Unlikely tactics, niche tactics, and specialized tactics.

[K]

Ok, what are tactics that you've seen that seem to work despite being counter-intuitive or just plain weird? What are tactics from your games that only seem to work in almost unique situations? Name some tactics that you use that no one seems to pick up on.

I'll start:

-For a nation that gets fire-resistant troops, three flame drakes on Fire Closest and a starting army can usually take an indie province with no losses.

-Body Ethereal is a great spell to spam if you have elephants since it is very likely to hit them if they are grouped with a mage and they survive much longer when ethereal.

-Indie commanders spamming spells from items is often one of the best "kills to gems expended" ratios.

[HoneyBadger]

Boosting EA Agartha's Ancient One commanders with Prot-increasing items. Black steel plate, helm, towershield, fire sword, plus double bracers and boots of the messenger (for the rejuvenation and resistance to cold/poison), with Earth/Nature bless. They can get up to Cyclops levels of Prot, with cheap equipment that they can forge relatively easily.

With Earth 10, they don't even need the boots.

[HoneyBadger]

Has anyone ever checked to see if Rime Hauberk stacks with a Niefel's natural cold aura + the wolven winter cold aura spell? I know the Niefel's natural cold stacks with the spell, but I'm not sure Rime Hauberk adds to it. If so, it might be nice to have a couple Jarls thus equipped, in an army, to really put the freeze on.

[Trumanator]

not sure how niche or unlikely this is, but someone (Megablob?) had a very nasty trick for LA Ulm where you have a bunch of vampire counts cast summon lammashtas. They're immortal, so who cares if they die. for 10 D gems you get 20 flying, fear-inspiring, wraith sword wielding undead angels, enough to destroy almost any army w/out a lot of mage support.

[Nikelaos]

Has anyone ever checked to see if Rime Hauberk stacks with a Niefel's natural cold aura + the wolven winter cold aura spell? I know the Niefel's natural cold stacks with the spell, but I'm not sure Rime Hauberk adds to it. If so, it might be nice to have a couple Jarls thus equipped, in an army, to really put the freeze on.

now that would be cool (pun intended)

also how about casting gift of flight on some elephants, really does rack up the pain if you set them to attack rearmost and crush the enemy mages before they get all the buffs down.

[OmikronWarrior]

Has anyone ever checked to see if Rime Hauberk stacks with a Niefel's natural cold aura + the wolven winter cold aura spell? I know the Niefel's natural cold stacks with the spell, but I'm not sure Rime Hauberk adds to it. If so, it might be nice to have a couple Jarls thus equipped, in an army, to really put the freeze on.

I think I have, but it was quite some time ago. I believe the effects stack, but there was a ceiling that could not be surpassed (sort of like 80% misslie protection).

[thejeff]

I believe Rime Hauberk actually autocasts Breath of Winter in battle, which would mean they wouldn't stack.

I could be wrong about this. There was a discussion here quite awhile back about trying to use Crystal/Slave Matrices to get item effects to the slaves. Crystal shield does work. I can't remember what else did.

Easy check: does a unit with the Hauberk display the Chill effect outside of battle?

[JimMorrison]

Easy check: does a unit with the Hauberk display the Chill effect outside of battle?

Rime Hauberk displays Chill and CR outside of combat.

IIRC Father of Winters can go over 30 Chill without much effort.....

[Rytek]

The bait and swithch: Teleport, faerie trod,fly in using flying ship a middling weak army onto an enemy castle which is brimming with troops and mages.
Next round move that army out and teleport,cloud trapeze, fly or just regular move some high MR thugs and SC's. into that province. When he rightously sallies out to kill your army, you greet him with earthqukes, bone grindings and rain of stones. Next turn move your army back in and knock down the walls of the emty castle.

[Tifone]

also how about casting gift of flight on some elephants, really does rack up the pain if you set them to attack rearmost and crush the enemy mages before they get all the buffs down.

I did with trogs some time ago and worked quite well (SP).

