Baalz' guides

[Benjamin]

Actually, just prepare to lose because you are worse in nearly every way compared to MA aby, and MA aby isn't exactly a powerhouse in it's era, and most early nations are stronger than middle nations.

I note, for example, that there are no EA aby wins in the HOF. Baalz, none of that was a shot at you, just stating the facts.

If you insist on trying, here's some things I learned over the course of my efforts:

An important thing to emphasize with EA aby is that right out of the gate there are some nations that you do really well against, and some that are a nightmare. So emphasize diplomacy perhaps more than usual. For instance, anyone with a lot of air magic is just going to kill you early game if they try. You could go with a SC to try to combat that, but then you won't have the diversity of the rainbow, which as you point out baalz is basically essential for later in the game.

On the other hand the mictlan player with his blessed jags is really not going to want to deal with you.

On the other hand, anyone with a lot of earth magic is going to make you look like a jerk with destruction spam. He will get that before you get enough blood power to compensate.

So focus on not fighting anyone with much air or earth.

You can handle elephants with rage pretty well, but chariots are a lot tougher.

If you are using archers, be aware that when the enemy routes they will charge ahead and catch on fire if you have a bunch of abyssians in front of them.

Be aware that your research will stink compared to people who aren't blood hunting.

In a pinch the demonbred assassin can lead undead if you give him a banelord rod (name might be a bit off).

One of the ice devils can teleport if you give him a cap.

The demonbred assasin, especially if you forge him 2 fireswords (or whatever they're called, the fire sword trinket) is an excellent indy assassin. He can deal with tough indies that have a lot of cataphracts or elephants or whatever. Use an indy commander to take the province, don't waste the assassins turn. Use that same commander on a back of the placement square retreat setting in order to check how many commanders are left.

[Baalz]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Actually, just prepare to lose because you are worse in nearly every way compared to MA aby, and MA aby isn't exactly a powerhouse in it's era, and most early nations are stronger than middle nations.

I don't think that's a valid assessment. While I wouldn't put EA Aby at the top of the list of powerhouses, I wouldn't put them at the bottom either. The problem is they are very seductive in tempting you to play in a way that is powerful short term, but a dead end long term. If you make diversity your primary goal early on though then you have a lot less to worry about when people start bringing iron bane, rain and fire immune thugs to the fights because you're now bringing demons/undead under darkness or masses of flaming arrows or whatever.

And its not like its realistic that you are shut down as soon as alt-4 (destruction) is researched unless your play is very predictable and straightforward. More likely you don't have too much to worry about until that's combined with summon earthpower and even still if you're tossing a bunch of fireballs from outside of destruction's range you've got a considerable high ground advantage while your opponent has to close to *you* and still has a considerable heat aura problem to deal with, along with salamanders and infantry which hits hard regardless of their armor. The problem comes later when they can basically ignore your evocations while pelting you with their own, forcing you to charge *them* into destruction spam - that's when you really need to have your diversity worked out...but you shouldn't have any trouble having it by then if you play with half a brain.

[Trumanator]

Actually, Burning ones laugh at chariots. I'm not sure where baalz is coming from with Warlocks getting you all kinds of diversity, since they only have 10% randoms in EA. If you're worried about research, blitz to cons 6, trade for a set of E boots, and start cranking out the lightless lanterns with hammers. If you search with an Anointed or two, its possible to even get some S income from holy sites. Also, Anointeds are pretty good anti-thugs, give them an AP weapon and some luck, then throw down Ironskin and Phoenix Pyre, then attack. If you have no E bless reinvig can be a problem though.

[Baalz]

Originally Posted by Trumanator

I'm not sure where baalz is coming from with Warlocks getting you all kinds of diversity, since they only have 10% randoms in EA.

Sorry, I was being brief. I was referring to the fact that the warlocks get you blood slaves which get you (probably) powerful water, astral & an earth mage via your pretender (arch devils don't hurt either), and (definately) a bunch of powerful D mages. Abyssia sitting mid game with a dozen strong W/S/E/D mages and a diverse gem income along with a few flying demon squads is a hell of a lot more of a threat than Abyssia who has a bunch of blessed and kitted Anointed. Warlocks (via blodhunting leveraging your pretender) get you considerable diversity by the time you have to worry about good counters to your infantry and fire magic.

[Benjamin]

Yes but if you go to const 6 you are going to spend a lot of turns with a very, very brittle army.

You may be right about burning ones vs chariots, thinking about it I suspect you are, but that won't save you from lightning evocations and destruction spam, which is really the crux of my criticism.

e: and regarding the anointed, they aren't terrible, but they cost 450 gold! That's like Baal territory, and more than an eagle king. They just aren't really cost effective in my opinion.

