Awesome units/spells

[vfb]

Leech rocks. Sure, it comes in at research level 7, but what else are you going to research when you've gotten the Const you want, if you are Mictlan or Lanka?

Because of the fatigue restoration in the spell, a lowly B1 Mictlan Priest can get off two of these in a row and still have only 88 fatigue.

It does 25 points of AN damage, with no MR roll, has AoE 1, decent range (25), and 100 precision. So it's a great anti-SC, anti-thug, anti-heim spell.

Does anyone know if the Leech "Life Drain" damage affects undead, demons, or lifeless beings?

[Yrkoon]

Tangle vines

I know, you must be thinking - what, that lowly spell ?

Well yes, exactly, it is a lowly spell, only conjuration 1, nature 1, so lots of mages (in particular all the shamen) can cast it. Shamen are available as indies in lots of places.

And tangle vines really turns high def armies to sitting ducks, since it halves the defense and stops them from moving at all. It AoE 1, no MR, and can last for several turns (depends on your growth scale). So the fearsome elite troops of the enemy become punching bags.

Works wonders on all units, particularly cavalry, glamour units and SCs. Great in conjunction with eagle eyes (also N1).

[PvK]

Good point about Tangle Vines. Also in can bring Super-Combatants to their knees (at least for one turn, but) as long as you can cast it on them repeatedly. Also, see other entangling spells and effects such as Vine Arrow, Vine Bow, Fire Bolas, False Fetters, Prison of Fire, Prison of Sedna, units with nets, etc.

[Yrkoon]

Yes, other entangling spells are great too. A number of the spells you mentioned are resistible though (false fetters for sure, vine arrow too I think), PvK, or not AoE (vine arrow, bow ...). And they are generally more difficult to research and/or find casters for.

Another thing about entangling is that it prevents units for retreating - great for SCs with lots of life that take time to die (dragons, anyone ?)

[MaxWilson]

While you're at it with the entangling spells, don't forget Storm of Thorns. Tangle Vines x7, at N2 (Evoc-7). Not quite as fun as Nether Darts but not bad either.

-Max

[SlipperyJim]

Monthly castings of Clockwork Horrors can build up a powerful defensive force in very little time. True, those killer toys aren't much good in a sustained fight ... but they'll really do a lot of damage to an invading army.

[Shovah32]

I have to agree with QM stating that LA Agartha's Ktonian Necromancers are AWESOME. 200 gold, sacred and recruitable everywhere they have E2D2F1 110% EDFS. The low cost, sacred tag and the fact that they are recruitable everywhere means you can get alot of them very quickly for little cost(both long and short term) and with their research ability(8 base+the ability to forge dwarven hammers, skull mentors and lightless lanterns) you can easily win the research race.
They have access to LA Agarthas great national summons(including umbrals, sepulchrals and SC Tomb Oracles) and also have access to awesome battlefield magic such as bladewind, gifts from heaven, the magma spells, petrification and earthquake(E3 with boots+summmon earthpower or lucky E4 with either of those), raise skeletons/dead, nether darts, troop protection buffs, weapons of sharpness, strength of giants ect.

[PvK]

In Dom 2 I stopped high-MR SC's with Vine Bows pretty well. They aren't full AoE but I think I have seen them kill one target and entangle another in the same square. Storm of Thorns is nice, though better for hitting groups than for handling SC's.

[Shovah32]

If you want to take out a high MR SC try the bow of botulf, suddenly the MR isnt that high

[MaxWilson]

I agree that Ktonian necromancers are terrific. However, with their low precision (7 including old age penalties) some spells that would otherwise be terrific (Gifts From Heaven in particular) are perhaps less so. I've seen GFH stones deviate 10-12 squares from the target centerpoint when the caster is maybe 15 squares away. I expect Bladewind suffers from this to a lesser extent; it's not really a problem for Magma Eruption or of course Petrification.

-Max