Paths of Blood

[mivayan]

Crafty said:
Is it generally worthwhile to dabb and research school of blood if you don't really have national mages with a lot of blood paths?

So far i have totally ignored it, cos i play normal nations with not much blood paths and pretenders with zero blood paths

That's a pretty good way to play.

[Evilhomer]

Blood magic is very potent, but unless you are playing a blood nation, it is not worth your effort.

[Warhammer]

What are considered good blood nations? Is EA Vanheim considered a good blood nation?

[thejeff]

The problem isn't really not having mages with a lot of blood paths, it's not having cheap blood hunters.
If you can spam blood hunters, empowering in blood is fairly easy.

I've occasionally completely changed strategy in games when I find garnet amazons.

And the obvious nations to play for blood are EA/LA Mictlan, Abyssia or LA Marignon.

Basic blood tips: Research Construction 4 early for Sanguine rods. Hunt with ~3 cheap blood 1 Mages with Rods in 7000-5000 pop provinces. Lower taxes and/or patrol to keep unrest down.
Summon lots of nasty stuff.

[Nick_K]

Haven't played as them myself, but aren't Lanka supposed to be quite good with blood?

[llamabeast]

LA Ulm as well, I think.

[FAJ]

Semi-related blood question: Are vampires worth it?

Being immortal and having regenerate seem pretty cool, but getting a vampire lord and a decent number of vampires seems so pricey.

[Shovah32]

Since losing ethereality i would say that no, vampires arent worth it. LA Ulms vampire counts(possibly with a few lords) can do some fun things with magic but generally there are just far better things to do with your slaves.

EA Lanka and EA Mictlan are your best bets for EA blood(with pangaea, abysia and the 3 'heims also having access to it).
MA Abysia is probably the main blood nation around but again, the 'heims also have a bit of blood.
LA Blood comes back with a vengance with the nations of Mictlan, Ulm, Abysia, Marignon, Utgard and Midgard(i would rank them in that order) all using its powers.

[thejeff]

I'd say no to EA (or any age) Vanheim. They lack cheap blood hunters. 280gold Vanjarls are not to be wasted blood hunting.

I'd forgotten about Lanka. Never actually played them, but they should qualify.

MA Jotunheim has potential. 1/4 55gold Vaetti hags have blood. Skratti and Gygja(sp?) give Water/Blood and Nature/Death/Blood combinations.

[Salamander8]

Lanka is a very heavy blood using nation. Between having many recruitable mages with blood out of the box and they also have many national blood summons as well.