Warhammer: Shadow Of The Horned Rat - Strategy Guide (Page 02)

Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Warhammer: Shadow Of The Horned Rat - Strategy Guide (Page 02).

9.	Against the grain

This one is tougher thanks to the fact that you have to go on offense.
Still, you should be able to draw the enemy to you, one or two
regiments at a time.  The rest should be easy.

The good part is that enemy units will be attacking buildings and
therefore not be available all at once to turn on you when your units
surprise them.  I suggest taking the southern route and falling on the
enemy rear, then advancing in an orderly fashion (as always) until
you've methodically wiped out every unit.  Don't worry if a couple of
buildings are lost:  your pay is only diminished slightly.  It's more
important to keep your regiments in tact.  Also, you might have to
take a slight financial loss on this one.
	
10.	Bridge over River Weiss

I'm unsure what effect actually stopping them from crossing the bridge
has on the outcome of the game.  I would say it's best to let some
enemy units get away rather than lose some of your own troops
unnecessarily.  If you insist on trying to stop them all, the Curse of
Anraheir can slow down the lead unit enough to catch it with your
cavalry.  

In any case, use the mortars to target large infantry regiments and
the wizard to slow down or stop units.  The greatest threats to your
own troops are the rear units in the enemy column.  Send cavalry and
infantry against them and let your missile units and wizard try to
pick off as many from the front of the column as possible.

11.	Slave Train

This mission is worthwhile because of the magic item.  Also, you will
get some payment if you do it and every participating unit will get 2x
experience points.

Mortars are worthless in this mission (they'd just hit the slaves).
You shouldn't need too many troops to complete it successfully.  

Special hint:  if you use the Tangling Thorn spell on the Goblin
Stickers they will just disappear-use the spell on all three groups:
then you only have to fight the wolf units.  But the wizard doesn't
get any experience points for it.

12. Shattered Pass

Final battle around Wissenheim:  let the killing begin!  You probably
need every unit for this except for infantry.  The Carlsson units
should be enough (if your Carlsson units are still in reasonably good
shape).

Setup your defensive line in the narrow pass to the southeast and you
should have ample opportunity to shell the attackers with mortar fire.
Might at well place everyone at the bottom of the hill since otherwise
you'll be fighting on the hill at a disadvantage.  Let Hunting Spears
take out the troll.  The rest is easy.  Rush the three units that stay
in the northwest after all the others are killed.  Don't forget the
magic item before you move on.

13.	March to Zhufbar

No battles on the first leg.  Assign cavalry only.

Go to Zhufbar to get the most out of the game, though of course you
can go straight to Loren, which is a significantly more difficult but
faster route.

14.	March to Zhufbar

Second leg of journey will prove more challenging.  Mortars will be
useless so leave them behind.  When ambushed, form into defensive line
out of range of enemy artillery.  Fight off the onslaught (kill the
enemy wizard with Hunting Spears) and then charge the Rock Lobber when
it's safe.  What?  Still too hard?  Well I can't do everything for ya.
Restore and try it again.

All right, try this:  Send your cavalry way out in front while you
organize your defensive line so that all enemy regiments target it and
chase it.  Then call the cavalry back around behind your line (before
they can be engaged, of course).  The Orc regiments will keep going
after your cavalry, so your defenders need only lie in wait.  Setup
your units lying in wait to attack the enemy flanks when the time
comes.  That leaves only the enemy wizard to defeat (easier said than
done, I know).  Hopefully your wizard can finish him off before he
gets too close.

From this point you're on your own.  

Good Luck!
------------------------------------------- 
Wish list
------------------------------------------- 

I've become fond of SOTHR, but there are some problems and room for
improvement.  Here are a few thoughts.

The interface still definitely needs some tweaking.  It's a problem
when you click a button only to find that the button changed its
function suddenly, basically giving the opposite order of the one you
wanted to give.  When you try to click on Attack, there is a chance
the button will suddenly change to Retreat and your forces will become
easy prey for the enemy.

Another problem is that units are difficult to select.  I would like
to see some kind of window that opens up and lets you select a
specific unit.  If several units are close together it's very
difficult to get the one you want by clicking on the map, and when you
thought you selected one, you actually got another.  Also, when you
give marching orders, you may have thought you were done giving the
order and so you click on another unit, not realizing that by clicking
on the other unit you countermanded the order you just gave.  That
makes the interface very hard to get used to, especially for a
beginner.

The learning curve in the game is very steep.  You win the first few
battles without much difficulty, but then suddenly you are thrown into
some very difficult ones and after repeated failures, you want to just
give up and return the game to the store from which it came.  That's
too bad, because the game really is worth learning.  There's a whole
lot of substance in it.

The manual could be better for finding information in.  How hard could
it be to just put an index in the back of it?  Most word processors
will do that for you automatically.  Well, I know that problem isn't
going to get fixed-nobody ever changes the manual.  But I'd like to
see it done right for the next game.  Otherwise the manual is pretty
good, except for the hints on strategy which are not only not helpful
but can actually make the game much more difficult if you try to
follow them.

I like the way formations are handled in the game-nothing complicated,
but it's flexible enough to give you some control.  But I wouldn't
mind seeing some more advanced options for giving troops orders.  For
example, I'd like to see the ability to give a unit an order to defend
a certain area on the map and attack anything that enters it.  Better
yet, I would like to be able to order one unit to guard another unit.
Of course, this may be a problem like when I want a regiment to guard
a wizard and they get in the way of his spells.  Perhaps if they took
up position behind him until needed…

The AI for the wizards is too limited.  He will keep casting the same
spell over and over, even though he could use other, more effectual
ones.  At least I would like to be able to order him to continuously
attack using a PARTICULAR spell of my choosing, if nothing else.
Also, the wizard should realize when there are friendly units in the
path of his spell and refrain from casting it, as the archers are able
to refrain when the enemy is locked in hand-to-hand combat with
friendly troops.

