[h1]Greetings Wielders! [/h1] The holidays are upon us, and at Lavapotion HQ that means cozy lights, Christmas trees, and—most importantly—a new Vanir Devlog! This time, we’re diving into what we consider the heart of any faction: the [b]Wielders[/b]. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3260210/Songs_of_Conquest__Vanir/ These heroes, generals, and leaders are your avatars on the battlefield while you explore our pixelated world. Their ability to channel essence from their troops not only shapes your tactics but also adds their own theme to things, adding to create a character and not just a small animated figure. We’re currently deep into the “polishing phase” of the Vanir DLC, still targeting that vague Winter 2024 release window. Now that we’ve cleared up the big question, let’s focus on what makes this update truly exciting: the Wielders! While we won’t spoil details on the entire roster, we’ve picked a few standouts to highlight. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/d8b847fb98e864655e58003bffcce10b87209341.gif[/img] The name comes from the Swedish word for revenge and she is a wielder inspired by the Vanir units Nornor, the very essence of the witch in the forest. And Haemnd is just that, but also more since she can wield the essence of those that follow her. With her loyal familiar and pet Needleclaw, she really is a sight to behold. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/f4db07c81414397d654ae94011e7fa6afa3e3e28.png[/img] Her starting units are two crones and a Bacahorse, and more about that scary pony can be read in our last devlog. Haemnd is an essence-focused Wielder, with a starting skill in Arcana and a specialization in spell damage. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/1a6963b2d25964e35d6dfc509e183ab94ea08f15.gif[/img] Jarn Steadfast is a powerful human Wielder, a Chieftan with a specialization that gives +5HP to all human troops under his command, And given the fact that some of the Vanir troops stop being human after they upgrade, it gives you some interesting tactical choices. Will you prioritize an all-human line-up or will you change halfway and embrace the more expensive Vildra units? His style is very much inspired by iron-age Scandinavian warriors, with some artistic liberty added for that fantasy touch, we are pretty sure they didn’t have furs on their shoulders, despite what that HBO series told us, but hey, it looks cool! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/5535da5200e949660b79ee0cf0b5256f9deb8670.png[/img] Jarn is also the main character in the story-driven Challenge Map Steadfast, where you take charge of the Vanir settlement Crow’s Hill defense. A perfect map for learning more about the sometimes risky truce between the Humans and the Vildra, the two aspects of Vanir society. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/bd511461e641c30e610c65a26b972bf347f3d8ac.gif[/img] Trolls are sad and mournful beasts, living in seclusion under bridges and in caves. They are despite their melancholy incredibly dangerous, especially those Trolls that turn their sadness into cruelty and turn into Grym. The Troll Wielder Sorg however isn’t cruel by nature, although dangerous when angered. His starting lineup — 1 Troll and 1 Grym — combined with his ranged offense specialization and Archery skill, make him a devastating force with his boulder-throwing troops. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/af83c7a4994010e1439a6957c96c12b50d761576.png[/img] The new story-driven Challenge Map Sorg’s Journey tells the tale of when Sorg was captured by Baryan slavers and his desperate fight to return home. As one of the new Vanir-themed maps, it highlights the story of this powerful troll while offering you a chance to explore the Vanir faction’s playstyle. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/06bbfb8d0790fc876c6cf62a236e2978991065d5.gif[/img] Gorm Aelgrim didn’t always look like a massive human-bear hybrid, Once a man, now a skin shifter twisted by Vildra magic Filled with rage and fury, even for one of his kind, his change caused a conflict in Vanir society, causing death and destruction in the lands called Bleak East. Gorm is strong in Essence, with a specialization granting chaos essence and a starting skill in Destruction there is a definite theme to this bear-like Wielder. He starts with two skinshifters, aggressive melee Vildra units with destruction and Chaos essence. Personally, I recommend adding some early-game Huscarls to his lineup, giving him all the destruction magic his angry little bear heart can want. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40723472/5dadcc21e0cad6efbc9aed01c468f511511f832e.png[/img] These are just four out of the nine new Vanir Wielders, each with their very own tactics and play style. We are certain that you will find your own favorite when you get your hands on our Vanir DLC. It’s both exciting and fun, to create a new faction like this, and we can’t wait for you to try them out! /Anders and Team Lavapotion [url=https://twitter.com/songsofconquest]Twitter[/url] [url=https://discord.com/invite/soc]Discord[/url] [url=https://www.youtube.com/@SongsofConquest]Youtube[/url] [url=https://www.instagram.com/songsofconquest/]Instagram[/url] [url=https://www.facebook.com/songsofconquest/]Facebook[/url]