Thug Commanders

[Skirmisher]

I had read in the Dominions 3 WIKI that thugs were for taking over lightly defended provinces and taking on large common armies alone.
Since I got Dominions 3 back in late June I've been playing Arcoscephale EA exclusively. I guess the Arco's aren't really a good thug nation.
I have pretty much settled in using a rainbow sage with 24 research for my pretender. Since research is so important in this game, you really can't afford to slack on it. Using the pretender for an SC early seems counter productive. Unless the map is small.

[Poopsi]

...I dont think that the pretender´s research is that important, in the long run. Particularily since EA arco has access to philosophers as cheap researchers which can be spammed with ease.

You might do better with a SC pretender so that you get the resources to star your research economy... of course, you lose the gems edge, but you are losing that already if your pretender is sitting in the capital researching.

[thejeff]

Originally Posted by Skirmisher

Since I got Dominions 3 back in late June I've been playing Arcoscephale EA exclusively. I guess the Arco's aren't really a good thug nation.

Supposedly the Oreiads make good thugs. I haven't really really played enough with EA Arco to give advice, but with a little gear the Awe should protect them from enough attacks to survive.

[Hoplosternum]

Originally Posted by thejeff

Supposedly the Oreiads make good thugs. I haven't really really played enough with EA Arco to give advice, but with a little gear the Awe should protect them from enough attacks to survive.

I have heard that as well. Baalz, or someone else, did a couple of example equipment lists for them which looked quite impressive.

But the Arcos in general are very 'Thug poor' nations. In general they have no access to Death or Blood (LA Sybils have a chance at a little death but thats it) and no national summons that can be made in to Thugs. Nor recruitable commanders that are natural thugs - unless you consider the (EA) Oreiad as such.

Until you get to the Elemental Royalty and the other high end summons (Golems etc) there is only Troll Kings - which are expensive - and the rather moderate Sleeper chassis to turn to if you want a Thug.

Many of the original races are like this. There are lots of nice things about them but they have key weaknesses which need to be either be overcome with your Pretender design or your strategy. Some of the later designs seem to be strong everywhere

If you want to try out Thug strategies then Arco is a poor choice. It isn't that Oreiads can't be made in to Thugs but they have so many other uses and make rather unusual ones anyway. If you are interested in trying out Thugs then there are much more suitable nations to practice with.

Any of the Giant Races provides you with recruitable Giant Commanders who have useful magic paths and / or self blessable Giant commanders (plenty of HPs & strength) which are well worth adding equipment to. Pythium, Marignon, most Monkey nations and the dedicated blood nations have many national summons which can be made in to very useful Thugs. Or simply choose a race with easy access to Blood or Death (which have recruitable Thugs as summons).

By the end game everyone should have access to SCs, but Thugs often come earlier and it matters which race you play.