Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

MAchaka can struggle in the early game, and is IMO more at the mercy of a starting position than others, I think that an awake SC pretender is a good way to counteract this in MP. Those Hoplites just kick so much ***...

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

About fire vs air, fire is of course more destructive, and may kill the ennemies faster if they just cast offensive air spells (air lack a big ae medium level spell as efficient as falling fires). But most air nation have also access to water 2 mages to cast rain, some may have earth+water for fire ward, and fire indie mages also seem more common than air mages. At high construction levels, any nation having a fire 1 mage can empower him death 1 and forge fire boosters, when a non air nation will need a level 4 mage to start to forge them. Air can finally strike at a very longer range before high levels (once the fire nation has access to spells like pillar of fire this advantage of course disappear http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ). Finally the kind of national troops Machaka has will suffer against air in mid game (Machaka hasn't medium troops able to survive well against arrows, and the heavy hoplites cost too much ressources if they are to be killed by lightnings, lots of indie infantry with shields will have to be recruited).

At really high levels there are counters to counters, like the use of shock immune summons, earth-fire, death-fire or nature offensive spells, mass protection earth spells etc... But Machaka will have big difficulties if targeted before by an air nation.

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Air nations:

EA/MA/LA Caelum all have Water
EA Lanka: no Water
MA/LA Man: no Water
EA Vanheim/Helheim, MA/LA Vanheim: none have Water
Pythium: yes, it has Water too
EA Arcos: Water via Mystics' randoms, good chance of Water/Earth
Tien Chi of all ages: stronger Water than Air
LA Marignon: some Air and some Water
Shinuyama/Jomon: Water, Air via randoms


I don't think Air/Water is a common combination. However, as Rain only takes Water 1 caster, even a single random is enough.

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Hum yes, not all have water mages, but Man at least has water in the crone randoms (up to a very rare level 2), and Vanheim can have fire on dwarven smiths (and may even have fire 1 + death 1 on an exceptionnal one).

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

MA Man does have water, when you get construction 6 its very easy to get high lvl water mages, forge water bracelets then forge robe of the sea, MA Man now has a lvl 4 water mage...

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Water is easy to boost, yes, and I hadn't noticed Water random on Crones. But Robe of the Sea is Water 3, and that will be harder to get with just Bracelet.

It doesn't matter, because 2 Water gems let any W1 Crone cast Rain.

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Some counters spells against water/air would be good for Machaka.

With fire + nature a mage should be able to make the day sunny ("sunny weather", fire/nature BE, replace rain/storm by normal weather, add 1 heat). Instead of simple flaming arrow a fire mage should be able to burn arrows including ennemy ones ("arrow combustion" BE : each normal arrow has 30% chance to be burned before hitting, each flaming arrow has 60%). An earth spell should even be able to summon a creature that is not only shock immune but a lightning conductor ("iron golem with an antenna" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif , earth summon, shock immune, 50% to catch any lightning spell if at range).

Then counter to counter to counter spells can be imagined ("frozen arrows", water BE : your arrows have a chance for a numbness effect + are immune to arrow combustion ; "thick clouds", air BE : the sun can't be seen today, double the cost of "sunny weather" and all spells with sun in the title or increasing heat ; "wet ground" : any lightning affecting a shock immune creature like the famous "iron golem with an an antenna" does AN dammage to all creatures close).

But of course, if designed by me this game would have 8412 spells including 6212 useless ones due to the 2200 last counters. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Deleted

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

It's the little things like that which help make this game great. I had a kraken pretender with the affliction "Lost a few tentacles"

Re: Machaka is good IMO, but
 

Cool. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif