Suggestions for the following Pretender, please?

[Ravagemk2]

In the Demo version for Kailasa, I did fairly well with a monkey horde led by an Earth Mother.

As for which nation, I don't know yet, as I try to play the game one nation at a time, but from time to time things get me curious.

Like the Nataraja, which are a 0 point cost pretender race choice, which struck me as odd.

Usual game experiences often involve multiple weapon capable characters to have to pay for it in some spots.(Thri Kreen in D&D have you paying 3 to 5 class levels depending on version for example)

I was hoping to make a non spellcaster leader for a change, as I often end up turning my starting general into a prophet.

One thing I'd probably end up experimenting alot with, is what kind of gear to give the guy(I think?).

I have a habit of trying to go "national only" in regard to magic item forging.(= forge things with your national mages only)

The monkeys might have a + here, since I recall them getting Nature, which eventually leads to HP regenerative items.

If any of those nations have Earth, then the Blacksteel stuff should make decent early game protection boosters right?

I know some of the better stuff is multi path, but that'll be a bridge I'll burn when I have to cross it

One thing I've been wondering though...

HOW would one of the 4 armed, not just the Nataraja, behave if you gave them BOTH a Melee and a Ranged weapon?

I noticed a nasty little crossbow, but those only get to fire once per 2 turns. I'd guess it'd be shoot, melee on the reload turn, shoot, etc in this case?

Sorry bout all the questions, but I love letting rip as many attacks as possible at once, and these Nataraja are the lowest point chassis for that kind of thing here.

[Endoperez]

While lots of attacks is good, one "action" can only target one square in the battlefield grid. One square can hold maximum of 3 humans, 2 cavalry or 1 titan (total of 6 size-units), so 12 attacks would be extraneous in almost all cases. Quickness gives another action which lets you target another square.

Nataraja should have as many weapons and/or shields with special effects as possible. As an example, one of the 1-handed Brands, which give him area-of-effect attack, a shield to protect him from arrows (Charcoal shield, Vine Shield or Lucky Coin all give nice abilities as well), perhaps something with life-drain or that gives resistances, etc.

[Ravagemk2]

Presently testing a Nataraja with Caelum.

Present equipment is:

Weapon 1: Death Arena Trident
Weapon 2: Frost Brand (used to be Ice Sword)
Weapon 3: Frost Brand (used to be a Blacksteel Towershield)

Headgear: Spirit Helm
Armor: Chainmail of Displacement
Footgear: Winged Boots
Misc. slot: the pendant that gives airshield vs arrows.

Making that thing fly has done wonders, as it's effectively at the opponent's throat as soon as it gets a turn.

The pendant is not so much against the opposing arrows(I've got the guy set to target archers), but more the 100+ Caelum Archers he's got tagging along

I'd probably have given him a charcoal shield, but there is one...tiny...problem.

I've already forged a ring of waterbreathing for when this guy has to take anything underwater.

Or would shambler armor be better in this case?
If so, I can still keep the ring, as I've got a few site hunting mages who'd need to check said locations too.

You'd think that at 10% chance of a fire skill when you recruit an Eagle King, you'd have gotten it after recruiting 20+ of the guys x.x

My research on the other hand, is going like a bullet train

[Zenzei]

Actually the probability for eagle king with fire random is 0.1*0.25=0.025=2.5%. So bying twentysomething of these and not having one isn't weird at all.

[Sombre]

I think that nataraja might suffer from the perils of fatigue.

[Omnirizon]

you mentioned thri-kreen

you're a D&D geek.

those four armed bastards were nothing but the most egregious min-max material, they should be outlawed.

[Edi]

One use for a Nataraja pretender is taking high dominion, no magic, making the bugger imprisoned and then getting absolutely obscene scales. This is useful for some nations that do not have good sacred units (e.g. MA & LA Arco). Don't know how viable that is in MP, though, as I play SP only.