I hate having to switch my display to 256 colors to run the game
(though I wouldn't mind if my video card could do it on the fly).
Also, the game keeps setting my MIDI music to maximum (very annoying).

MOST OF ALL, I would like to see a scenario editor for this game which
allows you to create your own battles.  Or at least I'd like to see a
sequel to the current game.  In conjunction with this, there could be
a two player option via modem or network.

Warhammer: SOTHR is so close to being a breakthrough game, with the
potential of being very popular if it just wasn't so frustrating at
times.  All the essentials are in place, and it offers so much more
strategic depth and challenge than the other real-time games out
there, easily beating Command and Conquer and Warcraft, in my book.
The AI in those games just does not compare, nor does the storyline,
nor does the realism.  Granted, you can get scenario editors and/or
two player modes with other such games, and SOTHR lacks these.  But
really, all this game needs to become a major hit is a little
interface tweaking and an easier learning curve.  That would eliminate
the majority of the frustration.  Probably if it included a strategy
guide with the game, one that actually helped, that would improve the
learning curve.  Adjustable difficulty levels might serve even better
to make all of us happy.


--------------------------------------- 
STEPHEN 'DURIN' DI CIANO's Magic Items list follows in his posting to
the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic newsgroup.  Since he posted it
publicly, I trust he doesn't mind my reposting it here with proper
credit given.  It's very helpful, and with this list you don't have to
waste your time scanning every map for a magic item.  

Magic Item locations for Warhammer:
----------------------------------

Hi, so Warhammer's a bit ard' for ya eh? Eres some help...

*BTW there are 18 magic Items in the game.

*It is not possible (unless cheating) to obtain all the items.

*Each mission is of the form BF0XX in the \SCRIPT. Objective K in a 
 mission indicates a magic item can be found. The second number indicates
 what item. Note - missions can be edited.

These are in the approximate order that you may find them-


10- SwordOfMight (BF003)
------------------------
    This item is in the very first mission. Found to the right of the
    clump trees in the centre of the map. Should probably give to
    infantry, as cav have a sword. But remember bonuses are cumulative.        

11- DragonBlade (BF001)
-----------------------     
    Found in the sleaquit assassin mission, behind the house, near the

    snowman. Give to cavalry.

6- ShieldOfPtolos
-----------------
   Found in the rescue of Illmarin mission, near the rock to the west.

   
8- SwordOfHeroes (BF004-4)
--------------------------
   In one of the Carson missions where you rescue slaves at night.
   The item is behind the building.        

7- PotionOfStrength (BF004-5)
-----------------------------  
   This item is in the NE corner of the map in the last Carlson mission.

3- BannerOfWrath or PotionOfStrength (BF018) 
-------------------------------------------- 
   The mission is the suicidal troll mission to Loren. 
   This excellent Banner is supposed to be in this mission, but in my game it 
   isn't. It is due to 'objective: X' in the file making the potion appear instead,
   but I don't know why this was done (maybe its buggy). The Banner seemed to 
   work fine for me.  
   The item is near the 2nd stream of lava on the east wall.
   This mission is a waste of money unless the item can be obtained.
   
4- BannerOfArcaneProtection or PotionOfStrength (BF019)
------------------------------------------------------- 
   This mission is the skaven suicidal mission to Loren.
   Problems same as troll mission.
   Item is near the two rocks.

0- BannerOfArcaneWarding or PotionOfStrength (BF012)
---------------------------------------------------- 
   This mission is the orc suicidal mission to Loren.
   Problems same as troll mission.
   Item is near rock to NE of the map.

5- TalismanOfObsidian (BF028)
----------------------------- 
   This is the 'save sheep in farm from goblins' mission. This item
   is probably the best in the game, it cancels all magic. The only
   way to get to this mission is to get to Zhufbar through the mountain
   pass, not underground. 
   The item is in the far east behind the house. Give to cavalry.  

1- BannerOfMight (BF037)
------------------------
   This is also a excellent item (adds to combat bonuses)
   The mission is called Slave Assault. It is one of the missions given
   to you in Zhufbar. The item is behind a pile of rocks near the north
   wall.  

12- ArmourOfMeteoricIron (BF025)
--------------------------------
   This item is in the Bandit hideout camp mission after the Decoy mission.
   You do these missions at Nuln. But if you do any of the bandit mission
   rather then going to Loren right after talking to the Emporer, you don't
   get the Reiksgard Knight cavalry unit (your choice). The item is in the
   far west behind the tents.

2- Dreadbanner (BF033)
----------------------
   It is in the Exterminate skaven mission in Karak Norn. 
   An excellent item that makes you cause fear (now you can be the big scary
   monster). But this mission may well take its toll on ya. Make sure you 
   attack the caves.
   The item is in the eastern corner, near a cave.

9- ParryingBlade (BF022)
------------------------
   This mission(i think) is where you fight heaps of skaven on your way to Loren.
   I don't think it appears all the time (maybe only if you get the Knights).
   The item is behind the 3rd rock to the east.

7- PotionOfStrength (BF034)
---------------------------
   This potion is in the 'Final Battle?' mission against Urgat.
   It is near some trees? to the NE, close to your setup area.


These items are found on various characters.
--------------------------------------------
13- ArmourOfTheBeard
14- GrudgeBringer
15- SwordOfElior
16- RockSplitter