EA Oceania on land

[Nick_K]

Sea trolls are quite weak, especially against land armies of HI etc. They don't even come close to their earth-magic equivalents. If you have water/nature mages I recommend Kydnides instead - size 2, well armoured for EA, awe, decent weapon... an excellent unit. The sea king is a powerful battlemage though.

[Rytek]

Try a cold 3 dominion. winter wolves summons. use the winter wolves on your flank and a little behind. set one pack for attack rear. the other on attack closest. put whaterver chaf you come up with all the way in the front in the center. set them to guard commander. put your mages in the back spamming Falling frost. your chaff will slowly move back towards the commanders in the back, drawing fire. the wolves move in and are immune to the falling frost artillery. a few mages set behind the wolves scripted for protection.

[Eressil3]

I agree. The sea king is good but the sea trolls aren't. Bad defense, bad attack. Their only strength lie in their life points so they're good for making a front line wall and that's all.

I don't like Ice drakes (they are routing to much IMO).
Winter wolves can be useful, depending of what you're facing : don't use them if your opponent can crush through their etheralness with magic weapons or spells.

I'm not an expert at all, but found the water nations good at the start since you're not so likely rushed. It can be, but it's less likely. I mean it's easier to negociate a NAP with one or two players than with 3 or 4 players... Sometimes you're even alone underwater.
But indeed, you pay this advantage later when you want to put your feet (fish tail ?) on land...

Designing a pretender with something else than water magic may be the key to get effective land summons. Or your may rely on indie mage.

[Methel]

Saying summons is well and good, but the only halfway decent summons i can put on land with my out of the box mages is... Kydnides, and while good they feel like bringing a knife to a gunfight for the end game.

Makes me kinda sad that a frost ward more or less nullifies my magic

[Gandalf Parker]

The Early Era of a nation like Oceania would tend to be more water oriented than it would be later in its history. Getting onto land is an effort. On the other hand, undoing its limitations would probably be too powerful considering the advantage of taking all the water provinces as a strong base.

I wouldnt consider Oceania was able to "get onto land". More of a nation capable of getting a foothold on land. Then you have to hold it and expand on it using the land resources. Generally Id tend to try that early on when you can do it against independents rather than other nations.

On the other hand, later in the game you might have to shift focus. You do have advantages in the water. Structures, PD, etc. You might need to shift to a defensive strategy to hold the waters while working on alternate methods of escape (such as research).

[Meglobob]

What is really needed is magic items added to the game that give mass airbreathing, so Oceania can later in the game bring its better troops on land.

Make it constuction 6, requires A2W2 so is hard to get manufacture. Airbreathing 50 would be about right. At least this would allow aquatic creatures on land.

I see nothing wrong with this in a magically rich world of dominions.

[Gandalf Parker]

That makes sense. There is water-breathing for armies. There should be air-breathing for armies.

[Evilhomer]

or a late game "thesis blessing" counterpart.

[Methel]

research is well and good, but what to research? Thats what my complaint is. Even if I get everything there is nothing really catching my eye that I can use.

Sure I can get a foot hold on land, but what then? take over the world with independents, backed up by mediocre ice magic only? I don't think so.