Equipping an Air Queen
 

Hi!
I have an air queen in SP and want to send her against PD (the PD has archers). How should I equip her, and what should she cast?

I am figuring she'll cast Storm, Mistform, attack rear (I don't have Evo 7 for Shimmering Fields). I'm looking at putting her in basic armor, plus what else? Would giving her a vine/charcoal shield take away her natural weapons? Should I go with a Shield of Gleaming Gold? Do I need any reinvig items from the fatigue from spellcasting (it's SP, so the domain is crappy AI design with heavy Drain)?

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

Hi, essentially you're asking about how to equip and script the air queen for thugging duty with the purpose of raiding. Read Baalz's guide,Zen and the Art of Thugging

It will tell you all you need to know to effectively use your SC chassis.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

I should be clearer--I'm hoping for AQ-specific advice for someone who's read Baalz's guide. I.E, are her lightning swarms bonus weapons or will she lose them if I equip shields/weapons? Will the preliminary spellcasting fatigue her enough that I should craft reinvig items? Would I be better off dropping Storm for Air Shield (how much does her prowess increase in storms)?

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

Try giving her a shield/weapon and see if the attack is still there. I would skip storm, since it costs 100 fatigue, so it would ruin her as a combatant. Air shield will be sufficient. For a storm without the fatigue cost, it might be useful to use a staff of storms. If you did this, it might be a good idea to use cheap lightning spells to deal damage, like shockwave, because just attacking won't kill things fast enough.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

OK, looks like a good idea is one of these:
Rainbow Armor with or without Ring of Regen
Messenger Boots, Blacksteel plate with or without Ring of Regen
Hydra Skin Armor, Messenger Boots

with Mistform, Air Shield, Shock Wavex3 (or attack, attack, shock wave). Should I set her toward the front, so the enemy infantry comes in range of her shock wave quicker, or will the AI be smart enough to move within range and then deploy the shock wave?

Am I wrong to put some armor on her? I am imagining a worst-case scenario where her mistform pops and she gets hit 6 times before she can fly away. Also, is the 10 fatigue/round worth ameliorating with reinvig? Similarly, if she's armored to protect against stray heavy hits, is regen necessary?

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

Regen with mistform is even better than usual, so I'd definitely go for some regen. I would definitely have some reinvigoration to counter the casting fatigue.

In a SP game, I think you should use the hydra skin armor and messenger boots. If it were a MP game, i would sacrifice the extra reinvig for more MR and go with the rainbow armor plus ring of regen. Of course, the air queen cost a fair number of gems to begin with, so I'd probably spend even more gems on her. I think I's use the rainbow armor, ring of regen, and some of those stone boots for extra protection against hits bypassing mistform. It can mean the difference between keeping the thug (and she runs away) or having it killed on a bad turn.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

Fatigue is the #1 killer of my air queens in SP. Heavy cavalry is #2. I would recommend reinvigoration and protection in that order.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

no feet slot on elemental royalty ...:angel

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

AQs can't wear boots.

If you are just buffing Mistform+Air Shield and heading into combat against PD, then Marble Armour/Frost Brand/Gold Shield/Reinvig Ammy will be sufficient, and add a Anti-magic ammy and Starshine Cap for MR.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

All of those before using her at all, or can I use some against PD and bring her back home if real armies with mages show up? Also, is the extra protection from Marble Armor worth spending more resources and items, or is rainbow armor OK to start?

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

Blacksteel, Amulet of resilience, blacksteel helm, blacksteel tower, then you don't -need- to give her a weapon, but you can, especially one with an aoe attack. Ring of regen sounds great. There, she's equipped and will kill heavy calvarly.

Cast Airshield, and hold, attack. Don't script her to cast any other spells, except -maybe- mistform only if you're fighting something that hits hard but does not have magic weapons.

In SP this SC should be useful against anything without mages.

Really, with the blacksteel you shouldn't even need the air shield.

I would probably go with a horror helm, and possibly a bracer in some cases... and possibly a weightless tower shield.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

I'd suggest using all those against PD, yes. The cost is less than half that of the AQ (if you have hammers), and it makes her immensely more effective and survivable. You need a backup plan in case the mistform drops unexpectedly, and vfb's kitout provides that very neatly.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

If you can forge them all and gems are no problem:-

Shadow Brand
Vine Shield
Horror Helmet
Jade Armour
Amulet of Antimagic
Ring of Regeneration

Script Mistform, Mirror Image, Holdx3, Attack Rear.

Position rear bottom/top corner.

Thats fairly hard to stop.

Re: Equipping an Air Queen
 

She's costly enough to not use her just for PD raiding.
You need some armor, some regeneration - always to be used with non-disposable thugs/SCs if only to prevent afflictions and reinvigoration is always needed unless you use non-casting 0-encumbrance thug. So a minimum is about what BD suggested, subject to which gems/mages you have aplenty and whether you need any elemental resistance(s). I wouldn't advice using heavy armors for her as it makes her tire faster - especially if you want to cast Shock Waves.
As for Storm - Staff is better and she doesn't really need either shield or AoE weapon.
For MP she will also require high MR for even if you just use her for PD raiding an experienced opponent WILL subject her to a number of resist-or-lose effects.