Erfworld 158 - tBfGK 145

[Gez]

Bwahahahahahahahah!

This update made me laugh. Yes it did.

That's an interesting twist and I can see many different ways how it could develop. I'm eager to see Stanley back in GK now.

[datalaughing]

Uncroaked may always have no upkeep. I mean, it's not like zombies need to eat (well, maybe brains). So the pliers may have just increased the uncroaking effectiveness. If she concentrated enough she could uncroak someone to almost as good as they were before (though they started decomposing). So now she can just get all the way there. Who knows if the whole army will be at 100% like Ansom seems to be, and who knows if the new units will last indefinitely or just decompose more slowly.

It's also entirely possible that if one of the super uncroaked gets recroaked then they're done for good. So basically, the pliers look like they're way uber-powered because they're shiny and new, but with a couple of developments and limits it might not prove to be that much more powerful than her croakamancy was to begin with (though powerful enough to justify the huge buildup they've had so far).

[The Rose Dragon]

Every single time the "with what army" line is pulled, there's a giant army that appears out of nowhere.

Actually, I remember this one show where this guy said it while looking at a handful of guys, and the leader said "you're looking at it".

So, not every single time. But close.

[Welf]

Wonder if those mass uncroaked also don't decay (likley) and keep all their levels and memories (don't think so). That determines how much a game breaker this is. Wanda has been uncroaking for many turns and provided with that most of GK's army. And I think they already were without upkeep back then. At least that's how I interpret Stanley's comment.

[teratorn]

Stanley will like this "new" Ansom.

[raphfrk]

If Wanda used the Dwagons to get free move, she could go anywhere to every battle they fought and decrypt every unit the beat. This will cost her no move, and she expands GK's army exponentially every round.

There could be a rule that it takes 1 move to change mount. That would seem reasonable. At least then she could only do it a few times. Also, her move should decay as fast as the mounts, i.e. if she uses 25% of the dwagons move, hers is decrease by 25% too (but that is less likely).

I think there was an exploit in Civilisation where you could use a chain of ships to move units massively across the map in one turn.

[raphfrk]

It's also entirely possible that if one of the super uncroaked gets recroaked then they're done for good.

That would be a good rule. That would mean that Wanda couldn't go out with her army and uncroak all units from both sides who get killed. If she loses 100 units in order to kill 25, she is still down 75 units since she can't re-raise her 100 causalities.

Effectively, Ansom is on his "last life" now :).

[T-O-E]

Oh, com'mon, Parson! Using the "with what army" line? You'd think you would know better.

He knows. That's why he said it.

[ishnar]

I'm thinking that it's inevitable that Parson will be switching sides. You can't properly be a Perfect Warlord, from a narrative perspective, when the deck is already stacked so massively in your favor. Narrative demands heroes to be underdogs, and the last series of strips is building Gobwin Knob to be a serious overdog. Ergo, Parson has to find other employment.

While I agree mostly, there is room for Parson to stay on the same side, but work against the current regime internally. That or there is a real monster side out there that this army is just a drop in the bucket. But yes, my first impression on seeing the new army is that Parson will probably get stuck fighting that army at some point.

Still, I really thought the other corpses wouldn't be around to res. Things are looking very ugly right now with a real potential to make Stanley's side too powerful. I'd hate to see a DBZ super saiyan. Then, Super super saiyan. Then Super super saiyan. Then combine and super super super super saiyan. Just getting more powerful gets ridiculous after some mysterious point.

[BarGamer]

Awesome comic! I like the new Ansom better than the former stick-in-the-mud.

[SteveD]

Logged in to deliver the following message:

Master Class Croakamancer + Arkenpliers = BROKEN GAME

That is all.

Isn't that what the Hippiemancer said? Parson had to 'break the game'?

[ishnar]

My other, "Must know" item on the agenda right now is, Who's seal is on the new army. A bunch of skulls or the hamster?

[kreszantas]

The thing I like about the sentient Ansom is that he will be able to help refine Parson's still overall weak knowledge of the entire combat system, there is the cherry on top of this wonderful treat!

[John Campbell]

No "DECRYPT" in that last panel. All those new uncroaked may be just uncroaked (though I'd guess probably better quantity/quality-wise than Wanda could've made without the Pliers), not whatever Ansom is.

[Yodimus]

Reading this page gave me the undeniable urge to go, "MAUAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!"

Oh Parson, you are now officially Ender and Sauron rolled into one. Go out and conquer the world, you rascal you!

[TazTheTerrible]

It still seems pretty game breaky if ALL those raised units are at their pre-croak capabilities. Even if the decrypted can't be re-de-crypted, you still get to add every killed enemy to your forces ON TOP OF the units you pop naturally.

