Turn 11 Thread - Vanheim actually suffers losses

[atul]

Okay.

Caelum attacked my sieging army with 5 commanders and 78 units (including Eagle King, a multihero or something?), he's got Thunderstrike and Orb Lightning. All retreated without province to go so colour 'em killed.

My army attacking Arco's border got toasted by 19 elephants and 4 mages casting Soul Slay. That is going to be a problem, I don't know what can be done there... Massive Seeking Arrows? Or is it worth the while? Arco's elephants are two turn away from my capital so I guess I need to divert forces there.

I'll report in full later, this just the first impressions.

[DrPraetor]

Likewise, a full repot is forthcoming.

My skirmishing forces both bounced, but the one against Pangaea was totally worth it - we have the Gorgon!

Who wants to kill it ? Abysia is close to my capital and may prove a problem for me, although my cheap glaive wielding infantry will do some damage.

[namad]

If the team wishes it Turn13 I will have alt3ench1const2 and I will have someone capable of forging a dhammer at 15% forge bonus everyturn so I will need to make sure I receive earth gems if you want dhammers starting on turn12

I will also be able to forge one horror helm per turn without a forge bonus but I can always make 2dhammers before the first horror helm to save gems?

OR i can skip const2 and head straight for my other research goals but thats so far away a 60point detour won't delay it much

I can also begin astral forging on that same turn thoughts on this? we really probably dont have high enough earth income to make 1dhammer per turn though do we? thoughts?

does anyone desperately need ~300-400 gold this turn?

my prophet died on like turn3 ... I can declare a new one (so I should ASAP)... any suggestions? adon's are my best unit but they are already h2 maybe another scout? scouts can hide and they don't already have holy so they make for an ideal blessing support

Below is a hypoethical turn. I am wondering shall I retreat to guard the building of that 2nd fort like I do? shall I attack pythium's expansion army like I am trying to do? (avoiding attacking too deeply into shinyuma and knowing the bulk of pythiums forces are elsewhere, plus pythium needs to feel some fear more than shinyuma does) reinforcement troops are slowly heading out both east and west I believe that fort finishes next turn and also if the fort finishes I can equip that astral adon there to go after pan without fearing the gorgon.

I have some gold but both my forts have 0temples 0labs and if I gave one of the forts a temple/lab (the west one perhaps) it could recruit zamzumites instead of sages (the sages without a lab must then walk to the capital to research) i'm afraid to go/temple/lab in an unforted province because of raiders... so how do I ever get those n1 indies we need for site searching?



this information is now outdated my final post in this thread is the correct screenshot

[atul]

Picture, click to see Arco's troops:


Caelum has few mammoths and wingless at 40, Jotun's pretender along with tribal archers is at 59, also Jotun's lizarmen are holed up in 49 now. Arco's troop composition you can see, the scout report exaggerates by 50%.

As I said, Arcoscephale's bound to come in, and while my pants aren't totally down I can't say I'm well prepared. Also, Caelum's attack on Jotunheim capital taxed my resources, so I need to reinforce those troops instead of bringing the fight to Caelum if I want to survive siege breaking.

I'm taking last coastal provinces of Jotunheim (5 and 17) with some random troops, other guys at west go to Jot capital. The castle at White Forest (34) will be finished next turn, so I can get reinforcements from there.

I'm assuming Arco is going to come straightest route to my capital. He has 20 elephants or so and 20 hypastists in that army. I'll be meeting him in Werk Enum (14) with PD of 20, 40 skinshifters, 10 einheres and 20 other assorted troops. Along in the journey are three Dwarves (E3-4) and two Vanadrottir (A3). I'm at Ench3 Thau2 at the moment, researching to Alt2, so script on Dwarves is Strength of Giants * 2 + spells, on Vanadrottir Gift of Flight * 3 + spells. I'm hoping they would start casting Earth Melds and False Fetters afterwards, but can't script. Flying is for small skinshifter groups on Hold and Attack Rear.

I'm not liking that too much as I anticipate heavy losses, but that's the best I've come up with. Improvements are welcome. I'd rather intercept 'em at Werk Enum so that they don't have option to come raiding my provinces.

Good side there is that if I manage to kill Arco's army that's most of his troops. Then I can just start marching on his lands with whatever I recruit from my capital.

[TheDemon]

https://2img.net/h/oi26.tinypic.com/nwbn0p.jpg

Not pictured: spy report on Caelum's cap:
9 units, Skinu the Great Sage, High Seraphs
534 income, 208 resources, 25 PD, 100% tax

Caelum's forts are 69 and 98

Note the border with Machaka in the East. That means he's between Arco and Abysia.


Attacking:
54 (Jotunheim)
118
53
60 (Arco)

[DrPraetor]

ERIU - kill the Gorgon in Halbathria/266! Death to the Gorgon! Death death death!

Sending
(Eriu) Shield of Gleaming Gold x 2, Ice Brand x 2
(Ashdod) Fire Brand, Bracers of Protection x2, Amulet of AM
(Vanheim) 213 gp

Making
(T'ien Ch'i) Frost Brand, Fire Brand, Faithful, Shield of Gleaming Gold, Winged Shoes, Dragon Helmet, Black Steel Plate, Amulet of AM
(Ashdod) Bracers x 2

Attacking 182 (Indies)

[atul]

Which reminds me:

Depending on how things go on Arco front, quite soon I would like to get 10 W gems and a ring of water breathing.

My pretender awakens soon and he can summon 13 claymen for 5 W. They're amphibious and would be useful to get me under the waves, my current highest magic leadership is 25... Well actually a lot more, so more W gems can be used. But 10 should be enough. Agartha's probably well on his way claiming waters, and we'll need someone in also.

