Machaka
 

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions on Arco, I had a great deal of fun. I did not have a great deal of success with human commanders with magic items, with a couple of exceptions. The powering up of mages was a huge success, no surprise there. Putting ranged weapons or spells in the hands of generals was worthwhile, over time. Aside from a few routs caused by a bow of accuracy killing a commander, they rarely turned battles. However, the kill rate eventually pushed them into the hall of fame, suggesting that they added a bit to each battle. Finally, when I stated summoning some of the high level units and then dumped tons of magic items on them, the game was over.

Now, for the next project! Machaka. I have never played them before, even though I do live in Africa. What do you all suggest? I see the witch doctors have poor research and there are several kinds of priests? Should I take a bless/dominion strategy? Is finding a library critical? Can the spiders make credible knights for a more military strategy? Please, let me know your ideas!

Re: Machaka
 

the females are better for cheap researchers. I always found machaka was best for making early black servents into something between an SC and a thug, at least until they lose life drain in the next CB mod.

Re: Machaka
 

Machaka is quite well balanced nation. It has no weaknesses, but its strengths aren't very visible either.

The Hunter Spiders, which are sacred, stay even after their rider dies. Their magic resistance drops into "too low", but AI doesn't know how to use that, so you can try a bless strategy. Fire 9 will make the spiders deadly, and that should be enough for a first try.

Machaka Archers can be massed in insane numbers. Flaming Arrows at Enchantment 4 is deadly. Enchantment also has: Fire Shield, Reanimation, Raise Dead/Skeletons, etc. You might want to try how to make a Fire 9 Moloch into an early-game combatant, OR how to make him early-game magic killer (hint: you get more Fire Darts if you are more powerful caster), and reanimation battle tactics. I'm not sure if your Black Sorcerers are sacred or not. If they are, you might want to try to get Earth 4 into the bless somehow. Earth Power would also give them reinvigoration, so that they can cast Raise Dead a bit longer. The idea is to have many of them and let them raise enough undead that the enemy army routs. When you get Relief, this becomes even more powerful.

As for infantry, Machaka Hoplites are good, but the LI is even worse than usually.

Spider Archers and Knights are a bit hard to use, but they can fire webs, and can be useful in many ways even if they are more expensive than normal cavalry.

Re: Machaka
 

I would not recommend a bless strat with Machaka. The hunter spiders are good, but expensive and capitol only.

I tend to make an SC pretender with air magic (as well as other paths) -- air a path that machaka lacks, it works well for SCs (mistform, mirror image, air shield), and you can cast wind guide along with flaming arrows for even more fun.

Re: Machaka
 

The other fun thing to do with with the Black sorcerers is to have them cast fire shield and invulnerability and attack. When they turn into Spiders they make respectable thugs. Throw a ring of regeneration and luck pendant on them. I sent them out in pairs and they could handle most Indies and fairly large swarms of AI troops. Worked better if one had an Astral random and cast Body Ethereal.

The Black sorcerors are not sacred, but their spider forms are. I was never able to time the change and the blessing well enough to take advantage of this.

Re: Machaka
 

One of the strangest sentenences about Dominions I have read in a long time, and one that fits the gameplay perfectly. Even if you caught my mistake.

Re: Machaka
 

It does have one weakness... it's province defense.

Hopefully some of the suggestions to improve province defense from the wishlist will exist in Dominions_3.

Re: Machaka
 

Now, I'm not very good at this game, so feel free to ignore me.

I have found machaka spider riders to be insanely powerful in large groups. With web/poison they can be a threat to thugs, and they are cheap enough that one can field a sizeable army of them.
The black servant mini-sc idea works rather well, but I find that they need rime hauberks to kill anything (another interesting sentance).
It seems to me that machaka is very good at killing off scs. In one game I lost almost twenty well-equipped golems (don't ask) to the despicable strategy of spamming blindness and curse.

Re: Machaka
 

That's odd, cause I do recommend a bless strat with Machaka. Nature 9 and one of E4 or E9 or W9 or F4 or F9 or S4. Nature 9 also allows Mass Protection, Relief, and Mass Regeneration... while E* allows Legions of Steel. The combination of super-high protection, regeneration, and reinvigoration make Black Hunters very survivable, and the mounts almost invincible to anything save lightning and MR-save spells. You only need a few.

Re: Machaka
 

Summon some ivy kings and you get all the same spells, no need for a dual 9 bless.

Although, you can beat the AI regardless http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Machaka
 

Oh, but don't the two later on rule the battlefield?

Re: Machaka
 

Yes, but - something like 4 N9 hunters can clear most independent provinces. That makes it very feasible to expand quickly, and then work on longer term "solutions". Also, if you make a hunter lord your prophet, you can wind up with a very sweet early game mini-SC if he gets lucky with the HoF bonus, at which point you toss luck/ethereality/fire shield items on him if you didn't already.

Also - those black servant thugs? I think I was one of the first to discover 'em (surprised even Norfleet *grin*), and with heavy enough armor I had them successfully take 6 to 8 provinces with indies 7-8. Not sure if it's still possible with the CB mod, but the armored black servant is still pretty potent with a solid bless if you prophetize (or do stone boots/shroud of the saint).

Re: Machaka
 

dont really need to prophetise, just decent (dont have to be great, just done suck) items like lucky coin and a decent prot armour and you have a fairly good thug.

Re: Machaka
 

Yes, anyone who can surprise Norfleet was doing rather well! Am I correct in understanding that very low level spell “Summon Black Servant” produces something that can be powered up to a decent thug? Armour was mentioned, what else should I look into?

However, isn’t this a strategy pretty general, as the spell is for everyone, or am I confusing the commander unit with the summoned unit?

