Hydra Tamer

[Cainehill]

If so, it's an invisible bonus. It'd really be nice if there were more unit icons depicting abilities, so players could have a better idea if something in a unit description actually means something, or is just flavor. (Or - a bug in the description remaining from Dom2 or another era's version of the nation.)

[Anaconda]

Gandalf Parker said:
I thought that they also had a bonus in keeping the hydras from routing?

So do they have this or not?

[Aezeal]

Or make sure he's behind his charges so he doesn't get hit...
When I tried to use Hydras (this in Dom2 so it might not work as well) I'd put the Tamer all the way at the back line scripted Attack*5 (he'd get to the equivalent of the front of "your" formation box by this time), Retreat. The Hydras would be all the way forward on Attack Archers. Cavalry would run up, get poisoned, kill selves chasing down retreating Hydras. The Legion would then show up and find a nearly empty province.
After Construction 2 I'd stick a Longbow of Accuracy on him. Placed on the center of the formation box, scripted to fire closest.
Fun, but less cost-effective than simply getting the right gear on an Assassin and dropping all the commanders.
That, and the Hydras would get scattered around the surrounding provinces.

--> if you givethe hydra's guard commander that last problem wouldn't be there anymore.. and the hydra's (who can take a beating and deal damage) could then attack all those poisoned troops... seems good to me (nad just leave the commanders standing in the back, no need to move forward

[Corwin]

Anaconda said:

So do they have this or not?

I doubt it.

[capnq]

Aezeal said: if you givethe hydra's guard commander that last problem wouldn't be there anymore.. and the hydra's (who can take a beating and deal damage) could then attack all those poisoned troops... seems good to me (nad just leave the commanders standing in the back, no need to move forward

If you script any unit to guard commander, the unit will just walk towards the commander and not attack anything until the enemy comes to them.

[Wick]

Only if the commander is still on the map -- Aezeal's final command was "retreat".

[Aezeal]

nono
Just
1. commander (hydra tamer) in the back doing nothing in particular (a (cross)bow might be nice)
2. hydra's in front with guard commander command, maybe even in different groups to make it spread out nice along the map

they'd get a trail of poison to weaken the enemy and then, surrounding their commander wait there to kill the rest...
that is what I meant, what part is not possible?
To me it seems the most economical way to deal with most basic, non magic armies even if they are large.

[otthegreat]

The only problem is against armies dominated by archers.

[Dedas]

Use counter archers with poison on the flanks (to keep away from the hydras).