Post by Esdeath on Mar 7, 2017 1:39:45 GMT
It's Monday weeds, and you know what that means: it's thyme to Know Your Units! I hope you wonderful Ishtarians are feeling vine today. Sorry we're late today. Work last week got in the way of preparing this walk through the garden of Ishtaria. Without further ado, let's look at the Mandragora Ampelus.
Remember back in 2015 when the Ishtarian community was born? Remember being led to beleaf that Salix was the only Mandragora to survive Storm?
Then, at the start of Uncharted Waters, we get a whole town full of plant women fir SuperPoe to enjoy.
Silicon Studios has made one thing very clear: when Mandragora are involved, there will be an abundance of plant puns. That said, buckle in, weeds. We're about to grow on a grape adventure!
Mythological Information
Ampelos (ἄμπελος in ancient Greek) was a young man who was loved by the god of wine, Dionysos. Ampelos attempted to ride a wild bull (because reasons) and died in the process. In an act of grief, Dionysos turned Ampelos' corpse into the first grapevine.
In-Game Description
Normal Version:
Deep within the woods there is the village, Alrun. In Alrun, there is a small group of warriors that work to protect the village against people who are after the petals of the Mandragora. Something didn't sit well with Ampy while she was on her patrol of the village this morning...
The original Ampy's description is an introduction to The Furthest Forest, leaving off where the gameplay picks up. It serves as a reminder that Ampelus is one of the few fighters in the otherwise harmless Alrun. The inherently peaceful aspect of Alrun pushes warriors like Ampy to be all the more aggressive outside to protect the citizens inside. Hence the hostile greeting you get when you first meet her.
Swimsuit:
In Alrun when a Mandragora reaches a certain age they must set out on an adventure on their own. An adventure to learn more about themselves, and the world around them. This is why Ampelus decided to go in search of something she had never seen before... The Ocean.
This narrative description acts as a prologue to the Tales of History linked to this card. Nothing all that special in the words, except that Mandragora might be Mormon (Mandramormanism?).
Remix:
And with all the weeds whacked, peace returned to Alrun. Ampelus returned to her patrol, but it wasn't long before she started thinking, "I wonder how they're doing?" She sharpened her axe, and waited - Knowing that the day will come where her services will be needed.
Like the Ada remix, the description of the remixed Ampelus serves as an epilogue to the main campaign featuring her. Just as we saw in the main story as well as the summer TOH about Ampelus, she's a loyal friend. This description showcases that trait, showing her concern for her friends after they continued on their journey.
Valentine's:
Love is in the air in Alrun. Even the usually undaunted Ampelus gets flustered during this season. 'What kind of chocolate should I make!?' 'Maybe I should add some of my favorite grapes...' 'Is this wrapping cute!?' These are only SOME of the things our Ampelus worries about during this month.
Well what do you know? Yet another girl in this game confessing her love for Knight~Kun on Valentine's Day. It seems all the ladies in Ishtaria frantically work hard to have something ready for you on Valentine's Day. Ampy is no different, except she keeps her clothes on, a welcome change to a world where nudity borders on being a cliché.
Festival (P7)
Something Wicked attacked their village. Something so strong it couldn't be handled without some outside help. And once the two parties brought peace back to Alrun,they knew they'd be friends forever. The only thing that's on Ampelus' mind now is the festival, and that giant Sali-Bot...
The description of P7 Ampy is less than descriptive. It primarily recaps the past adventures between Ampy and her crush. The last sentence is the main descriptor here. The festival is where she plans to have a date with the Knight, and Syce is adamant that a kiss is in order. The last half of the final statement is merely justification for the robo-doll she carries around. It is pretty adorable that she carries a doll of her best friend around with her.
Now, let's look into the story of this. The robot was made by Babbage, who is said to have been a long-time friend with the Mandragora. However, prior to the Knight saving Alrun, the Mandragora were in hiding from all of humanity. Ya know what? Let's not look into the story of this. Plot holes sometimes just need to be overlooked.
Skills of Note
After lots of research, I came to a conclusion that isn't exactly the most profound revelation for a unit analysis like this: there's not a profound link between Ampy and her skills. They're just references to plants, gardening, etc. just in case you forgot that this girl is a plant. Here's a list of all the skills in Ampy's arsenal.
