Magic For Dummies?

[DonCorazon]

I have spent some time looking around the forums for some general tips on magic strategy. While there are lots of pieces here and there, and much is obviously context-specific such as strategies for certain nations and ages, I would love to hear some general tips from the pros (or links to other relevant threads). If it must be context-specific, then I would throw out MA Ulm / EA Neifelheim / LA Jormon as examples where I could use some advice.

Questions:
Do you generally focus on:
1. construction to outfit your commanders/Pretender
2. conjuration for more units
3. evocation for some battle spells
4. others?

Is there a commonly used path eg construction to 4 for magic boosters, then evocation for battle spells?
It seems magic research paths should be an essential part of strategy for each nation / pretender combo and I am sure there are an infinite variety but that is what is getting me in to trouble – I do not even know where to start.

Thanks!

[lch]

Most common is to research the site search spells first (Thau 2, Evoc 2, Conj 3 I believe it was) before doing something specific, but you can gun for something more important to boost your province grabbing, too, like Buff spells (Alt/Ench) for an imprisoned SC pretender, Bladewind/Thunderstrike for Ulm/Caelum and so on. But in general your question can't be answered like this. You aim for something specific, which may be to protect against an enemy or enhance your battle prowess, that's all. What you never should do is to divide research except if next turn the gauge will be full, then you can split off the excess research to another one.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

It really is best if you're focusing on a specific nation, but here's my attempt to be general.

1). Focus on construction if you one of the following a). have a melee commander with over 30 hitpoints available b). a good gem income, easily produced boosters, and mages who can benefit from another level c). a supercombatant pretender d). easily available forge bonus

2). I focus on conjuration after considering the following factors: a). surplus of gems b). lack of gold - lots of wastelands. c). versatile mages versus very focused mages d). specific national lack e). national gem income f). special national summons

It's two different decisions to focus on conjuration before and during a game. The more versatile your mages are, the more successful a conjuration strategy is going to be. For instance, LA Atlantis reliably gets only two paths of magic, water and death. But that's no guarantee you're going to get a high death or water income in your first fifteen provinces. Eventually, you'll have a solid income, but early on it may not be there for you at the necessary mass for conjuration- especially if you wasted gems on unsuccessful dark knowledges. On the other hand, EA Yomi has ready access to fire, earth, death, and some nature. With minors in air. You're almost guaranteed to have a surplus in at least one type of gem- especially with EA's site density.

During the game, one of my priorities is often to get a few (three, four at very most) cheap, sacred, versatile low-level mages (WD Tungalik for Atlantis) searching every territory I own physically. As Yomi, however, I send just a few high level mages to search all the immediately adjacent provinces to my capital - approx. six, - see the income, and then think about remote site searching.

Once I see where I've got surplus gems, I see what conjurations I could cast, which will mesh with my forces, who I might be at war with, and analyze from there. Regardless of my decision, I almost always research up to level two or three at least, for site searching and spells like Summon Earthpower.

[thejeff]

Well, I wouldn't bother with researching buff spells early for an imprisoned SC pretender.

But, yes in general it's site search spells, at least for those I have paths and capital income for, then if my troops are decent Const 4 for the first boosters, then either summons or battle magic based on my mages.

SCs usually wait a little, but if I've got recruitable thugs they'll start getting cheap objects right away.

[jaif]

This really depends on nation. The only rule that I've found over all nations is "when in doubt, research". By the time you reach the part of the game where that rule breaks down, you know why you are breaking the rule.

For ULM, for example, you want conj 3 and evo 4 as quickly as possible for summon earthpower and blade-whatchacallit. Those two spells turn your smiths into combat machines against large armies. After that, construction is your main priority.

But other races are totally different. They may vary also depending on your pretender. You really need to research your race, find a few spells that you want to cast, and work from there. It's really a matter of experience, I think.

-Jeff

[Lord_Bob]

It depends. Let's say your an armour heavy nation that's worried about being elephant rushed, and you have Astral using research mages. Well, researching Thaumaturgy-2 is going to give those mages Communioned Mind Burn, which will help alot against elephants.

[Micah]

I find Ulm is usually much better served by destruction as opposed to blade wind, actually. Their flail troops (or massed archers if you meant EA ulm...late isn't good with the earth magics) do pretty well taking out anything that blade wind would do a ton of damage to (with some exceptions of course, Jaguar warriors come to mind...Maybe elephants to force morale rolls, though I'd probably want bonds of fire instead of BW). Destruction works great on stuff that flails/bows aren't so good on, like anything with good prot values.

I also wouldn't go after elephants before you get to paralyze, mind burn isn't gonna do nearly enough damage to em, whereas paralyze is as almost good as killing them (and you will kill them as long as you win the battle). Communioning for mind burn is also...umm, yeah, just don't do that.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

In multiplayer, diplomacy is involved, and my research is often decided by my opponents.

Destruction is good for Ulm's flails, yeah, but if you a low-prot, chaff-heavy nation like R'lyeh to wage war, Blade Wind is great. Destruction's generally more versatile, though.

In the early game, I won't go beyond four just to counter a specific opponent. In the mid game or an overly long early war, I'll consider going from 3/4 to six just for one opponent.

I generally get the essentials for my race up to level 3 (site seeking, earthpower, for instance) and then focus on a school of magic that gives me a lot of options and/or dovetails with a specific strategy (yomi - darkness, ma agartha earth blood deep well with lots of golems). I deviate every now and then to get a lesser school up to two, or counter a specific opponent. Or, I focus on the essentials, then focus on the basic spells. For instance, I want at least Attentive Statues to be available for MA Agartha before I waste time and gems on remote site searching.

[HJFudge]

Not the best player around, so take with a grain of salt.

I'd say that your research strategy should NEVER be general. There are some general rules of thumb to follow in certain situations, but in order to use magic effectively you have to take into account who is around you and what kind of enemy you are likely to be facing.

If you are near an aggressive player, going for research/magic boosters or Site Searching magic is a risk because if they decide to attack you early and have researched some nice battle spells it doesnt matter if you have the long term advantage of better research/more gem income because you will be dead.

On the other hand, if you are good at 'keeping the peace' you can get a decided gem income and research advantage by going for those paths first.

Everything depends on your neighbors, your nation, and your overall strategy.

[lch]

thejeff said:
Well, I wouldn't bother with researching buff spells early for an imprisoned SC pretender.

Actually I meant dormant. And then it is a very viable solution to have the most common and most important buffs ready exactly when the pretender awakens. He'll take one province every turn from then on and scare off others, too.