The Steel Ovens

kestrel_80 · #1 October 1st, 2011, 01:29 AM

One of my provinces has a feature called The Steel Ovens. It has the following effects:

* Produces 75 resources
* Construction Bonus: 20

The resources part is a no-brainer, but the contruction bonus? Is magic item forging cheaper in the province, magic crystal-wise?

TigerBlood · #2 October 1st, 2011, 02:49 AM

Yes. Contruction rituals will also be cheaper. Battle spells...I'm not sure, but I don't think they gain a benefit.

Soyweiser · #3 October 1st, 2011, 05:01 AM

Congrats, the steel ovens, or any other construction bonus site is considered to be one of the most powerful sites. (Everybody forges).

In MP defend it well, never tell any other players you have it.

Redeyes · #4 October 7th, 2011, 08:45 AM

Ever had the ultimate gateway and steel oven in provinces adjacent to each other? It's both good fun and a game winner.

Corinthian · #5 October 7th, 2011, 09:24 AM

Ever had the the Steel Ovens and the Village of Strange Men in the same province as Inkpot End? Fun!

Knai · #6 October 7th, 2011, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corinthian

Ever had the the Steel Ovens and the Village of Strange Men in the same province as Inkpot End? Fun!

Yes. The one time this happened, I was playing a nation with mages who weren't old, and had easy access to healers.

Chazar · #7 October 8th, 2011, 04:02 AM

Ok, I don't understand why the Steel Ovens are considered to be so powerful?

They might be powerful for a nation that already has a forging discount on mages that would stack, but otherwise? Judging from the Wiki Page on forging, we have:

Code:

Magic Path Level:              1 /  2 /  3 /  4 /  5 /  6
Normal Gem cost:               5 / 10 / 15 / 25 / 40 / 65
Steel Ovens:                   4 /  8 / 12 / 20 / 32 / 52
Steel Ovens + Dwarven Hammer:  2 /  5 /  8 / 13 / 22 / 35
ForgeOfTheAncients:            2 /  5 /  7 / 12 / 20 / 32

So you have one province where forging is slightly more expensive than having ForgeOfTheAnciencts without Hammers, but if you have FotA you are likely to use DwarvenHammers on top. Also, I think the main bonus of FotA are the reduced path requirements, which the steel ovens to not provide.

Fantomen · #8 October 8th, 2011, 06:51 AM

@Chazar: Having a discount, any type of discount, on gems is a very big deal in this game. Cheaper item means more thugs and sc for the same cost, and more thugs and sc means a serious advantage. A skilled player can abuse this kind of discount to the point where is decides the game. 20% forge bonus is very considerable.

The FoTA is more powerful, but it's not comparable. First of all it's an effort to research and get it cast, and second anyone who does essentially declares war on all other players, at least if the other players are experienced. And everyone will gang up to take you out before it's too late. You need to be in a very favorable position for that to be a good idea.

The steel ovens and other sites are secret and free, which makes all the difference in the world.

Soyweiser · #9 October 8th, 2011, 12:10 PM

Yeah a 20% reduction is a big deal. You basically get 20% more gems to use then all other nations.

Also, all the construction summons are also 20% cheaper. You could always spam juggernaughts as an end game strat.

Sure not all nations will benefit from this. If you do not plan to forge a lot, you will not get a great benefit from it. But it helps if you did plan to forge a lot. Or have good national constr summons.

Knai · #10 October 8th, 2011, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chazar

Ok, I don't understand why the Steel Ovens are considered to be so powerful?

They might be powerful for a nation that already has a forging discount on mages that would stack, but otherwise? Judging from the Wiki Page on forging, we have:

So you have one province where forging is slightly more expensive than having ForgeOfTheAnciencts without Hammers, but if you have FotA you are likely to use DwarvenHammers on top. Also, I think the main bonus of FotA are the reduced path requirements, which the steel ovens to not provide.

Forge Of The Ancients has some major flaws that Steel Ovens doesn't. If you put that up, everyone will know you put that up, and given that Hammers are basically assumed, that leads to a ridiculous increase in item power. It is one of the globals that puts a "shoot me now" sign on you, along with Astral Nexus and Burden of Time. Possibly also Strands of Arcane Power, particularly if there is reason to suspect a Rainbow Mage of casting that, and you have a lot of provinces.