Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

What about Abyssian Demonbreeds? Both EA and MA are interesting, but mainly the mage version. Is it possible to make a cost-effective thug out of this one?

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

I found an indi site with that allowed me to recruit gnomes.

I gave them a black heart and a bloodstone each and just dropped them in my opponents capital and had them summon earth elementals during the assassination attempts.

On a related note, astral 9 blesses are the best assassin blesses. No more frozen heart first turn deaths!

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

This is only true if you also gave every assassin a shroud.

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

That sounds pretty nasty. Is the bless for sacreds you gave the black heart to or actual blessable assassins? If it is the latter, which ones?

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

Does anyone bar Aby get sacred recruitable assassins?

Edit: C'tis maybe?

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

And what would you give Skrattis ? I'm actually playing Utgard (sp game) and don't know what would suit them well. I mean, they're obvious thugs, but it's so tempting to give them full equipment. If it's possible to boost them with only a few gems...

Shroud of the Battle Saint seems OK, even with minor blesses (Actually I've a F4A4W4E4S6N4 bless). A pendant of luck too.

Otherwise, I miss ideas of for cheap and efficient items.

Boots of the messenger if no reinvigoration bless ?
If no interesting bless, a robe of shadows ? (but it's 10 pearls and 0 protection).
Frost brand ? But the cold protection will be useless, maybe an enchanted sword to boost att/def.

Shield : I guess a raw hide shield or the cheap astral shield will do the job. Or a lucky coin, it spares the pendant of luck.

That would be 20 N/S gems without forge bonus.

Any better ideas ? With a preference for Utgard's national paths ( S N D W B )

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

Empoisoners aren't sacred, but have D1N1. Shrouds of the Battle Saint can be easily forged by Shamans.

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

Hang on hang on. You can't start talking about skrattis in this thread. You could talk about Jotun scouts maybe. Or shuten doji. Or cavemen chiefs.

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

Out of the ones listed recently, the Shuten Doji and the Barbarian Chief are two I would be interested in as well :).

Re: Making something out of nothing (Can you turn this into a Thug?)
 

A Caveman Champion with a fleshwound axe (or whatever the 5 blood one is called) and a cheap suit of armour might be some help against the cold giants. Cold resistance 50%, relatively survivable with armour and 20-odd hps, enough strength to hurt the giants, and the axe will leave hopefully leave a fair few of them with chest wounds. 6 gems with a hammer, it's not a massive commitment. Mix them in with smaller troops to take hits and lower giant defence.