Worthwhile summons (early to mid)

[Jack_Trowell]

I'm surprised that sea kings are not considered worthy SC material. They have regen, some natural protection, good MR, good HP, and can self-cast personal quickness and breath of winter.

Of course, you need some good equipment to make them into a true SC, but they come earlier than most traditionnal SC chassis, are not unique, and for the cost you get sea trolls to escort them or your armies, and they make water gem.

If you happen to have a E9 or E10 blessing, a simple shroud give them decent (not great, but decent) armor (thanks to the blessing and natural armor) without adding enc, and some reinvigoration to keep with their quickness.

Add a brand for some area damage, the classic vine shield + amulet of luck and amulet of antimagic, maybe some boots of the messenger if you need more reinvigoration, and any helm (horror helm if you can, but with the earth bless, even a low-prot one will do if you don't have the gems or death magic)

And if you don't want to use so much gems because you're saving them for later SCs, just a brand and a shroud already make for a very good thug, no ?

Of course, without the earth blessing, they are harder to equipe, as you will need more reinvigoration because of the inevitable enc + quickness, but they still seams ok as earlier SCs for me.

But I am not very familiar with MP games as I usually play solo (yes, I know the AI sucks, but I play more against the map that the AI and have a blast doing it) so maybe I missed something that make them less desirable as SC ?

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by Jack_Trowell

...

If you happen to have a E9 or E10 blessing, a simple shroud give them decent (not great, but decent) armor (thanks to the blessing and natural armor) without adding enc, and some reinvigoration to keep with their quickness....

I try not to base general strategies on things like E9/10 bless since such a thing requires planning in the early stages and many nations don't take a bless strategy since they cannot sustain it very long. This, therefore, has to be part of an initial strategy rather than as a strategy evolving during the campaign. Obvious alternatives to the shroud would be Rainbow Armor, Lightweight/Weightless Scale Mail or other gem-cheap, reinvig or low-enc armor. This means you may need a reinvig item somewhere else to keep enc down.

[Makinus]

I do like Call of the Winds as the hawk is good both as a patroller and as a "transport" commander to ferry those troops produced in castles to the front lines.

I also like the Call of the Wild as the werewolf is a good tugh when kitted or can be left in a forest summoning allies to get free wolves. I normally leave 1 werewolf in each of my forests just sommoning wolves.