Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

12 gems should certainly be enough. The AI really shouldn't be using extra gems in this situation, but whateva.

I have made a couple builds w/ S1 pretenders, planning to always have them hidden amongst my mundane mages,... but they never quite make it to the finish line :p

/me is scaredy cat

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

Magic Duel doesn't always go after high hp targets. I had my god casting magic duel at llama's skink priests and slann in a game, and while most of the time he went after the slann, once or twice he chose to magic duel skink priests instead, even without said priests being stacked together in a group.

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

as I stated above, magic duel goes after the highest astral targets, not the highest hp targets.

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

Oops, somehow I missed that.

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

Highest astral with or without buffs, which don't count for magic duel?

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

As we're on the topic I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that Communions don't work for the purpose of magic duels, can someone confirm this?

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

confirmed. nothing affects your duel chances other than your base astral level.

The only question, I think, is whether paths lost due to some changeshape count or not... ie if you took an astral 2 dragon, in dragon form it would have zero astral - can it be mind dueled? and, if so, what level of astral does it have? Perhaps there is a similar issue for mute or feeblemind - I think that the level is your current showing one (ie. you have no astral if feebleminded), but I am not sure of this and have not tested.

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

I don't know about hidden paths (dragon shape...). Could be fun to have an S2 dragon that cannot be targetted by magic duel in dragon shape.
I confirm that the gem use by an S9 mage is 3 pearls/casting.
So 3 * Magic Duel + returning = 11 pearls instead of 5.
(Too bad I could have scripted a fourth duel... Will be for my next target...)

Re: Magic gems, magic duel and returning
 

Another thing about S lvls, I think when it comes to intercepting mind hunts only base s lvl effects it. Pretty sure I had a 3S mage (cap+coin) in a province and he never intercepted any of the 3 mind hunts that came in.

But I am not 100% on this, so if anyone can confirm or deny?