The New Hinnom Nation
 

Wow, anyone else tried this nation out yet? Those Melqarts are crazy! Playing in SP with them to see how they work - with an e9 n9 bless on a sleeping pretender - if you take scales to counter the high resource cost (125!) on those melqart commanders, you have a veritable mini SC without equipment right off the bat..unequipped they can solo large provinces - they can self bless themselves and take everything on...having Fear+0 doesn't hurt either

with construction two items, with a melqart that got e2 with his paths, i have a 69 hp, 29 protection, 19 MR, 24 str, 15 attk, 18 defense size 6 supercombatant with Trample (Via boots), fear +0, and thats WITHOUT bless, or a custom sword/shield..

there is no stopping these things that early in the game..surely? Even an SC god might go down to these...

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

Melqarts look pretty good, but then there are a lot of nations that can solo indies with an E9N9 bless. Yomi, Niefelheim, come to mind. Lanka doesn't solo them with commanders but Palankashas have the same effect (and are a lot cheaper). Frankly, it's hard to beat Niefel Jarls for naked soloing power (the huge chill aura is the key here), and the Dai Yomi is a much better endgame battlemage than the Melqart. Not to be putting down the Melqart--the extra horn attack helps--but let's keep things in proportion here. I.e. let's try not to get Hinnom/Ashdod nerfed unnecessarily.

Did you notice the Qedestim? "Although ordained as priests, their main function is another." Nice and subtle, there.

-Max

P.S. What's the encumbrance on your super-Melqart thug that tramples?

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

Yes, they are very good. But, they eat your population. Nuff said?

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

ya...im having to pump those e2 mages out to counter supply problems but i took growth to counter that as ewll.

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

but that could be a good thing as well, make one massive sacred army composing of 100 holy troops, your prophet (a Melqart) and a couple mages. With this army you could destroy armies and SC with ease, and and country they take will be impossible for people to use because most of the people would be in one of your giants bellies

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

they eat population?

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

any time you have more then 3 of them in a province, your population will decline, even in a growth 3 province

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

Yup.

I even got an event where a Melqart ate one of my Raephalites (your 125 gold Holy troops.) I thought dragons were bad when they ate blood slaves. Sheesh!

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

not seen that yet, did you take unlucky?

Re: The New Hinnom Nation
 

Yup. They eat pop. Somebody else noted that it seemed to be about 30/turn. All the Hinnom Rephaim -- the units and commanders -- do. Might want to put points instead into Growth and Order, at least if it's not a small blitz map.

Their appetites are more mild in Ashdod -- slightly more than their size suggests, but not pop-slaughtering, it seems.