Questions and Comments About the Improved MA Ulm

[Sombre]

I really think black priests are rubbish for MA Ulm. The only thing they have going for them is that they are holy 2, as pointed out. But they are also cap only and you will almost always want to build something else to rush your research, since Ulm needs its key spells in a hurry. Namely the priest-smith, who is alos cap only and for the most part is simply better than the black priest.

Black priests are great for LA Ulm though.

[Endoperez]

Access to H2 is good enough, IMO. You won't recruit more than few, but those few for the early game armies not lead by your prophet help keep your units from suiciding. Retreating heavy infantry almost always dies before they get anywhere...

[Dedas]

The inquisition bonus is quite nice when sieging castles in enemy dominion.

Oh, and iron darts and iron blizzard is awesome against magic beings. Quite good on normal units as well.
What makes them good is the high precision, good range and "boostability". Iron blizzard is 30+ effects.

[Sombre]

Sure, but priest smith is your guy for those spells, not black priest, iirc.

The inquisition bonus on the very few black priests you might actually build is a very minor consideration. I guess they would be a unit you'd build every turn if someone was domkilling you, to preach in your cap. That's another very minor niche.

[Edi]

The Black Priests are supposed to be marginal in MA. The Iron Inquisition has not yet risen and it is only emerging from the Black Order.

So you build a few of those when necessary and build priest-smiths the rest of the time in your capital and master smiths elsewhere. MA Black Priests are designed to be niche instead of common as dirt. Otherwise it screws up the thematics of the nation.

[Endoperez]

Sombre mentioned something on IRC that piqued my interest. I've always mainly recruited the Ulmish crossbowmen in the early game. The infantry is there to kill the survivors and to keep the independents from reaching the arbalests. Sombre said he mostly uses their infantry.

How do you expand with MA Ulm?

[Edi]

Infantry. Crossbowmen are too inefficient because the arbalests fire just once every three turns. I always recruit indie crossbows if I find them. I do use some arbalests for backup and softening the enemy up, but it's the morningstar infantry and guardians that do the heavy lifting.

[Meglobob]

Endoperez said:How do you expand with MA Ulm?

I use infantry. I never recruit arbalists. Ulmish infantry is excellent at taking indies if you get the composition spot on.

Indeed, if I recruit crossbows I recruit the siege/crossbows that fire 1/2 rounds, much better.