Demon Archer (code name) - Concept and skills for further development...

This is a WIP of the demon archer, a possible hero that will replace the Arachnian Queen in the demon race.

This drawing was done in a rush and I feel that it needs something more (besides color of course), so suggestions and ideas are welcome.

I imagine this unit as an agility hero, adept to sabotage enemies and do espionage labor. So ideas for his abilities are appreciated too.



EDIT: New concept

Sabotage, you say?

Sabotage: Disables a structure next to the "Demon Archer". (could alternatively be used against "nearest unit", or even "all enemies in an AoE", like a massive cloud of arrows :P)

Sabotage = a generic summon, which summons a dummy unit (that can attack). The "Dummy Attacker" also has a modified "Freezing Breath" ability (the one that freezes up buildings in ice from the Frost Wyrm attack), set to target only enemy buildings (or conversely, enemy units). Change buff and range accordingly (i.e. attack range = 10 if only "closest unit").

Then just have him summon 1 of these. (or 20+ for the "cloud of arrows vs. units" thing).

**NOTE: I got this ability to work the first time I tried it, but then when I tried to recreate it, it failed to work at all. No clue why. If you need a test map example, just ask.

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Unholy Arrows: Sounds too generic, but what can you do? It's demons...
Something similar to "Searing Arrows" on the Priestess, but give it some sort of debuff afterwards, or a "creeping plague" aftereffect (your a JASS-man, you can do it :P)

Burning Fletch: Cool name... But maybe a super-arrow effect, that takes his health with each shot instead of mana?

Dang, a rogue archer is hard to come up with new stuff for...

Strafe: clean, simple, and useful... AS/MS boost

Netherwalk: (since he's a demon, and you want espionage...) The Demon Archer alters his stride to match the natural resonance of the Twisting Nether, allowing him to 'melt' into darkness and disappear from vision. While striding, he...
- releases echoes of his footsteps which damage/stun/slow/? enemy units?
- can cast any spell, but not attack (setup for an "assassinate" spell)?
- damages enemy units he walks through (DotA, Shukuchi)
- ??

Ooh, a cool (but not necessarily difficult or innovative) spell, since you're doing a custom model/anims/sfx...

Dance of Death: (code name...?): The "Demon Archer" begins dancing wildly around (= Shadow Hunter, Stand Channel anim) and possessing his own arrows with a vile nature. (= arrows float out of quiver and separate, spinning around/above his head:)
......\ | /.......
...--- o ---.......
....../ | \........
Then the arrows (one-by-one, or in groups) fling out and spear enemy units. (just damage? Or synergy with the dance:) Meanwhile, the frightful orgy of dancing displayed by the "Demon Archer" unsettles nearby enemies, (= slowing MS/AS, or Cripple Aura??), (possibly driving them insane (= Neutral Hostile) temporarily??)

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Yeah, I know my ability ideas have a lot of question marks in them... That's just because I'm trying to give you ideas, and lots of things sound cool but don't work well together, so I'm leaving it up to you.

Me likey moys

Hmmm... I don't know about this ability... it's proper for a unit but no for a hero because it's specific to buildings, and it would make this ability the less desirable to learn.

Impressively generic, but expected in this kind of hero... I'd replace this ability by one spell I submitted here but with a different name and active self cast: Spear of Longinus.

Sounds interesting, but the idea of reducing health is not convenient in the demon race because it's actually one of their weakness, they're not good at healing themselves.

Basic ability... it could work fine... with synergy with Spear of Longinus modification ability.

Actually I had this idea:

Tracker: summons a tracker demon spirit over a unit which will allow to the caster to have vision over that unit. this effect can't be debuffed and the affected player won't be able to detect which unit has this spell.

Level1: Gives vision of the unit last 45 seconds
Level2: Gives vision of the unit last 60 seconds and when the effect is done, deals to the unit 25 damage.
Level3: Gives vision of the unit last 75 seconds and when the effect is done, deals to the unit and nearby units 35 damage.

And ultimate
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Yeah, I know my ability ideas have a lot of question marks in them... That's just because I'm trying to give you ideas, and lots of things sound cool but don't work well together, so I'm leaving it up to you.[/quote]hmm A blade storm with ranged effect and slow (cripple) aura? sounds too overpowered...

What about this: Unknown fate: The "Demon Archer" selects a victim and attacks him with a cursed arrow which will become him into a living explosive. The curse kills the unit when activated and deals 250 siege damage to nearby allied units. The question is how controllable should be this ultimate??

thanks for your suggestions... if you have more ideas, go ahead...

No problem (about ideas). A few notes:

That's why I included the "modified" version, which was a suggestion of having it target (a) unit(s). Like he shoots up in the air (several shots), and the arrows come down and "stick" enemy units to the ground (unearthly accuracy...). Or just a few; that can be modified and/or changed per level.

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I like the idea of using "Spear of Longinus". Sounds useful and makes sense.

Ah, didn't know that. Never mind.

Ok... That doesn't sound much like my idea at all. And I kinda liked the description, if nothing else. :P But regardless...
Sounds useful. Like a Faerie Fire, but with a "revenge" damage thing at the end. Might be nice, but is it too simple?
Then again, it'd be like
- "Impaling Arrow"
- "Strafe"
- "Tracker"
- ???

So maybe not. Dunno, you're the judge.

Ugh, no way. Bladestorm damages around the BM (and he is mobile), damages in a set area, and is constant Damage-Per-Second for affected units.

"Dance of Death" would be a Channeling spell (non-mobile), and the idea is that his arrows get a life of their own, float out of the quiver, and shoot out at enemy units.

If you have to compare it, it's most like Phoenix Fire or something; it auto-attacks enemies (in a huge range, = ultimate) with evil-enhanced arrows. Then either the dancing or the arrows themselves bestow a debuff on attacked units.

Meh, I like the name if nothing else. In fact, I may use this somewhere... though I have no demonic archer-guy. :/

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Can't think of anything else... Unless something really cool crops up, you got enough abilities here for a skillset.

I think what he needs....the concept art
Is he needs to be beefed up somehow
He looks very...skinny for a demon

I was thinking in beefing a little bit with armor and artifact stuff, if this night I'm not extremely tired as it happens asa usual, I'll do those improvements.

Maybe like....OOOH!
Make the arm that holds the bow like big
Like Nightmare from Soul Calibur ^_^

New concept:

I like him more skinny, contrasting with the other heroes, specially the Brutal Lord, can I make a concept of him?
edit: couldnt resist. Now I seriously need to finish my homework XD
(he is yellow because theres already a red demon(lord of dark..), a brown(brutal lord) and a black(Inf knoght) and couldnt be green because the naga are already green)

Has a pretty nice satyr-ish feel to it actually. Perhaps purple?

mm, I dont know, maybe, I actually tested various colors and yellowish seemed to work better.
edit: I played with color values, I still dont like much the purple, but bluish seems more like it. Still yellowish is the best :D

Yeah, I like the yellow best myself...

yellow wins too much!!!

Yellow is da win
...or...tan?