Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

The thematic use of Fall Bears, as pointed out, is that they're blockers who with decent HP and ethereal can soak up a lot of attacks whilst your army does more interesting things elsewhere.

The best thematic thing would be protection. Even as little as 5 protec would add to their lastability a fair bit, as much as 10 would make them a massive hindrance for any troops unsupported by mages or without magic weapons.

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

I don't understand what's thematic about using Fall Bears as blockers. They're big magical mindless bear spirits. They are zero protection because they are spirits -- that's thematic.

Giving them protection just would make them more useful as blockers, and in that case they are just going to be competing with cave drakes.

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

I guess 5 or so protection would be reasonable, a lot of animals have a bit like that to represent their thick hides. And it would make quite a difference to their survivability.

Otherwise, my main thought about bears is that they should have vicious damage output (although not trample). However, I haven't actually looked at fall bears, so my thoughts are not worth much!

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

Protection wouldn't suit them, as vfb (what does that stand for anyway?) said, they are ethereal spirits.

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

vfb = very foobar

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

Idea (found on google at random):


Resized it is even already ok as sprite :D

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

Bears are big, relatively lumbering beasties. They may be able to get to a decent speed running, but watch videos of them fighting, it's not lightning fast claw and tooth action but more punching and grappling so giving multiple attacks is hard to justify. You could make a case for boosting their Att/Dam. Bears certainly don't use their bulk in a way to justify trample.

At various points and by various means, ethereality co-exists in Dom3 with protection - it's a magical bear spirit so why should that magic not include a magic toughness? It's hard to change them much without losing the theme of them being a bear. Currently they don't make good shock troops or flankers, which means they pretty much are blockers, except in a different way from cave drakes. And even with low protection added, they would still have very different advantages and disadvantages from cave drakes.

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

I voted berserk, but I wouldn't mind any other buff.

I find them pathetic, and never summon any of them (SP), because spending gems to get big chaffy beasts doesn't seems all that interesting. More precisely, I wouldn't ever spend precious earth gems, so usefull early on (when you would summon low level beasts) to get dwarven hammers, and other nice pieces of equipment (earth boots...).

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, so why not give them Mistform or a supply bonus?

Re: Fall Bears usefullness (mostly CBM)
 

Mistform is Air. Supply bonus wouldn't help their fighting ability, but it isn't a bad idea. That or a large siege bonus value could be a nice perk, but I don't think either alone would matter.

High attack value with magical weapons would be pretty nifty.