Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Arralen:
Could you do a list of mages you already have, and their paths?

Besides the 13 seithkona (1S/1D/1N) I have the following:

• Tunne the Skratti (2W/1N/2B, best suited for Clam forging)
• Rimdriva the Norna (3S/2D/1N, my Acashic Recorder)
• Skade the Norna (2S/2D/2N, 3N with Thistle Mace, summoning 2 Vine Ogres/turn w/Ivy Crown)
• Lit the Norna (2S/3D/1N, my Death summonings mage)
• Ulga the Enchantress (2A/1W/1N)
• Pladina the Enchantress (1F/2E/1N, my earth forger)
• Petrona the Enchantress (3A/1N, my air forger/summoner)
• Kara the Enchantress (3F/1N, my fire forger/summoner)
• Sade the Enchantress (1F/1A/1W/1N)

- conjure(6) a harbinger (Astral-4), which will come with Air-2
- start searching for Air sites

I have 2 mages with A2+ already. While the Harbinger is one of my favorite summons, I've been using the astral gems for Acashic castings, which have been a more fruitful usage thus far. Air sites are almost always found in mountains and I have but two provinces (so far) with them. One has a very low chance of air sites, and the other one I will be checking via Acashic on turn 26 (results on turn 27).

- forge a Staff of Storms as soon as possible. Jotunheim doesn't have that great missile troops, so you won't loose that much. Would be very helpful against missile-heavy nations or heat-radiating creatures, though.

Indeed. It's on my agenda ... after I manage to find some air gems.

- how much Vine Ogres do you get from that Norna per turn? Her upkeep is 14,7gp, and you tie up 8 or more research points with this summoning.

12 points, actually. I'm unconcerned about her gold cost. I get 2 ogres per turn. I really need some tough troops that don't eat for some provinces I plan to take in a few months, and my other choice is sea trolls. I need the water gems for Clams more, hence the ogres. It's more efficient, research-wise, to forge wine bags and use normal Jotuns, but the method I've chosen is a more efficient use of nature gems and adds more troops to the numbers of Jotuns I'm already recruiting.

An indie druid with Ivy Crown and Thistle Mace would be much better suited for the task. Lacking it, a empowered Seithkona, an Amazone, a Coatl or a Lamia Queen might do

I don't control provinces with druids or amazons yet. A cuoatl cannot carry the Crown, and both summons cost more nature gems than I desire to spend at this time. Nor will I spend 30 gems to empower a Seithkona to do what the Norna already can.

- Nornas with Death-2 can get you (Enchantment-3) Revenants (Death-1) for only 9 gems. Upkeep for those is free AFAIK. They're ideal to pile a ton of feathers, lamps and skulls upon them to get them to 19rp each ...

My death gem income is 1. And my priority with what little I have is Horror Helms. I'm really not concerned about my upkeep costs at present, and if I need more RPs I can hire 2 Seithkona and 1 Garnet mage per turn for 19rps (at a cost of 280g). At this point in the game I much prefer to spend gold than to spend gems.

- Black Servants, Banes and Bane Lords make great Commanders and Part-Time-Pocket-SuperCombattants without upkeep-costs (AFAIK, havn't tested). They start with encumbrance=0, so you can slap the heaviest armor on them and still they won't tire at all.

I, too, like Bane Lords as mini-SCs. And they have good enough armor to not need any unless you want a particular magical effect. But, as I've mentioned above, I cannot afford the gems yet. Check again in, I'd guess, 20-30 turns and you'll probably see a fair number of death summons in my army. But not in the near future.

- Scepters of Authority for your Jotun Priests. Set them to "cast spells", and they'll use their priest spells to buff your troops or banish undead, unless there's no target in range. Than they'll divert to Flame Bolt with range 40 .. sufficient in most cases. And it's only 5 gems - a real bargain.

This is a great suggestion. Thanks!

- do not use your prophet for preaching. He's spreading dominion anywhere he goes (kinda auto-preaching ), so he better stays with your army, especially as he's the only priest-4, isn't he?

