Suggestions for fighting against Yomi

[Mind Elemental]

The change in Yomi was actually not that significant - it was a smallish price drop for their demonic troops. Good, but hardly far enough.

I suffered very, very badly from banishments against Mictlan, though I ended up winning that war anyway by using mass bakemono archers and hannya - both nifty units, but again, not gamebreakers. In a fair fight indy archers work as well as bakemono, though they're not stealthy; and massed bakemono are counterable by the same tactics that work against any other massed ranged unit. All oni are vulnerable in melee thanks to their piss-poor armour, and Yomi is far from the only nation that can easily stomp indies with skilfully used nations. Their national spells are too high-level to be THAT useful (by then you can field the excellent dai-oni SCs), and End of Culture would also negate oni mages.

I actually saw an excellent post on another forum on Yomi's weaknesses; I'm asking for the author's permission to quote it.

[Nick_K]

I've now got my copy of Doms3 and I've played two SP games with Yomi as one of the AIs. Both with all AIs on difficult, the second also had all set to standard mentality, Aran and Eye maps.
On both games Yomi has done extremely well comppared to most of the other AIs. In the first Yomi ended up taking over most of the map and actually beat me )it turns out I suck with Mictlan, and I forgot to recruit priests). In the second the map ended up split into three between me (abysia), Yomi and Lanka. I've beaten Yomi, but it wasn't easy even with the fire-9 blessing and lots of battlemages.
I don't know about MP, but it seems that the powerful demon troops with their ethereal second forms making attrition low are very good for the AI and the nation does well in early age SP.
I don't play MP, but I'd take claims that Yomi is underpowered with a pinch of salt, although I can see that there are some obvious counters to them.

As for beating them, have you tried the flaming arrows spell? I believe it adds magic damage to your archers.

[Manuk]

Flaming arrows it's not needed. Just priests casting banishment to the demons will overcome etheriality.

[Edi]

Against AI, even EA Ulm will absolutely own Yomi. A decent screen of shield maidens (about 50 or so) set on hold and attack, an equal number of archers and then just put warrior smiths in a row with Earth Boots. The first round you hear hat *crump* *crump* *crump* sound of them all casting Earth Power and then the Oni army starts vanishing under a massive barrage of blade winds and magma bolts. I'd typically annihilate armies five times larger than mine with just the shield maidens and the fodder stack in front of them taking losses. Add in priests and banishment...

If your friend is relying mainly on the brute force of the oni, killing him will not be too difficult.

Edi

[Baalz]

Another thing to consider if you'd like to try a variety of nations, it seems one of your difficulties is that you're playing 1 on 1 and you get rushed before you can get any kind of sophistocated magic or defense. Several EA nations have pretty effective bless strategies which give you pretty stout armies from turn one. Mictlan, Vanheim/Helhiem, and Jotunhiem come to mind and if you use a fire or death(I think) bless then they can hit the ethereal units.

[FAJ]

Yomi get no sacred troops, no high armor and have expensive casters. Aside from bandits, the average armor is 4 on them; they have average skills and cost a lot of gold.

AoE damage spells and massed archers put down oni in droves. You can try banishment, but I have never seen it do any real damage. Flaming arrows isnt necasarry, but it will solve all your Oni problems until he can cast arrow fend.

Wither bones is nice too, it can wipe out the oni spirits.

[Shovah32]

Get a big bunch of priests behind a meatshield that can atleast take on some goblins/bandits and you SHOULD be good to go.