Help with Abominations

[1000yd_stare]

Some good suggestions! I should have given some more info, though. This is a mp game, and its a humie player. My armies are routinely will of fated, and anti magic is up. The 3 life drains and the AoE of 5 square other attack they have makes big holes in my army regardless. This, and another army, is backed up by 2 castings of earth trolls, and about 20 odd normal illithids doing the usual paralyze. And yes, i rarely get into melee, and when i do, its with the little monkeys from PD.
The abominations are cursed (from the past 2 battles where I lost 120-odd and 90-odd monkeys), and each has 2-4 afflictions -none of them disease, sadly.
Longbowmen inflicted the afflictions, but they didnt stick around long enough, and i didnt get any of the abominations even below 150 hps.

The economic warfare has already begun - raging hearts with my one Fire king, baleful star, and locust swarms. Its going to take time, though.

I have tried the Atavis- they cannot get past the 30 plus PD that i encounter, and with no stealthy monkey mages, i just lose them.
I like the idea of the crossbows, and the sleepers. I too wish I had some death magic. I did note that I have access to Bandar blood national summons, but my blood income has just started.

I am waiting for the turn to cycle, and have done some things, but since my opponent checks these (hi Unwise!) every so often, I will hold off on what i have done.

[Edratman]

The army you described sounded unlike any AI army I've ever seen, so the MP game makes sense.

IMHO, your best bet is to declare victory and depart the field.

[KissBlade]

On the topic of ethereal xbows, I should point out, I am relatively certain it is Magic negatable (even though it doesn't say on the item). If that's true, I wouldn't use them because of the fact that your guys already have pretty poor precision.

[Valandil]

the crossbow is definately MR negates.

Here's a really weird idea: living statue wall. They should live through the gaze, and they're lifeless so lifestealing isnt as big an issue. Back up with mages, as always.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Uhmm... 30 PD is nasty for R'lyeh. Ug.

So, beating the abominations is sorta outa the question, is there any way you can take out the support by focusing on the lesser threat?

Trolls & Illithids certainly have enough MR...
Though the biggest creature is often targeted first...

Half-baked ideas:
Arcane Bolt (AN, ignores MR?). Damage is kinda sad, though I suppose a communion might make it meaner.
Stellar Cascades (Stun damage? AoE5, no MR?)... If you can't beat em, sleep em?. You don't really have a price advantage to your mage, though. But you do have a middle-ground in the guru. Still, though, you only are facing how many abominations? You don't need the cascades to take out their entire army, just the big threats.

Swarm- Your available everywhere Gurus can cast it. But your facing two castings, or about 40 trolls... They don't have a MR worth mentioning, but you could easily get 100 on the field in one round of combat. At least you'll keep the trolls off of you?

Howl? Wolves appear on edge of battlefield. Nah... even unarmored Illithids have a base protection of five, and 28 hitpoints. Nine strength just won't cut it.

Breath of the Dragon/Poison Cloud. Only the abominations have PR...

Spam panic? It'll cost you a large number of nature gems using Gurus, though. And while Illithids aren't brave, they aren't in the frontline either. Stupidest idea ever: blink->panic.

If you have Rikshi in the area, w/nature boosters, Creeping Doom could swamp them. I mean, for 12 nature gems (Thistle Mace, plus fatigue cost) you can summon 70 ants. Go for three Rikshi with the right picks or a Treelord's staff, and you could get 70x2x3 or 420+ ants slowing them down.

So take these with a grain of salt. I've never faced abominations or summoned them myself. And, it's after a long day of work, brain cylinders might easily be misfiring. In fact, I'm pretty sure they are. However, there may still be some merit in focusing on the support troops rather than the big bad.

[Rytek]

Forge some boots of earth and take all of your earth 2 yogis, equip them with the boots and use Gifts from heaven. You should have 5 or 6 of those at the stage of the game where you have Aboms running around.

You can also assemble an army of the meaty monkeys, the bandars have 20 health. Take your F9 pretender and cast Warriors of Muspelheim and then cast a Flame storm. Take one of your N4 Yogis and cast mass regeneration. His trolls will take extra damage. Combined with will of the fates. Follow up with some pillars of fire with your pretender.

[KissBlade]

Don't bother with the meatie monkeys. Abominations will eat them up anyway. Instead scatter your markatas all over the place as cheap chaff followed with some faster stronger troops on the side with attack rears. Gifts of earth is a good idea. Summon earthpower should let your e2's cast it without the boots though I'm not certain if yogis can get e2? (Don't play thsi nation much).