Trying to build super-hero, but he dies too easy!

[thejeff]

Generally only those who go into hand to hand, or at least can survive it.

An Air mage may be able to destroy an army with Storm and Wrathful Skies, but get a few of them close to him and he's dead. That doesn't qualify in my book.

Now an equipped F9 Titan who does most of his damage with Falling Fires rather than a sword, but is quite comfortable standing in a horde of enemy chaff while doing so, would qualify.

For recruitables, Neifel Jarls, Dai Oni, Fomorian Kings, Mind Lords, Basalt Kings, maybe Eagle Kings? I'm sure there are others. Mostly only with a good bless and some research, though.

[Jourdelune]

For my little experience of dominions game, I would suggest you to always give bodyguard to your SC. Choose your bodyguard wisely, they make the perfect wall you need for your SC to don't be target of cursed or any other scary spell.

SC are generally a lot of money, gem and turn invest before they can wage war. Sending them alone for me, is a waste of resources.

I never send a SC without proper priest, spell caster (buffer) and bodyguards. Most of the time, I prefer to back them up with 50-100 indies archer.

Recruiting some bodyguard is not really costly (10-20 nice good protection unit with great shield for arrow) and will give a better time in your fight. It seems to have a bug, whe you got too many unit on guard commander. The commander simply don't move... it look like a freaking lame. I had find that having 7 bodyguard per group is nice. I can put to 3 groups of 7 troops in guard commander mode.

By the way, I am not sure a 39 hit point guy could be named SC. It's more a thug that is used around to express mini-SC. And nobody send their thug alone.

And like a lot of people said: LUCK is really important. To forge some luck item, you need 1 astral minimum for the pendant. You can put luck with either: A Short Sword, a Shield or a pendant. (depends on your construction level and astral path)

To raise survivability:

Fear (Horror Mask) - Luck - Awe (Gleaming Shield) - Petrification (Stone Sword - Aegis) - Etherability (spelling? -> Robe of Shadows - Wraith Crown) - Invulnerability (Robe of invulnerabilities) - Missile shield (depends on circumstance)

prot > 20
defense > 20

Quickness is a key of success... more attack, and speedy on combat map, so a lot more of hit made.

AoE damage to do a lot more hit. Killing 6 chaff on a square, is 6 less chance to be knock down.

Before mid game, I tend to used Bane Lord (Cheaper than wraith lord and conj 7 is long, conj 5 is possible quick) with Frost Brand or Shadow Brand or Fire Brand (depends on mage avail) - Gleaming Shield - Horror Mask - Chainmail of displacement (the best defense/protection ratio I did find on my magic path) - Boot of Quickness - Pendant of Luck - Amulet of Antimagic.

Mid game and more, Wraith Lord are really nice because of their Soul Vortex (drain life/fatigue AOE?), they are simply undestructible.

Surely construction 4 is a must and even that is not enough. Go to construction 6 and look at those nifty items. Then try to have some mage of every path possible. (indy mage recruit) In late-game, your indie mage should have been empower properly to create the items you need to outfit your SC, in the SC war.

Jourdelune

[Cor2]

"For my little experience of dominions game, I would suggest you to always give bodyguard to your SC."

IMHO this just slows them down and causes them to rout. If your worried send two SCs

[Jourdelune]

Cor2 said:
"For my little experience of dominions game, I would suggest you to always give bodyguard to your SC."

IMHO this just slows them down and causes them to rout. If your worried send two SCs

It work well with good morale unit (undead - lifeless) or berserk one.

I had should said it of course, but I am biased because I play pangaea a lot. Centaur Warrior make nice bodyguards for their price. And their speed... are better than the Lord of the Wild even with longstride boots.

Even if the Pretender is flying and their bodyguard don't, the bodyguard will rejoin it later.

What can slow down SC is a lot of chaff in their way, so they can't enter combat. But with good starting position, it could be made without a prob.

For Indies, I am sure 1 SC normally fit could win hand down. Give him a 10-20 bodyguards, it will be safely. But in face of a larger force, I am always happy to have my SC back with spell caster and more than 10-20 bodyguard.

Jourdelune

[sum1lost]

I personally like spectral mages for thug chassis, at the very least. Depending on their picks, they can cast different buffs (iron skin is good here), and maybe carry a shield or armor into combat, which makes them very potent with lifedrain, and if they have a passive damage item, such as a charcoal shield, they can take out indefinite amounts of chaff.

[Edratman]

I think bodyguards for SC's is asking for trouble. If the bodyguards get killed, the SC might rout.

I'm can't say this for sure, but I have sent small quantities of troops with a thug (not as bodyguards)and watched my thug retreat once or twice when these troops were slain. I discontinued the practice.

[llamabeast]

Yep, if you lose 75% of your men on the battlefield, the rest will run away, regardless of morale. So a morale-30 SC alone will never rout, but if he has bodyguards he will once they're slain.

[Endoperez]

Army will rout when it has taken 75% in casualties, or when battle duration ends. See page 80 of the manual.

One thug and bodyguards may cause rout, but some bodyguards with several thugs could work. Say, Jotun Herses and 7 bodyguard giants. Even if all the bodyguards die/rout, it's just 70% casualties and the herses keep fighting until one of them dies.

EDIT: two bodyguards and one thug also works