MA Ulm in CBM 1.9x

[Mightypeon]

Greetings,

while this is not a full guide, I nevertheless wish to post some points concerning MA Ulm in the new CBM version.

1: Ulms National troops got a boost, less encumberance, in some cases more attack. For a rush defense (where Map move one is not that important), this is a significant boost. If you are rushing someone with them, it is a boost too.
2: Ulm gets an extra 50 resources. This further amplifies their early game potential.
3: Ulm gets more randoms from Mage Smiths. Which is very very usefull.
4: Ulm get some quite usefull national priest spells. While the "Iron fears not..." are not very usefull early game due to low AOE, "Hold XXX" is a major boost to Ulmish PD against certain raiders.


In my opinion, these early game boosts decrease the need for an awake Rainbow Pretender, and an asleep Rainbow with better scales/more Magic becomes much more feasable.

With an awake Pretender, rushing certain targets imho become possible too.
While Ulm is not Niefelheim or Mictlan, Ulm can easily conquer castles with Map move 2 Siege Bonus 5 Sappers, its Mages/Priests only need very limited Research to be "effective", and Black Guards allow for some very quick early expansion.

Imho, the first priority should be evocation 3, followed/supported by (depending on the situation) Conjuration 3 (Earthpower, Banes), Construction 2(Crystal Shield! Put one on a Black Priest and you get Blessing of Iron. It also boosts his Iron Dart spamming, and allows him to cast Earth Power) or Thaumaturgy 2.
Against certain nations Alternation should be taken over evocation, but imho evocation gives Ulm more.

Imho, for a sacred recruit cost of 140, and with a Construction 2 Item costing you only 3E and 3S, Black priests with Crystal Shields are highly costeffective battle mages. Giving those cheap Shield to Mages with S randoms can get you gifts from heaven, and air mages can cast usefull things such as Arrow Fend, Storm, etc.
Of course, Priest Smiths with Crystal Shields are usually even better.

Those extra design points can either be invested in luck scales, one could attempt to take Drain 2 instead of Drain 3 (which opens research from Indie mages), or get some signifiant growth, which will also help in the late game.

I do not neccesarly think that making mellee thugs out of Priest Smiths is particularly wise as a general strategy (although it certainly has a suprise factor), in most cases, blowing things up with gratitious evocations is less risky than getting close with a still fragile low HP human, who does not have a very high attack skill.
At the time when the items/spells needed become available, one can also go for Banes or Sleepers.
However, a flying cadre of Priest Smiths with Fly boots, Crystal Shields and perhaps an eye of aiming/feather/burning skull/Ring of Earth can add a lot of firepower very quickly.
Against Armies, comparably Cheap 2+1(Crystal Shield) +1 (Earth Power)+ 1 (Earth Ring)=5 E guys are jumping around spamming lots of blade winds/Blizzards etc.
SCs will risk comparably quick petrification.
Once you got a F2 Mage empowered in Death, a steady Supply of Flaming Skulls (whih can be combined with ubiquitos Crystal Shields) allows Fire 4 Casters (Phonix Power + Crystal Shield + Flaming Skull). Add in a Fire Helmet and and even normal Mages can potentially cast the really high end F evocations.

Ulm can get crystal shield, Earth Boots, Earth Rings and later on Fire Skulls (after the empowering) cheaper than anyone else, and transporting magic items does not care about Ulms comparable slowness. Last but not least, all of Ulms casters are very very cheap in both money and upkeep, are decent combat mages without equipment and very good combat mages with equipment.

Imho, MA Ulm is no longer "sub par" with the new CBM.