Mod: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.6

[kianduatha]

There's been a lot of discussion about how to rebalance Machaka, and it seems almost entirely there. The latest Black Hunter goldcost change was huge, and I've been seeing people actually use them for expansion(and be justified doing so, too!). I think the nation isn't quite where it needs to be still, though. I'd propose just a handful of minor changes for the next version.

I'll start with the most obvious: for some strange reason, currently Hunter Spiders(once they lose their rider) have a strength of only 11. This is frankly criminal, and it is the reason they deal no damage once their rider is gone. In order to have the same damage with their fangs as they do with a rider, they should have 16 strength.

Province defense can also be easily improved. Simply change the commanders to a Witch Doctor(for the first) and Voice of the Lord. The changes are both thematic and effective--Sermon of Courage makes your masses of Militia no longer so much of a disadvantage, and the Witch doctor can put down some fairly random but occasionally effective magical support. Wandering thugs will occasionally get blinded, combusted, Decayed, and once in a blue moon a Witch Doctor might even get off a lucky Flaming Hands. It's also perfect thematically--Witch doctors even have in their flavor texts that they hide in the wilderness to potshot enemies.

[Micah]

1 point of PD shouldn't get mages, ever. The only exceptions currently are EA Van and Hel, who literally have no non-mage commanders in their rosters. (Possibly some of the expansion nations have one, though I can't think of any...I just glanced at the lineups in the book)

[Kheldron]

LA Marignon at least gets a chartmaker AS 100% random with PD as 2d commander...and they do have other types of leaders

[Squirrelloid]

Originally Posted by Kheldron

LA Marignon at least gets a chartmaker AS 100% random with PD as 2d commander...and they do have other types of leaders

I think Micah is objecting to one as *first* commander.

Plently of nations get a weak mage as 2nd commander (often because its also a priest). Ermor gets a Pontifex (F1H2) for example.

But as a *first* commander its incredibly rare, and only because the rosters of those nations have no non-mage commanders.

[Kheldron]

Ok my bad, I answered before the question reached my brain

[kianduatha]

Originally Posted by Micah

1 point of PD shouldn't get mages, ever. The only exceptions currently are EA Van and Hel, who literally have no non-mage commanders in their rosters. (Possibly some of the expansion nations have one, though I can't think of any...I just glanced at the lineups in the book)

So basically you're saying it's a bad idea because it would give something unique to Machaka?

I mean, I know it's a bit different(though not entirely unprecedented, as you mention). Frankly, Machaka can justify having a caster in relatively undefended provinces way better than Helheim or Vanheim can. After all, it's just the village witchdoctor seeing if he can disease the invading army.

It above all makes Machakan province defense unpredictable--and that might be a bad thing, admittedly. I'd personally be less likely to try and use single thugs against Machaka, knowing that there was even a 10% chance my raider would end up decayed or blinded or otherwise taken out by 1 province defense.

[Micah]

No, I'm saying it's a bad idea because getting a mage for 1 gold is a bad idea.

[kianduatha]

I'm just trying to think of a way to make Machakan province defense not become an actual liability, to the detriment of the nation. There are only a few ways to make a pile of Militia useful--it seems the most elegant way to do so is to give them a caster. It's more fitting than a priest to start, or even bumping up to a better noncaster commander.

Either way, a Voice at 20 PD would do a lot of good. You might even stop routing when your first javelin barrage kills 30 of your own militia.

[vfb]

Well, ~30 Machakan PD killed my (unbuffed, naked) D5 Wyrm in Forge of Godhood.

[kianduatha]

With Dom10, or without?