MP: Morla MA noob game (running)

[SpaceViking21]

and THAT'S why he's the king.

[triqui]

Yep, it's a good SC chasis.

[shatner]

Ermor has been handling itself well against T'ien Ch'i. And just as importantly, T'ien Ch'i has not been handling itself particularly well against Ermor (more on this below). The particulars of Ermor's front against the giants we know almost nothing about.

T'ien Ch'i is a nation characterized by two things: magical diversity (all paths but blood and death are available in meaningful quantities to MA T'ien Ch'i) and specialized troops. T'ien Ch'i has composite bows, crossbows, towershields and spears (in light, medium and heavy infantry varieties), glaves (also in light, medium and heavy), pikes, cavalry archers, medium cavalry archers and straight-up heavy cavalry. Their recruitable commanders include have cheap patrollers, spies, healers, fortune-telling priests, cheap sacred researchers, sage-bonus researchers who can be hired without a lab, cheap communion casters as well as two flavors of super diverse cap-only mages. Their recruit screen is substantially larger than most other nations'. About the only things they don't do are recruitable thugs and sacred soldiers worth creating a bless around. However, all their troops are either unimpressive outside of their specialty or too resource-heavy to properly mass. That means you either bring the right tool to the fight or you face an expensive battle (win or lose). This includes bringing the right magic to a fight because T'ien Ch'i under-performs without good magical back-up unless facing indie-level opposition.

The normal response to high-caliber undead is to spam dust to dust; a low-research, D1 spell. Unforunately, MA T'ien Ch'i, unlike every other age of T'ien Ch'i, has no native death access so we've been forced to use the S2, evocation spell Solar Rays instead. So T'ien Ch'i charged into the battle with a finely tuned and intricately crafted host meant to burn the undead to cinders with stellar lasers... only to find that the undead aren't nearly as laser-able as was previously hoped. I'm not 100% sure why; I thought that spell didn't allow for an MR save but it just doesn't seem to be zapping particularly well. Regardless, T'ien Ch'i has lost a few minor and one major engagement with Ermor and has been engaging in a fighting retreat ever since.

Either we will find something that does work or we will be overrun and assimilated into the Ermorian empire. Playing T'ien Ch'i gives you access to almost every type of unit and almost every type of spell this game has to offer, which is excellent. However, until you learn to use those troops effectively and until you do whatever is required to unlock those spells (research, forging boosters, forming communions, etc.) you are a slightly expensive and very squishy nation of humans wearing robes.

T'ien Ch'i: succeeding or failing really, really big with virtually nothing in-between.

[Olm]

It was a bristling cold dawn in the province of Feldan Woods when finally the two large hosts of knights clashed. Man forces where prepared and waiting. 32 Knights of Avalon on their white unicorns. White armor, blue shields, glistening lances and horns shimmering with magic. Commanded by Lancelot, their commander, a black spot in their ranks due to his black steel plate armor.
In addition 17 Knights, commanded by Beorthric the Knight of the Stone.
Those forces were supported by a squad of longbowmen commanded by Cibragol, a host of ghouls under Yazrid ibn Hassar, some Wardens and the local Militia. And last but not least by several mothers of Avalon and Bards.

The Marignon attackers brought 48 Knights of the Chalice under Angelique d'Armant the Heroine and Peter the Paladin (so 51:50, counting the horses). They were supported by few foot soldiers, 2 High Inquisitors and one Grand Master.

Man opened the fight by Songs of Quickness and some Lightning Bolts. Then the ghouls and Militia attacked. The Knights waited.
The Marignon Knights charged into the Ghouls, piercing a many of them with their lances, which became useless after this charge.

Then the countercharge of Mans Knight came and their Lances finished the lives of many a Knight of the Chalice. This decisive charge essentially sealed the fate of Marignon, tilting the numbers in Mans favor. Marignon fought valiantly, and many a Knight of Avalon died, but the outcome was inevitable.

Great deeds were performed that day the greatest by Beorthric, who charged all alone to the back of the Marignon formation, taking on 7 Knights of the Chalice single handedly. He took several minor wounds but in the end he saw the tails of his enemies horses.

The battle was over by noon. The snow all around a bloody mess, littered with corpses of men and horses.

20 Knights of Avalon and 12 Knights survived the day. Together with most of the Archers and Wardens. Of the leaders of Man only one Mother fell. The Ghouls were eradicated completely.

Of Marignon 9 Knights managed to flee the field of battle as well as the Heroine the Paladin and one of the High Inquisitors.

A glorious victory for Avalon, which opens up the road to Marignon itself!

