With the knowledge you've acquired from earlier Forgenews posts and the Krosmonote (that was a fun one, right?), you may think you already know everything there is to know about Lance Dur, the Forgelances and their various adventures. You couldn't be more mistaken.
In the last episode…
The official illustrations and sprites for the new DOFUS class were revealed.
Ayin Spyr, an NPC who will be an essential part of the next DOFUS Touch update, showed his charming face for the first time.
Cire Momore has started to put the fear into you, both in the story of Klimti Swood and in images taken from WAKFU and photos of the cool merch he's inspired.
Biste and Chaille worked it for the camera with poses from the front, the back, alone, as a pair, and even in capes.
Lance Dur shared a part of his life as a young father in a panel from his webtoon.
Let's see, is that everything…?
Klimti Swood met Fergus for the first time. And while the blacksmith agreed to repair Klimti's iconic weapon, he also warned him about the terrible Cire Momore…
Background: The Atheist
Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the shade of ash and chestnut trees where squirrols play and passing adventurers rest their weary legs, a group of kids were playing without a care in the world. But the calm and serenity of a walk in Astrub Forest should never distract people from being on their guard. Especially not in Boowerewolf Clearing…
"Found you!" shouted Wunzy Eyesborne.
Despite his eyepatch, the boy with small horns on his head had noticed a spotted tail poking out of a thicket. Knowing she'd been found out, the Ecaflip had no other choice but to stick out her head and show her scowling face.
"No fair! I always get caught because of my tail!" whined Cindy Stur.
"Well, I never let my horns stick out when I'm hiding!"
"That's not the same thing! Your horns are tiny!"
"Says who?!"
"Let's just play something else," suggested Sinsyr Berrus, the Ouginak who was following along behind Wunzy Eyesborne. "We came here for some scary fun, right? How about a game of Boowerewolf… right here in Boowerewolf Clearing!"
"Yeahhhh!" exclaimed the others in unison… before their faces suddenly contorted in terror.
"What? Have I got a pimple on my snout?"
Just behind the ten-year-old Ouginak, a fearsome pair of yellow eyes appeared amid the shadowy foliage. Below its staring, pupil-less eyes, a row of razor-sharp teeth glinted in the dim light.
"AAAAAAH!!!"
The Ecaflip leaped onto the young Osamodas's back, holding on for dear life like a terrified bow meow. The two sprinted away at top speed, leaving their poor canine friend to face the danger alone. Though more than a little unsettled, he still hadn't turned around. He was trying to play the tough guy:
"Ha ha, very funny, guys! I… I know you're just playing a trick on me!"
A hungry growl from behind him sent shivers down his spine. Slowly, with an audible gulp, he turned around. There in front of him was a miliboowolf, licking its chops… Gripped with fear, the young Ouginak fell over backwards and scampered back desperately in a half-seated posture. The monster seemed to be enjoying the show.
"LIGHTNING-JAVELIN!"
As Sinsyr Berrus closed his eyes, certain that the end was nigh, a powerful bolt of bluish lightning struck the terrifying creature. Recovering from his surprise, he opened his eyes and saw the miliboowolf looking more like an boowolfsicle, frozen in place and thoroughly blackened by the attack. Arcs of electricity leapt between the still-smoking whiskers on either side of its snout. Between the boy and the creature, a gleaming lance quivered with its tip embedded in a tree trunk. The miliboowolf shook its head to clear its mind, then looked around to see where the attack had come from. Sinsyr Berrus did the same.
Just a few steps away stood a warrior with a powerful build and a tuft of hair standing proudly on end, alongside a short and stocky Enutrof. With his arm still extended, the tousle-headed adventurer made a tiny movement with his hand that brought the shaft of his weapon flying sharply back into his grip with an impressive crack. The Ouginak youth felt like he was watching it all in slow motion: hundreds of bark fragments swirled all around him and his fur was blown about in the whistling air as the adventurer in blue and gold deftly caught his golden lance that shone as bright as the sun. Then everything seemed to go back to normal. The miliboowolf decided it had had enough and disappeared into the undergrowth without a sound.
"Looks like it's recovered its full power!" said Klimti Swood with a proud grin.
"I dare say it's even better than before," beamed Fergus. "I wanted to see it in action with my own two eyes. A bit more training and you'll be able to confirm it for yourself, Mr. Swood."
"It's Klimti!"
"You there, youngster!" barked the blacksmith. "This clearing is no place to be strolling around all by yourself…"
"I was here with my friends, but they…"
"You've no right to lecture the boy! He belongs here more than you do!"
What had appeared to be a large bush suddenly stood up on two legs, revealing its true nature. In fact, it was a towering Sadida as tall, green and solid-looking as his namesake: Cornelius Dogwood. Two lackeys appeared on either side of him, both dressed in green: Nouf Unnatall, a Sacrier. and Alda Sambucca, a Pandawa.
"The Mercenatures!" cried Fergus.
"Seriously…?" asked the Forgelance.
"Haha! So you know of us!" chuckled the proud Sadida.
"No, I just thought it was a ridiculous name."