To bless or not to bless? I may well try it out, especially as I really like the Nature spells generally. I assume you keep the holy unit well back casting spells, with some anti missile hardware or spells while the Hunters rush forth and destroy the enemy. Is this the general idea?

Re: Machaka
 

Yep, almost any nation can cast the spell - but certain nations can use it more effectively. For example, Ulm with the lich pretender can have a 27 protection, ethereal, life-stealing black servant out by turn 5 or 6 ( loaded with full black steel armor, helm, and shield ).

Likewise, Machaka has an earth income, albeit it can't equip a BS as quickly - but it has mages with earth and death, so while it may need to find some sites first, it can produce them without needing a pretender to do it.

By the mid-to-late game, these mini-thugs aren't worth as much, which is why you then see spectres kitted out with magic being used as thugs. But the black servants can be very useful for early expansion against indies & the AI, and even as a surprise against human players.

Re: Machaka
 

Sending out two commanders together is a really bad morale setup. If one commander dies or routs, the other commander will immediately rout regardless of damage. If you are sending out commander-only forces, the safest morale bet is to send only one. In that case it either fights to the death, or routs, but it wont impede any other units.

Re: Machaka
 

I tried out a N9E4 bless strategy last night and my, oh my! Those hunters are dangerous, aren’t they! I had them out with a lot of archer support, but that led to supply issues and getting everyone diseased. The thing is, I did not really need the archers…

If one wants to make a Hunter Lord the prophet, be sure to provide good armor. The strength of this strategy seems to be the high hit points available to the spiders themselves, rather than the riders. As I found out the hard way, once the prophet rider dies, you are limited to two misc. magic slots…

The only real problems I ran into were large groups of heavy cav, as they can stand up to the spiders for some time. Once their infantry flanked me, I started to take a lot of hits and one casualty. Of course it was the prophet... Independents were on nine, and I was running six spiders. At lower levels of independents, this is a very strong starting force, thank you for the suggestions.

I did manage to equip a basic BS, but he went east and Ermor came west, so the life stealing was not that impressive… However, the potential is clear and I will play with it on the restart. After all, my best troops were diseased, my prophet was dead, my thug was dissolved and Ermor was walking over the east. Lessons learned…

Re: Machaka
 

Yes Machaka was my favorite for a long time... yet I play very large maps and grew to hate the very weak province defense.

Re: Machaka
 

Spiders are size 6, so be sure to saddle up with wine bags http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I guess a little chaff might be useful versus heavy cavalry, to absorb the lances.

As for black servants, I suggest a dragon helm over BS helm (fire protection) and something that gives strength (e.g. girdle of might) too boost their life drain. By default, it is pretty weak.

Personally, I don't use them, though - too fragile with their low HP. By the time they have 20+ protection they are no longer cheap.

Re: Machaka
 

Thanks for the reminder, size determines the supply usage. As Ermor is on the border, I need the supply items in any case, but twice as much with the spider armies.

Isn't it wonderful how fast holy units get into the hall of fame after a successful brush with Ermor? The kill rate is huge!

As for the poor PD, I may have been lucky, but have found it to be reasonable so far. Twice routing a decent invasion force of giants was a pleasant surprise. That said, I will be trying for Mechanical Milita later in the game, it really makes life simpler.

Re: Machaka
 

fighting ermor give commanders a charcoal shield, will eat the undead. A black servant with full black plate, helm, girdle of might and possibly quickness boots+lucky coin dosnt cost much, can handle practically any pd (sneak him behind enemy front line and flank with servants while your main army crushes him), is hard to kill and does reasonable damage (i suggest horror helm personally if possible)

Re: Machaka
 

I am having a hell of a time powering up mages. I have had to empower a F2 so they can forge the Flaming Helmet for the rest of them. Unless I get lucky and get F as the random pick, is this pretty much the only way to get Flaming Arrows?

Charcoal Shield to eat undead. It shall be so. Well, that is if it can be used by mounted troops. Not sure who I would put it on if I have to go with an infantry unit. It will be a nice complement to the one eyed priests who are doing most of the work right now. Getting berserk, regenerating, reinvigorating giant spiders helps to, they can hold the undead tide back quite well! I do love the blessed Hunters…

Re: Machaka
 

unless you take fire on the pretender then you need randoms/empowerment. The charcoal shield can be used by mounted troops and only use it on melee units as all it does is grant a strength 7 or so fireshield (so anyone who hits you takes 7 armour piercing fire dmg, deadly vrs un dead. Also remember that a f9 or so pretender gets around 15ap fireshield...)

Re: Machaka
 

Just get a fire-2 mage to cast phoenix power and then cast flaming arrows.

Re: Machaka
 

o yea, that would work too.

Re: Machaka
 

Doesn't Machaka get Death/Fire mages? That gets you Skulls of Fire. Of course, it's Construction 6, but might still be easier than empowering. And then you can make Flaming Helmets, though I'd rather use the Skulls in battle, since the helmet has extra fatigue.

Re: Machaka
 

yes, helmet+battle=no. Forgot about skulls aswell.

Re: Machaka
 

Phoenix power... Thank you, if only all the problems in my life had such a simple solution. Perhaps they do and I just don't see them!

My undead problem is largely resolved now, though the Lictors are a tough nut to crack. The issue now is a powerful Pyrthium which has had time to grow strong while the rest of us squabbled. Any suggestions are welcome, though I am not too worried. If I am running just spiders, they tend to get stalled by the poison Hydra. The other enemy troops rush to that fight, then get poisoned. My spiders resist it, so they don't mind, but the infantry on the other side do!