Golden Era Discussion

[Daynarr]

I agree totally. Vanheim has +5 Berserking Units, Vans, Javalin Units, a decent HI unit, powerful Earth Mages, Powerful (but expensive) Air Mages, Stealth Option, Sailing, Minor Blood Ability, Regenerating Shapeshifter ... etc.

I am assuming you wrote those as advantage.

Javelins and stealth are available to both nations so its not really advantage.
Blood is hardly an option since all blood 1 mages they can buy are VERY costly (280 and 380 gold). I seriously doubt that few mages you can afford for Vanheim would be used smartly to capture few blood slaves each turn instead of leading armies, searching, researching and casting rituals.
HI of Vanheim is nothing to write home about. They are basically on the same level as HI you can buy from independent provinces. Wouldn’t call that advantage.
Flying is clearly more superior to Sailing ability.

This is where I disagree. I don't think this particular theme of Arco (even losing their Elephants and getting the Chariots instead) is drastically overpowered to Base Vanheim (even if you adjust the Pegasi), I actually consider them on equal footing.

Vanheim is limited to Air and Earth in main theme and requires significant gold to make enough mages to cover other paths of magic (mages get only 1 random pick and cost a LOT with the exception of Dwarven Smiths). Compare that to Mystic who gets 2 astral + 3 random picks for a price comparable to smith (180 gold). Add to that fact that Astral is better and more versatile choice then is Earth or Air (which Arco also gets. In fact they get Earth and Air gems at the start) if nothing else to paralyze, mind burn, enslave, destroy undead, dispel enhancements (I wouldn't wonna be Vanheim when BoT is cast), buff troops (Body Ethereal is nice on Wind Riders), find ALL magic sites, ... and see what Vanheim is missing. I would hardly call that even.

OTOH Priestess are enough to tip the scale in favor of Arco alone. The fact that you can heal your troops, get level 3 priests, and nature support mage for only 110 gold will SAVE you a lot of gold playing Arco. While Vanheim troops get afflictions in battle and become more useful as meat shield you can heal your own troops and save a lot of money that way. They shine mostly when BoT is cast or fighting against Miasma. Bare in mind that no other nation has access to healing troops like Arco has.

So, to sum it up, we can agree to disagree as I stand in my view that making Wind Riders cheaper would make Arco unbalancing overall.

EDIT: typos.

[ February 17, 2004, 13:34: Message edited by: Daynarr ]