Alexander's ever-expanding Tome of Knowledge

[void]

DEADLY SWARM

create GE Haunted forest first.
most ppl(93%) will not go to dispel it(view here: http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...=000999#000001 )

put a nature mage into combat. Nature 1 is enough,more levels more better.
give she some emerald---you can only give one.
have she cast "swarm" in the battle.
yes, a nature 1 mage + 1 emerald..what will happen?

it's not a scheme of attacking,but a good tactics for defending(only effective in your dominions).

[ January 27, 2004, 02:43: Message edited by: void ]

[Tuna-Fish]

Originally posted by apoger:
EVERYONE LOVES DRAGONS

BLUE DRAGON

Early research provides Quickness and Breath of Winter, which make the dragon much more formidable.

Water-9 provides the bless effect of +4 defense and "50% quickness". Not bad at all.

In the midgame the spell Grip of Winter might help deal with large forces. This is not as dangerous as the red dragon, but the reserach will be done ages earlier.

Water-9 caster also has a very nice spell that can deal massive damage versus both normal armies and big creatures and cannot be resisted. What is it? Falling Frost!

It has area = 5+ AND damage 18+. When cast by a water-9 mage, it deals damage to an area of 11 and does enough damage to kill all normal troops and severely wound all better ones. And unlike most water/fire spells, it just cannot be resisted with anything but high protection.

I mainly use it with the Jotunheim Son of Niefel, who can easily power himself up a level or two with robe of the sea and sea king's goblet. W-11 falling frost tested against heavies of ulm, nothing survived the first bLast and it has the area of 13.

Instant damage

[Graeme Dice]

AS YOUR LIFE GOES DOWN THE DRAIN.

THis is a strategy that is only really useful with the nations that have easy access to death 3 and death 4 mages. The nations that can reach death 3 fairly easily include:
C'Tis: Sauromancers(Default/Tombs) and 1/8 Marshmasters(Miasma)
Ermor: 1/8 Grand Thaumaturgs(Broken Empire), Dusk Elders(Ashen Empire/Soul Gate)
Jotunheim: 1/16 Gygia(Iron Woods, Niefelheim), 1/4 Norna(Utgard)
Vanheim: Hangadrott(Helheim)

Any nation that can reach death 3 can also summon a mound fiend for 28 gems, which is a death 3 and unholy 3 mage. This is very expensive in gems however, and you may be better off using them otherwise.

What this strategy involves is the alteration 5 spell "Drain Life". This is a range 25, precision 100, 14+ unresistable damage, armor negating spell requiring a death skill of 4 that both heals and removes fatigue from the caster when cast on a living target. Drain life will damage any creature, but will not provide healing or fatigue reduction against non-living creatures. To reach death 4 costs only ten gems for a skull staff for the above nations, so it is a very good investment.

This synergizes very well with quickness, as the mage will get tired only if they face an army almost exclusively of undead. The mages are also usually smart enough to start raising skeletons (enchantment 3) to protecct themselves and overwhelm the enemy. The AI will then alter its spellcasting to use drain life when its fatigue reaches high levels, and go back to summoning more undead, or casting high level spells such as banefire or cloud of death.

[Pocus]

By the way, where is Alex? Not seen since more than a month...

[JaydedOne]

Just thought I'd bump this thread as it's been a month and I consider it one of the more useful/imaginative compilations out there for players looking to pick up a few new tricks.

I'd add some of my own, but I'm afraid I have to admit to not having had the time or experience to be anywhere near this creative yet.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

(Actually I haven't tried this - yet. But I think it should work).

(1) deploy a bunch of communicants in the front line.

(2) have a communion master with blood magic cast Blood Vengeance. The more communion slaves, the better. Theoretically a +4 communion (ie, at least 16 slaves) should allow even a blood-1 mage to cast a level 6 Blood Vengeance. Anything but the most resilient troops should annihilate themselves on your communicants.

[Gateway103]

Curious, if enemy casts Wrathful Sky, or any non-directly damaging spells, Blood Vengenence won't work would it? Similarly, if they have high MR, BV doesn't work too well either I think...

And isn't BV Blood 9 spell? So you also need to bring a bit of blood slaves in addition to communicants.

-Gateway103