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Creature Feature #6: Now you see him, now you don't--The Orc Scout

E

Elyssar

Guest
When the dev team planned out their new orcs, they apparently wanted Million Dollar Man orcs. They designed some of the new class better, strong, and most importantly, smarter. The orc scouts are just that.





In 2D, they look like a normal orc, only green. In 3D they have a model all their own. These orcs have amazing abilities. Like ratmen archers, they fire an arrow as soon as they lock on a target. The damage can range from 25 points in low AR to no damage in full plate with a shield and GM parry. Orc scouts will fight until they take massive damage and reach approximately 1/2 health, then they will teleport away, hide, and heal. You can hear them grunt and hear the sound bandages make while they hide, and often you can hear footsteps as they stealth around you.

Orc scouts can live long enough to run out of arrows. When this happens, they switch weapons to a sword or kryss. They have fairly high dex and hit often. However, once they run out of bandages their death is only inevitable, as they are unable to heal damage then.

When fighting scouts with a pet, it's sometimes easy to track them. If the pet is the center of the attack, it will follow the orc even when it is stealthing hidden. If a kill command is issued, the pet has a much harder time following the scout.

Scouts have fairly decent loot for an orc, in the neighborhood of 100 gold, a few apples, sometimes bandages, arrows, various weapons (kryss, longsword), a normal bow, and sometimes the shadow-colored orcish bow.



This bow does double damage against humanoid creatures, including Brigands. They spawn at a very good rate on the scouts and are quit common.

In numbers, scouts can be very powerful. Appearing in between two scouts is an invitation to be hit hard and often with their arrows, especially in low armor. But the true intent behind the scouts is unclear yet. Why do the orcs need scouts? What is chasing those orcs so that they attack human towns?

Now everyone else gets to reflect on these tricky orcs (and the occasional haikus are great, I loved the unicorn ones!) /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

 
V

Volvarus

Guest
Hmm, I don't know how to right haiku (If so, I would have written one for my imp!). Anyways, Orc Scouts are really fun and a great challenge for a warrior, plus I love how they seem to give alot of apples. After one hour of fighting in Minoc, I had a whole lot of ostard food.

"Anytime I see something screech across a room and latch onto someone's neck, and the guy screams and tries to get it off, I have to laugh, because what IS that thing?!"
 
C

Cowboy832

Guest
The arrows come in handy for those of us too lazy to go carve our own...hehe..after no time at all, i am up to 3k arrows...
 
W

WolfZbane

Guest
They are absolutely masters in hiding and stealthing around. Most of the time the 'cloud' that marks where they have went to, is a bad place to cast reveal: orcs scouts don't have that 10 second delay to use another skill so will walk away right away.
I noticed that most warriors hunt these scouts in groups, as they are too fast for a 1 to 1 fight. That's why warriors most of the time leave the scouts alone and try their hand on choppers or other orcs.
Bad thing is that the scouts seem to regroup and will attack with 4 to 5 at once! They are very deadly to both mage and warrior then, and I have often killed such guerilla groups.
A dragon (or at least my dragon) can - when he's in agressive (green) mode, easily detect them and will hunt them down till they make themselves visible once again. Unicorns don't; once the scout telehides, the pet will return to it's master. I believe that that's the same case with kirins and maybe White Wyrms.
When they attack in a group, there is only one decent tactic: use a second pet and use Wis Quas to reveal the bastards. The second pet makes sure that the scout won't get away, as a decent unicorn combo makes sure that the won't have the time to do that telehide trick.
This telehide trick, was an old trick that's even nowadays used by thieves as an escape method.
I usually make sure my pet is agressive, because even when invisible, the pet seems to 'feel' the presence of the scout as proved in the following situation:
I was walking in Delucia with my dragon Wolfy. We were guarding the East Gate where the defenders bravily fought, and decided to go on a small patrol along the walls. Near the stable, Wolfy suddenly growled and tried to break through the walls of the stable. I used transperency to check the inside of the stable, but couldn't see a thing, but I did hear the orcish sounds. So I immediatly knew there was a scout inside the building. I ordered Wolfy to follow me, opened the doors of the stable and watched him going to a small corner. I casted Wis Quas and 2 seconds later, Wolfy was fighting its war against the scout. I quickly closed the door and watched the short fight.
The scout constantly teleported to another spot, usually in a closed stable, waited to heal itself and after that started shooting again. After a couple of reveals and short skirmishes, the scout got itself trapped and out of mana and died a quick death.

Their background suggests that they work as spies for the orcish hordes, or maybe just try to seek refuge among the human camps undetected. However, their nature seems to be agressive and they will attack on sight. Sometimes they will reveal themselves while you stand next to them, while a spawn appears as well, suggesting that they know the art of ambushing their opponents.
An other time I noticed that they tried to teleport to their large camps or their breathern, suggesting that they tried to lure kill my pet and me.

