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KnoxZone
Jan 27, 2007

If I die before I Wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Who would have expected that our entourage would be a Goblin and a Dwarf?

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Basarin
Oct 15, 2012
Not that much stranger than a former Cult of Storms sorcerer accepting humans as a viable part of his army.

This is going to be fun to watch.

Pierzak
Oct 30, 2010

Basarin posted:

This is going to be fun to watch.

Yeah, like a trainwreck in slow motion.

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
I still think that we should have taken death. :mad:
It's not a major difference in gameplay, but think of the irony. And the delicious, delicious death-nodes.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Oh god this mission is more annoying than I remembered.

Servetus
Apr 1, 2010

KnoxZone posted:

Who would have expected that our entourage would be a Goblin and a Dwarf?

We have a dark-elven sorceror, a dwarven tough guy, and a badass sneaky goblin leading the fight against an undead apocalypse. This is a pulp fantasy novel.

benzine
Oct 21, 2010
A dark-elven sorceror, a dwarven tough guy, and a badass sneaky goblin walk into a tavern...

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

It's finally over. And we've got a bit of a problem.

Gorthak is now a bit unhappy

Basarin
Oct 15, 2012
...oh dear.

Plan B anyone?

zetamind2000
Nov 6, 2007

I'm an alien.

Taerkar posted:

It's finally over. And we've got a bit of a problem.

Gorthak is now a bit unhappy

If you mean his morale has bottomed out, get Bard Skills next time you level up, provided he hasn't left the party. Best solution I can think of.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Cult of Storms Mission 8: Gabriel's Last Stand

(Forgot to check and see what the music is for this mission, sorry)


I will not deny that it's a strange thing, riding on towards the city that Gabriel has been trapped in. A 'Dark' Elf with a Goblin and a Dwarf at my sides and a Human Chevalier as our vanguard. Normally one would expect incredible hostility between Thomac and Gorthak due to the history between their races, but they both understand that we're working on something greater here.



Before leaving Blacklake, I was able to peruse an old library there. In a forgotten annex to it I found a great prize, two more books of magic, including some air spells of legend. But I fear that this will be my last opportunity to acquire such knowledge.


With that in mind, as well as the no doubt challenging task before me I am faced with a difficult balance. More mana crystals for my spells, or learning these new spells for the advantage that they will provide in the future. I strike a balance between the two and hope that will be justified in the end.






Whatever terrible intelligence that controls and guides these undead has sought to scare and frighten us 'mere mortals' with signs, each one decorated with some of their handywork. It works on many, of that I will not deny, but these Highmen are not like anyone else. In some ways they seem almost as... no, they are many things, but they are not that.



Valkyrie posted:

Valkyries are female, armor-clad mounted warriors who escort the souls of fallen mortal warriors to the heavens. They wield either swords or spears and their mounts gallop on the winds.
In recent times, Valkyries have been seen fighting on the battlefields on the side of good. It is speculated that the sudden appearance of the Undead in the realm of the living has prompted the Valkyries to come forth and dispatch these lost souls back from whence they came. Yet, Valkyries have been seen fighting other evil being – perhaps in response to these beings’ dishonorable tactics on the battlefield and the undue deaths they have delivered to honorable men.
The connection between the Highmen and the Valkyrie is unknown, save that both races are interested in the well-being and destination of the soul.
My group is joined by a Valkyrie as we reach Gabriel's fortress. I cannot put to words what I feel as I behold her. I have dealt with Nymphs, Faeries, and Succubus, all of which appeal to our baser instincts, but they cannot compare to the Valkyrie. Where those try to tempt and charm, she leads and inspires. With her accompanying us I ride off to the north, seeking to deal with an immediate threat.





In a whirlwind of action we fall upon numerous groups of undead, shattering them beneath blade and staff. I leave the Chevalier behind with a pair of Highmen priests to cleanse the first Undead-held town we capture, then I ride to the west where we find a large siege group heading towards the sole remaining Dwarven outpost in these lands. That fight is a fierce one, but only a prelude for the next one. Further to the south we pass by the ruins of a settlement and some farmlands that have somehow been spared the worst of what is going on before we reach the walls of an Orc Fortress.



