Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

It was funny AoE, for a couple of days I've been debating about posting exactly the same thing. Against giant classes, the S9 bless becomes even more important - essentially in your case you caused the enemy to miss 235 times. I doubt the E9 was really relevent except possibly for spell casting.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

I think that Ashdod is really better in research than Mictlan. And has much much better battlefield mages.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

true but battlefeild spells are generally more of a boost to the little guys, iron bane for instace is techniquely a bttlefield nerf to both sides however seeing as giants can punch through armour anyway it favours the little guys who would usually find it difficult to damage ashdods sacreds.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

I would think this would be pretty easy to test figure out. Research ability is just cost/RP, with cheap low level mages usually being the most cost effective researchers in a magic dominion.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Not such an easy test, though. Especially since Chris specified "better battle mages" as well. Often, these are not the same unit.

For example, Mictlan Priests are marvelously cost effective researchers, with Magic1, but they are not extremely useful in battle, most of the time. ;)

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Which is why I always encourage players to buy the Nahualli. 5 research (6 with magic 1) for 110 is solid in my opinion. They may not be as cost efficient, but they can provide a variety of battlefield options. They are great for panic spam, communions, curses, and more. Bringing a bunch along while casting banner of the norther star or using a reverse communion allows for solid astral magic. I can easily make dozons of turkey mages into S3N3 mages, which can be quite effective. The other positives are that these researchers are quick responders, as they can fly, and they get a second life due to their secondary form. Just keep them as turkeies in battle. Flying also allows them to leave losing battles quickly and fly back to labs when the threat is over. Lastly, they have the potential to expand your magic diversity by having blood or death on rare occasions. The only negative is that they aren't sacred, but that hasn't stopped me from obtaining countless victories thanks to them.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

To make matters more complicated = there are two kinds of effective: straight cost effective and time effective.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

A point I wanted to bring up. Nahualli may not be as income effective, but they are income light and more time effective. So I just don't buy the Ashdod > Mictlan in research argument. Both of them have what it takes to beat the other if the player behind the wheel wants it bad enough.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Bowfire should not be Mictlan's biggest worry. MA Mictlan has easy access to arrow fend or storm. Even before those spells are researched, archers can be annihilated by setting eagle warriors to fly over and attack them.

Re: Beware of Ashdod
 

Bowfire? That came out of left field I think.

Alright, lets get off the subject of Mictlan and back onto non-nation specific ways to deal with Ashdod.

In my opinion, dealing with Ashdod is simular to the way you would deal with an army of thugs. The less you think of their dudes as national recruitables and more like national summones, the more likely it is that you can devise a strategy against them. However, that's just a mindset, not an actual strategy.