How do you beat a totem pole?

[sector24]

I attacked a totem pole backed up by 2 slingers and 3 brigands. My army was 15 swordsmen, 5 crossbowmen, 10 archers, 1 imp horde, 1 demonologist.

I got totally destroyed. The totem pole killed 15 guys including my demonologist in the first round, and 12 guys in the 2nd round. What kind of army can withstand chain lightning and how would you protect your commander from something like that?

[Kristoffer O]

If you are lucky you have found an item that give you shock resistance or extra HP. Apart from that it might be good to have plenty of troops and chaff. If you are a demonologist it might take a while, since your summons are somewhat expensive. A necromancer could easily buy lots of goblin chaff and raise dead in some nice graveyard. A druid might get himself twoscore rabbits

Patience. But patience might run short when the pole starts to send spirits on you from afar.

Edit: I thought the lightning from the pole was 7 separate strikes. If it is a line attack you should focus on fewer and more powerful critters. The demonologist has plenty of these.

[sector24]

Yeah, I've fought it a few more times. It's 8 random strikes that are powerful to kill a normal unit most of the time. My commander has never survived the first round, it's uncanny. When you add in the spirits they send on any poorly defended commander, the AI plays the shaman extremely well. I usually just conquer the rest of the world minus the totem pole, and then come back later with a junk commander and 60 or so units. Just to be safe.

[Kristoffer O]

Yep, the shaman is bad. Especially if he's on an isolated island. It takes a while to figured out what happens and where he is.

I've also lost my troll king to possession. Quite annoying and fun