MA Pangaea-best starting troops?

[Aleph]

Right. Sorry, was thinking of EA Pangea there.

People seem to be going either turmoil/luck/sloth or order/production. Any reason people aren't pushing a turmoil/luck/production/growth scenario for the best of both worlds - mass maenads backed up with incredibly heavy troops for MA?

I'm not at all an experienced Pangea player, even in SP, but it seems to me that MA Pangea has pretty decent magical versatility out of the box. Do you really need anything from your pretender but amazing scales?

[Xietor]

Only access to magic for MA Pangaea is earth, nature and death. And yes i like air. The gorgon requires air to be a proficient sc. low hps make her vulnerable to ranged attacks.

Also air gives her the silver hauberk, a light chest piece that gives a 80 air shield. Mistform and mirror image, along with regen ring, make her the best sc there is inside her own dominion.

[Shovah32]

For 56 points more than that E5N4A3 Gorgon you can get a E9N4 Gorgon who has great resistance to ranged weapons(18 prot unequipped) and can fight well unbuffed. She also makes a nasty bladewind caster and gives your centaurs a good survivability bless but she lacks the ability to broaden your magic access with air magic.

Just another option.

For a completely different pretender and bless an imprisoned, dom6 W9N9 lady of love can be fun as your sacreds get berserk +5, 21(17 without shield) defence not berserking, a respectable 16(12) defence berserking, 15 attack when berserking averaging 3 attacks per round(50% chance to act twice), regen, 14 prot berserking, 18 strength berserking and amazing speed(above 30, possibly in the low 40's) due to the W9 bless. You can also make some Hierophant thugs with that bless(personally i like gloves of the gladiator, horned helm and blacksteel full plate with that bless-the chance of a centaur with fairly minor equipment getting on average 9 strength 19(after berserk, before weapon strength is added) attacks and being able to reach rear troops/archers at the start of the battle is fun.

[Gandalf Parker]

Natural Disaster
pretender: Lord of the Wild
4 death, 4 nature, 4 blood
blesses are: Affliction chance +100%, Regeneration +5%, Strength +2
Dominion: 6
Turmoil 3 (order -3)
Sloth 3 (production -3)
Heat 1
Growth 0
Luck 3
Magic 3

=========================

Mulch Happens
pretender: Carrion Dragon/Carrion Lord
2 death, 3 nature, 2 blood
Dominion: 9
Turmoil 3 (order -3)
Sloth 3 (production -3)
Heat 1
Growth 3
Luck 1
Magic 1

2d3n are needed for Carrion spells, 2 blood added gives Dark Vines, Crossbreeding, Blood Rite

[Xietor]

I have tried the e94n gorgon. I like the air set up better. Her survival skills are markedly better with earth/air forged items. I do not like sending her naked into fights, even with 18 prot. Mistform is really nice buff as well.

And while the white centaur is great with e9n4 bless, they are capital only, can be a pain to bless without divine blessing, and cost 70 gold. Even blessed i am not sure they are better than 2 19 protection centaur cathaphracts, which you do not have to bless and can buy at any fort for 40 gold.

On pure survivorbility of the gorgon, there is no comparison. the 3 air goes a long way, and also adds 3 precision for her spells in the event she is actually casting. 99 percent of the time she scripts "summon earthpower, mistform, mirror image, elemental fortitude,
personal regeneration, attack closest enemy."

She wears silver hauberk chest, black steel helmet, snake bladder stick, eye shield, boots of the messenger, amulet of resilience, ring of regeneration.

Obviously later in the game she upgrades equipment.

Equipped in this manner, in a friendly dominion, she is pretty much unbeatable. Though, like all sc's she is vulnerable to smites, and certain instant kill spells.

[Aleph]

Xietor said:
Only access to magic for MA Pangaea is earth, nature and death.

And blood - and not just any blood, but blood backed up by nature magic for rains of toads to presage your sneak/dryads. Drive up unrest for more protective coloration for your stealth unrest/preacher combo.

[Xietor]

I refuse to use blood for rp purposes.

[FrankTrollman]

Deleted.

[Aleph]

Xietor - you can definitely do so, but Pangea still has it.

Frank - I often have trouble keeping up with these conversations since I'm not playing highly competitive MP games (and have no desire to do so). Here's my thoughts on your response.

A Pandemoniac can be empowered to Blood 3 for 45 blood slaves - that same Pandemoniac can now make Armor of Twisting Thorns, including for himself to unlock Blood 4 boosters. To my mind, given how sure a thing blood slaves are compared to other magical gem types, a one time cost of 45 blood slaves (compared to either 20 blood slaves for a booster item or 15 with an additional 10 nature) is a pittance against four levels of blood picks for your pretender god (which, granted, can be offset by the right pretender, but that's even more critical a choice).

I've gotten a fairly critical take on splashing Astral into your god from the forum at large for fear of duels. Is that just for combat pretenders?

[Xietor]

Actually, my god starts with 3 air not 2. actually my troops of choice late in the game are bane lords, decked out with fire brand, boots quickness, ring regen, lucky pendant, etc.

But after i take a few castles, i get access to other magics.
I really do not need much astral. I keep gift health, haunted forest, mother oak, and mechanical militia up at all times later in the game and that only leaves 1 slot for everyone else. if something like burden of time is cast, i typically find some way to get rid of it. either kill the caster, or dispel it by casting another spell.

I hire every mercenary that can search for magical gems, so i typically have access to all paths. Dagan usually is up early so i use him to search for astral. then later in the game i use other wizards.

because mages for Pangaea have no age issues, i use a mage in my capital to cast all of my global enchantments, and another mage in my capital to build up astral powers when i get access them(to avoid getting my god killed in a duel).

i use the gorgon to fight frequently, so i do not want the gorgon casting my global enchantments.