Casting flaming arrows

[Thrawn]

Hi all,

In my last game, I played EA T'ien C'hi. I had tried several times to script Flaming Arrows, but could never get it to cast. Is there some limitation or trick I'm not aware of to make it work?

I was casting it with a Celestial Master with a fire skill of 2. He was a communion master with 8+ slaves, which should give him +3 to all paths, correct? Which means he would have then had a fire skill of 5. He also had a pocketful of fire gems.

Is there something in the above I am getting wrong or confused about? Probably so...

Would really like to know how to make the arrows work. Thanks, guys...

[Twan]

Hum strange.

Did he cast communion master himself and flaming arrows in round 2 or had a crystal matrix and casted FA in round 1 ?

If he had a crystal matrix and the slaves used the spell communion slave he must be after them in the commanders list to have the bonus levels in round one.

[K]

The computer will often refuse to cast spells costing gems if it considers the opposition too feeble.

Also, are you sure the communion slaves were casting Communions Slave or had Slave Matrixes?

[Mr_Dark]

As another (relative) beginner and fellow Texan I can tell you that flaming arrows works fine - I am using it as Marignon with my masses of crossbowmen in an epic struggle with the dark Ermorian legions.

It's got to be a problem with communion - maybe try a test with another spell above the caster's native ability?

[otthegreat]

I'm also a relative beginner and I've noticed that fire arrows seem to be used all the time. Why? Are they a game changing strategy or just something that gives you an extra edge? I'm playing Marignon in MP and not using fire arrows partly to be different but mostly because I'm scared of keeping track of all those fire gems.

[Dedas]

Fire arrows means extra damage (and stun damage from the fire) + armor piercing. The most common way to stop ordinary arrows is with armor and shields. So that is a good reason to use the spell.

[Aezeal]

Dedas means to say (ott) that for archer heavy nations they are a game changing strategy (and if you have mages that can cast it to start with it's usually the first thing to research to). And if you have any archers at all they will give you an extra edge.

[Thrawn]

He's casting communion master himself, and the other celestial masters are casting communion slave (ie, no matrixes). He's trying to do it in Round 2, the order of spells is something like:

Communion Master - Flaming Arrows - Pillar of Fire - Pillar of Fire - Pillar of Fire - Cast spells

Perhaps this is the key? "The computer will often refuse to cast spells costing gems if it considers the opposition too feeble." - K

I have probably close to 150 archers in that one battle group. Is there a limitation on the number of archers you can cast with it? a balancing thing?

[K]

Thrawn said:
He's casting communion master himself, and the other celestial masters are casting communion slave (ie, no matrixes). He's trying to do it in Round 2, the order of spells is something like:

Communion Master - Flaming Arrows - Pillar of Fire - Pillar of Fire - Pillar of Fire - Cast spells

Perhaps this is the key? "The computer will often refuse to cast spells costing gems if it considers the opposition too feeble." - K

I have probably close to 150 archers in that one battle group. Is there a limitation on the number of archers you can cast with it? a balancing thing?



Ok, cast Communion Master on turn 2, then cast Flaming Arrows on turn 3. This is because any mage that casts Communion Master MUST cast it after the guys casting Communion Slave if you want your Master to get the effect (you can do this in a single turn if the Communion Master mage is below your slaves on your army screen).

Second, the computer won't cast Flaming Arrows if your enemy is very weak. So, if you have 150 troops and the enemy you are fighting has like 20 troops, the chances are good that your mages won't cast any spells costing gems.

[Thrawn]

>This is because any mage that casts Communion Master MUST >cast it after the guys casting Communion Slave
>if you want your Master to get the effect

Wow. NEVER knew that, and I had been playing with communions for awhile. Wonder how many times I had a bunch of slaves, but no real master? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Thanks guys, really appreciate it...

[Twan]

As well I was thinking this problem only occured with a mix of communion spells and matrixes.

[capnq]

K said: Ok, cast Communion Master on turn 2, then cast Flaming Arrows on turn 3. This is because any mage that casts Communion Master MUST cast it after the guys casting Communion Slave if you want your Master to get the effect (you can do this in a single turn if the Communion Master mage is below your slaves on your army screen).

If this is correct [1], the info should be added to the Guide to Communions (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=577320&page=3&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=31&fpart=1&vc=1) thread.

[1] I don't have enough experience using communions to confirm or refute, but it doesn't sound right to me.

[thejeff]

K: Are you sure of that? Communion Masters having to cast after the slaves contradicts everything I've seen about communions.

I don't have the game here, so I can't test it, but I'm pretty sure I've seen Masters boosted by slaves later in the casting order, and those slaves taking fatigue and spell effects from the master's casting.

[Argitoth]

I don't think that makes sense either. It shouldn't matter which order the spells are cast. It's a bug otherwise.

[archaeolept]

i don't think that K is correct.

[capnq]

OK, I finally remembered to take notes in a battle to check this. K is definitely mistaken.

MA T'ien Ch'i, three Celestial Masters scripted:

CM1 - Communion Master, Divine Blessing, some other orders
CM2 - Communion Slave, Stay Behind Troops
CM3 - Communion Slave, Stay Behind Troops

CM1 is only able to cast Divine Blessing with the path boost from the slaves, and did successfully cast it in both of the battles that I checked.