Amplitude Studios’ Endless franchise is steeped in lore that spans across several games. It isn’t strictly necessary to play the entire library, but it does deepen the understanding of the story and how questionable the actions of the Endless were. There doesn’t seem to be a species in the Endless galaxy that hasn’t been affected by the Endless, and none so much as the Hissho, created for gladiatorial bloodsport and back from Endless Space via the Supremacy DLC.
The Hissho’s bloody past reflects in their playstyle as well–while they’re flexible compared to other factions, they much prefer the Militarist or Religious parties. They start with a Behemoth, one of the new ships in the DLC, and produce their unique currency, Keii, whenever they participate in a battle. Granted, the downside is that retreat is out of the question, as the Hissho look down on such cowardly actions, but it’s difficult to imagine why you would since it’s much more fun to run rampant across the galaxy with these warbirds.
While the Hissho prefer militaristic mindsets, a Hissho campaign benefits from a scientific methodology early on to better speed through to the tech they’re going to need for conquest. Off-World Agribusiness is the first technology needed for a quest, but for those wanting to appeal to the Hissho’s warmongering, you’re still going to need to unlock the battleships, which are in the second tier of Empire Management technology. Behemoth technology doesn’t get unlocked until after a quest involving searching curiosities, so the Scientist law “Star Boogie Bill” is still crucial to early-game progression if you want to get ahead of other factions–and in an Endless game, getting ahead is paramount if you want to survive the whole game. If you’d rather stay Militaristic, changing battle tactics to include “Take Trophies” and “Science from Scrap” will add boosts to science after battles (which the Hissho prefer).
Another bonus that helps the Hissho get a head start on the other factions comes from being the ones to discover Behemoth technology: they start with an Economic Behemoth ship. This allows mining from unoccupied planets in your systems or unoccupied systems, which allows you to mine for strategic and luxury resources, in addition to boosts to the FIDSI resources depending on the planet being mined. Depending upon your needs, you can give an early boost to industry, dust, or science early on, further giving you the advantage.
But it’s their unique currency that you will be using the most. Keii is earned through battles and wonders and is required for expansion. As you earn Keii, you can spend it on four abilities that help the Hissho in their conquering of the galaxy: Homeland Defense, which boosts the defense of a star system and makes it harder for invaders to take it; War Banners, which gives a speed boost to a fleet and makes opponents think twice on attacking it; Way of the Obsidian Eagle, which boosts industry on a star system; and Order of the Red Blade, which gives an attack boost to a fleet. Even better, Keii replaces approval for the Hissho, which means you can spread out so long as you have Keii to spend–and since wars involve battle, you’ll have plenty to spare and spend on taking systems.
But the Keii ability you’re probably going to be using the most is the Way of the Obsidian Eagle. At the cost of dust, Keii and Titanium, you can grant a boost to industry to any star system in your control. Coupled with the Economic Behemoth, this can speed up production when needed, such as when building wonders or fleets or when a new colony needs a boost to catch up to the rest. It’s also a useful ability to use when you want to expand your sphere of influence, as it promotes growth there as well. There are also various observance rituals that sacrifice population for dust, manpower, or Keii.
The Hissho might have a learning curve compared to an easier faction such as the United Empire, but they’re still worth playing, especially by someone who’s got a few games under their belt. But once you figure out their mechanics, it’s rewarding to take them marching across the galaxy in conquest.
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