"Speaking of which, you haven't told them yours…" whispered Fergus to the disgruntled lancer.
"I can tell from your style that you're some of those bad boys of Albuera," said the head of the Mercenatures with a nod. "You show up here in conquered territory and don't show the slightest respect for its bountiful nature."
"I did what I did to save the kid, all right?"
"Maybe so, but you're in OUR forest!" shouted the Sacrier.
"Oh boy, here we go…"
"They call us the Mercenatures for a reason, you know… because we're mercenaries!" added the Pandawa, proud of her clever quip.
"Yeah, thanks, I got that. I'm not a Iop, you know."
"Well, you sure swagger around like one!" snapped the Sacrier.
"Ooh, good one!" smiled Alda, giving her fellow henchwoman a high five.
Klimti ran his palm over his face with a groan as young Sinsyr Berrus tugged at his cape.
"Um… can I go now, mister?"
Fergus gave a quick nod and the boy sprinted away on all fours, his tongue lolling out in relief.
"My friend here's got a point, disciple of… What are you a disciple of, anyhow? Or of who?"
"Listen… I just came here to train…"
"So you think you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, huh?" the Mercenature leader went on. "We must all answer to our chosen god or goddess. We must prove ourselves worthy of them. But you and your kind run around playing knights and lancers without swearing allegiance to anyone."
"How convenient!"
"They have no faith in anything!"
"Or give a damn about anyone!" taunted the junior thugs in quick succession.
Klimti raised his lance and thrust it into the ground.
""Now, see, that's where you're wrong. We're dedicated to a mission that goes beyond any god. A quest that the gods have already failed at. We are the Forgelances! And we forge our own destiny."
The Mercenature chief applauded slowly.
"Typical!" sneered Cornelius Dogwood. "But we've heard it all before. It's the same nonsense the Astrub knights are always spouting. And yet, you know what? We don't see them around our forest too often… and you're about to find out why."
The imposing Sadida turned toward the tree that had been punctured by Klimti Swood's lance. He took a deep breath as he summoned the plant to life, and it began to move immediately.
"I don't want to fight," Klimti warned.
"Skipping your turn? All right, then…"
Cornelius Dogwood cast a second spell on the tree. Two thick arms with huge clawed hands emerged from the sides of its trunk, while the gaping hole at its center left by the lance sprouted sharp wooden teeth. Klimti swallowed nervously. The chestnut tree looked ready to go nuts on him. The Forgelance seized the grip of his cherished lance. The threatening tree charged straight towards him. The lancer raised his weapon:
"BALESTRA!"
In a flash, the Forgelance surged forward, his lance pointed at the enemy. It plunged into the wood, but then remained stuck there. The leafy assailant wasted no time pulling Klimti towards it and quickly smashing him with its fists, stunning him and scratching his face. A wind began to swirl around the combatants as the Forgelance cast "Disengaging" to get himself out of this situation.
He tore free of the tempest with an impressive backwards leap, lance in hand. Upon landing, he braced himself and focused all of his energy into a devastating spell:
"TORCH LANCER!"
Pointing his lance forward, the Forgelance released a jet of flames so powerful that it gouged a deep scar in the ground. Panting heavily, Klimti Swood stayed on his guard as the smoke cleared. His gasping breath marked the seconds as they passed. Finally, he could make out the shape of his arboreal enemy. It was burnt to a crisp. A few roasted chestnuts fell from the tree before it fell over backwards. A few steps away, Cornelius Dogwood and his henchwomen looked utterly shocked.
"All right…" the Sadida chief managed at length. "Give us whatever kamas you've got on you and we'll call it even."
Klimti Swood gave a smile. He pretended not to see the kids from earlier discreetly relieving the Mercenatures of their coin purses.
"Sounds fair. I'd hate to part ways on bad terms. Of course, I've only got twenty kamas on me…" said the Forgelance.
"And I haven't got any on me!" cried Fergus, true to his Enutrof nature.
Klimti bumped him with his hip and six coins fell to the ground.
"Ha ha… My, where did those come from?" muttered the kindly penny-pincher.
Once the Mercenatures had left with their meager loot, a grateful Sinsyr Berrus and his cowardly companions handed over three times that amount to Klimti Swood and Fergus. Once they'd all finished gathering a few chestnuts together, the Forgelance resumed his training.
DOFUS Gameplay
THE FORGELANCE HERITAGE
Immortal Champion
Forgelances are lance-bearing warriors who believe only in themselves! Drawing their powers from the Original Lance, these fighters seek to forge a reputation that even death itself can never erase.
Lovers of the arts, legendary tales and epic jousts, Forgelances can be convinced bypromises of glory and posterity to stand by your side with weapon at the ready.
They'll act as your spearhead in battle, making first contact with the enemy to pierce their defenses.
ROLES
DAMAGE
Uses their Lance to inflict damage in an area of effect, both from a distance and in close combat.
POSITIONING
Uses their Lance to move themself or others.
PROTECTION
Applies shields and heals allies. Increases Pushback and Critical resistances.
CLASS MECHANIC
The Immortal Lance
Forgelances use a magical Lance in battle that they can use in a variety of unique ways.
