Unit Size

[OG_Gleep]

When configuring armies, which is more efficent? Less but larger units? Or multiple smaller units?

I am playing Ulm, and each commander can have 50 units. I am trying to figure out the most efficient way to configure them. Smaller units tend to perform better, and I can have them go after multiple targets, but, I have to cast Legions of steel more often (or other unit buffs for indie mages).

With less units, you free these mages up for combat.

Any thoughts?

Also, as Ulm, I have a very productive item factory going, and can afford to kit out regular commanders in full battle gear. I have a couple BP ulm commanders in the hall of fame. Anyhow, I send these guys into battle, normally placing them behind a block of infantry with the same orders as the infantry infront of them.

How effective would that block of infantry be if I set them to "Guard Commander" instead of "attack Closest". Would they perform the same if the commander was set to "attack closest"?

[Endoperez]

Units with Guard Commander orders follow that commander around. Usually I only give commander few bodyguards, and have the main force attack on its own.

Bigger squads of units rout less, and that's quite important when playing Ulm. If you want precise striking forces, use small squads of Black Knights, possibly lead by a Black Knight commander. They are much more useful as combatants as the regular Ulmish commanders, but the non-mounted ones have pretty good survivability as well - but both are very vulnerable against magic, so remember that before trying multiplayer!

[OG_Gleep]

So if I have 50 Infantry, would the most effective setup be 40/10, 10 being the bodyguard?

I have been reading through the various threads and it seems like Ulm sucks in MP. I have been having a great time with them, as the fit my playstyle perfectly. Typically if given the choice, I'll go for the sword instead of the wand.

I have only lost one so far due to a spell though, and only a few total due to combat (mostly due to poor setup).

Thats the one thing I haven't figured otu though, is how to use combat magic effectivley. Blade wind is easy as it spams, but most of the combat spells seem to only target a single person. How does that work since you can't pick targets? Seems like a waste to script a high fatigue single target spell and have it strike a milita.

[Arralen]

OG_Gleep said:
When configuring armies, which is more efficent? Less but larger units? Or multiple smaller units?

I am playing Ulm, and each commander can have 50 units. I am trying to figure out the most efficient way to configure them. Smaller units tend to perform better, and I can have them go after multiple targets, but, I have to cast Legions of steel more often (or other unit buffs for indie mages).

With less units, you free these mages up for combat.

With less units, yes, o.c.
With less squads (and that's what you're talking about, if I understand you correctly), No!

Buff spells have an "area of effect", eg.:
"Legions of Steel"
range 10
area of effect: 25

That means the spell will target 25 squares (not units or squads) within 10 squares of the spellcaster.
To see that squares, hit "w" in the battle view. A square on the battle field has 6 "slots". A hobbi.. sorry, hoburg occupies 1, a human 2 etc. according to the "size" that is reported if you right-click in the HP number in the unit info screen.

Usually there will be 3 Ulminites within a square, so the spell may boost up to 75 of them. Sadly, the spell has precision = 0 what means that lots of empty squares normally get 'boosted' as well :/

Also, as Ulm, I have a very productive item factory going, and can afford to kit out regular commanders in full battle gear. I have a couple BP ulm commanders in the hall of fame. Anyhow, I send these guys into battle, normally placing them behind a block of infantry with the same orders as the infantry infront of them.

Other than Black Knight commanders, they are not worth it, as they die to easily. Excpetion are usually items which let them cast spells. As Ulm is notoriously short on spellcasters if it comes to other spells than "Legion of Steel" and "Blade Wind", this could be quite useful with some items.

How effective would that block of infantry be if I set them to "Guard Commander" instead of "attack Closest". Would they perform the same if the commander was set to "attack closest"?

Not really. Their first objective would be to mill around the commander... slowing him down because he mostly will end up surrounded by his own units. Unless he's faster than his bodyguards, but then he will get surrounded by the enemy and die fast.

Furthermore, units set to "guard commander" do not count as non-routed units for your side, despite they can o.c. route as any other units. Effect: you may run out of non-routed units too fast, causing your whole army to flee... .

Generally, "guard commander" works best with either
a) stationary commanders, e.g. the spellcasters using items I mentioned above. Put them as far to the right as possible, with orders "attack", "cast spells"; the normal squads a bit back with "attack". That way, in the first turn of the battle everyone will move towards the enemy, bringing him into the range of the spellcasters. The bodyguards will guard those against very fast enemy units (knights, flyers).
b) fast commanders (knights, flyers) who are set to attack rear. Oc. works only if the bodyguards have at least the same movement rate as the commander...

