Xerxes - The Glass Cannon King

[h3]Noble Kings,[/h3][p][/p][p]The final ruler in the Crowns of History DLC makes his grand entrance, accompanied by servants and gold sand. [/p][p]Xerxes. [/p][p]He is the only King in this DLC equally inspired by both a legendary ruler from history and his dramatic portrayal in modern media. He is an emperor, a warlord, and above all, a ruler of risk and overwhelming power. [/p][p]In Xerxes' hands, victory is total. Defeat is instant. [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h2]The Ultimate Glass Cannon [/h2][p]Xerxes brings us one of the most daring game experiences we've ever made. [/p][p]All of the ruler's armies suffer from a crippling 90% reduction in maximum health. On the flip side, their damage output is multiplied several times over. With Troop Trainings, this damage output increases exponentially, making this army the ultimate Glass Cannon. [/p][p]In theory, this makes them unstoppable, especially if executed flawlessly. An entire army or even a boss can be eliminated before it even gets a chance to retaliate. [/p][p]But one mistake… and your army shatters in an instant.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Royal Abilities [/h2][p]To control this power, Xerxes wields three tools of precision. [/p][p]His first ability, Ephemeral Existence, grants temporary invincibility to your troops — a brief moment where glass becomes unbreakable.[/p][p]His second ability, Summon Reflection, calls forth temporary elite units known as Immortals in the location of your choice. They can distract enemy forces, reinforce collapsing lines, or surgically eliminate backline threats.[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]His third ability, Sands of Time, resets all cooldowns, including those from Advisors. With this, you can execute powerful combinations of abilities, potentially changing the tide of the whole run.[/p][p]Under Xerxes, combat is not sustained. It is explosive.[/p][p][/p][h2]Surviving the Edge[/h2][p]Completing Xerxes’ quests will grant you more power for your fragile legions. Once you have gathered 300 Wine, all of your units will have a 25% Evasion Chance, which greatly improves their survivability. Should you be lucky enough to survive several consecutive waves without losing any unit, your army’s attack range will increase, making them even more dangerous.[/p][p]The fragile empire can become terrifyingly efficient with the right artifacts and the right advisors, for example, the Phoenix.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Historical Inspiration[/h2][p]Xerxes I ruled the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 5th century BCE. He is most famous for his massive military campaigns against the Greek city-states, including the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.[/p][p]Historical records portray him as both a powerful monarch commanding one of the largest armies of his time and a ruler whose ambitions pushed the limits of empire. Modern media, particularly film adaptations, amplified his image into something larger-than-life - stylized, theatrical, and intimidating.[/p][p][/p][p]The version of Xerxes you command in The King Is Watching pulls from both inspirations, mixing historical grandeur with a touch of cinematic flair, all shaped first and foremost around what feels best to play.[/p][p]With Xerxes revealed, the Crowns of History stand complete.[/p][p]You can read about other rulers in our previous announcements about Cleopatra and Taizong of Tang[/p][p][/p][p]Three rulers.[/p][p]Three philosophies.[/p][p]Three entirely different ways to conquer - or collapse.[/p][p]The choice, as always, is yours.[/p][p]~ The Hypnohead Team[/p][p]
[/p]