Multi Skill: Breaking Ground
Passive Skill: Crippling Vines
Multi Skill: Grape Grenades
Rush Skill: Beachside Barrage
Rush Skill: Deadly Distraction
Passive Skill: Fortifying Fruit
Multi Skill: Sweet Storm
Passive Skill: Ampy's Perfect Petals
Multi/Rush Skill: Sali-Bot Soarin'
Unique Skill: A Barrier of Berries
Power Plays
According to the Wiki, there are 3 power plays involving Ampelus.
1. Mysterious Mandragora- Silicon Studios wanted to rub it in our faces a little more that they faked us out on the extinction of the Mandragora, so they gave a unique power play to the Mandragora units. All Mandragora units are applicable to this power play. The restriction is that you have to have 3 or more of them to proc it. To make you aware of how dangerous plants can be, the power play grants an attack boost.
2. Early Summer Fun!- This is a power play shared by units released for the 2016 summer Tales of History event: Ampelus, Liu Bei, Clytie, Idun, Grimm, Ruprecht, Soma, Erishkigal, Andvari, Tiamat, and Kiyohime. The effect of the power play is increased skill proc chance, making them graper than ever.
3. Pleasure Princesses- Andvari and Ampelus get a power play unique to the friendship they developed during the 2016 summer Tales of History event. Since it all took place on Pleasure Island, the name is... appropriate? By the power of vacation, they get a health boost.
Image
Normal Ampelus
If you can't tell straight away, Ampy has a pink theme going on. Her base form is more tame in terms of over-the-top symbolism, but the patch of red grapes that match her hair can't be overlooked. The grapes are, in fact, only part of the outfit and not her body, as they aren't found on the evo'd swimsuit version. Like all Mandragora characters, Ampy shares some common characteristics. For example, all Mandragora wear a large bracelet and have petals growing out of their heads.
The symbolism really shows in her evolved form, mainly driving home the point that this chick is a plant to the core. The accent pieces around her dress have been replaced with golden leaves, nuts, and fruits. Her battle ax now has green grapes at the hilt as an aesthetic decoration.
Swimsuit Ampelus
Fir summer vacation, Ampy traded in her massive grape bunch for a much smaller bunch to be used as a minor decoration in her basket. The use of sunflowers overshadows the grapes in this one. Another detail that should be noted is that she's got a bottle of wine along with more sunflowers in her basket. I guess it isn't our place to ask what the drinking age is in Alrun.
Her evo'd form lets us see both her and Salix's bracelets clearly. It seems they have bracelets for different occasions, as the bracelets shown in this picture are different from their normal bracelets. Also, Sali acting silly in the background gave me a chuckle because that's on-point with her character. She probably also thinks she's doing something important in that picture, too.
Remixed Ampelus
Remixed Ampy is remixed... and took up Sali's bad habit of eating copious amounts of sugar. I'll bet that if that picture was animated, she'd be shaking. Also, like the Ada remix, the evo'd normal Ampelus is the inspiration for the remix unit's artwork. Most of the features carry over, just enacted by a different artist than the original and in a non-combat situation.
Valentine's Ampelus
The level of detail that these artists put into each and every unit is astounding. It's almost as if the artist sat down with the intention of pouring as many Valentine's and Mandragora traits into one picture. That mission was berry successful. Her bows (clothing and hair bows), her ax blade and hilt, her bracelet, and even the bottom of her shoes have hearts on them. Her sleeves are brown like the chocolate she's about to give to that special someone. That leads into the evo'd version, which is almost too kawaii to be viewed. Her ax is now a plethora of hearts and bows. Hearts and flowers made of light shine around her as heart-shaped ribbons fly in the air. She's offering that special someone (I WONDER WHO IT IS) a box of candy, some of which are hearts while others are flowers. Apparently, this is a serious confession, considering that this picture takes place in a church. Notice the stain glass windows in the background here, then look at the church in the background of the base unit. Same building. Congrats, you're marrying your waifu, SuperPoe! This be a wedding!
Festival Ampelus (P7)
The long-awaited Platinum 7 Ampy is adorable as you'd hope for. Her Yukuta is pink and red with flowery patterns. There are pins in her outfit in the shapes of a bundle of grapes and a flower. She has a small eggplant-colored purse (who knows why) and a beaded chain on her sash made of gems that most likely came from Pleasure Island. Besides the adorable plant girl that you want to adopt on the spot, there's another plant thing in the picture. Sali-Bot is one of Babbage's newest creations, and it is Festival Ampy's weapon of choice. It's extremely adorable and extremely likely to murder you if it malfunctions.
