[atul]

Originally posted by fahdiz:

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How about using Pretenders as magical artillery? Is this more or less common than using them as SC, and is it more or less effective, or about the same?

I am sure there are people who do this - I tend to usually either build for supercombatants or site-searchers/forgers. But a site-searcher could certainly be used as artillery, given the right paths and the right research. The trouble with this is that you won't really get much out of them in the early game, because your research won't be high enough for some of the really effective artillery spells.

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If you've got the path high enough for it - Fire Darts. Evocation 1, armour piercing, amount of darts goes up with path level, though path-independent low damage forces you to research up to Flare before going up against heavy cavalry. Plus, you can get the scorching started from turn 2.

Of course you need some screen of troops and this isn't answer for all -strategy, but if you're looking for an artillery support from the start, the darts are an option. With fire9 as an added bonus: flaming weapons bless effect.

I'm quite uneasy trying to thug my way with expensive units (dying, wounding, etc) and found that one approach a bit more forgiving than a melee pretender when I had to quickly come up with something for a MP game few months back.