Kingdom Under Fire II: The Human Alliance

Kingdom Under Fire II combines the large-scale battles we all know and love in the Lord of the Rings movies with the lone-hero shenanigans popularized by the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Developed by a dedicated team in Korea, Kingdom Under Fire II will launch in the United States towards the end of 2012. What better way to prepare for that launch than look at some of the units you'll command in battle?

These soldiers are but a few of the many warriors of the Human Alliance that will clash on epic battlefields. We've included a brief video along with each description to give you a taste of how the units look in motion.

The most basic unit in the Human Alliance, standard Infantry are equipped with a simple sword and shield. Any able-bodied, adult male can join the Infantry and -- despite their vulnerability to more powerful weapons -- Human Infantry are feared for their collective experience and survival skills.



Members of the Infantry with enough skill can advance to the rank of Long Swordsmen. These brave soldiers not only advance their military career but also their status in society.



The Paladins are among the bravest soldiers in the Human Alliance. Wielding incredible maces and knowledge of the healing arts, Paladins are viewed as immortals on the field. Their strong religious beliefs fuel their vigor in combat, and make them a formidable force to oppose.



Considered the "flowers" of the Human soldiers, the Calvary can be found riding over many battlefields across the nation. Both soldiers and horses wear heavy armor to protect them from bladed weapons and arrows, and the soldiers' riding skills have evolved to allow for tight turns -- even on an armored mount.



The technology employed by Musketeer units wouldn't be possible without the help of the Dwarves, who developed the gunpowder and taught Humans advanced metal casting techniques. Musketeers have a high accuracy rate with their weapons, though reloading their muskets takes valuable time. More importantly, the weapons can't be fired in the rain. Regardless, as Humans continue to advance their technology, Musketeers may eventually replace archers as the main long-range unit.



Following research in vertical projectiles, the Human Alliance developed a multi-shot artillery weapon known as the Organ Cannon, named as such due to its unique appearance. The Organ Cannon is one of the most destructive weapons in the Human Alliance arsenal and excels at sieging fortified positions. It lacks mobility, however, and must be carried by soldiers from one location to another. In close-range combat, the Organ Cannon unit almost always falls, which means the operators are at a great risk on the field.



The Sentinel soldiers are basic Elven units, but still as deadly as any other soldier on the field -- if not more. Trained for almost any kind of combat situation, their sword and shield can even face mounted opponents. As the training process for Sentinels is so grueling, the Elves are working to improve its efficiency.



The origin of the Wind Riders comes from the Elves' desire to counter the Dark Elf cavalry. The Dark Elves employ terrible creatures known as the Lakreta, and its scream drives even the most well-trained horse away. In response, the Elves sought to domesticate and train wild unicorns -- creatures that don't know the meaning of fear. This was originally problematic due to a unicorn's aggressive nature, but the Elves found that the scent of a female Elf calms the creatures. To this day, all Wind Riders are female.

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