Strategy for Agartha Early Age

HoneyBadger · #1 December 26th, 2006, 09:32 PM

I like bless strategies just fine in concept, but I don't have too much of a problem about them not working until your god wakes up. I do feel very confined by the limited choice of 8 total blesses. I think it's a fair tradeoff that if we have to wait until our Pretender wakes up that their be quite a few new things-not unbalanced or more powerful, mind you-just new and different-our blessed troops can do. I'm currently working on some ideas and I'll be sending ideas for new magic paths plus blesses for those paths, into Illwinter, but I'll probably write up a thread for them first, so people can argue about them.

Epaminondas · #2 December 26th, 2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

HoneyBadger said:
I like bless strategies just fine in concept, but I don't have too much of a problem about them not working until your god wakes up. I do feel very confined by the limited choice of 8 total blesses. I think it's a fair tradeoff that if we have to wait until our Pretender wakes up that their be quite a few new things-not unbalanced or more powerful, mind you-just new and different-our blessed troops can do. I'm currently working on some ideas and I'll be sending ideas for new magic paths plus blesses for those paths, into Illwinter, but I'll probably write up a thread for them first, so people can argue about them.

Limited? As is, I only primarily use 3 blesses: Water, Fire, and Nature. It seems that we have a lot of bless paths that people do not ordinarily take.

HoneyBadger · #3 December 26th, 2006, 11:47 PM

Which means they're even more limited. I use earth bless a lot though, and occasionally astral. blood and death I only use in certain cases or if they're inevitable-like if I want to use blood magic, a death curse strategy, or I'm playing EA Kailasa and I want the afflictions. I probably use astral the least, because twist fate isn't hard to get, but then additional MR is better for MP games than SP.

Shovah32 · #4 December 27th, 2006, 12:02 AM

Fire, water, earth and astral are the only paths i tend to use at level 9(very rarely and almost exclusively with pan ive used nature 9) and often use nature at lvl4-6, i also sometimes use astral 4-6 for mr and blood 4-6(generally only on a moloch when i have the points)

HoneyBadger · #5 December 27th, 2006, 01:06 AM

When I want to add blood to a nation that doesn't have it already (like early Ermor) I'll go with a fountain of blood at blood level 6 or more, but I'll also use blood bless death curse with any nations who have weak, fast sacreds, especially if they fly. Ofcourse, the best one I've come across for this particular strategy is Mictlan, so it's kindof a given anyway.

Agema · #6 February 23rd, 2008, 10:17 PM

Note...

Drain has been advocated as a design option for EA Agartha here. I think it's actually a really bad idea. Your capital only mages (Oracles) should have 5-6 paths so 7-8 research. That seems pretty good for a drain strategy. The problem is what is what happens outside your capital - your Earth Reader mages have only E1?1, for 4 research. Once you're outside the early game and setting up secondary forts, drain is ruinous as your non-capital mages are such poor bookworms.

Added to this, your capital mages are in high demand, so you'll have fewer than you think to research. Firstly, those Earth Readers have minimal to low usefulness: you'll need capital mages for useful spellcraft, unless you can find good indy mages (not guaranteed). Secondly, EA Agartha is a prime bless nation, so every army you have in addition to your prophet's needs an Oracle for divine bless. Finally, due to the enormous cost of Oracles, you simply might not be able to afford one every turn, especially early on.

Agarthan Giants are certainly pretty weak compared to other giants (e.g. Niefleheim). However, it's worth dropping those Fire & Water blesses a little. By and large, your giants don't die, so they gain experience, and each XP gets you Att & Def. Take them around a few battles, as you've got (or should have) Nature bless and so regeneration they should pick up 2XP mostly without afflictions (unlike your average mortal), making Agarthan giants much more useful than they initially look. Maybe take +1, even +2, Fire/Water bless, but your research is probably worth more than big +3/+4 blesses in the long run.

Juzza · #7 February 23rd, 2008, 11:09 PM

Easy strategy, big bless, strong but bad dominion, (preferably some magic) cast utterdark and gift of natures bounty as fast as you can, preferably close to the same time, and you're set.

Epaminondas · #8 September 22nd, 2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

I like bless strategies just fine in concept, but I don't have too much of a problem about them not working until your god wakes up. I do feel very confined by the limited choice of 8 total blesses. I think it's a fair tradeoff that if we have to wait until our Pretender wakes up that their be quite a few new things-not unbalanced or more powerful, mind you-just new and different-our blessed troops can do. I'm currently working on some ideas and I'll be sending ideas for new magic paths plus blesses for those paths, into Illwinter, but I'll probably write up a thread for them first, so people can argue about them.

I am not sure if I agree with your suggestion, given that blesses will be far less effective (even obsolete with easy Research settings) by the time imprisoned pretenders wake up.