Albowtross

Albowtross
"Our bolts will blaze."
Game	Stick War II: Order Empire Stick Empires
Empire	Order
Attack Type	Ranged
Health	135 (Armoured)
Damage	15 (+2 vs Armoured)
Speed	4.0
Gold Cost	450
Mana Cost	200
Training Time	24 seconds
Population	4
Ability	Blazing Bolts

The Albowtross (ahl-bohw-tross), also referred to as Flying Crossbowman in Stick Empires, is the man-made counterpart of the Chaos Empires Eclipsor, used by the Order to counter Medusa's control over the skies. Along with the Shadowrath (Ninja), Enslaved Giant and Meric, the Albowtross were introduced in Stick War II: Order Empire.

The Albowtross are usually known for their slow training time, which could be explained off as just being an advanced and technical unit to prepare. Eclipsors have faster training time and faster speed and longer range, but have no abilities and have lower health. While the Albowtross were potentially useful in Stick War II: Order Empire, their real purpose was shown through in Stick Empires.

The Albowtross follow no known 'way' of life, though since they carry crossbows, it is possible they follow the 'way of the bow', like the Archidons.

Abilities

Blazing Bolts

Passively increases the Albowtross' damage against armored enemies and causes its attacks to Burn targets.

Strategies

Uses

• Albowtrosses can essentially break defense lines, something Archidons cannot do easily with low health
• The Albowtross is perfect for sniping melee units.
• The Albowtross is very good for pushing through and fending off attackers.
• They perform very well in OvC, because only Deads, Eclipsors, and Medusa can damage them, and Albowtross were built to kill Deads and Eclipsors. As for Medusa, use Shadowrath to counter them.
• In the late game stage, this unit is effective at sniping down upon the second group of miners when the first clumps of gold are depleted.

Countering

• However, they lack the speed and range of Archidons, making them less versatile but more suited to direct confrontations. Their low speeds can make them easier to hit using the Magikill - and Magikill with access to the electric wall spell will destroy stationary groups of Albowtrosses clumped together. 
• Meatshielded Deads can counter Albowtross as Deads deal bonus damage to armored units.

Historical Background

After the Order army defeated the Crawlers, they arrived in the Eclipsor Territory. The Eclipsors attacked Order, but the Order Empire survived by using Archidons and Giants to destroy the Eclipsors' statue. Then, Order thought it needed flying ranged units in order to mimic the Eclipsors, so they invented the crossbow and gave some Archidons mechanical/magical wings to help them fly.

Trivia

• The name "Albowtross" is a portmanteau of the words "albatross" and "bow", regarding their weaponry (a crossbow) and their large wings. Albatrosses are very large, chiefly white oceanic birds with long, narrow wings, found mainly in the southern oceans, and are recognized for being the largest living birds with the longest wingspans.
• Albowtrosses used to have a shorter build time of 20 seconds, but this was increased due to the prevalence of Albowtross spam.
• Albowtrosses are armored, and since their upgrade makes them highly effective against armored units, Albowtrosses are effective against themselves, which is somewhat ironic.
• Despite a real crossbow needing considerable force (usually both arms and the full body weight of the user) to pull back the strings, the Albowtross does so with one arm.
• Most Albowtross users cycle albows in an air battle.
• In Stick Empires, the Albowtrosses are referred to as "Flying Crossbowmen"
• In the Stick Wars 2 campaign, after defeating Medusa's Eclipsors in battle, Order decided that flying technology would prove useful within their own ranks. The Eclipsor was very useful for the Chaos Empire and Order didn't want to be defeated by them, so with the help of the Magikill and Archidons, they created a set of mechanical wings as well as the crossbow and trained volunteers from every nation.
• Albowtross are also the final unit to be unlocked in the Stick Wars 2 campaign.
• The Albowtross is the first time a unit is unlocked without fighting that specific unit (aside from default units).
• Albowtross is the most expensive ranged unit in terms of gold, mana, population and training time.
• The Albowtross is the only unit not given for free on the last level of Stick War ll Order Empire.
• It was said by CrazyJay that "There is a Chapter in the Book Spoilers about: Icaron Inventing the Albowtross Flying Suit and Atreyos tests it for him. I just finished writing."
• Although the Albowtross has a statue in Stick War III, it is not in the game, meaning that there is no Order flying units (aside from Thera), making the Eclipsor the only aerial unit.