Did you know that? (Dominions trivia)

[Ironhawk]

sector24 said:
I've been using LA Pythium's satyrs from the Orgy spell, and they have a virtually 0% chance of seducing anything. There just aren't enough female commanders around. However...they are fantastic assassins because as far as I can tell they force a duel without bodyguards. Can anyone confirm this?

This is not correct. The seduction-failure assassination battle occurs just like any other. I've seen them fight bodyguards many times. You must just be getting lucky and hitting commanders without guards.

[churl]

If you forge 1 clam of pearls per turn (with a hammer), it takes 29 turns to "break even": the number of gems put in (29 clams at 14 gems each == 406) equals the number of pearls output (0+1+2+3+... for 29 turns == 406 pearls). If you need gems output the break even isn't for 57 turns! (1596 pearls output, which alchemizes to the 798 gems input)

For blood stones (forged with hammer), you break even on earth gems at turn 15 (105 gems), and blood at turn 23 (253 slaves becomes 253 earth gems).

For fever fetishes, assuming you place them on units with 10hp and produce 9 fire gems before switching to another unit, (and forge with a hammer), the break-even is around turn 16, using 96 gems (assuming some amortization of the gems output).

So, fever fetishes are by far the most efficient gem-producing artifact.. although they're also require the most micro-management.

[kasnavada]

For fever fetishes, assuming you place them on units with 10hp and produce 9 fire gems before switching to another unit, (and forge with a hammer), the break-even is around turn 16, using 96 gems (assuming some amortization of the gems output).

10 hp fetish means the indy basic commander ? So you will have to add about 272 upkeep cost (over those 16 turns) + 480 (16 turns) + 6 replacement for the deads (probably more if neverhealing wound is "gained" before of the disease) + 180 gold, totalling about 1000 gold. The other gem producing items can just be used on your researching mages, causing no additionnal cost.

Tip and tricks :
Fever fetishes can be used without any commander dying if the commander has recuperation or a way to recuperate from affliction (fairy queen, and some arcos priestess, being immortal) and high HP. A good example would be the minotaur commander for Pangaea (29 HP). However, disease doesn't heal immediatly so take the fetish away when hp is still "high" (7 to 10). When the commander is healed again, give him the fever fetish again ! It's probably not as cost effective as using indy commanders depending on the unit used to wear the fetish (due to higher cost) but it simplifies micromanagement a lot.