HINNOM EATS EVERYTHING

[konming]

That means you need to attack indies instead of sauromatian in the early game.

[MaxWilson]

I'm confused. If you're comparing resource cost, shouldn't it be 3 chariots to 87 hydras? If you're comparing gold cost, shouldn't it be 7.5 dawn guards to 6 Oirpata?

-Max

[chrispedersen]

its your likely production, Max.

You are going to be limited by *either* gold, or resources, or holy.

[MaxWilson]

Sure, but why skew both comparisons in favor of Sauromatia by using it as the baseline?

-Max

[Renojustin]

Sauromatia build is extremely tight on points among other things and is very unlikely to have anything other than Sloth scales.

In addition, read my guide for poison bow archer counters. The only way you're going to have significant trouble with them with Hinnom is if you're attacking them. And that's only in early game before you can leverage your poison-immune SCs. So early game defense is a strength of Sauromatia... it's just what happens when the irresistable force meets the immovable object.

At least there's one nation that Hinnom simply can't rush off the map initially... they have to actually wait till turn 15.

[chrispedersen]

How do you think I'm skewing the comparison? Average out 10 turns of production, if you wish. Show me a hinnom build I'll show you a sauromatia build that takes it.

[sum1lost]

How about you show a sauromatia build, and he shows you a hinnom build that takes it?

[JimMorrison]

I think we could do this all day long.

ROCK!

PAPER!

SCISSORS!


Curses! You have outplayed me again!

[Itchykobu]

On the subject of Hinnom eating everything...I am finding this to be painfully true. I started an 8 player game against CPU, and Hinnom started on the other side of the map from me (EA Agartha). After I destroyed Mictlan other nations started agressing me, namely Ulm, Atlantis, and Caelum. I was establishing a defensive front against these three when I decided to check the score graph. Imagine my displeasure when I found that I was in second place on all graphs....Hinnom was in first. This would normally be no problem...except that on all graphs they were 4x higher on the charts. So, the other CPU players were just going belly-up under Hinnom's power. Suddenly (like, within the course of 1 turn) Caelum and Atlantis disappeared, and in their place the legions of Hinnom stood. I got powered back to almost my capitol. Unfortunately, I had gone Ageless Olm E6W6 and could think of no solid way to stop the tide of destruction. In a tremendous effort I did a TON of alchemy and empowerment to get a D9 Oracle of Death. Using the Oracle I cast Utterdark and cut Hinnom's armies in half....my pale ones gained the upper hand in combat against Hinnom's national units. Not deterred, I saw an immediate spike in Hinnom's use of blood mages and demon summonings.

I am slowly turning the tide in my favor, using alchemy to generate income (see, it's not a useless mechanic to convert fire gems to gold!). I've cast frozen seas to cut off Hinnom's ocean assaults and establish choke points. I've empowered tons of oracles and olms to cast upwards of four Ghost Riders and 5 Earth Attacks per turn to break Hinnom's undead/demon sieges on my choke points.

My major obstacle now is a demon army led by a huge nephilim prophet that keeps casting spells to make his entire army ethereal, while I churn out as many barathrusian elementals and Umbrals as I can per turn.

Early summer, year 28, and I can't get Hinnom to break....

[MaxWilson]

I'm really impressed that Hinnom's AI switched to blood mages under Utterdark. Nice job, JK!

Sounds like a fun game.

-Max