Machakan Spiders?

[Warhammer]

How in the world do you stop these guys without similar size troops? I've tried casting, but with a lack of air magic I don't have anything that is specifically targetable on them, plus it is very early in the game.

[Shovah32]

Unless they are black hunter spiders with a huge bless then regular troops shouldnt have too much trouble dealing with them.

[Warhammer]

F9N6 bless and Black Hunters....

I figured that since they don't have a great MR, I'd spam them with spells, but I haven't had any luck taking them down.

For the record, I'm Marignon.

[Ygorl]

Paralyze should preferentially target the big spiders; try putting a couple Grand Masters behind your troops, casting this spell, and see if it shuts them down. You can increase their chances by giving them penetration-boosting items (spell focus, etc.)

[Sandman]

A few High Inquistors casting Smite should have an effect.

[Shovah32]

Paralyze, smite, soul slay, even a couple of knights of the chalice(provided you get the charge with your knights) or a big group of greatswordsmen should do the trick. IIRC black hunters are 125 gold and quite a few resources each so you should easily outnumber him and alot of your troops do alot of damage so you should have alot less trouble than some other nations might.

[Warhammer]

That might be the problem then, I was using pikeneers to try and fend off their trample. I have plenty of crossbowmen, but they didn't put a dent in them...

I've tried Men at Arms, Pikeneers, and Crossbowmen (set to target large monsters) and I don't think I took down a single spider.

[Edi]

Since when did Hunter Spiders have trample?

[Halancar]

Black Hunter don't trample, so no worry there. On the other hand, they do have 20 prot, so getting through that is definitely going to require high damage weapons. Greatswordmen is probably your best bet. Crossbowmen in numbers should work too, but you will need numbers. Of knights, if you can get a good charge on them (but spiders charge back).

Part of your problem, I believe, is that once a Black Hunter dies, the spider keeps fighting (if you look closely, the rider disappears, and of course the stats change). And while the Black Hunter had only 13 hp, the spider has more, enough so that the Nature bless will really help. So, more greaswordmen, I guess (the protection does go down).

Black Hunters are 125 gold, 36 resources, sacred, and capital only, so you shouldn't see too many at a time.

[Ironhawk]

Yeah, pikeneers will repel a Charge attack nicely but they wont have the punch to get through thier armor unless the spiders get worn out.

[Burnsaber]

There is only one thing to do.

Hand over all your money and gems!

(I'm the machaka player in question).

[Tharivol_Street_Prince]

Actually, barbarians with greatswords would work as well, no?
They're easier to spam, and as long as you've got priests sermoning courage they should be amped enough not to retreat... Heck, that'd cut down your losses on the simple fact that each barbarian you lose isn't a greatswordsman.

[Shovah32]

Mixing them together could work. Barbarians on their own will either be just charged through due to their low prot or shot to pieces once in combat.