What is Ermor doing?

Gargoyle · #1 July 25th, 2005, 02:05 PM

In SP game on Cradle map.

I've noticed something strange about Ermor's tactics. For example, I have cornered 4 provinces in the northeast of the map where there are three provinces belonging to Man and they all border one province belonging to Ermor.

I border only the provinces belonging to Man and all three of Man's provinces border the one Ermor province. Now the Ermor province has like 420 troops of all sorts in it and the provinces of Man have less than 100 each. Its has been many turns like that and Ermor never attacks out of that province. I have deliberately waited, hoping Ermor would attack and take some loses before I bash my armies into all 4 of theses armies.

Is there any commom reason why Ermor would leave large forces in different places around the map not attacking? I've seen a couple more that just sit there.

Nerfix · #2 July 25th, 2005, 02:12 PM

Maybe they're on the defence.

Gargoyle · #3 July 25th, 2005, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Nerfix said:
Maybe they're on the defence.

I have not seen any other races build forces of this size and when they do build fairly large forces they are quite aggressive with them. Yet these huge Ermor forces just sit there, never moving or attacking.

Edi · #4 July 25th, 2005, 02:27 PM

Ermor often does that. Could be lack of commanders or some such, but it is routine to see absolutely massive piles of Ermorian troops in every province it controls and doing basically nothing. With BE it's ghouls, with AE it's longdead and soulless and with SG it's shadows and shades and the spirit thingies.

Edi

Sandman · #5 July 25th, 2005, 02:50 PM

Is it Ermor's home province? If not, it's probably caused by the Ermorian cultist random event; they'll have three or so cultists, constantly summoning creatures, but no way to get any better leaders.

Gargoyle · #6 July 25th, 2005, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Edi said:
Ermor often does that. Could be lack of commanders or some such, but it is routine to see absolutely massive piles of Ermorian troops in every province it controls and doing basically nothing. With BE it's ghouls, with AE it's longdead and soulless and with SG it's shadows and shades and the spirit thingies.

Edi

and...

Quote:

Sandman said:
Is it Ermor's home province? If not, it's probably caused by the Ermorian cultist random event; they'll have three or so cultists, constantly summoning creatures, but no way to get any better leaders.

This is informative. This sound like a place I like to cast Fires from Afar in. Just how good is an army like that? Can an Army with no SCs, but good quality troops, commanders and mages of say half there number be expected to win or loss against it. I guess I am intimidated by the sheer size of armies.

PrinzMegaherz · #7 July 25th, 2005, 03:20 PM

I don't think that whatever is standing there is worth the gems for fires from afar. But you haven't told us what nation you are playing. Are you prepared to face the most fierce AI nation Dominions 2 has to offer?

NTJedi · #8 July 25th, 2005, 03:36 PM

I've seen Ermor stack as many as 1,700 troops on a single province and in most games he usually does not cast any domes for protection even for his capital.

The mass building of armies is good... yet the AI never launches these units into battle after building them. It's attacks are usually insignificant during late game.

That's not the only unusual tactic Ermor does... for some reason Ermor does not research blood magic ! During one game Ermor sky-rocketed on research which is EXTREMELY rare to see and then leveled off on the graph much sooner then myself when researching was finished.
During this game Ermor was bringing in 10 death gems a turn at this capital yet even with research maxed out he never casted Ghost_Riders. Thus one reason I don't use this spell against computer opponents.

Edi · #9 July 25th, 2005, 03:46 PM

Only 1700 troops? Boy, you haven't seen anything. Try three or four provinces with 4500 ghouls each, and that was just what I could see at a glance. BE Ermor can be absolutely incredible with the reanimation hoarding of troops.

Edi

Gargoyle · #10 July 25th, 2005, 03:53 PM

Quote:

PrinzMegaherz said:
I don't think that whatever is standing there is worth the gems for fires from afar. But you haven't told us what nation you are playing. Are you prepared to face the most fierce AI nation Dominions 2 has to offer?

I'm playing Machaka. I have the highest gem income in the world and I want to take out at least that one province so I can wrap up that whole side of the map.

Quote:

NTJedi said:
I've seen Ermor stack as many as 1,700 troops on a single province and in most games he usually does not cast any domes for protection even for his capital.

The mass building of armies is good... yet the AI never launches these units into battle after building them. It's attacks are usually insignificant during late game.

That's not the only unusual tactic Ermor does... for some reason Ermor does not research blood magic ! During one game Ermor sky-rocketed on research which is EXTREMELY rare to see and then leveled off on the graph much sooner then myself when researching was finished.
During this game Ermor was bringing in 10 death gems a turn at this capital yet even with research maxed out he never casted Ghost_Riders. Thus one reason I don't use this spell against computer opponents.

On the Cradle map I own port provinces that connect to Ermor ports that have huge armies. It really makes me have to keep larges defensive armies at the these ports. Now if I am to act upon your findings I could stop garrisoning against an attack that will never come. But when I play against an AI in any game I stay away from exploiting it in this way. I react to it as if it may make a move a human would make. Basically I give it more respect than it deserves but in the end it makes for a better game.