How to play well C'tis ?

[liga]

Hi all,

in the Last months I'm trying to play C'tis, but probably I'm not able to play it well becouse I alwyas end beaten by other nations ... some one could suggest me a good way to play the so nice Lizards ?

I think they are really weak ... my greater problems are:

1) they have really poor and usless PD
2) they are really vulnerable to missile fire
3) they don't have real good missile troops

... so I have really a lot of problem, expecially against against Ulm, Mans and Marigno

... I know there are some C'tis experts on this forum ... please help me!!!!

Liga

[PrinzMegaherz]

I am no expert, but I like poison slingers to deal with Ulm's black steel. Just make sure you have enough undead/poison resistant troops to keep them in position for some turns, and throw the stuff at them. Swamp Guards are not the worst heavy infantry out there, and they will withstand most arrows except crossbows.

So, for a good punch, put them in the first row and lots of javelin throwing LI behind them. This might not be of much help against Ulm, but is pretty good for early game independent smashing.

[ May 25, 2004, 16:32: Message edited by: PrinzMegaherz ]

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by liga:
1) they have really poor and usless PD

They're not worse than many other nations' PD. Anyway no PD can stand to a moderatly determined attack (unless you buy dozens, which is a thing you should never do), so that's at best a minor issue.

2) they are really vulnerable to missile fire

True, but that's not a C'tis-specific issue, and there are many ways to circumvent this. Using undead fodder is an easy one for C'tis.

3) they don't have real good missile troops

Independent shortbows are easily available, and even longbows aren't uncommon, what else do you need? OTOH noone but you has access to Poison Slingers, who can be lethal in the right circumstances.

... I know there are some C'tis experts on this forum ... please help me!!!!

I think Alex posted a few tricks for C'tis in his 'Tome of Knowledge' thread. Give it a look.

[SelfishGene]

Undead are immune to poison. Just a thought.

[Kel]

Well, I am not particularly skilled or knowledgeable...and I tend to play Miasma C'tis more than regular C'tis...but I pretty much work under the assumption that C'tis national troops are weak and they make up for it with strong, if specialized, mages. They aren't useless (why do I know someone will point that out ?) but I find that I need heavy priest support to keep them from routing.

When I play C'tis, I always take some kind of SC to make up for the poor national troops, early on, and then, by mid game, I rely heavily on mages and summoned troops in the mid game (earlier than I do with other nations that might have strong nationals).

I particularly like the Miasma Marshmasters, who, can, with a cheap path enhancer or a lucky random pick, quicken themselves and cast relief/mass protection/charm and then the variety of combat death spells.

Oh, and Empoisoners (can't remember if regular C'tis has them) are excellent assassins. Early on, an Empoisoner with a skull staff set to raise dead can take indie provinces by himself (albeit slowly). Particularly good against barbarian provinces where your lack of missile troops might otherwise result in heavy casualties on your side.

Never played DT.

- Kel

[Molog]

The slave troopers are good warriors.

Make a priest king your profet and have him smite from the back.

[Yossar]

C'tis has the best death magic in the game besides Ermor, so use it. The spell "Raise Skeletons" is your friend early on. 2 or 3 sauromancers with some bodyguards in the front to soak up arrows can take nearly any province with almost no losses by just casting that. Bane Lords with boots of flying, jade armor, and wraith swords are great raiders.

Your best infantry are elite warriros and falchoniers. Swamp guards aren't bad just to tank. Poison Slingers are decent in certain situations. The assassins are pretty good if you give them some nature gems to cast swarm. They're in trouble if they get into melee, though.

[mr.white]

Don't forget that you get terror as your starting spell...That's extremely effective for taking independent provinces fast. Just give the sauromancer(one or two tends to be enough against weaker indeps. This doesn't work well on knights) some cover with swamp guards or HI.

If your pretender is good at death magic he can join in too, right from the start

(note that this is harder the more independents there are. I've mostly used this on strength 5.)

[Azhur]

Take tomb-dominion, mass sauromancers, research conj 9, search lots of magic death sites, cast well of misery, mass skull staffs and finally cast 10 (cost is 10x5=50 death gems/turn) wight riders/turn with your 4D sauromancers into enemy provinces...

[ May 28, 2004, 12:58: Message edited by: Azhur ]

[Saxon]

Aroglith has a powerful strategy which uses Disintegrate. I forget the details, but if you run a search, you will find some more on it.

I love Miasma against long life troops, like Ulm or Johnteim. Lift up your dominion and make your neighbors suffer. Boost a sorcerer with the thistle mace and get Gift of Health to avoid diseasing your own troops, notably sages if you get a good sage province.

The undead are the way to go. For undead archers, there is a good spell that summons a troop of undead with flaming arrows. If memory serves (I am in the office) it is a death and nature magic spell, so it is a good secondary use for the mage who casts Gift of Health. Similarly, mass protection is very useful generally, but I found it particularly useful for C’tis.

For your god, consider the undead sauromancer. Besides just being fun to have an undead lizard god, an immortal with high death magic can summon a lot of troops to trash independents or AI. If you are using Miasma and working to push your dominion, it also means the immortal can be used more offensively.