[mathusalem]

-Indie commanders spamming spells from items is often one of the best "kills to gems expended" ratios.

and with boots of quickness they cast 2 times per round :D
(very useful with acid staff for exemple)

[Crevan]

Interesting tactic - summon some Iron Dragons, cast Gift of Reason to them, keep them close to borders - and when enemy leave province unprotected, attack. Dragons are incredible strong (150 hp, over 30 protection, full magic immunity) and fly up to 3 provinces

[Tichy]

Rytek, that's *evil*. I think I like it.

[Nikelaos]

-Indie commanders spamming spells from items is often one of the best "kills to gems expended" ratios.

and with boots of quickness they cast 2 times per round :D
(very useful with acid staff for exemple)


quickness doesn't effect spellcasting.

[sum1lost]

-Indie commanders spamming spells from items is often one of the best "kills to gems expended" ratios.

and with boots of quickness they cast 2 times per round :D
(very useful with acid staff for exemple)


quickness doesn't effect spellcasting.

With magic items it counts as a standard action.

[Psycho]

It's nice to add a reinvigoration item too, to be able to spam more. I particularly like it with those skull helmets that raise skeletons.

[Tifone]

With magic items it counts as a standard action.

Said that I already knew that, I'm wondering now if it works even with the helm which lightnings ppl or if it's considered an action independent from the wearer (as the description seems to suggest)

[Taqwus]

The Spirit Helm is an autocaster, so it's not affected. Quickness is very nice with the the wand and staff-like items (or a Flambeau, say) -- a heroically fast commander with a Phoenix Rod is essentially a skilled gunfighter.

[HoneyBadger]

Can you use 2 Rods of the Phoenix at the same time?

[K]

The Spirit Helm is an autocaster, so it's not affected. Quickness is very nice with the the wand and staff-like items (or a Flambeau, say) -- a heroically fast commander with a Phoenix Rod is essentially a skilled gunfighter.]

Yeh, you can do some impressive damage with four guys with Boots of Quickness and Phoenix Rods.

Since we are on the subject, Water Bless gives you an extra item spell every other round.

[Tifone]

a heroically fast commander with a Phoenix Rod is essentially a skilled gunfighter.

Have slightly more than a half dozen and you can have Dom3's The Magnificent Seven :p

[Epaminondas]

and with boots of quickness they cast 2 times per round :D
(very useful with acid staff for exemple)


quickness doesn't effect spellcasting.

With magic items it counts as a standard action.

I didn't know! So there are uses for weak, non-magic-wielding human commanders after all! :)

[HoneyBadger]

One of those guys had a knife, actually :P

[Nikelaos]

a heroically fast commander with a Phoenix Rod is essentially a skilled gunfighter.

Have slightly more than a half dozen and you can have Dom3's The Magnificent Seven :p

how about a machine gun, nataraja (or any 4 armed being) quickened with 2 bows of war and of course the lovly flamming arrows enchantment, yes life's good.

[Tifone]

Quickening archers doesn't always have the expected effect. They often use the increased APs just to walk a bit closer to the target. :(

One of those guys had a knife, actually :P

Well for that, none of the seven had incinerating rods :D I also think he shoots with a gun in the battle, he uses the switchknife just in the challenge and to kill one bandit near the end. But I've seen the movie long time ago

[HoneyBadger]

Yeah, I've actually seen the original 7 Samurai more recently than I have the Magnificent 7 or the 7 Gladiators.

[Tifone]

7 gladiators sounds new to my ear ^_^ I've also head about a magnificent 7 spacemen or something like that but I wouldn't bore searching for something so naive-entitled... :D
Anyway, I've also seen the original recently (like, two weeks ago). I had never seen it and it was a very nice way to spend 3 hours and a half (original director's cut version) :happy:

- So. Again we are defeated. The farmers have won. Not us. - [Kambei Shimada]

[HoneyBadger]

7 Gladiators is this 60's era Italian sweat-fest. Almost a spaghetti western, but with tridents and swords in place of guns. It's a classic B movie.