Gemgen alternative idea.

[vfb]

Originally Posted by Micah

Fantomen - Upkeep can be circumvented if you're willing to alchemize your piles of gems for any essential gold purchases and rely on commanders and 0 upkeep summons that won't desert. You'll go more and more negative each turn you get more clams, but it won't matter...obviously this would be more of an end-game tactic, but it doesn't solve the problem.

That much upkeep is also bad for the "natural" clamming nations, since the earlier in the game it is the more painful the upkeep is.

Sacred non-commander units don't desert either, so you get to keep them too if you get into negative income. Even regular units don't seem to desert all that quickly.

[vfb]

Originally Posted by Calahan

Ah yes, the eternal question of what to do with mages once research is completed that doesn't involve pressing 'n' several hundred times every turn.

Fight.

[Kuritza]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

I think this is a great idea. It directly addresses two major problems with hoarding:

1) Clams are not detectable - fixed

2) Clams could never be destroyed (they would just be moved by lab to a diffent location) - fixed

Actually, clams can be destroyed... Armageddon destroys them together with their holders. Lost tons of clams that way recently.

[Calahan]

Originally Posted by vfb

Fight.

Good plan.

- "Mages, all of you grab your staves and head northwards towards the battlefront".......

- "Sire, a messenger has just come fresh from the battlefront having ridden for two days to reach us. He reports that our Mages are causing much devastation to the enemies ranks"
- "Excellent".......

- "Sire Sire"
- "What is it?"
- "Some large monsters, presumably under the magical control of our enemy, have just arrived at the castle boundaries, and are breaking through the gates as I speak."
- "Send forth all the castle mages immediately to deal with these pests"
- "But Sire, you sent all our mages to the northern battlefront. There are none in the castle now"
- "Oh Arse"

[Ironhawk]

Yeah but that was basically the only way you could get at them. Now, you can seige/storm the fort where your enemies clams are and wipe them out. Additionally, making them fragile means they are vulnerable to regular remotes: seeking arrow, flames from afar, disease, etc.

Originally Posted by Kuritza

Actually, clams can be destroyed... Armageddon destroys them together with their holders. Lost tons of clams that way recently.

[MaxWilson]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

Yeah but that was basically the only way you could get at them. Now, you can seige/storm the fort where your enemies clams are and wipe them out. Additionally, making them fragile means they are vulnerable to regular remotes: seeking arrow, flames from afar, disease, etc.

Can't you assassinate a clam-holder and take/destroy his clam?

-Max

[Illuminated One]

Not if you put them on a scout.

Wrath of God (?) can kill them, too, I think.