Pure Dominion victory

Saxon · #1 August 2nd, 2006, 04:46 AM

Ok, it sounds like it is possible, but would it stand up in MP? It seems that MP is the real test of strategies. It seems to me that your enemy could fairly cheaply start putting up temples, PD and preists and hold you off. In the mean time, could them then stomp on you with some other strategy? How does this rank as a strategy versus many of the others?

Gandalf Parker · #2 August 2nd, 2006, 11:05 AM

I dont know that ANYTHING stands up well as a "strategy" in a Dom MP game. But it does make a good "tactic". Particularly if you ally yourself with a strong up-front type of army.

Its like my "stealth guerrilas" tactics with Pangaea. By itself it would be really hard to take that final home castle and win the game. But without it, a nation could be much stronger for not having to invest in PD everywhere or keep roaming armies behind his front lines. So if I team up with someone like Ulm or Ermor then together we can totally frustrate someone.

Id say its the same with the dominions-invasion tactic. Sure he can combat you but it forces a different type of combat then he would use against someone else. So if its used to keep him spending gold on two fronts then its something worth adding to the tactics toolbox. It makes certain races well worth allying with.

This aint chess. Its more rock-paper-scissors.
Gandalf Parker

shovah · #3 August 2nd, 2006, 12:04 PM

Also try combining your super dominion push with a global that will damage the enemys invading (and if your dominion is far reaching non invading) armies. Also, as i said try to get a chokepoint and load it (or them, try to make it no more than 3 provinces) with longbowmen and atleast 1 or 2 vine ogre makers.

Valandil · #4 August 2nd, 2006, 08:33 PM

You could also cast the wild hunt, using your high-nature pretender. Might help a bit.

Ironhawk · #5 August 2nd, 2006, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Saxon said:
Ok, it sounds like it is possible, but would it stand up in MP? It seems that MP is the real test of strategies. It seems to me that your enemy could fairly cheaply start putting up temples, PD and preists and hold you off. In the mean time, could them then stomp on you with some other strategy? How does this rank as a strategy versus many of the others?

You are correct: the dominion-only strategy does not hold up in MP. As you say, humans detect your dominion-attack far better than the AI and rapidly move to patrol and preach to counter you. Additionally they would take your moves as a declaration of war and attack you - at least to destroy your temples if not wipe you out entirely.

The only case of a dominion-attack strategy that I have heard of succeeding was with GE Arco - BUT - the player only used the dom-attack in conjunction with a regular military attack. Big teams of Skeptics were used to nuke enemy dominion to great effect (provinces going from dom 10 -> dom 0 in a single turn!). Backed up with very strong dominion to overrun the dom of these provinces. I'm sure Stone Idols were put into play as well as Arco is great at building those.

Wish · #6 August 2nd, 2006, 10:52 PM

you could stealth preach, set up like 5-10 monks in each province, and only have them all preach once in place.

I am suprised no one is doing this in council of wyrms.

Ygorl · #7 August 2nd, 2006, 11:03 PM

Who says nobody is?

Well, as the monk-man in CoW, I suppose it's safe to admit that nobody is.
Even with low-level patrolling (moderate PD or a small force of real troops) a force of 5-10 monks would be discovered in 1-2 turns. If someone noticed that they were finding monks in all their provinces every turn, they might get upset.

I think it would be about impossible to dominion-kill a human player without them knowing it was happening. I did take out Jurri (playing as BF Ulm) in one game (me as GE Arcoscephale) that way but I had the support of a massive army (first Ermorian, then Arcoscephalean) in his capital to keep him from patrolling my skeptics into oblivion. It was just easier and safer to do that versus sieging a well-defended fortress.

Wish · #8 August 2nd, 2006, 11:08 PM

marignon can have stealth preachers too

thing is, since they are each individuals they are not considered a "large" army... however after even two get caught, maybe even one, they'd be on to you

shoot I catch scouts and assassins trying to cross my HEAVILY patrolled pythium border all the dang time.

Ironhawk · #9 August 3rd, 2006, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Ygorl said:
I think it would be about impossible to dominion-kill a human player without them knowing it was happening. I did take out Jurri (playing as BF Ulm) in one game (me as GE Arcoscephale) that way but I had the support of a massive army (first Ermorian, then Arcoscephalean) in his capital to keep him from patrolling my skeptics into oblivion. It was just easier and safer to do that versus sieging a well-defended fortress.

Ah, so that was you Ygorl. I'd heard the story but I couldnt recall who the player was. Did you use any Stone Idols? Or just skeptic teams?

Jurri · #10 August 3rd, 2006, 03:40 PM

Awww, I get to be part of a legend, and then it's like that

Oftentimes it's more cost-efficient to outpreach a single or even a couple fortresses in my experience as well, and it's not that uncommon in MP either. What is more difficult is dominion-killing someone who still has a significant amount of land. While undoubtedly possible, I suspect it's rarely worth the trouble, since usually everybody uses a reasonably high-dominion pretender (which translates to efficient temples and high concentrations of dominion) or else has a special plan to avoid dominion death.