Send Horror and Scouts

[lch]

This came up in the IRC channel some time ago, Zeldor knows how it works...

namad2: ugh!
namad2: scouts can attack BEFORE teleport attack phase?!?!?!!?
namad2: fuccccccccccccccck
namad2: i lost like 4scouts and wasted about as many horrors as a result
namad2: ****ed up thing is i made the same mistake in a previous game
Zeldor: if scout moves FROM a province that is being attacked in a magic phase, he will move in magic phase too
Zeldor: I learned it the hard way
Zeldor: and afaik you can conquer 2 provs at once if you are lucky [by magically attacking both the prov where scout is and where is moving]

"Attack current province" works like a zero-distance movement for that matter, the same applies.

[vfb]

Yep, that's pretty much what I saw.

[Agema]

Got to say I am okay with how it works at the moment as its a resource cheap, effective tactic, worse case scenario you lost a scout and some blood slaves, no big deal.

I have a problem with how it works as a non-blood nation on the receiving end
To do the equivalent as non-blood requires the gem/gold expense of a thug or a high gem cost for an effective province attack spell - Call of the Winds doesn't exactly cut it.

[lch]

I've used the same approach with Ghost Riders. You can beat any PD if you cast it often enough on a province, as they are stacking, of course. For low PD up to maybe 10, one casting is enough.

[Agema]

That's true, but I'd perceive 10 (or more) death gems compared to the cost of a horror as a lot more proportionately expensive.

[vfb]

Ghost riders is only 5D. It's the research (Conj 9) and path requirements (D6) that make it less common than Send Lesser Horror.

The horsemen are pretty much crap, but the Wraith Lord leader is the energizer bunny. An scary ethereal, chill aura, protection 25, immortal energizer bunny that never routs.

It's quite a bit more durable than a lesser horror. Except for PDs that get good mages or priests at 20, one casting of Ghost Riders is usually enough for a 30PD province, I think.

[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by lch

Zeldor: if scout moves FROM a province that is being attacked in a magic phase, he will move in magic phase too
Zeldor: I learned it the hard way
Zeldor: and afaik you can conquer 2 provs at once if you are lucky [by magically attacking both the prov where scout is and where is moving]

"Attack current province" works like a zero-distance movement for that matter, the same applies.

Interesting. This could actually be a boost for a certain few nations.

Suppose you are pan. You have 30 stealthy troops in a neighbors territory. He has a vacant territory, but one he is going to move through.

If you cast horror on your province, you move in the magic phase, and take the empty territory. I wonder if it prevents the move through, or if that will occur anyway.

Ie.,

ABC
DEF
GHI

You have stealthy troops in his province E.
You hit E with a horror and attack H.
He has an Army in I moving to G.

I presume the army will fight in H.

[Psycho]

Why would there be a fight in H? He's not moving to H.

If you take H like this in the regular phase, his army should arrive in G. If you take H in magic phase as well, his army should remain in I.

[vfb]

Chris, when you hit E with the Horror, the formerly-sneaking troops in E are forced to fight in E, in the magic phase.

Anything else those troops do, such as heading off to H, happens in the regular movement phase.

[archaeolept]

one other wrinkle, if forces from the province you are attacking w/ the hidden units move into the province the hidden units are attacking from, there is the normal chance that the battle might be in the original "hiding" province... pretty relevant if there is a big army there and you lose all of your van thugs...
/me shakes fist

but, generally, vfb, if you hadn't have attacked the province you were attacking from w/ a horror it would likely have worked out.