Thank you for reading! If you have any recommendations or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Remember back in 2015 when the Ishtarian community was born? Remember being led to beleaf that Salix was the only Mandragora to survive Storm?
Then, at the start of Uncharted Waters, we get a whole town full of plant women fir SuperPoe to enjoy.
Silicon Studios has made one thing very clear: when Mandragora are involved, there will be an abundance of plant puns. That said, buckle in, weeds. We're about to grow on a grape adventure!
Mythological Information
Ampelos (ἄμπελος in ancient Greek) was a young man who was loved by the god of wine, Dionysos. Ampelos attempted to ride a wild bull (because reasons) and died in the process. In an act of grief, Dionysos turned Ampelos' corpse into the first grapevine.
In-Game Description
Normal Version:
Deep within the woods there is the village, Alrun. In Alrun, there is a small group of warriors that work to protect the village against people who are after the petals of the Mandragora. Something didn't sit well with Ampy while she was on her patrol of the village this morning...
The original Ampy's description is an introduction to The Furthest Forest, leaving off where the gameplay picks up. It serves as a reminder that Ampelus is one of the few fighters in the otherwise harmless Alrun. The inherently peaceful aspect of Alrun pushes warriors like Ampy to be all the more aggressive outside to protect the citizens inside. Hence the hostile greeting you get when you first meet her.
Swimsuit:
In Alrun when a Mandragora reaches a certain age they must set out on an adventure on their own. An adventure to learn more about themselves, and the world around them. This is why Ampelus decided to go in search of something she had never seen before... The Ocean.
This narrative description acts as a prologue to the Tales of History linked to this card. Nothing all that special in the words, except that Mandragora might be Mormon (Mandramormanism?).
Remix:
And with all the weeds whacked, peace returned to Alrun. Ampelus returned to her patrol, but it wasn't long before she started thinking, "I wonder how they're doing?" She sharpened her axe, and waited - Knowing that the day will come where her services will be needed.
Like the Ada remix, the description of the remixed Ampelus serves as an epilogue to the main campaign featuring her. Just as we saw in the main story as well as the summer TOH about Ampelus, she's a loyal friend. This description showcases that trait, showing her concern for her friends after they continued on their journey.
Valentine's:
Love is in the air in Alrun. Even the usually undaunted Ampelus gets flustered during this season. 'What kind of chocolate should I make!?' 'Maybe I should add some of my favorite grapes...' 'Is this wrapping cute!?' These are only SOME of the things our Ampelus worries about during this month.
Well what do you know? Yet another girl in this game confessing her love for Knight~Kun on Valentine's Day. It seems all the ladies in Ishtaria frantically work hard to have something ready for you on Valentine's Day. Ampy is no different, except she keeps her clothes on, a welcome change to a world where nudity borders on being a cliché.
Festival (P7)
Something Wicked attacked their village. Something so strong it couldn't be handled without some outside help. And once the two parties brought peace back to Alrun,they knew they'd be friends forever. The only thing that's on Ampelus' mind now is the festival, and that giant Sali-Bot...
The description of P7 Ampy is less than descriptive. It primarily recaps the past adventures between Ampy and her crush. The last sentence is the main descriptor here. The festival is where she plans to have a date with the Knight, and Syce is adamant that a kiss is in order. The last half of the final statement is merely justification for the robo-doll she carries around. It is pretty adorable that she carries a doll of her best friend around with her.
Now, let's look into the story of this. The robot was made by Babbage, who is said to have been a long-time friend with the Mandragora. However, prior to the Knight saving Alrun, the Mandragora were in hiding from all of humanity. Ya know what? Let's not look into the story of this. Plot holes sometimes just need to be overlooked.
Skills of Note
After lots of research, I came to a conclusion that isn't exactly the most profound revelation for a unit analysis like this: there's not a profound link between Ampy and her skills. They're just references to plants, gardening, etc. just in case you forgot that this girl is a plant. Here's a list of all the skills in Ampy's arsenal.
Multi Skill: Breaking Ground
Passive Skill: Crippling Vines
Multi Skill: Grape Grenades
Rush Skill: Beachside Barrage
Rush Skill: Deadly Distraction
Passive Skill: Fortifying Fruit
Multi Skill: Sweet Storm
Passive Skill: Ampy's Perfect Petals
Multi/Rush Skill: Sali-Bot Soarin'
Unique Skill: A Barrier of Berries
Power Plays
According to the Wiki, there are 3 power plays involving Ampelus.
