Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Arralen:
Could you do a list of mages you already have, and their paths?

Besides the 13 seithkona (1S/1D/1N) I have the following:

• Tunne the Skratti (2W/1N/2B, best suited for Clam forging)
• Rimdriva the Norna (3S/2D/1N, my Acashic Recorder)
• Skade the Norna (2S/2D/2N, 3N with Thistle Mace, summoning 2 Vine Ogres/turn w/Ivy Crown)
• Lit the Norna (2S/3D/1N, my Death summonings mage)
• Ulga the Enchantress (2A/1W/1N)
• Pladina the Enchantress (1F/2E/1N, my earth forger)
• Petrona the Enchantress (3A/1N, my air forger/summoner)
• Kara the Enchantress (3F/1N, my fire forger/summoner)
• Sade the Enchantress (1F/1A/1W/1N)

- conjure(6) a harbinger (Astral-4), which will come with Air-2
- start searching for Air sites

I have 2 mages with A2+ already. While the Harbinger is one of my favorite summons, I've been using the astral gems for Acashic castings, which have been a more fruitful usage thus far. Air sites are almost always found in mountains and I have but two provinces (so far) with them. One has a very low chance of air sites, and the other one I will be checking via Acashic on turn 26 (results on turn 27).

- forge a Staff of Storms as soon as possible. Jotunheim doesn't have that great missile troops, so you won't loose that much. Would be very helpful against missile-heavy nations or heat-radiating creatures, though.

Indeed. It's on my agenda ... after I manage to find some air gems.

- how much Vine Ogres do you get from that Norna per turn? Her upkeep is 14,7gp, and you tie up 8 or more research points with this summoning.

12 points, actually. I'm unconcerned about her gold cost. I get 2 ogres per turn. I really need some tough troops that don't eat for some provinces I plan to take in a few months, and my other choice is sea trolls. I need the water gems for Clams more, hence the ogres. It's more efficient, research-wise, to forge wine bags and use normal Jotuns, but the method I've chosen is a more efficient use of nature gems and adds more troops to the numbers of Jotuns I'm already recruiting.

An indie druid with Ivy Crown and Thistle Mace would be much better suited for the task. Lacking it, a empowered Seithkona, an Amazone, a Coatl or a Lamia Queen might do

I don't control provinces with druids or amazons yet. A cuoatl cannot carry the Crown, and both summons cost more nature gems than I desire to spend at this time. Nor will I spend 30 gems to empower a Seithkona to do what the Norna already can.

- Nornas with Death-2 can get you (Enchantment-3) Revenants (Death-1) for only 9 gems. Upkeep for those is free AFAIK. They're ideal to pile a ton of feathers, lamps and skulls upon them to get them to 19rp each ...

My death gem income is 1. And my priority with what little I have is Horror Helms. I'm really not concerned about my upkeep costs at present, and if I need more RPs I can hire 2 Seithkona and 1 Garnet mage per turn for 19rps (at a cost of 280g). At this point in the game I much prefer to spend gold than to spend gems.

- Black Servants, Banes and Bane Lords make great Commanders and Part-Time-Pocket-SuperCombattants without upkeep-costs (AFAIK, havn't tested). They start with encumbrance=0, so you can slap the heaviest armor on them and still they won't tire at all.

I, too, like Bane Lords as mini-SCs. And they have good enough armor to not need any unless you want a particular magical effect. But, as I've mentioned above, I cannot afford the gems yet. Check again in, I'd guess, 20-30 turns and you'll probably see a fair number of death summons in my army. But not in the near future.

- Scepters of Authority for your Jotun Priests. Set them to "cast spells", and they'll use their priest spells to buff your troops or banish undead, unless there's no target in range. Than they'll divert to Flame Bolt with range 40 .. sufficient in most cases. And it's only 5 gems - a real bargain.

This is a great suggestion. Thanks!

- do not use your prophet for preaching. He's spreading dominion anywhere he goes (kinda auto-preaching ), so he better stays with your army, especially as he's the only priest-4, isn't he?

He is my only H4, until I can afford to summon Arch Angels (which I now have the skill to do, but most certainly cannot afford to burn the gems for). In the past couple of months, my army moved backwards as a lure, and I kept the prophet near the enemy to spread dominion. He had nothing better to do than preach, until the army came back. Whenever the army is stationary (such as patrolling) he preaches, or builds a temple if no other priest is available for that.

hope this is somewhat helpful ..

Yes, thanks!