Barbarians

Titan - Tempest

Click Tempest to hear him speak

Tempest is the God of Storms. He rides a giant golden pegasus named Thunder and carries a spear that shoots lightning from its tip. As his name suggests, he is a violent God, who slays friends and foes alike without mercy or discrimination. When the skies grow dark and cloudy, Tempest's followers believe that he swoops down from the heavens to strike at their enemies, and then finally to carry the spirits of fallen warriors back to join the eternal battle of Barak-Nir. He is worshipped by Barbarian tribes all over Etheria. Many of these tribes may worship other Gods and Spirits as well, but out of fear and respect, they all hold Tempest as being the mightiest God of all. To be struck and killed by lightning is a blessing, since Tempest needs your aid in Barak-Nir immediately. To be struck by lightning and survive is the gravest of insults, since Tempest has found you unworthy - and you will be exiled from the Barbarian clans.

Race

Barbarians use a lot of Stone and Metal, and some Gold, but have never even figured out why people bother digging up crystal, because it can’t be used to inflict pain. Lower level Barbarian armies can be made from a single resource, which can be handy. Their builder units (Thralls) are incredibly cheap, so be sure to chain them all together (it’s what they expect) and send them off to work in the mines.

Barbarians get 100 Gold for every building they raze (which is a bit like rewarding dogs for pooping on the sidewalk) but it’s nice work if you can get it.

Pros: Easy to manage, most research items are very desirable.

Cons: Slow to build, need lots of Stone, vulnerable to sides like Dwarves and Elves (especially Wood Elves) with a good melee and a longer ranged missile attack.

To taunt a Barbarian: Ask him to count past three.

To make friends with a Barbarian: Slaughter and cook lots of inoffensive animals, and then quietly leave after the first course.

Motto: ‘Brains, we don’t need no stinkin brains’.

Barbarian:

The name says it all. Cheap and unsophisticated units, requiring only Metal to build. However, research the Spear of Ankh (+10 Damage) at a Level Four Keep and they’re cheap, unsophisticated and deadly. Perfect for taking out towers and walls, especially if they’ve also researched Hunting, which allows their spears to do more damage to normally resistant targets. They still can’t melee with a Titan but if they can stay alive long enough, they can do a lot of damage with their ranged attacks.

War Dogs:

Real Barbarians don’t quite trust War Dogs, since they suspect (correctly) that the Dogs are both smarter and better looking than they are. However, with the War Dogs only requiring a Level 2 Keep and some gold to produce, they complement each other nicely (and will only fight each other at the barbecue after the battle). War Dogs cannot be tought new tricks.

Riders:

Philosophers have often pondered whether even someone as brutal as Attilla the Hun had some redeeming features. He didn’t, and neither do these guys, unless you need a whole bunch of cheap, fast cavalry, fit only for the purpose of slaughtering your neighbors. In which case, the Barbarian Rider is ideal. It’s true that they haven’t really got to grips with the concept of armor, probably because they’d need a special pointy-headed Barbarian unit to help them put it on. On the other hand, you don’t even have to pretend to cry when a whole bunch get killed on a suicidal mission, since you just make some more.
You should definitely research Rearing/Trampling and then Horse Master/Horse Lord, which makes the Riders ride faster and hurt people better. There is a modest cost, but this can easily be recouped by burning down a mere ten or so buildings, which you were going to do anyway.

Minotaurs:

Many Barbarians die not very tragic deaths each year, as they try some seriously stupid schemes to attach horns to their head, just like their Minotaur heroes. Apart from their dubious value as role models, Minotaurs are really good at crushing damage. They crush things, and they crush them in such a way that they can’t be uncrushed. Since Minotaurs who hang round with Barbarians rather than other Minotaurs get picked on at Minotaur conventions, you should probably be nice to them and let them crush more things.

Reavers:

Reavers are the Barbarian’s General, although it is open to ask the question of how someone who can’t even dress themselves in a shirt, let alone armor, gets to be a General. Don’t ask a Reaver though, because they’re mean and nasty fighters, especially if you’ve researched Barbarian King, which adds +10 to their already impressive damage stats. As a General, they’re useful for converting, or reconverting structures, which they do by headbutting them into submission. Reavers also do double damage against large creatures (obviously some size issues there) so they’ll do very nicely against Giants, Trolls and the like.

Eagles:

You might be tempted to skip over Eagles on the way to Pegasi or Dragons, but maybe you shouldn’t. Firstly, they’re one of the few Barbarian units with a plausible reason for not wearing armor. Secondly, they’re a builder, so they can be used to skulk around the place and put towers in awkward places. This tactic is particularly effective against human players, and surely the sheer auditory pleasure of hearing someone cry ‘who put that $#@&^! Tower there’ is worth a few lumps of stone and metal. Eagles are also a cost effective way to attack opponents’ towers, though you shouldn’t expect too many of them to wing their way back from such a mission.

Pegasi:

Pegasi are delicate and graceful creatures, who don’t really belong with Barbarians, but who stick around because the Barbarian units make them look even better. You definitely need some Pegasi around, because they can attack both air and ground creatures. This is especially necessary for dealing with craven and cowardly opponents who don’t mount an honorable frontal assault, but instead send aerial units to sneak into your base and burn it down when you’re off shopping for wood, or spiking up your hair. Pegasi benefit from the same research that Riders do, another good reason for doing it.

Dragons:

Yes, you know you want them, and you know that if your opponent has them, and you don’t, then you’re in for a hard time. Dragons fit perfectly with the Barbarian philosophy of destroying everything in sight.

Tempest:

Tempest is an intellectual titan, so incredibly intelligent that he’s actually worked out how to put on a helmet! This means that all his armour values are at 5, though doubtless some of the credit must also go to the bracelets on his arms, and the incredibly effective loincloth that he also wears.
Still, as a unit with 700 hits, no matter where you attacked him it would still take some time to wear him down. The fact that he can fly and shoot lightning means that he’s supremely capable of taking the war into the enemy’s base, and ending it.