Better Know a Pretender: The Virtue

[OmikronWarrior]

Originally Posted by Sombre

Barbarians wouldn't berserk from being hit, because one hit would kill them. But I think they could berserk from a repel. Then again with that awe, they would never get repelled.

So yeah, barbs would be safe, as they'd never berserk.

As said earlier, only barbarian chiefs get beserk. However, I'd still say barbarians pose a significant threat to the Virtue even at +7 Awe. 2 main reasons: 1) large numbers, 2) high damage. Without a fear aura, the Virtue has to kill the barbarians one by one, which gains 1 fatigue every round. Though I'm a bit confused by routing mechanics, it would appear that 50% casualties must be suffered before a retreat is contemplated. So, if a Virtue attacks a 50 barbarian province, thats accumulating a lot of swings that will add up in the fatigue column. Plus, when barbarians do hit, they average 15 damage give or take. On a 40 HP, chasis, thats affliction likely, to say nothing of death possible. Better dominion helps, but that still means slowing down expansion. Feel free to test this out yourself. The Virtue will survive some just fine, but other times will retreat with 2 new afflictions ending her SC career (barring healers, but that still delays the vitals expansion phase).

Obviously, a bit of equipment (or XP) can quickly change this dynamic.

[chrispedersen]

Routing:

Routing can be caused by unit casualties (where a casualty is a heavy wound or a death).

It can also be caused by a army casualty levels. Route checks are made a single time with light casualties- but every round once casualties reach heavy.

The manual says units of four or less check - thats not my experience.

However, it is fairly reproducible that pans carrion dragon (plague breath which causes couple points of damage) and area fear - on top of aura and +18 fear on the dragon will cause routes without causing a single death...

Wounds count..

this is why I said barbarians can kill a virtue - they come in groups of up to a hundred commonly - A virtue will be losing fatigue faster than it will be able to kill barbarians / inflict a morale check. Ie., you'd have to inflict 10/20/25? before the first serious check - and even then then survivor bonus means the barbs will pass.