What are the strongest summons?
 

The Djinn looks to be a front-runner so far. Any suggestions?

Also, a question on the Djinn: If I read the description right, all your opponent has to do is to create another Djinn lamp? If that is the case, isn't summoning a Djinn a waste? I mean, you don't even have to kill it to take it away from your opponent.

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not another Djinn lamp, the *only* Djinn lamp.
It's a waste indeed unless (a) you're the first to reach Construction-8 or (b) you're the only player able to control a (not-so-common) Fire-3/Air-3 mage.

What do you mean by "strongest" ? If you think of hp, the Abonomation (266hp) is probably the biggest ordinary summon (not counting the Rlyeh Void things). If you think of war machines, the Iron Dragon is probably a good candidate (150hp and 24 prot, immune vs lots of magic). If you want a mage, the Father Illearth is my fovourite so far (but I'd not the chance to call a demon lord yet)...

Cheers

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

With wish: Either a Vastness or another pretender god (ie sphinx).

Without wish: Depends on what you want. If you have good bless effects, the Jaugernaut is great! Otherwise Abomination or Iron Dragon. The Demon Lords are nice but have some side effect I don't like (ie lowering dominion) in my domain. You end up having rapidly resupply them with troops and move them back out.

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

You can wish a pretender god? LOL!

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Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

Yep, it's funny. They show up as a regular unit, you have to use gift of reason on them to make them a leader. So no spells, etc. But it's kind of spiffy in the end game to have all the fun pretenders running around under your control.

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

But do they get spell casting abilitites back when you give him gift of reason?

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Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

Nope, they don't. One fun thing to wish for is the Doom Horror.

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

In fact, you don't wish for a pretender, you wish for troop of rather special type. He MIGHT have become a pretender, but didn't. But so what, that Nataraja-prophet could still be an awesome super combatant...

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

Maybe not the strongest (haven't really compared the stats), but tarrasque is really something. Its sprite is also great. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
And considering the low cost (high magic requirements though), tartarian titans are also awesome. Through that spell, you in fact get other pretenders, only that they are dead and decaying...

Re: What are the strongest summons?
 

For real gratuitousness, wish for a (stealthy) Lord of the Night, give him a Black Heart and some better gear, and now you have a size-6 flying assassin. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
As for Gift of Reason... interestingly, when you get a Vastness and GoR it, you find out that it's an Astral-3 mage (good AND bad; bad if you're planning to use it against nations with lots of astral power...).
In terms of building a front line, I like the Wight summons; you get 20 well-armored non-fatiguing non-eating skilled undead warriors for 30 gems. Enliven Statues can also build a decent front line.