Help me survive against Ermor

[Coffeedragon]

Ok, here´s my plan:

I am researching Panic and building lots of cheap Bards. Each Bard gets a few Green Gems. With a Nature Gem, a Bard can cast Panic (I think).

I´ll try to move around their large armies and isolate one at a time. Then the Bards move in, demoralize everybody, and when they try to retreat, they are dead.

If you're playing Tuatha I'd suggest:

3-5 Bards

2-3 Sidhe Lords (Or if you can afford it, Tuathas, or more)

A staff of storms (or if you can't forge one, someone who can cast "Storm")

Bards orders: Soothing Song x5, cast spells

Sidhe/Tuatha orders: Summon Storm Power, Eagle Eyes, Orb Lightning x3, cast spells


Position your Bards around the Sidhe Lords singing recovery songs (and usually will keep doing it unless they are near someone who is routing, then they will cast healing song or song of bravery.

If you have a storm going, you will usually get 3 Lightning Bolts per Sidhe Lord or 4 Lighning Bolts per Tuathat, per cast of Orb Lighting.


Or alternatively if you are feeling spicy. Give your Tuatha/Sidhe Lords a magic weapon (or two), have them cast Air Shield and Mistform and have them run in.

This is of course using a complement of Tower Guards in order to hold the backbone while you start.

The top strategy will let you decimate much of his force. If you find that you are positioning your Sidhe close to your enemy you can start with Air Shield to protect from Javelins.

*Edit: Just noticed you were far away from Orb Lighting (WHY?!) so you can use that with Thunder Strike (It's Evocation 4, not really all that far). Or alternatively use only Tuathas (unless you have a SoS) and chaincast Ghost Wolves and use recovery song with the Bards, they will churn out a good factory of them.

[ January 30, 2004, 02:27: Message edited by: Zen ]

[Coffeedragon]

Originally posted by Zen:

Just noticed you were far away from Orb Lighting (WHY?!)

Because I usually prefer masses of conventional units, cheap low-level spells and wars of attrition.

Of course it´s difficult to wage a war of attrition against Ermor.

But, just perhaps, doable. If I draw an army into my territory and surround it, I needn´t kill them. Just scare them into retreat, and Bingo! One army less to worry about. That´s why I want to try that Bard/Panic thingie.

Bards can't cast panic. And if it costs you gems, why on earth would you waste them on casting Panic? Just summon masses of Vine Men (No morale issues) if you want to waste gems

Or alternatively get Alteration 4, and have all your bards cast Swarm with as many gems as you can.

OR, use your Sidhe to cast Eagle Eyes and Sleep Cloud (if your problem is only the living Versions)

You can even, if you want, put a Sidhe up front of your army, have him cast Air Shield, and do a "Attack" to get him close then have him sit on "hold, hold hold" so that the Javelins are wasted. Then have your army come in and mop up hand to hand.

[void]

Originally posted by Zen:
Bards can't cast panic. And if it costs you gems, why on earth would you waste them on casting Panic? Just summon masses of Vine Men (No morale issues) if you want to waste gems

Man? just get the access to summon VineOrge, mass them and put your longbows beside. Vine orges are very,very,very good cannon fodder..i dont think that it's a waste

(Raise up your dominion, cast Haunted Forest+Swarm in midgame is another way )

Vine Ogres cost 3 Nature. Tuatha doesn't have access to a base 3 Nature Mage, only normal man does.

I like Vine Ogres, and they are a great compliment to Man's armies, but I wouldn't use 'all' your gems for Vine Ogres, as the game progresses they can be taken down easily with magic.

[General Tacticus]

Longbows not working ? Are you using enough ?

Actually, if you are going for a war of attrition, you need to find yourself some very cheap cannon fodder, and put it right on the front line (anything that costs 3 or less resources and less than 10 gold will do). That way, your expensive heavy infantry (on hold and attack) will be able to break the enemy without great losses, and hopefully your priests will have dealt with the undead before that.
Plus, do your best to encircle the enemy to destroy him when he does rout.

I must warn you, however, that Ermor, even Broken Ermor, is not the best opponent for a war of attrition. And I a not sure Man is the best nation to try it either

Remember, for a war of attrition, you need to kill him faster than he can recruit, while taking losses no faster than you can replace them. Losing expensive units, particularly one with high ressource cost, is not the way to do it.