MP Guide to LA Ermor - The Ashen Empire

[Evilhomer]

Great guide velusian, really nice advices. I have a couple of questions for your consideration however.

...in smaller games I think it might be safe to do Drain -1, or -3

1. Why drain -1 instead of drain -2? Same research penalty and more points for pretender design.

Blood Magic: LA Ermor is one of the few nations than can start a blood economy relatively early

2. Blood magic pretty much require you to have provines at around 5000 or above pop, doesn't the population die to fast to exploit blood magic?. Im guessing you very quickly have to move your blood mages to the front where larger provinces are alive, and since they are walking alot, is the time and research investment a good idea ?

3. How would you counter mass battlefield damage spells with Ermor? Im asking cause i just played a duel LA R'lyeh against LA ermor. I went for the spell sollar brillance with penetration items, and pretty much had a mage casting this spell in every mid or large battle. The player found no counter and i quickly dissolved his armies and won the game. There are of course other alternatives like earth quake and fire storm that can get the job done. To summarize, how do you deal with this type of abuse as LA ermor?

[Velusion]

Evilhomer said:
Great guide velusian, really nice advices. I have a couple of questions for your consideration however.

1. Why drain -1 instead of drain -2? Same research penalty and more points for pretender design.

Mistype on my part! +1 for Research, -2 or -3 for drain.

2. Blood magic pretty much require you to have provines at around 5000 or above pop, doesn't the population die to fast to exploit blood magic?. Im guessing you very quickly have to move your blood mages to the front where larger provinces are alive, and since they are walking alot, is the time and research investment a good idea?

Unfortunately, when it comes to non-death magic, getting proficient with anything sucks - so relative to empowering (unless you get lucky with the indy mages) it isn't too bad. I have had a reasonable amount of success kicking of a basic blood economy once I found indy blood mages. Without them it is much harder (though possible). I probably wouldn't try - but, in theory, it should work.

Actually the domain coupled with 3 death kills off population quickly - but in my estimation - not so quickly you can't expect to be able to leave blood mages on a province for 15-25 turns. I think there is a common misperception that LA Ermor's domain will wipe out a region of population in 10-15 turns - it really isn't THAT bad, despite what the manual says.

You'll never have enough to be a huge blood power, but the flexibility is very useful in mid-late games.

3. How would you counter mass battlefield damage spells with Ermor? Im asking cause i just played a duel LA R'lyeh against LA ermor. I went for the spell sollar brillance with penetration items, and pretty much had a mage casting this spell in every mid or large battle. The player found no counter and i quickly dissolved his armies and won the game. There are of course other alternatives like earth quake and fire storm that can get the job done. To summarize, how do you deal with this type of abuse as LA ermor?

I think the best way is to diversify. It's probably one of, if not the most important goal I'm trying to convey with the guide. You can't survive on death magic alone and you need to start expanding to other schools soon. If I was facing a n empire trying to spam Solar Brillance I'd run away with the larger unprotected armies and try to raid locations where the castors aren't. Then I would hope I have researched some spells and have mages that can counter - either by remote killing or through battle magic. High MR SCs can help as well. Rigor Mortis can work wonders against casters if you can drag the battle out.

Also, in the blitz you had a huge advantage in knowing that LA Ermor was going to be your one and only enemy - in a general MP that spell is basically worthless against all but a select few nations - so people don't feel the need to go after it unless they know they will come into conflict with LA Ermor soon.

Now in the late game everyone will have it - if you don't have a counter for it by then (SCs, anti-mages, remote killing spells etc) you are screwed. If you leave LA Ermor a one trick pony he will be a dead one-trick pony!

[Taqwus]

Seems slightly weird if KotUHS don't require a temple.

Might also note that Luck-3 is nice not only for the events (free income is good, given the declining tax base and the horrible scales; also, items from tombs), but for Etimmu, one of the more respectable heroes in the game.

Must bring ample mages competent at something besides skellispam to a castle storming battle, for ranged support. The hordes work a lot less well funneled through a narrow gate, and you have no missile troops other than maybe summoned Reanimated Archers.

[Velusion]

Taqwus said:
Seems slightly weird if KotUHS don't require a temple.

Yep - actually temples don't determine the spawn for anything - it's simply the amount of dominion and if there is a fortress in the province that determines the amount/make-up of the freespawn. Of course without the temples you won't have as much dominion which means less knights...

Taqwus said:
Might also note that Luck-3 is nice not only for the events (free income is good, given the declining tax base and the horrible scales; also, items from tombs), but for Etimmu, one of the more respectable heroes in the game.

Etimmu is good, but I don't remember him being anything much better than an above average dusk elder.

Taqwus said:
Must bring ample mages competent at something besides skellispam to a castle storming battle, for ranged support. The hordes work a lot less well funneled through a narrow gate, and you have no missile troops other than maybe summoned Reanimated Archers.

I've found that an initial up-front calvary charge will work as well (though you won't have much calvary left). I'll put in a bit more about sieges though because they are much tougher then normal battles.

[Kristoffer O]

> Etimmu is good, but I don't remember him being anything much better than an above average dusk elder.

Priest 3 and immortal. 1H Bane blade.

[Velusion]

Kristoffer O said:
> Etimmu is good, but I don't remember him being anything much better than an above average dusk elder.

Priest 3 and immortal. 1H Bane blade.

So basically a slightly better Arch Bishop. Decent - but probably shouldn't be your deciding factor in what scales you pick. I think the money and gem bonuses - as well as avoiding many negative events are much better reasons to argue for pro-luck.

[Baalz]

Aw shucks, thanks for the mention Vel. Question, are the rare freespawns influenced by the luck scale (or anything else)?

Also, I haven't played LA Ermor yet, but it seems like some buffs from non national mages (pretender, summoned off path etc) that would be worth focusing on. A couple that spring right to mind for late game are army of lead/gold, mist warriors, mass protection. Might be worth designing your pretender with such in mind, a 5k army buffed with army of lead (ethereal from Soul Gate?) seems like it'd be worth some effort to field. Is legion of steel worth the effort of trying to field some troll kings for mid game? Anything else I'm not thinking of? Particularly I'm thinking it might be worthwhile to try and do something with buffing the horsemen mid game.


Also, have you played around with fear stacks? You briefly mentioned it in reference to the banshees, but it seems like with all those death casters able to cast a couple different fear spells is a great complement to the hopefully starving people you're fighting.

Anyway, great writeup, you've inspired me to check them out!