There are three different Boucle types. Classique, Palais and Bataille. Boucle types are based on their height, so a boucle below 14hh will be a Palais, a 16-18hh boucle will be a Classique, and a 19-22hh boucle will be a Bataille!
All boucles descend from the original unicorns of Unicornia. Classique boucles are the most similar to the original in their gentle temperament and size, whereas Bataille boucles are selectively bred for extreme size and aggressive temperament. Palais boucles on the other hand are of a snuggly disposition and kept as palace pets.
Classique Boucles
Classique Boucles are the “original” boucle, a baroque Spanish-type unicorn known for their amenable temperaments and amazing magics!
Appearance
Classique boucles are beautifully conformed unicorns with a straight horn made of bouclite gemstone. They range between 15-18hh and have long semi-prehensile tails. Most boucles have average-length hair, but their mane type can vary dramatically from rapunzel to bald, loose kirin curls to tight poodaleere curls and many more! They may also be born with other anomalies, such as extra tails, legs, horns, and even heads, fins, paws, beaks and many more!
Magic
Classique magic is always beneficial, and never harmful! Even potentially destructive magic like fire cannot be used to directly harm another being, but accidents can happen. Boucles generally use their magic to protect others and offer generous gifts.
Bataille Boucles
Bataille are a re-discovered type of Boucle that were found escaped into Unicornia from their warmongering owners. The King’s advisors have confirmed that this type was originally bred for battle in the war between the King and his brother. They have been sighted wild across Unicornia, still wearing remnants of tack, nose rings and other accessories. Most do not have magic like Classique boucles, but are excellent at fighting and defence. If you can gain their trust they are powerful and fearless mounts, although they only ever bond with one rider at a time. Most don’t seem to know what gentleness and compassion is, and only listen to firm commands.
Appearance
Batailles are a heavy battle steed, ranging between 19-22hh with convex profiles, heavy legs and shorter more muscled tails than their Classique counterparts. Their horns are curved slightly backward and instead of gemstone their bouclite takes on a variety of metallic appearances. What they lack in speed they make up for in pure physical power. Typically they have “war manes” – short bristly manes and short tail hair well suited for keeping out the way of battle – but with crossbreeding and luck they can display other mane types.
Bataille Armaments
Rather than magic, batailles have Armaments! These give them the edge in the fight, and makes them the perfect war mount. With enough training, Batailles can learn some destructive magic types and can and will use them to harm others :ohnoes:
Palais Boucles
Palais boucles were selectively bred from Classique boucles by King Lancelet to be cute palace pets. They have only recently been allowed to be exported from Unicornia. They are a small pony-type with shapeshifting magic!
Appearance
Palais boucles are short and round with elegant features and a slightly dished profile. It’s not uncommon to see them decked out in various decorations and with styled manes and tails. Palais boucles are conformed somewhere between Earth’s miniature and shetland horses with notably stunted legs and a slightly dishy face. Like Classique they have a straight horn made of bouclite showing a variety of decor-like patterns such as porcelain, lace and crowns. They range between 11-14hh and share the same mane types as Classique, with the addition of Corinth, Jardin and Foo manes.
Magic
Palais boucles use their magic to transform themselves into other animals, either in part or in full depending on their level of power. They always keep their horn and colouration regardless of the shape they take, so if you see a sparkly blue panda with a unicorn horn, you can safely assume it’s a Palais in disguise! They mostly use their magic to show off, often performing little dramas, but the techniques would be very advantageous in the wild.
Breeding and Crossbreeding
Breeding Classiques
Breeding a Classique to a Classique boucle will always result in a successful Classique foal, unless Corruption is present (see Breeding Defects for more info). Classique foals’ gender is up to the owner when they reference it!
Classiques may randomly be rolled for any of the Breeding Anomalies (BAs). They might also be randomly rolled for one of the following mane types:
Bald, Kirin, Poodaleere, Snowpuff, Wisp, Seraph.
Breeding Batailles
Breeding Batailles is notoriously difficult. A Bataille x Bataille pairing always has a 25% chance of failure to produce a foal. A failed breeding WILL use up a breeding slot for both parents! A successful Bataille x Bataille breeding will always produce a Bataille foal.
Unlike Classique foals where the gender is up to you, a Bataille foal’s gender is randomised on the breeding note, and 75% of the time the foal will be male! Bataille mares are rare due to science.
Batailles cannot inherit Ancients’ Blessings, even if a homozygous blessed Classique parent is used.
If a Bataille breeding rolls as successful but there is also Corruption present, the success chance is rolled again to see if the Corruption will cause the breeding to fail instead, so it’s doubly difficult to produce Corrupted Batailles! (see Breeding Defects for more info on Corruption)
The Bataille “war mane” is the equivalent of the Classique “normal mane”. Batailles may be randomly rolled for the following mane types:
Bald, Dreadlock, Razor.
Bataille foals are only randomly rolled for the BAs listed below, all other BAs must be inherited or added with BU-MP rewards or pralines:
- Alternate Birthmetal I
- Alternate Birthmetal II
- Bend-or spots
- Double horns
- Triple horns
- Fangs
- Tusks
- Elf Ears
- Bat Wings
- Feather wings
- Feathered Neck
- Beak
- Talons
- Crest
- Ram horns
- Dino tail
- Dinofeet
- Gem armour
- Melanistic
- Sabre Horn
- Natural
- Void
- Dinocorn
- Vulture
- Batboy (Bat wings, tusks, fangs, elf ears)
Breeding defects are rolled as usual for inbred or corrupted bataille breedings.
Breeding Palais
Breeding Palais is as easy as breeding Classique. Breeding a Palais to a Palais boucle will always result in a successful Palais foal. Palais foals’ gender is up to the owner! Palais cannot inherit Corruption, but they can inherit Blessings. Palais x Corrupted breedings will always fail.
Palais have a chance to randomly roll for all the same Breeding Anomalies as Classique. They may also randomly roll for the following mane types:
Kirin, Wisp, Poodaleere, Snowpuff, Corinth, Jardin, Foo.
Crossbreeding Classiques and Batailles
Each boucle type can crossbreed, as they are the same species, but crossbreeding Batailles can be notoriously difficult. The height of a foal is randomised between the two parent’s heights, so a successful foal could be Classique or Bataille based on what height they roll! The most likely way for a successful crossbred foal to be a Bataille is to breed an 18hh Classique to a 22hh Bataille!
- Classique (17-18hh) x Bataille – There is only a 50% chance of a successful breeding.
- Classique (15-16hh) x Bataille – There is a 75% chance that these breedings will fail, as the height difference is less compatible genetically (and physically :eyes:)!
A bataille foal is designed on the bataille lines even if it is crossbred, and vice versa for classique boucles. However if you wish to display crossbred tendencies in your references in regards to build and temperament you are most welcome!
Crossbreeding Classiques and Palais
Palais can crossbreed without penalties with Classiques that are 15hh or 16hh. The height of a foal is randomised between the two parent’s heights, so a foal could be Classique or Palais based on what height they roll! The most likely way for a crossbred foal to be a Palais is to breed a 15hh Classique to a 11hh Palais!
- Palais x Classique (15-16hh) – 100% chance of a successful Classique or Palais foal.
- Palais x Classique (17-18hh) – Palais CANNOT breed with any boucle 17hh and over.
Crossbreeding Palais and Bataille
Palais and Bataille are incompatible and will always fail to breed.
- Palais x Bataille – Palais CANNOT breed with any Bataille.