Devil Review

[Huzurdaddi]

BTW I would make soul contracts even on fairly small maps.

Well base abysia is the only nation that has a somewhat cheap caster who can actually summon them: the demonbred. They could potentially need 20 devils right away ( although you would need a buttload of demonbred to cast that many ).

[incognito]

Huzur - you mention Arch & Ice as important summons. What about Helio's? Any good on a relative basis or stick with vamps? Also what about the demon lords? A lot of blood slaves to be sure, but the stats look effectives.

Also, what are good equipment combos for the arch/ice? Do you equip all the same or is there a plan for variety & counters to certain anti-SC strategies?

Thanks for the great tips. Not sure I'll survive long enough to get these guys en masse (Van has launched an attack already), but it's sure nice knowing.

[Soapyfrog]

Out of the heliophagus, I try for Gorilon usually since that will allow easy summoning of Vampire Lords and access to good death magic.

Demon Lords at 150 a pop, I fear you are better off building 2.5 soul contracts with that blood... however I have (just for fun) summoned Belial once and thought his ability to steal commanders was great fun Not very cost effective since you can get a succubus to do the same thing for less than half the blood.

Other problem with Demon Lords is that they do not have all the item slots so they are tough to equip properly...

[Taqwus]

Belial might be more effective than a Succubus. There's also no thematic reason why he'd be limited from corrupting female commanders, as well, and he probably has a far better chance of surviving a failed corruption. He also generates free blood slaves and meat shields, IIRC. Perhaps still not a particularly efficient purchase, but...

Now, if you get the Plague Wind, that might be a problem; doesn't he spread disease to the province he's in? Hm.

If you like thematic SCs, the Unquenched Sword seems obvious for any of the Archdevils, as would the non-unique flaming swords, demon whips, and perhaps tridents (stretching this a bit). For the Archdevils and Ice Devils, don't forget the MR boosters (starshine skullcap, antimagic talisman are cheap), flight/quickness (boots of quickness or Jade Armor for the Archdevil, winged shoes for the Ice Devil and have the ID script Quickness), perhaps a luck shield if you're using a one-handed weapon. And if you're dealing with specific attack forms, e.g. massed Incinerate and you've got an ID, get the relevant immunity (unless impossible, e.g. Drain Life is not really blockable; you can only mitigate it by massive reinvigoration e.g. Boots of Calius, regeneration, life draining attack of your own, other units to keep fighting while your unconscious or to absorb Drain Life spamming).

[Boron]

Soapyfrog said:
Demon Lords at 150 a pop, I fear you are better off building 2.5 soul contracts with that blood... however I have (just for fun) summoned Belial once and thought his ability to steal commanders was great fun Not very cost effective since you can get a succubus to do the same thing for less than half the blood.

Other problem with Demon Lords is that they do not have all the item slots so they are tough to equip properly...

A main reason for Demon lords is their good magic and if you have all 3 they cover all expect Water and Astral very well .
Belial can do the nature stuff and cast e.g. GoH with only 1 empowering item , Belphegor is a good Earth forger and Pazuzu can summon Storm demons and lead them in battle as supporting storm + wrathful sky caster .

Belphegor lacks the feet + body slot but he can cast invulnerability , blood vengeance , fire shield and phönix pyre .
177 hp are nice .
So he is not an outstanding SC but formidable .
Only the missing quickness sucks .

[Gandalf Parker]

incognito said:
Huzur - you mention Arch & Ice as important summons. What about Helio's? Any good on a relative basis or stick with vamps? Also what about the demon lords? A lot of blood slaves to be sure, but the stats look effectives.

Also, what are good equipment combos for the arch/ice? Do you equip all the same or is there a plan for variety & counters to certain anti-SC strategies?

Thanks for the great tips. Not sure I'll survive long enough to get these guys en masse (Van has launched an attack already), but it's sure nice knowing.

One of the things I love to do with demons is make assassins out of them if they can sneak (black heart). Especially if they can do bind-heart. Especially if they can summon other sneaks. Especially if they can fly. MUHAHahahahaha.

I think a bind-heart assassin is an ultimate strategy (please lets not start a thread to get it "fixed"). If they are coming at you with an army of say 5 commanders leading 50 troops each. You sneak in your assassin and have him strike. Their commander becomes your commander with all his equipment, and he is down one commander. The next message says there is a combat in that province as your new convert is visible and gets attacked by his old buddies. 50 troops rout for lack of a commander and some damage is done to his army. Your assassin is hidden and does not participate. Now your assassin strikes again. Another commander switches sides. Maybe the other guy moves his army but it still leaves 50 troops behind waiting for a new commander to lead them. You follow him and snatch commanders one by one chopping his army into bits scattered across the map or routed to nothingness. The Last commander is the most fun. He attacks his previous troops. One guy against 50 troops but they all rout for lack of leadership and you now own that province.

[Soapyfrog]

Gandalf Parker said:
I think a bind-heart assassin is an ultimate strategy

I am not sure it is "ultimate" since it is both counterable and has a chance of failure, but it is fun and it will give your oppoenents headaches, thats for sure!

[Gandalf Parker]

Soapyfrog said:

I am not sure it is "ultimate" since it is both counterable and has a chance of failure, but it is fun and it will give your oppoenents headaches, thats for sure!

True. But there is also my favorite "step up".
A Garnet Amazon (red) province with a lab, 0 taxes, and no Province Defense. Send a lvl 5 air mage (or lvl 3 air mage with a Bag of Wind and that Winged Helm). Build amazon mages and set them to hunting blood slaves.

Have all the mages set to hellbind, hellbind, hellbind, attack. Have the air mage cast Wind Ride every turn against some province in your enemys territory. Its like a birthday present each turn. You want to rush to that province to see what you got and what items it had on it. The real prize is ending up having 2 or 3 prophets all working in your name.

[Stormbinder]

Gandalf Parker said:

True. But there is also my favorite "step up".
A Garnet Amazon (red) province with a lab, 0 taxes, and no Province Defense. Send a lvl 5 air mage (or lvl 3 air mage with a Bag of Wind and that Winged Helm). Build amazon mages and set them to hunting blood slaves.

Have all the mages set to hellbind, hellbind, hellbind, attack. Have the air mage cast Wind Ride every turn against some province in your enemys territory. Its like a birthday present each turn. You want to rush to that province to see what you got and what items it had on it. The real prize is ending up having 2 or 3 prophets all working in your name.

That's nice setup Gandelf and I agree, it is certanly fun. But I think it can only work once in MP if you are playing against good opponent, since the next turn you will likely to get a Ghost Riders/other magical-summon/teleport attack on your "Christmas present" province. If it has just bunch of amazons set on "hellbind" and air 5 mage, as your described, it'll not stop this attack, and your mages will be killed/routed. If your opponent would also block all retreat routes than all your mages will be lost.

[Cainehill]

Managed to Wind Ride / Charm about a half dozen commanders in an ongoing game - I also had enough other troops to slow down or kill tough opponents, and could probably have held off ghost riders, possibly even two.