Baalz' guides

[Benjamin]

Actually, just prepare to lose because you are worse in nearly every way compared to MA aby, and MA aby isn't exactly a powerhouse in it's era, and most early nations are stronger than middle nations.

I note, for example, that there are no EA aby wins in the HOF. Baalz, none of that was a shot at you, just stating the facts.

If you insist on trying, here's some things I learned over the course of my efforts:

An important thing to emphasize with EA aby is that right out of the gate there are some nations that you do really well against, and some that are a nightmare. So emphasize diplomacy perhaps more than usual. For instance, anyone with a lot of air magic is just going to kill you early game if they try. You could go with a SC to try to combat that, but then you won't have the diversity of the rainbow, which as you point out baalz is basically essential for later in the game.

On the other hand the mictlan player with his blessed jags is really not going to want to deal with you.

On the other hand, anyone with a lot of earth magic is going to make you look like a jerk with destruction spam. He will get that before you get enough blood power to compensate.

So focus on not fighting anyone with much air or earth.

You can handle elephants with rage pretty well, but chariots are a lot tougher.

If you are using archers, be aware that when the enemy routes they will charge ahead and catch on fire if you have a bunch of abyssians in front of them.

Be aware that your research will stink compared to people who aren't blood hunting.

In a pinch the demonbred assassin can lead undead if you give him a banelord rod (name might be a bit off).

One of the ice devils can teleport if you give him a cap.

The demonbred assasin, especially if you forge him 2 fireswords (or whatever they're called, the fire sword trinket) is an excellent indy assassin. He can deal with tough indies that have a lot of cataphracts or elephants or whatever. Use an indy commander to take the province, don't waste the assassins turn. Use that same commander on a back of the placement square retreat setting in order to check how many commanders are left.

[Baalz]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Actually, just prepare to lose because you are worse in nearly every way compared to MA aby, and MA aby isn't exactly a powerhouse in it's era, and most early nations are stronger than middle nations.

I don't think that's a valid assessment. While I wouldn't put EA Aby at the top of the list of powerhouses, I wouldn't put them at the bottom either. The problem is they are very seductive in tempting you to play in a way that is powerful short term, but a dead end long term. If you make diversity your primary goal early on though then you have a lot less to worry about when people start bringing iron bane, rain and fire immune thugs to the fights because you're now bringing demons/undead under darkness or masses of flaming arrows or whatever.

And its not like its realistic that you are shut down as soon as alt-4 (destruction) is researched unless your play is very predictable and straightforward. More likely you don't have too much to worry about until that's combined with summon earthpower and even still if you're tossing a bunch of fireballs from outside of destruction's range you've got a considerable high ground advantage while your opponent has to close to *you* and still has a considerable heat aura problem to deal with, along with salamanders and infantry which hits hard regardless of their armor. The problem comes later when they can basically ignore your evocations while pelting you with their own, forcing you to charge *them* into destruction spam - that's when you really need to have your diversity worked out...but you shouldn't have any trouble having it by then if you play with half a brain.