Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

Something to note. Almost all thugs and SCs are built out of summoned creatures, not recruitables. One notable exception is the EA frost giant's 500 gp neifehelm dude. I can't remember his name, but they are great thugs/SCs out of the box. They have good magic paths, defense, protection, and hitpoints. They're also sacred, and since this race tends to use a nice bless that's just more "free" gear they get that neither takes up a slot nor requires it to be built.

Jazzepi

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

No you have not http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif. A few life for a life will kill the seraph easily. Or simply infernal prison and he is gone for many turns. When he is out, just throw him in again.

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too easy!
 

Sending a thug or SC to fight the lizard 'dudes' is a bad idea because the leader of the independents has 1nature and 1astral and usually starts casting CURSE. Stay away from the lizards with SCs unless the SC is already cursed.

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

True enough. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
What i meant was that if you have the resources to create all those artifacts before all the other players and you have a seraph your gold. Not that teh Seraph would win you the game, though it won't hurt.

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

Fomoria,yomi,abysia and surely several over factions have a SC with minimal equipment(in EA). Someone able to clean the battlefield, whether by magic, or in a more mundane manner, is to be called a SC.Or a Super Mage ?

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

Generally only those who go into hand to hand, or at least can survive it.

An Air mage may be able to destroy an army with Storm and Wrathful Skies, but get a few of them close to him and he's dead. That doesn't qualify in my book.

Now an equipped F9 Titan who does most of his damage with Falling Fires rather than a sword, but is quite comfortable standing in a horde of enemy chaff while doing so, would qualify.

For recruitables, Neifel Jarls, Dai Oni, Fomorian Kings, Mind Lords, Basalt Kings, maybe Eagle Kings? I'm sure there are others. Mostly only with a good bless and some research, though.

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

For my little experience of dominions game, I would suggest you to always give bodyguard to your SC. Choose your bodyguard wisely, they make the perfect wall you need for your SC to don't be target of cursed or any other scary spell.

SC are generally a lot of money, gem and turn invest before they can wage war. Sending them alone for me, is a waste of resources.

I never send a SC without proper priest, spell caster (buffer) and bodyguards. Most of the time, I prefer to back them up with 50-100 indies archer.

Recruiting some bodyguard is not really costly (10-20 nice good protection unit with great shield for arrow) and will give a better time in your fight. It seems to have a bug, whe you got too many unit on guard commander. The commander simply don't move... it look like a freaking lame. I had find that having 7 bodyguard per group is nice. I can put to 3 groups of 7 troops in guard commander mode.

By the way, I am not sure a 39 hit point guy could be named SC. It's more a thug that is used around to express mini-SC. And nobody send their thug alone.

And like a lot of people said: LUCK is really important. To forge some luck item, you need 1 astral minimum for the pendant. You can put luck with either: A Short Sword, a Shield or a pendant. (depends on your construction level and astral path)

To raise survivability:

Fear (Horror Mask) - Luck - Awe (Gleaming Shield) - Petrification (Stone Sword - Aegis) - Etherability (spelling? -> Robe of Shadows - Wraith Crown) - Invulnerability (Robe of invulnerabilities) - Missile shield (depends on circumstance)

prot > 20
defense > 20

Quickness is a key of success... more attack, and speedy on combat map, so a lot more of hit made.

AoE damage to do a lot more hit. Killing 6 chaff on a square, is 6 less chance to be knock down.

Before mid game, I tend to used Bane Lord (Cheaper than wraith lord and conj 7 is long, conj 5 is possible quick) with Frost Brand or Shadow Brand or Fire Brand (depends on mage avail) - Gleaming Shield - Horror Mask - Chainmail of displacement (the best defense/protection ratio I did find on my magic path) - Boot of Quickness - Pendant of Luck - Amulet of Antimagic.

Mid game and more, Wraith Lord are really nice because of their Soul Vortex (drain life/fatigue AOE?), they are simply undestructible.

Surely construction 4 is a must and even that is not enough. Go to construction 6 and look at those nifty items. Then try to have some mage of every path possible. (indy mage recruit) In late-game, your indie mage should have been empower properly to create the items you need to outfit your SC, in the SC war.

Jourdelune

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

"For my little experience of dominions game, I would suggest you to always give bodyguard to your SC."

IMHO this just slows them down and causes them to rout. If your worried send two SCs

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif It work well with good morale unit (undead - lifeless) or berserk one.

I had should said it of course, but I am biased because I play pangaea a lot. Centaur Warrior make nice bodyguards for their price. And their speed... are better than the Lord of the Wild even with longstride boots.

Even if the Pretender is flying and their bodyguard don't, the bodyguard will rejoin it later.

What can slow down SC is a lot of chaff in their way, so they can't enter combat. But with good starting position, it could be made without a prob.

For Indies, I am sure 1 SC normally fit could win hand down. Give him a 10-20 bodyguards, it will be safely. But in face of a larger force, I am always happy to have my SC back with spell caster and more than 10-20 bodyguard.

Jourdelune

Re: Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too ea
 

I personally like spectral mages for thug chassis, at the very least. Depending on their picks, they can cast different buffs (iron skin is good here), and maybe carry a shield or armor into combat, which makes them very potent with lifedrain, and if they have a passive damage item, such as a charcoal shield, they can take out indefinite amounts of chaff.