Abysya Help Request.

[PDF]

I now have a good experience with Abysia (several MP games), here're my views :
HI : quite good, with Fire Res being a great power cause it allows Anathemants to fire astray without collateral damage ! They are somewhere between a human warrior and a Jotun one. But their morale is only so-so, so SoC or Fanaticism are really needed in support.
Forget about the LW though, they're too costly to make them good for a Bless strategy and their unbearable enc (14 !!!) makes them sitting ducks after 5 combat rounds..
Mages : I don't agree with the fact that WA are "useless" : they're cheaper than DB, better researchers, and have Astral Magic. This is a very serious point, because in early game, after getting Alt3, you have a pretty effective force with say 25 HI, 3 WA casting B.Ether*3, and a couple Anathemants for Fireballs and SoC.
WA are also your best Blood Hunters.
So DBs are mainly my Demon armies leaders, with WA doing housekeeping ...

Abysian strength lies in Blood, so Cons4 should be researched asap to get the (in)famous Soul Contract (use a Warlock with Armor of Blood and Brazen vessel). Then Blood Magic to 5 for Horde from Hell, second only to Ghost Riders in term of usefulness vs cost in the genre.
Abysia is stronger in "mid game", but you'll soon have a problem with Research unless you've found some indy Library... In this case go to Cons6, build Lanterns and focus on Blood only.

I agree with the proposal of a Scorpion Pretender, but I rather give him Fire2/Earth3/Air3. Fire isn't really needed, Earth gives Dw Hammer, Legion of Steel, Ironskin and Blade Wind, Air allows with Earth to make Elem Staff, Eyes of Prec,Quills, Staff of Storms, cast Seeking Arrows... very complementary to Abysia.

Overall Abysia is quite powerful but needs some "focus", more than say Man or Arco IMHO.
BoH theme is another beast : more Blood, less Fire, human troops...

[Mardagg]

I prefer Fire 4 with the Scorpion because I want my Pretender to make good use of starting spell Flare to expand quickly.
To do this you need Fire 4,because with 3 you get exhausted to quickly.
Earth 4 to get to some good globals without empowerment and to cast Legions of Steel.
IMO Earth Magic is very important for Abysia.

If I want then ,lets say,a castle, Order 3,Productivitiy 3,Magic 2,Growth 0,Luck 0(or Growth 1,Luck -1 ),Dominion 6 ,there are no points left for Air.

[ June 12, 2004, 21:31: Message edited by: Mardagg ]

[PDF]

Originally posted by Mardagg:
I prefer Fire 4 with the Scorpion because I want my Pretender to make good use of starting spell Flare to expand quickly.
To do this you need Fire 4,because with 3 you get exhausted to quickly.
Earth 4 to get to some good globals with help of Blood Stone and Earth Boots only(=Earth 6) and to cast Legions of Steel.
IMO Earth Magic is very important for Abysia.

If I want then ,lets say,a castle, Order 3,Productivitiy 3,Magic 2,Growth 0,Luck 0(or Growth 1,Luck -1 ),Dominion 6 ,there are no points left for Air.

Fire : vs weak indies you don't need Flare, or at worst get a Dragon for that.
Earth : Scorpion can't wear Boots, and it's hard for Abysia to get Blood Stone (1 in 8 random path for Warlock...). The Elem Staff is a surer bet.
Anyway high level Earth isn't needed either IMHO.
Scales : take Death3, and you'll get plenty of points . And why Dom6 ? 5 is enough for me

[tinkthank]

Actually, I prefer a high dominion as well. I personally feel I need a high dominion, especially in MP; I want my dominion high because of heat (we need it bad), as well as order, and I take other positive scales as well.

The problem with LWs is not only their enc (and here, PDF, an earth blessing can be ok), it's their defense, which I think is 3 or something silly like that. Really a shame. But I still use them often early game, because I have a much different build with a blessing which is nice for Indy conquering, and pleeeenty of points left over for 3 order, 3 productivity, 3 heat (of course), 3 luck, 3 magic, and a castle, with 7 dominion (of course I take death here to afford that).

[Mardagg]

PDF,I remembered myself that Scorpion King cant wear boots,you answered too fast

Other than that,the little bit extra reinvogiration because of Earth 4 is also a thing to consider,indeed.

I know that Abysia could take a Death Scale...I would never do it though,If I plan to go heavy on Blood Magic and research.I want options,on how to play it.With a high Death Scale,you are forced to play Abysia very aggressive throughout the game and,more important,its difficult to get a very strong blood economy going because your neighbours now not only dislike your Heat Scale but also your Death Scale,making peace more difficult,resulting in wars all the time
On big maps,with lots of opponents,I dont recommend this.

[SelfishGene]

...which is why you choose an Earth-9 Cyclops for Abysia. +4 armor and 4 reinvigoration. Also can cast that magic armor on them if he's around. Touch him! Love him! Liebe meine abst-monkey!

[Cohen]

I tried a E9 Cyclop ...

Woah ... +4 Armor for my Lava Warriors, and renvigoration for my mages ... let's take it.

About before the tenth turn of the game my cyclop was kille thrice and lost his Last eye.
He was killed too by Indies due to exausthion since he don't recover from fatigue.