Storming Castles

[SurvivalistMerc]

Hmmm. That sounds very dangerous. Last turn, there were 2 successful assassination attempts against my commanders in nearby provinces by those bLasted star children. They beat the heck out of empoisoners as assassins, or maybe I just don't use empoisoners right.

If you had 75 HI down there...and known assassins nearby...likely more assassins in their fortress...would you storm it? My guess is yes. On the army size screen, they hardly have an army and just have one other province and their capital is all.

When I read on fortresses in the manual, there is something about shots per tower and such. Are these actual defenders or just what will be happening to my troops as I advance? I'm trying to figure out my losses. But I'm guessing 75 HI will be adequate backed by mage power.

Just preach them out, make sure each of your mages have a guard of 5, make sure they have minds so the star children will not only be able to mind burn your commander. Or if they have stellar cascades you are pretty screwed unless you script your commander with something that will kill the star child first.

[SurvivalistMerc]

They have stellar cascades. My commanders are sauromancers, shamen, and serpent kings (those 4 holy priest serpent guys).

[Nerfix]

Starchilds are arguably the best assasins in the game. Paralysing attack with 50 range and astral magic, whats not to like?

[SurvivalistMerc]

They have powerful dominion (like 5 or 6) in the only 2 provinces they have left. But their wyrm-god is dead for the second time.

He started with some very high magic skills. It has been amusing to watch them drop 2 every time I kill him.

[SurvivalistMerc]

Also, I can't give my magi a guard of 5 since I don't have tritons there at the moment and my army has to be under the command of the guy with the water breathing items or it can't be underwater at all.

[PvK]

I'd pull out the 75 HI and put them on land where they belong, relieving them with tritons or whatever underwater units I had. I haven't assaulted a Ry'leh nor a kelp fortress before, so I don't know what if any active defenses they have built-in. On land, good fortresses tend to have missile units on the walls which are part of the fort, not part of the army, and which in many cases can cause massive casualties, particularly if the defending mages and/or troops can hold off the attackers for a while.

However kelp fortresses might not have any such defenses.

Sometimes you get a report of no enemy presence in a castle because your scouts have failed, but when you show up there's a tough garrison there. Spies can sometimes show you what's there, but sending in a scout attack is a way to actually see what's there.

PvK

[SurvivalistMerc]

Are the forces it lists under "tower" the total forces present? Or are there multiple towers per fortress?

I am going by pp. 10-11 of the manual. 4 shortbows and 1 mind bLast doesn't sound all that bad.

[PvK]

Multiple towers per fortress, based on fortress type. The shortbows wouldn't apply under water. Also I think Kelp Fortresses may not have any towers - there's another thread here somewhere with a list of tower numbers, I think...

PvK

[PvK]

Ok, I found it HERE.

It says kelp forts don't have any missiles, so you know whom to blame if they get ten mind bLast attacks per turn.

PvK