The Ancient Chinese Elements and the Heroscape Generals

[DocHex]

I contend that the five ancient Chinese elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood are each represented by one of the five original Heroscape Generals.

Fire = Utgar
Water = Jandar
Earth = Einar
Metal = Vydar
Wood = Ullar

The characteristics of these elements are deeply embedded in the personalities of the five generals.

Fire is associated with the qualities of strength, persistence, and restlessness.
Fire is Dynamic, Energetic, Passionate, Adventurous, Competitive, Strong, and Single-minded. This sounds a lot like Utgar. Most of his warriors have wild, tricky, terrifying, or relentless personalities.

Water is associated with the qualities of intelligence and wisdom.
Water is Diplomatic, Charming, Intuitive, Compassionate, Creative, and Flexible. This sounds a lot like Jandar. Most of his warriors have valiant or merciful personalities.

Earth is associated with the qualities of patience, hard work, stability, and responsibility. Earth is Prudent, Stable, Reliable, Ambitious, Energetic, Disciplined, Logical, and Dutiful. This sounds a lot like Einar. Most of his warriors have disciplined personalities.

Metal is associated with the qualities of organization, stability, persistence, and strength. Metal is Forceful, Self-Reliant, Unyielding, Determined, Reserved, and Sophisticated. This sounds a lot like Vydar. Most of his warriors have disciplined or tricky personalities.

Wood is asssociated with the qualities of strength, flexibility, cooperation, growth, expansion, and exploration. Wood is Generous, Warm, Persuasive, Idealistic, Ethical, Alturistic, and Enthusiastic. This sounds a lot like Ullar. Most of his warriors have precise or valiant personalities.



Each element has a primary colour depicting its dynamic/active/supple state and a secondary colour representing its static/dormant/solid state. These colours perfectly correspond with the field and border colours on each general’s unit cards.

Fire - Red primary colour of flames
- Black secondary colour of burnt carbon or charcoal

Water - Blue primary colour of water
- White secondary colour of ice

Metal - Silver primary colour of refined steel
- Grey secondary colour of raw ore

Wood - Green primary colour of living trees
- Brown secondary colour of timber

Earth - Golden-orange primary colour of fertile lands
- Purple secondary colour of barren lands
(Look at the colours on a vegetation map)

What I really find interesting is the way the cycles of the five ancient Chinese elements describe the interactions of the generals’ armies in battle and the relationships of the generals’ alliances. I am fascinated by the ebb and flow of battle, as well as the creation and breaking of alliances. These cycles are the dynamics of the Heroscape generals and their armies.

There are two cycles of balance, a generating or creation (Shēng) cycle and an overcoming or controlling (Kè) cycle of interactions between the elements.


Generating Cycle: Creation, Sheng
Wood feeds/fuels Fire
Fire creates/produces Earth
Earth forms/yields Metal
Metal collects/carries Water
Water nourishes/grows Wood



Controlling Cycle: Overcoming, Ke
Wood parts Earth
Earth muddies Water
Water quenches Fire
Fire bends Metal
Metal cuts Wood



There are also three cycles of imbalance, an overacting cycle (Cheng) and an insulting cycle (Wu).


Overacting Cycle: Destruction, Cheng
Wood breaks Earth
Earth absorbs Water
Water extinguishes Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal chops Wood



Insulting Cycle: Rebellious, Wu
Fire boils/evaporates Water
Water floods/washes away Earth
Earth buries/rots Wood
Wood dulls/breaches Metal
Metal insults/controls Fire



Restraining Cycle: Dissolving
Wood absorbs Water
Water rusts Metal
Metal breaks up Earth
Earth smothers Fire
Fire burns Wood


Each element has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that play off against those of the other elements. Philosophically each of the five elements should be relatively equal in strength to keep the cycles in balance. Whenever one element becomes too dominant or aggressive, others must combine strengths (create alliances) to keep the overpowering element in check.



The ancient Chinese elements also represent the climates and directions (cardinal points). These coincide with the hemispheres and lands from which the generals recruit their warriors.

Water - North, cold
Jandar recruited Vikings, Knights, WWII GIs, and the MacDirks from the north (Northern Europe). Obviously, the glacier dwelling Dzu-teh and the ice breathing dragon Nilfheim were also summoned from this type of climate on other planets.

