LeafNosedBat- EA game (upload pretenders)

[Darkstone]

Alright, that was a pretty good move, though the only reason I had the chalice was because C'tis sent it to me to keep the game challenging for us both against you...

I never even used the chalice myself (don't use tarts), so it was just sitting in my lab.

Now though, I suspect the game should be more than challenging for me

[Psycho]

I know he sent it to you. He told me in our massive PM conversation at the time. It was so that you two would be more balanced, that is, so that he wouldn't surpass you by too much, thus keeping you on his side. You realized I was becoming too powerful, so you allied with him. If you thought he was the most powerful, you would have allied with me.

I think I cast the Nexus too soon. I should have gotten you on my side against Ctis first. But then again, at that time I thought Ctis was my ally and I was ready to strike you. And he did tell me in a PM, when he put the well of misery up, that he is OK with me casting nexus. Actually that's when I got the idea to do it.

Oh, and if he didn't send the chalice to you at that time, I would have wished for it then. It wouldn't help me then, but it would keep him from becoming too strong.

And Darkstone, you could have used tarts if you wanted. In fact you still can. You certainly don't lack magic levels to reach them.

[Psycho]

Since we are in the late game stage where we access to practically everything, but didn't agree up front about what is bad sportsmanship and should be avoided, I thought putting here things that I saw are generally agreed on in other games. So to be avoided are:

1) Mists of Deception + Battlefield Enchantments + Retreat

2) Filling someone's lab with slave collars (or any other items) - basically no sending of items to anyone you didn't agree with.

3) If you capture Bogus company, you can leave them with their "attack mage" or "attack commander" orders, but not copy/paste those orders to other commanders.

4) Casting a battlefield wide continuous spell and then immediately running away. All mages that cast a battlefield wide enchantment need to stay on the battlefield for 5 complete turns. The very last order can be to retreat.

5) Moving slow troops quickly, that is moving troops more provinces than they can using a commander on move and patrol orders.

6) Sallying from your sieged castle into a neighboring province with non-stealthy troops.


I hope there are no objections on this. If there are, lets discuss them.

[Darkstone]

I find tarts to be too much of a standard strategy (though I admit I've never used them outside of one SP game). If I used them, I most likely wouldn't sit here trying to come up with some different methods of winning battles or strategies to win the game. I find that by being forced to do the unexpected, I both grow as a player, and it gives a minor advantage tactically.

I also find going for tarts somewhat significant of an investment, you really need to summon a decent number of them to get the really good ones, and you need to get either the GOH global, or the chalice to make the most out your investment. Not to mention the huge amount of nature gems you'd likely be going through.

Rushing artifact construction was definitely not part of my strategy, (I haven't even gotten around to it yet, though hitting 6 early was very important), and my nature income is rather limited.

All of this would be a much bigger problem for me, if I wasn't reasonably equipped with some Anti-SC capability... as Abysia blood and astral are relatively common.

[Psycho]

I've had a lot of luck with tarts. The first one I summoned was exactly the one I wanted and he was a commander and not feebleminded. But yes, it was an investment getting to them.

I suppose hitting 6 was important because of lanterns? I didn't rush to construction either. I knew Cits would get there first, so there was no point. I rushed for alteration 9 and thau 6 to get all the buffs for my yavanas (and wish of course).

I look forward to seeing what surprises you have developed for me.

[Darkstone]

Lanterns were very important to make up lost research. Despite the horrormark malus and the attention skull mentors get, lanterns are actually the best research bang for the gem buck. And I've only lost one mage to a horror throughout the entire game.

Also, while I realize it's strange to ask someone about their strategy as they're employing it, I just don't get what you're doing with the yogi / golem pairs. You're losing yogi's... wasting tons of astral gems moving them back and forth, and you keep feeding me starshine skullcaps all for the price of a few slaves. Not that I'm not complaining, but it just seems real wasteful for you, and stands in stark contrast with most of the other things you've been employing.

[Psycho]

Well I thought it was obvious - it's a demonstration of might. If I am throwing this many astral gems per turn, then think how big my astral income must be.

Seriously, though, those were some rather unsuccessful attempts to destroy your blood economy.