I killed many of these scouts, but so far got 3 bows, so it doesn't seem to spawn that often. Allthough I must say I only hunt them once in the week, maybe twice, and most of the time for only an hour.
I personally consider them the most smart among orcs, smarter than the chopper and the bomber.

Wolfsbane
 
S

Socko

Guest
Orc Scouts are tough, I dislike them as a mage.

My sweetie, baby made a new sig for me. Shes one of the most talented girls i know anyhow lol, i hope it works. I think it will.

<font color=red>Zeyke the Hermit</font color=red>
<font color=blue>Chesapeak Legend</font color=blue>
<font color=green> Baja Seer of Justice </font color=green>


<font color=blue>Ape </font color=blue> of <font color=red>God </font color=red>
<font color=purple>founder of OLA Ostard Liberation Army </font color=purple>
 
B

Baldor of Europa

Guest
you forgot to say that they are utter gits /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

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R

Red or Dead

Guest
Yes I agree with Baldur but in combination with the other orc classes they are formidable especially when wearing leather or ring mail.

I have killed many scouts with my unicorn Myst who is especially adept at seeking them out. But having got 6 bows of orcish kind now I want to concentrate on lords and mages. This is not easy to do with scouts and bombers guarding them closely.
 
B

Baldor of Europa

Guest
urm, you agree with who ? <blockquote><hr>

BALDOR

<hr></blockquote> /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif i havent seen a bomber alive yet /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif so dont know how hard they are

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X

Xavious_TruBrit

Guest
just a tip for you mages... all you need to do to kill a scout is cast flamestrike on em and see where he teles to....them dirct a metor swarm to their last tele spot. They will tele agin and die, so you might have to look a round a bit for the corpse. This only works outside of town, because you can't cast area effect spells in a guard zone. In town, I good e-bolt, flamestrike combo should take them out.

<center><font color=red>Check out my homepage for uo inspired screensavers</font color=red></center>
<center>http://methos23.tripod.com/ </center>
 
B

Baldor of Europa

Guest
ahh have to try that /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif oh btw, nice website,

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B

Baldor of Europa

Guest
/php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif im downloading the program now : )

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J

Jaiden

Guest
My unicorn too likes to sniff out these foul smelling baddies. We just went on a guild hunt to Cove, wow its so dead there now, and she had fun finding them for us.

I love revealing them, its kinda like finding them with their pants down, you can imagine the expression on their face ", shes seen me, damn, ouch!!, bleeding uni, ooOOOooOO" :)



Charleigh, Mage/GM Tamer
Mica, Mage/Bard
Xanthia, Bard/Tamer
Darkchild, Bard/GM Archer
Jaiden, Mad axewoman
 
G

Guest

Guest
<font color=blue>Scouts suck the big one.

Very aggravating to try to kill without detect hidden or magery. It's also not too fun when two choppers, four scouts, three bombers, and six lords team up on you.

<font color=black>"You'll get your contract rates, or you'll get your contract cancelled. If you don't like it, then you can crawl back down that -hole that you came from."</font color=black>
 
W

WindKeeper4

Guest
it never fails, the second i walk into cove or delucia four scouts target me at once. its like they sense my arrival and just position themselves to kill me. i think its because i tend to provoke them agains't each other. they may be seeking revenge o_O
on a another note, when you provoke two scouts against each other, when one tele's and hides, the other scouts arrows still hit them and deal damage.

 
R

Red or Dead

Guest
Apparently detecthidden at 10 works just as well and may be cheaper than reveal spell (from the archer board I think)
 
A

Andre the mage

Guest
i found orc scouts easy for my mage (well before the attack when they spawned slow /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif)
i just poison them and then explo ebolt - they usually telehide but reveal immediadely and are
dead meat to the next ebolt (if neccessary)
well for defence i always cast reactive armor on me when going for them /php-bin/shared/images/icons/biggrin.gif
but atm my newby tamer gets all the fun /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

and i an NOT pessimistic /php-bin/shared/images/icons/disturbed.gif
Andre of Sittard,Guardians of Yggdrasil,europa
 
L

Lord Jackson

Guest
*Cough* Scorpions take em down well as when they are poisoned while hidden, the pet locates them and reveals them! So then you can finish them off or let your scorp kill it.

Yes this was a shameless promotion for project sting, couldn't resist :p

<font color=red>Lord Jackson, towncrier and looter extraordinare!</font color=red>



Everyone knows town criers don't know what a cure is......

