Couple of questions

OG_Gleep · #1 February 4th, 2006, 05:07 AM

In my current game I am using your suggestion, the flying boots one...its working quite well. Normally though, I don't have one front. So I keep summoners at the half way point so they can get to either end relativley fast.

As far as the troops are concnered, do most people use 25 LD commanders? I notice some people saying they rarely use mortal commanders opting for mages instead. Most mages have a natural LD of 10, 10 isn't big enough for one squad in my armies. Unless you deck out your transporters in magical LD enhancing gear, I'd assume you'd need a lot of em to ferry troops around.

castigated · #2 February 4th, 2006, 06:48 AM

well, if you assume that you are generally trying to recruit a mage every turn, you generally will end up with a lot of them lying around, ready to transport your troops around, not to mention being the real damage-do'ers in battle later in the game.

this might not be the case in a poor world, but otherwise, lots of mages shoudl be the norm (at least when i play).

shovah · #3 February 4th, 2006, 08:36 AM

feel free to make non-mages in indies, thats what i do (or use a summoned general)

Endoperez · #4 February 4th, 2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

shovah said:
feel free to make non-mages in indies, thats what i do (or use a summoned general)

That's something I'd like to see improved, somehow. Fortresses are important because they allow one to recruit mages, and every turn a mage is not recruited is "wasted". Mages are useful all the time, in battle, for research, rituals, summons, leading summoned units... Non-magical commanders are just used to lead troops. There is no comparison between them in the terms of usefullness. So if one has the gold, and a choice between a commander and a mage, or even a priest, the commander shouldn't be recruited.
I would like to use national commanders, but it isn't worth it as often as I would like. So I have to recruit indy commanders, usually able to lead 25 units.

This was even worse in Dom:PPP though, as normal 40-gp HOly-2 Priests could lead 25 soldiers.

NTJedi · #5 February 6th, 2006, 03:36 PM

regular commanders are rarely worth buying unless you're trying to slow down assassins.

shovah · #6 February 6th, 2006, 03:42 PM

or need someone to transport your troops and are far away from any mage recruitment centers

Cainehill · #7 February 6th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Or simply have commanders who are either sturdy, dangerous, or have good leadership : commanders with a leadership of 50 or 75 are _certainly_ a good deal for moving archers, infantry, and vine men to the front.

(Mind - I still think vine men / ogres should require magical leadership, especially as they're mindless and all.)

castigated · #8 February 7th, 2006, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Cainehill said:
Or simply have commanders who are either sturdy, dangerous, or have good leadership : commanders with a leadership of 50 or 75 are _certainly_ a good deal for moving archers, infantry, and vine men to the front.

(Mind - I still think vine men / ogres should require magical leadership, especially as they're mindless and all.)

THEY CAN MOVE VINE MEN!>!?!?!?!/11!!one....what have i been doing all my life?

OG_Gleep · #9 February 8th, 2006, 05:05 PM

I have a much better perspective on things after playing with Van. As Ulm, I found National commanders key, as Smiths while great, only have 10 natural Leadership. Mid game, individual squads were close to 50 men, so they were key.

Playing as Van however, there is no real reason to build the non mage commander, unless you were out of money. They have mages that also are Generals, with great leadership.

Is there any other race, like Ulm, who really need to build national melee commanders?

Morkilus · #10 February 8th, 2006, 05:35 PM

Quote:

OG_Gleep said:
Is there any other race, like Ulm, who really need to build national melee commanders?

I would say Nifelheim has this requirement more than anyone else, since indie commanders tend to die to the various cold radiance that their units sometimes produce, and their ideal commander/mage (Nifel Jarl) is way to expensive to recruit every turn. Hence, you make Herses or their various priest types if you can afford it. They can melee well when blessed, I've seen a prophetized Jotun Jarl take down weak indies by himself. I haven't tried base Pan without using their mages heavily, but I imagine their commanders would be pretty good thugs as well. Trouble is, there are never enough castles at the beginning of the game, and when I DO build them, I get research-greedy and summon mages anyway