Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

I find myself using quite a lot of the summons that are noted as bad here, in some situations. Depending on my main stream mages and gem income and what kind of national troops I have. What summons are regarded the best, are usually those who fit in the best for some common cookie-cutter strategies. Agreed, some of them are a better option in almost any scenario.

Cave drakes and Scorpion beasts I tend to use to strenghten a line of "slightly" inferior infantry, so my mages and artillery gets enough rounds to kill the enemy.

All in all, I rate banes, naiad warriors and Sea kings court among the best. Mainly since I almost always use them if I have them available.

The eater of the dead though, is for SP only. And then only for the kicks of summoning something odd. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

In Dom2 Vine Kings had a "built in" Crown of Ivy King (artefact) for +2 bonus so summoned 3 Ogres/turns. It could go up to 4 with a Treelord Staff.
I didn't use them in Dom3 yet so am not sure it's the same, but chances are.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

I've never actually summoned the eater of the dead, so can't really comment. He sounds kind of interesting, maybe I should give it a go some time. What's the problem with him? He attacks provinces at random? Do you ever have control of him, or is he random from the start?

I vaguely remember someone on the forum described quite an interesting strategy they stumbled across, where they followed the eater of the dead around with a bunch of stealth troops. I believe the way it worked was that because they were on hide, he never attacked them, and they could go in and take provinces which had just had their province defence and defending troops annihilated.

It would require a certain amount of luck, but it might be a viable strategy for someone who likes experimenting.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

The Eater of the Dead starts out under your control, but, as you might guess from the name, he eats dead. This makes him stronger. After some amount of this (I have no idea what the corpse count has to be), he becomes an independent terror, running around attacking provinces at random. I think the main strat for him is to Gift of Reason him (IIRC he starts as a rank and file), load him up with nasties, and push straight into enemy territory. That way, when he goes bonkers, his rampages will still work out in your favor.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

For 50 astral gems this creature has toooo many weaknesses to be considered worthwhile. Astral gems are more wisely spent on other summoning spells such as golem construction, juggernaut or ethergate.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

Just to be clear - I wasn't advocating the Eater, just saying what he's for.

I think my favorite overkill late game use for astral gems (besides wishing for SC chasses and blood slaves) is something I saw in the Alexander's Tome. Golem + 3 astral boost items + Cloak of Shadows + Luck shield/faithful + Ritual of Return, tucked in a corner of the battlefield, scripted with Astral Tempest, Doom, and Astral Geyserx3 and loaded with 10 pearls, and teleported at a large enemy stack. Get 2 golems, switch the gear back and forth between them, one casts teleport every round while the other casts ritual of return. It's fairly effective at whittling away large armies of regular troops and slapping afflictions/horror marks/curses on tougher ones, and also has the silly fun aspect which eater of the dead has without the inevitable loss.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

Behemoths are expensive, but very attainable in the early-game, and come just one level after raise skeletons at Enchantment 4. I like to mix behemoths in with my C'tis troops on my way up the enchantment tree. While early summons are rarely cost-effective when compared to their late-game counterparts, there are a few which stand out in the death tree. Outside of death, I rarely if ever use summons except the occasional seasonal while desperate and under siege.

Re: Pls explain how early summoning spells are use
 

Certainly, look carefully at nationals. Mictlan, Agartha, LA Pangea, likely others live and die by their national summons, even early on. I'd even go so far as to say that the whole reason to play EA Agartha is their ridiculously efficient and easily summoned nationals (well, that and the mix of Blade Wind and Magma Bolts that their Earth Readers can toss around).