Carrion Woods Reanimations

[Cainehill]

Other things can be done to help CW, but I'd like to second Zen's suggestion that the Carrion summonses be less expensive.

One thing that hasn't been brought up is the long term magic research issues for CW. Because of the population dying, I've found that even sages are too expensive to really use many of for research. Likewise, Black Dryads have poor research, are almost useless for CW (they can't lead the carrion beasts, and save for the rare Sagitarian Beastie, can't bless them), and cost upkeep.

Panic Apostates are _very_ expensive, have very high upkeep, and the few CW can afford will have far better things to do than research - site searching, leading carrion beasties, and summoning more carrion lords/ladies/donkeys.

Near as I can tell, the only semi-viable long term researchers are the Carrion Ladies; bad research ability, but they don't cost upkeep. But given their expense (in nature gems), and the fact that they could and possibly should be summoning more carrion critters, they still aren't very feasible as is :

Do you spend 16 nature gems for a bad researcher, or 25 for a Carrion Lord to animate more vines and rotting bodies, given that those are the bulk of your army, and they're slow to create. Either choice is bad.

Things might be alleviated a bit if the Carrion Commanders were either cheaper, or a little better. Or if the Black Dryads could at least lead 5 or 10 carrion critters - after all, they've lost some holy ability because of their exposure to the Carrion Woods, shouldn't they be able to command a few beasts? (Not necessarily giving them blood or death, but a minor form of the Undead Commander ability.)

[Anglachel]

Originally posted by Sunray_be:
And I posted my guide for Carrion Woods here
http://www.freewebs.com/dominions2/cw.html

Thanks to Pocus and Mike for their comments.

Cheers

Wow! Nice write up. Thanks for the time and effort put into it.

[PrinzMegaherz]

Hm, it seems most people here would like CW to be an Ashen Empire with different graphics.

One thing I would like to discuss is whether CW dominion really should kill inhabitants. Maybe I'm wrong, but province population is not necesserely human. Take Caelum as an example: Their provinces are inhabited by Caelian people, which explains their need for cold provinces. And if we follow this path of logic, shouldn't Pangaea Provinces be populated with Satyrs and Minotaurs and whatever? Why is CW Dominion killing its own people / why are those people killed by your dominions willing to fight (get recruited as national units) for you?

I'm not sure, but maybe someone could try and mod CW without killer dominion, and look if its too powerful.

[Kristoffer O]

The same reason the god of Ermor is killing it's own people. The wrathful god of the carrion woods detest all life, human in particular. All that is living dies and kreeping growth infests the flesh and bones of the living.

[Chris Byler]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
The same reason the god of Ermor is killing it's own people. The wrathful god of the carrion woods detest all life, human in particular. All that is living dies and kreeping growth infests the flesh and bones of the living.

Well, that's creepy and all, but killing one's own subjects is hardly an effective way to take over the world, unless you bring *a lot* of them back from the dead to fight for you.

CW has most of the weaknesses of the dead Ermors (no population base, very low gold income, hard to use living troops, relies on summoned mages/commanders, vulnerable to anti-undead spells) but less of their strengths (fewer autosummons, not amphibious, far fewer design points, no extra gems from home site). In addition one of their main magic paths (nature) has as one of its major foci, providing support to living troops (supply, healing, regeneration - all ineffective on lifeless undead with no need to eat).

Has anyone tried making extensive use of poison items/spells with CW? Is it just too hard to get the necessary nature mages? Too easy to counter? Too slow acting even when it works? Also, since your dominion is going to kill your population anyway, why not pillage it to bring in some gold while it's still alive?

Finally, I think all capitol restrictions should be removed from CW. The few living worshippers of the carrion God should keep moving to stay ahead of His wrath even as they bring it to new lands, and thus, they should be available for recruitment anywhere. Capitol only recruitment with a killer dominion is a death sentence for that unit, and although living worshipers of the carrion God are certainly doomed if they succeed, they should be permitted to live long enough to accomplish His purpose.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Chris Byler:
Well, that's creepy and all, but killing one's own subjects is hardly an effective way to take over the world, unless you bring *a lot* of them back from the dead to fight for you.

I once again point to my sig: Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions, and you are a conqueror. Kill all, and you are a god!

Now what's the objective of Dominions II again?

I rest my case.

[Chris Byler]

Originally posted by Norfleet:

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris Byler:
Well, that's creepy and all, but killing one's own subjects is hardly an effective way to take over the world, unless you bring *a lot* of them back from the dead to fight for you.

I once again point to my sig: Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions, and you are a conqueror. Kill all, and you are a god!

---

As others have pointed out before, this should really read "Kill all, and you are very very alone."

Now what's the objective of Dominions II again?

To kill up to 16 specific other beings, none of whom are your subjects.

Even if you want to kill everyone, it matters a whole lot *what order* you kill them in. Kill your faithful servants *Last*. (Maybe I should put that in *my* sig... the Iron Pigs quote is getting old.)