is the AI cheating

[Gandalf Parker]

There are many ways to steal commanders. Various nations have units that can seduce, some can summon units that seduce. There are also spells that can be used in combat such as Charm or Hellbind Heart.

There are also spells to steal commanders from their province which makes it easier. Summon them to a province with a lab and gang up on him with units that can do Charm or Hellbind Heart spells. Wind Ride or Winged Monkeys can steal a commander away from his army.

Even if you just kill steal them and kill them it still can break up a large army into smaller lagging ones that are easier to kill off. And if you arent able to make make it useful by getting him to one of your provinces, then an interesting twist is an assassin that can do charm or hellbind. In a missed assassination, you can make it yours. Then a combat will follow in that province with the charmed commander fighting his old army buddies. If no other commanders are there you can watch the guy rout his old army for you.

[rdonj]

When I was new I tended to use small numbers of large armies. This doesn't really work very well. You need to keep your armies more mobile, so you can be in many places at once. A few more hints that may help you.

1. The AI tends not to send large armies against other large armies. If you have a large army in a province, they may attack you, but the main body of troops will probably go to another province.
2. One thing that helped me a lot when I was new was using PD in areas I expected to be fighting in for a while (no more than 40). You can't stop huge armies with it alone, but if you hide your real army behind the PD, it will take most of the losses for you and allow your troops to kill the enemy while sustaining few losses.
3. Try to get the riches from beneath and gift of health globals up. They're very army-friendly.
4. Bless strategies are the easiest to win with.

[Crevan]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

And if you arent able to make make it useful by getting him to one of your provinces, then an interesting twist is an assassin that can do charm or hellbind. In a missed assassination, you can make it yours. Then a combat will follow in that province with the charmed commander fighting his old army buddies. If no other commanders are there you can watch the guy rout his old army for you.

Nice hint, Gandalf. Thanks. My next duel will start soon - and I`ll try to surprise friends
About "Monkeys" or smth like this - as I know, it`s just a way to kill commander, not to capture. Or I`m wrong?
And last question: "Charm" works when attacking Elemental Kings, powerful undead commanders or demons?

[esd29a]

About "Monkeys" or smth like this - as I know, it`s just a way to kill commander, not to capture. Or I`m wrong?
And last question: "Charm" works when attacking Elemental Kings, powerful undead commanders or demons?

"Flying monkeys" and "Wind ride" are good for capture because you transport enemy commander to you - you can have mages with Charm set up and ready + the enemy commander is alone so he always gets targeted by Charm.
As far as I know "Charm" and similar spells do not work on (1) pretenders (2) mindless. Works on everything else.