Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

Bog beasts shouldn't be made uber. They're fine as they are, summonable chaff with an interesting ability.
Balancing does not mean making each and every spell able to win the game on its own.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

There's many unbalanced and even useless spells in Dominions3. The CBM helps some of the useless spells. The Tartarians are still overpowered, but at least the devs did add shattered soul to their traits.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

Even sans mods, Tartarians are not as good as people sometimes say, although they are quite good. I've been playing this game for four years and I still haven't ever summoned one, myself--they never quite seem to be worth it, when I could just save up a little longer and get a wonderful wonderful demilich! And also, when any old golem with quickness, a ring of the warrior, and a holy scourge can kill one in a few hits.

Tartarians may be overpowered, but that doesn't mean they aren't overrated.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

I notice that your hypothetical golem is specifically loaded out to be an anti-Tartarian unit. That is a pretty good indicator of how good Tartarians are, as everything can be countered if you have the right counter. That Golem for instance - it is asking to be magic - dueled by some cheap astral mage. Then there are the anti construct weapons that can probably land a kill if given to so much as a Bane.

This isn't at all like some sort of low grade thug, or really low end SC that can pretty much be killed with whatever you have at hand. Take a Harbinger, your hypothetical golem could be equipped with the anti-tartarian load out above and probably still kill it. It could kill it with chaff clearing equipment. A Tartarian could do likewise, as could a Seraph, or a Chayot, or any other high end SC. When something needs its weaknesses specifically exploited even once something like a Golem is in play, that thing is clearly effective.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

Yes. They are effective, and they aren't the universally superior game-winning units that the talk about them sometimes seems to suggest they are.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

You have never summoned one and you say they are overrated? maybe you ought to try them once?

besides, anything that golem could do, a tart clops could do better, without the weakness of an S mage dueling him.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

I've never summoned one, but I've charmed and enslaved several. THAT was cost-effective. They're good units when you pay for them; they're great units when you get them for free! Also I guess I've killed several dozen of them. I know what they can do.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

Teh problem with tarts is not the cost, just that only 2 nations can reliably use them. You need the chalice or GoH.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

If you get a Tartarian commander, it will be irreversibly crazy and do a lot of pillaging. It is a ***** to call one and have him or her pillage your capital on the first turn. They also do other crazy things that keep you from moving them from time to time. The only solution is a slave collar, which requires blood magic ability and wipes out any magic ability they possess.

Re: Why are Tarts so cheap
 

Does a slave collar really defeat insanity/shattered soul?