How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Okay I really still feel a bit clueless here... I bought the game and am now halfway through my first game.

Questions for you experienced guys:

1) There is this annoying god that owns all the provinces in the water AROUND my land. He pretty much can invade any coast country he wants to - and I can't attack him. What do I do?

2) What are the best units for storming a castle? Once I successfully siege it, I see I can storm it, but it's always tough.

3) Okay VERY dumb question here. Is the only purpose of Dominion to give your pretender god more hitpoints and help their spells work better? Because if that is it, it doesn't seem like such a big deal... I'd rather have 20 heavy cavalry than a commander with slightly more potency - right? Maybe I have something wrong here.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

>1) There is this annoying god that owns all the provinces in the water AROUND my land. He pretty much can invade any coast country he wants to - and I can't attack him. What do I do?


Water mages can go underwater, and can take a few troops with them.

Some provinces provide troops that can go underwater. Don't have any? Expand until you do.

There are magic items that allow troops to go underwater.

There are summonable troops that can go underwater. Most notably Sea Trolls.


>2) What are the best units for storming a castle? Once I successfully siege it, I see I can storm it, but it's always tough.

I like flying troops for hitting forts. They can jump the walls and finish the combat fast.

If you have no flyers, get lots of archers and magic. that way you can fire some damage into the fort.

Large tramplers are always wonderful since they can trample through the enemy troops that clog the gate.


>3) Okay VERY dumb question here. Is the only purpose of Dominion to give your pretender god more hitpoints and help their spells work better? Because if that is it, it doesn't seem like such a big deal... I'd rather have 20 heavy cavalry than a commander with slightly more potency - right? Maybe I have something wrong here.

Dominion does more than add heath to pretender and profit, and morale to troops.

You must have some or your god does not exist... game over.

Furthermore dominion is how your god "pushes" his scales into the provinces around him. God of "growth"? He exudes growth into provinces under his dominion. The more strength, the faster the lands become the same as your gods wishes. This is very important for some nations that operate better in specific temperatures.

Also enemy dominion caused unrest in your provinces.

Dominion is important. Play a while and you'll understand.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Excellent suggestions thank you.

I have about 15 provinces and I don't recall anything that lets me get underwater units.

They have a group of 80 out there... so I will need to get quite a few units together that can go underwater eh? I don't know... kind of frustrating... but I will keep poking around.

Okay DUMB FOLLOW UP QUESTION #1.

After seeing your suggestion, I see I should at least go a few levels in Conjuration. I assume I use all these gems to conjure creatures - which leads me to my question - what the heck do I do with all these gems? I've got hundreds... Do most players have a fleet of priests just out there conjuring up troops and items each turn?

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

>After seeing your suggestion, I see I should at least go a few levels in Conjuration. I assume I use all these gems to conjure creatures - which leads me to my question - what the heck do I do with all these gems? I've got hundreds... Do most players have a fleet of priests just out there conjuring up troops and items each turn?


Gems are used to:

-Conjure summons
-Make magic items (research Construction for items)
-Cast some battlefield spells
-Aid mages when casting battlefield spells
-Fire and Earth gems can be traded for gold

Yes players have mages out there doing research, and then using the gems to make stuff. Stuff is good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">In addition to Apoger's suggestions, there is also at least one mercenary group that is amphibian: Ship Wreckers. This is a great group for munching on most sea provinces. Composition of Y'gologna's merc's (the name of the Wrecker's leader) varies. In the early game it is usually trogs, and later on they may be shamblers, which are much better.


Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Quite right! The amphibian mercs are superb. Grab them if you can, it's a great way to get a foothold in the water. Once you have a water province you'll have some access to sea troops.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">More good suggestions - thank you.

Okay I got the conjuring and creation of items down now. To cast battlefield spells - do you mean during battle? And isnt' all of that automatic? Maybe you mean something else...

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

>To cast battlefield spells - do you mean during battle?

Yes.


>And isnt' all of that automatic?

No.

You can allow the computer to choose for you, by not issuing orders, however you'll get much better results if you take control.

Some spells require a gem expenditure.
Furthermore gems can be used to increase the skill level of the casting mage.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Undead can be used to take water provinces too, as can constructs like Statues, Mechanical Men, etc.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Cast the Crossbreeding spell until you get enough amphibians! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

PvK

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

In my impression, there are three kinds of merc can be breathing under water
and yes,"Cast the Crossbreeding spell until you get enough amphibians": Sea of Ice(Alter 7)
there is another method,Enc 9 ritual: Thetis Blessing,which allows all creatures to enter in the sea.
oh,special dominion "water culf" can reach the similar result too

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Okay I have some underwater troops - enough to get a foothold. I'm having a lot of trouble finding a commander that can go underwater.

I suppose the only way to get one is to forge an item and give it to him? Which item would that be...I can forge quite a bit but I don't see that one.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

The easiest/cheapest item to make is the Ring of Water Breathing (pg 39 in game manual). You'll need Construction 2+, Water 1+.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This requires Water magic - and any Water mage can enter the sea.

For those without Water magic, the Barrel of Air (Air 4, Construction 6: not cheap at all) will let the bearer, plus a decent-sized army, enter the sea.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Okay wow... this makes me think that I really need to make sure that each god I design have at least level 1 in Water, eh? Otherwise it makes it pretty tough... (like now).

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Not really. You just need commanders that have Water 1+. Your own Pretender does not have to have it (though it may help in the very early stages of the game). When selecting a faith/nation to play, check what type of magic the recruitable mages can use, and act accordingly.

By the by, there are quite a few magic items you can make that give you and your troops water breathing. The best one allows up to 100 troops!


Cheers!

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Look at your mage with random picks.
Death magic->Revive King is a cheap way to get a underwater commander too.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What the? How do you take control?

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

I prefer to make Shambler Skin Armor - same effect as Ring of Water Breathing, but it also gives some protection. And then there's pills of water breathing - Air magic, and much earlier than the Barrel.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

OG from the army setup page you can set custom battle orders.

I have a question for the forum also. How exactly does temple dominion effect radiate? For example, does it radiate to all neighbor provinces at half strength? (This would make the ocean provinces on the world map the best temple spots with their 10+ neighbors.) Temple effect seems to radiate beyond the immediate neighbors, but at increasingly diminished effect. Does anyone know the exact numbers?

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">The pills let the commander enter the sea? It isn't in the manual - it only talks about soldiers, which I assumed meant commanded troops.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Beats me, I guess I was assuming to much. If it were me, I'd probably take one of the pills myself even if it were labeled "Troops Only".

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

The Amulet of Breathing is Air 2 and will also grant water-breathing to its wearer.

I haven't tried the pills on a commander either, come to think of it . . .

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Isn't Sea of Ice supposed to prevent travel between the sea and land? I was hoping it would save my bacon from the undead, but it doesn't seem to do what it says it should, i.e. units can still move from land to sea, sea to land, sea to sea as they could before. And now we're all going to be consigned to an eternity of skeleton-hood.

Re: How do I attack the water provinces? (and other q\'s)
 

Also, and I don't think this was my imagination, when I gave the pills to a commander who didn't have water-breathing, he was able to submerge but was only able to bring nine troops with him instead of the full ten. Which certainly makes sense.