Orcs Must Die! Unchained's October Update Adds Spooky New Hero, Themed Skins, And More

An undead mage who gets more powerful as the match goes on is the main attraction of Orcs Must Die! Unchained's ghoulish October Update 1.6. So why does an crotchety undead mage fight? Hey, if your body had been dug up and your soul ripped from the hereafter, you'd be cranky, too.

The Ancestor's Ghost Link ability is his key to dominance. Every time something dies near him, he gains a bonus to his health pool -- small if it's a minion, and larger if it's a player. Most of his other skills are health-based as well, including a main attack that heals the Ancestor when it does damage and an AOE centered on the Ancestor that heals allies and damages enemies based on how much mana he has. It's easy to see how nigh-invulnerable the Ancestor could get in the late game if he's well-protected early on.

The update also has a new map, the Highlands, a three-lane map described as "An underground mining path, a lovely river winding through, and an imposing set of Fortresses [that] make for a game with a much larger scale," and the standard Cliffside Clash map is getting all spookified up with a Halloween-themed makeover. Finally, five new skins are being added to the game, with two of them -- Frightfully Delightful Sorceress and Scared-Crow War Mage -- being free to everyone.

You can read the full update notes here.