Best summon?

[Blitz]

Wouldn't mind getting everyone's opinions on what they feel is the best summon. Please take into account gem cost, spell level, and research level. Here's my top five.

5) Behemoth (Enchantment 4, DDD, 10 Death Gems)

Nothing like mixing a few mammoths into an already impressive Jotun army. It's only Enchantment 4, which also gives you raise skeletons and twiceborn if you are going to beeline it. Unfortunately 10 gems can be a lot to pay, and not every nation is going to have a DDD mage lying around. But it's hard to argue that you aren't better off having a few of these guys around.

4) Ice Devils (Blood 5, WWWBBB, 55 slaves)

VQs bothering you? No problem. For 55 blood slaves and blood 5 you get a serious can-o-whoopass of your own. For best results research const 4 as well (like you weren't going to anyway). The WWWBBB casting cost can be a hurdle, but don't let that scare you off. In addition to being the best chassis you can get, the Vampire Queen is also your best bet for casting this one.

3) Devils (Blood 3, FFBB, 7 slaves)

Nothing cuts down mages and archers faster than a few devils. At this price, how can you not make a few? Can also be forged for 80 slaves and BBBBB. Use a dwarven hammer for best results. Staff of storms can be trouble, plan ahead.

2) Lamia Queen (Conjuration 6, NNNN, 15 nature gems)

Maybe the best use of nature gems around. Good researcher, skeleton generator, relief caster, whatever. You can't find a better summonable mage.

1) Wights (Construction 3, DD, 5 Death Gems)

You can lump the higher-level wight lords in here as well, but IMHO this is the finest summon unit in the game. Just about any nation can field a huge army of them in the midgame, depending on their death gem supply. DD mages aren't too hard to find, either independant, national, or empowered (Death Staff). They resist cold and poison, they have a chill aura, their weapons are magical, they are small. Few weaknesses, many strengths, low requirements. Tha

[Norfleet]

Doom Horror (Alt-9, SSSSSSSSS, 100 Astrals)

[ May 16, 2004, 05:58: Message edited by: Norfleet ]

[HotNifeThruButr]

Celestial Soldiers are a good, solid summon, in my opinion. They were very useful against the mighty Black Plate Infants of Ulm. These guys can slam enemy armor pretty damn hard, with superhuman strength and glaives. They also move fast enough to get to the battle in time (2 strat move on a 15 prot unit is good by my standards) and their battle move is decent enough for them to flank the enemy occasionally. They also cost 4 gems to a horse and summon in 5-packs. It's a shame that not all Celestial Masters can summon them without empowerments/items.

I'm also a fan of Behemoths. Non-routing elephants can be devastating.

Trolls are excellent summons in a gem-poor environment, if you the money to sustain them. Troll kings can also be used as troll generators, but I don't find the court economical unless your pretender is the only other mage that can summon trolls.

[Azhur]

Conjuration 7 - Air Elemental Queen (cost: 5 Air, 50air gems)

Three of these summons equals almost like having three VQs. Arm with same equipment like VQs and research alt 3 to:

- mistform
- mirror image
- charge body

ATTACK REARMOST (RAMPAGE!)

[ May 16, 2004, 08:46: Message edited by: Azhur ]

[Belcarl]

Vine Ogres - With an Ivy crown and 3N its easy to pump a lot of these these out at 1 nature gem each. They dont have that good hitting power but are solid "meat wall" for a lot of nations who rely on Missile/magic in battles. I use them quite a lot when playing R'lyeh and Man.

Revenants - For 9 death gems you get a researcher that doesnt cost upkeep more or less for free. And you can put that feverish amulet (sp?) on them for Fire gem hoarding.

Specter - Same as Revenant but cost 10 Death gems and requires 3D to cast, but are much better at researching.

Angelic Host- 50 Astral gems for 7 swift Blitzkrieg fliers that could wreak havoc behind enemy lines, and are nasty against undead AND are sacred. Then, they are not strong enough to fight large battles by themselves. Maybe not a game winner, but a PITA for your enemy, especially if he relies on mages in battles.

Then there is the Tarrasque(sp?) and Abominion at Conjuration 9. But I seldom get that far on the research tree unless its a big game.

I usually have problems with the wights chilling aura in Siege battles, since I tend to have a lot of other non-undead troops. If I'm playing a blood nation I would vote Devils as #1, otherwise I would say Abominions. A few of these could rout anything but the strongest defence, and 25 Astral is easy to Alchemize no matter what kind of magic sites you have found.

If possible I only use Trolls if I need a quick infantry boost against an enemy. One Sea Kings court is usually nice, but it cost too much gold to maintain to be a good summon strategy in my opinion. 3 or 4 turns of casting Sea Kings court and you will feel it on your upkeep.

[ May 16, 2004, 10:08: Message edited by: Belcarl ]

[proteus]

Call Abomination.