Ah ha, a MA Pythium question...

[Edi]

Now, if we are to get Serpent Cult and its sacred Hydras back for LA...

[Ironhawk]

Bandar you can also use the Hydras as a "scorched earth" sort of attack. Buy like 5-8 of the small ones. Arrange them in a line on the battlefield with orders to Hold & Attack. Then have all the leadership flee the battle so that the hydras rout. The trick being that they still spew poison clouds as they rout so the enemy will walk right through it as they chase them.

Its a tricky tactic - you need to position the line and the timing of the rout just right based on the speed of the enemy army you are attacking.

[Wish]

they are great in the late game. play pyth with order and growth to make sure you get loads of cash, then give them to a mage with a serpent ring on, and enough gear to cast fog warriors. fog warrior hydras eat through everything.

also my second expansion army usually consists of 10 hydras and that hydra tamer guy you can recruit. put the hydras in groups of 5 up front and the commander in the back scripted to holdx5 and stay behind troops.

I've had this army eat up a knights of the chalice province (with heavy losses, but still.)

it cuts through lesser indes like a hot knife through butter.

[Yrkoon]

How about having a hydra tamer on holdx5 at the rear of the battlefield and hydras in front set to guard commander ? The hydra will retreat until they reach the tamer, leaving a trail of poison clouds in their wake. Enemy troops trying to catch them up will take damage without even reaching them for a few turns, them the hydras can shred whatever is left of the army.

Maybe not a great tactic against archers though. Unless they use up all their arrows, they won't follow the hydras.

[Wish]

that might work too, never tried it.

[Ironhawk]

Its basically the same as my suggestion above. The problem I see with it is that immediate retreat will cause thier poison clouds to dissipate before all by the fastest cavalry could reach them. You need to Hold for a little while to let the enemy catch up to you.

[Folket]

I find that Hydras are a powerful unit. If expanding with national units they probably are your best option since most your troops are so resource heavy. On the other hand they cost lots of gold and will delay construction of more castles. Still I would probably recruit 5-15 early on to get a good amount of provinces. In an early war hydra only armies is unstoppable by most armies.

The hatchlings on the other hand are to weak. They die on droves and still cost you 75 gold a piece.

In general hydra armies are easy to use. Put them on the front and use no other melee units.