Assasins

[PvK]

I often place and/or script my assassins, especially if they have something worthwhile to do different from the default. e.g. ninjas.

[Jack_Trowell]

Assassin + skull charm ; set to the rear

You start the fight with a longded, so even if the target as rander attack, spells, or is flying, itwill often target the longded.

And each round after that one more longded for only 5 fatigue (item spells only cost 5 fatigue points)

Even better when you use the skull helmet (give the spell raise skeletons)

If your assassin got the "quickness" heroic ability, it can use the item more often (yes, quickness still works in dom3 for item spells). Just give him some reinvigoration so he don't get tired too fast.

[Baalz]

Jack_Trowell said:
(yes, quickness still works in dom3 for item spells).

Ahhhh, this little gem I missed. I assumed the quickness nerf applied to item spells as well. Good to know.

[Gandalf Parker]

extra attacks help alot. Also items which will attack on their own such as dancing trident, stone dove, and spirit helm

[Taqwus]

An Empoisoner... yes, back, especially if you're going to skellispam. Assuming he's not some weirdly heroic Empoisoner kitted out for hack and slash...

I've not found Star Children to be all that reliable as assassins, 'tho; the single Mind Blast is resistable and not especially lethal when not combined with other attacks to take advantage of the short paralysis. It's especially bad news if you end up trying to assassinate a skellispammer.

Should be noted that the etherealness of Elludian Stalkers is not associated with a Cloak of Shadows -- it's built into the unit type, so you can give them decent protection, resistance, or damaging-aura armor and keep etherealness. Or at least that's how it worked last I checked them. Nasty.

[jutetrea]

I had an eater of the dead that got away from me, with a gift of kurgi - so flying, ethereal, etc... he was a beast. Played on a faerun map, and he could take out the "special" provinces full of high powered indys. Got charmed by an earth mother somehow... couldn't take him down for the life of me (wasted tons of troops). Finally sent in the black heart vamp with disintegrate - poof. Rather ironic after all the effort I went through to start.

Thinking High MR + high penetration + disintegrate or

Flying, eth, lucky, high MR + dimensional rod - anyone have good luck with the rod?

Can anyone point me to the mechanics on how the heart finder works? Seems to do really well...no clue how it really gets the 999 damage or so. Just living targets?

[Nick_K]

The magic item that gives etherealness is the *robe* of shadows. Presumably, as a robe it's too bulky to be used with other body armour. Stalkers have a 'shadow cloak' which doesn't appear as equipment - I guess cloaks can be worn just fine with armour.

In SP at least, I find that equipping most assasins with loads of magic items is fun but sub-optimal. At one commander/turn it takes a long time to be worth the cost as most victims are regular commanders or priests. A lucky mage can always turn the tables with a single spell, and an assassin caught by province defense generally dies... it might be nice if dom4 allowed different battle orders for assasination and regular battles. I'd like assasins caught by pd in border provinces to retreat, but of course scripting that is a big no-no.

The phoenix rod will kill most enemies before they can close. Boots of quickness doubles the damage as well. Of course, it might be more deadly to just put the magic item user in a regular army where he can burn up a lot more than one enemy per turn.

[Corwin]

Gandalf Parker said:
extra attacks help alot. Also items which will attack on their own such as dancing trident, stone dove, and spirit helm

Are you saying that items that attack on their own do it twice when the owner is under quickness?

[Gandalf Parker]

Im not sure if that happens. I hadnt thought of it.
But I meant that extra attacks help, and certain items will also grant you another attack during the round because they attack on their own. You can end up with a lot of attacks on the poor shmuck thats trying to get close to you.

[Graeme Dice]

Corwin said:
Are you saying that items that attack on their own do it twice when the owner is under quickness?

Yes, they would, since they attack once for every turn the owner has, and quickness adds complete new turns.