LA Ulm, specifically against LA Ermor

[Stryke11]

Hello all! Inspired by a recent post (strangely enough about LA Marignon and Abyssia) that mentioned sample builds for LA Ulm, I wanted the take the chassis for a ride.

I wanted a pretender with enough magical diversity that fully item'd up would be able to summon many things and forge many items that the nationals, by their crappy magic, could not.

I decided on a Master Alchemist with about 3 Blood/Death, 4 Earth/Nature (maybe one of those was a three, I forget) and 1 Fire/Air (because I had leftover points). I had Turmoil 2, Prod 3, Luck 3, Growth 1, and Drain 2. Dom 5 or 6, and finally dormant. Many have liked Turmoil 3, but I need the income, this whole game I have been cash strapped, as the national troops ain't cheap, and I'm not pursuing an all Vampire Utterdark strat. Overall, though it has appreared to me to be a solid build. I have been able to boost enough to summon Father Illearth, Lamia Queens, Arch Devil, and I am loving Cross-Breeding (this is my first blood nation ever).

Ok, enough intro, now questions:

Blood hunting: I have a blood enabled fortune tellers (the counts are researching and summoning, I don't want to waste them on such a menial task)in about 7 nearby provinces. Do people usually have more? Like one in every province? Also, do you build a bunch of labs for this purpose, or do you just move the slaves around alot? Oh, they all have sanguine rods.

Why do Zweihanders get so much good press? Stats wise, it seems the much cheaper regular shielded infantry of Ulm are comparable, and are better against arrows (crossbows?).

I rolled over Marignon and Midgard without much trouble (oh, this is SP by the way) but now, despite being on top in all the stats (but army size), Ermor is throwing unlimited troops at me. I've got a string of provinces that are defended well enough to hold them at bay (I regulary take out armies of ~500 undead without any losses) but if I try to move a force against them I get mauled. I have discovered that the heavy infantry is crap against the undead, so I have made mostly rangers, whose arrows do a lot of damage, a lot of priests set on banish, and some 1st tiers with astral gems and the astral spell that kills undead. Besides priest spam, any surefire counter-undead methods for magic availabilty LA Ulm?

Finally, I am using my Father Illearth and Arch Devil as thug/SC's - that is, I fight with them alone. The AD is naked as of now, but FI has horned helmet, cloak of shadows, amultet of resiliance, earth boots, firebrand, black steel kite shield (I had it around, I know I could do better w. this) and ring of the warrior. Any better suggestions for clothing these two fine gentlemen?

Sorry for the length of the post. It just seems some people here instinctively know how to maximize each nation and I'm trying to develop my mind into that mode, but for now I learn best by trying strategies from the experts.

[Shovah32]

For blood hutning taxes set to 0 and 5-6 levels worth of blood hunting(count a dousing rod as 1 level) per 5k_ population province is good(try not to hunt provinces with huge pops or pops lower than 5k). For father illearth swap the shield for a charcoal shield and the ring of the warrior for a lucky pendant, also consider swapping the horned helm for a horror helm.

For the arch devil try dual swords of swiftness, horror helm, some good armour(i like chainmail of displacement), boots of quickness/boots of the messenger, ring of regen/pendant of luck and amulet of resilence. I like to script him to phoenix pyre, fire shield attack rear but if you havnt got pyre try fire shield, a fire evocation, attack rear. He gets 8 attacks per turn at 2 squares(so 6 human sized enemies) with very nice strength and attack.

You should bump up your blood economy, get some vampire thugs with a weapon(the more attacks/AoE the better), a charcoal shield, horror helm, heavy armour, boots of quickness, lucky pendant and whatever you find helps(the boots and helm arent neccesary). If they have lifedrain(im not sure if they do or not) then forget the weapon. These guys arent incredibly tough so either send them out in groups or preferably accompanying armies(they cant get surrounded and reduce losses)

[Endoperez]

There are too many uneead to deal with in melee, so I'd actually say that having multiple attacks is useless. Sword of Swiftness isn't bad, but Faithful would be very good. Boots of the messenger/amulet of resilience/girdle of might for reinvigoration would keep him alive. Phoenix Pyre never hurts but if the undead kill him once he's probably already unconscious, so it only protects against spells. Fire Shield and damage shields in general are very good. Horror Helm doesn't help against mindless undead.

Flame Eruption could be interesting. Immolation too.

[Shovah32]

I always forget about faithful and i wasnt specifically thinking of the undead ermorians when i was writing that but good points endo.

[Stryke11]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I have also been sending my mage/spies around to instill uprisings. It is very effective (though not with Ermor).

This game is getting farcical. I have Ermor down to their capital and I cannot take it. I attacked with ~500 units and they were defending with about 7 dusk elders and <50 minor undead. They routed me and killed my hero/prophet just by casting morale spells I guess. I have been at this for hours and the "stupid AI" is really letting me have it. When you can't win at 10-1 odds, something is wrong. I even had lots of mindless thralls, and they supposedly have amazinf morale, but after a few spells they took tail like everyone else.

Father Illearth is pretty worthless now. He became crazily injured, and then died, but when I re-cast the spell he came back still cursed and with all his injuries! Is it just me or doesn't it make sense that things that regenerate should also heal afflictions? For some reason boosting items no longer work on him either. He's just sitting in my capital researching because his injuries make him suck to bad to do anything esle. Is there any way (besides say, Gift Of Health, Arco Priestess, etc) to get those afflictions away? IMHO having something die and re-summoned should give you a clean slate.

Oh, and about the horror helm, as was suggested...if a creature has natural fear, does the helm stack with it?

[RamsHead]

Yes, the horror helm increases a unit's natural fear.

If you want to get rid of afflictions, you can also summon up a Fairy Queen, who can heal, or forge the unique magic artifact, the Chalice. It automatically has a chance to heal units in whatever province it is in.

[Stryke11]

Fairy Queen. I hadn't thought of that. That's exactly what I'll do. Thanks!

[Stryke11]

I have a ton of commanders now with Ethereal Crossbows and Just Man's Cross', but even though I have them as far up to the front as possible and they are set to "fire rear" they never actually fire. What's going on? Seriously, spending hours just to take one castle isn't fun, it's frustrating.

[Jack_Trowell]

If Ermor only has one province left, just try to kill its dominion : make temple in all surrounding provinces, move your god and prophet on Ermor, and put all the priest ou can mass on Ermor set to preach.

It might take some time if their dominion start high, but with both your god and prophet to couter their, and all your temples in surrounding provinces, you will have them whatever force they can have in the fortress.

[Shovah32]

Jack has the right idea here, dominion kill him. If that isnt working send a COMPLETELY unroutable army consisting of undead, unroutable magic beings and unroutable commanders.