New

[High_Priest_Naresh]

cheers all
thaks for the advice the thread helps alot.
I am starting my first game over the net,
I am playing machaka my opponent who is 100 times better is playing ulm. there are also some comps but I am not to worried about them.
please can you help me! thanks

[Oversway]

Many ulm units have low MR, so your blindness spell should be helpful there.

Many ulm units have high protection so your machaka archers won't hurt them much, unless you do something like flaming arrows.

Ulm is usually strong in the beginning but if you can last you will out-magic them.

If they are playing Black Forest theme for ulm, then that is a different story...

[High_Priest_Naresh]

thanks I will use some of these tactics thanks again
Naresh

[Endoperez]

Okay, I'll try to stay away from this thread then.

[High_Priest_Naresh]

lol
I think u should

[Ironhawk]

Oversway said:
Many ulm units have low MR, so your blindness spell should be helpful there.

Blindness is good, but only really valuable vs small numbers of high value troops, like Black Knights (assuming Base Ulm or Iron Faith).

Many ulm units have high protection so your machaka archers won't hurt them much, unless you do something like flaming arrows.

Actually even flaming arrows wont really hurt Ulm much. They are just 8ap, I believe? So will only reliably penetrate armor up to prot 16. Most Ulm units are prot 18-20, arent they? Banefire Archers are easy for Machaka tho and would be exceptionally valuable vs Ulm. 10AP to make the hit and then a Decay strike to make sure it dies? Nice.

Ulm is usually strong in the beginning but if you can last you will out-magic them.

Yeah magic is definitely the way to go. Off the cuff I would think that using those cheap Sorceresses for Magma Bolts (to penetrate the think ulmish armor) would be good. As might other fire spells. Air is really best vs Ulm, but you dont have that. Blade Winds, which is what I normally use Black Sorcerors for wont be effective vs Ulm. Tho beware the reverse! The Ulm Master Smiths will Blade Wind your armies back into the stone age!! Particularly vs the poorly armored Machaka units!

Nothing is coming to me in terms of long term magic tho. You should probably steal the Mother Oak tho, early. Is that in the same school as Banefire Archers? If so thats a good dynamic.

[Oversway]

Blindness seems about good as magma bolts (they are a little hard to compare), except that your witch doctors (or sorceresses) can cast it with zero research, right?

Nature has some ok armor avoiding spells - Breath of the Dragon (poison) and Sleep cloud, for example. But neither of those are fantastic.

Machaka hoplites and spider knights shouldn't be too badly hurt by blade wind but machaka archers will be slaughtered by it.

I see a lot of people pumping out vine orges in early/mid games with machaka. Flaming Arrows (and wind guide if your pretender has air) is another common trick early on.

If you didn't know, don't waste your money on the spider mouted archer.

[High_Priest_Naresh]

thanks for the help.
keep it coming

[Nerfix]

Hmmm, I think the Machaka 55 gold spider knights might be of some use... I'm not sure though if the spider's attack are strong enough to hit the ulmish units.

[High_Priest_Naresh]

thanks for the help,
we are playing on the britan map and i am heavily out numbered on all sides. I have archers and mages on all of my borders...
I have about 40 archers and 20 hoplites and 5 mages in each province. they cast blindess and flaming arrows but they only just win.
ulm usually sends a heavy wave of sappers one turn then a small burst of about 20 black knights. the on the same tun the attack from another province with a large number of crossbowmen, and plenty of infantry.
then on the other side I am being attacked by C'tis saurumancers and serpent dancers... the have a very high dominion and I have 3 high priests battling it out for dominion...
but then I have Caelum attacking me from the sea!!! they have a few high level water mages and pump out water rings and barrels of ir like mad... the give these to commanders and send archers across the sea. then to top it off they cast wind guide and the commanders have bows of acuracy and war! please help I am deperate
But then on a high note I am casting L/R spells every tun and I am hassleing the C'tis and Caelum capitols and they keep most(I say most) of the enemies busy but then I cannot cast enough spells to keep the researchers and wizards busy... I can cast about 6 call to wilds a turn. 3 fires from afar and 2 seeking arrows!!!!!!!!!!!!!! life is hell
but do you like my writing underneath this?is did it myself. good innit?