Greetings Wielders!
What a week it’s been! We’ve just launched Song of Conquest on consoles, which feels massive—but there’s no rest for us yet. As the Swedish winter approaches, so does our next big release, the Vanir DLC! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3260210/Songs_of_Conquest__Vanir/Wishlist today, it's cool, just like the Vanir. This Devlog is filled to the pixelated brim with updates on our Viking-inspired expansion. We’ve been hard at work developing new unit abilities, adding Wielders, figuring out the balancing, and of course, adding lots of new art.
It's like a school picture, Vanir, class of 2024
Last Devlog, we introduced you to the Huscarl and Korphan, two of the earlier units available to Vanir Wielders. Today, we’re diving deeper into the faction lineup with some new faces (or snouts). Meet the Swine and its fearsome upgrade, the Serimnaan!
The Swine is your standard armored hog, known for its ferocity and—let’s be honest—its delicious taste. But infuse it with the wild magic of the Vildra, and it transforms into the Serimnaan, an eternal beast inspired by Särimner, the mythical pig that is reborn again after each slaughter. If the Serimnaan falls in battle, it doesn’t truly die—it simply returns to your recruitment pool, ready to charge into battle once more. And with the Bull Rush ability, it’s perfect for closing in on enemy ranged units and forcing them into melee combat.
Get in there and die, 'cause we're achin’ for some bacon!
Now, let’s explore a darker corner of Nordic folklore: the Bacahorse. This eerie creature, inspired by legends of a horse that lures children to a watery grave, brings a haunting presence to the battlefield. Internally, we call it the “Scary Pony,” but in-game, it’s known as the Bacahorse and its upgraded form, Hunger.
These undead, magic-infused horses are designed to reflect their terrifying origins. Like the Knights of Arleon, they are powerful chargers, gaining increased melee offense with every step they take. To stay true to their mystical nature, we’ve given them 50% magic immunity—making them a real threat on the battlefield.
But we wanted Hunger to have something extra, so we introduced a new kind of ability: an AoE attack called Feed, that siphons life from enemies, healing itself in the process.
Use the Feed ability and these gruesome steeds will stay in the fight longer than you’d expect!
Of course, you might be wondering how the Vanir can hold their own against the fire-breathing dragons of Rana or the Hellroar Cannons of Barya. The answer lies in their Chieftains and the mighty Jormr!
The leaders of Vanir society are known as Chieftains. They boost units close to them with their Inspire trait and lead from the front, using their large axes to cut down foes in a sweeping attack.
The Jormr is the upgraded version of the Chieftans. All Vanir leaders seek greatness, to be remembered in deeds and tales. Some of them are ambitious enough to turn to the dangerous Vildra to achieve this goal. When the Vanir infuse themselves with the Vildra magic they can turn into something truly wicked and magnificent. The Chieftans become strong behemoths that can stand up to the most dangerous of enemies. Because of their strength and size, we gave them the intimidating trait, debuffing anyone standing within one hex of the unit. It also felt kind of weak for a giant to only attack a single enemy, and since they are wielding a literal tree, they have access to a Slam attack.
See that big guy over there? Yeah, don’t mess with him. Why? Just don’t.
Song of Conquest isn’t called Songs for nothing—music plays an important role in the game, with each faction having its own musicians. Some, like the Bards of Arleon, sing to inspire their comrades, while others, like the drum-beating, spider-riding frogs of Rana, strike fear into their enemies, lowering their initiative and defense.
So, what does the Vanir bring to this musical battlefield?
Meet the Lykt and their upgraded form, the Lyktvaan. The name "Lykta" means lantern in Swedish, and these eerie, lantern-carrying creatures are as mysterious as they are menacing. Shedding an otherworldly green light, they are known to dwell around Vanir farms, spreading trickery and disharmony while fiercely protecting their territory.
In combat, the Lykt inspire their allies through haunting fiddle music, boosting both melee and ranged offense, as well as providing a small amount of spell damage resistance. These enigmatic musicians are more than just a support unit—they wield their instruments in melee when cornered.
He might bear a resemblance to Santa, but trust us, this guy keeps everyone on the “naughty” list.
We hope you liked this slightly deeper dive into the cold, dark, and murky waters that is the Vanir faction of the Bleak East. There are still a few troops and abilities that we haven’t talked much about yet, but we’d like to leave some for you to explore and discover on your own!
Expect us to return soon with more information about the release date and the Wielders of the Vanir. Until then, don’t forget to do what 15,000 other Wielders already did (wishlist the DLC!) and please drop us a comment below! What unit are you looking forward to trying? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? We’d love to hear it!
/Anders and Team Lavapotion
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