<font color=blue>Please, take a moment's silence to remember thing, my pure white wyrm</font color=blue>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Arrow whistles through air
Four scouts appear, Kal Ort Por
Out of reagents


<font color=006400>Thaqui, Grandmaster Tamer of Catskills</font color=006400>
<font color=00008B>Dreafor, Lvl 4 Treasure Hunter and recovering alcoholic</font color=00008B> /php-bin/shared/images/icons/pint.gif
 
E

Elyssar

Guest
Nice Thaqui, we're going to have to petition to change this forum to Poet's Corner if all this budding talent keeps up! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

Keep the insight, info, and haikus coming guys! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

 
W

WolfZbane

Guest
The orc scout - by Wolfsbane (Babbling Loonie-to-be)

You stealth through cities,
Hidden, conceiled in shadows
Looking, observing, and of course
Shooting goddamn'd arrows

In these places do you dwell,
Lonely, empty, dark,
Looking for a light
And lo! There you see a spark!

But you get suprised
You might be here to see all
But that thing you didn't see
Was my dragon's fireball

Wolfsbane
 
J

James of GL

Guest
<font color=191970>"The young woman stared in confusion, but she couldn't see nor spot the source of the faint muttering all around her in the air. Her sword and shield ready to defend she gently turned her horse by the reins, but still she didn't seem to get closer to the source - or away from it.

'Hmmm', said the tall figure right next to her, 'I can still hear him...'

Wynd Spiritblade, the woman on the horse, gave a nod. So could she, but if not even the elven ears of her friend Gil-Galad could spot the orc.... ever since they'd been on the mud road just outside the city of Skara Brae something had followed them, something that liked to stay out of their sight. Every now and then they'd caught a glance of green orcish skin, and every so often had an arrow just barely missed them.

'I don't like standing up against invisible foes', Wynd muttered to herself and glanced at a group of trees nearby where the orc scout could be hiding. Gil-Galad, of course, had heard her. 'Neither do I. There, I see him!' And with the swiftness of his elven kin the tall man swung his war fork, and steel hit bare flesh.
Wynd turned her horse and clenched her fist around the sword, rushing to her friend's side. She fiercefully tried to place a hit, but the enemy was too swift even for her. Luckily, Gil-Galad was a way more experienced warrior and the orc was badly bleeding by now. Just when the elf was about to give a triumphant cry, the orc disappeared before their very eyes, he seemed to blend into their surroundings!

'Where'd he go?!' Wynd looked around with a frown but couldn't spot the badly wounded orc, only his grunts seemed to mock them..."
</font color=191970>

Erm... I might continue this when I have more time and don't need to run to work in a sec /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif. The exciting part is still to come, where they meet a bunch of friends and their nightmare. Heh! This is a true story /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif. Too bad Gil doesn't come to read this board... oh, and too bad my English sucks. I hope you'll forgive me for my bad writing, haven't done so in a loooong time.... :)

-James



<font color=blue>"I try to get away from the Tamers' Forum, but they keep dragging me back in!"
 
G

Guest

Guest
Hmmm, a song I just thought up - to the words of Build me up, Buttercup. Don't knock it too hard, it's just a spur of the moment thing /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif

Why do you fill me up
Sc0u+z0rup just to r0xx me down
and then worst of all you Rel Por away b4by,
when you hide/heal up at will
but I Wis Quas you still
I need you for my ph4+ l3w+, d4rl1ng
You know that I have a glacial staff
So fill me up, Sc0u+z0rup
Just don't take away my r33+ bl4ck b0w


<font color=006400>Thaqui, Grandmaster Tamer of Catskills</font color=006400>
<font color=00008B>Dreafor, Lvl 4 Treasure Hunter and recovering alcoholic</font color=00008B> /php-bin/shared/images/icons/pint.gif
 
J

James of GL

Guest
<font color=191970>"With a creepy feeling Wynd turned her horse once more and gestured her friend back towards the mud road. 'It might be safer to get away from that invisible foe.' the swordswoman explained. It was clearly visible to her, though, that Gil-Galad didn't need an explanation to follow her, he apparently felt it, too. Suddenly, a whistle in the air, then a scream. The horse gave a frightened sound and Wynd felt where the arrow had hit her, a stream of blood running from her unprotected left arm. She pulled it out without any further sound, now a grim expression on her fair face with the dark tattoos on her cheeks and above her eyes. 'Fine then!', she hissed, 'let's take it personal!'

Gil-Galad was meanwhile scanning the woods with his eyes, but like the swordswoman, he couldn't see the enemy. 'Back to the road!' he commanded in a low voice and retreated, followed by Wynd and the horse. 'No way to hide here...' But the orc remained hidden.
Both heads flung around when the muffled sound of hooves and feet came from a distance not too far from them. The elf and the woman were both ready to fight.

