The Magic of Broad Sword

Greetings commanders,

This development update focuses on how the magic system works in Broad Sword. One of the core mechanics of the game is having groups of units working together and using formation tactics, and the spellcasting system is no different! Magic units are led by a powerful spellcaster or wizard supported by a group of acolytes in order to boost their spellcasting power and cast massive spells that change the battlefield. Today we will focus on two spellcasting units, the Fire Mages and the Undead Spirit Callers.

Fire Mages

Fire Mages tap into powerful flame based magic to deal large amounts of damage and cover areas of the battlefield in flames. Their abilities are as follows:

Cast Fireball

The group channels a massive fireball that flies forward and explodes dealing massive amounts of damage. The spell can be partially cast for shorter cast times at the cost of reduced damage.

Flame Barrier

Another channeled spell that creates a physical wall of flame on the battlefield that damages any enemies that stand in it. This is good for defending objectives and protecting ranged units from melee attackers. Partial casts reduce the width of the wall and the duration of the spell.

Melee Attack

If the main caster dies the acolytes will defend themselves in close combat, but this is used as a last resort.

Overcharge

The commander ability for spellcasting units fully unleashes their magical potential at the cost of taking damage over time. They cast spells at double speed, but can die if they are too aggressive.

Spirit Callers

Soldiers of the undead will fight for their masters even if their physical form has been lost. Spirit Callers tap into the ethereal realm to bring spectral allies to their aid.

Wraith Missile

Channels to call in a group of wraiths that fly forward as homing projectiles to harass and damage enemies. The longer it’s channeled the more wraiths are summoned.

Spectral Army

Channeling summons a group of ghostly swordsmen to fight for the undead forces. This is useful for defending your spellcasters or overwhelming enemies with pure numbers.

Melee Attack

If the main caster dies the acolytes will defend themselves in close combat, but this is used as a last resort.

Overcharge

As with the Fire Mages the spirit callers are able to damage themselves to drastically increase their casting speed.

What's next?

There are some other magical units in the works, but let me know if there are any magic types that you would like to see.

As I work through adding more unique unit types and polishing content, I am looking at October being the next dedicated playtesting session to help weed out issues and bugs before the public demo is released on the road to full release in Q1 2025, but more info to follow. The next few updates will focus on covering the different factions and their units and fighting styles.