A compilation of questions on using items
 

Hello, i've been playing around with SCs and thugs and a few things came to mind...

1) How risky are using items that curse or horror-mark you? For example the dimensional rod or forbidden light. Is it worth using these items in battle, or is it better off to use them for forging/rituals? Can these items be taken from you during battle or will they just 'disappear' to be reforgeable?

2) Whats the best use of the ark? Can you place them on your pretender/sc and rely on it to kill everything on the battlefield?

3) When using the armor of virtue or ritual of returning, what happens when the caster/the wearer gets hit with something that can 1-shot him? Does it provide protection against remote rituals like seeking arrow, mind hunt, votd? Is there any point stacking the armor of virtue with ritual of returning?

4) Is the 'trollification' effect of the pebble skin suit 'bad'? Or is it just more hp, regen etc?

5) Are the autospells cast by nethgul completely random? Or is it situational; ie buffs when with allies and offensive spells when surrounded with enemies?

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

1. Very. Less, more so. Yes and yes, as long as you are willing to pay the cost. Yes and yes.

2. Holy armies. No, but you can rely on it to eventually get your pretender killed.

3. I think he dies (test it out with Soul Slay). Not sure (test it out). Maybe for the armor (test it out)?

4. Depends on the base unit, of course.

5. They are random, but he won't cast spells that are not possible to cast (so no Magic Duel, as he has no gems).

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

One thing to note is that a lot of these are no-drop cursed, so there's really no option to remove them/swap them around. Dimensional rod also causes insanity, which makes the wielder less useful over time (besides getting more and more marked.)

It's effective, but slow because the effects are resistable. You need a porter with high MR and some staying power, but I wouldn't give it to my pretender. Since they're likely SC material anyway, its added benefit is debatable; if you can catch a huge/expensive army it can make more of the troops your were going to route anyway non-useful to their owner until/unless they can be healed up.

With regards to standard human mages, its biggest disadvantage is that it has a precision of only 8. Otherwise, it's frequently an improvement both in terms of survivability and upkeep costs. Also, remember that the suit is no-drop cursed.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

1: The risk builds with time, and varies by item. Limited use of powerful items is pretty low in risk, and Lightless Lanterns are pretty safe overall. It's all about cost/benefit ratio, though. Cursed horror marking items are an eventual death sentence most of the time, so you need to make sure that the benefit outweighs the eventual loss of the items and holder. So... turning a S4 cap-only mage into a wish spammer might be a good use if you have several available. If you only have one and don't expect to see another any time soon, keep him safe and empower instead.

2. Your pretender isn't sacred, so I think giving it the Ark is a bad (and painful) idea. This does seem silly, but there you go.

4: Trollification is often a benefit, and only really detrimental in a few cases (Abysia, underwater, etc...).

5: I always assumed Nethgul had a spell list and just chose from it like a normal mage would choose from their available spells.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

3) One shot spells like soul slay kill you. But, if you combine armor of virtue/ritual of returning with phoenix pyre, then you are invincible. In addition to this, you will reappear in your capital with a nifty dragon master enchantment on you (an interesting bug).

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

Nethgul's spell list:

Soul Slay
Mind Burn
Paralyze
Blink
Body Ethereal
Horror Mark

(From http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...178#post660178)

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

Wouldn't you still die if you got killed while fatigued? E.g. Stellar Cascades + Soul Slay.

-Max

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

I don't know, never happened to me. You could try it. That would be almost impossible to script, though.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

Does anyone know what S magic level does Nethgul have? S3? S4? more? :D

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

I was wondering if a Shroud of the Battle Saint could protect you against Solar Brillance/The Ark ?
Of course not in the case of your pretender as the shroud doesn't work on him but on a regular non-sacred thug/SC?

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

Blessed != sacred, I'm pretty sure it won't help.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

So, if an artifact is lost in battle, it will once again be available for nations to forge? Or is it unavailable for the remainder of the game?

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

Artifacts that disappear from the game can be reforged.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

charm or enslave effects also get around the RoR/rebirth combo. except on a pretender. use an elixir of life for a truly untouchable overlord since it doesn't care about fatigue.

Re: A compilation of questions on using items
 

I used the Forbidden Light in a game for the astral boost. I put it on an S4 mage and kept 2 pearls on him at all times and scripted returning. It worked for 30 + turns without killing. He got attacked a lot but just kept going back to my capital. Of course if you lose your capital it's all gone. The horror marking is pretty bad but it didn't get to an attack a turn. No more than about 1/5 turns.

I used the ark in a game. I found it pretty useless. The results are much too slow in almost any battle. I wouldn't bother with it again and a sacred only army usually suffers from some diversity problems. I used it with LA TC and an army of only magi, Ancestor Vessels, and Celestial summons is not very robust. Strong, but not broad based so vulnerable to counters if your opponent is wise. And mine was.

So experience may vary, but I've personally found the +2 astral on the Forbidden very worthwhile. On a S4 magi that's a lot of pearls saved on empowerment. Enough to make it worthwhile to even pay for a astral tart or something and a second forging of the Light.

The ark doesn't seem worth the gems.