LA Man Strategies

[Shovah32]

As the title says im looking for LA Man strategies. I wont mention my current one due to a MP game i have recently join (man is my appointed nation) but any advice would be much appreciated (anything from pretender build ideas to troop run-downs)

[Zebion]

Defenders and tower guards is one of your best troops,not to mention nearly all of their high level man troops can use crossbows,and still have the powerhouse of a melee unit

The mages are very versatile in their magic picks and abilities,and can possibly cast flaming arrows and considering nearly all their best troops have melee/arrow capability
(Long bowmen,tower guard,defender,wardens) You will want it,unless i'm thinking of the wrong paths for fire on the magisters.

[Shovah32]

I dont recall having access to fire magic (other than a possible f1 on a judge) but i'll look into it. Wind guide is accessable though.

[st.patrik]

Magisters Arcane have a 50% chance of a single fire pick, so with a little maneouvering you can get some able to cast 'Flaming Arrows' - you just need to have a pretender with fire and forge some boosting items. But this is a long road, especially compared to Wind Guide, which you can pretty much get out of the box.

The Defenders are definitely your best troops: high protection (15), a kite shield, crossbow and precision 12. I put them in midfield with orders to 'Fire'. They fire their crossbows until melee closes and then bring out the broadswords.

As far as magic goes I mainly go for Wind Guide, Air Evocations, and Earth spells (such as Legions of Steel) which will boost my troops survivability.

A bless is nice, but not essential, since your only sacred troops are the Wardens, which are capital only. They make great stealth attackers though.

*edit* the alteration path also has Body Ethereal and Luck, which your Magisters Arcane can cast to buff your Defenders/Wardens, if you have enough money to send them along

[Shovah32]

I dont see myself taking fire on my current build so, for now flaming arrows is out of my reach. What bless's do you find most useful on wardens?(for me its either water or death as they affect their crossbows)

[dirtywick]

One of the cool things about LA Man, as mentioned, is that all of your good melee troops have crossbows. You can either set them to hold and attack or just fire and they'll shoot arrows. I prefer fire to let them come to me, as their archers aren't going to outclass yours.

The Wardens make nearly best raiding troops in the game, but unfortunately unless you use a blood pretender to make a Black Heart you won't be able to bless them unless you make a Warden prophet, or support them with magic if you use them to raid. I'd seriously consider taking Blood magic just to forge those as you'd probably be unmatched raiding, it'd be unexpected.

What else? Take a high productivity scale as your troops are pretty resource expensive.

[st.patrik]

Depends on whether you're going for an all-out bless strategy (i.e. lvl9+).

Personally that's not my strategy. Instead my focus was on getting good scales, and then adding on what I could.

With that said, I think Nature, Fire and Air are all good for the Wardens. Nature to prevent afflictions and because you have a Nature gem income, but no national nature mages to use it, Fire because Wardens do a lot of damage (11+9=20) so an attack bonus to help them hit more often is good, Air because they are vulnerable to missiles.

If you can get up to a 9, then nature is even better (berserk), and water may become a viable possibility (mainly for the quickness). Death I haven't experimented with. Earth might be good, for the protection bonus and reinvigoration (enc. is 6, which is somewhat high). But I haven't gone there.

[FrankTrollman]

I think you essentiallly must have Nature on your god. You start life with a Nature income of 2, and you don't have any Nature on your nationals!

Half your initial income is off limits to your national mages, so those gems must be considered fodder for the God.

-Frank

[Endoperez]

Death 9 bless, Death Weapons, is melee only... but increased affliction chance works for missiles. Wardens with 250% affliction chance at Crossbow range?


Also, it seems there are quite a few LA nations that can't use their native gem income. Ulm gets 2 Death, 1 Astral and 1 Nature gem, but can only get N1 and D1, and even those only through randoms.

[Nerfix]

LA Man seems pretty straightforward since they have amazing troops. Decent equipment AND crossbows.

The Wardens are good blesstroops, but i'm not sure if a bless strat is worth it...

I myself would perhaps take a pretender with fire and nature so he could cast Flaming Arrows and make Elixirs of Life for the Magisters you don't want to die of old age.