Rainbow Mages Worth It?

modrnangel · #1 January 23rd, 2004, 03:47 AM

I understand that it can be a bit tough to find magic sites without rainbow mages, but are they worth it in the long term? It seems the only way you can make a rainbow mage is to cripple the rest of your dominion or to have a very physically weak (ie arch-mage, druid, sage, etc.) Pretender.

So, which is it in the long run? I like those extra magical sites but I hate the weak Pretender that goes along with it.

Norfleet · #2 January 23rd, 2004, 04:53 AM

Well, you can be Ermor. Then you can cripple your Dominion just fine. So what if your dominion is Turmoil 3, Sloth 3, Death 3, and maybe Misfortune 3? Oh, no! I just lost 1/4th of my zero population and some of my 500 skeletons are permanently cursed!

Then you'll have a whole BUCKETLOAD of points to spend on magic. Even after purchasing Dominion, an Ermor god can have more points to spend on magic than most people can spend on their entire god.

LordArioch · #3 January 23rd, 2004, 06:16 AM

Generally rainbow mages aren't very powerful. If the only mage that can find, say, water magic sites is your pretender, and he's a rainbow mage so he has some low water skill (1-2)...who's going to spend the water gems?
Do you really plan on using your rainbow god to cast level 2 water ritual spells? It's better to focus on a one magic type your nation has or maybe two you don't that will complement your existing magic well.

Unless you're Ashen empire ermor or something...then enjoy the best rainbow mage/supercombatant/lord of the undead you can create.

That's half the fun.

SurvivalistMerc · #4 January 23rd, 2004, 06:25 AM

Try the ghost king. He only costs 20 to open new paths and summons his own stealthy guards.

Gems can be converted via alchemy or used to empower. What do I do if I have a serious excess of water gems? Empower my pretender, craft some water items, and summon a queen of elemental water. Gems are never worthless.

I really enjoy rainbows. Sure...they have some drawbacks. But Dominions is a game of tradeoffs. And I think the RB is pure joy in SP.

#5 January 23rd, 2004, 07:21 AM

It's up to your playstyle. If you can handle sinking the points and playing with the type of playstyle that means playing with a Rainbow go ahead.

In competitive MP, you should shy away from them except for extreme circumstances (superfast research, superlow independants, or superhigh Magic Sites)

Otherwise you are waiting too late in the game to be effective and unless you get left alone, you will fall to the first one you go to war with.

Jam3 · #6 January 23rd, 2004, 08:59 AM

I assume a rainbow mage is one trained in all schools? JC. Also can't you increase the skill with empowerment so you wouldnt neccessarily be stuck at 2 water all game.

#7 January 23rd, 2004, 09:05 AM

You can, but Empowerment is in general a waste of gems. Water is an easy skill to increase. Robe of the Sea is (Water 3) and Water Bracelets (Water 1) are easy forging items to get higher up on the food chain.

Water also has the very useful Voice of Tiamat spell (if you have a decent number of water provinces on the map)

A Rainbow is one who has many magical paths, but not always "all". Fire and Earth are common, because you can Alchemize their gems, while Air has great items to forge. Astral is always good, and Nature has quite a few good items as well.

Rainbows are used for gem searching moreso than spell casting. Most spells they are regulated to are summons that summon a more focused unit that can stay in it's speciality element.

void · #8 January 23rd, 2004, 11:06 AM

a ALL-4(but blood 0) Pretender is a funny one ^^
80% chance when you searching, sometimes you will find 3+ sites in an action.
it's so lovely...

Rainbow Pretender is a great smith too, with a omnipotent pretender, you can arm your combatants with lots really queasily equipment...

PDF · #9 January 23rd, 2004, 11:44 AM

I'm a RM adept

I just think they're cooler, and more fun to play.
In SP they add to the challenge too, in MP they must be protected, but offer interesting diplomacy options, 'cause you'll have a use for any type of gems or item building ability : trade !
And you aren't stuck with low path level neither : don't empower (too costly), but build magic enhancing items of all kinds ! Those are generally available at Cons4 with path3 or Cons6 with path1. In the end your RB can have whenever he needs it level 5 in any path, cast potent spells or build powerful items.

OTOH I've been disappointed with "SC Pretenders" : bad research at start, not generally needed for early expansion, and too often getting afflictions or even get killed in battles ... High level magic don't give a big advantage until you have a good research.
Plus you have to invest heavily on them (items), it's too much in the same basket. Path9 blessings need heavy design investment, and are good for nations with many good sacred units, but ain't that much powerful with other nations.
Immortals are cool however, and some creatures such as Ghost King are a good compromise.

General Tacticus · #10 January 23rd, 2004, 12:16 PM

I like Rainbows... A lvl 2 in most path is not that expensive (26 points by path with the "humans" pretenders), you can always skip some of them if you want... And later you can easily empower/forge your way to 4 in every path. The fact that I play on big maps is also a factor : searching by other means is either very time consuming (easily 5 or 6 mages that do nothing but searching) or expensive (Arcane Lore). And what if I have a 5 Death Gem income a turn which nobody but my pretender can use ? I can turn it into astral pearls, gold, empower someone, lots of possibilities...