Poison Golems, Harvesters, and Bane Venom Q's.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

I like Harvesters, and in an SP game I finally tried out a Poison Golem. Not sure what to think. Here are my non-pluses:

1. It isn't stealthy
2. It doesn't seem to heal, even in a lab.
3. It is a killing dynamo on the battlefield.
4. It dies after taking 2-3 provinces.
5. Because it is non-stealthy, the disease/poison effect is only effective against your own population....

I can't see any way to make this interesting and fun fellow an effective part of my military apparatus. Am I missing something?

In a similar vein--I equipped a Harvester with a Bane Venom charm. I can't tell if it is twice as effective or not. How can you tell how much chaos and destruction your Harvesters and Bane Venom charms are wreaking?

Thanks!

[Shovah32]

Not sure how to tell how much damage they are doing but make a new game, get 1 harvester with a charm and 1 without then place them in 2 different provinces with the same population.

Why is your poison golem dying after taking 2-3 provinces? Is he unequipped or something? I find them very strong although my opinion may be a bit off as ive only tested them once, one was ethereal, lucky and had a charcoal shield. The other was lucky, had huge prot, quickness, decent defence and the aegis(the artifact that gives gorgon style petrification)

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Shovah32:

pop dge--gotchya. Have you tried doing a Harvester Bane Venom combo to double the effects? I just wonder if it works. I also wonder how much of the enemy army I am killing in addition to his population....

poison golem--he rocks, but he doesn't heal, so he dies. As a thug he is severely limited. As a pop killer, he only damages your own population, so I prefer the Harvester or any stealthy unit with a bane venom charm.

[Shovah32]

Just make the golem raid provinces you wont keep ive never noticed him not healing but i dont remember him beings hurt so...

[Taqwus]

Astral Window gives you population estimates. Useful to know where to send Black Deaths, Volcanic Eruptions, Tidal Waves and Harvesters if you're the sort of evil chap who's inclined to do that.

Haven't tried both Harvester and BVC -- my usual BVC holders have been cheap Black Servants, when I'm not sadistically "gifting" them to an AI through messages.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Thanks Taqwus.

I still would like any tips anybody has for the Poison Golem. How to heal it would be nice (labs don't seem to work). Expensive unit, powerful unit, but seemingly very awkward....

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Tip for anyone finding this thread via search sometime in the vasty future:

Poison Golems might be good for Ermor and other undead nations since they kill your own population so you can recruit more corpses.

[HoneyBadger]

Uh-Nu-Buh, I think you mentioned a Harvester mod you had made? or possibly Hive. I can't find it whatever it is. Anyway, why not mod the poison golem a bit? Possibly give him soul-vortex style lifedrain and make him stealthy. You could raise the gem price somewhat to compensate or if it's possible, move him into level 10 (not sure we can access higher than level 9 spells for modding purposes though-I've heard mention of spell slots 10-15 being possible, but this may be a confusion over empowerment levels. I do hope we can add such in the near-future.) I'd also make him go "rogue" as per the Eater of the Dead to help with balance.

[Shovah32]

I really dont think he should be stealthy but a soul vortex might work.

[mivayan]

If the poison golem doesn't heal fully beteen fights like most units, you've found a bug.

The banefire shield causes decay on attackers with ~10 or less prot, which might sometimes be usefull.

It looks like a decent lategame SC to raid enemy provinces, if you think the normal golem is too vulnerable to an enemy S10 pretender's mind duel for example.