He is my only H4, until I can afford to summon Arch Angels (which I now have the skill to do, but most certainly cannot afford to burn the gems for). In the past couple of months, my army moved backwards as a lure, and I kept the prophet near the enemy to spread dominion. He had nothing better to do than preach, until the army came back. Whenever the army is stationary (such as patrolling) he preaches, or builds a temple if no other priest is available for that.

hope this is somewhat helpful ..

Yes, thanks!

[Arryn]

Turn #26, Late Spring of Year 3
A near-death experience.

Travellers from afar bring word that another Storm General has been named as the false prophet of the Caelumite pretender Gina. Caelum must be at war with someone else besides my nation (you may recall that they declared war on me a score of years ago) for them to have lost their prophet. In the Rim Mountains, my scout Oedre observes an Atlantian army of some 70 atlantian spearmen, reef warriors, war shamblers, and wolf riders utterly crush a handful of troops from Man.

A market gathers in Ancyrna and the extra commerce boosts my tax revenues this month by 100g. In neighboring Zenthra, over 1300 peasants, almost 30% of the provincial population, leave to find better land.

In Herghendorf, an Ashikagan force of 1 chunin, 1 hatamoto, 8 yamabushi monks, 4 ashigaru spearmen, 1 samurai swordsman, and 1 crossbowman attack the independents (composed of 1 priest, 7 knights, 18 fanatics, and 15 longbowmen) before my avatar arrives in the same province. The indy knights take care of all the Ashikagans excepting the crossbowman, who falls to massed fire from the longbowmen.

In the subsequent battle between Jorgun and the Herghendorf defenders (who are twice as strong as I had estimated), the wyrm completes his defensive spell preparations just as the lead half-dozen knights' charge reaches him (the seventh knight is acting as a bodyguard for the priest). None of the lances harm Jorgun, and 3 of the knights are instantly paralyzed by the wyrm's Astral Shield. While Jorgun feasts on stiff horseflesh, the fanatics close in and they, too, soon become bite-sized snacks to complement the equine main course. Behind the fanatics, though, the longbowmen also close in to point-blank firing range and begin to rain down a hail of hurtful arrows on my avatar as it finishes the Last few fanatics. In three volleys the wyrm, already weak from being in hostile dominion (starting with just 97HPs here, about half normal), takes many hits and loses almost 80% of his health. But his aura of fear, boosted by a Horror Helm, comes to his aid just in time and the longbowmen break morale and flee. Had they not routed, one more good volley would very likely have won the day for them. Jorgun calmly finishes gorging on the third paralyzed knight (the others long since having fled) as the longbowmen make a hasty retreat, leaving me the victory and control of the province. My avatar ends the battle with no new wounds, 11 more kills (98 total), 15 more trophies (172 total), and a lesson in how to be a pincushion.

Rod the Scout reports approximately 50 fanatics, and light and heavy footmen in the farmlands of Gol Phalas. He also discovers that the river delta of Durheim (#174) to the north is controlled by R'leyh. Bdvar observes roughly three-score independent ichtyid warriors and ichtyids in the river delta of Solam. Jorgun discovers that Ulm controls the forest-covered mountains to the north of Herghendorf, and that Man's control extends to the plains of Ivenmoor (#135) just to the northwest of Herghendorf. The Ashikagan-controlled mountain province of Melma (#119) southwest of Herghendorf contains just seven tribal cavalries. Robber Home appears to contain just a score of ashigaru spearmen under the command of the hero Li T'ieh-Kuai, while the Ashikagan capital appears to contain roughly 50 assorted national troops.

My researchers achieve the fifth circle of power in Construction.

