Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Sand:
did you pause the battle and click on each unit?

Yes, I actually did ...

[Scott Hebert]

Hi. I've been reading this _very educational_ AAR, and I actually had a few questions about your not-so-early research.

First, it appears you rushed to Conjuration 6 and Construction 4. While I understand the Construction 4 (first path enhancers, and the Clams), I'm not exactly sure why you went all the way to Conjuration 6 so fast. I don't have the full game yet, so I may be missing a vital spell you were going for. IIRC, Acashic Record is 5. I think my main confusion stems from the fact that I don't see you summoning anything that would require Conjuration 6.

Anyway, love your AAR, keep it coming, and when I get the full game, I plan to do AARs using yours as a model.

Bayushi Tasogare

[Norfleet]

You might consider it helpful to push for Conjuration 9 and have some fun with Ghost Riders: An interesting quirk of the Ghost Riders, as well as any anonymous "independent" remote summons, is that the AI will not recognize it as an attack from YOU. Thus, you can cast it ahead of your advancing troops, and in addition to taking the province without a fight, not cause the AI to declare war on you and actively fight back.

[BouquetOfFlowers]

Just spent the morning reading through this (Last night I only got as far as reading about the Wyrm before I decided to go try it out for myself) and it has been entertaining and educational. I just got the demo this weekend, so I don't know nothin' about nothin'.
Here are some things I have learned:
-That province defences are actually something worth paying attention to.
-That you can zoom in and out of the map.
-That you can hit ctrl-n to do something useful to avoid forgetting dudes. (Seems like it cycles to the next commander type.)
-That if you preach out all of another pretender's domain they lose. (I think I accidentally did this once and was just sort of confused.)
-Some stuff about spells and magic that I can't yet try out with the demo but that seem useful to know when the full game arrives.

Thanks for all your hard work!

[Arryn]

Originally posted by BouquetOfFlowers:
{snip} Thanks for all your hard work!

And thank you for your praise!

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Bayushi Tasogare:
I think my main confusion stems from the fact that I don't see you summoning anything that would require Conjuration 6.

It was an error in judgement, plain and simple. It presumed I would grow my gem income faster than I have. Even my current gem income, while passable for item-making (if slowly) is woefully inadequate for the summons I'd like to be doing using Conj-6/7.

Anyway, love your AAR, keep it coming, and when I get the full game, I plan to do AARs using yours as a model.

I'm delighted you feel this way. Thanks!

[Arryn]

Turn #34, Winter of Year 3
A fat and happy wyrm.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit a Seithkona in Jotunheim, Pythium, and Ashikaga. A "red" Wizard is recruited in the Black Alps, while a Garnet Priestess is recruited at the Well. I recruit another 4 Jotun spearmen in Jotunheim, 6 Jotun spearmen in Pythium, and 2 Jotun spearmen plus a Jotun huskarl in Ashikaga. I also recruit a Priest in Barra and the Rim Mountains, and another Scout in Eribon. These preparations drain the treasury of 1025 coins.

The Norna Rimdriva prepares to invoke the ritual of Acashic Record upon the province of Ultima Typhia, for which I allot 25 of the astral pearls in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of 10 water gems.

Tahmar moves to Hoburgdorf with a half-dozen newly-recruited Jotuns from Pythium, and Stark moves to Hoburgdorf from Ashikaga to rendezvous with him. A priest in Ancyrna moves to Bel, with intentions to erect a temple there in the near future. A priest from Zenthra moves to the Iron Range, also with like intention.

Rod the Firbolg, leading my army's vanguard of 21 healthy Jotun spearmen and a bodyguard of 5 vine ogres, along with 4 priests carrying Sceptres of Authority and with one vine ogre apiece as bodyguards, continue westwards from The Promised Land to Barra, the second step on their march to the seige at Man. Three more priests from The Promised Land join the army heading to Barra, as do two from Robber Home. (Next month there will be a temporary assemblage of 9 priests in Barra!)

Bove, commanding the rest of my Jotun army, along with Grymis and two priests sets out from Ashikaga to The Promised Land, following in the path of Rod's vanguard.

My wyrm Jorgun, alone, maintains the seige of the capital of Man.

Turn #34 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #35 ...

overview (1280x1024)

Please note the location of provinces controlled by Abysia, Arcoscephale, Atlantis, Caelum, Machaka, Man, Marignon, Mictlan, Pangaea, R'leyh, Ulm, and Vanheim. With the discovery of provinces controlled by Abysia and Caelum, all nations are now accounted for.

(Nation names in boldface are newly-visible this month.)

[Norfleet]

I find that large army to the north of you, in the mountains, belonging to the whatever side has that green flag thing, to be rather alarming. The posture looks rather hostile, or at least rather unfriendly, as there doesn't seem to be an immediately obvious reason why such a large army would mass there, other than possibly attacking you soon, and strategically, they stand to gain a very advantageous position over you if they leave the mountains and invade your province of Herghendorf. It's rather alarming. Which team is that?

[Arryn]

That's Ulm, and it's the second time they have done that. I may well be wrong, but I don't think they plan to attack Herghendorf. I think they plan to use that 170-strong force to attack the 40 barbarians in Arnbeg. Or so I hope. The indies would be easier for them to take, and that wouldn't start a war that Ulm may not be able to afford. Ulm is very likely at war with R'lyeh, and may also be at war with Van, Mictlan, or Arco.

While the large force that Ulm has is certainly worrisome, and could cause untold damage to me, I am actually more wary of Atlantis. They just captured the sole remaining Man province of Nifel with ~50 spearmen/shamblers, and they, too, may go after Man's capital. Which would embroil me in a third war (I'm at war with Man & Vanheim), and with an enemy I do not wish to fight. They are much weaker than Van's empire, but also much harder for me to counter at this time, being a sea nation.

[ March 02, 2004, 10:44: Message edited by: Arryn ]