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Warlords Battlecry III Screenshots of the Ssrathi Sia 'Garrett' Manzari, 2004-04-23
Enlight has released some new screenshots from the very soon to be released Warlords Battlecry III and is also introducing the race of the Ssrathi today:
The Ssrathi are group of reptilian humanoid creatures from the southern jungles of Keshan. Keshan is a tropical land - warm and wet - where gold is almost as plentiful as water. They live in small tribes, each ruled by a Shaman and guarded by a protective snake-spirit called a Naga. Ssrathi are cold-blooded and so they worship Couatl the Sun God, who provides the warmth that they need to move around. The largest Ssrathi tribe lives in a huge citadel called Kalpaxotl, which translates to "Jewel of the Sun". At the center of this citadel rises a magnificent temple to Couatl. Lord Iriki, an ancient and powerful Ssrathi Shaman whom even the gods rightly fear, rules this temple.
For a non-human side, the Ssrathi are incredibly well-rounded.
They gain access to the Snakepriest very early (at Keep Level 2). No other sides, even the highly magical Elves, have access to their spellcasters so early. Snakepriests shoot fire from magical staves, and are able to cast Poison Cloud and Cauterize (a minor healing spell). This means that a large group of Snakepriests can be a real handful for other sides in the early game, because they are efficient at destroying buildings and also able to heal themselves.
As they progress, the Ssrathi gain access to Dinosaurs. Their Lizard Riders (snakemen on raptors) are the fastest troops in Etheria, while the huge cumbersome Triceratops and T.Rex might be slow and awkward, but they pack a major punch.
With such slow hard-hitting late game units, it might seem at first that the Ssrathi are very vulnerable to missile fire, however their builder, the Chameleon, is able to learn to dodge arrows and (in numbers) can act as a great screen for the more powerful troops.
If Ssrathi lack anything, it is access to siege weapons; they have none. However their general, the Naga, is quite powerful with a ranged magic attack and the ability to cast a shield spell on her nearby troops.
The Ssrathi Titan is Lord Iriki - a monstrous four-legged lizardman from a now ancient and extinct tribe - who has survived for hundreds of years as ruler of Kalpaxotl.
One final warning for any player attacking a Ssrathi base - beware Couatl's Wrath! If you attack a high-level Sun Temple, and the Ssrathi player sacrifices 750 Gold to his God, then rings of fire will shoot from the temple, laying waste to your armies. It is always best to take out the Sun Temples from a distance! |