My realm has:

• __6 Dominion max.
• __8 Temples
• _23 Provinces converted
• 942 Treasury.
• 964 Income. (+47)
• 333 Upkeep. (+12)
• 141 Resources in Jotunheim. (unchanged)
• 199 Resources in Pythium. (unchanged)

• 15 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=6, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=5, PD=3, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=2, PD=7, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=-3, PD=20, Unr=0
• Feral Woods: Dom=1, PD=3, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Herghendorf: Dom=-1, PD=0, Unr=19

Gem income is:

• +_2 Fire (20)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_6 Water (10)
• +_2 Earth (04)
• +11 Astral (29) (includes 6 Clams)
• +_1 Death (08)
• +_6 Nature (46)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 0-Evocation
• 5-Construction*
• 3-Enchantment
• 0-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 120 RPs (of 179 available at labs)

I recruit 1 Priest and another 6 Jotun spearman in Pythium, 1 Priest in Hoburgdorf, and 1 Priest in Saetica. I increase the provincial defense of Herghendorf to 10. I also increase the PD of Bel by 3 (to 10), and in the Feral Woods and Black Alps by 7 (to 10). These preparations drain the treasury of 510 coins.

I lower taxes in Herghendorf to 40% to quell unrest in the newly-conquered province.

I have the Skratti Tunne forge another Clam of Pearls and I allot 10 water gems for the task. The Norna Skade continues her monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem per month. I have two of the Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wine, for which I allot 10 nature gems, while a third Seithkona forges a Horror Helm at a cost of 5 death gems. I have both of the Enchantresses with fire paths each forge a Sceptre of Authority, which uses half (10) of my fire gems. The Norna Rimdriva prepares the ritual of Acashic Record for the Black Alps, expending 25 astral pearls. (I need air gem income and Black Alps is the only mountain province I control with a reasonable chance of having some.)

Bdvar heads inland, north, into the mountains of Cimri (#56), Rod the Scout moves east into the farmlands of the Glimmering Fields (#149), and Oedre continues to keep an eye on Atlantis and Man. Tahmar ferries a half-dozen fresh Jotun spearmen to Hoburgdorf. Ualgo departs Jotunheim for Ancyrna with eight vine ogres in tow. Erkeborn continues to preach at the temple in Saetica, while Albrecht does so in Hoburgdorf. Geiserik moves to Herghendorf, where he will build a temple in the following month. The Seithkona Sigrdriva returns to Pythium. Grymis, commanding roughly half of the Jotun army (21 Jotuns and a pair of vine ogres), heads into the woods of Robber Home. Rod the Firbolg hands his magical items to Bove, who also heads into Robber Home, while Rod takes command of the remaining 25 Jotuns and moves to Saetica. (Since Saetica should now appear to be weakly defended compared to other targets that Ashikaga might strike back at, this is the logical place for me to try another ambush.) Finally, my wyrm Jorgun will head into the Ashikagan mountains of Melma.

[ February 22, 2004, 05:47: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

Turn #27 in progress ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Ashikaga, Atlantis, Man, Ulm, and Vanheim.

[ February 28, 2004, 21:31: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[GGGreenhorn the Stutterer]

Going good there Arryn. (If I may say so)
And thanks for your answer.

A small something I found usefull as a sort of mobile cheap defense for the jotuns was a lvl 3 priest patrolling or preaching where I expected an attack. After upgrading the defense to 12-15 the militia becomes almost unbreakable.
The weak link for my giant homegrown militia proved to be the morale in most cases. And you can just move the priest up to a different province, once that part is secure.

On a side topic, can anybody please tell me, where I can find Unwise's mod for the flags/standards on the map? Can't seem to find them on the Boards or at Illwinter. They look just great.
Thanks a lot.....

[Arryn]

Originally posted by GGGreenhorn the Stutterer:
On a side topic, can anybody please tell me, where I can find Unwise's mod for the flags/standards on the map? Can't seem to find them on the Boards or at Illwinter. They look just great.

I've arranged to have his mod put up on the server that's hosting my AAR's files:
Unwise's Flags mod

[ February 28, 2004, 21:31: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[GGGreenhorn the Stutterer]

Great, thanks a lot , works like a charm and looking good!

[Arryn]

Turn #27, Early Summer of Year 3
Stranglehold.

This month, no travellers bring word from afar of events in distant lands.

