Slave Collar use
 

I finally found a decent use for a slave collar. If you're sieging an enemy castle in a forest, and he's casting beckoning, any scouts you've got hiding in the province as gem bearers can be lost. Give the scout a slave collar and he won't fail the morale check.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

I wonder if slave collar would also protect vs seduction? and charm?
(tho I hate to mention it since those are 2 of my favorite tactics)

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Cool! Definitely never would have thought of that.

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, I'll share my favorite Slave Collar recipe:
"Gingerbread Assassination Harpies"

1) Start with 1 whole fresh Black Harpy, available at Pangaea. A young bird is best (EA or MA).
2) With your Dwarven Hammer, stir 7 blood slaves to create a Black Heart.
3) Again with your Dwarven Hammer, combine 3 blood slaves, kneed until firm, and shape into 1 Slave Collar.
4) Stuff the Harpy with the Heart, and wrap with the Collar.
5) Season to taste with your favorite Misc item. A Ring of the Warrior makes a great garnish.

Your guests will be completely surprised by your thoughtful holiday gift! :D

-----

But seriously, Harpies are great candidates for Black Hearts: cheap, flying, 2 attacks, and nobody expects Pan to field assassins. Their biggest problem is poor morale, especially when in hostile dominion (9). Normally a Berserker Pelt is the solution, but Harpies lack a chest slot. Slave Collar fixes that, giving you a respectable-yet-disposable mage hunter.

Happy Holidays!
cleveland

Re: Slave Collar use
 

The forge bonus does not apply to blood slaves.

Sometimes I manage to catch a mercenary mage to diversify my magic paths. After his job is done, it is always a good idea to send him an extra gift.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Are you sure? I have a game right now with the forge, a 20% construction bonus site and a hammer-equipped mage who can forge a 10 slave item for 2 slaves.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Forge bonus does not apply to *Soul Contracts*. It does apply to blood stones, and AFAIK to every other blood slave item.

-Max

Re: Slave Collar use
 

not to soul contracts or pacts of lifelong protection, but to all other blood items.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Forge bonus doesn't apply to hearts either.

"nobody expects Pan to field assassins" - I think you are very mistaken here. Pan has many stealthy commanders and access to black hearts. I would expect them to use assassins. But, pans and dryads are much better assassins IMHO.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Harpy assassin would have some advantages I hadnt considered (particularly fight and being cheap). The Skull Talisman is very helpful in assassinations. A Spirit Helm would top it off nicely.

I like to use Pans as assassins. They toss maenads each turn and if you have none assigned to him then they will go to the province and attack. They dont win but its a free probe each turn to see if you have taken all the commanders and what is left. Also having the ability to cast Charm later means that they get two shots at the commander. If the assassination fails then they can charm him which makes him then attack his old buddies with his equipment still on him. I have often given the Pans boots of flying so they can keep the enemy confused about where they are. But I will keep Harpys in mind also.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

IF there is Turmoil in the province, which in MP is unlikely, unless you are fighting.... Pangaea. :p

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Not quite: you merely have a higher chance of getting Maenads with Turmoil scales, and you can still get them with Order 1! (I'm pretty sure Order 2 and above mean no more Maenads) Mind, that's only a marginal improvement over having to have Turmoil... it does make Order 1 an option for Pangaea, though, and I don't think any other nation can make that claim.

(If you're curious, I think Order 1 gives you one guaranteed Maenad and a random chance of getting a random number of extra ones, and Turmoil increases your odds but it's still very random. No Turmoil/Order gives you roughly half as many Maenads as Turmoil 3 on average and two or three times as many as Order 1)

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Not that Ive used it much as an MP tactic anyway but actually more come in turmoil. I think Ive only been able to shutoff the flow by staying inside my own dominion and taking +3 order. But Ive moved thru enemy territory and had maenads appear each turn. In a quick short test game (just to make sure nothing has changed) I was even able to take 3 provinces inside of 30 turns without ever attacking anyone, one with a castle. With just the maenads coming from my stealth pans.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

The problem is that *enemy* Order 3 is also going to shut down Maenads, and most provinces in MP are going to be under Order 3.

Order 2 does give a few Maenads indeed, though you only get a random chance of gaining a couple a turn... there's no guarantee you'll summon one every single turn as with Order 1 and below.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Oh, my fault. I once heard forge bonus does not apply to soul contaracts, and beilieved it is the same situation for all other blood items.

Thanks for the correction.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Psycho is right, the forge bonus also does not apply to blood hearts.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Really? Even in CBM games?
Sounds like that should be fixed.

Hmmmm I might need to look into that. Been abit since Ive tested the "everyone" in the scales area.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

It could be that enemy order dominion is not counted, as it is a positive trait, and so it would act as Order 0, thus generating some maenads.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

Enemy Dominion affects Maenad generation... at least Order does, but I don't think Turmoil would be any different.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

I just tested it. And yes it appears that enemy dominion of +3 order does shut off the maenads.
So MPers can apparently safely forget that tip. :)

Re: Slave Collar use
 

There are several nations that are eminently playable with turmoil. Mictlan, Ermor, LA Goth, to name a few.

Re: Slave Collar use
 

...imho even Kailasa...

Re: Slave Collar use
 

I'm not sure what you're responding to? Your list still means most nations are going to go with Order 3, and those nations do not have any particular interest of going for Order 0 as opposed to going for full Turmoil 3 + Fortune, whereas Order 0 (and Order 1, to a much lesser extend) makes for a nice 'have your Maenads and (most of) your money too' scenario for Pangaea.