Killing blessed giants

[ExhalingDeath]

Hi, Im playing as Lanka in a game with two friends, and I was wondering how to effectivly kill nature and earthblessed giants. One plays as Niefelheim and the other Formoria, and they waltz through the AI. Thats probably because the AI is stupid..... but so am I.

Thanks in advance

[Twan]

One of the best ways is slay/paralyze spells as they are rarely numerous (if you have astral mages or can reach alt 8 for disintegrate)

Blood or nature can also allow you to charm them at high levels.

Or just immobilize them (with mages chain casting spells like vine arrow, earth meld, tangle vines, bonds of fire etc...) and kill them with hordes of expandable troops (troops with powerful weapons like barbarians to do more dmg than what they regenerate)

Finally, even with an E9 bless, units using n9+ bless are vulnerable against fatigue (especially niefel or fomorian thugs casting quicken self) as berserking gives an encumbrance penalty, so any spell doing stun dammage is good to use.

[thejeff]

Neifel Giants are vulnerable to fire.
The most dangerous thing about them is the Chill aura. Your troops fatigue out and die. If you can throw cold immune troops at them they're much weaker. Undead are cold immune.

Try to fight them in hot provinces. Avoid cold ones. The chill is weaker and I think they take penalties as well.


Lanka has impressive sacreds as well, if you've got a good bless of your own.

I'm less sure about Formoria.

[Maraxus]

Barbariens are definitly a good way.

Winter Ward helps against Nifelheim, a strong own dominion (without cold) even more.

[DonCorazon]

Not sure where you are research wise but Bane lords with Eye Shields is a cheap solution. They are immune to cold, and will send Niefel giants into the costly retirement home once those eyes start getting plucked.

[Sombre]

In my experience barbarians tend to suffer too much from the long weapons used by giants - their low morale and protection results in a whole lot of repels. The theory of using high damage or armour bypassing attacks is certainly right though. Bear in mind that your own armour is largely irrelevant also, due to their high strength.

[Maraxus]

Na, I remember fighting Barbariens with Giants and it hurts.

You get 38.5 Barbariens for a Niefel Jarl and another 11.5 Barbariens for each Giant.

A good mix is about 1 Jarl with 3 Sidekicks, so this is 73 Barbariens - definitly an equall opponent on temperature-neutral ground.

[Gregstrom]

You're Lanka. If you have a decent bless, you can field an awful lot of your own sacreds in response. Palankashas and Rakshasa Warriors are pretty tough in their own right, and are strong enough to push through Niefel armour with their own strength. And in the later game it's worth remembering that your guys can see through darkness while the other giants can't.

[Valandil]

Alternatively, avoid them. Cloud Trapeze/Flying Raksharajas can probably take giant PD, seducers can grab undefended provinces with skelspam, and eventually kill even jarls with disintegrate. Use overwhelming force of mages to kill one army at a time, while raiding like crazy.

Honestly, After turn 35 or so, standards of the damned, drain life spells, hellbind hearts, disintegrates, and even life for a life, should mean that you can weather a pure giant army. 'Course, your opponent is reasearching too.

N9 W9 Palankashas work pretty well, too.

Caveat: I can't play this game. At all.

[WraithLord]

Different nations have different counters to blessed giants. To name a few:
1. Undead spamming. Ermor, Ctis and other nations with strong access to death magic can field squads of skelli spammers. The skellies can serve both as meat shield and to fatigue the giants.
Once the giants are busy with the undead spam move to killer spells. Drain life for example or if access to other schools then frozen heart, incinerate to name a few.

2. Entangle, vine arrows, entangle, vine bows, bonds of fire, false fetters etc. Stop giants, lower defense, move melee troops for the kill.

3. Create your own SCs. Bane lords, Wraith lords, Angels, Troll king, Elemental royalty etc.

4. Astral, Blood and Nature allows for enslave mind, charm and the equivalent blood spell to take control of the giants. Add communion and MR penetrate items for extra potency

5. Avoid them. Use raiding tactics. Best results when access to sneaking troops/summons and/or flying troops/summons.

6. Never tried it but sounds fun. Horror mark the giants.