New game/chess variant [Heroes of the Glowing Ether] 1.0.

Thuulyn 2026-06-24 18 views en

This website is far better than lichess btw...

New game/chess variant [Heroes of the Glowing Ether] 1.0.
I decided to create this variant as a tribute to my favorite childhood strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic 4 and 5 (HOMM4-5).
Good old days...
Faction 1 [Elves]
Pawn - Dryad:
Can move as the king and cant leap forwards 2 squares, cant do en-passant. They got a hive mind hence they feel each other's pain, if 1 is killed another randomly will die in the same turn.
Knight - Elven wardancer:
Same as the knight except it can move 3 squares as the rook instead of the "L". Can leap as the knight.
Bishop - Master hunter:
Moves 3 squares as the bishop and cant attack directly. It's range is 2 quares, it can shoot 1 piece if there is an unoccupied square between him and the target. 4 shots per game, after it is useless/alive shield. If there is an enemy piece directly next to it it can still shoot in another direction. Note: its a smart idea to try and block it by standing directly next to it. Cant shoot and move in the same turn. May seem a bit underpowered as nearly all pieces could defend against its attack by standing near but smart strategists use it for kiting. It can shoot diagonally.
Rook - Treant:
It behaves as the king but goes 2 squares. Special ability: Entangling roots. If it kills a creature and there is 1 or multiple creatures directly next to it, it can select 1 to root it for 1 turn. For that turn the creature cant move and cant attack either [because it cant move]. If a unique creature is rooted it may still uses its ranged ability/spell/special ability. "Blood is an excellent fertiliser" - Agrael [aka Raelag]. That's right, the entangling roots take immense energy to grow. It \*needs\* to kill to root, can't just move next to a creature and root it. Note: very powerful against single line pawn chains/separated pawns because it can move 2 squares. Unprotected pieces may be hunted if slow, while in game the enemy should stack his pieces. Pieces may need to be backed up by 2 creatures instead of 1 to take it out with "retaliation"/"trade".
Commander - Fairy dragon:
Majestic creature and disgusted at direct bloodshed. A majestic fairy creature as him should not stain his soul by tainting his claws with blood. Can't attack directly, casts lightning bolt/chain lightning. Can move and leap as the Elven wardancer and can decide to cast lightning bolt/chain lightning instead of a move. Range: 1 more than the Master hunter even if he casts diagonally. This is very powerful but needs recharge, each 2 turns it can cast 1 lightning bolt. The lightning bolt cant be cast on creatures covered by another enemy/friendly creature. There is a 20% chance of the lightning bolt to become a chain lightning killing random 1 creature friendly or foe directly next to target. Unlike the master hunter it can cast lightning bolt while the enemy is directly next to him. Note: If your fairy dragon is killed by its own chain lightning, too bad.
Faction 2 [Dark elves]
This is a matriarchal faction in HOMM5. Didn't exist on its own, it's members are unmoral rouge elves, mostly woman and thiefs/lowlifes. They turned against their diety, stabbed the Elven high-ups in their back, betraying trust and honor, killed the High King and burned the sacred tree of the Elves, their home and a gift and sprout of Sylanna. By severe persecution forced underground, the surface tolerates not their presence. They conduct their blood rituals/sacrifices in their caves, above Hell [Sheol] in a massive cave system and constantly in battle with the Dwarves and each other. They use seduction, stealth, assassination and poison as weapons. They worship the female goddess of the shadows, Malassa.
Pawn - Minotaur:
As the pawn but no 2 squares leap/en-passant and only attacks frontally. It can't switch vertical lines. 10% chance to block the enemy attack/ranged attack/damaging spell. In this case the enemy's turn is wasted. Note: Tough but can't form steady chains as normal pawns.
Knight - Assassin:
Moves as the rook [max. 2 squares] and can turn to stealth for 1 turn, to activate this ability takes 1 turn. Can't attack straight only diagonally like the pawns but can attack from the back straight [e.x. from G4 to G2, if the assassin is white]. It can only move diagonally if it attacks. The stealthed creature can't be seen by the enemy but if a piece is accidentally killed by an enemy move it dies. Spell casters/shooters can try to guess where it is and hit a seemingly empty square. Can be effected by entangling roots/chain lightning while stealthy. A treant can guess where it is and cast entangling roots on an empty square but won't know if it's been successful. If a creature which can't attack directly tries to stand on the seemingly empty square occupied by the assassin it will waste its move but the in stealth will be revealed.