[triqui]

The normal response to high-caliber undead is to spam dust to dust; a low-research, D1 spell. Unforunately, MA T'ien Ch'i, unlike every other age of T'ien Ch'i, has no native death access so we've been forced to use the S2, evocation spell Solar Rays instead. So T'ien Ch'i charged into the battle with a finely tuned and intricately crafted host meant to burn the undead to cinders with stellar lasers... only to find that the undead aren't nearly as laser-able as was previously hoped. I'm not 100% sure why; I thought that spell didn't allow for an MR save but it just doesn't seem to be zapping particularly well. Regardless, T'ien Ch'i has lost a few minor and one major engagement with Ermor and has been engaging in a fighting retreat ever since.

Either we will find something that does work or we will be overrun and assimilated into the Ermorian empire. Playing T'ien Ch'i gives you access to almost every type of unit and almost every type of spell this game has to offer, which is excellent. However, until you learn to use those troops effectively and until you do whatever is required to unlock those spells (research, forging boosters, forming communions, etc.) you are a slightly expensive and very squishy nation of humans wearing robes.

T'ien Ch'i: succeeding or failing really, really big with virtually nothing in-between.

I was planning to say it later, but now the debate arised, I'll talk about that.

Dust to dust is NOT a good spell against the Vestals. It offer you nothing that any other evocation spell do not.

Dust to dust do 22 AN armor in AoE 1 with precision 3. However, the vestals have 9 hp and protection 0. Any other spell kills them exactly wih the same way. A fireball kills them exactly as a dust to dust does.
Solar Rays work much much much better. It has much higher precision, and although its lower damage, it kills them right on the spot regardless. It does not allow you MR check. But my vestals have S9 bless, that means they ignore the first hit, including spells. That, however,is true for Dust to Dust, which, in addition, miss much more (due to lower precision bonus). And both kill them right in the spot.

The reason Jotun managed to have great success against Vestals with Dust to Dust in our fisrt battle, was becouse the Vestals were guided by indie priest, and had wrong script. Indie priest unholy bless area is tiny, and most of them went into battle without Twist Fate frim S9 bless. Then Dust to dust killed them, yes. But any other AoE 1+ will have done the trick: fireball, flare, lightning bolt, cold bolt... Some of thise have higher precision, some others have higher AoE. And anyone that does 9+ damage is so good to kill them as Dust to Dust is.

Solar Ray is the best low level spell against them imho. Its just that S9 bless force you to kill them twice. But that is so regardless of the spell used

[SpaceViking21]

Well, the reason I've been using Dust is because access to D1 is much, much more common than access to S2 for Jotunheim. My only S2 option is to recruit a cap-only mage and hope for lucky randoms. D1 is available as a 1/4 shot from any fort, and guaranteed at the capital.

[TimpaMan]

Yep. End came sooner than I thought. Man was too strong for me to fight him solo. Didnt have really much chances from the beginning, surprisedly managed this far. My production is at 0 atm, cos of his spellcasting etc (unrest at capital over100), armies cruished, so basicly theres only my army free provinces there for him to cap now. As I told before, he will devour my country now as whole, and get some 10+ provinces more...

Good luck stopping him after this.
Well, its good time for me to quit anyhow, leaving on trip on tuesday, wouldnt have been able to play next week anyway

Made marignon computer controlled. Thx for the game guys.

TimpaMan

[Olm]

Originally Posted by TimpaMan

Yep. End came sooner than I thought. Man was too strong for me to fight him solo. Didnt have really much chances from the beginning, surprisedly managed this far. My production is at 0 atm, cos of his spellcasting etc (unrest at capital over100), armies cruished, so basicly theres only my army free provinces there for him to cap now. As I told before, he will devour my country now as whole, and get some 10+ provinces more...

Good luck stopping him after this.
Well, its good time for me to quit anyhow, leaving on trip on tuesday, wouldnt have been able to play next week anyway

Made marignon computer controlled. Thx for the game guys.

TimpaMan

You decided the time yourself by attacking me.
We could have circled each other for several more turns, but that would only have made me stronger so I can understand your decision and anticipated it. I mustered all my troops in the region in that province. Had you won, that would have probably bought you a year time or so.

I have to thank you for the fight. It was fun.

I am sorry I had to kick you so early. Normally I am much more diplomatic, but you seemed so week (which was a misinterpretation, I know now) that I could not think of you as a valuable ally. My only other option for an enemy would have been Ermor, but he was very strong then, and it would have meant a very long and costly war with uncertain outcome. So I decided you as the target. I hope you don't take it personal and had at least a little fun. CU

[Olm]

Originally Posted by TimpaMan

My production is at 0 atm, cos of his spellcasting etc (unrest at capital over100)
TimpaMan

Yes, thats the work of my Bards.

[triqui]

Sure. And it's very easy to research too, it's harder to research evo3 just for solar ray, if you have nothing else of interest in the path.

What I mean is that any single AoE in the game is so good against Vestals as Dust to Dust is. A Flare kills them just as good.

Dust to Dust really shines against high HP high Prot undeads, such as Bane Lords, Behemoths, or even Joun Longdeads. Vestals are fragile and have no prot, 22AN is just as good as 9 normal damage against thm.