Metal - West, dry
Vydar recruited various Agents from America to the west. A dry climate best suits Soulborgs, considering that they would rust in a damp one.

Earth - Center, damp
Einar recruited Romans, Greeks, and Gladiators from the center of the world (Mediterranean).

Fire - South, hot
Utgar did not initially recruit from Earth, but if Hell could be placed on a map this is where one would locate it. This is the kind of swampy climate that the Marro dwell in. The volcano dwelling Obsidian Guard and fire breathing dragon Mimring also belong here.

Wood - East, windy
The Shalon Monks were recruited from China in the East. Ullar did not initially recruit from Earth, but I can easily envision large forests on Feylund full of Elves.



So how does the new general Aquilla fit into all of this? Well upon further research, I discovered that earlier Chinese texts refer to Grain as the forgotten sixth element. Aquilla’s cards are yellow; which makes perfect sense, as yellow is the colour of Grain. Why is Aquilla the only female general? Grain is associated with fertility and abundance, so of course the fertility general must be female.


There is no doubt in my mind that Heroscape was designed and developed around the ancient Chinese elements and the cycles that govern the relationships between them. This all seems to fit together much too neatly to be simply coincidence.

[Majai of Dreams]

Amusing concept. There are many characteristics that do connect them to the Heroscape generals as far as personality.

Much of the information given pertains to the raw elements and how they deal with each other, fire burning wood etc...
So can a study be made that reflects on how the 5 generals affect each other in that same manner?

Jandar defends against Utgar.
Utgar ravages Vydar etc...

Neat concept, but can we use its wisdom to find that the generals make natural foils for one another? As the waves get more diversified, generals begin to become more adaptable and have new units that may do better against other generals armies.

The generals also break down into specific statistics that are generally popular with their units.
Ullar are faster, Vydar has better range, Utgar roll more attack dice.
So can we argue that certain traits are better when fighting other traits, speed beating attack for example. The faster unit gets first strike and can drop a unit with higher attack before they get a chance to retaliate.

The philosophy of the elements definitely gets you thinking...

[Gold1]

This was a very good read. Everything seems to fit together untill you get into the dynamics of the game itself. But I like how this relates to the heroscape story and feel. It may also be a clue as to where other units will be arriving. I can kind of see how the "Fire burns wood" is related. To me it shows how each general has an advantage over the others but they are just as likely to win as he is. DocHex welcome to the sight. I hope you continue to post great Ideas like the one you've shown here.

[Killometer]

Knockout first post DocHex! You've put forward a very good case. Something that seems like it would be up your alley is teekay's Heroscape Color Theory.

[Toad Rocket]

Well, if there was an award for best first post ever, this would be a contender for sure.

[chas]

Very nice, and lots of fun!

I doubt that Heroscape was originally set up consciously on any one idea template. But Ideas are eternal, they boil up out of the Idea Dimension and recur in human history all the time. The idea that one can own or originate an idea is hilarious. Actually, Ideas own us, and use us to materialize in new ways in this physically manifest part of reality.

In Norse Mythology, which is loosely the basis of Heroscape, remember that all of Midgard (Middle Sphere; that which we can perceive) is only one of three...

"And now back to our Swedish movie."
--Narrator, Crusader Rabbit

[Grim]

Very nice essay! Best first post ever, indeed.

I listed the possible correspondence a while back, I'm glad to see all the thought and research you put into this.

Originally Posted by Grim

...
Here's another correspondance for you to chew on.

The Five Elements of Taoism / Ancient Chinese Philosophy

Utgar = fire (red)
Jandar = water (blue)
Vydar = metal (grey)
Ullar = wood (green/brown)
Einar = earth (tan NOT purple )

That works, sort of.

[Odin_Osgard]

Where would Aquilla fit in all of this?

[Gold1]

Originally Posted by DocHex

So how does the new general Aquilla fit into all of this? Well upon further research, I discovered that earlier Chinese texts refer to Grain as the forgotten sixth element. Aquilla’s cards are yellow; which makes perfect sense, as yellow is the colour of Grain. Why is Aquilla the only female general? Grain is associated with fertility and abundance, so of course the fertility general must be female.

[Odin_Osgard]

Originally Posted by Gold1

umm.........