The Orcs are dedicated to a Death Cult and in them I see a hint of what could have been my future if I had not separated myself from the Cult's plans. Orcs have always been a race dedicated to war and conquest, but these Orcs were dedicated to war and death, specifically their own. Gone was the instinctive fury of their race, replaced instead by an urge to kill, but also to die as they killed. Effective against inexperienced troops, no doubt, but only fodder to a group as skilled as mine. Trying to urge them away from this fate is a hopeless endeavor (I tried with an alternative save) so I have no choice but to drive them off.

Gorthak does not take what he sees in the Orcs well and I find myself worrying for my longtime companion.



Gorthak's mood depends as we find a second siege group to the West. Among the undead are some Goblins, bullied and controlled no doubt, but they too seem to be a bit changed by the dark presence of the undead. Gorthak's fury is unmatched in this fight, a permanent sneer upon his lips as he cuts down Goblin and Undead alike.



It is good that we dealt with that group as among their number was a Death Reaper, an incredible infusion of death energy that corrupted the very land around it as it passed and able to strike down a weaker living being with merely a touch. (I somehow forgot to get this guy's info) Our weak position would be even more exposed should it be allowed to corrupt the land further.




Further to the south we make a very disturbing discovery. A large city, once overrun with the undead but now sat eerily empty, surrounded by a trio of teleport structures. My fear is that these structures are linked to similar ones in this area, greatly enhancing our foe's maneuverability.





Nearby we find a crypt that is still occupied with a necromancer and his undead escort. He is in the midst of raising up more of those abominations when we strike, ending a part of the overall threat to this land. Gabriel recognizes my efforts in this regard and provides me with two artifacts to help me with the task still looming before us. I am quite thankful of them, but I cannot help but wonder why, and why not before.



I craft a magical eagle to investigate my suspicions and fears and soon find them to be correct. This requires a daring plan to hopefully secure our western flank.



We take the portal that I just sent the eagle through, finding ourselves far to the east of where we were. Once we are beyond the ring I channel energy into the structure, energy it was never meant to hold. With an incredibly loud crack the great stones begin to shatter and collapse, ruining the teleportal.




While I was in the east, some of my Dwarven scouts encountered a pair of Elven Rangers who quickly joined my flag, making my forces just that much more incredible. They spoke of a small refuge to the north, then promised to go and speak to the inhabitants and convince them to join us as well.



(Also Fire Protection, Life Stealing, Lightning Protection, Parry, Poison Immunity, Regeneration, Strike, Unholy Champion, Walking)
News also came to me regarding the 'leader' of these undead, a Liche calling himself Harbak. That is a name that I knew before, a miserable failure of a mage that could barely cast the most basic of spells. As I recall his ambition and ego, far beyond that of his meager abilities, it doesn't surprise me at all that he would turn to such a path to improve his skills.




We were finally able to map out the last of the teleportation hubs set up in this land. As I had before I sabotage the ones that I find in an attempt to reduce the threat of the undead pouring out into my lands.



I take the opportunity as we raid another undead-infested town to try out a new spell that I have learned. Not a directly powerful spell, this one pours down a stream of incredibly cold magical water, able to freeze anyone that it splashes upon, encasing them in a prison of ice and leaving them helpless until they can break free.



The next day brings dire news, a large undead force has assaulted my northern border and overrun one of my garrisons there. As they head towards a second town, one I just recently ordered rebuilt, I know that I must respond or risk catastrophe. Gathering up all of my considerable magical might, I open a gate to the besieged town, bringing us into it right as the undead begin their assault. Had I tarried just a little the defenders would not have held, but instead what would have been a defeat turned into a decisive victory.


We were forced to delay our task for a few days so that we could retake that which was lost to the undead forces, reclaiming the towns that had fallen to that group. Finally though we were able to return to the last hub and shatter its remaining portals, leaving only the ones in the west intact for my own use. Unfortunately the great release of energy brought into existence a great number of small magical puppets who lashed out against us.