Rimdriva's Acashic Record ritual upon the Black Alps reveals 2 magical sites: an Academy of High Magics (1E and 1N gems) in which I can recruit wizards (3 random), and an Unholy Temple (1D gem). The ritual also reveals a normal laboratory and temple which are linked to the magical Academy and Temple sites, an added "bonus". I am most disappointed not to have found an air gem source. Doubling my meager death gem income will have to mollify me, somewhat, along with the knowledge that my astral income is sufficient to be able to continue scanning provinces every other month, expensive as this may be.

In Melma, my wyrm faces a senin master, a hatamoto, 9 samurai swordsmen, and 4 tribal cavalry. The battle is more of a feast than anything significant. After consuming eight samurai as appetizers, my avatar moves on to his favorite main course of horseflesh, chowing down on a trio of cavalry before the pair of leaders rout, taking the pair of surviving underlings with them. Jorgun adds 10 more kills and 11 more trophies to his fast-growing tally. This province contains a Hidden Gold Mine (50g) and Gem Deposits (40g). More gold is always useful.

Grymis and Bove, with just over a score of Jotuns, makes short work of the dozen Ashikagan samurai provincial defenders of Robber Home. Bove tallies 2 kills and 7 trophies in this battle, which completes the encirclement of the Ashikagan capital. The captured province contains an Arena (15g). This month has proven very profitable, at least in terms of gold. Alas, the Ashikagan hero Li T'ieh-Kuai has once again eluded me, moving to their capital. His fate is already determined, all he does is delay the inevitable.

As predicted, Ashikaga does attack my province of Saetica. And they do so with a stronger force than I had expected they might use. So much the better, as it will weaken them all the more. The enemy counts an impressive (and expensive) "punitive" force of 3 taisho daimyos, 8 samurai horsemen, 6 aoi standard warriors, 14 samurai bowmen, 15 ashigaru spearmen, and 7 yamabushi monks. Against this, my defenders consist of Rod the Firbolg, a Jotun Jarl (PD), a Jotun Herse (PD), 2 priests, 25 Jotun spearmen, and 20 Jotun militia (PD). The samurai bowmen fail to hurt any of the giants, but do manage to kill several of their monks. The Jotuns plow through the spearmen and aoi warriors like a juggernaut, barely slowing down as they advance. Unable to stem the relentless tide of giants, and with all three daimyos slain, the bowmen (mounted and foot) and a handful of spearmen escape back to the relative safety of their capital. My losses are nil, and the enemy has once again been bled of over two dozen troops that will be expensive, and take months, for them to replace.

Rod the Scout reports approximately 50 fanatics, archers, and heavy footmen in the independent farmlands of the Glimmering Fields. He also notes that R'leyh has penetrated through the First Forest (#165) and into the Old Man Mountains (#147). Bdvar spots about 8 trolls in the mountains of Cimri, and that Vanheim is in possession of the plains of Pnophia (#66) to the northwest. The plains of Namor (#69) appears to be the furthest western penetration of Atlantians onto land. Aole (#78) was recently conquered by Man, and it appears that Man is attempting to flank Atlantis from the west, as its efforts to push directly through in the Rim Mountains has been repeatedly repulsed by Atlantis. Jorgun discovers Vanheim's eastern extent in the mountain province of Gipha (#131), just northwest of Melma, and held by a half-dozen black hawks, likely remnants of a ritual summoning. Ashikaga controls the wastes of Kepess (#116), west of Melma and Robber Home, with an estimated force of 30 ashigaru spearmen. I am optimistic that this may be the Last province under their control outside of the capital itself.

My realm has:

• ___6 Dominion max.
• ___9 Temples
• __24 Provinces converted
• 1113 Treasury.
• 1088 Income. (+124)
• _350 Upkeep. (+17)
• _141 Resources in Jotunheim. (unchanged)
• _196 Resources in Pythium. (-3)

