MA Pangaea-best starting troops?

[Sorlakind]

Xietor said:
Pangaea starting castle only has 30 admin. and if you like using the hoplites and centaur cathaphracts you need a prod bonus. Hoplites at 13 gold 16 prot form the backbone of my army, with longbow centaurs sitting behind them shotting down stuff.

I guess not taking 2 prod would give me 80 more points, but low protection troops tend to die fast to ulm ranged troops, the eineire for vanaheim, giants etc. For 40 gold i like troops with 19 armor, even though they do not berserk, with a blessing of courage they do not rout often. And they live longer.

I'm with Teraswaerto here. Forget Hoplites and Cataphracts, take sloth 3 and spend the points elsewhere. Centaurs are great units - somewhat expensive in gold (and upkeep), especially if you go the turmoil route for the Maenads, but definitely worth it. The archers are great and will win most arrow duels. The warriors are also great - put them at fire closest so they throw their javelins. They have > 20 hps, can berserk and have recup (= staying power). And they are stealthy Some people even go a heavy bless route with the White Centaurs, but they are expensive (70g) and capital-only so I prefer to just hand them a few minor blesses. Once you get your magic rolling, boost them with Mass Protection, Legions of Steel, Weapons of Sharpness, Strength of Giants, etc.

Disclaimer: I have little mp experience and I'm not fond of bless strats, so take the above with a rock of salt. Besides, out of principle, I do not blood-hunt, use blood summons, etc. which is another card that Pangaea can play.

[Gandalf Parker]

There is also two very strong strategy lines that can impact Pangaea, the maenads route or the vine-creature route. Both of those can affect pretender choice, and scales quite abit. But since he said he uses Gorgon most of my usual suggesitons dont apply as much. The only thing I could think of there is maybe giving up one of the earth points for another air point so he can get arrow defence on bless.

[SelfishGene]

One interesting thing i read in the manual last night was that the effectiveness of Tangle Vines increaes in Growth dominions...

[lch]

SelfishGene said:
One interesting thing i read in the manual last night was that the effectiveness of Tangle Vines increaes in Growth dominions...

That's in the spell description, too, unless I am mistaken.

[Xietor]

here are some thoughts:

1. if you play Pangaea and like having a super contender, there is none better in the entire game then the Gorgon, properly equipped. My gorgon starts 5e 4n 3 a, sleeping.
By the time she awakes, I will have 4 construction and 4 alteration. if i have no air gems, i search for them(typically i will hire mercenary mages to hunt for astral and air games early on. Gorgon wears silver hauberk chest, regeneration ring, eye shield, some revig items, and 5 earth helm.

Now properly protected from arrows, and with a 25 armor class unbuffed, she goes into battle. she casts mistform, mirror image, and elemental fortitude, then attacks closest enemy. I try toi keep her at my end battlefield to avoid smites, and some other caster spells. She is devasting.

later in the game with haunted forest, she is unbeatable in her own dominion.

2. Production is good to take.

I always take 2 production 3 order, 1 growth. I take 2 heat to get extra points, as well as sleeping the gorgon. Having 2 production makes the armored pangaea troops a viable option. Hoplites are dirt cheap 13 gold infantry. 16 prot, 14 hp, 14 defense, 11 str 11 attack, heal afflictions. best infantry in the game for the cost.

Centaur cataphact is a bargain calvary unit at 40 gold. 19 prot plus high defense, plus heals afflictions! No comparison between these and the 9 protection centaur warrior. If you want berserk troops get the minotaur warrior with 17 protection and plus 4 berserk and trample for just 10 gold more.

Plus with 350 gold a pop mages, taking 3 sloth cuts into your income(: I find 3 order, 2 prod, 1 growth gives me income and ability to purchase well armored troops(i can still get centaur warrior, i just have more options with 2 prod v 3 sloth).

In short, i cannot imagine playing pangaea without the gorgon or with sloth. If you have not tried the gorgon with 5e 4n 3 air, give it a try. research 4 construction right off the bat so she can get silver hauberk, which is a key for her. If dagan can find 5 astral gems, have him make a luck charm to go with her ring of regeneration. she is very tough with no luck, but with it she will not die in her own dominion, and typically not even in -5 enemy dominion, but that is risky. She is virtually immune to melee and ranged damage, though if unlucky she can be smited etc.

[Xietor]

Some other Pangaea musings:

1. 6 slings as a castle defense when their ranged troops have longbow? What is up with that?

2. Summoned troops: I like going conj 4 and have 2 mages summon kithaironic lions the whole game after i get mother oak up. A popular choice seems be vine ogres, but since they require magical leadership, and they basically suck with 5 protection, I think it is not worth the effort. sure you can say legion steel, protection blah blah blah, but id rather buff up tougher troops like the regular great lions that have great speed and a good attack. Plus the regular lions do not require magical leadership and you can have a ton of them in an army. I do think the nature summons at 4 is not as good as fire, earth and water summons. you get 5 ethereal with those summons, though the cost is higher in gems.

3. casting mother oak/gift of health: i use a bought mage to cast these. rarely 1 will come with 5 nature, but 4 nature is common. With 4 nature and 4 construction(thistle mace)
the mage can cast these with small effort. Since I use the Gorgon as a battle sc, there is no reason to risk a double loss of your pretender and 2 globals as well. I usually have my gorgon make a robe of missile protection for the mage so he cannot die to a seeking arrow.

4. another pet peeve, Pangaea's starting castle has only 30 admin. So it is doubly nice to snag another pretender's home castle early so you can have a 50 or 60 admin castle to crank out huge numbers of hoplites, war minotaurs, and armored centaurs. Especially if you took 2 prod!

5. my ultimate "i win" spell with the gorgon is the haunted forest. Flying around in friendly dominion and fighting with this spell up is a blast. petrify and you have 5-10 allies fighting with you each turn.

[Gandalf Parker]

Interesting. Most of my Pangaea writeups involved either the Lord of the Wild (more maenads) or Carrion Dragon (more vine creatures). Usually with -3 on both order and productivity, possible +3 on luck. Going with the lower armored units of course, and more stealth.

Slings instead of crossbows? Sounds like a bug. Is that the defense from PD?