Spirit Puppet posted:

Spirit Puppets are entities where Spirit and Life energies combine in the mortal realm. They can be summoned by spell casters allied strongly with the forces of Life, and seem to be attracted to Highmen settlements where the veil between the mortal realm and the spirit world is thin.
The body of a Spirit Puppet resembles that of a small humanoid streaming light. As such, they are immune to many types of damage, but are not ethereal in nature and matter can disperse them through strong physical strikes. The strike of a Spirit Puppet is not particularly powerful, but is magic-based and able to affect creatures immune to physical damage.


Not that they were much of a challenge. Quantity does have a quality of its own, but my quality is pretty drat good.

(Razing teleporters, like any other structure, will cause a hostile group of neutrals to spawn. In the case of teleporters and other magical structures you tend to get either a pack of Spirit Puppets like this or a single Syron. I've killed quite a few Syrons before this point)



With the last of the hubs crippled I once again weave my magic to gate my group back to the west. The Goblins that Gorthak has brought in have fortified the city we took here, providing a significant defensive force that the undead have yet to challenge. Not wanting them to even have the chance for such we traveled to the southeast where we found an Orc fortress and another large force gathered. As before they were fierce in battle, but far too eager to die to be effective. Gorthak dispatched a great number of them, his incredible fury at what he found driving him into an almost berserk rage.



(Also True Seeing, Vision II)

Astra posted:

Astras are thought to be a race of angelic beings descended from the heavens. Unlike Valkyries, which appear frequently at the site of large battles, Astras only appear in particularly calamitous situations. These divine beings fly with large feathered wings and fight with flaming swords, igniting nearly everything they strike. They can also lash out with holy power and turn undead creatures. Astras also have the ability to magically heal the most serious wounds of virtually any creature.
Astras are most often found fighting alongside the Highmen, but will aid any of the good races in times of need
That night I received a magical message from Gabriel, brought to me by a Cherub of all things. In it he told me that a number of great Astra had arrived at the fortress and had set out into the lands beyond. This news both elates me and bothers me. They are great avengers and incredible warriors, but I will not deny that I am rather worried that they might try to bring their swords down upon me once they are done with the undead.



But for now those great flaming swords only find the undead and their death-crazed associates. Reports start to come in that they are striking at numerous siege groups and war parties in the surrounding lands.





With the Astra buying me additional time I am able to investigate a few ruins in this area, former fortifications overrun by the undead but still containing relics of potent power.





A nearby lair shows that where some sought refuge from the undead swarm, only to find the teeth of a vicious predator upon their throats, if not worse.






The nights around the stronghold are almost as bright as day right now, the flames of the Astra lighting up the skyline as they bring their wrath and fury upon their foes. In only a matter of days what was looking to be a dire situation becomes far more manageable. The undead have gone from the predators of mortals to the prey of angels.



I discover that Harbak has moved to the south, perhaps seeking to try and rebuild the ruined teleportation nexus there. (AFAIK the AI doesn't). This is something I cannot allow but I am not yet ready to deal with him directly. Instead we strike at his escorts and savage them, including killing off a pair of black dragons that had joined his cause.





A messenger brought word to me that a pair of Astra went into an ancient pyramid to the north of Gabriel's fortress only to emerge a short while later with a tomb that they had apparently removed from its depths. The scout reported that he saw them draw what looked to be a spirit out of the tomb, but left the sarcophagus behind. He claims that one of them even looked right at him despite the distance and nodded slightly before the pair departed.



Leaving the Liche alone to hide behind his walls I moved to the north with my group, investigating reports of possible Frostling survivors. Instead we found only the tattered remains of a journal describing their end and a city inhabited by death-cult Goblins.





As we approached the city the garrison fled before us and headed to the north to a nearby crypt. At first I thought that they were seeking shelter in it, desiring to fight us in the enclosed space while they raised more undead to bolster their forces, but that was not to be. What I found instead was very disturbing. They had killed themselves to a man in a ritual attempt to summon forth a great number of devils into the land. Fortunately we were able to disrupt the circle before more than one got through.