[shovah]

a black night commander with a luck pendant and ring of regen along with 2 black knight commanders is pretty tough, weapons and armour can be added if you want to make him a pretty good thug. if you do add more i suggest starshine skullcap/horror helm, a weapon of your choice and charcoal shield/accursed shield

[Emelio Lizardo]

I'm playing Ulm a lot as spg. I only create spell caster commanders and a few black knights. With the religious option you get some decent priest/smith commanders and sacred calvary. Nothing stands up to that calvary. But luck blades, rainbow armor, etc are a must. Invest a lot in death and some in fire and you can create a horde of bane archers too. Massed formations of Ulm crossbow men deliver a deadly first strike, and they melee well too, so that's my main force. Only problem I've ever had is with Emore, once it crawls out from under its rock I just get swamped by the endless undead and any recaptured provinces are effectively dead zones. Doesn't help that my priests banish spells mostly target empty space. Which is the other problem with ulm, precision sucks.

[OG_Gleep]

Iron Faith? If thats what your talking about, I haven't tried them yet. Been playing standard, and I still don't get the hang up about their commanders.

I deck them out in full battle gear. Favorite spec is, BP Ulm commander, Frost Brand/Charcol Shield/Boots of Stone/Luck Pendant/Burning pearl.

Yes its a lot of points to invest, but these guys normally can hold the flanks for a block of infantry...and have turned back enemy units multiple times.

Right now, my two main melee generals are Bane Lords and BP Ulm Commanders. I back them up with Smiths with boots, and some type of regen, atleast one casting Legion of steel, and one or two blade wind specialists with Clockwork horror units racing for archers and rear units. The Banelords command summoned undead. I am finding Archers are liabilites in anything but pure Ulm armies, which by now I don't have many of. Any of my mainstay summonms, Clockwork horrors, and Pale riders get mowed down.

[Emelio Lizardo]

I traded the earth boots (sore feet) in favor of reinvigoration shoes/rainbow armor. Dump the burning pearl for missle protecton. My main undead commanders are mound fiends. With a ring of wizardry the unholy goes up to 4 and they pump out free mounted undead. With a sword of injustice one guy pumps out wights, free. A few toys and one has +30 fear.

Of course it doesn't hurt that I have both +50% forge hammers and the forge of the ancients running, which makes an ultra effecient toy factory.

Generally, as the smith/priests age they can handle larger squads. I make each commander have one squad with the full unit compliment, aside from guards. This is usually about the right size for progressive needs of the game. Also the AI, at least in Dom I, had a lot of problems dealing with armies of squads with different orders.

[Endoperez]

Smiths can do fine even without Earth Boots, but then they'd need Earth Power from Conjuration 3. As a friend of reinvigoration, I thunk Emelio already uses it...

However, if you want your Smiths to cast more fatiquing spells, remember that one extra level can halve the fatique.
Fatique from spell is:

1/ (casting mage's level - needed level),
so Earth 3 mage casting Blade Wind gets the whole fatique, level 4 only 1/2 and level 5 only 1/3 of the listed fatique.

[Emelio Lizardo]

Well, you're entirely correct. Earthboots are a fact of life until the smiths gain some levels, then their accuterments should also evolve. Earthblood stone is nice too, until the big rings are widely available. Then the rocks get put back with the research team/gem farm to be milked every few turns.

I find the priests from the iron faith are very valuable for their courage spells, and they smith just as well as the smiths. But the smiths can never get religion as the priests can gain level in magic, and they command more troops.

So in the beginning troop sizes are smaller than with the black commander but that's ok. The spell commanders evolve in time for mid and late game strategies. Which brings up an other issue, don't let your commanders get into melee. If your commanders are slugging critters you're doing something very wrong. I'd rather lose the whole squad than one commander.

I only melee assasins and bezerking, trampling, fast, super critters with god awful fear values. Just for fun I made a sprite into a bezerking trampling 4 point super assasin. Little bugger hasn't failed me yet.

It's only fair to note that at this point it is a struggle to keep the remaining AI alive so I can play with all the toys and summonings. I might have to retreat from some provinces so he can expand and not be wimped out by dominion. A MPG game could have a completely different strategy needs and timing, but I've never done on of those.