Niefelheim - Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

[JonBrave]

Originally Posted by Soyweiser

Jon, those items disappear. Unless there is a lab, then they might get placed into the storage.

There is no hidden retainer.

Blimey! You seem to be quite correct, I don't know where I got that assumption from. Perhaps I only ever changed shapes in labs. I now only equip with shared-slot items anyway, for simplicity.

[AreaOfEffect]

There are several forms of shapechanging and each type follows slightly different rules.

The Black Sorcerers of Machaka
--
These shapeshifters have no control over their ability to change form. Not either as a battle command or as a command on the map view. These units only change when their hit points fall to zero. There new form will always have more hit points and they will retain the damage they have taken from their old form, but no more damage then they had in hit points before. These rules also apply to units like the Skinshifters of Vanhiem and the Jaguar Warriors of Mictlan, yet they are followers and not leaders, so you wouldn't be able to control their shapeshifting anyhow. At the end of combat, all of these units will revert to their previous form.

The Dai Oni and Oni Generals of Yomi
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These units act roughly the same as the Black Sorcerers above accept that their new form is actually weaker in hit points. In this case the damage from their previous form is wiped away. This difference makes the mechanics behind their transformation completely different. However, in practice the results are much the same except in cases where the unit has regeneration. The unit will revert to its old form after combat if it lives.

The Dragon Pretender Chassis
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These units have two forms from which they cycle through, like the others above, but unlike the others, you can control which form they start in before combat. You can also issue commands in combat to change form as well. Here it becomes important as to which form your in before combat. Dragons in human form act like Black Sorcerers. They will revert to a tougher form if brought to zero hit points and keep some damage. If they shapechange because of a command, they will revert back to their pre-combat form after the battle. If a dragon shapechanges because of damage, they will remain in dragon form after the battle. The damage transformation takes precedence. If the dragon is in dragon form at the start of combat, it will not transform but simply die.

The Skatti of Niefelheim
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This is one of those rare cases where the unit has three forms: a middle health form (Sorcerer), a high health form (Werewolf), and a low health form (Wolf). This unit is using the same mechanics as the dragon pretender, but with a twist. The result is that things get weird when you shapechange in battle because the mechanics were designed originally for units with two forms. If you use the shapechange command in combat, the unit will shapechange again after combat. If you use the shapechange commad multiple time in combat, it will shapechange after combat for the same number of times as it did while in combat. This means that if you shapechange once, it will shapechange once again. Since the progression is not binary, you will end up in wolf form if you started the battle in sorcerer form and changed once. You will end up in sorcerer form if you started the battle in wolf form and changed twice. Change form three times in combat to end up where you started after combat. Tests show that you turn into a werewolf if you are taken to zero hit points in either sorcerer or wolf form. You will not transform if you start in werewolf form and instead you will simply be dead. At the end of combat, if you shapeshifted from damage, you should remain in werewolf form.

This is NOT a comprehensive list of shapeshifting. Though I hope you appreciate the information. Let me know if you want a rant about the particularities of Machaka's Black Hunters or Sauromatia's Androphag.

[SsSam]

Originally Posted by Soyweiser

I think, not sure, that a giant skrattir that is killed transforms into a werewolf, and becomes a wolf after battle. Not 100% sure on this one. but this should be easy to test.

Tested in post 147. A Skratti killed in battle does not transform, but dies.

[AreaOfEffect]

Originally Posted by SsSam

Tested in post 147. A Skratti killed in battle does not transform, but dies.

Test again. The hit point difference between the Sorcerer form and the Werewolf form is only 10 hit points. The unit might of gotten hit, transformed, hit again, and died too quickly for you to notice the shapeshifting. The unit will transform, I've tested it and seen it done over and over again.

[SsSam]

Originally Posted by AreaOfEffect

Test again. The hit point difference between the Sorcerer form and the Werewolf form is only 10 hit points. The unit might of gotten hit, transformed, hit again, and died too quickly for you to notice the shapeshifting. The unit will transform, I've tested it and seen it done over and over again.

Areaofeffect is quite right.

[Soyweiser]

Yeah, I recalled I had some mage skrattir shapechange after a particular bad battle. (Which I won of course. ;D) but that was years ago.

[Corinthian]

Something to remember (or so I seem to remember), is that things with second shape will not change in to that shape if they have more than 100 fatigue. This means that a skratti witch have tired itself out by casting spells will not become a werewolf. This is also why stellar cascade is a popular way of killing Chayots. If an unit does not have 100+ fatigue and have a second shape then it is impossible to kill it with just one attack. Even if hit with something like soulslay which cause 999 points of damage it will still have at least 1 hp left in its second shape. More if its a Skratti because they regenerate.

Unfortunately I think the Skrattis first shape is the wolf form and its last shape is the werewolf form so this is harder to abuse than you'd think.