Leveraging Magic Bows

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by PyroStock

What script, without additional forged items, can keep a non-mage commander with a bow from attempting to melee when they run out of ammo? Even if I script "Firex5 + Stay Behind Troops" they still attempt to melee (and don't stay behind troops) when ammo=0. I would rather not add in a "Retreat" to the script either. I thought I found a solution/script awhile back, but I believe I forgot it.

Give him a personal guard (with the order Guard), and the commander will dance with him without marching forwards. Of course, squads with one member can rout just like that, so make the bodyguard five men strong, and the commander will stay back with them

[Fantomen]

With CBM EA agartha you can effectively use the Ancient lords with 2 fire bolas and boots of giant strenght. The bolas dont just have range=strenght but also do strenght based damage.

My tactic is to put like 4 Ancient lords on the front line set to fire closest. The other sacreds are divided in 4 groups set to guard each commander. Placed so they all form a single front line.

Each lord will fire 4 bolas each turn (4X4=16) with a range and damage of 24 and 10 precicion(bolas are +3 prec). First rounds this will break up the enemy formations when the imprisoned units fall behind and when melee starts the fire bonds will allow your sacreds to hit even with their low attack score. (since it lowers defence to 2) At this point your lords are firing straight into the fray at point blank range and will rarely miss.

In practice it will be more like 28 damage and range since you will have an oracle casting strenght of giants. And those lords rack up experience fast so you´ll be looking at 12+ prec.

Add darkness and fire ward + magma children to that and you have something interesting.

[chrispedersen]

But the same thing can be accomplished a great deal easier with prison of fire.

[vfb]

It sounds like a cool plan to me. I'm not sure if the boots and the spell stack though.

[AreaOfEffect]

Awaken Sleeper is your best bet for a summoned archer. They have 15 precision right out of the box and are very survivable. The only thing a bane has over them is that they do better while under the effects of darkness.

[Stavis_L]

Originally Posted by AreaOfEffect

Awaken Sleeper is your best bet for a summoned archer. They have 15 precision right out of the box and are very survivable. The only thing a bane has over them is that they do better while under the effects of darkness.

...and, of course, ya know, well, they cost less...

Sleepers also have a large standard effect, which can be helpful if standing in a block of normal archers of puny morale. Though that's semi-OT for the present purpose.

Assassins, w/precision 13, can also make decent snipers (inside or outside of assassination attempts.)

[Jarkko]

Originally Posted by Stavis_L

Sleepers also have a large standard effect, which can be helpful if standing in a block of normal archers of puny morale.

A sleeper with a Horn of Valor and a magic bow amongst archers is a wonderful boost to morale (not to mention the sleeper is quite a killer shooter with his high precission, as mentioned above).

[LumenPlacidum]

With a strength of 17, they're rather nice with the lightning bow, too; especially if you can give them quickness.

[AreaOfEffect]

Your talking about a cost difference of 2 gems (4 in CBM). Yet I like the sleeper cause it saves me more on death gems, which are used to make many of the better bows (Vision's Foe, Banefire Crossbow, and Black Bow of Botulf). Not to mention that death gems are also used towards some of the best summons, remote spells, and construction items in the game.

[Executor]

Don't know if this was mentioned at all, but the bows are best used on scouts from my experience.
Especially if you get several of them with bows of war, you get a really big archer army that is completely unexpected.