Guide: Jotunheim MA Guide

[thejeff]

Because you only get a few of them (1/2 per point), they are low skilled (att/def) low protection militia.

They do have high hps, but they're easy to hit and hurt so they die fast. They're size 4, so they get swarmed easily reducing the already low defence.
They hit hard, if they hit, but they've got low attack skill so they don't hit and they're size 4, so they can't gang up to reduce the target's defence.

They're morale isn't great and they seem to break even more easily, possibly due to low numbers.

At 20+ they get javelineers who are better and will do some damage with their javelins, but by the time they close the militia will have broken. You get a Jarl, who, if you've got a good bless, could probably win the fight himself, but will stand in the back and wait to run away.

What I don't understand is why anyone ever thought the Giant's PD was good. It was lousy back in Dom2, it's about the same now.

[sector24]

I would much rather have 1 Vaetti Goblin per point and 1 Jotun Militia per 1/2 or 1/4 point up to 20.

[Huzurdaddi]

Poor Iron Woods, the weakest age of the giants. The early era has the fearsome Neifel Giants and mighty skinshifters, the late era has the efficient seithkona. Iron woods OTOH has the Vaetti Hag.

Anyway, a few notes (some of these have been noted before):

1. As you mention Hurlers can be excellent when facing a nation with strong castles. Keeping them alive can be moderatly difficult (place them far in back) but their ability to crack fortresses is solid (each destroys 9 points of defence value per turn, vs. 4 for a normal Jotun). They are also light on resources so they can be massed quickly.

2. All Jotun troops become far more fearsome with a little experience. A bonus of +1 to attack means enemy troops die considerably more quickly. A Jotun with +2 attack is deadly.

3. A fire bless is excellent on all Jotuns. A F4 bless is usually sufficient (along with the required N9 bless) and converts the woodsman/leaders into machines which kill 1 troop per turn.

4. The Skratti is the bread and butter of Iron woods. In werewolf form they are devestating with just armor of souls, a luck pendant, and (perhaps) boots of the messanger they are (almost) tireless killing machines.

[sector24]

Baalz: I was finally able to get some undead giants. They have around 45 HP, a Jotun Axe with no shield, high strength, fairly low protection and defense, 6 MR. It might be possible use some of your Death Gygjas to summon an undead army, but I'm not sure if it's worth the effort.

[Baalz]

Hmmm, are there any (non national) summons which can raise free undead?

[thejeff]

Mound Fiend can reanimate, right?

[archaeolept]

mound fiend, yes. If your nation has undead to reanimate...

[thejeff]

Iron Woods may be the weakest age of the giants, but they're still my favorite.

Neifelhiem is too focused on the Neifels. They are so good, that they demand to be used and demand a strong bless. Every thing else seems to get short shrift in EA.

And Utgard is Ok, but less focused on the giants. The human troops are better in general as are the human mages.

And as I've said before, I really like the Vaetti hags. Cheap efficient researchers, blood hunters, site searchers, communion slaves. They're all useful. Did I mention they're stealthy?

The Jotun army does lack punch though. The EA skinshifters would be a great addition and go a long way to covering that weakness. They tend to get overshadowed by the Neifels, but would really shine in Iron Woods.

[sector24]

I'll try out the Mound Fiend in the game I'm playing and let you know. Also, I was only partially correct about the undead. The soulless have 45 HP, a Jotun Axe with no shield, high strength, fairly low protection and defense, 6 MR. The longdead have 25 HP, but a longspear and shield, 13 protection, 9 defense, 10 MR. Still not great, but quite a bit more durable against regular troops.

EDIT: The Mound Fiends can animate longdead giants, but for every giant you get 5 or 6 normal longdead. So it's not really something you can mass easily. (About as easy as massing Vine Ogres) At 28 death gems per Mound Fiend it's not really worth it. However, if you were going to summon Mound Fiends anyway (like to counter C'tis' Miasma) then why not take advantage of it.

[VedalkenBear]

As an alternative, the manual states (and my experience at least has confirmed) that any Undead Priest can Reanimate Undead. That being the case, you can summon up a Shade or a Mound King simply to prophetize them to reanimate undead.

This would get the 'factory' started much earlier than waiting for a Mound Fiend.