Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

I've felt like challenging myself and am working on creating a solid diabolic marignon dominion/pretender. Currently, I have:

Moloch
4 fire
4 death

Scales
Turmoil 1
Productivity 3
Heat 1
Growth 2
Fortune 1

Fort
Mausolem

Dominion
7

Points left over
5

So, I've come here with a few questions:

Are Goetic masters or they're lesser conterparts best for blood hunts?

Would Fortune 3 and Growth 0 or my Growth 2 Fortune 1 result in better income?

Any other comments, critisizm is welcome.

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

Well pretender design is pretty drasticly different depending if you are using CB or not. Regardless though, I think you would be better off dropping the death and freeing up enough points for f9. And as to who to blood hunt, with SDRs diabolists are probably a little more gold efficient, but if you need to hunt before then, geotic masters are your first choice.

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

A lot depends on whether you're playing an unmodded game, or using the Conceptual Balance mods, or some other mods.

A search on the boards will locate the bloodhunting formula, but I'd personally be using Diabolists equipped with Sanguine Dousing Rods to do my hunting. Before I have the research to make rods, I might use a Goetic Master to get the blood flowing.

Depends. There's a lot of luck in fortune http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif If you're playing an unmodded game, taking growth isn't worth the points, and you should probably consider taking death. If you're using the CB mod, growth is more viable, and would result in a higher guaranteed income, but I personally prefer taking Fortune 3 if I'm forced to take turmoil. I just think its fun.

I can't quite figure out what your pretender is intended to do. Having 4 fire is sensible, since you have a starting fire gem income of 4, but I don't know why you'd put death on a Moloch.

The only reason to play Diabolical Faith is to make use of blood. Many of the fun uses require something more than what the Goetic Masters can provide. If all you intend to do with blood is summon Devils, that's fine, but otherwise you might consider a blood pretender.

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

Death? On Marignon's Pretender?

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

Maybe he wants to summon a king of banefire http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

Or lots of archers.

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

\"A lot depends on whether you\'re playing an unmodded game, or using the Conceptual Balance mods, or some other mods.\"

Just normal, unmodded dominions 2.

\"Death? On Marignon\'s Pretender? \"

I\'ve been using the Death so I can summon bane commanders @ level 3 or 4 conjuration. They\'re much nicer commanders for demons than Goetic masters. Then, leading up to the banes you get fire drakes which are a very early way to spend fire gems and handy in expanding early.

Clearly there are better alternatives?

So, having read the little I have, something like a Baphomet 4f/4a/4b.

then -1t/3p/-1h/0/2f/1m for scales? -ish

Oooor for pretender Moloch f9...?

What sort of research should I be doing with a f9 pretender spell wise?

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

Unfortunately, that strategy doesn't work very well. Fire Drakes are grossly overpriced, for one. Death 1 would be enough to summon commanders for demons, in Enchantment (Revive King, and Create Revenant so that you don't have to use pretender to revive more kings).

Fire 9 is quite powerful even with Fire Darts. Look for spells with a + after area of effect and/or number of effects, and scaling damage isn't bad either. Falling Fires will be good, but even Fire Darts and Flare will devastate most enemies. The catch is that Fire 9 also gives your Flagellants two more damage sources (one for each attack of their flail); this damage is armor-piercing, and 8 points with minor variation, AND give them increased attack. Flagellants will die like flies, but will utterly devastate almost any creature, unit and/or pretender.

You seem to be taking production 3 - unfortunately, it isn't worth the points. You can do with even Sloth 1 (and other would probably urge you to take Sloth 3 and only use Flagellants), and increase Magic and/or Fortune to 3. Luck 3 is worth taking, if you go for luck, because it enables much better events.

Unfortunately, national units aren't too useful in the current game. Production isn't worth it, and luck isn't that great for planning, so most players prefer Order/Misfortune (as Order makes events more rare). I'd say it's worth using less optimized strategies, and I have enjoyed them for a long time.
If you want to rely heavily on your national units, you should probably go for few picks of Growth, for little more income. The population growth is also nice for a blood-hunting nation. If you can't afford Luck 3, and Production 2-3, Magic 1-3 with Moloch and Fire 9, feel free to take Fountain of Blood with two or three supporting paths. Death for the commanders, earth for Demon Knights, Nature for Crossbreeding (which is nice, benefits from luck, but isn't effective enough in competitive multiplayer according to the threads), maybe Water for Ice Devils (and Frost Fiends, but the latter probably aren't worth it in your warm lands - Ice Devils are top stuff though).

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

You could skip death entirely and cast hordes from hell (even on your own province) - you'll get a flying devil commander, and some imps to boot.

Re: Diabolic Marignon Pretender
 

In that case try this build:
Baphomet
9f9s
Order 3, sloth 3, heat 1, death 3, misfortune 2, magic 3 Dominion 9
Watchtower