H2 priests: Why, when, how?

[Gregstrom]

Yes, it does depend. That's why I said 'often'.

By the way, in the short term the 2 H1 priests are less likely to affect enemy dominion than the single H2 priest (36% chance of no change, as opposed to 30%). And if you're worried about cost effectiveness, a temple plus two H1 priests costs rather more than a single H2 priest.

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by Gregstrom

And if you're worried about cost effectiveness, a temple plus two H1 priests costs rather more than a single H2 priest.

That is hardly a fair comparison, is it? Compare a H2 vs two H1 priests with no temple present, and you are at least in the correct ballpark The H2 priest btw becomes more effective under those conditions if there are 3 or more hostile candles.

But as has been pointed out already, if you could recruit a H2 priest, you would usually be able to recruit a H3 priest (or mage) instead (unless there H3 priest is capital only). And H3 priests are way nicer (Smite in addition to SoC) than H2 priests, which further limits their usefullness.


I wonder how useful H2 priests would in general be as thug chassis with some nice bless. I wonder how far for example C'tis High Priests would get with their ~10 HP Slap on some armour and a weapon, cast bless and holy avenger, while being buffed by Shamans (Body Etheral, Luck) and wade in

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Jarkko

I wonder how useful H2 priests would in general be as thug chassis with some nice bless. I wonder how far for example C'tis High Priests would get with their ~10 HP Slap on some armour and a weapon, cast bless and holy avenger, while being buffed by Shamans (Body Etheral, Luck) and wade in

That could work sometimes, but many nations also have sacred mages. C'tis Shamans, as an example.

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by Endoperez

That could work sometimes, but many nations also have sacred mages. C'tis Shamans, as an example.

Yeah, but the Shamans aren't H2 priests. In fact, they are not priests at all

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Jarkko

Yeah, but the Shamans aren't H2 priests. In fact, they are not priests at all

Sorry for not being clear. I meant that, as Shamans can be blessed as well, it's more effective to recruit 110gp sacred mages to research and thug than 100gp H2 priests to preach and thug. This also applies for some other nations' choices about thug chassis: MA Ulm is one (Priest Smith or Black Priest?), MA Jotunheim uses either the Jarls/Herses or Skratti for thugging and not the H2 priests, etc. I'm open for suggestions, I could be missing something.

[JimMorrison]

Originally Posted by Endoperez

MA Jotunheim uses either the Jarls/Herses or Skratti for thugging and not the H2 priests, etc. I'm open for suggestions, I could be missing something.

But that's partially due to the fact that the Gode has significantly inferior physical stats.

I think the choice becomes fairly complicated. In the vast majority of cases, if you are recruiting a national unit for an H1 priest, you are recruiting them for what they can do for you after they build a single temple to allow you to put out indie priests. And in the vast majority of cases, if you are recruiting an H2 at all, they are a national unit, and thus have other capabilities as well. The only time I could see training an H2 with nothing else, out of a castle, is some time in the first year when you just need a guy to go out and build temples for you.

I guess what it comes down to, is that you should virtually never be recruiting a commander based on whether it is H1 or H2 - and that the answer to "which is better", is actually, "whichever comes with better stuff other than Holy".