• 17 Provinces controlled
• Jotunheim: Dom=6, PD=25, Unr=0
• Zenthra: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Eribon: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Gwyrth: Dom=3, PD=10, Unr=0
• Iron Range: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Saetica: Dom=-1, PD=10, Unr=0
• Black Alps: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ancyrna: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Bel: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Pythium: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Robber Home: Dom=-3, PD=0, Unr=10
• Hoburgdorf: Dom=1, PD=20, Unr=0
• Feral Woods: Dom=2, PD=10, Unr=0
• Ultima Typhia: Dom=6, PD=10, Unr=0
• Well of All Waters: Dom=5, PD=10, Unr=0
• Melma: Dom=2, PD=0, Unr=9
• Herghendorf: Dom=-1, PD=10, Unr=0

Gem income is:

• +_2 Fire (12)
• +_0 Air (--)
• +_6 Water (06)
• +_3 Earth (07)
• +12 Astral (15) (includes 7 Clams)
• +_2 Death (05)
• +_7 Nature (42)

Magical knowledge (stars denote schools being researched):

• 7-Conjuration
• 3-Alteration
• 0-Evocation
• 5-Construction*
• 3-Enchantment*
• 0-Thaumaturgy
• 0-Blood Magic
• 160 RPs (of 188 available at labs)

I recruit 1 Priest and another 6 Jotun spearman in Pythium, 1 Priest in Hoburgdorf, and 1 Priest in Saetica. I increase the provincial defense of Herghendorf by 10 (to 20). I also raise 20 provincial defenders each in Melma and Robber Home. These preparations drain the treasury of 905 coins.

Having eliminated the unrest in Herghendorf, I raise taxes there back to normal. I lower taxes to 80% in Melma and 90% in Robber Home to quell unrest in the newly-conquered lands.

The Norna Skade continues her monthly ritual of Awakening Vine Ogres, at a cost of 1 nature gem per month. I have two of the Seithkona forge Endless Bags of Wine, for which I allot 10 nature gems, while a third Seithkona forges a Horror Helm at a cost of 5 death gems. I have Sade forge a Sceptre of Authority, which uses 5 of my fire gems, while Pladina forges a Charcoal Shield, expending 5 fire and 5 earth gems.

Geiserik, now in Herghendorf, begins building a temple. The newly-ordained priest Adaloald ferries the six equally-new Jotun spearmen and all the newly-forged magical items from Pythium to Hoburgdorf. Ualgo also moves to Hoburgdorf with 8 vine ogres. Tahmar heads back to Pythium to pick up the next batch of reinforcements. Erkeborn moves to Robber Home, with intentions of building a temple after he gets there, while the newly-ordained priest Gunderik in Hoburgdorf moves to Melma for similar reasons. In Saetica, the newly-ordained priest Clodomir takes over preaching duties at that temple. Albrecht continues to preach in Hoburgdorf. Bove begins a patrol of Robber Home as Grymis passes the time preaching. Bdvar heads into Namor, and Rod the Scout doubles back southwards into the farmlands of Summerlands (#123). Oedre is most useful keeping an eye on Atlantis and Man from his perch in the Rim Mountains. Assuming that Ashikaga may once again attempt to senselessly beat itself bloody against me, I send Rod the Firbolg and his army back to Hoburgdorf, the current "weak spot" bordering the Ashikagan capital. My wyrm, ever hungry, will move westwards into Kepess, in anticipation of acquiring both a fine meal and what I hope is Ashikaga's Last province besides its capital.

[Arryn]

Turn #28 in progress ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Ashikaga, Atlantis, Man, Ulm, and Vanheim.

[ February 23, 2004, 20:23: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[PDF]

Originally posted by Arryn:
Turn #28 in progress ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Ashikaga, Atlantis, Man, Ulm, and Vanheim.

Nice.. Where did you get the Shield/Flag mod ? I want it !!

[CharonJr]

Well, to me it looks like there is/was quite a lot of fighting between the AIs since this seems to be the most likely explanation of this patchwork of provinces to your west (unless the single provinces are conntected in the uncharted portion of the map).

If this is the case you have an interesting decision to make, strengthen your position while letting the AIs slug it out and attack the AI who is getting the upper hand or step in as soon as you have finished with the samurais while ignoring the unclaimed indie provinces.

BTW, what would be your guess (unless you know it from the score-graphs anyway) about the relativ power of the AIs left in the game ?

CharonJr