Questions on The Ankh and Immortality

[Huntsman]

Does it makes sense to put The Ankh on an Immortal? How does the Ankh treat an immortal being? Which comes first if the wearer is killed in battle?

TIA

[Turin]

As far as I know the ankh just casts "life after death" at the start of each battle. So it´s pretty much a big waste of gems.( unless you really need lots of soulless troops)

[Yvelina]

I agree with Turin. The Annk is very much a waste of gems. By the time you have the necessary research and ressources, you would have to be crazy to use troops of the kind that will produce a soulless, or to think that a few soulless will make a difference.

[PvK]

Would you use it if the Ankh somehow mysteriously cost 1/4 the gems that it does now?

PvK

[Yvelina]

No, I do not believe in losing anyone who serves me ;-) But if it acted as one doze of elexir of life, I would... for that same reason.

[Turin]

well I forged the ankh for 12 gems in one of my games. life after death is marginally usedul to keep enemy scs occupied longer with your cheap troops.

Since it´s an artifact I´d lower the cost to 10 death gems.

[Taqwus]

The Ankh does also give 50% lightning resist, IIRC.

If you had armies with considerable free / nearly-free chaff, such as thralls, maenads or slave warriors, it might help 'em last for a few turns more.

[Vicious Love]

Bah, I still wouldn't forge the thing for more than ten gems. One can only muster so many hordes of maenads, thralls, and fortune-generated militia. Under most circumstances, skeleton spamming accomplishes everything Life After Death does, at no gem cost.
The Life After Death aspect of the D9 blessing is just barely worthwhile for initial expansion against low-level indies. Honestly, even if you recruit the max 10 sacred troops per turn(Until a second fort is built), the effect verges on negligible(Though the hefty fear factor is obviously useful).

Maybe if the thing functioned as one or more doses of Elixir of Life(As suggested above), or cast Twiceborn or Phoenix Pyre, or even Ritual of Rebirth(Making it the only means of mummifying a being not in the Hall of Heroes. No pretenders, though), it'd be worth the full cost.

[Lingchih]

And never equip it on your Pretender. I had a perfectly nice Father of Serpents that is now a rather ugly Souless Warrior.