Essential Guide #8: So You Want To Be A Warlord?
The WARLORDS release has been out for nearly a week, and we’re close to 34,000 players! Plus, the Mandalorian War, aerial combat, and the Star Wars Total War!
Age of Legends is now one of the largest Empire at War mods, ranked 14th out of 296 on the Steam workshop. This mod started in 2016 as an attempt to add the GR-75 as a buildable space unit… so it’s grown a bit since then! 😂
I’ve had an amazing response to The Essential Guide since the relaunch three weeks ago. Thank you to all for you support: it is helping make the mod – and my ambitious plans for it – sustainable.
The latest release means there are now 7, yes *7* playable Imperial warlord factions. In addition to the mainstream Galactic Empire, the sinister magocracy of the Dark Empire, and the ‘new’, honourable Imperial Remnant of Gilad Pellaeon. Each of these factions offer a completely different unit line-up and play style. (You can find a comprehensive guide to v1.32, and previews of the new warlords here.)
But What About X1, Pitta or the Replacement Warlords?!
Well, in addition to the many existing Warlord factions, at least 5 more are planned eventually.
Age of Legends’ main focus is currently on the 45+ historical Galactic Conquests. But as more and more factions are added I’m working towards a full, Total War-style experience, based on huge sandbox maps with many, many factions.
One day you’ll be able to play as the Sullustans, fend-off Lambda Sector or Prentioch’s Dominion, wage war against the rival Hutt Kajidics, and then take-on the Kuati Ruling Families… before the Ssi-ruuvi or Yevetha sweep across the known Galaxy. Anything could happen. With dozens of playable factions (in fact more than 40 are planned), each replay will be completely unique.
More warlords are an essential part of realising that vision. And I need to make sure each warlord roster is unique and fun, while based on lore as much as possible (sometimes for the most obscure factions I have to be pretty inventive).
And the more support you offer for this guide, the more work I can do on the mod. So please, subscribe today.
Who’s Winning? The Clone Emperor, Or The Yuuzhan Vong?
The response has been fantastic to the new ’25 ABY: Dark Vector’ infinities scenario. What could be more fun than firing the Galaxy Gun at a Kor Chokk, or deploying black-armoured Stormtroopers to hunt down Vong assassins?
There will be a lot of Infinities scenarios in future. The one I’m personally most excited for is ‘22 ABY: The Mandalorian War’ – a Galactic Conquest which will pit Luke Skywalkers’ New Jedi Order and the New Republic against a Galaxy-wide, resurgent Mandalorian Empire!
Substack subscribers will be the first to hear about that.
What’s Next For The Mod?
If you’re active in the Discord community you’ll know my next development cycle is a MAJOR overhaul of land combat.
Ground battles aren’t generally people’s favourite aspect of Empire at War, and it can feel neglected in mods. Well no longer. Every aspect of land combat, from atmospheric fighters and bombers, to long-range artillery, from planetary shields to infantry combat, will be totally reworked. This will draw some inspiration from existing mods, but it will have a very distinct Age of Legends flavour – devoted to the Expanded Universe, with myriad new and unusual units aside the familiar X-wings and TIE Bombers.
Just wait until you have your besieged New Republic infantry troopers holding out against Vong Firebreathers, as Coralskippers and E-wings duel overhead, before a flight of K-wings pulverise the Yuuzhan Vong’s Chazrach slave infantry… There will be EPIC battles to come.