Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

Hey Edi brings up an interesting point: for multiplayer, what tends to be the most popular mods? I haven't played with mods so far, but it sounds like there are some pretty interesting ones. I like the sound of the mod that gives reinvigoration to the pretenders.

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

Exactly i chose research over expansion .

In SP even impossible AIs have some trouble with your dominion + starving .
In SP even unequipped wraithlords beat huge amounts of AI troops + this is costless as long as fighting in own dominion .

The longdead horsemen are too fragile to be really good in MP imo . 1 archbishop costs even more then 1 duskelder though . Basically you could expand with your mages just spamming skeletons + a few undeads ( 30-50 ) .
This way you don't need your arch bishops .
I summon about 5 alcolytes during an ermor game for temple building and zero arch bishops .
I try to search my provinces as quick as possible to maximize gemincome and start clamhoarding as soon as possible too .

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

I would say that it's the other way around. Their undead troops evaporate against serious resistance, and anybody who's in the midgame should be able to put up fairly serious resistance.

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

I don't know about other people's preferences, but I love Zen's Conceptual Balance mods. Especially the pretender mod makes a lot of previously unattractive pretenders viable. The fact that the CB mods are all modular makes them perfect, one can pick and choose what one wants.

Edi

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

Blood Thorns ? I largely prefers Hell Swords : more damage (so more drain), fire protection, plus Berserk+3 so you can pair your IDs without fear of rout !

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

Hell Swords are ideal on low-end Thugs who can't buff themselves and/or you recruit en masse (eg, Jotun Herses). A Blood Thorn might be better on an Ice Devils: (1) it makes more sense to give full equipment to an expensive SC and the Blood Thorn allows him to wear another weapon or a shield, (2) ID have plenty of STR and ATT already so the marginal extra damage from the Hell Sword isn't that important, and (3) with a Hell Sword there's still a chance your ID will go berserk before casting Quickness and/or Breath of Winter.

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

well, hell swords are cheaper, and, it is true, the blood thorn is pretty sucky as a weapon - good enough against chaff, but not what you want if you end up in a duel w/ another SC.

but blood thorns are ideal for Magoth and Bifrons who both need time to cast a full complement of buffs and who can include astral weapon amongst them; making the blood thorn a rather frightening drain weapon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

It rather depends what's on the off-hand, no? The shield 'Barrier', for instance, would be useful... or the Aegis, or a Magebane/Blood Thorn combo.

Or for a blood-mage SC who includes Leech or something like that in his script, perhaps.

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

The main drawback of a HS is no shield, but IMHO it only makes a real difference if you can afford one of the rare really good shields -Aegis/Barrier.
But the HS also "free" a slot with its 50% FR, so for example you can have any ID 100% FR with an Elem Armor, and an "additional" misc slot to use.
And about the high Att/Def of ID, it's true, but they often have to fight pretty good opponents, so the difference between damage 24 and 29 can really make a difference on a Prot 25 foe ...

Re: Race Designs & Strategies
 

So dual Blood Thorns != good?