Soul gate

[mjlaufgr]

I have been playing this theme for the Last couple hours and I want to second that- it's enormously fun and flavorful! Kudos!!

[PDF]

Exhumed the thread - normal for Ermor !
Just tried Soul gate in SP on Zen's cool "MTW" Europe map, and I'm very impressed !
Disposs Spirits, Shadows and Spectral Legionnaires compliment each other perfectly : the ones swarm the enemies and paralyze them, the others kill it
Then you have quite good national summons : W ladies, Apparitions... Unholy leaders are expensive but powerful (Senators and Consuls).
In battle what's funny is that your losses are often important, but SG units are *very* effective vs big baddies often feared : Knights, Seasonal Spirits, Trolls, etc are quickly disposed of with your magic ethereal paralyzing units
The SG Mages are much better than the AE mages, with Dusk Elder D3 *1 at only 20 gems, allowing varied magic, site searches and items.
All the units are Ethereal, and many are Stealthy, you can send huge armies in enemy territory and attack/pillage them by surprise.
Lastly kick *** Heroes : a Wraith Lord with U3, and a Bane Lord !
Overall they look very good, admittedly I've only played them SP so my experience is limited, but compared to the crappy hordes of AE Soulless and Skeletons they are much more powerful - even if much less numerous.
And I like them much more, because they don't stink !

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by PDF:
The SG Mages are much better than the AE mages, with Dusk Elder D3 *1 at only 20 gems, allowing varied magic, site searches and items.

Uh, Chief? That's exactly the same as the AE mages. Those Dusk Elders are the SAME D3*1, 20 gem Dusk Elders. I'd know. I've just gotten back from my second board-organized AE Ermor MP stomping.

Originally posted by PDF:
Lastly kick *** Heroes : a Wraith Lord with U3, and a Bane Lord !

Etimmu the Wraith Lord, D3U3 is a hero in Ashen Empire as well.

Overall they look very good, admittedly I've only played them SP so my experience is limited, but compared to the crappy hordes of AE Soulless and Skeletons they are much more powerful - even if much less numerous.
And I like them much more, because they don't stink !

The problem with SG is that it doesn't acquire forward momentum with the same speed as AE: Your better unholy priests can't be summoned by base Dusk Elders, unlike the AE ArchBishop. Your troops aren't as numerous (which can be both good and bad, depending on the micromanagement load), and they're no longer unbreakable. Their weaknesses to massed-banish continue to exist. The troops *ARE* somewhat better, but it takes you a lot longer to acquire critical mass than it does with AE. SG Ermor does better mid to mid-late, whereas AE Ermor is better off early.

[ March 08, 2004, 10:43: Message edited by: Norfleet ]

[Pocus]

I like particularly the wraith centurion, which is immortal. He never routs (immortal in friendly dominion), can kill alone indep provinces, and if he fails, you find him again in your capitol for the next season of rampages. Well worth the (high) price.

[PDF]

Ha, Ok Norfleet, I made a mistake about AE Mages - I compared them only on paper and didn't correctly read the AE Unit List .
So AE magic is on par with SG magic. For high-level commander summoning, it not that hard to give a couple Dusk Elders a Skull Staff to get Senators, then a Skull face to have Consuls. And anyway you can have a 6+ Death Pretender to help.

Pocus,
SG units are breakable, but not easily, their base morale is 16+, and they are immune to fear. OTOH they create much fear themselves ...
Their MR is good too at 13+ (except Disp Spirits at 11). And it gets increased by Unholy prayers !

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by PDF:
Ha, Ok Norfleet, I made a mistake about AE Mages - I compared them only on paper and didn't correctly read the AE Unit List .
So AE magic is on par with SG magic. For high-level commander summoning, it not that hard to give a couple Dusk Elders a Skull Staff to get Senators, then a Skull face to have Consuls. And anyway you can have a 6+ Death Pretender to help.

Indeed, it's perfectly DOABLE, but a skull staff, and a skull face, won't really be available until you've done some research. Combined with the cost, it's not something you can bolt out of the gate with, like AE. I've tried both SG and AE: AE is definitely a stronger starter. On a larger map, one that isn't nauseatingly claustrophobic, SG will probably catch up by midgame: I've found that the paralyzing spirits are very effective at stopping Doom Horrors.

[PDF]

Norfleet,
I've only a very light knowledge of AE. Maybe they're more effective in early expansion (but even so SG is not that bad at it).
However what struck me is that the SG units are efficient throughout the game and whatever the enemies are , whereas Soulless and Longdead hordes are pretty weak and useless as soon as big units appear.
I'd try AE soon in a new game to have a better understanding of them