LA Arcoscephale: Why No Love?

[Belac]

There are no strategy guides for LA Arco, and I rarely see it played. Why is that? I think the nation is kind of boring--does everyone happen to agree with me?

[Zeldor]

They are decent. Not a powerhouse, but still good. You can't go wrong with nice communions. Hmm... I played them twice, maybe I will sit one day and write a guide. If not, Baalz probably will, one day MA Arco guide should work quite well, except cap mages.

[Redeyes]

LA Arco is largely the same as in the other ages, for that reason any gameplay advice for the earlier eras are still applicable and new discussion isn't very interesting.

The competition is pretty harsh too - mage nations are dime a dozen, it isn't much of a surprise that the more distinct nations get more of the spotlight.

[Gandalf Parker]

They can be fun but they lost my love when they lost the seducers.

[Frozen Lama]

and sybils are so..... underwhelming. astrologers and oreaids are way cooler.

[Torin]

Do their elephants benefit from having those long spear attacks in repel chance?
Their first attack is lenght 0 but those longspear attacks are lenght 5.

* perhaps only the first attack is measured (0)
* Perhaps the longer one (5)
* perhaps each of them (0, 5 and 5)

Either way they will need sermon of courage or the strategos banner to have enough morale to make that matter.

[thejeff]

When attacking, that would only matter against other size 6 creatures. Otherwise they're trampling and not using the spears. Does repel work against trampling?

When they're being attacked though, those long spears might repels others. There the elephant's low morale wouldn't matter.

Late Arco's elephants do seem to do particularly well against other elephants. And they seem to stand up better when surrounded by troops. Whether that's the better armor or repel I don't know.

[Gandalf Parker]

I think those show up separately in the log if someone wants to research it.

[Adept]

I like it. I took a no-magic nataraja as an awake pretender, and had a very fun multiplayer game. Didn't win though, but wasn't weak either.

[Wrana]

Originally Posted by Adept

I like it. I took a no-magic nataraja as an awake pretender, and had a very fun multiplayer game. Didn't win though, but wasn't weak either.

Fun, yes, but elephantes nation doesn't really need awake SC. I'd think more about scales strategy - or rainbow Pretender with Earth, Blood, higher Nature... or include both.
What I personally don't like about it is a lack of some thematic things: a Great Conqueror Pretender (possibly more tough Ghost King), Phylosophers/Engineers return (and they were characteristic of Hellenistic times), some army features such as ballistae and/or Heliopolidae, plus professional light troops. Actually, I don't think sybillae are thematic for this era at all... Though, of course, LA is generally a period of Death magic in Dominions.