Building temples (noob question)

[FlyingElvis]

Last night I was playing single player and my temple was destroyed by what I think was a natural event (earthquake?). Anyway, I didn't seem to have any commanders that could build temples, and I couldn't recruit a priest (temple needed) and my pretender couldn't.

So how do I build a temple in this scenario?

[Edi]

You make one of your commanders a prophet and then use him to build a new temple.

Edi

[FlyingElvis]

Edi said:
You make one of your commanders a prophet and then use him to build a new temple.

Edi

Ahhhh, thanks! I knew there had to be a simple answer.

[Endoperez]

Losing your laboratory is a bit tougher, especially if your pretender doesn't have any magic. In that case, try to recruit a suitable mercenary group.

[Meglobob]

I have noticed in most my MP games that lots of players build temples, loads of them, in provinces without a castle.

Is this really a good idea?

I personally only build a temple/laboratory where I have a castle or in a province which gives me a special unit type (and then I protect it with at least PD 30, if its not worth building a castle), in order to keep my dominion up I just recruit priests. A temple costs 400 gold a go, while a priest costs 50 gold or less for some nations. 2-3 priests can do the job of 1 temple, I find and have the advantage of being movable. I am thus saving 250 gold and getting more benefit, so I think my strategy is better.

What do other players think? Is my strategy flawed? Am I missing something?

[Strages Sanctus]

priests preaching raise dominion in that province only. Preaching with a temple present makes them preach one level higher.

Temples generate 'temple checks' for the pretender and by themselves and are involved in spread checks. So pretty sure they are very good and adding to the overall effect of your dominion spreading, not just at the local level.

[Meglobob]

Strages Sanctus said:
priests preaching raise dominion in that province only. Preaching with a temple present makes them preach one level higher.

Temples generate 'temple checks' for the pretender and by themselves and are involved in spread checks. So pretty sure they are very good and adding to the overall effect of your dominion spreading, not just at the local level.

I know all this, but those temple checks just create big blobs of dominion at the locations where you have the temples. To spread further, seems to take for ever especially to the outer reachs of your empire, which is usually where you want high dominion. Also temple checks only raise dominion in there province until you reach your dominion maxium. Only then do you get a temple check for a adjacint province.

A squad of 3 priests even lvl 1 can very quickly raise dominion to 2 in all your outer bordering provinces, thus protecting you from enemy dominion. Thery cost 150gp, and can move around, a temple costs 400gp and is fixed in place. Mobile units are often better then immobile buildings.

[HoneyBadger]

I'll hijack this thread too.

Speaking of protecting your temples with castles, why is it that you can add units to your PD on lands where you don't have a castle, but when you do have a castle, you're stuck with all bought units behind the castle walls in the initial attack. I could have a PD of 20 successfully guarding a castle, if I could buy specific support units, but instead, it's PD alone vs the enemy and then units alone for the seige. It actually means that castled provinces are LESS well-defended than ones without!
it just takes the enemy longer to annhilate a far more expensive-but far weaker-province.

Am I missing something? I hope so

[Strages Sanctus]

you can set commanders to patrol province and they will defend with the PD in the initial pre siege attack.

[Endoperez]

Patrol. Also, Move & Patrol.