Fighting For and Against Ulm -Expert Advice, Please

General Tacticus · #1 February 5th, 2004, 10:08 AM

Well, some advice for Ulm now...

- Once you are encountering high hp and/or heavy armored troops, don't forget your trusty crossbows. That Hydra might take out 80 morningstar with its poison, but it'll die instantly to your crossbows on "fire at large enemy monsters".

- Use and abuse magic items. They are your magic. Your smith should be given a dwarven hammer, and forge ahead ! Give a new heart to your spies and make them assassins, equip your commander with fireball throwing items, make sure to distribute elemental protection as needed. Make yourself some flying thugs, and see how enemy mages like it !

- Don't forget your province defense. Those 20 crossbows may not stop a real army, but they will cause a lot of grief. At 40 your defense will stop anything short of a full scale assault.

- I recommand a rainbow pretender. Get yourself a very high gem income, then MAKE yourself some mages. Aim for spells that buff your troops, and see how your enemy like mass protected, berserking, flying, flaiming Ulmish infantry.

PDF · #2 February 5th, 2004, 11:34 AM

A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

Saxon · #3 February 6th, 2004, 02:45 AM

I found that Miasma or Burden of Time or both together really disturb Ulm. Well, they disturb everyone, but when Ulm invaded and I had to keep falling back into my own dominion, their big units got weaker and weaker. Their armies soon lost all the fodder, but the big units kept coming. Then they got very sick.

I cut them off then and hit them with my pretender with fear causing items. They broke fairly quickly, especially as many had battle fright. When they fled and had no where to run to, they died. Seeing twelve cave drakes which had been trashing my provincial defense disappear that way was encouraging.

Curse also helped, I had the shield that throws a curse each turn. That set them up for more afflictions in battle. It seems those strong and long Lasting units can be worn down this way. Also investigate fear. Does Man have access to Terror on the Nature magic side of things?

And yes, another vote for crossbows!

Pocus · #4 February 5th, 2004, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PDF:
A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

what, you have also a master matrix?

PhilD · #5 February 5th, 2004, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PDF:
A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

Do you really need the Shaman for the Communion? Once you've got a forger with Astral and Earth, just give him a Hammer and pump out the Slave/Crystal Matrices...

This is one thing I like in Iron Faith Ulm: your forgers get a random pick, which with your forging powers, greatly improves your magic versatility. If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

mivayan · #6 February 6th, 2004, 04:40 PM

Quote:

If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

That would be fun, but then you would not really have any reason at all to play standard ulm. As it is now iron faith only loses the the master smiths. The master smith's earth2 fire1 is nice but priests with earth1 random1 are often better.. since they are cheap and sacred. except when it comes to research

mcv · #7 February 6th, 2004, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PhilD:
This is one thing I like in Iron Faith Ulm: your forgers get a random pick, which with your forging powers, greatly improves your magic versatility. If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

I just discovered an interesting trick for Iron Faith Ulm or anyone with high drain. Keep your Dominion out of one corner of your area, build a lab there, and let all initiates, sages, and whatever else use that province for their research.

The only problem is that this province is likely to be pretty close to a proselytising neighbour, and when he attacks, you'll lose all your scientists. So protect them well.

mcv.

PS: Hi! I'm new. Played the demo Last week, got the game this week, and I'm hoping for a multiplayer next week.