Pythium Strategies

[Sandman]

In my very limited experience, slave matrices don't work when placed on non-mages. Plus, you're going to have morale issues with a commander-heavy setup like that.

[archaeolept]

both those points are correct. It is certainly possible to use the "slave buff" effect to create mini-SCs, but it is usually a lot of work, and often a fragile setup.

communicants w/ a few buffs and phoenix pyre is a good plan though - still a lot of work to get going - and don't forget that your own mages have to run away...

[Vicious Love]

archaeolept said:
both those points are correct. It is certainly possible to use the "slave buff" effect to create mini-SCs, but it is usually a lot of work, and often a fragile setup.

communicants w/ a few buffs and phoenix pyre is a good plan though - still a lot of work to get going - and don't forget that your own mages have to run away...

Yeah, but the advantages are tremendous: you can have multiple masters cast all their buffs within 1-2 rounds, you can safely distribute the fatigue, you can put together combos which would be impossible for any individual unit save a rainbow Pretender(and would be impossible to script for any one mage, anyway), and, best of all, you can have a handful of astral-1 mages cast Astral Shield, Resist Magic, Personal Luck and Astral Weapon without making any of your SCs susceptible to Magic Duel. And since access to matrices means access to hammers, the setup is usually strikingly cost-effective, even if you lose the occasional matrix, slave, or master.

[shovah]

and dont forget the fact that the grand thaumaturgs random can buff aswell and as for your comment about that rainbow why not use him as one of the main buffers? astral shield+fire shield+body etheral+twist fate+mist form+air shield survivable anyone?