Their use of this Lance is reflected in 2 states that apply to the Forgelance: Armed and Disarmed.
As long as the Lance is not on the field, the Forgelance is in the Armed state.
Once the Lance is summoned, the Forgelance loses the Armed state and enters the Disarmed state.
If the Lance is killed, the Forgelance regains the Armed state and the Lance can be summoned again.
The Armed state
When in this state, they can use their close-combat and short-range attack spells.
They also have multiple spells allowing them to move or to move others.
A number of spells can be used to "throw" the Lance, which summons it on the targeted cell to inflict damage or cause various effects, depending on the particular spell.
As long as the Forgelance is 1 cell away from their Lance in line or diagonally, they are considered to be Armed and can therefore use the spells associated with that state.
Using one of these spells will first give them back the Lance and then apply the effects of the spell in question.
If the caster ends their turn in the Armed state, they are On Guard and get a reduction in damage received until the start of their next turn.
The Disarmed state
When in this state, they can use their ranged attack spells.
These attacks can be cast around the Lance or on the caster themselves.
They can be used to move the Lance around the field, or to recover it and return to the Armed state.
When the Lance is summoned, the caster and their allies get a reduction in damage received as long as they are in a Square 1 area around it.
SPELLS
- Blast spells: summon the Lance and cause damage in an area of effect (between the caster and the Lance, around the caster, around the Lance)
- Recall spells: call the Lance back to the caster, either from an adjacent cell or from a distance and causing damage along the way (between the caster and the Lance, around the caster, around the Lance)
- Teleportation/movement spells: bring the caster closer to the Lance, switch places with it, teleport the caster next to/behind the Lance + damage + recall (depending on the spell)
DOFUS FX Concept Art
DOFUS Touch Art Direction: Forgelance NPCs
As you know, Ayin Spyr will be accompanying you all throughout your Albueran adventure.
A member of the Spyr clan, this hero played a key role in founding his village and fights valiantly to protect it from its enemies, the Merkaptans. He's a courageous warrior who never gives up – as you'll soon discover for yourself!
Ek Spyr is the oldest brother in the Spyr Clan. He was once a great Forgelance warrior, but after a severe eye injury, his focus changed to training the residents of Albuera. This shift has made him bitter and tyrannical, but he's still got a big heart underneath it all. Ayin Spyr says that even though he hates not being able to go on adventures anymore, his role within the village is an immensely honorable one.
Tran Spyr is the father of Ayin, Ek and Brytnee. He's a bit rusty, but still stays in shape. Years ago, he used to travel the world. "Father was an incredible warrior in his youth. When I was little, he used to show me his trophies and they were amazing! A giant kralove tentacle, a dragon pig skull… Who knows? Maybe you'll have the same one day. *winks*"
Brytnee is the youngest member of the Spyr Clan. She's constantly training to get to the same level as her brothers. Though somewhat lacking in self-confidence, she represents the family's future. "Brytnee is just starting her weapons classes. She still has a long way to go, but she's going to be a great fighter!"
Get to know all these characters in the quest entitled "Mudding About: Getting Better in Albuera!"
WAKFU Background: Cyross
This Albueran refugee will tell you about how the island's inhabitants had to flee after Ogrest's Chaos. Thanks to him, you'll learn more about the origins of Albuera and its tragic history, but also about the potential existence of certain lance-wielding warriors…
As you already know, the next WAKFU update will have a strong transmedia flavor, with connections to the DOFUS and WAVEN games and the WAKFU and Lance Dur animated series… not to mention the Lance Dur webtoon!
There, you'll again meet Cyross (who will have grown a few years older by then…) alongside the young Agard (see below), notably in episode 3, Agaste.
In this appearance, Cyross will be the young boy's weapons master and a key advisor to Count Lance Dur.
Tie-In Merchandise: Kwismas Pack – Cire Momore
Already a fan of this imposing armored bad guy? Us too!
There are only a few packs left in the Ankama Shop… IT'S NOW OR NEVER!
Animation: Agard, Isalt and Ozie
After the Lance Dur team, which includes Chaille, Biste and Mouche, let's take a look at the Lance Dur family! This is Agard, son of the count, along with his wife Isalt and daughter Ozie.
Agard is anything but an adventurer. He expresses his personality through drawing and the arts in general, at an age when his father, Lance Dur, was roaming the highways with his loyal band and laughing at danger. If only Agard could find a way to make his dad proud of him…
As for the count's daughter-in-law, Isalt, she knows how to strike the right balance between familial respect and expression of her own ideas when she speaks to him.
And Lance Dur's granddaughter Ozie may be the only one who can make her grandpa smile in any situation. Even when he's furious!
Go on, admit it…
You can't wait to meet all these characters in January!
Join us again very soon for Forgenews #4!
To find out what's in store for you in the coming weeks and months, visit the Lance Dur website.
Transmedia: Krosmonote 2022
And for those who may have missed the event (as impossible as that may seem), visit Ankama Live to check out the Krosmonote that was streamed live from ESpot!
English subtitles are available in the video settings.