How do you use the Prince of Death for very early game expansion?

[Cainehill]

Originally posted by Demosthenes:
Surely he can be used very effectively without rainbow-ing his paths? I too have wondered how to use him effectively within his theme.

Sure. For one thing, you could forge him some armor and items, to make him more survivable. Toss on some black plate armor, maybe a shield and a helm (easily doable early game if you have the gems / mages).

Or - only use him against provinces with militia, light infantry, archers, etc, and set him to hold, hold, attack rear. Doing this in conjunction with a squad or two of regular troops helps ensure minimal casualties in your troops, while minimizing the likelihood of the PoD dying / getting maimed.

Or, research Enchantment 3 and use him to spam skeletons.

Otherwise - just like most pretenders, you have to add at least a path or two to really mazimize his combat use (and even forging / summoning abilities). Add a little Earth magic - his base armor improves, and he can cast Ironskin / Invulnerability. Add a little Water - Quickness and Breath of Winter, making him a much better killing machine. Air? Mirror Images and Mistform, not to mention the ability to later Cloud Trapeze to where he's needed. Fire - Fire Shield, and summoning skeleton archers later.

And I'm not sure it's "rainbowing" him to add a path or two. It certainly isn't as expensive to add paths to the PoD as it is some others such as Virtues and Dragons.

[Kel]

Originally posted by Demosthenes:
Surely he can be used very effectively without rainbow-ing his paths?

There are other, better pretenders (with more hp) if you want an early game, no magic pretender (Wyrm, for example). Every pretender does not surely have to fit every role.

- Kel

[Demosthenes]

Originally posted by Kel:
Every pretender does not surely have to fit every role.

Surely.

In fact this was really my point. I play mostly SP these days and I like to have each game be distinctly different thematically, since the opponents certainly won't be pulling out many surprises or interesting variations.

I can't really get excited about a PoD w/ AAAEEWDDD who I'd use basically the same as a Cyclops for instance, albeit a flying undead summoning cyclops . Its way more fun for me to try and use each pretender thematically in their own context.

So, despite my odd way of asking, my question was really....

How can you use a PoD effectively as an early combatant taking only Death? Or Maybe with One auxillary path. But staying within the roleplay/theme of the character and not just trying to amalgamize him into the archetypal SC. You know stuff that's fun and has flavor.

Thanks. I love this forum.

[Cainehill]

Originally posted by Kel:

quote:

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Originally posted by Demosthenes:
Surely he can be used very effectively without rainbow-ing his paths?

There are other, better pretenders (with more hp) if you want an early game, no magic pretender (Wyrm, for example). Every pretender does not surely have to fit every role.

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Definately - but he wasn't asking about a no-magic pretender, but only about not having to rainbow the PoD. Starting with Death Magic skill of 3 is hardly no-magic.

And of course, adding to the Death, taking it up to 5 or 6 or 9 is certainly an option for being able to use the more powerful death magics, with much less fatigue in combat.

But in my experience, I found that a PoD who sticks solely to death magic has to be used very carefully in the early game, else you wind up with a crippled PoD, which isn't much fun at all.

[Kel]

Originally posted by Cainehill:

Definately - but he wasn't asking about a no-magic pretender

If taking a couple paths is rainbowing, then yes, relative to that, it pretty much is no magic

- Kel

Originally posted by Demosthenes:
How can you use a PoD effectively as an early combatant taking only Death? Or Maybe with One auxillary path. But staying within the roleplay/theme of the character and not just trying to amalgamize him into the archetypal SC. You know stuff that's fun and has flavor.

Thanks. I love this forum.

A personal favorite PoD is one with 4+ in Death and 3+ in Air (depending on what you are doing).

Personal expansion for him depends greatly on what initial equipment you can make. If you can make either A.) Ice Swords B.) Black Steel Armor he can be used for a fast expander.

If you don't have either of those, but have a starting spell (ala Terror, Raise Skeletons) you can also make a fast expander.

With this type of PoD you can choose one of two research paths.

Alt 2-3 (Mine is usually Turn 4 but depending on nation/scales)
Evo 2

Air Shield, Resist Lightning, Mirror Image (Mistform), Shock Wave.

Secondary:

Alt 2
Enc 3

Air Shield, Resist Lighting, Mirror Image, Raise Skeletons

With Terror: Turn 2 Expander.

Enc 1

Air Shield, Raise Skeleton, Terror, Raise Skeleton, Terror

With Raise Skeletons: Turn 2 Expander.
Air Shield, Raise Skeletons x4


Pretty simple, but very effective. I personaly don't use a PoD for "SC" role until I can get him some decent MR. But I will use him as a mass fearer/combat caster much earlier.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by Demosthenes:
How can you use a PoD effectively as an early combatant taking only Death?

C'tis has an easy time with a heavy Death PoD because of Terror, but if you really mean melee here, you'd better look at Ulm, Arco (especially GE) , Machaka or Vanheim, who have the gems and the mages you need to equip your prentender with decent early items. Use him as a flying trampler, and get his PROT and DEF as high as you can.

Eventually your PoD will be loaded with tons of afflictions he'll probably never heal, but as long as you don't get Feeblemind or Mute, that's OK. A crippled, blind, one-arm PoD with lots of Death magic will still be very useful when you reach Conjuration 6 and Summon Ghosts - you get one more Ghost/level of Death magic, so a Death 9 PoD with a simple Skull Staff will summon 10 instead of 2, at no extra gem cost.