Finding an appropriate Communion Slave

[tinkthank]

After reading the various threads I found on the subjects Communion Slave and T'ien Chi, I would like to start this one here with the question in mind:

How can I get a good communion slave for Tien Chi Spring and Autumn?
Empowerment seems way out of the question.
Using a Celestial Master as a slave just seems like such a waste.
Hoping for a nice pick for a Master of the Way might give me 1-3 in two dozen turns, but that doesnt sound like a decent strategy upon which to *rely*.
So I figure: manufacture Matrixes and put them on the Masters of the Dead.
Slave matrixes cost 1E and 1S, Construc 4. So either I will need a pretender to do this or have luck with a Celest Master/Mot5E. Also tough. Or not?
Or research up to Conc 7 and cast Forge, then anyone can forge them?

What other options are open to me?
I just *loooove* the celestial master, for 250 gold he is a dirt cheap multitasker, but I would love to be able to cast those 100+ fatigue spells with him, and I cant do that without some slaves.

Thank you.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by tinkthank:
How can I get a good communion slave for Tien Chi Spring and Autumn?
Empowerment seems way out of the question.

Right.

Using a Celestial Master as a slave just seems like such a waste.

Agree, although it's still doable when everything else fails.

Hoping for a nice pick for a Master of the Way might give me 1-3 in two dozen turns, but that doesnt sound like a decent strategy upon which to *rely*.

Sabbath slaves act just as communion slaves for communion purposes. Two 2 dozens MotW should give you 6 potential slaves on average, if you do a bit of blood hunting.

So I figure: manufacture Matrixes and put them on the Masters of the Dead.

Doable but expensive, don't rely on it too much. Although having a couple Slave matrixes ready to use would be a good insurance in your case.

Or research up to Conc 7 and cast Forge, then anyone can forge them?

You can't rely on that either.

What other options are open to me?

There are no easy options for nations who lack easy access to a cheap astral or blood mage. One of the most common ways is to rely on lucky placement of independents. Look for amazon provinces above anything else. The Crystal/Garnet priestesses both make good cheap communion/sabbath slaves.

[tinkthank]

Thanks sir.
Why not rely on Forge of Ancients? (Dispell?)
Like your avatar btw.

[tinkthank]

Right thanks.

@Tacticus: Yes and no. I want them to be able to cast the 1-gem 100+ fatigue spells (flaming arrows, arrow fend, wind guide) -- they *can* cast these with item-boosts, but a communion will let them cast these and then do other stuff too since they wont go immediately unconcsious.

[Taqwus]

Lizard shamans (1S/1N for something like 110 au), Crystal Mages (2S/2E) from the Crystal Citadel site come to mind. Lizard provinces are probably much more common than the Citadel. They also let you annoy your opponents by cursing their SCs.

[geo981010]

There are a bunch of special site mages that might fit the bill - Enchanters, Mages of the Metal Orders, Sorceresses, and the Cystal Mages like Taqwus mentioned. But they are pretty rare...

For summonables, the Lamia Queens (15 Nature gems, 7/16 have Astral) or Spectres (10 Death gems, 15/64 have Astral) work, and there's an equal chance for blood on either of them. Not too cheap and by themselves these mages are good at nether darts, but cheaper than a Coutyl!

Alternately, if you get a Mage with a random in Blood, you can cast Hellpower if you are feeling really risky

Blood however is a PITA since you have to keep them supplied with slaves. Blood magic in battles is pretty much more hassle than it is worth in 95%+ of the time (ok, except for a couple of late ones and Bind Heart!). I'd love a blood item that attracts slaves each turn to make this less of a micromanagement chore to do...

[ February 18, 2004, 15:59: Message edited by: geo981010 ]

[General Tacticus]

If you find a library, you can use sages with a random in astral as communion slaves, and let the others carry your research, but it is still no ideal.

Do you really need communion slaves with Tien Ch'i anyway ? Empowerment / magic raising items / reinvigoration items can be enough to cast your battle spells without communion...

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by tinkthank:
Thanks sir.
Why not rely on Forge of Ancients?

Just for the same reason you can't rely too much on MotW for your communion slaves: you don't know beforehand if you'll find enough earth sites to have a chance to cast it.

(Dispell?)

That too, or a stronger Forge of the Ancients from another nation, or having your caster killed.

Like your avatar btw.

Looks like something really went wrong when they took this photograph of myself.

[tinkthank]

Thank you, people.
Actually I am doing ok with Matrixes on Masters of the Dead. One Celestial Master with an earth pick is all I need for 2-4 Matrixes.

[PhilD]

Originally posted by geo981010:
There are a bunch of special site mages that might fit the bill - Enchanters, Mages of the Metal Orders, Sorceresses, and the Cystal Mages like Taqwus mentioned. But they are pretty rare...

There's this site that I found twice so far, which gives you a free lab, Fire and Astral gems, and lets you recruit Magi and High Magi (I believe): the basic has Fire 1, Earth 1, Astral 1, and the High has Fire 2, Astral 2, Earth 1.

Each time, it was with a nation with good archers, but little access to Fire magic for Flaming Arrows, but if you're looking for Communions Slaves, the Magi at 90 are OK, and they can all forge the Crystal Slaves/Matrices anyway; all you need provide are the Earth gems, since the side gives some Astral.