bleeping hell

[Vorkosigan]

With the chaos caused by Bush's visit, I decided it would be good to stay at home and do some marking this afternoon and tomorrow. So naturally I am playing Dominions.

I have learned a valuable lesson as to why people put starshine skullcaps on their SCs. In a SP game, one of my Air Queens was attacked by Tien Chi. The Air Queen had a blood thorn, lucky coin, spirit helm, robe of invulnerability, amulet of mr and ring of regeneration. Oh, and a heroic ability.

Battle results:

Friendly Combatants
commanders 1, killed 1

Enemy Combatants
commanders 1, killed 0
regular units 18, killed -1

Bleeping hell. She blew her MR roll. Guess it's time for me to learn how to defeat enemy SCs. All future Titans and Demons are going to have starshine skullcaps. That +2 to MR is suddenly looking *very* appealing.

*smacks self*

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Vorkosigan said:
Friendly Combatants
commanders 1, killed 1

Enemy Combatants
commanders 1, killed 0
regular units 18, killed -1

So you've been lucky. It would have been MUCH MUCH worse if you had read

Friendly Combatants
commanders 1, killed 1

Enemy Combatants
commanders 1, killed -1
regular units 18, killed 0

instead!

(ie, charmed instead of mind-enslaved)

[Vorkosigan]

Oh geebus, I didn't even think of that. Yeah okay, I got lucky. I've learned my lesson -- an amulet of antimagic is just not enough.

Been a fun learning experience recently. I tried Ermor in a 2 person/3 impossible AI game on the weekend. My buddy and I wanted a nice big map to test out some things, with a few AI opponents just to keep us honest.

So apparently Caelum starts right near Ermor on the Faerun map...and I was trying out a pure research strategy, instead of my usual plan of massed Archbishops chain-summoning horsemen. I got *shredded*. Oh it was ugly. We stopped after I lost my GK to a dozen flyers. I take back anything I've ever said about knowing how to play Ermor. Next game I'll take Vanheim.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Vorkosigan said:
Caelum [...] I lost my GK to a dozen flyers.

Maybe you're not aware of it, but most Caelian troops get magical weapons (ice lances, ice swords, ice knives) and thus automatically bypass your GK's etherealness.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Vorkosigan said:
So apparently Caelum starts right near Ermor on the Faerun map...and I was trying out a pure research strategy, instead of my usual plan of massed Archbishops chain-summoning horsemen. I got *shredded*. Oh it was ugly. We stopped after I lost my GK to a dozen flyers. I take back anything I've ever said about knowing how to play Ermor. Next game I'll take Vanheim.

Next game you play Ermor - with a Lich Queen monarch. Yes, you can get marginally better magical paths with the Ghost King, but Ermor has points to spare and immortality is so very, very, nice. Additionally, it is more thematic.

[Cainehill]

Keep in mind that whether you choose to boost your MR might be based on whom you are going against. IE - it's nice to be able to switch back and forth; against Ulm you don't need MR; actually, Caelum you generally don't need it against either, despite them being towards the top of the heap magically. I've had ID's switching items regularly, via a scout sent along with them. Helmet changes, misc item switching ( Sometimes you want the Soulstone of the Wolves, but not against vampires, etc ).

If you can Wind Ride, you can also modify your required gear sometimes, by changing the odds that you've removed the charm-capable commander, etc.

[Vorkosigan]

Mmm, excellent suggestions. I'll go with the Lich Queen. Any thoughts on Ashen Empire vs Soul Gate? I've mostly gone with AE because it's closest to Ermor from Dom 1.

I really should tailor my equipment to my opponents. I haven't really done that yet -- I find a loadout that works well and stick with it (stupidity or laziness?).

[Cainehill]

I'm not a Lord of Ermor - but I have tried both in MP, and prefer SG. You don't get as many troops, but they aren't as worthless. More importantly, you get some decent non-unique immortal commanders, which I like because it makes empowering them with magic worthwhile.

[Crash]

Hello,

I'm relatively new to the game also. I'm playing a SG ermor in a MP game, and they're kinda cool.

Something about AE though, you don't need a 5 in death magic to get all the national summons. It would be kind of nice to let a stock dusk elder do all the summoning while the pretender either site searched or did combat.
Also, I think the lictors are a good buy for the cost.

[deccan]

I think Ermor needs to spend most of its early death gems on researchers in order to keep up. If you prophetize an archbishop, you can reanimate lictors for free. Late game, death gems can buy you better things than lictors.