Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

LA Pyth doesn't have any unique sacred SCs like MA's angels, so unless you wish for them or use shroud than I don't see SCs that will benefit any bless. I generally prefer W4N4 MoR instead of W9, better bless for the hydras and more useful magic paths for later on. N4 is much easier to get to 6 for GoH and stuff than N1/2 and W4 is enough for all the W you'll ever need, W6 and even 7 is easily obtained, and that's more than enough even for Maelstrom(assuming you manage to get enough W gems for it in the first place).

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

The Sphinx and Oracle are mostly interchangeable. The only difference is that the oracle have fortuneteller 50 and the Sphinx has more hitpoints and earth 1. The earth is the most important, because Pythium can never get higher than earth 1 on its mages. A sleeping sphinx with earth 4, could forge earth boots for the Epoptes, witch could in turn cast Gnome Lore. The Sphinx could later, with a ring of wizardry or earth ring, cast important earth spells like, Riches from beneath and summon earth king.

Also, have you ever tried thugging with a teleporting Sphinx? Neither have I, but I assume its Great!

Edit: When I looked again I see that the oracle have 4 misc slots versus the Sphinx 1. That change things a bit, but I would still go with the Sphinx as it is cheaper than buying earth on an oracle. the oracle would probably be better if you wanted to cast Wish, but without gemgens and with late age only having 35% site chance, it might not be the must have tactic it once were. Also, the oracle is vulnerable to poison for some strange reason?



LA Pythium lack sacred bless chassies, unfortunately.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

The Sphinx is supposed to be immobile, even regarding teleporting spells.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

Really? Is that something unique to the sphinx or is it something new? Because I remember reading in Matryx Lets play, that he teleported his immobile pretender onto land.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

Total immobility is a Sphinx thing, hardcoded i believe. The Sacred Statue can teleport iirc.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

Oh? Alright then. Another beautiful plan smashed to pieces. :(

Oh yea! Your playing LA Pythium in a MP game right now! But why the N bless for hydras? They already have regen. And that the extra regen will only help once it is down to its last head. And that head will only have it increased from 12 to 14 hp/turn! Hardly a big improvement.
The only thing that would benefit from an N4 bless would be the Sirrus, whom would gain 4 or 5 hp/turn.

As for important globals...... The snake priests will gain N3 one time out of four. In fact, N is the only path that Pythium can reliably get higher than 2. If you have researched construction, you would be able to make, first a Thistle mace, then a Moon Vine bracelet and last a Treelord's staff. Bringing him up to N6. Granted, this is a bit costly, both in research time and gems. But you would have to forge a few of them anyway for your pretender. And you would not get away from Const 6 even with the pretender.

Although a pure W9 bless cost about 78 points more than your bless, It is IMHO a better investment. What with hard to hit hydras that are faster and gain 50% extra attacks.




On further reflection..... My god! The theurgs are terrible! How is it that they can go from recruit everywhere A1W1S2H2, to Capitol only S1?1H1 without a change in price! Yes, I understand that they are your only S2 caster and only air caster..... But even so, I can almost never justify buying them when I could have been buying a snake priest!

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

You don't like the idea of Rings of Sorcery and Wizardry for 75% off? Granted, this isn't true with 1.7, but still, those very expensive forges are much easier. Plus he's not the worst rainbow SC chassis you could get.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

Corinthian, I just find W9 to bee too costly for what it gives, especially when you can't use a W9 mage. also, quickness for hydras is counter intuitive as it fatigues them way too much. hydras kill with their poison, they shouldn't be over fatiguing themselves and trying to win quickly, like say F9W9 blessed Jags/Vans/etc. also a high W+N mage has plenty of other uses later on, but I won't reveal all my secrets ;)

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

Sphinx can't teleport. I think for all (relevant) intents and purposes that oracle owns sphinx. Unless you want to turtle in your cap ;)
Forge lord has 25% forge bonus in CBM. You'll need to forge one of the unique hammers to increase that.

Re: LA Pythium - Much more than you were expecting
 

The Forge Lord had a 50% forge bonus (didn't realize it had changed), which meant you saved:

10 gems on a crystal shield
13 gems on a skullface/fire helm
20 gems on a ring of sorcery
33 gems on a ring of wizardry
etc.

Wasn't hard at all to save 100+ gems per year. He can also, in a pinch, make a good SC. Dropping him down to 25% forge bonus is a good change, it makes him one viable option out of a few others.