Ashdod proto-guide

[Kristoffer O]

Likely. I've never understood the end game.

[Meglobob]

chrispedersen said:
Honestly KO.. I think the hin and ashdod are way strong.. gath is weak.

Kristoffer O said:
Likely. I've never understood the end game.

I can only speak of the Hinnom who I have played so far but I do not think (so far) they are overpowered.

Like any new race they should be left alone a while to see how they get on, unless something really obvious shows up.

Often players mistake early game domination as a nation which is overpowered and overlook the real late game nations which always dominate. It helps that in the early game all players are around to see what goes on and in the endgame there are only usually 2 - 6 players to see the final outcome.

The giant races have to be compared against each another to determine if they are balanced, so Hinnom should be compared with Niefelheim and Fomoria.

Of the 3, I would consider Fomoria as the most powerful.

But, its still very, very early days with Hinnom.

[MaxWilson]

Thug build for Zamzummim. Requires Alt 6, Const 6. Begin with 4D1E Zamzummim.

Shadow Brand
Luck Shield
Bracers of Protection
Girdle of Might

Cost: 6 pearls, 9 earth gems, 7 death gems (w/ dwarven hammer and Talmai forge bonus where applicable).

Yields Enc 3, att 13, defense 16, Prot 7. Then script <Blessing, Ironskin, Hold, Hold, Soul Vortex, Attack Closest>. With the suggested E10N6 this will give you Prot 24/26 on head/body and leave you at ~25 fatigue after the Soul Vortex. It's possible that you'll get swarmed before you manage to get off your Soul Vortex, in which case you'll cast it later on (spells cancelled due to melee stay in the queue). You'll have a 35+ HP (up to 60 occasionally), regenerating, zero-encumbrance thug with luck and 26 Prot (most size 2 units can't reach the head), Soul Vortex and Leeching Darkness for chaff killing, a 34 AP melee attack at attack 13, defense 16, with several slots left open for resistances and other toys as needed. Substitute Flame Brand for Shadow Brand to save on research and/or death gems.

For a unit with stats of Prot 4 Attack 9 Def 12, the Zamzummite makes a pretty neat thug. Astral Adonim are probably better, but the Zamzummite is recruitable anywhere and you'll have tons of them lying around doing research and battlemagey stuff anyway--this way you can convert one into a thug just by visting a laboratory. Flexibility + mobility = strength.

-Max

[Epaminondas]

Originally Posted by Meglobob

Of the 3, I would consider Fomoria as the most powerful.

But, its still very, very early days with Hinnom.

Could you elaborate on this? It was my impression that they were the weakest.

[sum1lost]

Originally Posted by Epaminondas

Could you elaborate on this? It was my impression that they were the weakest.

Cloud trapazee is an incredibly potent spell on a commander of that kind of combat potential, especially since he can cast mistform, blessing, and soulvortex (with one death gem) out of the box (sometimes even quicken self and breath of winter, too). Also, it is my opinion that the morrigan constitutes one of the nastiest summons in the game. Take a gander at their weapon, and then realize it is on a flying size 2 (I think) unit with high mr and excellent stats.