Range in Assassinations/Death Matches

[Stavis_L]

Originally Posted by Corporal Clegg

Whats the point of using Charm in enemy territory? Wont the charmed one just get killed by its former kins?

Usually. However, sometimes not (e.g. if it's the only commander and there's no PD.)

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by Corporal Clegg

Whats the point of using Charm in enemy territory? Wont the charmed one just get killed by its former kins?

A) its still safer than fighting him
B) you get to watch him fight his previous friends giving you a clear view of what is there instead of a questionable spy report

and if its the last commander in the province....
C) you get to watch his old troops route from him giving you the province (fun!)
D) you dont need an army along or use a turn to take the province
E) you get a new commander WITH any experience, gems, and equipment he has

[thejeff]

Of course, if he's tough enough he might beat his former troops/PD or at least do some damage. Or, if your in a border province he might retreat to safety.

When do those battles take place? Assassinations happen after magic battles but before regular movement. Does the battle with the charmed commander happen right away or wait until the regular battle phase?

[Corporal Clegg]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

A) its still safer than fighting him
B) you get to watch him fight his previous friends giving you a clear view of what is there instead of a questionable spy report

and if its the last commander in the province....
C) you get to watch his old troops route from him giving you the province (fun!)
D) you dont need an army along or use a turn to take the province
E) you get a new commander WITH any experience, gems, and equipment he has

Fair enough. Never tried it. One could consider having a number of these charmers in a single territory, making it easier to accomplish an actually victory. Charming a thug or two wouldn't hurt then either.

Ah, my love for Pangaea might just grow...

[Corporal Clegg]

What would happen if one used the alternate, enslave mind, and got the commander as a unit instead of as a commander? If the unit was stealthy? If you used charm, and the commander was stealthy?

[TwoBits]

Um, this is all very interesting, but not exactly, or at least not definitively, answering my question. Charm was just an example, of a spell with only moderate range (20), that in a normal battle requires at least one party or the other to close the distance before it can be cast. But I was wondering if the 'battlefield' in an assassination or Death Match were small enough that closing might not be necessary.

Gandalf said he thought Charm might work, but mentioned that the enemy/victim usually "gets first action and runs forward to the limit of their range".

Well, what if I'm the 'victim'? What if both sides resort to spells (summoning Imps for example) or ranged weaponry?

That's why I'm hoping for some precise range numbers, so I know which spells might be able to 'reach out and touch someone' immediately, without anyone moving; which spells work if the enemy closes toward you first, and which spells likely require at least an "Attack x 1, Cast Whatever", kind of script.

So, anyone have those sort of numbers?

[Gandalf Parker]

That would get specific. Different spells have different ranges. And different units have different movement ranges per turn of combat.

Do you want to know how far apart they start? I guess you could view a combat. Hit the space bar right away to freeze things. Then hit the w(?) key to turn off the background and see things on the grid. Then count squares between the units

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by Corporal Clegg

Ah, my love for Pangaea might just grow...

I can hear the groans now. You just HAD to mention Pangaea with HIM in the thread

One of my favorites. If you give a Pan, the Black Heart, you get a FUN assassin.
The assassination makes sure combats are one-on-one. Set him for Charm and/or HellBind (he can usually do both). Give him NO followers.

Whether he assassinates or charms doesnt matter. He always tosses a couple of maenads into the province so you get a combat view of things every turn. A great way to know for sure exactly how many more commanders and whether they are worth messing with. He can take provinces without ever leaving stealth.

Its a great way to wander around behind enemy lines, grab a province, tax it to death while he sends an army to take it back. Force enemies to invest in PD more than they had planned and keep a large roaming army in territory they thought was safe.

[thejeff]

And as someone always replies when you post this: It only takes provinces against indies. 1PD keeps the Maenads from taking the province. Also keeps the enemy informed of exactly where your Pan is moving and only works in Turmoil.

Not that a Pan assassin casting charm is a bad thing, just that tossing Maenads to take a province plan doesn't work.

Now if the maenads joined the charmed commander to attack minimal PD, that might be interesting. Do they? I'm not sure when either of those battles happen in the turn sequence.

[TwoBits]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

Do you want to know how far apart they start?

I suppose that is what I want to know. I will do what you suggest and look at a couple of assassination fights, and count the squares. But I'm still wondering if all assassination fights occur on the same size battlefield (do things like auto-summons or blood slaves have a chance of expanding the field?), and if Death Match duels are also the same size?

And I'd also like to know the maximum variables that different unit placement (toward the front or back) can get you. Hm, I remember someone telling me how, when you're watching the battle replay, to add an extraneous unit to the fight, just to see what would happen, but I forgot how to do that. Could someone remind me (and I promise I'll write it down this time!)?

Gandalf, I appreciate your help and comments, but I guess I am looking for 'hard numbers' (or at least a way to find them for myself, and you've given me some ideas there, thank you!).

So if anybody has those, I'd love you for it