How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Well, had my Moloch pretender get banished the other night - fun http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif It occurs to me that demonic and undead pretenders are curiously vulnerable, especially when you don't have other undead / demonic units. So now I know of two ways to lose a pretender rapidly:

1) Be undead / demonic without other undead / demons.
2) Take a small number of Astral spheres. (BTW, what's the fewest Astral you'd take with a pretender to feel reasonably safe?)

What other design choices need to be avoided if you don't want to risk your pretender disappearing in a sudden stroke?

~Aldin

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Astral may or may not be dangerous; depends on whether or not your pretender will ever fight.
A warm-blooded pretender with C'tis Miasma, or a living pretender with Ashen Empire / Soul Gate may be a bad mix.
Sending a pretender into the arena is generally not recommended -- too easy to boobytrap (e.g. curse, lycantropos amulet, decay, disease, a pair of eyes, etc).

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

I learned Ctis Miasma and warm-blooded pretender the hard way. It was my very first rainbow mage. Hehe. I haven't played Ermor since I hear the AI does so poorly against it.

Does the AI booby-trap the arena? I have sent an atlantis pretender to the arena...that big atlantian guy...and have not had difficulty. I have seen the AI send SC pretenders to the arena also. Including one lich.

Does anyone know where the arena is located that the game takes place in? It doesn't seem to tell you in the message. I will sometimes have dominion over some but not necessarily all arenas...and would be willing to risk an immortal pretender if it's inside my dominion.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Not only doesn't the AI trap the arena, but it will also often send it's pretender or prophet there.

I think the arena is always in neutral dominion, but I'm not sure.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

I almost ALWAYS get the cursed trident http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif , although i have yet to lose a "deathmatch" i only got a "real" item once in...i can't count that high http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif ...games so far! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Hm. I'm under the impression that the cursed, quick trident is always the prize. The most obvious way to avoid it, aside from not entering at all, would be to use a commander with no hand slots. Perhaps already having a cursed weapon would work.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Interesting... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif ...I do remember getting something else once,once http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif . It allows you to get experience as long as you beef up your Pretender/Prophet, my two choices for deathmatch, when you know you'll be committed to eternal deathmatch. Can anyone confirm whether or not the "cursed trident" is the only or most often awarded prize? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

If I'm not misremembering, I don't think you get the cursed trident if your hands are full of other devices.

And a full set of equipment will avoid most booby traps.

I would love to hear authoritatively where the deathmatches occur and whether it's in a province or in a hypothetical zero-dominion area.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

The Trident will replace the weapom in your hand, at least it happened to me Last time.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Maybe I am misremembering, slogan. Did you have both hands full? And were the things in your hands decent?

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif I certainly hope they were not indecent http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ...Sorry, couldn't resist http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif .

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Depending on how you're using him, there are lots of ways to lose a pretender fast http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif There are a number of pretenders who can take indie provinces by themselves most of the time. Its sure nice to have the pretender out conquering at the same time as your initial army. But there are risks involved. If that province of woodsmen that you'd usually blow thru without a scratch happens to be lead by a druid, and that druid manages to successfully cast sleep... Or if you get surprised by a mage with death, and that mage gets lucky with decay... In Dominions, nothing is forever, and sometimes your time is remarkably short http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

[ December 31, 2003, 00:14: Message edited by: Truper ]

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

I've only ever won the deathmatch once, and that was when I wasn't even trying to win! Got a trident, although that is a very good magic item... even when it ends up on a priest! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Maybe you got something different because someone you killed during the tournament was carrying something else.

I do think the AI wastes too much on the arena. There isn't a whole lot to gain from it, if the prize is always that trident. Since it's "too the death", all but one of the opponents will die even if you don't bother to show up. The AI tending to send pretenders, prophets, strong units with items, etc., mainly just ensures that all but one of the AI's will lose a useful unit. Seems like they should usually just send a regular fighter type who isn't leading anyone at the moment, and only occasionally risk someone really tough (and good to keep alive).

PvK

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Whats really bad about the arena is that usually Ermor wins because he sends a powerful necromancer which spits out tonz of undead.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Not if someone else sends in a prophet. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif


Anyway, the easiest way to kill of your god is to research a teleportation spell and target a land province. If you're an aquatic being. Don't ask for details, please.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That is generally not true. C'tis has better 'standard' necromancers than Ermor, not to mention a few other races with as good if not better paths 1 on 1. Soul Slay anyone?

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Hi,

Another very quick way is paralyze. I've had this happen to me once and I've seen several AI pretenders die after being hit by that spell.

Also, if you whack a pretender with Mage Bane they die fast. <evil grin>

I'm begining to think those who say paralyze is too powerful have a point.


Vaya con Vastness,
V'ger gone

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

Taking an undead pretender with no other undead can also be harsh if there's an enemy nature mage. My Prince of Death came /very/ close to death after failing an MR save vs. Maggots; if he'd been hit a couple of times during the battle, that probably would have been it.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

My commander had a sword in the right hand and a shield in the other with one or two misc. the trident appeared in my right hand and the sword disappeared.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

The trident always replaces whatever is in your first 2 hand slots. The replaced items go to the lab.

Re: How to lose a pretender without even trying
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yup, I've found that to be true as well. Demonic/undead pretenders just don't seem to work well with non-undead/demonic themes.

~Aldin