To Blood Magic, Or Not To Blood Magic

[Goblin]

So the answer is have undead (no maintenance and no moral checks) or wipe out their capacity to produce enough blood.
I have noticed that the AI has a fondness for suicide battle groups - ie an army will attack a new place each turn, moving deeper into your territory. This is usually quickly fixed but often blood hunting grounds come under threat. Is the AI actually trying to capture these or just taking an offensive strategy?

Goblin.

[archaeolept]

personally, i don't find hordes from hell to be too much trouble - they route very easily, and good national pd can often stop one; as well parachuting response squads (air or astral) or just some small roving intercepting bands can work.

if your opponent is using all his blood on hordes, I'd say that's often a good thing as this means he's getting fewer of the blood SC's.

[quantum_mechani]

Goblin said:
So the answer is have undead (no maintenance and no moral checks) or wipe out their capacity to produce enough blood.
I have noticed that the AI has a fondness for suicide battle groups - ie an army will attack a new place each turn, moving deeper into your territory. This is usually quickly fixed but often blood hunting grounds come under threat. Is the AI actually trying to capture these or just taking an offensive strategy?

I'm almost positive it is random agresssion.

[archaeolept]

AI has strategy?

[sushiboat]

In the few times that I played a Blood nation, I preferred to cast Hordes from Hell on a friendly province. That gives me a cheap flying commander who can carry items, ferry troops, and lead a better flying army than the Imps. Even if you just want to raid with the initial army, at least you can script them at the cost of a delay of one turn.

[Goblin]

My first use of a horde from Hell was deep into enemy territory - I didn't realise that once the battle was over you kept the units, so they died due to no retreat options. Since then I have used them against lightly defended independants and national provinces with the aim being that if they take it well and good - if they don't, they retreat and I have a Deamon and 10-20 Imps.

After a few turns I have a decent flying army able to take on stronger provinces. The Imps are not great troops but there mobility and quick mobilisation results in them having a significant impact. The fact that they are expendable is almost an advantage...

Goblin.