After dealing with that we headed further to the east where we made a strange discovery. Another ruins in this land isn't surprising, but leaning against the shattered gate were a pair of weapons, each possessing a minor but useful enchantment.



Perhaps the answer to that mystery was before us, a pair of Astra were swooping through another undead-infested town, cleansing it of the taint with their flaming swords. With this knowledge I felt that the Northeast was safe enough, allowing me to return my attention to the southwest.


The Goblins that Gorthak had brought into these lands were already starting to show some sign of corruption by the dark energies in this land. I suspect that it's more due to a few infiltrators in their number, trying to turn them, but Gorthak was rather shocked by that discovery. A bitter gloom has passed over him, likely due to seeing his own kind being affected by these death cults.




(Astra doing their thing. They're incredibly OP in this game.)





Even the opportunity to slaughter a few nymphs and faeries weren't enough to improve Gorthak's mood. The Goblin has taken to wearing more black and now carries a vicious whip on his side, the many bladed tendrils of it biting deep into the flesh of his foes.
([i]Gorthak? More like Gothak
)



His mood improves a little as we find another Goblin settlement that was being actively converted by the undead. Being able to stop them before they can finish their task helped Gorthak some, but I do not think he'll be the same anymore.



News is brought to me that the Astras have cornered Harbak in a city to the south after destroying his siege forces and thus preventing him from taking the Goblin fortress to the east of him. More and more of the furious Astra head to the south from Gabriel's fortress, no doubt seeking to end the undead threat in this land.



As we ride to join them and finish the Liche I master the last of the spells in my new books, a relatively minor one that can disrupt ships at sea. With that I am able to fully focus my meditations upon the generation of mana crystals, allowing for me to dedicate my full power on the battles ahead.




A dedication I decide to demonstrate to Harbak. The magical shell he hides behind is stripped away with barely a thought, then for the next few days I subject him and his defenders to vicious storms, calling down deadly lightning upon the fortress.


Finally it is time to attack, and I start off with a burst of holy energy. I have taught my men how to endure it and resist its debilitating effects, allowing for us to weather the fury of the heavens with barely any difficulty.




Harbak's forces are not nearly as fortunate. Between the storms I have subjected them to and the wrath I just called upon them, the majority of the garrison is crippled or dead.




What remains can give little resistance to the Astra, their own fury seemingly enhanced by the powers I unleashed. I was pleased to be able to see Harbak as he was undone, his body turning to dust as he was struck down. A great victory, but only the start and an unpleasant portent as to what lies ahead.



I have puzzled out so little of these Highmen. They are more secretive than even the greatest of the Stormlords, quicker to lecture and less likely to complement than the most egotistical of scholars at the Wizard's Coven. I have no doubt that they are using me, but I am using them as well.


What lies before me pleases me. I have at my backs the new future, and what is before me is the past, a past that needs to be undone. I will show my cousins what lies in their future as well, no matter how many of them I need to destroy to do it. If they were smart they would know to join me, not oppose me, but they are as stubborn as most of the Highmen, but not nearly as potent.

**********************************************************

So there you have it. A rather aggravating mission if I must be honest. I wanted to show off more of the Highmen, but the AI just wouldn't allow it. I was forced to doomstack around the map due to a general inability to get any good gold flow until the end, then it was just Astra Time All The Time.

But it's over now, so we have that wonderful game again "What Should We Take?"



800 points to play with now, but....

Heroes

Gorthak and Thomac are 487 points each while Atam is 312 points. We can take Gorthak/Thomac and Atam, leaving us with 1 point left.


Here's Gorthak, whom we all know and love, but he's getting a bit unhappy now. The problem is that while Goblins are 'Polite' to us since they're our initial allies, we are having some morale issues and certain individuals can leave us. (At least 5 Karaghs left our service during this mission). He's only "Okay" in this because it's at the end of the mission and I was boosting the Goblin reputation as much as I could. This may not be a possibility in the future.


Thomac has become an absolute beast. I picked up Holy Champion for him to make him even that much more deadly in our future fights.


