Newbish question

[llamabeast]

1. Niefelheim is not a terrible choice, it can be fun stomping things with giants. The most common recommendations are the various Middle Era human nations, particularly Man, Ulm and Marignon. Man is based on England and Arthurian legend - it has knights, longbowmen and witches. It's not too good on magic. Ulm is a germanic nation of super-heavy armour, but has terrible magic. Marignon is probably my favourite - as well as decent troops, their fire mages excel at tossing fireballs around, so they can be good for starting to get a handle on the magic system.

2. The paths of a mage never really increase - this threw me as well when I started. It IS possible, by empowerment, but that is very expensive and only rarely a good idea. However, mages can use magic items to boost their magic skills. You can forge these once you do some research in Construction. Check the manual to find boosters for the paths you're interested in. For nature for example, the easiest booster is a Thistle Mace, for which you need to research Construction 4, and which you can forge with a Nature-2 mage. The Thistle Mace gives +1 nature to whoever holds it.

3. What kind of spell do you mean? Mostly they do what seems reasonable. Spells cast on the battlefield end when the battle ends. Ritual spells (those cast from the main map) just do whatever you'd expect from the description, I guess.

4. The least labour intensive way to search for magic sites is to use spells to do it from afar. Most of these are in Thaumaturgy 2. However, wandering around with mages isn't a bad idea either. Note, though, that mages can only find sites of the paths they have skills in, and some sites require higher levels in a path to find than others. For instance, a fire-4 mage will find all fire sites in a province, while a fire-1 will only find those that are easiest to find.

There are never more than 4 sites in any one province. 2 is probably typical. But to find all of them, of course, you'd need to search with all the different magic paths, which in
general is difficult.

Magic sites don't disappear. I'd suggest that was an interface confusion, e.g. you were clicking on a different province or something.

5. Starvation: Ways to avoid this include sticking near to your forts (they supply nearby armies) and sticking to nice terrain (i.e. farms rather than swamps). Of course neither of these may be practical. The best solution is to forge some Endless Bags of Wine (nature, construction 2 I think) to take with you.

6. Imprisoned pretender: Honestly up to you, all options are viable. You might want an awake Dominion 10 (for awe) Wyrm to go off conquering on turn 1, or you might want an imprisoned oracle to just give you good scales. Or an imprisoned water-9 dragon to give you a powerful bless. Or a dormant prince of death to emerge once you've forged him some items and go conquering. Or any of loads of other possibilities. Have a play and see what works, and what you like.

[Endoperez]

Magic path booster guide should help in finding ways to branch into new paths. It mostly governs multiplayers strategies, and getting as-high-as-possible levels in all paths isn't necessary even in MP, so don't worry about it too much if you're having fun.

[LDiCesare]

1. Niefelheim looks fine to me. But as llamabeast suggested, Marignon are very good to begin with.

2.1. You can increase thanks to items, empowerment or wishes, but this will not have any effect on your bless. So if you picked Nature 6, you'll never get +15% regen on your sacreds even if you empower to nature 8, 10 or whatever.
2.2. Empowerment again, but even more expensive. A cost of 80 points at setup means you took a chassis that's not suited to many magic paths (dragon?). Some chassis are better for having several paths, pretenders like the archmage or great enchantress cost only 10 per additional path for instance.
Considering that empowerment is 1) expensive and 2) only possible if you have gems of the good type (which probably require you to have at least one mage with that path to begin with), it's probably a bad idea to rely on it.

3. For ritual spells, those which are global enchantments last until the caster dies, the spell is dispelled, or someone casts another enchantment that replaces it.
Some spells (domes...) require you to spend 1 additional gem per turn the spell is to last.

[GrudgeBringer]

Thanks to everyone, you are very helpful to a noob that really was pretty lost.

Yes I used a Green Dragon as pretender (I just went by the semi-Stategy guide to nations in the manual).

So If I build a second Fortress/Citidal ect some distance away from my original it will draw supplies from areas surounding my new Fortress just like my original and I can stop my armies from starving if I am in the Fortress?

Thanks agian for EVERYTHING... I look forward to trying MP when I feel I need a whoopin cause I am finally able to beat up on the AI!!

[thejeff]

The fortress will boost supplies in it's own province and too a lesser extent in the provinces around it.
That's not a very effective solution though. You want those troops to be out conquering new lands, not holed up in a fort.

