Anti-Horror Strategies

[Shovah32]

If you could risk it skullface might be more useful than wraithcrown, letting you cast raise skeletons each turn.

[Taqwus]

I've seen the non-nerfed Hunter of Heroes laugh at a Wraith Crowned EA Demonbred, easily kill all the undead, then the Demonbred itself. The same Demonbred had killed the HoH easily when using a Spirit Helm -- the HoH is not lightning resistant... but it has Blood Vengeance (as do all Doom Horrors other than Scabiel), so low-level undead will easily maim themselves when attacking as the HoH.

A Phoenix Rod would also work, because they also lack fire resistance.

But yes, Petrify is a lethal pick if possible, and has the advantages of not needing gems and also being reasonable for normal battles. Magebane and the Infernal Sword also have unresistable effets, and Magebane has the further edge that it'll boost your MR so you have a chance of surviving the Consume Soul attack and of bypassing Blood Vengeance. Magebane will horror-mark you, but with it, you shouldn't have to hard a time of surviving them.

Ark -- needs to beat high MR, does very little damage per turn (you want to KILL it -- not disease it, blind it (may not even need eyes, can't remember), or do a piddling couple of hp).

Otherwise... you want precise, non-MR-based damage. High level Blood has two unresistable "send them to Hell" spells. Against two of Umor's forms, Astral would also be an important flag. That... or Returning.

[NTJedi]

Taqwus said:
I've seen the non-nerfed Hunter of Heroes laugh at a Wraith Crowned EA Demonbred, easily kill all the undead, then the Demonbred itself. The same Demonbred had killed the HoH easily when using a Spirit Helm -- the HoH is not lightning resistant... but it has Blood Vengeance (as do all Doom Horrors other than Scabiel), so low-level undead will easily maim themselves when attacking as the HoH.

The wraith crown is to provide time for the commander and the low-level undead will make sure the horror doesn't gain more hitpoints.

[Frostmourne27]

What about the blood spell that does irresistable damage? A life for a life? I dunno what it's called, but it's supposed to do like 40+ an damage. There's also the necromancery touch spell that does tons of damage, although you risk blood vengancy doom. Non-gift of reasoned tartarians would probably do prety well, since they're are undead and you could theoretically have ten of them.

[Taqwus]

Yup, life for a life. Two casts should do it, unless you're unlucky.

I think you're risking blood vengeance with any of the hp spells... and probably the hp-based instadeath spells (isn't Soul Slay a 999 hp attack? Which is usually death, unless you're an in-dominion Gift of Health'd Sphinx or maybe a well-fed Eater of the Dead), too. Basically you want decent MR because of both the blood vengeance and the MR-negates death attacks.

The Tartarians, being former deities, also have good MR so long as you get rid of the frequent Feeblemind.

Haven't yet checked whether a failed MR vs. Blood Vengeance roll on a Banish to Inferno will send the caster to Hell... which would be cruelly funny, IMHO.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Seems like we have two different scenarios here:

1. supercombatant (hero, pretender, etc.), characterized by high hitpoints and the ability to dish it and take it.
2. mages (rainbow pretender, great sage, archmage, etc.), who can dish it out, but they can't take it.

I believe there are a number of good strategies for a supercombatant to take. However, mages are in for a beating unless they are lucky--and plan carefully....

[alexti]

VotD isn't that bad. Regular mage can often survive just by using fire shield, astral shield body ethereal and personal luck. Even when he falls unconcious he can avoid being hit while destroying enemies.

[Epaminondas]

I am not sure if these are considered horrors, but I had a huge number of units attack me, and it said something like "you were killed by the souls of all enemies you've slain."

What in the world is that, and what triggers it?

[Graeme Dice]

That spell is vengeance of the dead. If the unit with the highest kills in the target province fails a MR check, and is not undead, and requires sleep, then a number of undead troops equal to the number of units that commander has killed will attack it. If it survives, then the next time the MR check fails, he now has at least twice as many kills.

[Epaminondas]

Thanks, Graeme!

That totally sucks though. So I suppose high MR is the only (uncertain) antidote?