Good Pretender design for Marverni?

Aleph · #1 February 16th, 2007, 10:25 AM

Hmmmm... what about 2 scales and increasing death (which is comparatively quite cheap for him)? That way you end up with more fear, which is what is winning the battles (at least for me) against the indeps anyway.

As a neophyte to this game but an old hand at RPGs like Champions, it just hurts my head to leave death at 3 for him and buying high levels of another path for a pretender who is so poor at learning new paths.

Wish · #2 February 16th, 2007, 02:50 PM

well clearly the details are up to the player. more death is nice, and it increases the morale drops, but it doesn't help you when they do miraculously make their morale roll.

Meglobob · #3 February 17th, 2007, 05:04 PM

Marverni is definately a weak nation that could do with some love by the developers.

What bugs me is why as this nation got no national spells?

This nation could really do with some good national spells to make it worth playing.

Even the magic is pretty pathetic when compared with other EA nations, the troops are rubbish, the sacreds naff, may as well not exist if you ask me...

Wish · #4 February 17th, 2007, 05:09 PM

well they have the best arcane mages in the early era... thus they are best suited to have late game master enslave squads.

they are well suited to make golem thugs, and their sacreds are bersekers with shields, which makes them rather viable for bless strats.

You are right though, they could do with some nation spells.

Teraswaerto · #5 February 17th, 2007, 05:46 PM

I don't see how you can say that Marverni has pathetic magic. You get Earth 4 and Astral 4 mages before booster items, both good paths, and Druids aren't even capital only.

Meglobob · #6 February 17th, 2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Teraswaerto said:
Druids aren't even capital only.

So you can recruit the 380gp druid at any fortress? Oh thats interesting...

E4 and S4 is good but 380gp is expansive, so your not going to have many. Also is earth/astral a good mix? What nastiness could you do?

In MP, I believe many consider this nation weak, also I cannot remember a game where they have done well or even figured amongst the top nations.

I suspect because of there poor troops, putting together a reasonable size empire will be difficult and they could be easily overrun early on by nations with better sacreds/national troops.

I will say one good about them, perhaps a good nation to play SP against Helheim, Vanheim, Nielfelheim and Caelum on impossible if you want a challenging game!

Shovah32 · #7 February 17th, 2007, 06:10 PM

earth/astral gives golems and earth and astral(separate) have some very nice items and artifacts.

Endoperez · #8 February 17th, 2007, 06:14 PM

Ambibate Nobles are comparable to MA Principes. 12/15 protection instead of 11/18, shield instead of tower shield, broadsword instead of shortsword, less morale and encumberance. I think they're rather good for EA. I might use Marverni Nobles if I was in a hurry, or tight on money. The Eponi cavalry look as decent as any non-sacred, non-knight cavalry.

The standard-bearers are vulnerable to both melee and missile fire, though, but you might be able to use your melee commanders instead. They have standard, except for Boar Lords.

The non-noble warriors aren't good. Berserker types aren't worth their price due to their attack/defence skills being lower and due to an inferior weapon. Slingers aren't useful after very early game.

EDIT:

As for Earth/Astral, the useful spells and items are:
Crystal Coin (+1 S), Gifts from Heaven, Golems, Gate Stone as far as artifacts go, and then all the Earth spells and the Astral spells. Earth Power gives reinvigoration, which can be nice even if the Druid isn't scripted to cast other Earth spells.

KissBlade · #9 February 18th, 2007, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Meglobob said:

Quote:

Teraswaerto said:
Druids aren't even capital only.

So you can recruit the 380gp druid at any fortress? Oh thats interesting...

E4 and S4 is good but 380gp is expansive, so your not going to have many. Also is earth/astral a good mix? What nastiness could you do?

In MP, I believe many consider this nation weak, also I cannot remember a game where they have done well or even figured amongst the top nations.

I suspect because of there poor troops, putting together a reasonable size empire will be difficult and they could be easily overrun early on by nations with better sacreds/national troops.

I will say one good about them, perhaps a good nation to play SP against Helheim, Vanheim, Nielfelheim and Caelum on impossible if you want a challenging game!

I don't believe anyone would call Maverni a /weak/ nation necessarily. Granted they aren't top tier with Hel/Niefel/Lanka but their principe clones are very usable and earth/astral is about the best mix of battle magic you can hope for. You have Blade wind (king of EA battlemagic) as well as astral magic + Gifts of heavens against the SC's and heavy troops. Add that to it's non cap only status as well as sacred and you have one scary magic force.