Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I still think elemental resistance is very unthematic, but I can't understand why you are adding nature. I thought you were thinking of Rod of Iron/ Elemental Armor, not Resist Elements...

And having both Fire and Nature gives Ulm access to Fever Fetishes, with Forge bonus, with non-restricted, cheap mages. Maybe not the best possible idea, even if they don't start with any income in either.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

Oh i really forgot the fever fetishes .
The reasons for nature i listed in a former post already though :
- supply items
- Better aiming with eagle eye
- Some other smaller buffs , or some swarmers with swarm

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I think black steel armor should have some small resistance (maybe 25 percent) by default, not only for Ulm, but in general.
Has anyone ever forged the black steel armor for 10 earth gems? It is very bad compared to the armors of other kinds of magic, and it is even worse for ulm as it's only advantage is +1 protection compared to a black knights normal armor. 10 gems for +1 protection? No thanks, but then again, there is no other armor Ulm could forge with its current picks.

Elemental protection is nothing unfitting for earth.
Earth can't burn, and it can't conduct electricity. Maybe one could argue about water...

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I have updated my Ulm Upgrade mod. Fixed some bugs, added Warlord graphics (Zweihander+cloak) and added Reinvigoration for Warlord. Also changed some descriptions, but those were slight.

I added #Version tag, and the Version is 0.85.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

Hm, steel's metal. I was under the impression that metals tend not to be good electrical insulators.

However, it might not be unreasonable for black steel to be perhaps slightly fire resistant (perhaps only Ulm knows how to work with such a metal if so), or very strong for the weight and bulk (perhaps less encumberance, less reduction in AP and defense?) or harder to penetrate (perhaps AP effects reduced).

Perhaps the forgeable black steel items could also be forgeable by Ulm only. 2E mages aren't exactly confined to Ulm right now.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

But it's not plain steel!
It's the famous ulmish black steel(TM) that utilisez so much arcane knowledge in its forging you actually have to pay 10 earth gems to your local master smith to get your own copy of black steel armor

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I can't say that the idea of shock resistance on Ulmish soldiers really appeals. Lightning is effective against most national troops; it's hardly a distinctively Ulmish problem.

If lightning resistance is desperately required, why not make an earth spell that grants it to a small number of troops? Although... that would probably help Vanheim more, with their air mages and dwarves. So, make it a 1-earth spell that only affects one square at a time, which puts it firmly in Ulm's territory.

Combined with my suggestion for a 1-earth apprentice smith, that would really help Ulm at fighting air nations.

And another idea: what about giving Ulm assassins? It may not be thematic, but it would certainly tie in with their forging ability.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

> So, make it a 1-earth spell that only affects one square at a time,

One square at the time... This is so great! This way, all you need to protect
twenty black knights is a measily ten smiths... Well more like fifteen, and then
you would have to get really creative while positioning them.

Anyway, hurray, Ulm is saved!

> which puts it firmly in Ulm's territory.

I understand how one may think so: the spell seems to suck to the point of
beign useless, which would firmly put it into Ulm's territory. But one would
be mistaken. This would be quite an useful spell for a SC that lacks air magic.
Being a new spell, it may even stack with items like the Scutata Volturus. The
only problem is that takes it out of Ulm's territory - not only because it does
not suck, but also because Ulm can't get any SCs worth mentioning.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

I do in the second turn for undead pretenders with Ulm. Other than that I don't tend to use it.

Re: Ulm beefed up ...
 

>> Has anyone ever forged the black steel armor for 10 earth gems?

> I do in the second turn for undead pretenders with Ulm. Other than
> that I don't tend to use it.

I am not sure you are doing your pretenders a favor, unless they
have life drain. A Ghost King who casts five buffs is pretty much
a given with Ulm, and I think that he is much better off without
the armour, what with the -5 to defense and the 50 points of
additional fatigue it brings.

A Vampire queen may benefit from the armour, but after the nerf, she
is not worth fielding.