Fighting For and Against Ulm -Expert Advice, Please

[PhilD]

Originally posted by PDF:
A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

Do you really need the Shaman for the Communion? Once you've got a forger with Astral and Earth, just give him a Hammer and pump out the Slave/Crystal Matrices...

This is one thing I like in Iron Faith Ulm: your forgers get a random pick, which with your forging powers, greatly improves your magic versatility. If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

[Saxon]

I found that Miasma or Burden of Time or both together really disturb Ulm. Well, they disturb everyone, but when Ulm invaded and I had to keep falling back into my own dominion, their big units got weaker and weaker. Their armies soon lost all the fodder, but the big units kept coming. Then they got very sick.

I cut them off then and hit them with my pretender with fear causing items. They broke fairly quickly, especially as many had battle fright. When they fled and had no where to run to, they died. Seeing twelve cave drakes which had been trashing my provincial defense disappear that way was encouraging.

Curse also helped, I had the shield that throws a curse each turn. That set them up for more afflictions in battle. It seems those strong and long Lasting units can be worn down this way. Also investigate fear. Does Man have access to Terror on the Nature magic side of things?

And yes, another vote for crossbows!

[mivayan]

If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

That would be fun, but then you would not really have any reason at all to play standard ulm. As it is now iron faith only loses the the master smiths. The master smith's earth2 fire1 is nice but priests with earth1 random1 are often better.. since they are cheap and sacred. except when it comes to research

[mcv]

Originally posted by PhilD:
This is one thing I like in Iron Faith Ulm: your forgers get a random pick, which with your forging powers, greatly improves your magic versatility. If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

I just discovered an interesting trick for Iron Faith Ulm or anyone with high drain. Keep your Dominion out of one corner of your area, build a lab there, and let all initiates, sages, and whatever else use that province for their research.

The only problem is that this province is likely to be pretty close to a proselytising neighbour, and when he attacks, you'll lose all your scientists. So protect them well.


mcv.

PS: Hi! I'm new. Played the demo Last week, got the game this week, and I'm hoping for a multiplayer next week.

[PvK]

With Ulm's forging bonus, and especially with Iron Faith's weaker researchers (particularly in Drain), I recommend doing the obvious: make a bunch of research bonus items and pile them two per researcher on cheap researchers, such as Revenants. Ideally, you dig up some death gem income and invest in Skull Mentors and Lightless lanterns. That +15 research bonus for about 7 gems and zero gold goes a long way towards catching up on research, and lets you use otherwise-lame researchers, leaving whatever good magicians you might have, to do other work.

Ulm needs to develop some alternate forces, to deal with its opponents' "solutions" to Ulm's heavy armor. Deploy spies and scouts to track what's coming your way, and deploy a counter. Undead mobs are good complements to Ulm, since things like poison, fear, mental attacks, soul attacks, bone grinding, etc., generally have zero effect on them.

Always include cannon fodder with elite units, to soak up enemy attacks so your better, slow-to-build units live a lot longer.

PvK

[PDF]

Originally posted by PhilD:

quote:

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Originally posted by PDF:
A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

Do you really need the Shaman for the Communion? Once you've got a forger with Astral and Earth, just give him a Hammer and pump out the Slave/Crystal Matrices...

This is one thing I like in Iron Faith Ulm: your forgers get a random pick, which with your forging powers, greatly improves your magic versatility. If only they didn't lose their Drain immunity...

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Ulm generally can't mass produce Slave matrix, and it's a waste to use Smiths as slaves, I'd much prefer to get indy Astral-1 mage

"IF Forging power" ??? I believed that Iron Faith doesn't have forging bonuses (it has no Smiths) ...

[PDF]

Originally posted by Pocus:

quote:

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Originally posted by PDF:
A real blessing for Ulm is to find some Druids for Poison Ward, or better Shamans, who also allow Communions (with a Matrix for a Smith). A Smith with Boots and Fire Helmet + 2 comm slaves is F4/E5 after Summon EP and Phoenix Power, rather powerful ...

what, you have also a master matrix?

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Hey, that's a strategy thread, I don't talk about what I really do in our game, you filthy curious Abysian !

(And if you really want to talk about it : if only other players weren't asking Ulm lots of toys I'd have made some Matrix earlier ... )

[PhilD]

Originally posted by PDF:

"IF Forging power" ??? I believed that Iron Faith doesn't have forging bonuses (it has no Smiths) ...

I'm almost positive that the Black Priest has a forging bonus, but then, you are the Ulm specialist - I'm just a newbie, and trying to learn, O Fountain of Wisdom.

[Looking for an ally ]

Black Priests have a 25% Forging Bonus, same as Smiths.

Not that you'd want to make Slave Matrix' anyway. Unless they cost just 5 Earth ;P

[atul]

Originally posted by PDF:
"IF Forging power" ??? I believed that Iron Faith doesn't have forging bonuses (it has no Smiths) ...

Not wanting to step on anyone's toes, but... from their description IF black priests have 'inherited' the forging bonuses of the Smiths. It's the drain immunity they lack. Which sucks because of the forced drain.