MA Marignon

parcelt · #1 January 29th, 2008, 05:01 PM

The problem I have seen with Marignon in MP is their vulnerability to an early rush (I have been on both ends of this stick).

Many good long-term Marignon strategies call for rainbow pretenders and/or good scales. Their sacreds are not that strong as to make them a real bless / rush nation. Taking a strong bless may get them to survive the early game, but then takes its toll later on since you didn't spend points on scales and magic diversity. So then you're stuck in mid-game with (at best) average scales / magic diversity, old mages, and blessed but still average sacreds.

Their problems are magnified in hard research games as some of their more obvious strenghts lie in the higher evocation/conjuration paths.

I have given up on finding a coherent optimal strategy that helps them through all stages of the game - it's impossible. The best thing seems to be taking a gamble for the early game and bet on a lucky starting position with no rush-neighbours, allowing you to research your way safely into midgame. Once you get there with your good scales/magic, things change and you could quickly become very strong indeed, but its a gamble as you can easily be killed in the early phase.

Taking an awake SC pretender or a strong bless for your sacreds may or may not save you against an aggresive early rush. But then you will most likely die in midgame because of the lack of magic/scales.

Thougher choices then faced by many other nations. Have made me turn away from Marignon for a while now.

Zeldor · #2 January 29th, 2008, 05:16 PM

parcelt:

But that is true for almost every nation that does not have really strong rush troops, including TC, C'tis and many many others. That's why Arco is so good - early elephants and late mages.

parcelt · #3 January 29th, 2008, 05:28 PM

I agree that it's true to a greater or lesser extent for a lot nations. What it comes down to is trade-offs, making though choices, but also trying to find some neutralizing factors - e.g. taking death scales when playing C'tis can free up points, you don't really have that option with Marignon.

I guess I just meant to say that in my experience the choices and trade-offs for Marignon just always seem a lot harder than for most other nations, and always seem to leave you more vulnerable on some aspect.

Zeldor · #4 January 29th, 2008, 05:31 PM

parcelt:

MA C'tis and death scale? Their Miasma dominion does not kill his own people. And he cannot reanimate any undead.

Sir_Dr_D · #5 January 29th, 2008, 09:09 PM

A bless usually means you can expand faster, which usually means that you are less likely to be targeted with a bless rush. You can also defend against a bless rush with xbows + flaming arrows.

Nikolai · #6 January 29th, 2008, 09:33 PM

> You can also defend against a bless rush with xbows + flaming arrows.

You mean cannot, right? By time you have flaming arrows...

otthegreat · #7 January 30th, 2008, 07:05 PM

I agree Nikolai. With mages as Marignon's only army commanders its hard to build up good research. Its just about impossible to reach level 4 (I think fire arrows are level 4) in time to counter any rush.

Aethyr · #8 January 31st, 2008, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Sir_Dr_D said:
A bless usually means you can expand faster, which usually means that you are less likely to be targeted with a bless rush. You can also defend against a bless rush with xbows + flaming arrows.

Well, as the victim of Parcelt's rush strategy I have to flaming xbows say it depends on the unit & bless. Against some units, maybe. Against quickend, beserk centaurs? I doubt it, but I'll let you know how it turns out.