1. Mysterious Mandragora- Silicon Studios wanted to rub it in our faces a little more that they faked us out on the extinction of the Mandragora, so they gave a unique power play to the Mandragora units. All Mandragora units are applicable to this power play. The restriction is that you have to have 3 or more of them to proc it. To make you aware of how dangerous plants can be, the power play grants an attack boost.
2. Early Summer Fun!- This is a power play shared by units released for the 2016 summer Tales of History event: Ampelus, Liu Bei, Clytie, Idun, Grimm, Ruprecht, Soma, Erishkigal, Andvari, Tiamat, and Kiyohime. The effect of the power play is increased skill proc chance, making them graper than ever.
3. Pleasure Princesses- Andvari and Ampelus get a power play unique to the friendship they developed during the 2016 summer Tales of History event. Since it all took place on Pleasure Island, the name is... appropriate? By the power of vacation, they get a health boost.
Image
Normal Ampelus
If you can't tell straight away, Ampy has a pink theme going on. Her base form is more tame in terms of over-the-top symbolism, but the patch of red grapes that match her hair can't be overlooked. The grapes are, in fact, only part of the outfit and not her body, as they aren't found on the evo'd swimsuit version. Like all Mandragora characters, Ampy shares some common characteristics. For example, all Mandragora wear a large bracelet and have petals growing out of their heads.
The symbolism really shows in her evolved form, mainly driving home the point that this chick is a plant to the core. The accent pieces around her dress have been replaced with golden leaves, nuts, and fruits. Her battle ax now has green grapes at the hilt as an aesthetic decoration.
Swimsuit Ampelus
Fir summer vacation, Ampy traded in her massive grape bunch for a much smaller bunch to be used as a minor decoration in her basket. The use of sunflowers overshadows the grapes in this one. Another detail that should be noted is that she's got a bottle of wine along with more sunflowers in her basket. I guess it isn't our place to ask what the drinking age is in Alrun.
Her evo'd form lets us see both her and Salix's bracelets clearly. It seems they have bracelets for different occasions, as the bracelets shown in this picture are different from their normal bracelets. Also, Sali acting silly in the background gave me a chuckle because that's on-point with her character. She probably also thinks she's doing something important in that picture, too.
Remixed Ampelus
Remixed Ampy is remixed... and took up Sali's bad habit of eating copious amounts of sugar. I'll bet that if that picture was animated, she'd be shaking. Also, like the Ada remix, the evo'd normal Ampelus is the inspiration for the remix unit's artwork. Most of the features carry over, just enacted by a different artist than the original and in a non-combat situation.
Valentine's Ampelus
The level of detail that these artists put into each and every unit is astounding. It's almost as if the artist sat down with the intention of pouring as many Valentine's and Mandragora traits into one picture. That mission was berry successful. Her bows (clothing and hair bows), her ax blade and hilt, her bracelet, and even the bottom of her shoes have hearts on them. Her sleeves are brown like the chocolate she's about to give to that special someone. That leads into the evo'd version, which is almost too kawaii to be viewed. Her ax is now a plethora of hearts and bows. Hearts and flowers made of light shine around her as heart-shaped ribbons fly in the air. She's offering that special someone (I WONDER WHO IT IS) a box of candy, some of which are hearts while others are flowers. Apparently, this is a serious confession, considering that this picture takes place in a church. Notice the stain glass windows in the background here, then look at the church in the background of the base unit. Same building. Congrats, you're marrying your waifu, SuperPoe! This be a wedding!
Festival Ampelus (P7)
The long-awaited Platinum 7 Ampy is adorable as you'd hope for. Her Yukuta is pink and red with flowery patterns. There are pins in her outfit in the shapes of a bundle of grapes and a flower. She has a small eggplant-colored purse (who knows why) and a beaded chain on her sash made of gems that most likely came from Pleasure Island. Besides the adorable plant girl that you want to adopt on the spot, there's another plant thing in the picture. Sali-Bot is one of Babbage's newest creations, and it is Festival Ampy's weapon of choice. It's extremely adorable and extremely likely to murder you if it malfunctions.
Thank you for reading! If you have any recommendations or comments, feel free to leave them below.