Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

In the games I have played against human and computer opponents this spell seems to be the one of the strongest per cost. For only 5 death gems a large army of longdead horsemen with a powerful wraith lord.

I know for the single player games this spell is KEY for toasting 98% of any enemy armies.

The other key factor is no other spell even comes close to the amount of damage this spell can do to an army based on the cost.


My advice... either increase the cost of the spell or remove some of the longdead riders which appear.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

I used extensively this spell in pbem. Yes it is powerful, and will allow you to do damages to enemy patrollers or small armies.

On the other hand, you wont do much against big concentration of troops. I'm not speaking of these useless units the AI build en masse, like 200 tribal archers, but of heavy mundane units and summon that players do possess by the time you reach level 9 in conjuration.

I dont find it disproportionate compared to the amount of research needed, and compared to what other magic schools can do. If you tone it down, then you will want to tone done mist warriors for Air, because it render a whole enemy army very tough, or suppress mass domination for astral, etc.
Each school, upon reaching the end game, has big and efficient spells. Its normal. You have paid a big cost and you deserve to have nice spells.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

At level 9 research you should expect good effects.

Keep in mind that this spell won't do much damage to a serious army and furthermore it doesn't capture the province. It's great for damaging/killing weak forces, but again for a level 9 spell you expect some beef.

At the high spell levels there are a many spell effects that are potential game changers. This is just one.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

I agree with Pocus. Level 9 spells need to be really, really, powerful for the amount of research they take.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not just small armies... I've wiped out troops of over one hundred on a single province with one cast of the spell.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Look at the TOTAL cost of the spell and even strong armies will suffer BIG losses with two or three casts of the spell.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Compared with the cost this spell plus it doesn't place any of your commanders in danger. My point is that for single player games especially it removes the challenge against computer opponents.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">As Pocus said, it's a Level 9 spell.

Also, the Wraith Lord doesn't do you much good since it is not under your control. I haven't used the spell often but judging my experience with the combat AI, he would probably just rout and disappear once the undead riders are banished. And even if the riders successfully beat the local defense, I think it'll only turn the province neutral. A nuaisance but not much more. There are worse things that can be done to your province with such high level spells.

Pale Rider is a lower level spell which can give you similar undead riders. And to me, a more practical spell.

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

Also remember that part of the cost is the turn it takes your caster to cast it instead of doing something else.

~Aldin

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

I have'nt had much success with it myself,hmmm, will try it again later. I did notice a) Against powerful armies, especially Marignon, it did squat. b) don't cast it in a province your attacking because it will target YOU not the ai http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif By the time i reach that point in research i've got Well of Misery going and am using Harvester of Sorrows (Metallica http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ) and Legion of Wights with a dash of Plague and Black Death for flavor http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

What? A 9th level spell overpowered? In all my PBEM and SP play in Dom1 and 2 I've never got to cast a 9th level spell. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif If I ever do I hope its seriously overpowered! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif


cheers

Keir

Re: Is Ghost Riders too powerful ?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hehe. I know exactly what you mean. I'm always amazed at people enquiring into the specifics of wish or the like. Games are (or ought to be) long over before you can cast a level 9 - especially since most take serious empowerment. Just once for giggles I played a game in which the goal was to cast Wild Hunt, just because I was curious to see exactly what it did. I more or less stopped playing after the initial expansion, set research to conjuration, and hit end turn alot http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif The results of Wild Hunt are fun - a Lord of the Hunt with I belive 6 in Nature, and a couple in Earth goes around with a sqaud of Cu Sidhe and Wolves and randomly assasinates enemy preists http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif More effective than Admiral whats-his-name from the Ghost Ship Armada (a spell which could stand improvement) but not something you'd want to use in a competative situation...