Re: EA Agartha guide
 

As for Trogs - Use trogs when you are fightin in cold territories. I probably wouldn't bother in cold 1... but in cold3 hellya.

And trogs become quite respectable when you get their protection up.

Since your D Oracles are capital only - you *have* to do something to stay up in the magical research. You could try building castles - but I think slow expansion really precludes that.

My choice of pretenders (CBM) would either be
Phoenix (Awake) F4N4-5A4, F4E4A4, F4S5A4, F4D4A4

Phoenix has a problem with no hands, so no hammers, which means you may wish to boost one higher than normal to make bootstrapping easier. Exploding phoenixes give you good expansion, good minor blesses, good site searching and fills some gaps you can't otherwise cast A/N/S. FD is good for fireskulls, and are very useful for your Death DOs.
Earth and Air gets you staffs of mastery, also allows the combination of DarkSkies and melancholia.

Olm: My choice only if you know you will be starting in or near water. Take N/W to get the free castles. Asleep is probably ok if you are only starting *near*

ForgeLord F4E4(N4|S4) You can increase the skills if you wish. If you are going to face undead (Ermor) Demons (lanka) the ability to crystal matrix, crystal slave, and crystal shields let your H7 communed DO's do insane banish damage might give you a chance.

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

On Sieges- there is a (Siege) bonus, AND a (Defense) bonus. Having a (Siege) bonus confers no benefit to protecting a castle, only in assaulting it.

The Agarthans are great tunnelers, not great builders. ;)

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

We're so deep in this hole. LETS DIG OUR WAY OUT.

Jazzepi

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

My note on their good siege defense is only due to no deed for supplies.

I found that 6 Seal Guards can take out most indies with the F4E9N4 bless. But to get them built in two turns early one need Prod-1 and/or take high-resource provinces. Most lost fights come mainly from the death of the commander - they are anything but fast dealing the damage. So have a few bodyguards with the Reader/Oracle. Even indie infantry is OK for the purpose.

Oracles are not particularly efficient at research, 7 base RP for 400g, vs. 4 for 120g of the readers. The only available cheap/fast castle is IIRC in Forests (maybe swamps too).

Trogs need protection buffs to survive mid/late game, as they have no armor those buffs are high level. It was mentioned in another EA Agartha thread that 30 Trogs Hold/Attack Rear, Army of Lead+Mass Flight+Quickness can be devastating.

Would Cold Resistance/Immunity decrease extra fatigue for Cold blood?

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

..Y
...
...
.XX
.XX

If you set up in the back top left, against indies, this will minimize deaths due to stray arrows (hold hold attack). Commander set to bles bless.. and then *don't* have him cast spells. Fatigue makes it easier to hit him, and the silly earth balls they cast are pointless. You could tell him to cast earth grip in CBM - that does help your seal guards hit.

Agree with almost every point P. OR you can play in a resource 125-150%, and forgo the P-1.

Yes, cold immunity helps.

Also, if you find the size 1 goblins, or have a chance to buy the mercenary - they are gold. I don't remember if they work with the seal guards.. but I know they work with trogs and maybe your other ancient.

Inefficient research is why I believe you cry for a M1 at least or an M3 preferably scale.

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

Buy Ancient Ones for your first few turns, you get more with restricted resources. Seal Guard give you no particular advantage over Ancient ones against most indies, whilst considerably delaying you reaching a critical mass of blessed giants.

4-5 blessed giants will struggle alone. However, you've got a start army of Pale One chaff. A first turn's recruitment of 4 giants should suffice to start expansion when backed up by the pale ones; eventually your pale one chaff will die, but you can recruit an indy commander and ferry over more giants. Building an average of 5-6 giants a turn for the first 5 turns should give you two expansion armies of 10+. Once you've got the resources and armies going, then switch to Seal Guard.

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

Chris - how do you get an awake phoenix expanding early? I only manage to get them working well as dormant so they pop out with Alt 3

Re: EA Agartha guide
 

Phoenix under CBM returns almost to the status it had in Dom2 (or was it 1) where it was one of my favorite chassis.

If you are not fighting archers, set the phoenix up far front with orders to holdx5. When he blows up he will kill most around him.

with the hold x5 you will usually get 3, and sometimes 4 explosions. Kills most provinces, before he exhausts. If you set him with ancient ones, hold troops to the rear with guard commander orders; his commander hold x5 attack... the explosions do not do enough damage to kill ancient ones so you can expand this way almost indefinitely.

*IF* you face archers, orders are air shield, attack archers.