A few random questions re: MA TC

[Stryke11]

Hello all,

I guess I'm just not very good at this game, though I love it. I only play SP and I'm still constantly challenged by the AI. Many on here seem to think that the AI is sooo bad that playing SP is boring and cheating, so though I win more than I lose, I'm doing something wrong.

Anyway, to the real questions. I am playing MA Tien Chi. I liked them from the Pantokrator Let's Play on the Something Awful forums, so I put together a game with the same nations though on a different map. Currently (about Spring in they year 5 - is there a way to see turn number?) I'm fighting a three front war with Machaka to the north, Ermor to the east, and Man to the south. At the beginning I expanded quite nicely and I'm definitely either the most provinces or close. Magic research is set to difficult (my last game I researched everything before the game was even half over) but I'm still well above the competition in research. However, I'm being slowly whittled down due to no money and no answer whatsoever for the spiders of Machaka.

1) TC has many different styles of units. I know enough to know that the shielded troops are best to draw arrow fire, and the higher the armor, the better (but slower mapmove). I hire mostly Imperial troops as the mapmove 1 isn't too much of a hindrance because it's only a few provinces to the front and they are tougher. What tactical situation would call for the glaive or long spear (polearm) troops? No matter what I field against the spiders, they are webbed and crushed. Even mass archers/crossbowmen with wind guide isn't helping. I looked through Baalz' MA TC guide but can't get the horseman strategy to work. He says they shoot a few times and then charge. Mine just keep shooting.

2) I brought Machaka's capital to over 200 unrest with about 7 consorts, but then all of a sudden they were all discovered and killed in one turn. I thought once unrest was over 100 they couldn't be found? Even so, shouldn't one or two have not been found?

3) Money is a problem but shouldn't be. I took 2 order and growth 1. I didn't do order 3 because I spent the points on a more "thematic" pretender (lich just seems so generic) since I like to roleplay a little bit with SP (also explains why I like national armies). But still, geez, my armies are TINY compared to my opponents, who have less territory to pay for them. Is it because I recruit an Imperial Alchemist each turn? They are not sacred and expensive so that's all I can think of.

4) National summons. Celestial servant is terrible. I understand not everything should be awesome, but if they go through the trouble of creating a special troop with it's own sprite and everything it shouldn't be so worthless no one uses it. Hounds fly but spiders tear them up just like everything else. I haven't got to the fox spirit or the celestial soldiers. Hope they are at least decent. Can someone break down the summons and their uses/lack of?

5) National spells. Internal Alchemy. What's the point here? Who cares if your mages are made younger if they become insane? What a horrible trade off! Can insane be cured by healers/GoH/Chalice? I know Shattered Soul can't. Ginseng is good but only five years makes it tedious, but at least it doesn't have horrible nerfing side effects.

6) I'm using the conceptual balance mod 1.7 Masochism Edition (first time, before I used CBM Complete. I don't use regular 1.7 as I think making dwarven hammer unique is retarded.) and am having a bit of trouble getting used to new forging paths. Is there is list of path requirements out there like there is for Vanilla?

7) I haven't got into communions yet, but I haven't had to as the spells I've researched can be cast by national mages by themselves. I have gemmed Air Alchemists casting wind guide and lightening bolt, Earth Alchemists with boots casting blade wind (seems to purposely avoid the spiders in favor of the archers in the back), Fire Alchemists casting fireball and fire cloud (?), and Water Alchemists casting frozen heart and freezing mist (?). This is effective, but not nearly effective enough as I'm frequently outnumbered 5-1 and a few Alkies get killed each battle since they have to be close enough to cast and so get hit by stray arrows, even with a troop screen and air shield in the case of air Alkies.

Sorry this is so long. Just trying to get a handle on this nation and there isn't much written about it. I tend to learn one nation at a time (I just learned EA Ulm with a bless strategy and feel pretty confident there) and am not typically so boned by the AI. Thanks!