Guide: Jotunheim MA Guide

[SlipperyJim]

I haven't played MA Jotun in a long time, but a dual bless doesn't seem to be worthwhile. You really don't have any decent sacred troops (in the long run), so the only folks to benefit from your bless will be commanders. Jarls, mainly. So what can you get them with a dual bless? Well ... not much that you can't also get with the right magical equipment.

I think the OP's strategy of Good Scales is a better choice. E9 is always a good bless, because it adds to whatever armor & reinvig you can provide with magical items. Also, your E9 pretender can cast Forge of the Ancients to beef up your magical item assembly line. So I might go for E9 -- or for two minor blesses -- but I wouldn't go higher than that.

Then again, there's no substitute for experience. Try a dual-blessed MA Jotun and let us know how it works!

[WraithLord]

You're right. No substitute for experience. Has someone tried dual bless MA Jotun?- How did it go?

I know OPs strat. is solid b/c I've played MA jotum similarly in the past. I'm researching other possibilities. As for magical equipment, it takes longer to get it while bless effect is there from day 1. Also equipment can supplement bless for even better performance.

Dual bless with imprisoned pretender can even have solid scales.

[thejeff]

Dual double bless is probably overkill. The woodsmen just aren't good enough to spend the points on. For commanders E9 is certainly worth it and maybe another minor bless. If you're focused on Jarls, regen from Nature is nice. If you're using Skratti werewolves in Shrouds, I'd try E9 maybe S6. Leaves them at 0 encumbrance even quickened. Extra MR always helps thugs.

The nice thing is that both the Earth and Astral are useful paths. The Gygja's already have good nature. You'll have an astral income by the time the pretender breaks free and access to rings is always good.

[WraithLord]

"The woodsmen just aren't good enough to spend the points on"
Why?- B/C they are capital only or b/c their stats aren't that good?- or maybe both?

So basically what I hear is E9 is a solid bless that can benefit Jotun commanders greatly. E9N9 or E9W9 doesn't make enough of a difference to be worth the setup cost. right?

[thejeff]

They're capital only, low protection, unshielded, large, one attack. Their only real advantage is lots of hp.
Defense is OK, but they're size 4 so they get swarmed.
I use them to expand. Against indies they do pretty well, backed up by Vaetti. Even against the AI, they're alright. In MP, they'll die.

[JimMorrison]

I'd do E9/N4 or E9/N6. You can still get rather good scales like that, and your Jarls with just a few cheap items become much stronger than people give credit for (imagine packs of 8-10 in the later game, probably with some mage support).

[sector24]

My experience has been that once you become comfortable with the nation, Skratti are better than Jarls in a thug role. So if you want to be as efficient as possible, you don't want to spend your design points boosting your #2 unit. But if you plan to put shrouds on your skratti and you want a bless that benefits both jarls and skratti, earth is definitely the best.

Some people just like Jarls better, and some are turned off by the micro involved in handling Skratti. I haven't tested the equipment fix in the new version though, skratti may be easier to use now.

[thejeff]

There really isn't much micro using Skratti most of the time. You change them into werewolf form, put gear on them, script them with BoW & Quicken Self and send them off to kill.

If you want to use them as stealth thugs, you need to micro. Another stealth unit with them to carry gear. But that's a bonus option, something the Jarls can't do at all.

And my Jarls seem to miss themselves with their bless about half the time.

[WraithLord]

Can't I send the Skratti in their giant form, thus gaining another life in battle?- Since when they die in this form they'll revert to their werewolf form.

Also, why can't Skratti with shroud benefit from W9 for instance. They get 50% quicker from the spell + 50% from bless. With amulet of resilience they should not rack up fatigue.

Mind you, all great advice so far, I'm just probing to learn as much as I can.

[WraithLord]

Just tested. If the Skratti dies in its giant form it doesn't change shape. It stays dead.