Diabolic Marignon Pretender

[Spacepain]

\"A lot depends on whether you\'re playing an unmodded game, or using the Conceptual Balance mods, or some other mods.\"

Just normal, unmodded dominions 2.

\"Death? On Marignon\'s Pretender? \"

I\'ve been using the Death so I can summon bane commanders @ level 3 or 4 conjuration. They\'re much nicer commanders for demons than Goetic masters. Then, leading up to the banes you get fire drakes which are a very early way to spend fire gems and handy in expanding early.

Clearly there are better alternatives?

So, having read the little I have, something like a Baphomet 4f/4a/4b.

then -1t/3p/-1h/0/2f/1m for scales? -ish

Oooor for pretender Moloch f9...?

What sort of research should I be doing with a f9 pretender spell wise?

[Endoperez]

Unfortunately, that strategy doesn't work very well. Fire Drakes are grossly overpriced, for one. Death 1 would be enough to summon commanders for demons, in Enchantment (Revive King, and Create Revenant so that you don't have to use pretender to revive more kings).

Fire 9 is quite powerful even with Fire Darts. Look for spells with a + after area of effect and/or number of effects, and scaling damage isn't bad either. Falling Fires will be good, but even Fire Darts and Flare will devastate most enemies. The catch is that Fire 9 also gives your Flagellants two more damage sources (one for each attack of their flail); this damage is armor-piercing, and 8 points with minor variation, AND give them increased attack. Flagellants will die like flies, but will utterly devastate almost any creature, unit and/or pretender.

You seem to be taking production 3 - unfortunately, it isn't worth the points. You can do with even Sloth 1 (and other would probably urge you to take Sloth 3 and only use Flagellants), and increase Magic and/or Fortune to 3. Luck 3 is worth taking, if you go for luck, because it enables much better events.

Unfortunately, national units aren't too useful in the current game. Production isn't worth it, and luck isn't that great for planning, so most players prefer Order/Misfortune (as Order makes events more rare). I'd say it's worth using less optimized strategies, and I have enjoyed them for a long time.
If you want to rely heavily on your national units, you should probably go for few picks of Growth, for little more income. The population growth is also nice for a blood-hunting nation. If you can't afford Luck 3, and Production 2-3, Magic 1-3 with Moloch and Fire 9, feel free to take Fountain of Blood with two or three supporting paths. Death for the commanders, earth for Demon Knights, Nature for Crossbreeding (which is nice, benefits from luck, but isn't effective enough in competitive multiplayer according to the threads), maybe Water for Ice Devils (and Frost Fiends, but the latter probably aren't worth it in your warm lands - Ice Devils are top stuff though).

[Oversway]

You could skip death entirely and cast hordes from hell (even on your own province) - you'll get a flying devil commander, and some imps to boot.

[quantum_mechani]

Spacepain said:
Just normal, unmodded dominions 2.

In that case try this build:
Baphomet
9f9s
Order 3, sloth 3, heat 1, death 3, misfortune 2, magic 3 Dominion 9
Watchtower

[KissBlade]

Qm, you can't order in diabolic faith. =)

[quantum_mechani]

KissBlade said:
Qm, you can't order in diabolic faith. =)

Doh, got me, forgot he was playing DF.

That's a big part of what makes DF not so good base game. No GK, no order.

[OG_Gleep]

Have you tried the cb mod?

*Edit*

[Spacepain]

/"Have you tried the cb mod?"/

I have not. The folks I play multiplayer with are ridiculously lazy. There is no way I could ever spur them to use a mod. They've yet to bother patching yet.

Quick recap to make sure I understand this: Economy simply doesn't matter. Use flagellants instead of pricier units. Focus on magic, and skip death. Either go f9 Moloch or f9/s9 Baphomet.

I'm liking the baphomet. However, why s9? Marignon has no casters that can reveal sites to provide you with real astral income. Unless you depend on randoming a Goetic Master with s1. Aschasic Record cost too much to be used effectively with a +1 astral income. Is there some spell that whips up an astral mage, that I can't think of?

[Saber Cherry]

Spectres, Lamia Queens, and one each of Ice Devils and Arch Devils have Astral. Unmodded Clams are the best source of pearls. I can't believe you play without any patches or mods! The patch is *essential*; it adds and fixes tons of stuff.