Helheim advice

[Festin]

I could not find an actual thread on Helheim in strategy index, so I'm creating a new one. Could somebody please give some advice on playing this race? It sure looks like a F9W9 bless is the only real option for them, but there are still a few questions:
1)Which sacreds/sacred commanders are most effective?
2)What spells are research priority for Helheim?
3)Does it have any kind of end-game strategy, or is it purely a rush nation?

Thanks in advance.

[Foodstamp]

I don't feel that f9w9 is the only option for Helheim. I do just as well with a F9S9N4 Monolith.

To answer your other questions:

1. I really like raiding with Valkyries and Dis with the bless I described above. The flight makes it easier to get deep inside enemy territory and being sacred allows the units to function well inside enemy domain. Also, the S9 part of the bless works well with flying units. To be honest, I recruit very few Hangadrotts at any stage of the game, I prefer to use every turn at the capital for svarts.

2. If you are talking MP, the game is currently set up where construction is the most important school unless you are getting attacked early on. You can choose other options instead of construction, but your strategy will be based around fighting other nations who have gone the construction rout to outfit super combatants. For Helheim, you don't have much to worry about from an early push, but if you are concerned, they have access to some great evocations and skeleton spam.

3. Helheim has a solid end game. It is crucial to find some indy mages throughout the game to offer some protection to mind hunts and diversify your magic. The end game for Helheim will probably center around undead thugs and later undead and gargoyle SCs, powerful battle mages and dabbling/ empowering in blood. Atleast that is how I do it.

[Nikelaos]

valkyries are the perfect raiders and argueably the most useful recruit in the game, sort of a utility soldier.

with a good bless they are perfect for early expansion

they can fly so can be brought to and from the front lines real quickly as well as being dispatched to any threats anywhere quickly

they are nice fighters and flight means they are welcome in any army, direct them after specific targets like archers or large monsters.

they have stleath and can fly so the enemy never knows where or when they'll raid next

[Festin]

Interesting, thanks. I tend to overlook valkyries, as I always assumed that Vanheim/Helheim are all about sacred cavalry. S9 is also nice, as it will be useful in late game. But I'm still not sure which commanders to use(except svartalves, of course).

[archaeolept]

e9 hellhirdlings are all you need for expansion. f9e9 are great army choppers. s9 is good for the valks, as has been pointed out. b4 is a good additional bless. w9e9 is another bless option.

[Gregstrom]

W9S9 would leave the valkyries nearly invulnerable (might be overkill though).

[Edratman]

I haven't played Helheim since svard's were nerfed to cap only units. They were my favorite nation before that patch. I'm still sulking.

[SlipperyJim]

A simple W9 bless works fine for Helheim, and it will still leave you enough points for some decent scales. W9F9 (or most other dual-9 blesses) will leave you with crappy scales. I'd only do that for something like W9S9 or W9D9, because Astral and/or Death magic is so good in the endgame.

(And Helheim already has Death, so that's another point in support of the S9 option....)

The best part of the W9 bless is that when you route an enemy, your Quickened Helhirdlings can chase them down and kill most of them before they escape. Start out at the very back (left edge) of the battlefield with Hold & Attack orders. That gives you the maximum opportunity to chase down the enemy and kill them....

My endgame was Tartarians. However, that was before the Shattered Soul change, so I don't know how that plays now....

[Executor]

From what I see in MP it's very hard to expand with Helheim early on.
Any suggestion as to early tactic, maybe even scales?
Order seems a must for those expensive sacreds and mages
Cold 2, maybe 3
Sloth 3, maybe 2
Growth 2, maybe 1 to get some extra points
Misf. 1, maybe even 2 ( depends on order )
Drain 2, I guess they can afford it with all those death gems.

Would this be reasonable scales? And would this leave room for a S9W9N4 bless or any other dual bless?

[thejeff]

Hard to expand with Helheim? I haven't played them in MP, but aren't they still a bless rush nation?
Various nerfs have dropped them down below Neifelheim and Lanka and Hinnom are now more feared, but you shouldn't have any problems expanding. A handful of blessed Helhirdings should be able to take almost any indies.