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

[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

[StellarRat]

Could someone please define THUG vs. SC (I'm assuming SC means Single Combat)?

[Cor2]

SC is super combatant.

the simplipied version is SCs can function alone and take out entire armies.

Thugs are like SCs but weaker and they must have the support of an army (or a group of other thugs) to win. They often support armies or groups raid poorly defended provinces.

the line between SCs and thugs is a bit blurry.

[Agema]

I played a SP game where Pythium cast Wild Hunt, and I duly got my mage/priests hunted down. The bodyguard tended to be a liability as if (when) they routed the hero also routed and died. The thugs/SCs alone tended to defeat the pack of beasties.