Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

In a big battle, he's going to anticipate you doing this and will have a portion of his troops also placed forward ready to munch your forward-placed casters. Those troops are a sacrifice gambit because they're well within range of all the nasty spells he's trying to avoid. Anyway, point being that don't forget to guard those forward-placed casters well.

-Max

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

The range of Steller Cascades is 30. Those extra 5 squares are quite helpful. You can't use the attack-attack-cast tactic while the Nahualli are in turkey form, as they will fly right up to a big scary giant. For everyone else it shoudl be fine if you keep them well guarded.

MaxWilson, Gifts From Heaven is another great spell. It's real problem isn't in it's effectiveness. It's problem is in it's accessibility. Earth and Astral is a lot harder to find then just astral. In the middle age you would have to avoid playing 16 of the 23 nations. Out of the 7 remaining nations, one is Ashdod. Further more, only 3 of the 6 other nations can cast the spell using non-capitol only mages. Lastly, only the Starspawns of Ry'leh and the Warlocks of Abysia even have a chance of actually having E3S1, though those chances are slim to say the least. Meaning that everyone else has to either boost with earthpower, start a communion, or wear earth boosters.

Yet, if we are going to bring the spell up, then yes it is quite effective against giants, or anything for that matter. Another spell to keep in mind is Bane Fire, 53+ AP damage.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

banefire is a lovely spell, pretty rare magic paths though, machaka shouldn't have too much trouble casting it though.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Even Black Sorcerors (:)) need a skull staff to cast it. And that's the 1 in 4 who get D2. Gems would help, of course.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

*Ahem* Ashdod can cast it without boosters. Ironically. So can LA Agartha.

-Max

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Well, I excluded Ashdod from the my example mostly. Ashdod shouldn't have to worry about counters to it's own troops. I also excluded nations from other ages. Ideally you would want to choose Marverni. Your also mostly wrong. Only the Talmai Elder could have E3S1, and his chances are 1 in 120. You however could easily find Zamzummites with E2S1. Cast Summon Earthpower and your set.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Convince people to harvester of sorrow spam them. =)

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Well, it's more a general trick, and I haven't really worked with Mictlan yet, so they are an obvious exception. ;)

As far as everyone else goes, of course you want to arrange so that the mages will still stay behind your lines. This is generally not altogether difficult to accomplish, at least I've never had any significant issues with blocking. Obviously, the worst problem is if the enemy is so close up, that your line doesn't move forward much. Your mages aren't too likely to run past your line, but they will be pressed up against it from behind, and may not move forward as much as you'd like them to. On the bright side, if they can actually block your whole line, they are most likely using more chaff than thugs, so you've already made them shift to a strategy that is less effective overall.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

I was responding to the post about Banefire, not GfH.

-Max

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Rather than forcing a strategy shift, I think you've merely proven that "archer decoys" are good policy against mages too. I.e. if you plan to lurk at the back of the battlefield you need some decoys to prevent mages from closing during the first couple of turns and/or soak up AoE fire.

If everyone here aware that the difference between "Cast Spells" and "Stay Behind Troops" is that "Stay Behind Troops" will advance behind troops in lieu of casting spells that take him over 100 fatigue? Could also be useful in this situation, instead of [attack, attack, cast].

-Max