Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

I like E9 cyclops, yet they need some items to fight effectively if they don't have any other magic, due to their crap base Att/def.
From then they are pretty powerful as fighters, then have nice support spells such as LoS and Weapons of Sharpness, can cast Earthquakes and craploads of BW, then create armies of Statues when you've climbed Ench tree, go for an "artifact rush" with FotA... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
Dunno if all this is really "competitive" but it's very nice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

With dom 9 or 10 (10 is safer), a cyclops can solo most indies turn 2 without equip. FoTA is like Arcane Nexus, extremely dangerous to cast as it'll signal other players to target you as the main threat nation. It's actually not as great an idea to rush for it in MP as it is in SP.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

True. Most of the time when I see FoTA goes up in MP game, it means that the enchantment must be dispelled ASAP or the nation must be crashed quickly, otherwise it'll dominate the game using large array of dirt-cheap high level items. So usually I either attack the nation, or build coalition of neighbors to attack the nation, or join such coalition myself if it already exists.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

Updated section on awakened e8 cyclops build.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

Found this thread via the strategies link, gotta add something about the light bandar warriors.
They are actually good. Very good even, in right circumstances. But not as melee infantry - they are archers, with low precision, low range, but two attacks per round and a higher than normal damage.
You might want to recruit them against Pangaea, since it tends to mass lightly armored troops in great numbers. Light bandari take care of them like no tomorrow. I guess same goes to repelling the Ctulhus back to the sea - light bandari are THE unit to take care of chaff troops.
P.S.
Script them to fire, of course.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

The lower armor seems like they'd be less than ideal against chaff - the point for most front-line infantry is to take less damage over the long run, not deal damage quickly. But I haven't tried it yet. I like Patala, but I went with the Bandar archers with elephants or the chakram-atavi up front.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

They work provided they have some other troops like indy heavy infantry or something to stand in front of them eating arrows and blocking stuff. Or if you mass enough of them, of course. They're really nasty close range missile troops though, it's true.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

Light Bandar archers shoot twice per round?

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

I think he means light bandar warriors with the sticks and stones weapon, or something like that.

Re: Guide to playing Patala competitively
 

Yep. Light bandar warrior throws sticks and stones twice per round, and if you amass them in decent numbers, with some suicidal shieldmen in front of them, they clear chaff very efficienly. They arent that good for small clashes because of their awful precision, but when you go against 300+ meanads, satyrs, lobo guards, madmen etc, precision doesnt matter much.