1v1 Duels... what are fair nation matches?

[Maltrease]

While large multiplayer games are a lot of fun the ability to win seems as much a factor of diplomacy as it does with your skill directly related to the game.

Obviously the nations are not balanced in a way where you could have 2 people play with Random nations and get a fair match, but their are certainly many different 1v1 mathups that would work well. Particurarly if you can specify a map size to help counter the strong rush nations... compared to the ones that gain power over time.

So what do you guys think are fair (and fun!) matchups? Assume that you will know you the nation you are playing against so you build your pretender and scales to suit.

I like the simplicity and direct give and take of a duel game. You know who your enemy is, you don't need to worry about exhausting all of your forces against an enemy only to have a third nation come in and take you both out at the end.

It might even be interesting to setup a ladder or some kind of tournament game with duels.

[Maltrease]

How about
Early Era
Caelum vs Neifelheim
60 Provences, all other settings at default.

Sound fair?

[Shovah32]

Pretty fair though if neifelheim can get lightning resistance caelum seems fairly screwed. A fair match up(imo) would be EA vanheim vrs EA helheim. Another possibly fair match would be EA abysia vrs EA Neifelheim (both have strong recruitables, niefelheim is slightly stronger in the troop and powerful commander area but its weakness to fire should make up for it)

[B0rsuk]

The most fair of all matches is Nation A versus Nation B, where Nation A = Nation B.

[Agrajag]

Shovah32 said:
Pretty fair though if neifelheim can get lightning resistance caelum seems fairly screwed.

You mean, like an A9 bless? :X

I agree with the rest of your post though

Its kind of hard to find complete match-ups.
There is however one guaranteed way to get both of you satisified and a fairly even match, though it may take some time:
One of you picks a nation, the other guys picks another nation (probably, one that is a good counter to the first one), the first guy gets to repick, now that he knows the other guys nation. Now the other guy gets to repick, untill someone decides not to repick.
If you want to avoid infinite loops, or just make sure it doesn't take forever, make it so one nation can't be picked twice, or maybe can't be picked twice by the same player.

[Maltrease]

I agree the most fair would be a duplicate nation battle... but frankly that is pretty dull.

Vanheim vs Helheim would be an interesting battle although not that far off from a mirror battle.

[UninspiredName]

What about an LA Marignon vs. Caelum game? They have vastly differing troops, but at the same time they're sort of similar. Strong archers, two main schools of magic, and units with an average resource cost.

[B0rsuk]

I have an idea. Actually I haven't thought about first. It works for cakes, it should work for Dominions.

First person selects 2 nations.
Second person chooses one of them. First person gets the remaining nation.

Proof: unless we're dealing with masochists or complete newbies, First Person will select 2 nations with fairly equal chances of winning.

[Shovah32]

Nice idea B0rsuk

[Maltrease]

I do like the idea B0rsuk. Of course the ultimate test of skill would be to play the same map again (but switch sides).