Can someone tell me about Machaka?

[BigDaddy]

I love the colossal fetish pretender, but I have a lot of trouble getting him or machak rolling in a way that makes me feel protected.

For instance, if I'm playing blood, all I need is a bunch of summons and a little research, 40 spine devils (I think spine devils are often overlooked), for instance, to feel secure in the first 20 turns or so.

With Machaka, all they seem to have is the big black spider that survives and can even lead units after its rider dies... which helps a lot with upkeep...

Actually, the fetish seems to work OK, being like an mobile immobile defender.

How do I set this nation up for greatness with a pretender, and what is an early roadmark I might shoot for?

[Squirrelloid]

Step 1: Don't use the fetish pretender! Seriously, its really bad.

You either want an awake SC or a decent bless for your spiders, possibly both. The Scorpion King makes a great SC and isn't commonly available, but there are certainly other more standard options.

Blesses don't have to be big, and what you're looking to bless is the spider after the rider gets killed, so E9 is no help. A rainbow bless may be the best, although certainly W9 would be cool, and F9 isn't bad. Consider minor blesses in blood, air, and nature.

If not ponying up for a bless, your heavily armored stealthy guys are pretty cool and really tough.

Note that your recruit anywhere troops are pretty bad, so you're going to have to switch over to magery and summons pretty early.

[Trumanator]

Forget a bless. The black spiders are expensive and cap only. Spam the regular spider riders, get an SC if you think you need it. If you simply must use the fetish, try forging some boots of the behemoth for him on turn 2 or 3. This helps you get around his craptastic att skill, though his aps are also pretty bad.

[BigDaddy]

Well... I think E9 is really a blessing for sacred mages (which machaka has), and I really like it with MA Pythium, because they use communions and don't have earth magic.

[Trumanator]

E9 is stupid for mages. If thats what you want get E8

[BigDaddy]

Jeez, sorry. But, you're right, I ussually just get 4 on a rainbow pretender, unless I'm using the cyclops, in which case, I'm not sure how much I'd spend on Earth magic.

[chrispedersen]

well, first machaka sucks.
That said, the usual advice is to fever fetish spam. I seem to remember the shape change ability made them immune to death - but ... I'd have to look at that again to be sure.

Now, in vanilla, your sacred spider commander is strong enough to take most indies... be careful in the order that you give him items. Give him a shield first, and he loses and attack. Give him the weapon first.

Since you and your troops are all poison resistant - I like the snake bladder sticks.. a lot. As long as you are not in CBM
Midget mashers work great against enemy SCs.

Since you will die (a lot) send someone with him to pick up the pieces.

Personally I play them much like LA man. Maximize income - build forts asap.. I usually start the second on turn 3 or 4.

Flame arrows should be an early target.

As an alternate to the fetish, I also like the lord of plenty (n3) since it makes an n9 bless cheap. Berserk (n9) will add a little protection - but more importantly it keeps your spiders on the field berserk when they would otherwise route. Also iirc the hunter spiders have no upkeep.

The lord of rebirth would be perfect - but unfortunately I don't think he's available to machaka.

Anyway you slice it - you're going to be a target, in an mp game. With your lords that have a patrol bonus; take a growth three and patrol with these sacred lords..

Anyway - I think you see why you need forts - everywhere. Three items I would get to know: bows of botuff, banevenom charms, and evening stars.

[Corporal Clegg]

I once played Machaka SP, focused hard on the sacred great spider knights. Their magic resistance sucks, and Ermors holy apostacy-spell made my own holy army of lethal spiders turn on me. Expensive.

[Squirrelloid]

Chris, those black hunter lords sound nice in theory, but without being able to self-bless they're kind of useless as thugs. And for expansion it'd be a pain to buy BHLs and priests alternately since you wouldn't be buying mages and would only be kicking out an expansion party every other turn.

Sacred commanders without holy levels make me sad, especially when they want to be used solo.

[Gregstrom]

To be fair, chrispedersen never said he was actually blessing the Hunter Lords.