area that equally damages enemy and allied units. Good against units. Train from castle.

VANIR GODS:
Major gods:
Frey- God of plenty and the light elves. Benefits elves.
*Can build skidbladnirs—flying ships that are built like normal buildings but once complete they look like miniature versions of Loki’s wonder that can move and transport units.
*Elves have more speed and hp.
*Elves can carry more resources.
*Farming is faster.
Witch magic- Abundance: Witches can summon cows.
God power- Alfar arrow shot: Cast on any ranged unit. For the duration of the gp the unit has unlimited range.
Tech- Funeral pyre: Causes skidbladnirs, when destroyed to temporarily stay on the ground on fire to damage all units around them.

Freyja- Goddess of love, beauty and magic. Benefits military
*Can create pigs from town centre.
*Magic regeneration is faster.
*Cavalry have more speed.
Witch magic- Healing magic: Witches can heal allied units.
God power- Inspiration: A short, global boost to your units attack much like Arkantos’ special attack.
Tech- Glittering weapons: Gives infantry more attack.

Njord- God of fire, wind and the sea. Benefits defence.
*Whales protect dock. These whales swim around all your docks and must be killed before any damage can be done to the dock itself.
*Store trees filter faster.
*Elementals are cheaper.
*Wild animals don’t attack elves.
Witch magic- Foresight: Witches can reveal the map like oracles.
God power- Vegetable lamb: Creates a large plant which can create goats but which the enemies can capture. Can only be used once.
Tech- Chariot god: Increases chariot hp.

Classical age goddesses:
Laga- Goddess of springs and wells. Benefits water element.
Mu- Lindwurm: Slow snake like dragon. Water element.

Gp- Well of worm hill: Creates a well which can garrison lindwurms. When they are garrisoned their hp slowly grows and they grow longer until a maximum hp (about 1000)
Techs-
Lambton worm: Upgrades lindwurms to Lambton worms with more attack and maximum hp.
Hamhleyp: Gives witches the magic to change into large powerful bears for a brief period.
River of Urd: Gives Water element mus more speed and attack.

Gefjion- Goddess of plants, fertility and unmarried dead women. Benefits farming.
Mu- Green man. Man made of leaves that attacks with a wind that sends sharp leaves at enemy. Extremely high attack but its attack decreases once it moves. Wind element.
Gp- Plough lake: Turns all land in the area where it is casted into shallows. Both land and naval units can travel on the terrain but nothing can be built on it except docks. Cannot be casted near buildings.
Techs-
Sjonhverting: Allows witches to turn a unit within their los into a chaos unit.
Four oxen: Makes elves farm faster and carry more food from farms.
Holly king: Upgrades green man to green man of spring with more range and faster attack regeneration when idle.

Idun- Goddess of immortality. She owned the golden apples that kept the gods young. Benefits unit hp.
Mus-
Goblin: A weak, cheap demon with a knife that, when idle and with full hp the goblin burrows underground and cannot be seen by enemies it will jump out and become visible when an enemy comes near. Earth element.

Unicorn: Fast weak mu that is good against cavalry and which has a constant aura healing ability which heals all units (even enemy ones around it). Fire element.

Gp- Old age: Cast on a group of enemy units to decrease their speed.
Techs-
Fire shield: Lets your witches use a power that briefly surrounds them with a ring of fire that damages enemy units that come near it.
Apples of youth: Makes your elves regenerate.
Cross breeding: Upgrades goblins to hobgoblins which regenerate.

Heroic age gods:
Kvasir- God of wisdom. Benefits witches
Mus-
Assassin vine: Slow, walking tangle of vines. It has a ranged attack that it whips enemies with the vines. Its special attack sends out vines which constrict the enemy unit and make it unable to attack but able to move. Earth element.

Nixe: Naval mermaid that can throw tridents or as a special attack lure land units into the water to drown. Good against land human soldiers. Water element.

Gp- Protection henge: Creates a circle of rocks that when your soldiers are inside they cannot attack or be attacked. It can be captured; if your enemy surrounds it with more soldiers than you have inside it then your soldiers will fly out and it will become the enemy’s.
Techs-
Elemental magic: Gives witches the ability to summon elementals. They are exactly the same in cost and strength as normal mu elementals but like most witch powers it must regenerate.
Meerfrau: Upgrades Nixe to Havmand Nixe with more range and attack bonus versus land units.
Mead of inspiration: Gives witches more los for a greater area in which to cast their power.