So, a couple of suggestions:
Can you use smaller armies? If you've just got 6N on your pretender that's not a really strong bless for Neifelheim, but it's still effective. A dozen or so Neifel giants, blessed and led by a Neifel Jarl should be able to take any indies and all but the largest AI armies. Keep them in cold provinces, it boosts their chill auras and those do much of the damage. Forge some equipment for the Jarl as well. Frostbrand, a shield, a reinvigoration item, Luck pendant if you can. Have him bless himself, cast any useful buffs and attack.

As suggested above: Bags of Wine. hire some cheap indy nature mages, have them site search a bit and then churn out the bags. Give one to each commander or too scouts with your armies.

While you're building that up, avoid waste and other low supply provinces. Plains, farms should have plenty of supply for most armies.

[Folket]

A dozen or so? Surly five niefel giants and a Jarl can take out the independents.

[thejeff]

I probably overestimated. I've never tried them with only a minimal bless.

[chrispedersen]

You can also have nature mages accompany your armies.
Each mage will give a supply bonus = Nat level * 5...

[GrudgeBringer]

I have a few other Noob things to ask, sorry if they seem so basic but I have read about everything I could and still am blind as a bat.

Let me say I have been playing every night and get a little farther and know just a little more before some AI comes and beats hell out of me.


I have been playing this as Late Man and playing it more or less like RomeTW just to get the mechanics down.

My questions (for now anyway)are:

1.Should I make my First Army Commander my Prophet or should I use a Mage of some sort.

I'm still not sure what a Prophet does for me (or for My Commander for that matter)I know it speads Dominion and I THINK I know that that means, I get more bucks, supplies, and he makes folks happier in the provinces.
BUT what does it do for the Commander?

2. I figured out (sorta) what being on the Hall of fame meeans and it be Gooood. (if there are any hidden things about it could someone let me know)

3. What good does a MOVABLE Pretender do (say a Ghost King)if I am afraid to get him killed? Wouldn't it be better to have a non movable Pretender and protect him?

4.I have been sending out units that can patrol area's to evey border province (I mean EACH province has its own) and am building a Temple in EVERY Province.

The Problem is I have no Idea if (and why) building a Temple in that many provinces is a waste of money and resourses (not to mention time away from building something else).

5.. When I have my Army Commander (he is a Prophet but NOT a mage)cast Bless, do I need to do it EVERY round of battle or once for the battle?

6.Do the low magic items I can forge protect only the Commander or do they apply to his troops also?

And along that same line, If I forge flying boots and it only affects the Commander can I leave my army in a province by itself and fly home for more men in say 1 turn?

7. Last (Sigh) question for know (tonight anyway so I can get my nightly WHOOPIN under way by the AI) When a different Faction declares war on me it seems an empty threat....BUT when I attack an AI he comes at me with EVERYtHING he's got.

So I ask this...Does the AI consider an attack without declaring war a big deal (and if so WHERE do I find the option of declaring war)? AND when I come upon a new faction If I leave it alone will it leave me alone (for a while anyway).

Sorry for being so long but I figure If iask 6 questions at once I won't be taking up space for others to ask more advanced questions.

Thanks in advance...this is a GREAT game but it has a learning curve as steep as AGEODS American Cilvil War and the forums arr the ONLY place to get good info!!!

[GrudgeBringer]

I am progressing (at a very slow pace) and once I learn one thing it makes 2 other questions.

1. I finally figured out the magic paths....However, I have forged the 'Dwarven Hammer', 'The Crystal Coin', and the Thistle Mace.

Usually in most games other Stategy Games I would put them (or at least a couple of them) on my BEST Commander.

But in this particular game I get the feeling these are used to further the Magic Paths rather than making a 'Super General'.

OK...I tried adding these items to my Commander (Prophet but non magical)and Nothing.

So I tried adding them to my other Commander who is a Amazon Mage and the crystal coin DID raise its Astral level by 1. But the Dwarven Hammer NOR the Thistle Mace added a magic level or (since it had neither Earth or Nature to begin with)gave it a magic path in those disiplines.

SOooooo, I added it to my best Druid (I am playing Marvini) and it would add a level in the astral or the nature BUT my mage was a E4 Druid and the dwarven Hammer Did NOT add another Earth level.

So I ask...what the h"&#* do I do with these items.

I have read about them, I understand what thier purpose is BUT I don't understand HOW to best use them I guess.

Any help would be appreciated...(and remember I am as dumb as a rock in this game).

Thanks!!