Bishop - Blood sister:
Moves as the king for 2 squares or as the knight but cant leap. Special ability: 2 times per game it can move, kill a creature in its reach and move back to where it came from in the same turn.
Rook - Witch:
Moves as the knight and unvisible on black squares. Can leap as the knight if attacking from a black square. If it kills a creature on a black square it won't be revealed but the enemy will know where it stands. Can be accidentally killed as the assassin. Note: Impressive for forks. Each 2nd turn it's unvisible.
Commander - Hydra:
Moves as the knight and cant leap. Underpowered? It has 9 heads and can kill every enemies directly next to it after a move. It can't attack directly, meaning it cant move onto an enemy and kill it but it can move to a free square and all enemies directly next to it will be killed just like an atomic explosion [including pawns]. Note: NOT underpowered.
Faction 3 [Barbarians]
Pawn - Beserker:
Cant be controlled in battle. Behaves as the pawn and can even attack frontally but Stockfish 1 will control it. You can decide to pass a turn for SF1 instead of a move. Note: Good to rush over the enemy in the opening but kinda useless when few left.
Knight - Harpy:
Same as the knight, it can fly.
Bishop - Nomad:
Same as the bishop, agile.
Rook - Cyclops:
Moves as the rook but 4 squares max. Special ability: Selects a pawn directly next to it and throws it at an enemy creature. Both the pawn and the target die. Can try to blindshoot stealthy creatures. Range as the Master hunter. As the master hunter it can't throw a pawn at a directly close enemy.
Commander - Behemoth:
Powerful beast. Moves as the rook but it's blow is so powerful, if it kills a creature a random enemy creature will die directly next to it (if any). Note: Very powerful because it may stops the creature backing the target from taking behemoth. King protection advised.
Faction 4 [Humans]
Pawn - Peasant:
Same.
Knight - Knight:
Same.
Bishop - Bishop:
Same.
Rook - Priest:
Moves as the bishop but won't attack. It can resurrect up to 4 pawns in combat. Resurrection takes 1 turn [in the turn it resurrects it can't move] and the player gets it as in crazyhouse a placeable piece. Pawn can't be placed in lines 1-3 for black and 6-8 for white.
Commander - Angel:
Moves as the rook but only 5 squares and can leap over 1 enemy line because it can fly. After it leaped a creature it must land and attack/wait.
Faction 5 [Wizards]
They are secretly/openly hated by everyone. A misconception holds about them being famous, advanced and successful, the elves hate them for their disrespect of nature, the humans hate them for their lack of faith. True that, they are the only faction without a Dragon (god). Worse yet, their biggest leaders wanted to make themselfes gods. Even the barbarians have their tribal spiritual beliefs through totems, bones and shamans/chieftains/khans. Their lust for power and wealth is intense and will do anything selfish in favor of their own and the cost of others. Magi, aka fire mages whos learned the secrets of gating from demons and can even cast dark/chaos spells deprived from hidden occult dark, necromantic or demonic arts are tolerated in the wizard society claiming they need their aid for "the greater good". They will not hesitate to chose to support the side/cause in their own material favor. Though powerful and knowledgeable, emotions lack in the wizard society. Golems roam through their flying cities on huge rocks and do their labor, their keepers are similarly emotionless and cold. They disrecpet the Divine Design of Asha [the creator mega dragon: the First and He of the many mysterious faces] by conducting alchemic experiments, destroying stances and substances and creating their own designs. Some rumours claim their ancients could even build man of blood-flesh through alchemy. They are the slavekeepers and they are the responsible for the existence of the barbarians. They did not exist of their own, man without their consent were kidnapped by the wizards and infested by bounding magics and infusion of daemonic blood in their hearts and veins, through immense suffering they were converted to daemon-human hybrids to toil for the mages. Their brute force broke them free and they, just like the daemons are devouring the peaceful fields and glades and forests of man and elfes, corrupting the captured fairy creatures through intimity just like the satyric daemons. Fornications, sins and bloodshed, cannibalism prevail in their subdaemonic society. The wizards are no trustable allies as been felt many times in history even directly by the death of the great king of old of the humans who led a campaign against daemons with the wizards but they abandoned his back. They will not hesitate to cast confusion and mind control to hypnotise their victims or bribe assassins to do the dirty.