Our newest hero is Atam, a Highman warrior. He's got Holy Champion and Holy Strike to start with, so he's great against the undead. Thomac is a bit better of a fighter than Atam, but that's to be expected with those extra levels.


Items

Enchanted Mace, +1 Attack, Magic Strike: 90 points
Shredder Whip, +3 Damage: 188 points
Enchanted Trident, +1 Damage, Magic Strike: 45 points
Staff of the Forest, +1 Attack, +1 Damage, Holy Strike, Magic Strike: 55 points
Sword of Power, +3 Attack, +2 Damage, +1 Resistance, Magic Strike: 235 points

Holy Armor, +2 Defense, Death Immunity, Holy Champion: 420 points
Cloak of Ashes, +1 Resistance, Wasteland Concealment: 120 points
Fire Armor, +2 Defense, Fire Immunity, Ignition: 330 points
Dragon Scale Armor, +1 Defense, +1 Resistance, Fire Immunity: 322 points

Enchanted Buckler, +1 Defense: 40 points

Crown of Kings, Leadership: 135 points
Enchanted Helm, +1 Defense: 40 points
Mask of Fear, +1 Resistance, Cause Fear, Fearless: 95 points

Ring of True Sight, True Seeing: 75 points

Star Wand, Holy Bolts: 125 points


Units

4 Regular Highmen Avengers: 65 points each
2 Elite Elven Rangers: 95 points each
1 Elite Human Chevalier: 95 points
1 Regular Elven Scout: 32 points
1 Regular Dwarven Cleric: 35 points
1 Regular Goblin Giant Beetle: 120 points (will possibly desert)

Taerkar fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Apr 18, 2013

Digital Jello
Nov 2, 2012

Now I have a machine gun. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Gorthak has been so useful all these campaigns, I'd rather not see him desert/betray. Maybe he should just quietly fade into the shadows and let Thomac's era of glory begin (if it hasn't already)

KnoxZone
Jan 27, 2007

If I die before I Wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
I think Gorthak has exceeded the call of duty. He can totally go start his own campaign of goblin mischief. We should keep with us the the Dwarf and Man.

LordSloth
Mar 7, 2008

Disgruntled (IT) Employee
I've never completely flipped alignment, and I forget some of the details of the last missions. Is it possible to switch completely to a goblin army/nation with some lizardmen allies? We've promised to free them from slavery, why should we abandon them in the time of need. Goblins and lizardmen shall usher in a new age!

If we migrate enough cities, not only will we make this mission more difficult, but we'd change our alignment to neutral or evil, right?

zetamind2000
Nov 6, 2007

I'm an alien.

LordSloth posted:

If we migrate enough cities, not only will we make this mission more difficult, but we'd change our alignment to neutral or evil, right?

Actually, migrating can never change your alignment in the game, it can only damage your relations with the other races.

zetamind2000
Nov 6, 2007

I'm an alien.

Gorthak, the Goblin Giant Beetle, the Human Chevalier and whatever else you feel would be good with the leftover points. Gorthak has been with us for so long it would just feel wrong not taking him all the way to the endgame, and besides, we can let him go and try out different heroes when you play the other paths of this campaign. If morale gets to be that much of an issue you should seriously consider getting Vheandor the Bard Skills trait.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Remember, I'm most likely going to be doing the Orc branch after finishing this, so we'll be seeing more Gorthak there anyways.

benzine
Oct 21, 2010
Thomac and Atam and a Chevalier.

Gabriel's last stand is one of my favorite missions of the game and a great start for the highmen.

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
Farewell Ghortak, you were a great pal. We're taking the other two heroes instead.

Thyrork
Apr 21, 2010

"COME PLAY MECHS M'LANCER."

Or at least use Retrograde Mini's to make cool mechs and fantasy stuff.

:awesomelon:
Slippery Tilde

my dad posted:

Farewell Ghortak, you were a great pal. We're taking the other two heroes instead.

