So, how do you play this game?

[Fate]

Ok, so I just won my first game (as the Senator). My first games were all as warriors. My observations so far:

1) The weapon master makes your armies MUCH more powerful. The baron starts with one, and I got one as a Senator. Very good.

2) Wizards are worth it. That is what (I think) allowed me to win as Senator: I saved my cash and got one or two of those random wizards and arch bishops

And my rating of the warriors:

1) - Baron. Higher taxes and free weapon master.

2) Senator. Cohorts are that good.

3) Barbarian - mostly because of the occasional minotaurs and bear warriors.

4) Maharaja. Elephants are too expensive to just be a meat shield (I think).

I would like other's opinions on these. I would also like to know what the Senator's Slave Girls are good for (the manual doesn't say).

[johan osterman]

If you have enough gold the wizards can be well worth it, especially if you are playing a nation lacking ranged attackers.

The slave girls really aren't good for anything.

[Arralen]

Speaking about what things are good for:

What is the "cauldron-button" of the elf queen good for?
It takes me to a dark screen with "lifeforce xy" displayed, but nothing else .. seemingly .. ?!

[Taqwus]

Killed the Four Horsemen, *smirk*.

Question: is it possible for a Cardinal to have a sufficiently high Congregation score that even an Archbishop (or Saint or Angel?) could start the Apocalypse, or is this unlike the other abilities and strictly Cardinal-only?

Thinking it might be the latter, to prevent horseman-spamming, given that archbishops are recruitable.

[capnq]

Taqwus said: is it possible for a Cardinal to have a sufficiently high Congregation score that even an Archbishop (or Saint or Angel?) could start the Apocalypse, or is this unlike the other abilities and strictly Cardinal-only?

According to the manual:

The archbishops and bishops have the same powers as the cardinal but require larger congregations for their abilities to work.

Thinking it might be the latter, to prevent horseman-spamming, given that archbishops are recruitable.

I assumed that the Horsemen were unique units that can only be summoned once per game. Has anyone seen more than one set in play?

I won my Cardinel of El game before I was able to summon the Horsemen. I'm pretty sure the other ranks can also summon them, if only because your starting leader can die and have his underlings continue the game without him. My starting leader has died fairly early in every game I've played so far.

[johan osterman]

Each Cardinal of El player can summon the horsemen once. IIRC.

[Valrog]

I started with the Warlock, which is a ton of fun.

You can summon elementals of 4 types, bind them (if a single, larger one spawns) or let them fight for you, summon giants or elemental lords. You can also summon elemental beings which give you a chance of summoning a champion that can use items. Your apprentice can do the same but is less efficient (takes more gems).

Binding earth elementals (emeralds) give you more hp (though it's more of a damage shield, as it doesn't heal), and you can keep adding them. Fire (rubies) give you a fire attack, which, like earth, is scalable. Water (emeralds) give you a healing ability and diamonds let you fly.

Cool thing about this class is that the elemental lords you can summon in a creature that is actually more efficient at summoning elementals than you are They can also lead and change the season. Earth can change it to spring, fire to summer, emeralds to autumn and diamonds to winter.

Anyone else try the Warlock? I couldn't figure out if there is any benefit in binding multiple water or air elementals . Also, for some strange reason, sometimes when I summon in an elemental lord, it's just a "critter" that can't lead, summon or change the season. Is this a bug or is there some kind of criteria?