Newbie strategy questions
 

Got the full Version Last night and stayed up way too late playing it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Started as Arcoscephale, and was having fun developing spells and finding magic sites -- but then I was attacked and overwhelmed. Ah well.

Restarted as Ulm...and it was like night vs. day! Endless gold, massive troops. No magic? Who cares? I just took out Pythium and am completely dominating Man in what looks to be a hands-down victory.

Obviously magic nations are trickier than martial nations...but even so, what should I have been doing as Arcoscephale to ensure my survival?

Re: Newbie strategy questions
 

You should have expanded first and researched later. This game is not kind to slow starters. If you are making more money then you spend you know something is not right.

If you want to go the "magic" path you need to go all out and produce mages all over the place, summon monsters to guard them and research so fast that when the hammer falls your way you can shatter it. Building magic around a basic theme (like say firespells with fireimmune summoned monsters) is usually a better way then giving the mages "shoot at will" and using ordinary troops.

Re: Newbie strategy questions
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ulm usually have more gold than they can spend at the beginning. Spend your spare gold on the mercenary. When you start to hire more smiths and in more than one castle. Gold will start to be tighter.

You can actually use the same strategy with Arco as Ulm. Hire Hoplites and Hypaspist as your main force. Supplement them with missle troops, such as your Peltast or indie Longbows. Arco's magic adds another dimension but they could be optional in SP versus AI. Arco's elephant is very powerful but you have to mix them with high morale units, such as Hypaspists, in a single squad so that they won't rout as easily.