Best way to deal with ethereals en masse?

[rabelais]

I'm playing MP against someone who is fielding a great many ethereals. It's almost like they appear out of nowhere.

He's also building lots of temples (and forts to keep me from easily razing said temples) ...which I suspect he affords by putting all his provinces at 200 tax, ...since he has a death dominion and therefore might as well.

{editorial}Note that *someone* became very irate when it was proposed that the ability to overtax be eliminated for the first two turns, ... whether the indignation and the strategy are related is not for me to say.. {/editorial}


But to the question at hand...

Obviously spells (and banishments!)are best, but are there any group buffs or other nonobvious strategies that allows normal (or even sacred)troops to hit the wispy types?

I don't have access to fire magic for flame arrow.

What are some other possibilites, preferably involving sorcery?

Note that research is at VERY hard, so exorbinant strategies in RPs may not be practicable.

I think *all* sacred units when blessed should probably count as having "magic" weapons for this purpose,(esp against Soul Gate) but I suspect I'm finding the principle so attractive due to circumstance.


Rabe the Ghostbuster-Elect

[Cohen]

If the problem are Wraith Legionaries, you could try to improve too magic resistance ... because their weapons hit on MR and not Protection, IIRC.

Herald Lance could be nice for solar rays and standard effect.
To earn money there're other possibilities:

Alchemy (rarely used)
Pillage (in that case used a lot I suppose)

[ May 02, 2004, 05:22: Message edited by: Cohen ]

[Anglachel]

Originally posted by rabelais:
I'm playing MP against someone who is fielding a great many ethereals. It's almost like they appear out of nowhere.

He's also building lots of temples (and forts to keep me from easily razing said temples) ...which I suspect he affords by putting all his provinces at 200 tax, ...since he has a death dominion and therefore might as well.

{editorial}Note that *someone* became very irate when it was proposed that the ability to overtax be eliminated for the first two turns, ... whether the indignation and the strategy are related is not for me to say.. {/editorial}


But to the question at hand...

Obviously spells (and banishments!)are best, but are there any group buffs or other nonobvious strategies that allows normal (or even sacred)troops to hit the wispy types?

I don't have access to fire magic for flame arrow.

What are some other possibilites, preferably involving sorcery?

Note that research is at VERY hard, so exorbinant strategies in RPs may not be practicable.

I think *all* sacred units when blessed should probably count as having "magic" weapons for this purpose,(esp against Soul Gate) but I suspect I'm finding the principle so attractive due to circumstance.


Rabe the Ghostbuster-Elect

Ummm, what nation are you playing? People won't be able to think up something without information on your national mages/priests, gem production, and pretender information etc.

[rabelais]

Originally posted by Anglachel:
Ummm, what nation are you playing? People won't be able to think up something without information on your national mages/priests, gem production, and pretender information etc.

It was meant more as a general question, but if it helps you to be concrete, imagine I am jotunheim with a nature-9 dragon.


Rabe the Really Really Coniferous

[Pocus]

if the etheral units are magic, then you have some nice spells in astral to destroy them (opposition or a group of ether warriors for exemple).

If they are etheral and not magic and you dont have elemental spells, then you are better in summoning creatures that strike with a magic weapon. But you speak of being Jotunheim, so water or astral is always an option.

Tell us also what etheral units he has.

Easiest way to deal with masses of Ethereal units is to use Blade Wind. If you're Jotunheim that will not help though.

Alternatives: Anything with alot of attacks, preferably ranged (woodsmen, villans, etc) will null alot of the advantages of etherealness. By using swarms of ranged they will usually get hit.

2.) If you are running a 9-Nature Blessing, you can probably take a Herse or Jotun Jarl and give them a magic weapon (if they are undead, try using weapons with high attacks (Sword of Swiftness), if they are not, use wraith swords, no access to anything like that, use something that has a secondary effect)

3.) Mash with Gygja's with Dust to Dust (if they are undead) or Shadow Bolt/BLast (if living).

Nothing else I have really off the top of my head for masses of ethereal units.

[archaeolept]

lol fighting the mad castler

1. dust to dust. the real problem is that your research sucks nuts.

2. your herse are very tough. give them the cheapest magical weapons, en masse.

3. tons of indy priests. or Gode at 200 a pop. you almost have the income to do that.


though i liked zen's suggestion of hordes of really cheap archers. that seems like the best idea yet. And, as a bonus, their morale is poor so they might rout instead of dying when confronting his Queen Philennon.

[ May 02, 2004, 07:32: Message edited by: archaeolept ]

How can Dust to Dust be a problem, it's a Thamu 1 spell? If you can't get Thamu 1 before you are invaded by masses of ethereal even on Very Hard Magical Research, you are in for one sad game.

[archaeolept]

more a general problem w/ rabe's situation. w/ retarded research, he will have difficulty responding to norf's magic fueled tricks.

dust to dust itself should help out, at least if Rabe is Utgard. using gygjas would be a bit pricey; like buying Godes as banishers.

Can use Skratti's to battlesummon Imps too as well. Each Imp has 3 attacks I believe.