Another trick you can use that I forgot earlier is salamander guards against horrors when you hellpower. Couldn't think of a real use for hellpower though.

[Trumanator]

Very true. Thing is, evoc honestly won't really save you from lightning or destruction spam. Burning one thugs can though. Plus with a good LL spam you can gun up to whatever else it is you want.

[thejeff]

I'm really not sure Abysia should be counting on getting the blood uniques. You'll have to rush both blood research and blood hunting against nations who can churn out cheap blood hunters much faster than you (Mictlan? Lanka?)

If you do you'll be in good shape. Even if you don't the vampire strategy may be workable.

Meanwhile though you're relying on only troops, blood magic and minimal evocation for any early wars. Anyone who thinks he can cope with fire will be glad to rush you.

[Baalz]

Oh, I think you've got a pretty good chance actually. The other blood nations all have other research that they need early. Mictlan for instance won't start blood hunting until after they hit constr-4, then when they do start blood hunting the first several turns the blood slaves are going into sanuine rods. Lanka probably really wants some alt research early on and probably construction as well. Either of them may very well also go for early site searching spells because they're pretty unlikely to have a rainbow pretender. Aby, on the other hand if configured how I suggest goes up to evo-2 then nothing but blood. Obviously its not a guarantee that you'll snag the uniques, but I think its a very rare situation where you don't get some of them, and I think it'd be more common than you think to get most of them - particularly as those bless nations again have a high chance of having a pretender who is not set up to help with the summoning so have to empower or forge several other boosters. As you mention, your final fallback is the vamp lords - who give you the diversity into death that is really most important anyway.

[Benjamin]

Baalz I'm surprised you think conj3 is necessary, aren't you always pointing out that an e2 can use earth gems in a pinch? Plenty of nations with plenty of earth gems to do that.

Anyhow, You're not going to be able to blood hunt, and research, and use mages for combat, and get a head start on the blood uniques.

Lightning evocs are still a disaster.

Salamanders I didn't find cost effective unless I added body ethereal, and that's out at alt 3 where you don't want to go if you are rushing blood.

You can play a reasonable mid game and even late game if you're allowed to diversify by leveraging blood and your pretender, I just don't think you'll get there, and even if you do you're just a weak blood nation.

I haven't even mentioned the difficulty you have in dealing with (some types of) raiding.

Sorry Baalz but this nation is a dog. Stick with their sexier older sister, ma aby.

[Baalz]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Baalz I'm surprised you think conj3 is necessary, aren't you always pointing out that an e2 can use earth gems in a pinch? Plenty of nations with plenty of earth gems to do that.

Anyhow, You're not going to be able to blood hunt, and research, and use mages for combat, and get a head start on the blood uniques.

Lightning evocs are still a disaster.

Salamanders I didn't find cost effective unless I added body ethereal, and that's out at alt 3 where you don't want to go if you are rushing blood.

You can play a reasonable mid game and even late game if you're allowed to diversify by leveraging blood and your pretender, I just don't think you'll get there, and even if you do you're just a weak blood nation.

I haven't even mentioned the difficulty you have in dealing with (some types of) raiding.

Sorry Baalz but this nation is a dog. Stick with their sexier older sister, ma aby.

There's a big, big, big difference between passing out gems to cast a couple critical spells at...say elephants rushing you, and trying to spam a short range spell like destruction at guys mostly content to pelt you with superior artillery from across the battlefield if it comes to it. Trying to close in under a barrage of fireballs and indie archers with your mages to get the range right for destruction while you're burning gems and the Aby player varies how far back his troops, baits the destruction with indie light infantry and generally doesn't just stick a bunch of heavy infantry in the front line as tempting targets doesn't sound anything like domination to me - nor exceptionally hard for Aby to pull off. Toss in just a couple indie cavalry to flank in on the mages trying to get close enough and sounds to me like a very bad day for guys bringing nothing but destruction fueled by gems.

As to getting ahead on the research for the blood uniques...you do realize anyone you're competing with for them needs to put resources towards bloodhunting to? As well as a using some stuff from their castles to lead and bless their sacreds? Its also not like you need to use your mages to clear indies - your infantry is fully capable of doing that just fine at a very economical rate allowing you to castle up relatively quickly. You've got a pretty good head start with a focus on that research few will match and a pretender specifically designed to help with it. Not a guarantee obviously, but it seems like a pretty good shot to me and even if somebody else is focussed that way you're virtually guaranteed to get some of them.

Raiding problems? I think you're looking at the wrong nation man...and lightning is no more of a problem than it is for anybody else who's best units are heavy infantry. Just like with plenty of nations you've just got to play to your strengths and plan from the beginning to mitigate your gaping weaknesses.