Storming Castles

SurvivalistMerc · #1 November 25th, 2003, 05:12 PM

I have finally beseiged Ry'leh. After killing their pretender twice. This nation is really, really annoying (since I started by the sea).

I am about to storm a castle for the very first time in my gaming history. It's exciting.

The fortress in question is one of those kelp structures with minimal defense. There don't appear to be very many defenders. None that I can see at least. Probably some star children.

When I storm the castle, what kind of losses am I in for? Assume minimal army inside.

Also, I'm very worried that my character with the sea king's goblet and the manual of water breathing may be assassinated. I have 8 commanders down there to make this less likely.

If he gets killed, they all drown? Or do I have one turn to move them ashore?

Hehe. This game is so amazing.

Gandalf Parker · #2 November 25th, 2003, 05:26 PM

Storm with something cheap, like a scout. Just to get an idea of whats inside. Set him way to the back of the battlefield as a formation, and tell him to hold, hold, retreat. That will give you time to pause the battle and examine what you are up against. Note their positions, whether there are lots of flyers. Yes water troops have flyers. They are actualy swimmers as oppossed to bottom-crawlers. How many mages? What spells do they like to cast first?

If it seems like he might be able to get the province back from you then make it suck for him. Set the taxes to 200%, capture blood slaves, pillage. If the unrest is over 100 then he cant recruit anything even if he does get it back. Not until he patrols it down under 100 unrest.

If it looks like you can hold it easier than take it, maybe you should wait. Tax it to death (not like you could build much there anyway if you arent a water nation). Provide preachers and try to preach him to death. Or maybe lots of troops and starve him.

remember he still gets to cast summons so if it looks like he is willing to boost his army with summoned creatures then it might be worth a rush to take out some mages even if it doesnt get you the castle.

licker · #3 November 25th, 2003, 05:57 PM

Ry'leh is a pain that's for sure, just wait until you get double declared by them and Ermor (with about 2000 troops along my boarder

) in a span of three turns. I had just knocked Ry'leh back into the seas, and was ready to tackle him there when Ermor (whos waaaaaay ahead in the game) decides to pounce on me. Since I'm Marignon I figure I can retreat strategically to pull together enough holy men to start smacking Ermor, but if I do that then Ry'leh is off the hook, and he'll start messing with me again... sigh...

Anyway, to keep this on topic, I sent all my water capeable forces (such as they are, but at least my pretender is there...) to seige Ry'lehs home province, hoping I can hold his forces there long enough to solidify my crumbling boarder with Ermor. I'm probably happy to just tax and pillage Ry'leh rather than risk the loses from storming the citadel, but if I can I'll knock him out. The problem is that most of my fire magic won't work underwater, though I can likely astral duel his mages, but that's gonna be risky as all hell. Otherwise just keep on sending in hoards of tritons (assuming you have a sea province or two to recruit them from) and hope you can evenually overwhelm his defenses by weight of sheer numbers.

SurvivalistMerc · #4 November 25th, 2003, 06:07 PM

I have a mass of heavey infantry (about 75) there and about 3 good magi, 4 cruddy magi, and some uberpriests.

If there are no units in the castle or very few, what losses will I sustain trying to storm?

Let me clarify...on the overland map I don't even see any army inside the castle. Is that a quick, swift, automatic victory?

Also, can I be assassinated while storming?

Taqwus · #5 November 25th, 2003, 06:17 PM

During the turns spent merely sieging, the defender can try to assassinate the besiegers (if he has any assassins... and star children are cheap) while the besieger cannot. A storm is a single battle, 'tho, and assassins are just like any other unit if they participate.
The defender's troops are also not known (would a Stone Sphere work? Probably. Don't otherwise go Astral Probing R'lyeh 'tho.), hence the suggestion of a suicide scout.
If you have Earth Attack available, that will work even underwater and during a siege. That's pretty high up 'tho. Mind Hunt would work, except that you'll probably end up with feebleminded mages because R'lyeh is astrally proficient.
Tritons are a good idea; if you don't have scads of mindless or high-MR troops, another counter for mind-bLasting is having numerous cheap, incredibly mobile troops that spend a minimum time getting paralyzed before they even reach the illithids.

licker · #6 November 25th, 2003, 06:17 PM

I don't think you can see the army while storming, it's hidden. At least I've checked and seen the 'no hostile military units' stormed, and met up with resistance beyond the handful of commanders you assume are there.

With that much HI you might be able to take it, but the mind burn slowing your advance through the gate my be problamatic. I'd really try to get some tritons in there (if you can) to swim in and create some trouble while your slow HI advance through the gate.

Do you have any spells that will work underwater?