Animal Units

In Fall from Heaven the world is full of animals. They pose a serious threat to exploring and colonization, but may also prove serious resouces. In a world full of magic, monseters, demons and dragons, it is important to remember that we call Animal Unit a simple animal, maybe a little augmented like a Giant Spider.

More fearson creature have a class on their own: they are calles Beasts , and are similar ot mithological monsters.

So lions, tigers, giant spiders are animals, while werewolves, dragons, manticores are beasts.

Like Barbarians animals may spawn in any tile under the Fog fo War. Unlike Barbarians, Animals enter Cultural Borders, but if an expanding Cultural Border will encompass them, they may remain still, not attacking player but occupying the tile. Unlike barbarians, animals have no dens or liars, with exception of the bear.

At the start of the game it is quite common to encounter animals. In the late game civilizations and barbarian cities tend to reduce greatly the non-cultured area where animals spawn.

Nature's Revolt

The Nature's Revolt, a late game Ritual that requires Righteousness tech and Armageddon > 70, will turns early Barbarian units into Animals, and will enanche all Animals with +2 Str (free promotions Heroic Strength I, Heroic Strength II, Heroic Defense I, and Heroic Defense II). Often Barbarian cities will remain empty. Note that barbarians units will rapidly spawn anew to fill the gap, and that advanced barbs units, if present, will resist the conversion.

Conversions are Goblin Worker into Wolf, Goblin into Lion, Warrior into Lion, Lizardman into Tiger, Axeman into Bear, Skeletons into Panther.

Note

It was suggested to use unit classes instead of specific types, like: wolf - worker
lion - melee
panther - recon
tiger - cavalry
bear - disciple
spider - arcane

On the subjet Kael replied:

The reason I dont have it convert unit classes is that if it was converting late game units into animals it would weaken the barbs, which seemed counter to the rituals purpose. My options were:



1. Leave the late game units as they were.

2. Convert the late game units into animals and weaken the barbs.

3. Convert the late game units into super powerful animals, which I wouldnt mind doing except that allows the player to capture them and get t4 level animals.



Maybe the 3rd options is okay and gives more purpose to the ritual?

Taming[]

The Subdue Animal promotion, available only to recon units after Animal Husbandry is researched, will allow you to capture animals and beasts if you beat them in combat. Unlike the Command ability, useful to gain control of other units, Subdue Animals have 100% success rate.

In the early game exploration is important, and the tamed units may prove strong and useful.

All the recon line and the animals love the wilds and share a -20% / -25% City Attack. Some exception occurs, like the War Elephant .

Animal Husbandry (Subdue Animals) --> Animal Handling (Ranger) --> Feral Bond (Grove, Druid) --> Animal Mastery.

Carnivals and Menagerie[]

The Carnival is an happines building enabled from Festivals. It has a basic happiness of +1, but gains +1 by adding captured wolves, lions, tigers or gorillas. When fully developed it can generate more culture and happiness than most wonders (4 Happyness, +11 Culture, +20% Cluture).

Sacrifice a captured Wolf or Wolf Pack for a Wolf Pen (+2 culture) , a Lion or Lion Pride for a Lion Cage, a Tiger for a Tiger Cage, a Gorilla for a Gorilla Cage, a Bear for a Dancing Bear (each (+1 happyness, +3 culture). The last one may be built even witout a Carnival.

If you manage to complete the collection you may build the Grand Menagerie Wonder (+2 Happy in all cities, Free Carnival in all cities, + 8 Culture, +20% Culture). Finding all the 5 animals may prove impossibile on most maps. A special Scenario, Grand Menageire, revolves around the construcion of the wonder, and serves also as a tutorial to taming. In a regular game you may use the Wildlands and Living World option to enanches your possibilities. Please refer to the strategy guide on Grand Menagerie (building).

The Balseraph are particualry fond of Carnivals. Harlequins (the Balseraph Ranger) is a particulary effective unit in capturing animals for the Balseraph carnivals.

Tortoise[]

War Tortoise is a 15 Str unit with Water Walking, a strong special unit of the Lanun.

Elephant[]

Although powerful, wild elephants cannot attack, so your units are safe around them. If you capture one and have the Horseback Riding technology you can train captured elephants as War Elephants (7/2 ,25% Withdrawal Chance, +50% vs Mounted Units) which are able to attack and become powerful early units. They are a little less powerful that wild Elephant but ehey lose the penalty to attack cities.

Spider[]

Giant Spiders are invisible to non-recon units and pose a serious threat in the first phases. With a streght of 4+1 poison+1 first strike they are quite average, but their stealth ability is a problem. Sending an escort with your settler may not prove sufficent: to be sure you have to send settler, warrior and scout grouped togheter, to be able to see the danger and to fight it, and in case of defeat to retreat the settler.

If tamed the Giant Spider may be used in a city to create Spider Pen, that provides Silk. Animal Handling thech is required.

Giant Spiders are able to make a nice family: after combat they have 5% chance to create a Baby Spider, able to grow after his first combat.

Gorilla[]

Because of their rarity gorillas are the most difficult animal to capture on most maps. They tend to appear in jungles, though even then you are unlikely to find large groups.

Gurid is a King Kong unit with fabulous strengh of 23 + 1 affinity for... banana!!. Has 25% chance per game of spawning from random event if you have Animal Handling. Note that Gorillas are Animals while Gurid is a Beast.

Griffon[]

The most prized of animal captures, griffons are not only formidable fighters (Str 4), but their ability to fly may make them the best early explorers in the game.

List[]

Here is listed all animal units