Tip: Counter to Darkness?

[AreaOfEffect]

If you can cast Solar Brilliance then you can cast Antimagic. (No really, Antimagic is lower on the same research tree and it requires a lower level of Astral.) Just use the un-modded spell and at worst you negate the darkness effect and scorch the demons at the cost of only a few retinas.

[Tifone]

Mmmh AreaOfEffect, that seems smart to me! Let me summarize, you suggest casting Antimagic to protect friendly units from the Solar Brilliance (which in fact can be resisted by a MR roll), which will not only (if it's true) dispell Darkness but even makes more damage on demons? Oh well seems we have a perfect counter, ladies and gentlemen! Good good work sir

[MaxWilson]

So I guess the question now is, is Solar Brilliance (+ Antimagic) going to be enough to hold off armies of 500+ demons WITHOUT Darkness? Or do we have to throw in Master Enslave, Fog Warriors, and Rain of Stones?

-Max

[Saxon]

Depending on the game, you may find that the other player is having a tough time keeping the death gems arriving in his army. Also, there is probably only one mage scripted to cast Darkness and that mage may only have enough gems to cast it once.

So, try to force them to cast when they don't want to. Cast a spell which attacks the army during the magic phase, just to make them cast. Call of the Winds, the undead horsemen spell, things like that. Then attack with your real army in the same turn and they won't have the gems to cast it again. Alternativly, just keep forcing battles, so they burn up gems. An army on the march, without labs, can run out of gems relativly easily. If nothing else, it will force them to use gems on this, instead of summons or forging.

Obviously, if you have a good and organized opponent, this is not a sure fire counter. But it does increase the pressure on them and create a chance you will get an opportunity.

[Endoperez]

Mandahas autocast Darkness, so that doesn't apply to this situation.

[K]

GreenAris said:
Hi there, would be grateful for any help.

I am currently engaged in an entertaining MP game playing EA Tien Chien against Lanka. But I am struggling against Darkness, specifically the Big Lanka Demons that scare the sun away. We are on turn 70 or so, I have loads of Celestial mages and the ability to cast virtually any spell, but my armies are falling back in disarray from armies of 500 or so demons with darkvision. Help!

Many Thanks

If you can get 5-6 Bow's of War on some Demon or Undead commanders set to Fire Large Monster, then cast Flaming Arrows, you should clear youtr Mandanha problem right up.

Failing that. Mass casters who can cast Drain Life. They should auto-target the Mandaha's and kill them, dropping the Darkness.

[Tifone]

Wow so the situation with Darkness isn't so bad as I thought I retret my previous statement about "Mass Darkvision", I'd prefer finding imaginative and tactic-intensive ways like these ones to solve a problem like this when I face it, I don't wanna become lazy

[Saxon]

Oops, didn't know that. Well, as many others have said, that is one of the great things about this game. There is so much depth and so much to learn.

In any case, I do stand by my advice for countering other nations, such as MA Ermor. I know I had to work hard to keep my armies supplied with the needed death gems.

[GreenAris]

Many thanks for the suggestions. I will give some of them a try. The Mandaha is well protected by a bunch of other giant deamons, so single target spells will probably get absorbed by them. But solar Brilliance may work, I will let you know how I get on.

[anticipatient]

Mandahas take severe damage from fire.