Good Troop Summons

[Aethyr]

Really? You would rank the abonimation over Legion of Wights, or some of the Blood massing spells (Infernal Crusade, etc.)?

[Mind Elemental]

Hmm, well, I was thinking more of troop summons that you could mass in place of nationals -- so not really Abominations/Juggernauts/troop Tartarians.

What makes you guys like the Kydnides? Also, I thought you got a fixed number (5) of spring hawks, regardless of how powerful the summoning mage was?

[Lingchih]

Mind Elemental said:
Hmm, well, I was thinking more of troop summons that you could mass in place of nationals -- so not really Abominations/Juggernauts/troop Tartarians.

What makes you guys like the Kydnides? Also, I thought you got a fixed number (5) of spring hawks, regardless of how powerful the summoning mage was?

Yes, you just get the fixed number of spring hawks. But an Air Queen can summon them easily, and amass a number of them in a few turns.

[Ironhawk]

For water: what about Winter Wolves? or Claymen? Not great spells, I admit, but they can be useful if you are planning to summon with your water gems.

As for VOs being "hard to mass", yes thats true. But players who have chosen to follow the VO route will set up Factories to produce them.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Winter Wolves, claymen... wouldn't mass them in place of nationals. However, with certain nations, I often summon them.

As Agartha, it is sometimes easier to mass Claymen than it is your infantry. As MA Agartha, they step up in value, thanks to bonus hitpoints. I wouldn't consider them 'elite', but they're good enough to replace the nationals I don't have enough resources to get.

As Late Era Atlantis, and other water nations, I suppose, they make an excellent light cavalry for a nation without any. I make a point of having Winter Wolves in any army I expect to win by either a large margin or by breaking the enemy's morale via Wailing Wind or Fear. I have them set to hold and attack rear and bring down any runners.

If the enemy's running at the end of a lengthy battle, chances are they have enough fatigue for a pack of winter wolve's chill to knock them out cold, making them even easier to rip to shreds.

In my opinion, a lot of the value of summons is dependent on the nation. For instance, EA & MA Agartha have little use for Siege Golems. And while man and Ctis have little use for Winter Wolves, Atlantis almost needs them, unless they get good independents in a good resource province.

[DrPraetorious]

Don't diss living statues.

Living statues exist to die in great numbers while the mages behind them spam spells.

Sure, living statues aren't immune to any kind of magic, have no rythym, can't dance, never get laid, etc. etc., but if you have an E9 God (for the blessing, presumably), you can make living statues very fast, very cheap, in *huge* numbers.

And then who cares if they die? That's what they're for - at least they take a while to do it. Sure, mechanical men are better - but they're not enough better to not-die, so why pay extra?

[Mind Elemental]

DrPraetorious said:
Don't diss living statues.

Living statues exist to die in great numbers while the mages behind them spam spells.

Sure, living statues aren't immune to any kind of magic, have no rythym, can't dance, never get laid, etc. etc., but if you have an E9 God (for the blessing, presumably), you can make living statues very fast, very cheap, in *huge* numbers.

And then who cares if they die? That's what they're for - at least they take a while to do it. Sure, mechanical men are better - but they're not enough better to not-die, so why pay extra?

In other words, they're like vine ogres -- cheap damage soakers? (Well, quite a bit steeper than VOs, unless you have that E9 mage -- but their MR is much better. Are they still worthwhile if your Earth magic isn't quite up to that level?)

Good calls regarding winter wolves and claymen, folks. Any opinion on summer lions?

[Rytek]

Any of the summons that ramp up the higher level you go are easy to mass. Ghosts, statues, undead horse.

I agree with the statement that it depends on the nation. It also depends on who you are fighting.

A few wights interspersed with some LA Atlantis troops can really give them some kick.

Summer lions or Winter wolves behind your Abyssian or LA Atlantis heavy infantry set to hold and attack can chase down runners that the normal heavy infantry would let get away. The auras they provide can turn a close fight as well.

Against certain enemies, summons you wouldnt normally consider become an option. As mentioned, claymen vs R'leh.
How about a horde of dispossesed to hold up a line of Giants while your mages pound them. Mechanical men become an option if you are facing an enemy using Elemental magic. And Spring Hawks are damn expensive to mass, but if you are fighting someone using alot of lighting, it may be an option.

The best bang for the buck in the late game is whatever your enemy is vulnerable to.

[Meglobob]

I have found spring hawks to be excellent against Helheim. The armour negating lightning swarm attack cuts through glamoured troops like a knife through butter.

Due to the expensive nature of glamoured troops generally, probably worth the gem cost.

Corpse Man Construction is good, with lightning rod 5E gems you get 4 for 1A gem, staff of storms 6/1A gem and Igor Knohelms Tome + staff of storms 16/1A.

The really great thing about corpse men is the 100% SR (little frankinsteins), so they can survive on a battlefield with wrathful skies for example. The mindless, 100% CR, 100% PR also create other interesting possibilities. The high hps 20 and poor amphibian are a great bonus too. Cheap and nasty. Useful the entire game.

Remember the Vine Ogre spell cast by Ivy King, equipped with treelords staff+Ivy Crown/Crown of the Ivy King becomes a fantastic conjuration for 2N gems. Take advantage of there mindless and 100%PR to turn them into a more destructive army than just meatshields.

[quantum_mechani]

Aethyr said:
Really? You would rank the abonimation over Legion of Wights, or some of the Blood massing spells (Infernal Crusade, etc.)?

Above legion of wights for certain, blood is much harder to gauge as the gem costs don't really correspond.