Devil Review

[Stormbinder]

Gandalf Parker said:

True. But there is also my favorite "step up".
A Garnet Amazon (red) province with a lab, 0 taxes, and no Province Defense. Send a lvl 5 air mage (or lvl 3 air mage with a Bag of Wind and that Winged Helm). Build amazon mages and set them to hunting blood slaves.

Have all the mages set to hellbind, hellbind, hellbind, attack. Have the air mage cast Wind Ride every turn against some province in your enemys territory. Its like a birthday present each turn. You want to rush to that province to see what you got and what items it had on it. The real prize is ending up having 2 or 3 prophets all working in your name.

That's nice setup Gandelf and I agree, it is certanly fun. But I think it can only work once in MP if you are playing against good opponent, since the next turn you will likely to get a Ghost Riders/other magical-summon/teleport attack on your "Christmas present" province. If it has just bunch of amazons set on "hellbind" and air 5 mage, as your described, it'll not stop this attack, and your mages will be killed/routed. If your opponent would also block all retreat routes than all your mages will be lost.

[Cainehill]

Managed to Wind Ride / Charm about a half dozen commanders in an ongoing game - I also had enough other troops to slow down or kill tough opponents, and could probably have held off ghost riders, possibly even two.

[Gandalf Parker]

Stormbinder said:
That's nice setup Gandelf and I agree, it is certanly fun. But I think it can only work once in MP if you are playing against good opponent, since the next turn you will likely to get a Ghost Riders/other magical-summon/teleport attack on your "Christmas present" province. If it has just bunch of amazons set on "hellbind" and air 5 mage, as your described, it'll not stop this attack, and your mages will be killed/routed. If your opponent would also block all retreat routes than all your mages will be lost.

I admit that I dont remember being at the other end of windride. I suppose it does say where the commander went.

Having troops or defence there tended to kill the sucker before I could convert him so I knew I was taking chances with no troops and no defence. I usually had my windmage set for a couple of actions and then retreat or some sort of safety transport. It was the only piece of importance. Taking back the province is no big deal.

It might not be an ultimate strategy but its a fun one to keep in the carddeck just in case you get the chance to use it.

[Stormbinder]

Gandalf Parker said:

I admit that I dont remember being at the other end of windride. I suppose it does say where the commander went.

Having troops or defence there tended to kill the sucker before I could convert him so I knew I was taking chances with no troops and no defence. I usually had my windmage set for a couple of actions and then retreat or some sort of safety transport. It was the only piece of importance. Taking back the province is no big deal.

It might not be an ultimate strategy but its a fun one to keep in the carddeck just in case you get the chance to use it.

Oh, it is certanly fun, I agree. I never tried to set up such "presents" factory on the regular basis that you have described. It would be interesting to try in on of my MP games, just for the heck of it.

[Tuidjy]

I do not think it is the ghost rider type spells that are the real
problem. In a game with Cohen, I was running a variation of this:
the firing squad province. I had about ten sages, an arch seraph,
and a few defenders. The 'wind ridden' commanders were tried,
found guilty and executed in a very efficient manner. I was pestering
him for a few turns, snatching his merc commanders on the turn he
renewed their contracts, splitting his devil armies in two, etc...
He did attempt a few attacks on the provinces, but the sages held
their own (frozen heart and false horror are quite unpleasant)

I was sure that I would soon be at the receiving end of some seeking
arrows or flames from sky, and that would be the end of the joy rides,
given that I would have had to dome the province, or lose expensive
commanders. Fortunately, I happened to snatch his pretender and then
the commander of his Last devil squad... and he quit on turn 22.

But the point of all this was that if you have a province like this,
you will probably be arrowed or flamed.