[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Cainehill:
Without something ... Norfleet mentions Petrify. Great idea - but against flying SCs in particular, how do you get one of your _very_ rare E5 mages in combat?

It's easy for Vanheim, and doable for Arcoscephale and Machaka, but most other nations will have many problems. Ulm can manage it if they've developed a good blood economy for earth blood stones. All you need is an earth 3 mage who is wearing earth boots, and then casts summon earthpower. The flying SC is going to spend at least one turn casting buffs, so you have time to petrify it before it attacks you. If there are lots of troops around as well, then you will have more trouble targeting the SC.

I've watched one Ice Devil destroy 100+ troop armies of Marignon, complete with paladins, High Inquisitors and Grand Masters.

I think the problem in that case must have been that the Ice Devil was immune to fire damage. Otherwise the 18+ armor negating fire damage from incinerate would have killed it fairly effectively. It would have also helped greatly if one of the grand masters had cast light of the northern star, or if someone was carrying a banner of the northern star. This would have enabled all the grand masters to cast astral fires on the ice devil.