Re: Good Troop Summons
 

R'lyeh? I know this thread is about the late game, but in the early game, Claymen can be useful against R'lyeh, and if you've got plenty of spare gems, can be massed in place of nationals fairly easily. They've got decent strength, and damaging weapon, and are mindless. R'lyeh doesn't have much protection, and usually relies on a mindblast strategy.

So, "troop summons that you could mass in place of nationals" - Claymen - though I've only tried them against R'lyeh. With sixty or so Claymen, you don't have to worry about their chaff breaking through your line unopposed. They likely won't win you the battle on their own, but combined with the right spells, they'll buy you the time you need to win. You do need a few size three or greater units to tie up the tramplers, though.

Also, I've heard something about regenerating Sea Trolls and sharks that may be useful with claymen to a lesser degree. They could also be used with other slow damaging battlefield enchantments or Earthquake, since they'll heal.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

QM--

Ok, I guess it had been a while since I actually looked at these things...I'm forced to agree with you.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

Yes, you just get the fixed number of spring hawks. But an Air Queen can summon them easily, and amass a number of them in a few turns.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

For water: what about Winter Wolves? or Claymen? Not great spells, I admit, but they can be useful if you are planning to summon with your water gems.

As for VOs being "hard to mass", yes thats true. But players who have chosen to follow the VO route will set up Factories to produce them.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

Winter Wolves, claymen... wouldn't mass them in place of nationals. However, with certain nations, I often summon them.

As Agartha, it is sometimes easier to mass Claymen than it is your infantry. As MA Agartha, they step up in value, thanks to bonus hitpoints. I wouldn't consider them 'elite', but they're good enough to replace the nationals I don't have enough resources to get.

As Late Era Atlantis, and other water nations, I suppose, they make an excellent light cavalry for a nation without any. I make a point of having Winter Wolves in any army I expect to win by either a large margin or by breaking the enemy's morale via Wailing Wind or Fear. I have them set to hold and attack rear and bring down any runners.

If the enemy's running at the end of a lengthy battle, chances are they have enough fatigue for a pack of winter wolve's chill to knock them out cold, making them even easier to rip to shreds.

In my opinion, a lot of the value of summons is dependent on the nation. For instance, EA & MA Agartha have little use for Siege Golems. And while man and Ctis have little use for Winter Wolves, Atlantis almost needs them, unless they get good independents in a good resource province.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

Don't diss living statues.

Living statues exist to die in great numbers while the mages behind them spam spells.

Sure, living statues aren't immune to any kind of magic, have no rythym, can't dance, never get laid, etc. etc., but if you have an E9 God (for the blessing, presumably), you can make living statues very fast, very cheap, in *huge* numbers.

And then who cares if they die? That's what they're for - at least they take a while to do it. Sure, mechanical men are better - but they're not enough better to not-die, so why pay extra?

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

In other words, they're like vine ogres -- cheap damage soakers? (Well, quite a bit steeper than VOs, unless you have that E9 mage -- but their MR is much better. Are they still worthwhile if your Earth magic isn't quite up to that level?)

Good calls regarding winter wolves and claymen, folks. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Any opinion on summer lions?

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

Living Statues are good for holding regular enemy troops from advancing and they ignore most arrows because of their protection and large shield. They will fall quickly to any elemental attacks and/or elemental auras.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

Bog beasts.

Enough said.

Re: Good Troop Summons
 

They might be N2W1 now Sombre http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif