Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"

[J Stanley]

Never speak of Ether Gate again.

It is crap. You do not want to cast it.

Really. For real. 90 astral pearls? Much better stuff to spend them on.

Not on etheral giants with mooon blades. Really. Keep them for a dispel,

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by J Stanley:
Never speak of Ether Gate again.

It is crap. You do not want to cast it.

Really. For real. 90 astral pearls? Much better stuff to spend them on.

Nothing in Dominions II can be dismissed with such certainty. If you think something is useless, you're probably not using it right, or it doesn't fit your style. SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, will find a way to use it with good effect.

That said, 90 astrals is kind of steep, but who am I to talk? I blow through astrals like they're candy, spending over 1500 on a single unit.

[Gateway103]

Originally posted by Norfleet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by J Stanley:
Never speak of Ether Gate again.

It is crap. You do not want to cast it.

Really. For real. 90 astral pearls? Much better stuff to spend them on.

Nothing in Dominions II can be dismissed with such certainty. If you think something is useless, you're probably not using it right, or it doesn't fit your style. SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, will find a way to use it with good effect.

That said, 90 astrals is kind of steep, but who am I to talk? I blow through astrals like they're candy, spending over 1500 on a single unit.

---

1500? Repeated Wish?

-Gateway103

[ March 12, 2004, 07:22: Message edited by: Gateway103 ]

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
That said, 90 astrals is kind of steep

I agree with Peter that Ether Gate, despite its cost, is worth it. A truly impressive summons. This spell is high on my "cast next" list (behind summoning a couple of H4 Arch Angels) after I run out of targets for Acashic Record ...

[Peter Ebbesen]

Originally posted by J Stanley:
Never speak of Ether Gate again.

It is crap. You do not want to cast it.

Really. For real. 90 astral pearls? Much better stuff to spend them on.

Not on etheral giants with mooon blades. Really. Keep them for a dispel,

Yeah, right. I am playing on a world map against 16 impossible AI opponents (now 15), all with absurdly boosted magic skills. Sure, I will spend all my time on dispelling global enchantments, just to see the AIs vie for the free slots. NO WAY! I will only dispel those that directly threaten my way of life, or when I finally have some of my own enchantments I want to slot into their place, especially as I only have one mage capable of astral magic - Angerboda the great hag - and she has better things to do.

EDIT: The inquistive reader will remember that I have had a Skratti in Niefelheim whose sole job has been to produce clams of pearl since around turn 20 or so. He may be getting a bit bored by now, but it has assured that my astral income is the highest gem income of all - despite not having searched for astral, due to a lack of astral mages

[Of course, I am hampered here by my own restriction on only using midgets as an absolutely Last resort, but that is my choice and putting restrictions on my play makes for more interesting games ]

The hallmark of a superior player in any game is to make use of what he has when an unanticipated situation arises [while still obeying any restrictions he has laid on himself], ignoring conventional wisdom when appropriate. In this case, land troops that can stand up to masses of regenerating trolls and archers are needed - and Ether Gate provides a convenient answer as it provides an instant army and can be cast with magical resources currently on hand. The fact that I also gain extra mages [SSSDD*] that fill out a lacking area (astral magic) is icing on the cake.

Assigning a value of 15 astral gems to the Ether Lord [a bit low], the cost of each Ether Warrior is a mere 5 astral gems - and you get all of them at the cost of one summoning turn from one leader. Name any unit summoning spell of level 6 or lower that provides more bang for the buck or any spell of level six or lower that, powered by 90 astral gems, can defeat several large armies in a sequence of battles.

I would value them less in MP, as their ethereality is worth less against a devious player that knows to attack with magic weaponry of one sort or another, but this is SP.

[ March 12, 2004, 07:48: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ]

[Arryn]

Peter, you're probably wasting your time. Those that think the spell isn't worth it have likely never used it, or used it properly. The spell not only gives you another caster that can in turn cast the spell, but the 15 warriors are pretty hard to kill (high prot & ethereal, high morale, good MR), and cannot be banished like undead can (which are the only other comparably-tough summons to them). You simply have to see this force in action to appreciate it. You and I can talk about it until our fingers cramp up and it still wouldn't do justice to the spell.

[GavinWheeler]

Originally posted by Arryn:
The spell not only gives you another caster that can in turn cast the spell,

.. and can Gate his instant army around. And in general gives a Astrally weak nation like Jotunheim a good astral mage, with added Death for that extra yummy Nether Darts goodness.

I couldn't comment on whether the spell is a contender in Multiplayer games, where the astral pearls might indeed be needed elsewhere, but in single player games it is both fun and very useful.

PS: I've only played Jotunheim once, but Angerboda turned up shortly after I had cast "Illwinter", and her character description mentions something about her turning up because she had sensed the approach of the Illwinter. Is she really keyed to this event, or is it just a bit of background colour?