Hey everybody,
It’s finally time to take a closer look at the last faction to join the roster for the 1.0 release of Endless Legend 2: The Sandshapers.
The Sandshapers are ancient inhabitants of Saiadha who remember a time before the Endless, before the oceans. They had built wondrous cities of towering spires in the vast deserts of Saiadha. When the Endless imprisoned the spirit of the planet and caused the great floods, their civilization was swept away. Those who remain now seek to recover their former glory and restore Saiadha to its natural beauty of unending deserts. They will reclaim this world and restore their grand cities, no matter who stands in their way.
The Sandshapers are one of the most alien factions in Endless Legend 2. While their heroes and units largely maintain an upright pose with a face-like focal point near the top and a hint of limbs, the also feature straight lines and geometric curves that do not feel natural as well as disconnected parts. Their architecture similarly defies the architectural conventions of the other factions, and almost defies the laws of physics: Slender, titanic (dare I say cyclopean?) structures reaching far into the skies, yet covered in the most intricate detail, and built not of sturdy stone, but of sand and glass.
Units and Characters: Clouds, smoke, sandstorms, sweeping arches
Buildings: Sandcastle texture (obviously), almost fractal details, towering spires
The Sandshapers are expansionists and terraformers. They want to claim as much land as they can to empower their Wishes and fuel their economy, while turning it into desert Sand tiles that are less useful to other empires. As our Lead Designer describes them:
The Sandshapers are our Terraformer faction, and they are relentless when the ground bends to their will, and desperate when it doesn't. They are designed for survivor-type players who enjoy starting in a hostile world and reshaping it in their own image, thriving where other factions would struggle.
Ruins of their crumbling civilization fuel the magic that feeds their people, so raising new ones is a constant necessity. Their armies and population regenerate directly from the sand their powers scatter around each ruin.
The Sandshapers don't receive anything, they reclaim it, tile by tile, ruin by ruin.
Now only remain Dreamers who fantasize about reliving their past visions, Seekers who desire to regain their faded powers, and even a few Conquerors who hope to retake the planet where they once walked alone… Which one will you be?
The Sandshapers are being of sand, rock, and glass, and as such cannot sustain themselves the same way as the other creatures of Saiadha: They cannot harvest Food yields from tiles other than Sand, and Sand tiles do not occur naturally on Saiadha. Luckily, the Sandshapers can also spot the ancient ruins of their civilization, and restoring these monuments allows them to invoke mighty Wishes, among them the ability to terraform the tiles around them into Sand tiles.
Storm Cursed: All constructions are more expensive during Monsoon season for the Sandshapers.
Aquaphobic: The Sandshapers cannot exploit basic resources on tiles next to rivers or lakes, nor can they build bridges, but their dams are more effective at drying out riverbeds.
Saiadhan Shapers: All Landscaping actions complete faster for Sandshapers.
Lands of the Past: After each Tidefall, the newly uncovered land is highlighted through the fog of war.
Harvester: Resource Extractors are much cheaper to build for Sandshapers.
Mineral Bred: Sandshaper cities gain extra food based on their extraction of strategic resources.
Sandshaper units are resilient and can weather the storm of battle better than most, especially if they’re fighting in their native deserts. However, they are by no means mere brutes, as they also have a few tricks up their sandy sleeves to manipulate positioning on the battlefield.
At the end of your turn, you units deal 8 damage to all adjacent enemies, ignoring their Defense. The Blackwind is the Sandshapers’ scout unit, an agile flier who can knock enemies back a tile in combat.
The Deathgale leans into its scouting role by being even faster on the world map.
The Sandswarm on the other hand bolsters its allies with shields.
The Shard serves as the infantry core of your armies and are great flankers thanks to their short-range teleport.
Spineshards excel at opportunistically taking out isolated units.
The Sandstorm Maestro takes on groups of enemies with its area of effect attack.
Sandweavers attack at range, but much like their melee-focused brethren have access to a short teleport.
Stonewardens are useful to focus on tough enemies and shatter their defenses.
Stonescorchers are best placed deep in your ranks as their attacks strengthen their allies.
Vitreous Titans are tough juggernauts that receive shielding every turn.
Bulwarks are so terrifying to behold they can push away enemy units.
Stoneslingers meanwhile attack everyone in front of them and obliterate their defenses.
The Sandshapers will be available with the 1.0 Release of Endless Legend. It’s up to you to lead them to victory and restore Saiadha to its former glory.