How do you use astral gems?

[alexti]

How do you use astral gems when they're in abundance?

For example, for nature, earth gems and water, there's plenty good summons. Death gems are good for both summons and Skull Mentors.

There're many good items requiring astral gems, but later in the game astral gem income is often larger then the forging costs (unless one starts making magic items for nearly every commander).
Sometimes I use them for the protective dome.

Hmm. I never have enough Astral Gems. More often this is because I use alot of high end combat creature. An Antimagic Amulet, Lucky Coin and Starshine Skullcap really starts adding up.

If I have the mages with the right paths, I also use alot teleporting and utilizing Gateway.

[ February 28, 2004, 16:49: Message edited by: Zen ]

[UNIVAC]

-The Wrath of God
-The Eyes of God
-Acashic Record
-Astral Summons
-....

[PvK]

There are tons of uses for astral gems. Items are only one. Not to mention they convert to other gems at 2:1. But you can never have too many - in late game I'd say it's good to keep a healthy number in case a wicked global enchantment is cast.

PvK

[Peter Ebbesen]

If, against all odds, there are no other obvious uses for the astral gems, Acasric Record having been cast on all your provinces, and your global Arcane Nexus granting you an obscene amount of gems per turn.... you can always open the ether gates and let it the ether lords and warriors. Summoning a few clans will eat up gems really, really, fast.

And if you do not need that either, then you can start wishing.

And if you do not have anybody with the magical power to cast wish, then you can empower somebody to do so. That should take a few gems as well.

But, really, astral gems are always useful for something.

[alexti]

Originally posted by Zen:
Hmm. I never have enough Astral Gems. More often this is because I use alot of high end combat creature. An Antimagic Amulet, Lucky Coin and Starshine Skullcap really starts adding up.

If I have the mages with the right paths, I also use alot teleporting and utilizing Gateway.

I do about the same items, but I don't teleport or Gateway (I guess I don't need it much because I usually play small maps)

Originally posted by UNIVAC:
-The Wrath of God
-The Eyes of God
-Acashic Record
-Astral Summons
-....

I've never had astral/air mage to cast The Wrath of God I'm not sure about The Eyes of God, but Acashic Record seems to be too expensive for what it does, which Astral Summons in particular do you use? In other paths summons seems to have better value per cost.

While there're many ways to spend astral gems, I was wondering about efficient spendings. I didn't find in astral anything as efficient as Well of Misery + Skull Mentors mass production in death path, for example.

[Taqwus]

Long-duration Astral Windows are always useful.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Originally posted by alexti:
I've never had astral/air mage to cast The Wrath of God

That's a crying shame. It is so nice to be told that 134 were killed and 120 wounded per turn by the enchantment- these sort of figures are not unusual when Wrath of God is actual.

I'm not sure about The Eyes of God, but Acashic Record seems to be too expensive for what it does,

All depends on whether you have other decent site searchers, really. If you have easy access to searching to level 2 or 3 with mages in many paths, or if you play on a small map, you may never need Acasric Record. If you do not, but have, say, a couple of mountain provinces unsearched, Acasric Record might boost your total gem production by 4-8 gems/turn per casting. And if you are playing on an XL map and are in the mid-game, Acasric Record is exceptional for maximizing gem income - it will usually have paid off one way or the other in about 10-15 turns.

Sure, the individual path site-searching spells are much, much, cheaper, and well worth using ASAP for your most important magic types, but it does tie up a lot of mages, and you may miss out on some of the truly outstanding sites that reduce casting costs... (And if you find a conjuration site, then it is time to immediately relocate your Acasric Record team to that province to cut down on gem cost)

Acasric Record is the one to use when you really want to ramp up gem production long-term.

[And the more water gem sites you find, the more astral pearls you can produce, and the greater your astral gem income.]

which Astral Summons in particular do you use? In other paths summons seems to have better value per cost.

Very few summoning spells compare in power to the Ether Lord and his 15 Ether Warriors you get for 90 astral gems. Some summons are cheaper, and can compare or surpass the power if cast multiple times [Tartarian Gate anyone? ], but that takes multiple mages or several rounds to match the same power. Ether Gate takes one mage to provide an instant army, and an exceptionally powerful one at that, which includes a new mage capable of casting Ether Gate when provided with a single astral boosting item.

Juggernauts are also very, very useful for rolling up enemy dominion while trampling their troops, and, additionally, they look funny, and it is hard to think of any 25 gem summon that beats the abomination. (Okay, I have a weakness for big goofy troops! )

[PDF]

If someone ever has too many Astral Pearls, please send them to me !

[ February 28, 2004, 19:14: Message edited by: PDF ]

[Gandalf Parker]

I will probably regret asking but.. they dont work to boost research anymore like in Dom1?