Lightless lantern and horror marks

[PvK]

The rate or marking is quite low, but will happen to some lantern researchers eventually. But then the chance of getting attacked is also I think pretty low. So generally it is not a concern - as Cor wrote, just don't give them to particularly important mages. It would probably just call a lesser horror, which could be escaped with a few bodyguards or an escape spell or a good offensive spell, but except for spells it's probably not worth protecting them given the low odds of it happening.

It could potentially end up being a setback if you switch those researchers to battlefield mages at some point, and the enemy uses Call Horror or something... but again, the benefit probably outweighs the risk by a lot.

As MA Ulm, I think lanterns are very worthwhile to use.

PvK

[Meglobob]

In a recent MP, I used lots of lightless lanterns and they are definately worth it for research (helped win me the game), in those 50 turns I had 2 horror attacks, the mages died both times. They were a horror and lesser horror. About dozen of my mages out of about 50 with lightless lanterns ended up horror marked.

I used my cheapest/weakest mages to carry the lightless lanterns, I was playing LA Agartha, so not much of a loss if 1 dies to a horror attack.

Another option but mircromanagement intensive, so not for everybody, is check each mage every turn for horror marking, as soon as he becomes horror marked pass the lantern on to another mage (so not to lose it when he gets attacked by a horror), then use that mage up in combat, hopefully before he dies due to horror.

Another suggestion, but I have not personally used this tactic as yet, is if your mage is a death mage, you could cast twiceborn, so if a horror kills him you get a wightmage. The question is does the wightmage retain the horror marking?

[NTJedi]

Meglobob said:
Another suggestion, but I have not personally used this tactic as yet, is if your mage is a death mage, you could cast twiceborn, so if a horror kills him you get a wightmage. The question is does the wightmage retain the horror marking?

Yes, he would return with the horror marking and if had the curse marking he would return with this marking as well.

[Amhazair]

Okey, thanks for all the answers. It seems it's more or less as I expected, but it's nice to have confirmation. I guess I'll be making me some next turn.

[Micah]

Yup, just don't give them to anyone that's got the 10% bonus paths, and try to keep your dwarven hammers out of the hands of anyone that's marked. The chance of an attack is very low, plus basic master smiths are cheap and plentiful, and research-wise one lantern = 1 smith, so after 15 turns you've saved enough money on upkeep to buy a replacement if the old smith gets killed by a horror. You're out a couple of gems of course, but 2 fire gems is pretty small change, and the odds of getting killed off after 15 turns are vanishingly small.