[Boron]

Originally posted by Thufir:

And while we're on the subject of noob questions: I'm often at a loss as to how best to script combat oriented leaders (e.g. Tsien Chi noble or Pythium Serpent Lord), in the opening game. It seems that these leader types should be getting into the fray, but at least in the opening game I find them getting killed (or at least afflicted) altogether too quickly. This seems to be true even if I hold for 5 turns before attacking.

Is it necessary to wait for mid-game (when I can start equipping them with items), before I let these types of leaders into direct attack? Or is there a method to have them be more useful before I can afford to equip them? One thing I have done is to supply them with a cheap bow or misc item (l bow of accuracy or skull talisman), that gives them *something* to do, but it seems like there should be a better option than that...

almost every national leader like a tien chi noble is not worth it beeing equipped with items for melee as you did a bow of accuracy or something like this is a good solution if you want to strenghten them.
but serving as leaders is almost their single purpose .
a bane lord ( conjuration 5 , only 10 death gems ) does much better when decent equipped as almost all national leaders as meelee sc .
only exeptions that come to my mind are especially : jotun niefel giants , the more expensive vanheim heroes and the 390 gold man tuatha heros .
and ermor sg heros like wraith consul and wraith centurion .
really worth equipping are some of the special national heros like the ettin mandragora or the wraith lord for ermor if you get them early.
your pretender should be equipped and really worth equipping late game are :
vampire lords , wraith lords and tartarians