DangerPudding - random nations EA game (finished)

[Tuidjy]

So, I think that everyone has conceded. I think that this game was just too
big to begin with (the map is too large) I definitely do not think that I could
have stood to a combined assault - namely all nations teleporting SC killers on
top of my provinces and Fomoria telporting army killing squads on top of every
army I leave in an uncastled province. I would have lost the attrition game.

I did have a few things going for me: I do have a huge number of clams and
stones, which I mostly forged once I took over from Nick. He had done some
forging himself, but for some reason had not gone for broke, despite having the
steel forges. He had only made stones for his earth mages...

I also have one enslaving Seraph and a fighting Seraph. I am surprised the
fighting Seraph lasted so long. He actually faced a anti-SC commander under
the worst possible conditions (the anti-SC was part of a balanced army), and
somehow luckied into picking-out, attacking and killing the anti-SC first,
right after the first round of the anti-SC had taken 66% of the Seraph HPs away.

Tartarians... yeah, I am summoning six per turn, and not bothering to GoR them.
I get one or two commanders anyway. I only GoR the 'air cyclops', that is the
Cyclops that come with Earth and Air picks.

Someone did try to wish the Chalice away, twice, but I wished it back. I am
surprised that the coalition that faced me did not poll their pearls to deny me
the chalice at least half of the time. I guess you guys really did not have
clams. I have to admit, I was convinced that R'lyeh and TNN had more clams than
I did, at least until I failed to to be ground down by astral spells.

By the way, I was almost never mindhunted, to the point that I stopped
teleporting astral mages on top of my Air Cyclops. I only got attacked in the
last round, right after I had stopped protecting myself, and the attacks failed.

I am surprised that Fomoria did not use its Fomorian Kings as anti-SC. I
expected that every SC of mine would be teleport-attacked by Kings kited out with
dual firebrands, helmets of goring, boots of kicking, and birds of annoyance.
I certainly protected against that, by having 'retrievers/feebleminders'
sent to the exposed SCs... but I was never attacked by a teleporting anti-SC.
I guess Corwin was familiar with my old tricks.

Anyway. I'll go report the win.

[Corwin]

As far as Fomoria goes - one of its problem was that for all its size, it really had very few SCs comparable to Gaints. Niefelheim has outnumbered me 3:1 to 4:1 to one in teleporting SC department, based upon just teleporting SCs that he has used against me.

On top of that he had Mage Bane and Serpahs. That combo alone (of whitch I was unaware since I have not been in this game for too long) costed me a lot of my best SCs and anti-SCs in several battles. I am not even mentioning Astral Boots, Gate Stone and Solar Brilliance.

Lagging badly behind Giants in both quantity and quality of SCs, I have chosen not to waste what I still had by seeking SC vs SC duels with Niefelheim. I've spooked few of his SC in attempted ambushes (Gaints were also using ritual or returning like I did), but mostly I've used my SCs for raiding (those who had astal pick). Most of my Fomorian Kings as well as remaining SCs went into armies support. I had to use less conventional raiding tactic using "hide and seek" glamour stealthy troops protected against mindhunt, immortals in friendly domminion, Ghost raiders, et cetera. It was quite successeful raiding compaing overall. But at the end it didn't matter, since Gaints have long since switched to gem-producing items economy.

At the end I think one of the main reason for Giants victory is the fact that they had huge ammount of clams and bloodstones. While I have inherited nation which didn't have a single clam or blood stone by turn 75. Giants have masterfully translated their overwhelming gem income into all kind of benefits - tons of unique artifacts, Serpahs, Chalice, wishes, tartarians, kick-*** battle gear(I think Giants have routinely used Rings of Wizardy on their SCs where I would have used talisman of luck ), and of course Forge of Ancients, et cetera.


Anyway, good game everyone. And congratulations to Truidjy for victory, well done.

[zlefin]

I never really got into a war with anyone; ever; so i don't know where my army is weak/strong.
I have the ultimate gateway (50 conj bonus); but only 5-10 sc tarts. since i don't have GoH or chalice; but i couldn't afford to equip too many at one time anyways.
i have a mere 65 clams; i've been using them to wish for gems each turn to maintain 4 clams/turn production; as well as various other forgings/summonings.
gateway helped me acashic record my lands by turn 60 or so.
some gem sites; but the only other cool thing i found was moon mages.
i put the clams on draconians since i needed something to spend my air on; and dracs will survive armageddon (whcih i feared) and give me freespawn troops.

i didn't really have the spare astral yet to spread around much. and i can't get demiliches up to tarts without a ring.
picked up the air queens; not that they ever done more than summon their guys since i never got to war; but nice to have.

I was mostly trying to keep my head down; gobble up provinces if there's an opening; and build up as best i can.

only snagged a few artifacts; stone sword, dimensional rod (for getting rid of scs) and sword of aurgelmer; and prob a few minor ones.
had a few troll king to help bring army of lead and petrify where i needs it.
I think that pretty much sums up everything significant about where i was in the game.

As to why i didn't join the fight against niefel: part not caring, part not knowing whether fomoria would beat niefel (who knows whos words are true); and the lack of a border. I don't like sending armies to places i don't border; makes it hard to shuffle things around; and i never sent out armies of glamour scouts to see wehre everything is.

[Tuidjy]

> I think Giants have routinely used Rings of Wizardy on their SCs where I would
> have used talisman of luck

I had the Forge, the Ovens, and the two artifact hammers. I was getting two rings
of wizardry per turn, at 9 pearls each. I had 5-6 waiting on Jarls, just in case
they were needed. :-)

[Corwin]

zlefin said:
I never really got into a war with anyone; ever; so i don't know where my army is weak/strong.
I have the ultimate gateway (50 conj bonus); but only 5-10 sc tarts. since i don't have GoH or chalice; but i couldn't afford to equip too many at one time anyways.
i have a mere 65 clams; i've been using them to wish for gems each turn to maintain 4 clams/turn production; as well as various other forgings/summonings.
gateway helped me acashic record my lands by turn 60 or so.
some gem sites; but the only other cool thing i found was moon mages.
i put the clams on draconians since i needed something to spend my air on; and dracs will survive armageddon (whcih i feared) and give me freespawn troops.

i didn't really have the spare astral yet to spread around much. and i can't get demiliches up to tarts without a ring.
picked up the air queens; not that they ever done more than summon their guys since i never got to war; but nice to have.

I was mostly trying to keep my head down; gobble up provinces if there's an opening; and build up as best i can.

only snagged a few artifacts; stone sword, dimensional rod (for getting rid of scs) and sword of aurgelmer; and prob a few minor ones.
had a few troll king to help bring army of lead and petrify where i needs it.
I think that pretty much sums up everything significant about where i was in the game.

As to why i didn't join the fight against niefel: part not caring, part not knowing whether fomoria would beat niefel (who knows whos words are true); and the lack of a border. I don't like sending armies to places i don't border; makes it hard to shuffle things around; and i never sent out armies of glamour scouts to see wehre everything is.

Well, I hope you like spending 80 turns playing many months long MP game in a "solo mode" with no opponents, more than you like "sending armies to places you don't border". This game must have been a real emotional rollercoaster for you.

When I was rallying people aginst Giants 7 or so turns ago I have been sinsire and very accurate in my predictions. The outcome of this game is the best proof of it.