Sauromatia Pretender, Units, Question on Blood

[Immaculate]

I've been gone from Dominions 3 for about a year but recently decided to return to it and play a few games.

I downloaded the newest CBM (because i would like to play a few noob games in the near future) and realized between what i observed and what i read on these forums that there were a few really big changes.

So, based on that, i have a few questions,

1) With changes from CBM, the gorgon is a lot less strong, what other chasis with earth do people like to use (or do you just assume you want weaker scales and power through with the gorgon?)

2) What exactly are the changes to blood hunting- no more sanguine rods right? so what affect do people feel that has for a weak/mediocre blood nation like Sauro.

3) Related to question 2, you can't get a ton of jade knives anymore? How does blood sacrifice get affected? is it worth to sacrifice with H1 without the knife? When is preaching better or worse?

4) A lot of Sauro units (except adrophag archers) seem to have gotten a little bit of a boost- do people find they are using them? if so, under what circumstances?


Thanks all for your time.

[Deathblob]

Sauromatia is nerfed pretty heavily by CBM. I do not think they can win now.

1) The gorgon is too expensive to be worth it now. Maybe try an awake pathless Wyrm, that's always a safe choice.

2) There is only one rod. You should rush to const-8, so you can forge it first. I agree that Sauromatia is weak/mediocre in CBM, and think they can never win, because so much of their nation is cap-only, and they don't even get an air dome. Maybe take A4 on your Wyrm?

3) If you rush const-8, you can get the jade knife too. This will help you blood sacrifice more. If you sacrifice without the knife, you'll be using one less slave. So, less dom spread. But with a dom-9 wyrm, it'll still be pretty good. Preaching is pretty crap, usually.

4) Some of the units are more expensive in CBM, like the Androphag archer. So, don't hire them.

Sauromatia is pretty much doomed though, because of the cap-only, so you might want to play a nation that gets more CBM buffs, like Agartha.

[Immaculate]

I feel they still have good non-capital options and suspect you are trolling me (but i don't know since i don't know the game very well or you at all).

Can others confirm what blob says?

[PriestyMan]

props for recognizing it. most dont

[rdonj]

Yeah he's trolling. See the fomoria thread to see where that's coming from. But anyway, probably most of those changes you are going to need to see first hand yourself. Really the changes to sauromatia itself should be fairly inconsequential compared to the overall CBM changes made since you've been away. Pay special attention to the items in particular.

[tratorix]

You had me until you said to take A4 on your Wyrm, Deathblob. That was a little obvious.

[Immaculate]

Can someone explain how blood-hunting / saccing works post CBM-changes though... even if its a good linky?

[kianduatha]

It works the same way as before. All that changed was that you don't have to make jade knives or SDRs.