cheapest summonable thug

[WingedDog]

Boots of quickness (any quickness spells/blesses in general) do allow to cast item spell twice, but do not allow to fire ranged weapon twice.

Fire bolas do fire damage, so 100% fire resistance units are immune.

But really, don't equip unit with fire bolas with any other items - it's just a waste of gems.

[Fantomen]

Originally Posted by WingedDog

Boots of quickness (any quickness spells/blesses in general) do allow to cast item spell twice, but do not allow to fire ranged weapon twice.

Fire bolas do fire damage, so 100% fire resistance units are immune.

But really, don't equip unit with fire bolas with any other items - it's just a waste of gems.

Actually they don't seem to do fire damage, they kill abysians just fine for example, shackles them too if they don't kill.

With a strength bonus of 10, you add 10 range and damage to each shot. Up to 40 more damage per turn isn't a waste of gems to me. With each shot doing 27 damage you punch through most armour easily, it's a whole other ballpark than 17.

[WingedDog]

Originally Posted by Fantomen

Actually they don't seem to do fire damage, they kill abysians just fine for example, shackles them too if they don't kill.

Yes, you are right, just tested it, they really do kill fire immune units.

Originally Posted by Fantomen

With a strength bonus of 10, you add 10 range and damage to each shot. Up to 40 more damage per turn isn't a waste of gems to me. With each shot doing 27 damage you punch through most armour easily, it's a whole other ballpark than 17.

This is not an RPG, where your "pet" must have the best equipment and no empty slots - this is a wargame and you need to get maximum efficiency for minimal cost. Yes, bola would have a better range, yes it would hit opponent harder, but it is still a missile weapon and could be deflected by a shield, or countered by air shield.
Besides very next turn same abysians could cast Fire Storm, or, if enemy has strong death - darkness with hordes of undead, or airdrop few thugs, or SC with Solar Brilliance, etc. Result the same: commanders with fire bolas end up dead, because they are expendable units, and doubling the cost of expendable unit is a waste of gems.

Baalz had written a very good guide about choosing the right equipment for thugs: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=41970
I recomend you to read it if you didn't - it really helped me at some point of understanding the game.

[Fantomen]

Originally Posted by WingedDog

This is not an RPG, where your "pet" must have the best equipment and no empty slots - this is a wargame and you need to get maximum efficiency for minimal cost. Yes, bola would have a better range, yes it would hit opponent harder, but it is still a missile weapon and could be deflected by a shield, or countered by air shield.
Besides very next turn same abysians could cast Fire Storm, or, if enemy has strong death - darkness with hordes of undead, or airdrop few thugs, or SC with Solar Brilliance, etc. Result the same: commanders with fire bolas end up dead, because they are expendable units, and doubling the cost of expendable unit is a waste of gems.

Baalz had written a very good guide about choosing the right equipment for thugs: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=41970
I recomend you to read it if you didn't - it really helped me at some point of understanding the game.

Gee, I'm not misunderstanding the nature of the game. I have read Baalz thugging guide and I understand those points very well. I don't advocate it because it is some favourite hangup of mine, I do it because I happened to found it very effective early on in some MP games as EA Agartha(with Ancient lords) and Machaka(sleepers). I say a little strength bonus is often what makes the bolas worth it, simple as that.

[Mysterio]

Originally Posted by WingedDog

Boots of quickness (any quickness spells/blesses in general) do allow to cast item spell twice, but do not allow to fire ranged weapon twice.

Are you saying a commander equipped with a Bow of Accuracy and Boots of Quickness will not fire twice in a single turn? I could have sworn I saw one of the commanders in the hero army (random event) doing just that.