Ulm Beginner Strategy - need help

[TheKDawg]

Could someone give me an exact example of an SC so I know what you're talking about? Are these commander units, pretenders, summoned units, or otherwise? The closest thing I had to what I think you guys are talking about was a Black Lord with every slot with something forged for him. (He won the arena deathmatch easily...) I know this is nowhere near what you folks are talking about, but I would like to know what an SC is to you folks.

[PrinzMegaherz]

nah, think about some sizes bigger, maybe an Ice Devil with lots of stuff, a life draining weapon an armor that negates most elemental magic, something to increase his magic resistance, a pendant of luck and something that gives him etherealness and regeneration.

[deccan]

Heh heh. Will your Black Lord thug mow down an army of 150+ soldiers single-handedly? I think not. On the other hand, an Ice Devil equipped as PrinzMegaherz says will kill an army composed of however many mortal troops you put into it quite easily. That's SC.

[Endoperez]

And that's also the reason I don't play MP.

Also, consider this:
nation with Order 3 and Magic 3 to be able to get lots of mages and research fast, all other scales at varying negative levels to get points.

A pretender with good abilities (eg. a Ghost King: ethereal, good defence) and W1/2, F1+, E3+, Air3+, D3+. It researches Alteration 2/3 and Enchantment 1. It goes to battle, casts Quickness, Fire Shield, Stone/Iron skin, Mirror Image, Mistform and kills all independents. Depending on that nation's mages and gem income, it got a weapon like Ice Sword (def+4) or (Full) Black Plate if it has encumberance of 0.
If it already has high enough protection, it will cast Breath of Winter instead of protection spell. If it goes against archers, it casts Air Shield.

It has att/def 17+ (depends on equipment), hits 50+ (if mage-type) or 150+ (if it is a Son of Niefel or similar titan-sized), prot. 15 to 25, Mirror Image gives more defence and protects from hits, Mistform puts all damage it received to 1 until a hit gets through the spell (rare), units hitting it or near it die to Fire Shield/Breath of Winter.

Here is an example from the 10 Turn Challence:

Turin wrote

caelum: (turn11)
pretender: ghostking fire3/air5/water1/earth3/death4
order3/sloth3/cold3/growth3/misfortune2/magic3/dom6/watchtower
Research:55 (conj1/alteration3/const2/enchantment1)
gems: +13 total per turn(no clams yet)
gold:816 income:435 upkeep 122
provinces: 15 most of them searched by high seraphs.

There is also a similar Son of Niefel in that thread. In late game, people summon creatures that have goot stats and hit points and preferably good abilities and equip them with items to give them as much of the rest as possible. Thugs are like SC, but weaker. Imagine 30 hp, 20 prot., life-draining, flying Bane Lord with Quickness. Imagine battling a nation with over 20 of them. And few real SCs.

[Boron]

deccan said:
Heh heh. Will your Black Lord thug mow down an army of 150+ soldiers single-handedly? I think not. On the other hand, an Ice Devil equipped as PrinzMegaherz says will kill an army composed of however many mortal troops you put into it quite easily. That's SC.

Or an even unequipped VQ

There are some remarkable national troops though that sometimes can kill an SC :
- Good tramplers can sometimes luckily kill a SC which has no etheralness
- Jotunheim troops do serious damage when they hit
- Good blessed troops
- X-bows/Arlabests
- The initial lance attack from HC ( Panther lost a full equipped ID to 20 or 25 HC event attack in our newbie slugfest )
- Small troops that have 20+ damage , i.e. barbarians

I surely forgot some kinds of troops

Stronger summonable troops like Deccans blessed tomb wyrms from newbie slugfest can kill many SCs . Angels or ether warriors are quite nasty against undead/demon Scs or Magic Being SCs .

No SC is completely invulnerable .
Vs. lots of low hp troops he can protect himself quite well via fire shield / BoW / Astral shield etc. ,
Etheral + Luck are good in general vs troops ,
really high protection helps against almost any troops expect Jotunheim troops etc.

BUT if the SC is built especially anti troops then he normally lacks something else very important and is weak vs. Anti-SC-SCs or has rather low MR etc. .

If your troops are "buffed" with extra-strength + ap spells "elite" troops like mechanical men or devils can kill almost any SC .

[von_Schmidt]

And sleepvines. Don't forget the sleepvines. Damn those sleepvines!

(Lost fully decked out Aella to sleepvine indy; An Ancient Presence, I think).

Paralyse +27 was another good one. Bye bye Allfather.

[Arralen]

Shambler Chiefs with Black Steel Armor, Piercer and Girdle of Might. Are quite cheap for Ulm. And fun. And if one gets afflicted, or killed, just get the next one and drop the stuff on him ...

And if you have 2 fire gems to spare, and a smith who's bored, add a burning pearl. Makes fire shield quite useless against him.