Suggestions for the following Pretender, please?

[Ravagemk2]

The Nataraja.

Available to early ages T'ien Chi, Caelum and Kailasa, this Pretender has no starting paths in magic what so ever.

What I'd like to hear from some of the veterans among you:

Assuming we do NOT give it any magic paths at all, which of those 3 nations would you pick to use this pretender type with and what items would you forge for it with that nation's own magic paths?

Of course, sending it out with it's 160 or so units worth of leadership is a no brainer, so we won't need to cover that specificly(feel free to give it leadership boosting items if you so wish)

Anyone care to take a stab at a few builds?

[OmikronWarrior]

Funny you should bring this up as I just created a four armed pretender thread for the nation of Kailasa and have experimented with this build.

OK, first newbie mistake: thinking that giving a no magic pretender 160 troops is a worthwhile use of them. Commanders are cheap and plentiful, and units don't get any bonus just because they are in the service of the physical personification of their god. Instead, you want a pretender like the Nataraja to be able to take independent provinces completely on his or her or its own. Later against opposing armies you might want to combine forces with her (or is it him?) and normal units, but then not because of the 160 command rating.

Instead, give the pretender a Dominion of 10 (for awe +2), a shield (with high parry low encumbrance), 3 magic weapons, and something to reduce fatigue (such as boots of the messenger). Oh, and armor is absolutely necessary as well, as the unit only has 1 protection otherwise, which is a BIG problem.

As for which nation... Do you like China, Birds, or Monkeys? I prefer monkeys of the three.

[Ravagemk2]

In the Demo version for Kailasa, I did fairly well with a monkey horde led by an Earth Mother.

As for which nation, I don't know yet, as I try to play the game one nation at a time, but from time to time things get me curious.

Like the Nataraja, which are a 0 point cost pretender race choice, which struck me as odd.

Usual game experiences often involve multiple weapon capable characters to have to pay for it in some spots.(Thri Kreen in D&D have you paying 3 to 5 class levels depending on version for example)

I was hoping to make a non spellcaster leader for a change, as I often end up turning my starting general into a prophet.

One thing I'd probably end up experimenting alot with, is what kind of gear to give the guy(I think?).

I have a habit of trying to go "national only" in regard to magic item forging.(= forge things with your national mages only)

The monkeys might have a + here, since I recall them getting Nature, which eventually leads to HP regenerative items.

If any of those nations have Earth, then the Blacksteel stuff should make decent early game protection boosters right?

I know some of the better stuff is multi path, but that'll be a bridge I'll burn when I have to cross it

One thing I've been wondering though...

HOW would one of the 4 armed, not just the Nataraja, behave if you gave them BOTH a Melee and a Ranged weapon?

I noticed a nasty little crossbow, but those only get to fire once per 2 turns. I'd guess it'd be shoot, melee on the reload turn, shoot, etc in this case?

Sorry bout all the questions, but I love letting rip as many attacks as possible at once, and these Nataraja are the lowest point chassis for that kind of thing here.

[Endoperez]

While lots of attacks is good, one "action" can only target one square in the battlefield grid. One square can hold maximum of 3 humans, 2 cavalry or 1 titan (total of 6 size-units), so 12 attacks would be extraneous in almost all cases. Quickness gives another action which lets you target another square.

Nataraja should have as many weapons and/or shields with special effects as possible. As an example, one of the 1-handed Brands, which give him area-of-effect attack, a shield to protect him from arrows (Charcoal shield, Vine Shield or Lucky Coin all give nice abilities as well), perhaps something with life-drain or that gives resistances, etc.

[Ravagemk2]

Presently testing a Nataraja with Caelum.

Present equipment is:

Weapon 1: Death Arena Trident
Weapon 2: Frost Brand (used to be Ice Sword)
Weapon 3: Frost Brand (used to be a Blacksteel Towershield)

Headgear: Spirit Helm
Armor: Chainmail of Displacement
Footgear: Winged Boots
Misc. slot: the pendant that gives airshield vs arrows.

Making that thing fly has done wonders, as it's effectively at the opponent's throat as soon as it gets a turn.

The pendant is not so much against the opposing arrows(I've got the guy set to target archers), but more the 100+ Caelum Archers he's got tagging along

I'd probably have given him a charcoal shield, but there is one...tiny...problem.

I've already forged a ring of waterbreathing for when this guy has to take anything underwater.

Or would shambler armor be better in this case?
If so, I can still keep the ring, as I've got a few site hunting mages who'd need to check said locations too.

You'd think that at 10% chance of a fire skill when you recruit an Eagle King, you'd have gotten it after recruiting 20+ of the guys x.x

My research on the other hand, is going like a bullet train

[Zenzei]

Actually the probability for eagle king with fire random is 0.1*0.25=0.025=2.5%. So bying twentysomething of these and not having one isn't weird at all.

[Sombre]

I think that nataraja might suffer from the perils of fatigue.

[Omnirizon]

you mentioned thri-kreen

you're a D&D geek.

those four armed bastards were nothing but the most egregious min-max material, they should be outlawed.

[Edi]

One use for a Nataraja pretender is taking high dominion, no magic, making the bugger imprisoned and then getting absolutely obscene scales. This is useful for some nations that do not have good sacred units (e.g. MA & LA Arco). Don't know how viable that is in MP, though, as I play SP only.

[Ravagemk2]

Fatigue is indeed a slight issue, but I never see more then 50 to 60 listed there.

200 or so Archers will make sure the fights last rather short

Never gotten to play a Thri Kreen, but they do have a few mitigating points to those 4 arms:

You'll be paying 3 to 5 class levels depending on the version, depending on your class choice that's not always a good idea.

Also, these bugs only have a relatively short lifespan. 29 years at most before they drop dead. And I'm certain there is at least one spell around that raises a target's age permanently.

A Thri Kreen Ghoul on the other hand....

But that's a bit of topic, not unlike your own post Omnirizon.

Edi, unless Middle and Late Age Arco(whatever nation that is) has access to a Nataraja, I doubt your suggestion would work. As I mentioned in the first post, I've only seen this guy on EARLY Age T'ien Chi, Caelum and Kailasa.

I must admit, it's a tactic one can certainly try with a guy like this.