But it weren't orcs that rode along the road (who ever heard of orcs riding horses anyway...), by the shape and color of the mount the two warriors could tell it wasn't a horse but a much finer steed, a nightmare.

'Greetings, Gil!' hailed the voice of a woman with a wide hat and an apron, who was walking next to the tamer on his noble beast. The elf looked baffled for a moment, but quickly returned the greeting. 'Oona!' but his greeting was one of surprise.

'We just happened to come along...' said the woman once the tamer had halted his black sturdy nightmare in front of the two warriors still defending the middle of the road.
Wynd stared at the odd couple. A fisherwoman and a tamer? And that beast he rode... dangerous, certainly!"</font color=191970>

Okay, part II of the story.... *lol* Want to read more yet? And ... uhm.... I'm afraid I don't recall the name of the tamer, and I'm not even sure about Oona /php-bin/shared/images/icons/frown.gif. I met them for the first time, so if you maybe know a tamer, clad in green leather armor, and a fisherwoman on Europa... let me know! (and yes, I know that EVERY other tamer is clad in green Ranger amor /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif).

-James





<font color=blue>"I try to get away from the Tamers' Forum, but they keep dragging me back in!"
 
W

WolfZbane

Guest
Yep, I know the 'fisher' that's Oona Moonstone, GM chef, mage, tailor etc. but not fisherman... She plays on Europa and was the 4th Master of the Word. She has a tower near my marble villa.

Wolfsbane
 
J

James of GL

Guest
*rotfl* Yes, sorry, I remember now.... she was actually a cook and not a fisher, but hey! Bards DO twist things, right? /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif



<font color=blue>"I try to get away from the Tamers' Forum, but they keep dragging me back in!"
 
W

WindKeeper4

Guest
twist? try stretch out of proportion and magnify in inconceivable terms.

 
M

MenoK

Guest
As I have found out these Orc Scouts are quite easy for a skilled warrior. Especially if he has the skill detect hidden. After the orc scout has been revealed by the detect hidden skill he cant telehide anymore and is easy to kill as long as he receives enough damage and cant heal up faster then the warrior deals out the damage.

Using a mage the best way to kill the orc scouts is to get them to nearly 50% health and then do a explo-corp por combo. Very effective too is to keep the orc scout poisoned although this can be quite difficult as he is able to cure poison every 5 seconds using bandages and he has some magic resist too.

Using a tamer I found a nightmare most effective in hunting the scouts - after making the nightmare the primary target of the scout it can track him and a simple Wis Quas in front of the mare unhides the scout to make him ready for extinction :) .

What I cant understand are those tamers that need 1 or more dragon or White Wyrm to hunt the orcs. Imho this is overkill and a sign of not beeing able to use pets in an appropriate manner. And of course these tamers are the people that give us tamers a bad name and let people cry for a nerf.

-----------------------------------------------
MenoK - Crafter, Europa
MenoC - Fencer/Swordsman, Europa
Meno - Scribe/Mage, Europa
KoneM - GM Tamer/Ranger/Fisher/Mage, Europa
 
J

James of GL

Guest
Aye, I completely agree here. The fun thing about orc things is that you can't just solo them with every character and you go back to the good old teamwork /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif. That's what makes hunting orcs fun for me, working with other people instead of grabbing a dragon and camping a spawn /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif



<font color=blue>"I try to get away from the Tamers' Forum, but they keep dragging me back in!"
 
K

Kat.

Guest
I'm getting to dislike Orcs of all shapes and sizes! I have them on the brain now...

<center>
</center>
<center> <font color=FF3030> Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I'll understand. </font color=FF3030> </center>
 
Z

ZoReX

Guest
James where did you find a picture of a Nightmare or did you make it your self

I Love your Sig very Well Done
 
J

James of GL

Guest
Hello!

Thanks for the compliment! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif The picture is a composition of the works of several artists, and the nightmare is from a picture displaying a flying mare with a horn and wide bat-like wings. I removed the horn and the wings, and added the glow in the eyes and nostrils. I can send you several pictures of nightmares, if you like, but black horses will do as well...



<font color=blue>"I try to get away from the Tamers' Forum, but they keep dragging me back in!"
 
Z

ZoReX

Guest
Thats would be great I'm not bad in Photoshop so any good images would be appreciated

Send em to [email protected] ( Old Counterstrike Handle :p )

Thanks
ZoReX
 
W

Well =P

Guest
An Arrow Flying
Twenty-five more health is gone
I attack and heal

When it is half health
It flees away from me
Now it is hidden

A green form appears
Again Twenty-Five damage
I decide to run


Heres your haiku :)

If it wasn't for OSI I'd see the world in color.
 
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