Guide: Jotunheim MA Guide

[Ubercat]

What is the opinion on Jotunheims PD? Someone just implied that giant PD is very bad, but the manual said that Jotunheim has the best in the game. If the PD sucks, why does it suck?

-Ubercat

[Szumo]

It consists mostly of Giant Milita, who have terrible morale and attack values. Plus there is very few of them per point of PD (1/2 i think). They can't hit anything, and whole Jotun PD will rout after a few combat rounds due to casualties and low morale.

[thejeff]

Because you only get a few of them (1/2 per point), they are low skilled (att/def) low protection militia.

They do have high hps, but they're easy to hit and hurt so they die fast. They're size 4, so they get swarmed easily reducing the already low defence.
They hit hard, if they hit, but they've got low attack skill so they don't hit and they're size 4, so they can't gang up to reduce the target's defence.

They're morale isn't great and they seem to break even more easily, possibly due to low numbers.

At 20+ they get javelineers who are better and will do some damage with their javelins, but by the time they close the militia will have broken. You get a Jarl, who, if you've got a good bless, could probably win the fight himself, but will stand in the back and wait to run away.

What I don't understand is why anyone ever thought the Giant's PD was good. It was lousy back in Dom2, it's about the same now.

[sector24]

I would much rather have 1 Vaetti Goblin per point and 1 Jotun Militia per 1/2 or 1/4 point up to 20.

[Huzurdaddi]

Poor Iron Woods, the weakest age of the giants. The early era has the fearsome Neifel Giants and mighty skinshifters, the late era has the efficient seithkona. Iron woods OTOH has the Vaetti Hag.

Anyway, a few notes (some of these have been noted before):

1. As you mention Hurlers can be excellent when facing a nation with strong castles. Keeping them alive can be moderatly difficult (place them far in back) but their ability to crack fortresses is solid (each destroys 9 points of defence value per turn, vs. 4 for a normal Jotun). They are also light on resources so they can be massed quickly.

2. All Jotun troops become far more fearsome with a little experience. A bonus of +1 to attack means enemy troops die considerably more quickly. A Jotun with +2 attack is deadly.

3. A fire bless is excellent on all Jotuns. A F4 bless is usually sufficient (along with the required N9 bless) and converts the woodsman/leaders into machines which kill 1 troop per turn.

4. The Skratti is the bread and butter of Iron woods. In werewolf form they are devestating with just armor of souls, a luck pendant, and (perhaps) boots of the messanger they are (almost) tireless killing machines.

[sector24]

Baalz: I was finally able to get some undead giants. They have around 45 HP, a Jotun Axe with no shield, high strength, fairly low protection and defense, 6 MR. It might be possible use some of your Death Gygjas to summon an undead army, but I'm not sure if it's worth the effort.

[Baalz]

Hmmm, are there any (non national) summons which can raise free undead?

[thejeff]

Mound Fiend can reanimate, right?