Pawn - Golem:
Moves as the king but very slow. Once it attacked it cant for the next 2 turns.
Knight - Frost mage:
No direct attack. It moves as the king and can cast frostbolt. It's range is 2 quares, it can shoot 1 piece if there is an unoccupied square between him and the target/target stands directly next to it. 3 shots per game, after it is useless/alive shield. Unlike the master hunter it can shoot targets directly next to it and can even shoot through 1 friendly creature, can't shoot through 1 enemy creature. Hitting the target over the friendly creature. Cant shoot and move in the same turn. It can shoot diagonally.
Bishop - Fire mage:
Swift [a bit] and vicious. Moves 2 squares as the rook and he is infused with a daemonic "Samson strategy" spell. Once it attacks it explodes as in atomic creating an explosion which devours all pieces [pawns excluded] in a 3x3 area and he dies. However if captured it will simply die and not explode.
Rook - Archmage:
Moves 4 squares as the rook and can't attack directly. Special ability: confusion/hypnotise. Range: 2 squares, diagonal and normal. Can cast over enemy creatures and friendly creatures and has any distance [direct or 2 squares]. It wastes the enemy's initiative hence the enemy creature can't act for 1 turn as in the "spell chess" variant. To cast doesn't take 1 turn, they are swift with magics. If an enemy is confused/hypnotised by the archmage, the owner of it can still make a move in the same turn except only 1 archmage can cast confusion/hypnotise per turn.
Commander - Genie:
Just as the commander but the speed is only 2 squares. Casts arcane bolt. It's range is 2 quares, it can shoot 1 piece if there is an unoccupied square between him and the target/target stands directly next to it. 4 shots per game, but it can also directly attack. Unlike the master hunter it can shoot targets directly next to it and can even shoot through 1 friendly creature/enemy hitting the target over the friendly creature or even the enemy creature. Cant shoot and move in the same turn. It can shoot diagonally. A1, A8, H1, H8 are special squares for the genie. Visit at least 3 of those [easy to visit 2 of those as they are on your side] and he can cast the Ritual of Supreme Ascention. He will convert his essence to the material realm and emerge as a Titan. The ritual automatically conducts once the 3rd square is visited hence vastes no initiative.
The Titan is a god amongst mortals. Can attack directly, casts lightning bolt/chain lightning. Can move as the commander for 5 squares and can decide to cast lightning bolt/chain lightning instead of a move. Range: 1 more than the Master hunter even if he casts diagonally. This is very powerful but needs recharge, each 2 turns it can cast 1 lightning bolt. There is a 20% chance of the lightning bolt to become a chain lightning killing 1 random creature friendly or foe directly next to target. Unlike the master hunter it can cast lightning bolt while the enemy is directly next to him. Unlimited shots! The lightning bolt cant be cast on creatures covered by another enemy/friendly creature. Note: If your Titan is killed by its own chain lightning, shame on thee!
Originally I wanted to add 4 more factions [Dwarfes, Necromancers, Daemons, Chaos...only for the legendary black dragon othervise its kinda similar to Dark Elves excelt Darks live underground while Chaos are lowlifes/thiefes/outcasts of humans. Chaos is more fitting to have black dragons than dark elves. The arch devil would be an interesting creature with the ability to teleport and the succubus with the skill "temptation"]. The reason I left out those 4 is because I ran out of ideas but I may update the variant in the future. Sure its all a fantasy...I cant even program stuff beyond a calculator. I like horde because its more strategic and less tactical than general chess which I find boring so there is similarity between horde and strategy games so if u like horde chances are you will like strategy too like HOMM4-5. Most prefer the 3rd edition, not me.