I suck with Pythium ... please help!

[Tuna-Fish]

Also, you keep asking for summons. Personally, I dont think pythium is a summon-nation, but instead they should base on a more conventional army with great battlefield magic. Just give those principes of yours mistform, luck, mass protection, whatever, and they become a force that even the most powerful SC's take frigging decades to kill. Then use them to shield your mages that can cast some real nasty damage spells with the help of communion. Even paralyse is very very nasty when cast by a mage that has effective astral of 8, and a spell focus...

I personally like a pythium strategy that has an e-10 cyclops as a pretender. He gives your mages, and most importantly, communicants, great reinvigoration, and also can cast the spell "enliven statues" with frightful efficiency when you slap on earth boots. Statues are very good sc-fodder, and when boosted by just a little they become very very hard to kill. Also, the cyclops can cast things like army of lead, blade wind with gazillion blades, and earthquake.
Just give him a load of gems and a staff of storms (to protect him), and perhaps some armour, and attack enemy army, cast earthquake twice, and flee: instant army-shredder.

Also, when you have army of lead up, earthquake is not really very harmful for you.

[Taqwus]

Hm, those Ether Lords might be nasty nether-dart machines when Communioned. Pricey for that 'tho; Lamia Queens might be more cost-efficient if you can get a Nature supply and caster.

[godofdun]

I haven't heard much discussion about the hydras/hatchlings, is there a way to make them useful? With their poison cloud and no real easy way to give ur troops poison resistence they seem to be more harm than help. And what about the gladiators? Has anyone found a way to make them usefull at all?

[Arryn]

godofdun said:
I haven't heard much discussion about the hydras/hatchlings, is there a way to make them useful? With their poison cloud and no real easy way to give ur troops poison resistence they seem to be more harm than help.

Mass Flight (Enchant-7 Air-4), send them into the enemy rear to wreak havoc. Or put them in your front center with missile troops along your flanks (well out of the path of any rout) and charge them into the enemy front supported by your missileers.

Then there's Serpent's Blessing (Enchant-7 Nature-4) which protects your whole army versus (natural) poison. (I haven't cast this spell myself, so I'm not sure, but it should protect against the hydra poison.)

[godofdun]

Arryn said:
quote]Mass Flight (Enchant-7 Air-4), send them into the enemy rear to wreak havoc. Or put them in your front center with missile troops along your flanks (well out of the path of any rout) and charge them into the enemy front supported by your missileers.

Then there's Serpent's Blessing (Enchant-7 Nature-4) which protects your whole army versus (natural) poison. (I haven't cast this spell myself, so I'm not sure, but it should protect against the hydra poison.)

Hmmm, yeah, thatd work, just seems very cost prohibitive compared to the mass principe idea, you can get 16 of those guys for the same price (350), even though itl take more turns. Would the hatchlings be better since they are better priced, even though they don't have lesser fear?

[Arryn]

Check out this thread: On using poison cloud units...

and this one: On Pythium and Hydras

This forum's SEARCH function is quite handy ...

[godofdun]

haha, yes, the n00b alert has been launched! hit the deck! Thx though

[archaeolept]

I always go principe, though some prefer the hastati for the gold savings. hatchlings are quite close to useless; the full grown, except in serpent cult, rarely of use. good against miasma c'tis.

the gladiators are, in theory, a good troop for scratch Last minute defense, say of an isolated mage communion. or as the lead troops in a battle you expect to take very heavy losses in. In practice, I almost never buy any. I once bought some (in a very early game) on the theory that they were cheap patrollers, until they caught a scout... ;p

[godofdun]

archaeolept said:
I once bought some (in a very early game) on the theory that they were cheap patrollers, until they caught a scout... ;p

yeah, i can see how they would be wonderful for patrolling, especially if you wen't for blood with your pretender or something.

[Cainehill]

archaeolept said:
I always go principe, though some prefer the hastati for the gold savings. hatchlings are quite close to useless; the full grown, except in serpent cult, rarely of use. good against miasma c'tis.

the gladiators are, in theory, a good troop for scratch Last minute defense, say of an isolated mage communion. or as the lead troops in a battle you expect to take very heavy losses in. In practice, I almost never buy any. I once bought some (in a very early game) on the theory that they were cheap patrollers, until they caught a scout... ;p

Heh. Not sure - think it was another game, against Quantum Mechanic, but one of my flying harpy scouts stumbled on his capital. There went about 30 of my allies gladiators, against a scout. Almost makes empowering a scout for Air Trapeze worthwhile - trapeze the scout in, there go the gladiators, then bring in the real army on foot.

About hydras : I find the full grown ones very useful, with the right troop placement, choice of leaders, battle magic. The hatchlings? Even better - they make the _best_ shish kebabs!