Duel Priestess - Horror Mark

Skirmisher · #1 August 14th, 2008, 01:41 PM

I replayed a battle that happened where I only had one priestess involved, yet when replaying the battle there were two.

In one game I have a horror marked prophet, yet it doesn't seem to be causing any problems, should I be worried?

thejeff · #2 August 14th, 2008, 01:45 PM

Arcosephale priestess? You get one with PD over 20.

I wouldn't get too worried about the horror mark. He'll eventually be attacked, so if he's someone you really want to keep, kit him out to fight horrors. If he's just your starting commander, keep him doing his thing. There's a good chance he'll be killed by something else before a horror shows up.

Skirmisher · #3 August 14th, 2008, 01:57 PM

Yes Arcoscephale priestess. Great so dumping gold into PD isn't a total waste.

I find myself habitually doing that.

Are horrors an indy force?

thejeff · #4 August 14th, 2008, 02:26 PM

Horrors work as an assassination when they come for a horror marked commander.

They're the same things used by the various blood spells: Call/Send (Lesser) Horror. If you have an enemy using horrors in battle any horror marked targets will be attacked first.

AreaOfEffect · #5 August 14th, 2008, 04:46 PM

A horror marked commander will also likely be first choice for Manifestation, a 4 death gem assassination spell.

Horror marks also stack. Each additional horror mark increases the chance of an attack and increases the nastiness of the horror that comes after you. Unfortunately there is almost no way to tell how badly a unit has been horror marked. If you know it can only be a single horror marking then I would barely even worry.

Agema · #6 August 15th, 2008, 10:12 AM

My general reckoning is that under 10 horror marks and you don't have much to worry about. I've got a game with about 20 horror marked characters who almost certainly have only a few marks each, and none have been attacked in about 20 turns.

Getting up to 50 horror marks, something will be on it's way eventually that will put a weak or average thug at risk. Over 50 and you'll probably need a very good thug or SC to survive.

As noted, you can't tell how many horror marks you've got. But if your units are getting marked in battles against astral nations, you can see them cast and know roughly how serious it is.

JimMorrison · #7 August 15th, 2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agema

My general reckoning is that under 10 horror marks and you don't have much to worry about. I've got a game with about 20 horror marked characters who almost certainly have only a few marks each, and none have been attacked in about 20 turns.

Getting up to 50 horror marks, something will be on it's way eventually that will put a weak or average thug at risk. Over 50 and you'll probably need a very good thug or SC to survive.

As noted, you can't tell how many horror marks you've got. But if your units are getting marked in battles against astral nations, you can see them cast and know roughly how serious it is.

In the first game I ever won SP, I had a castle full of mages with Lightless Lanterns. I lost at least 25% of them to Horrors, at the time I had no clue even how to protect them if I wanted to.

HoneyBadger · #8 August 15th, 2008, 02:30 PM

I never do Lightless Lanterns because of horror marking. I probably should...

Agema · #9 August 18th, 2008, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoneyBadger

I never do Lightless Lanterns because of horror marking. I probably should...

You definitely should. The horror marks are light, and I'd reckon your chances of getting marked are about 10% per turn. They're extremely cheap, raise research plenty, and will end up killing your mages extremely slowly.

Give them to your cheapest, most disposable mages, so even if a horror randomly attacks or if a blood nation chucks horror-summons or ashen angel at you, you aren't losing anything expensive. If you've got good enough troops lying around with nothing better to do, give the mages a bodyguard capable of taking out a small horror to help them out. Although troops that good would usually be better employed killing your enemies.

AreaOfEffect · #10 August 15th, 2008, 04:05 PM

To contrast Jim, I used lightless lanterns in my first MP game on these forums. I never actually got attacked. Not even once. Granted, I didn't start making them until the last 20 to 25 turns of the game.