Low Cost Tactics

[Gandalf Parker]

I still love Pans for invading assassins (using the black heart). They can cast fairly well. Getting to the Charm spell allows you two tries for each commander, assassination and then if it fails maybe a charm. Plus the Pans toss maenads each turn so you know exactly the turn when the province has no more commanders in it.

[HoneyBadger]

Pans are ideal, because they heal themselves of afflictions over time. So you're not crippling a unit, just to get an assassin.

[cthulhu]

I thought afflictions caused by equipped items never healed?

[Psycho]

I like dryads for assassins with black heart. They are cheaper then pans, have awe and can bless themselves. One setup is a dryad with 2 serpent cryss daggers and boots of messenger casting bless, barkskin, optionally elemental fortitude, attack. A different setup which is even more effective IMO is to give them a nature gem and cast swarm. This kills almost any human commander or mage.

[vfb]

HB: afflictions caused by item equipping (eye loss, chest wound) do not heal unless you unequip the item somehow.

AreaOfEffect: It's a good idea to script 'Cast Quicken Self, fire x 4, Cast Spells'. Otherwise when you run out of bullets your water mage will run into melee, and you probably don't want that. It's probably more efficient to make 3 bows and give them to lightly armored indy commanders, and have your mage cast quickness on them (and an air mage can cast aim on them too etc). Your mages can continue to cast spells too.

[AreaOfEffect]

Pan is much better. Petrify ftw.

[Rytek]

If your nation has fire magic, flame arrows are like nuclear weapons in an early war. Get it, use it and abuse it.

[JimMorrison]

Originally Posted by Rytek

If your nation has fire magic, flame arrows are like nuclear weapons in an early war. Get it, use it and abuse it.

I kind of thought of them more like muskets, but that's just me.

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by vfb

AreaOfEffect: It's a good idea to script 'Cast Quicken Self, fire x 4, Cast Spells'. Otherwise when you run out of bullets your water mage will run into melee, and you probably don't want that. It's probably more efficient to make 3 bows and give them to lightly armored indy commanders, and have your mage cast quickness on them (and an air mage can cast aim on them too etc). Your mages can continue to cast spells too.

Stay Behind Troops order lets the mages decide between casting and firing. I don't know how stupid they'd act, but it could be worth trying if you don't have indy commanders to give the bows for, e.g. when you're raising from the seas to raid land provinces and don't have enough amphibious indeps.

[vfb]

Thanks! I've always been leery of Stay Behind orders ever since my priests went charging off in close formation behind their troops. But I should give it a try when they've got decent spells to cast. And most indy amphibian commanders (merman are the exception) have horrible precision, so Bows of War on mages sounds like an excellent plan for aquatic nations coming out of the water.

So, thanks everyone for these great tactics!