Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

The hydras are pretty vulnerable to archer/crossbow fire. I bumped into a few in a MP recently and just 30 crossbows took out all the heads of about half a dozen hydras, leaving them in there 40 hp final form.

A air bless might work well with hydras to protect them from this. Up close and personal the things are lethal. Flying may well work on them, they can then close in on the enemy straight away.

Mass flight on a bunch of hydras may be as fun as it is on a herd of elephants. The problem is Pythium as no air mages I believe... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

Meglobob: You do have AS Theurgs as the Serpent Cult. I believe they are capital-only.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

If you aren't using the quickfix or any other kind of mod to fix the sacred hydras, be aware that they're only sacred until they lose a head, and as such are overpriced and crap.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

Oh wow. Thats even more vulnerable than I thought they would be Meglobob. Man thats depressing. Thanks for the information tho, that really confirms a lot of my fears.

Air bless could be useful, but its a huge price to pay in like 6-8 air just to get airshield on a handful of units :/

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

One thing that other players may find useful tho is actually that I've determined that Hydras do not really benefit from a strong (L9) bless. Particularly water, which you would think would be a braindead choice for them. The problem is that they have so many attacks already that water just puts them even farther over the limit of attacks since you can only hit two full squares per turn.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

So, flying, ethereal, blessed hydras, is what you are saying. Got it.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

Could go strait for Arrowfend - which is also on the way to Mass Flight.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

Nah, LA pyth doesnt have the mages to support either of those spells.

Ethereal hydras really is the correct answer to the arrow problem. But none of the LA pyth mages with astral are poison resistant.

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

{Sir_Dr_D whoeas abysia is one of Pythiums neighbors in this game quiety takes notes.}

Re: Seeking MP Serpent Cult Advice
 

Yeah it seems like none of the lvl9 blesses actually work well on big hydras. Fire, they don't really need the extra attack and they can kill just about anything strong with poison damage anyway, water, they already have so many attacks it won't help vs chaff and the def bonus is worthless on such a big unit. Death is of course next to useless. S9 they only get twist fate once, though the mr might be good against paralyze (which is far worse for them than soul slay etc). E9, useless. A9,.. eh,... well you /could/, but it's A9.