Scorpion King and Medusa pretender...any use ?

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by PvK:
The high natural defense is better than "free full black steel plate" because it has no defense or encumbrance penalty.

Well, if you consider that the analogue the Scorpion King is otherwise a mounted unit (feetless, larger size), you wouldn't have gotten a defense or encumberance penalty anyway. You do save out on the spellcasting fatigue, but black plate ain't all that.

The Medusa does seem to have more style than substance.

If she had a built-in Aegis effect, that'd make her a very scary person, with people being petrified and turned to stone and crap.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by Norfleet:

quote:

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Originally posted by PvK:
The Medusa does seem to have more style than substance.

If she had a built-in Aegis effect, that'd make her a very scary person, with people being petrified and turned to stone and crap.

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Hmmm, I haven't tried the Medusa for a long time, but Last time I did I think she still had that built-in 'Aegis effect'.

[Edit: just checked, apparently she still behaves just as a 'living Aegis' would in 2.12]

[ July 03, 2004, 16:58: Message edited by: Nagot Gick Fel ]

[Jasper]

Heh, if she didn't have the Aegis field then she definitely wouldn't be worth it!

[PvK]

I just assumed she didn't have an aegis, since I didn't see one in the character sheet, so I never tried her out! Sounds like something fun to try, now.

As for this:

Norfleet wrote:

Well, if you consider that the analogue the Scorpion King is otherwise a mounted unit (feetless, larger size), you wouldn't have gotten a defense or encumberance penalty anyway. You do save out on the spellcasting fatigue, but black plate ain't all that.

That's not correct. The defense penalty of armor does affect mounted units - only the encumbrance is ignored.

PvK

[ July 04, 2004, 05:11: Message edited by: PvK ]

[djtool]

i've been fooling around with the medusa and the CW theme and she is quite effective. Whether its the snakes or her eye's units attacking her are damaged like a damge shield. she has about the same hp as a VQ and Since in the CW theme high dominion is key you have 30 - 50 hps of space. The fear +5 is very nice as well. Use the usual SC spells maybe sub personal regen for BoW since missle units can rip her down pretty low in the opening round. Recuperation is the bomb. My base is as follows:

Ai4 W2 E4 N1

Ord3 Slo3 He1 Gro3 Mis3 Mag1 Dom8

punch up your heat if you want more magic. I haven't played an entire game with her but I think more heat may be tough cause your already on a sliding income scale as it is (your dom kill pop which depletes income eventually)

**added** with that basic magic set up she gets fatigued pretty quick. However since the units tend to melt as they attack you while you scare the piss out of them...I don't know how large a factor that is. I can't remember the penalty for going over 100

[ July 04, 2004, 08:44: Message edited by: djtool ]

[CayseP]

The medusa rocks, period! You obviously haven't experienced her armed with just a snake bladder stick scripted to cast earth power, invulnerability, strength of Gaia, attack rear ... She will just poison and/or petrify everything!

[djtool]

don't forget that nifty ribcage you can throw on her when one of your pans has a skull staff and that helmet thingy-ma-jigger

[Jasper]

Originally posted by djtool:
**added** with that basic magic set up she gets fatigued pretty quick. However since the units tend to melt as they attack you while you scare the piss out of them...I don't know how large a factor that is. I can't remember the penalty for going over 100

The penalty for going over 100 fatigue is typically death. The morale check for dead units doesn't happen until before a side's turn, and so armies won't immediately rout from damage shields. Worse, the aegis effect generally doesn't offer you any actual protection -- units that die from it immediately leave room for others to attack you. If you're passed out those that don't get stoned will likely kill the medusa.

But then again, there isn't really much reason to run out of fatigue. By the time you can cast enough worthwhile spells to be in danger you should have reinvigoration items.

A couple of side notes. IMHO water magic isn't worth it on a Medusa, it just leads to extra fatigue and the only real benefit you get is +3 defense and water breathing -- pretty expensive for 96 design points. Air magic on the other hand is very usefull: Mirror Image, Mistform, Lightning Resistance, Shockwave, Cloud Trapeze, Rainbow Armor, Floating Trident. Also, while a snake stick is fun, IMHO you're better off with something effective against other super combatants, who will likely be poison immune; besides, the Medusa doesn't really need any aid killing fodder.

[djtool]

I suppose your right about the water. I'd be a little nervous with archeres and might have to throw air shield in there for the first spell. Then you can't deal with calvaries properly until you can cast invunerability. I suppose that's just a personal choice then.

[Edi]

I like both of these pretenders. SK is a good combatant, especially when you equip him with the right stuff, even if he isn't quite at the top of the SC list. I like playing Abysia, and he's a good pretender for them.

The medusa is also nice, even if there is magic overlap with national mages. If you play a luck 3/turmoil 3 standard Pangaea, having an E9/N6 (base E2/N) medusa will give your holy units a nice boost in armor, reinvigoration and berserking ability, it can easily function as serious support for armies or outright destroy huge numbers of indies with spells (Mmm... Blade Wind...). Overall, I like it, even if some other designs might be optimal.

Edi