[atul]

TheDemon, what are your plans re: Arco?

If you're attacking him en masse I need not worry about him raiding me with those elephants, and can let him take one province. He's sure to turn back or to support Jot by going for my capital. And not moving this turn saves me a lot of manpower and research.

[lingchih]

It's not looking good for Ermor. Pythium's major army is next to my cap now, (in 358). I took out a few more serpent cataphracts, but most of that army is intact. It's led by one Arch Theurg, and might be stopped by a well placed seeking arrow.

C'tis has increased his Dragon led army to over 300 units now, but did not attack. He did launch two scout probe attacks into each of my armies there, so I expect the attack this turn.

Probably need to start buying some Glads to hold the cap. I have plenty of money... about 700 left over with no way to spend it.

Any thoughts on whether I should combine the eastern armies into one bigger army, to face C'tis? I think that is probably what I am going to do.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f86/13/76/96/87/ermor_16.jpg

edit: OK. Screw this. I'm not going to sit in my castle. I'm going back on the offensive against Pyth. All forces are headed to 358. It would still be nice if Pyth had a dead Arch Theurg with an arrow in his chest when I get there.

[Baalz]

K, I've got Ulm, Caelum & Bandar Log all up on me and Abysia massed on my border. I repelled an attack from Bandar and fell back from Ulm and Caelum. My scouts show 1 point of PD in the Ulm and Caelum province I can see, so I'm blitzing them all, 9 attacks total. I'm not confident I can take out the Gorgon this turn so I'm going to prepare for it rather than jumping in half cocked. I need a couple MR amulets, I think that should be it, I'm planning on jumping in with two guys, scripting lighting resistance (among other things) then blasting a few shockwaves. I just don't want to have them decide to swing and get petrified, I want to kill her on the first try so she can't adjust.

I've also used 10 of my precious air gems to forge rings of tamed lighting as Caelum has thunderstrike scripted for turn one making for very nervous thugging. I'm massing slingers, which do a decent job supporting sidhe against mammoths while being cheap enough to be decent thunder strike chaff. I'm torn on when to cut off my research to send my pretender site searching, I'm not that far from thunderstrike and wind guide seems like it'd be useful.

[TheDemon]

TheDemon, what are your plans re: Arco?

If you're attacking him en masse I need not worry about him raiding me with those elephants, and can let him take one province. He's sure to turn back or to support Jot by going for my capital. And not moving this turn saves me a lot of manpower and research.

I won't have a large army on the arco border for another 2 or 3 turns. I'm just raiding right now. But I intend to ship all my forces that way as they are built, and just started a fort near the border too.

[namad]

if the gorgon does not attack me in one specific undetectable for it's importance province next turn... i can gear my adon and then fly into pan's territory... hopefully causing the gorgon to chase me and if they meet in combat killing it... (he'd have to be stupid to fall for this ploy but he'd have to be stupid to attack a player without gear too, eh?)


baalz seems like he has enough problems on his hands if he can't kill the gorgon i'll understand.

baalz do you need $$$$? you have the highest fort count and lowest income it seems? i can delay some of my constructions which aren't critical as i've already gotten the minumum constructions out of the way to send you 300-500gold this turn and possibly more later if we talk about the importance? i am sure others feel the same way? please let us know (i might send you a smaller quantity even if you do not get back on the forum before the deadline as i know you have trouble getting online)

[atul]

Complete plan rehaul.

I'm sitting on my capital researching, letting Arco come to me. Unless he gets scared by Marignon's approach, in which case he won't. Next turn I will have False Fetters and Earth Meld that should stop his Elephants on their tracks, if he decides to raid me with his 3000+ gold army instead going for the jugular, then let him.

Lingchih, shooting two Seeking Arrows to 358. Make 'em count.

[TheDemon]

If no one needs any of the spare gold floating about, I could use it. My fort comes online next turn, and I need a temple and lab for fort #2. An injection of 400 gold or so would mean I wouldn't have to reduce recruitment.

I'm also changing my orders on the Jotunheim front, gonna attack 92 instead of 54. Jotunheim's army could potentially end up on my border and I would rather not have an accident against it with my expansion army. We'll see what happens next turn.

[atul]

It's not looking good for Ermor. Pythium's major army is next to my cap now, (in 358). I took out a few more serpent cataphracts, but most of that army is intact. It's led by one Arch Theurg, and might be stopped by a well placed seeking arrow.

Okay, that's just not factually correct. Arch Theurgs have leadership of 10. So how many commanders are in there along with a lone mage?

[lingchih]

One arch theurg, one Emerald Lord in 358. Sending 500 gold to Demon.

[atul]

One arch theurg, one Emerald Lord in 358. Sending 500 gold to Demon.

Mmmm. Well guess in that case 2 seeking arrows still might do the job. Had there been more can't say they would've been effective. Costs me one turn of Vanjarl recruits since temple is delayed, but guess it can't be helped.

[lingchih]

Thanks Atul. It will maybe give me a chance.

[namad]

i am saving up for a dhammer. I am sending baalz 240gold. I am moving to my western fort to give it a temple/lab. As of this turn I have scheduled 25/30 of my sacred troops to head west. The hope is to invade pythium to distract him. The lines converging in the east represent my attempt to equip the first astral adon. In the west one of my two astral adon's can backtrack and meet up with another commander to transfer the 2nd set of gear (once I receive it from drp).


I will probably end up making my next prophet an adon at lingchich's suggestion on a turn in which it is convenient for an adon to do nothing.

since I am the last one to submit i guess it's too late to comment on any of these choices but I've already discussed them with people on irc.

[Sponsored content]