MP Guide to LA Ermor - The Ashen Empire

[hunt11]

just be glad that it wasn't a sphinx because max health a monilith could have is 600 health without items or anything whilst a sphinx has 1500 health

[Rathar]

How do you folks suggest one spend the first 3-4 turns as LA ermor?

I've been experimenting with a standard PoD pretender and trying out such plans as having it attack immediately and conquer lots of territory then coming back and starting the summoned mage process as well as having it stay home researching the first turn casting a dusk elder the next and then starting to attack. Slows the gold that way pretty fiercely but I hate not getting any research especially in the difficult research setting I've put on myself.

Any suggestions for early pretender use?

[hunt11]

your pretender in the early game needs to summon at least 2 dusk elders and an arch bishop before he does anything for both research and army protection

[thejeff]

Why does he need to summon 3 units before anything else?
The dusk elders are self-summoning aren't they? So he can wait a turn for enough gems, summon one, then go off conquering while that first one summons the others.

I'd hesitate to attack blind with a PoD anyway. I mean, you're probably fine, but one lucky lance hit, feebleminding you or something and the game is over.

[hunt11]

he doesn't need to personally summon 3 units. Im saying if you are going to use your god you need to make sure that you have summoned your more important parts of the army before you attack, doing it this way your god can start attacking on turn 3 with a lot more support and stability at home

[Baalz]

Well, keep in mind that for LA Ermor dominion is a critical part of their economy. I find leaving your god at home for a couple turns:
1) Lets you summon whatever you want to get started
2) Turbo charges the dominion in your only (at this point) castle, getting those tougher undead flowing
3) Lets you research up to level one in some path - can be very beneficial for your pretender (ie personal luck).
4) Toughens up your pretender considerably because of the dominion bonus. It's no fun picking up an affliction on your PoD (even aside from feeblemindedness) because he's attacking with low hitpoints.

It's not like you have a hard time with initial expansion anyway...

[thejeff]

I suspect I'd actually go with a pretender more rainbow than initial SC. Designed to give some of the diversity that LA Ermor so lacks. But still able to fight with some buffs and gear.

A PoD is thematic and all, but seems so redundant.