Re: Jade Emperor for T'ien ch'i MA?
 

One comment only:

Personally, the heat/cold scale you use should depend on the game.

I tend to go to extremes on heat in order to take less negatives on luck or growth.

But the choice of the heat scale should depend on your neighbors - or at least the game participants.

If you know that you will be fighting abysia and machaka, or lizards, or agartha choose cold scales.

If you know that there will be water nations or death nations - choose heat.

Finally consider if your opponents are more susceptible to exhaustion (fatigue) than you are. Fatigue can help you if so.

Re: Jade Emperor for T'ien ch'i MA?
 

Yes, yes, that I realize. Temp Scales (when you don't benefit) depend on who you are fighting against. But that doesn't answer the question of asymmetry of choosing between temp scales or misfortune for the T'ien Ch'i. Misfortune can be handled by the high pd and Fortune Teller ability, but it can hurt gem income and the like. Also, it is the question of whether Growth Scales are worth if it comes to adding misfortune or temp scales.

Re: Jade Emperor for T'ien ch'i MA?
 

Shrug.. better is subjective. I presume your strategic plan is to not rely on a bless.

Me: I'd probably look at A4 W3 S5 on the pretender.
This gives you air boosters, and Rings of wizardry fast.

Water is easily buffable.

I'd take the 4!8 + 3!8 +5!8 = 80+48+120 = 248 points if my math is right and do other things. I'd probably in prison the pretender for another 100 points.

Also, your eunuchs and city guard have patrol bonuses, so that one eunuch and 10 guards can easily maintain tax rates of 140 or so. The advice given in 2004 still stands - Tien chi can stand to be overtaxed. I'd take growth 3, for 80 of those 348 points.

Now the remaining question for Tien chi - is what is your late game plan. This is the *hardest* part for Tien chi.

With low level magic (1-2 all over) you will lack for strategic maneuverability, and you really good end game options like SC's and High end summons.

To me, this is what your pretender design has to accomplish.
There are a variety of possibilities.

Death for tarts.
Golemns (or similar).
Blood
The New CBM summons.

The old popular choices will be Death and/or nature on your pretender. This is the route I would probably still go.
Adding death 3 costs 108 pts, right? death 4 140 and death 5 180?
(I'm doing this from memory).

Find some combination of death and nature you are comfortable with.

Once thats done - lets consider your endgame again. In order to *have* and endgame you want to make sure you have the research and the gems to get the chalice.

Pretty tough goal - but if you're going to try it, M1 is minimum and M3 is probably required.

So, thats my thinking. Overtax at the start for a jack rabbit start. Be careful with the troop types you present to your opponents. Research to win - you won't win by a military solution.

Re: Jade Emperor for T'ien ch'i MA?
 

Sorry for my mistake, i meant to point to the ministers and confused them with the Celestial Masters...

Re: Jade Emperor for T'ien ch'i MA?
 

Geomancers + Bad luck its what ive used. The falchion + Shield infantry plus a communion of geomancers is enough.
If you take good scales you can pull several of this attack groups.
That would cost you zero gems expense.