Nanna- Wife of Baldur. Benefits ships.
Mu- Salamander: Huge lizard with wings of fire. Its special attack is a huge fireball which causes buildings to suffer slow constant damage like a scorpion man’s poison attack except versus buildings. Its normal attack is only good against buildings. Fire element.

Gp- Immortality: Cast on a unit, for the duration of the gp the unit cannot be damaged but as soon as the power finishes the unit dies.
Techs-
Volva: Allows your witches to summon unworthy dead mus. They look like living skeletons and are about as powerful as dryads and don’t take up population either. There is no volva limit.
Sword of Surt: Increases all fire element mus attack and range.
Carvel ships: Gives raiding canoes more speed and hp.
Wala’s prophecy: Makes gps cheaper.

Hermod- Messenger of the gods. Benefits cavalry.
Mu- Sleinpir: Eight legged horse. The fastest unit in the game. It can walk on water. Wind element.

Gp- Bifrost: Cast this on two places on the map. A rainbow joins the two points in the air and units can walk over the rainbow. The bridge is permanent and cannot be destroyed. The bridge is just counted as terrain and not a unit. Units can walk over the bridge from either end and ranged units below the bridge can attack units on it and vice versa. This power can only be used once.
Techs-
Hulioshjalmr: Allows witches to be invisible for the duration of the magic. Invisible witches can be seen by allies but not enemies and can sacrifice animals, pick up relics and freyjas ones can heal but they cannot attack or perform any other magic.
Cyclone: Increases wind element mus speed, pierce and hack armour.
Mounted messenger: increases chariot speed.

Mythic age gods:
Mani- The god of the moon. Benefits witches.
Mu- Gulon: Beast with the head of a tiger, the body of a hyena and the tail of a fox which represents gluttony. For its special attack it eats an enemy soldier which heals its hp a little. Earth element.

Myth building- Toadstool: A giant mushroom with a non-ranged special attack that poisons enemies. It has no normal attack but can create another toadstool for the same price anywhere on the map that you have los. Heaps of spores fly out of the first toadstool to where you build the second one and eventually another one will appear.
Gp- Full moon: Turns all your human soldiers on the map into powerful werewolves for the duration of the god power afterwards they turn back.
Techs-
Broomstick: Turns all witches into aerial units.
Ymir’s flesh: Improves all earth mus hp and decreases their cost.
Hati’s eclipse: Makes witches do more damage to mus.

Sol- Goddess of the sun. Benefits buildings.
Mu- Garm: A huge 4 eyed dog that spits blood at enemies. Its special attack is a big blood vomit which makes a patch of boiling blood that briefly damages all units that go near it. Fire element.

Myth building- Sunna wort: A flower that shoots out solar beams. Its attack begins at 1 but quickly increases and has no limit. As soon as it attacks it attack goes back to 1.
Gp- Yggdrasil: Creates a huge tree. Roots grow out of the tree—one for every enemy town centre. They slowly grow towards the town centres and when they reach them they will make short work of them. The roots cannot be attacked but the tree can. This power can only be used once.
Techs-
Fanfir’s spell: Allows your witches to transform into huge powerful dragons. They turn back after the magic runs out.
Solar growth: Increases the maximum hp of all buildings.
Glory of elves: Upgrades sunna worts to Alfrodull worts with faster attack regeneration.

Skirnir- Servant of Frey. Benefits human soldier attack.
Mus-
Storm giant: A huge giant surrounded by clouds. Its special attack throws rocks at enemies that send all units flying around it. Its normal attack is a ranged whirlwind firing attack. Wind element.

Grendal: Swimming, giant sea monster. Its special attack is a bubble which engulfs the enemy unit and paralyses them, making them fly through the air in a giant bubble which you can control but pops quickly. Its normal attack is a bone club, good against ships. Water element.

Gp- Utgard: Cast this power on a town centre. It turns into a huge ice fortress which cannot be destroyed but can be captured by the enemy who receives the population space and all other benefits of a normal tc. Utgard fires out icicles and its special attack is a volley of many icicles which surround the enemy, making them unable to move. This power can be used only once.
Techs-
Chain lightning: Replaces witches wand attack with a powerful chain lightning attack.
Flying steed: Increases chariot attack versus infantry.
Frey’s sword: Increases shield maiden attack versus mus.

[This message has been edited by TheJohnmeister (edited 03-10-2004 @ 10:07 PM).]