Introducing Cervul Pt. 1

Hey dudes,

When we announced the update, we said we’d be back to talk about Cervul’s deal, and because time marches on beyond the control of mortal men, that time has come. In an attempt to keep this from turning into an insanely long post, we’re going to break it in half and cover the first set of tools Cervul has at his disposal. The next post will break down what Cervul can do if you decide to walk a darker path.

Cervul: A Dude

From the very beginning of planning for Deux or Die we knew that we didn’t want to do something like create a copy of Alcedor, change the colors, and call it a day. The idea of making a second character with his own set of skills, abilities, and challenges was the first thing that we wanted to be a big part of the update. So we settled into giving Cervul not just his own attack style, but changing all of the secondary abilities like spells into something different and interesting for Cervul.

Axe you a question

The differences in play style start right off the bat with an entirely different basic attack style. Where Alcedor has a shield and mace always at the ready, allowing him to go toe to toe with foes, Cervul has a more indirect ranged attack that requires more careful distance placement, and works great in addition to Alcedor’s more up front attack style. You can control the arc of Cervul’s attack to some degree by crouching, pressing forward, etc. The skilled player will be rewarded for practice, as there’s a lot of versatility in the way the Axes are used.

A Tool for Every Job

Cervul doesn’t get access to spells and potions throughout the game, and instead is equipped with an arsenal of tools that unlock abilities that help both players on their quest. Though all of Cervul’s tools have a benefit for him directly, their true power comes from the fact that they can provide utility for both players at the same time, and careful combination of their abilities can give you the edge in tough fights and to deal with the difficulty of the game that’s been rebalanced to challenge two players.

Pavise:

A smart person explained that this is, in fact, a shield. A very big shield actually. It’s large enough that Cervul carries it with both hands, which means he can’t attack while carrying it, but it’s tall enough to block both high and low attacks at the same time, unlike Alcedor’s shield which needs to be positioned properly. In addition to being carried, the Pavise can be placed on the ground to provide a persistent barrier to attacks that Cervul can attack over, and can shield both players from incoming projectiles. One of the interesting upgrades allows Cervul to hold the Pavise overhead, not just blocking downward projectiles but also serving as a platform for Alcedor.

Crossbow:

The crossbow is a ranged attack that can be used over and over, needing only to be reloaded momentarily. It allows Cervul to attack directly forward in addition to providing support fire to Alcedor. The upgrades to the Crossbow increase its range, damage, and turn it into a formidable weapon for Cervul’s arsenal.

Banner:

It’s actually illegal to make a game with a squire and knight without including a banner. They’ll send you a sternly worded letter, it’s a whole thing. The banner is a held item that provides a speed and attack speed buff to both players in an area of effect. When upgraded the banner itself can be used as a short range melee attack while being held by Cervul. Where the banner gets interesting is that like the Pavise, it can be placed on the ground to continue providing an effect while Cervul is free to attack or use his crossbow.

Bandages:

You’ll never be able to guess what these do. Just kidding, they’re bandages, they heal you. But the bandages not only heal Cervul, but they can be used to heal Alcedor as well. The upgrades allow each bandage to heal more when used, as well as increasing the total number of bandages that Cervul can carry at a time. Since options to heal are quite limited on longer dungeon runs, they make a welcome addition to survivability for the more difficult sections of the game. The bandages automatically refill any time Cervul is near a save shrine, or sleeps at an inn.

Well hopefully Pt. 1 of the rundown of the plucky new squire has you excited to return to Upel and crack some demon skulls. We’ll follow up with the next installment soon that’ll cover Evil Cervul’s abilities.

Take it easy,
Berzerk Team