using sucubae

[rylen]

I've been playing around with sucubae lately (sadly, not the fun way.) I think I've got a handle on basic tactics but would appreciate some advice.

I typically equip them (cat charm or bear claw plus skull charm or weapon) and send them out where I think a stack is about to move. Then they try to grab people out of the stack. Even if they don't grab one, they still usually kill.

Questions -- are there better ways to use these folks?
-- do I get any equipment carried?
-- do captured heros keep any special abilities?
-- does the bear claw work -- or is that just my intuition?

Rylen

[Ironhawk]

I'm only starting to use them myself but I do know that they have a chance to pick up items off of assassinated commanders. Got an owl quill off some unlucky Tien Chi researcher.

[Sheap]

Supposedly the cat charm improves the chances of a successful seduction. I have no idea if it actually does or not. I can never seem to afford succubi.

[Molog]

There is/was a bug that any other sneaking commander selected with the succubi will also get the seduce order. Mass scout assasination squad.

[Ygorl]

I had a succubus kill another pretender, after the seduction attempt failed ("In fact, he is not even remotely interested!")
I didn't get a pet Lich, but it was a nice easy way to kill a demigod.

[Vicious Love]

No point in giving a succubus a weapon, it'll lose it's lifedrain attack. I usually equip them with a mix of items that capitalizes on their high defense skill. Boots of Quickness are ideal, as is a Cat Charm.
A Lucky Coin is a must, unless I feel I can afford a better shield(Ideally a Shield of the Accursed. Goes well with the aforementioned defense skill, AND makes sure that anything that can survive a succubus attack won't survive the horrors you send to avenge her death), or feel compelled to hoard astral pearls, and give her a Main Gauche of Parrying instead.
Since the succubus is an assassin, some sort of summoning item is a must. The Skull Talisman is pathetic, considering how much more effective simply sending the succubus into hand-to-hand is. The Skullface isn't much better, and isn't cost effective.
The Bottle of Living Water is OK, but the only proper way to use it is to put your succubus at the front of the deployment grid, within reach of mounted assassination targets. Otherwise, enemy mages will have a few turns to prepare before the elemental reaches them, and flying bodyguards will have a few turns to attack your succubus.
By simple process of elimination, we conclude that my favorite goon-summoning succubus item is Lifelong Protection. The imps can kill plenty of targets without the succubus putting herself at risk, and can fatigue or injure others before the succubus administers the coup de grace. Best of all, their mob tactics usually prevent mages from bringing any spells to bear. I find that sticking a Protected succubus near the back of the deployment grid(Possibly with a Black Bow of Botulf or one'a them vicious crossbows), with hold orders for 3 turns or so, followed by "attack rearmost", takes care of most AI commanders, certain pretenders included.
If you must give your succubi headgear, I've found you can't go wrong with the Horned Helmet(Especially along with Boots of Quickness), for that little added oomph. The -1 defense penalty is a tad harsh, though. I suppose if you and your succubus have progressed to that stage of the relationship, you could give her a Wraith Crown, just to show her she's special to you. The price is awfully steep, though, and anything that can threaten a well equipped succubus can almost definitely ignore ethereal status.

[Arryn]

rylen said:
I've been playing around with sucubae lately (sadly, not the fun way.)

Mind if I ask what the "fun" way is? Is it "bang 'em and then kill 'em"?

[Chazar]

Umh, isnt Lifelong-Protection dangerous together with an assassin? Imps die quickly, causing the succubus to rout to death, dont they?

[Gandalf Parker]

Ive had LL protection work well with assassins. And the amulet that summons skeletons also. They seem to keep a wave of hassles going at the enemy commander while the assassin does their thing.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the assassin isnt supposed to be able to lead anything in most cases.

[Reverend Zombie]

Chazar said:
Umh, isnt Lifelong-Protection dangerous together with an assassin? Imps die quickly, causing the succubus to rout to death, dont they?

In contrast to the Moloch imps, which are summoned once and them done, LLP summons some imps each round, which might make a difference with routing.

Also, I thought there was no routing in assassinations?