Here's a question: how many friggin archons will she be able to decrypt from this? Whoopsiedaisy?

[Welf]

BTW: Did anyone notice the single dwagon flying around in the background? That reminds me of the very first panel of erfworld, when the Titans formed Erfworld itself.

[Tubal-Cain]

Nice to see that Wanda isn't entirely insane after all.

Also, Erfworld.com is up now.

EDIT:

Holy...those pliers have the potential to be gamebreakers.

It's an Arkentool. That's the idea.

So far we have:
Arkenhammer: Dwagons
Arkendish: Archons
Arkenpliers: uber-uncroaked.

[Saint Nil]

Ansoms new view, this contrasting character development, its amazing. I love how this is going.

[Alexei P]

Hmmm. No "Deus Ex Machina" exclamations so far.

I do believe its different when Parson's side is doing it.

[Saint Nil]

I doubt those will be as powerful as Ansom thouhg. Wanda herself said that the more energy you put into an uncroaked, the more powerful it is. I suspect this new ones will just be more advanced uncroaked, but nothing game-breaking.

[Drammel]

Y'know I'm beginning to think the second book won't star Parson, Stanley, Wanda and company as the main protagonists. Right now, they're setting up an army of darkness. Conceivably, everyone except Parson will want to take over Erf with that army.

Wonder how Jillian's doing? She's going to be all sorts of blood gargling barbarian rage when she finds out what Wanda did to Ansom. Y'know, if she could rebuild her kingdom and rally some forces before Gobin Knob gets their walls back up, she might just be the plucky hero needed to defeat the forces of evil and nastiness. Shame she doesn't have very good diplomatic skills, y'know like her pal Vinny.

[Xuincherguixe]

Erfworld has always been interesting, but things are getting really interesting now.

Wanda had gone through a significant amount of badass decay, but that may have a lot to do with the universe itself being against their side to a degree. Now, she's coming back, and we're seeing that she really is dangerous.

And then there's this new Ansom. Ignoring for a moment the implications of improved croakamancy... he's back and suddenly now he's voicing the virtues of Parson? It's probable that it's part of the game itself, even ideas seem to be subject to the rules. And if he did have a change of heart based purely on reexamining his beliefs, could we even tell?

What I imagine will be happening now, is Parson being involved in the real strategy. Not the battle, but what happens before it. If he can break the game that much just in one conflict, imagine what's going to happen when he's building up the city, and empire. He did express the thought that the real strategy takes place before the battle. Fairly Sun Tzuish that. Now he's getting a chance to do that.


Also, we're seeing how the ability to bring back the dead to life can be an even more terrifying power than the ability to make an extinct volcano erupt and kill an army. Which is probably about right. Necromancy is scary!

[Aquillion]

Hmmm. No "Deus Ex Machina" exclamations so far.

I do believe its different when Parson's side is doing it.

Uh. The pliers have had massive buildup over the course of the comic. Many people have been specifically predicting this moment (or something like it) since they were introduced. Stanley all but stated it, sort of ("he's bringing them to me.") Power over undead was heavily hinted at as their ability, and since all the other Arkentools produce super-units...

This isn't Deus Ex Mechina, this is just plot.

[Alexei P]

Uh. The pliers have had massive buildup over the course of the comic. Many people have been specifically predicting this moment (or something like it) since they were introduced. Stanley all but stated it, sort of ("he's bringing them to me.") Power over undead was heavily hinted at as their ability, and since all the other Arkentools produce super-units...

This isn't Deus Ex Mechina, this is just plot.

Not saying it is, or even expressing displeasure, here - but I find it curious. Remember how Archons were "broken"? Or what "poor" storytelling device Ansom's DDR trick was?

[Yodimus]

This isn't Deus Ex Mechina, this is just plot.

Exactly. It's a long-understood rule of narrative thumb, that it's perfectly alright to have the cavalry arrive...as long as you showed them heading that way earlier.

Also, it sorta misses the point if the Deus Ex Machina happens AFTER the problem has been solved. That's the equivalent of your parachute opening after you land. ;p


edited for response clarity

[YeahThatGuy]

Cameltoe in panel nine.

[chefsotero]

And that is the first time the absolute level of a unit is stated, other than that only up'ed 2 levels or such

[Kaed]

(Also, will we see a reappearance of Scarlet?)

And maybe we have'nt seen the last of Scarlet.

... What is with this fixation on a largely inconsequential warlord that was thrown into a few comics pre-volcanic explosion for the sake of flavor? She doesn't even have a name, as far as I know! Or any lines.

Geez.

[MickJay]

Tool now has a new, handsome warlord, one that doesn't cost anything to feed, fresh army and no enemies in sight - perfect circumstances to let Parson go (and Parson will most likely end up fighting against the new power he helped create).