Race Designs & Strategies

[Vorkosigan]

Hey Edi brings up an interesting point: for multiplayer, what tends to be the most popular mods? I haven't played with mods so far, but it sounds like there are some pretty interesting ones. I like the sound of the mod that gives reinvigoration to the pretenders.

[Boron]

Vorkosigan said:
Do you limit your expansion and focus on research? I admit that's an approach I have ignored to date.

Exactly i chose research over expansion .

In SP even impossible AIs have some trouble with your dominion + starving .
In SP even unequipped wraithlords beat huge amounts of AI troops + this is costless as long as fighting in own dominion .

The longdead horsemen are too fragile to be really good in MP imo . 1 archbishop costs even more then 1 duskelder though . Basically you could expand with your mages just spamming skeletons + a few undeads ( 30-50 ) .
This way you don't need your arch bishops .
I summon about 5 alcolytes during an ermor game for temple building and zero arch bishops .
I try to search my provinces as quick as possible to maximize gemincome and start clamhoarding as soon as possible too .

[Graeme Dice]

Vorkosigan said:
I can imagine that by midgame Ermor is darn hard to beat.

I would say that it's the other way around. Their undead troops evaporate against serious resistance, and anybody who's in the midgame should be able to put up fairly serious resistance.

[Edi]

Vorkosigan said:
Hey Edi brings up an interesting point: for multiplayer, what tends to be the most popular mods? I haven't played with mods so far, but it sounds like there are some pretty interesting ones. I like the sound of the mod that gives reinvigoration to the pretenders.

I don't know about other people's preferences, but I love Zen's Conceptual Balance mods. Especially the pretender mod makes a lot of previously unattractive pretenders viable. The fact that the CB mods are all modular makes them perfect, one can pick and choose what one wants.

Edi

[PDF]

Vorkosigan said:
...
Notes: Build Warlock Apprentices as fast as possible, send 3 per province with pop 6k-8k to bloodhunt, set taxes to 0. At Blood 3 build Demonbred, have them cast Bind Devils. at Blood 5 have Ghost King summon Ice Devils. Alternatively, get Constr-2, build a Dwarven Hammer then build Soul Contracts. Constr-6 gives you Blood Thorns, which are essential for your IDs.

Blood Thorns ? I largely prefers Hell Swords : more damage (so more drain), fire protection, plus Berserk+3 so you can pair your IDs without fear of rout !

[Nagot Gick Fel]

PDF said:

Blood Thorns ? I largely prefers Hell Swords : more damage (so more drain), fire protection, plus Berserk+3 so you can pair your IDs without fear of rout !

Hell Swords are ideal on low-end Thugs who can't buff themselves and/or you recruit en masse (eg, Jotun Herses). A Blood Thorn might be better on an Ice Devils: (1) it makes more sense to give full equipment to an expensive SC and the Blood Thorn allows him to wear another weapon or a shield, (2) ID have plenty of STR and ATT already so the marginal extra damage from the Hell Sword isn't that important, and (3) with a Hell Sword there's still a chance your ID will go berserk before casting Quickness and/or Breath of Winter.

[archaeolept]

well, hell swords are cheaper, and, it is true, the blood thorn is pretty sucky as a weapon - good enough against chaff, but not what you want if you end up in a duel w/ another SC.

but blood thorns are ideal for Magoth and Bifrons who both need time to cast a full complement of buffs and who can include astral weapon amongst them; making the blood thorn a rather frightening drain weapon

[Taqwus]

It rather depends what's on the off-hand, no? The shield 'Barrier', for instance, would be useful... or the Aegis, or a Magebane/Blood Thorn combo.

Or for a blood-mage SC who includes Leech or something like that in his script, perhaps.

[PDF]

The main drawback of a HS is no shield, but IMHO it only makes a real difference if you can afford one of the rare really good shields -Aegis/Barrier.
But the HS also "free" a slot with its 50% FR, so for example you can have any ID 100% FR with an Elem Armor, and an "additional" misc slot to use.
And about the high Att/Def of ID, it's true, but they often have to fight pretty good opponents, so the difference between damage 24 and 29 can really make a difference on a Prot 25 foe ...

[Vicious Love]

So dual Blood Thorns != good?