Quote:
Originally Posted by thejeff
In other words the strategy to beat the AI with limits on research (whether none or 1/lab) is to use strategies that don't rely on research. High bless sacreds or maybe SC pretenders.
It probably also helps to use a fairly small map. With ~20 opponents you might have had more trouble by the end.
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Don't forget about scales. Taking something like Caelum, Niefleheim, or Abyssia you can take Order 3, Luck 3, Growth 3, Cold/Heat 3, and Magic 3 if you don't bother with a bless. Early on, focus on troop use - the AI is good at massing troops, but their ability to pick them is substandard at best - use heavy PD, and just expand outward leaving no province undefended. You will want some low level of research, focused towards getting thugs and battlefield mages in play, these back your armies up. Eventually, the battlefield mages will be far more impressive, and the thugs will have transitioned to SCs, at which point you basically win.
Against a player, this strategy is a good way to die horribly. It only works against the AI because the AI is incredibly dumb, and even then you have to be careful.