Agreed.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

The mission is now up.

benzine
Oct 21, 2010
Astras and Valkyries are the best, but especially the Astras.

benzine fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Apr 18, 2013

Lynneth
Sep 13, 2011

my dad posted:

Farewell Ghortak, you were a great pal. We're taking the other two heroes instead.

I concur with this statement.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

benzine posted:

Astras and Valkyries are the best, but especially the Astras.

I'm not even sure what happened to the Valkyrie. It was there one battle and gone the next, but it didn't die during the battle.

The Astras are just completely broken. They're fairly good in autocombat, but if you manage them in a tactical battle you can just maul hostile forces and pull them out when they get low on health. Having Healing is the next best thing to regeneration with the advantage of being able to recover 5 hp in combat. They have a good chance of one-shotting tier 1 units (though a rather depressingly good chance of being hit by retaliation strikes if they don't) and can easily farm XP to get up to gold quickly.

Other fun broken things:

Hurl Stones and Marksmanship IV (4 shots at 6 attack and 3 damage? Sign me up!)
Flying units with ranged attacks (Including ships with flying enchanted on them)
Any unit with entangling strike
Halfling Rogues (Hurling stones with Mark III at Elite? I'll take 4!)
Highmen Paladins (Not quite as good as Chevaliers in direct combat, of course, but they have healing)
Halfling Pony Riders (Tier 2 cavalry at Tier 1)
Incarnates with access to Syrons


Edit:

I honestly wanted to be a bit more scorched-earthy with this mission, but the AI was just so incredibly focused on the one town north of the starting area that I was able to whittle them down to a more manageable force by the time I got to the Astras.

Things I missed:
About 2x as much "Astra murders everything"
The big dwarven town falling three times only for me to retake it again
The Elite Chevalier destroying an entire assault group with only the help of two Highmen Saints (I don't know what happened to that picture)
Me building towers on each of the bridges to the starting location
Rebuilding of a few cities
Info pictures for the Reaper and Karagh (I thought I got the Karagh before but apparently not)

Taerkar fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Apr 18, 2013

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous

Taerkar posted:

Incarnates with access to Syrons

Just Incarnates. They're hard to use right, but if you get some skill with them, they're the most broken unit in the game.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Oh they are, but the fact that the Syron literally cannot hurt an incarnate is amazing. You've got one of the best melee units in the game on your side, then when it dies you've got an incarnate again that can take over something else.

It's a good part of the reason why they implemented Willpower in the sequels.

Digital Jello
Nov 2, 2012

Now I have a machine gun. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Do we ever get to see Gabriel, or is he just there in the storybook?

Also, in this installment, if morale is poor (in this case for Gorthak) does he turn on you, or just abandon you as an Independent?

Once again, at the risk of beating that dead horse, I'd like to say just how enamored I am with this LP. It's just so friggin' nostalgic :allears:

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Digital Jello posted:

Do we ever get to see Gabriel, or is he just there in the storybook?

Oh, we will see Gabriel on the battlefield. In the final map, along with Julia, Meandor, and Inioch.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Digital Jello posted:

Do we ever get to see Gabriel, or is he just there in the storybook?

Also, in this installment, if morale is poor (in this case for Gorthak) does he turn on you, or just abandon you as an Independent?

Once again, at the risk of beating that dead horse, I'd like to say just how enamored I am with this LP. It's just so friggin' nostalgic :allears:

He'll go independent but there's a definite risk of him immediately attacking afterwards. In fact right before I took that screenshot of him being unhappy the Karagh with the party deserted and immediately attacked us. Having 4 defense isn't good for your overall survival against Thomac, Gorthak, and Atam.

Skanky Burns
Jan 9, 2009
I vote for the other 2 heroes. Whilst Gorthak has been a stalwart ally for so long, at this point it is cruel to expose him to what some of his goblin brethren have been reduced to.

MaskedHuzzah
Mar 26, 2009

Come now! Look me in the eye and tell me - isn't this the face of a guy you can trust?
Lipstick Apathy
This map just shows why Path of Decay is a ridiculously powerful ability in some situations.
To clarify - go up and look at the screenshots with cities surrounded by black wasteland.
A city gets its income from the fields around it, but nobody can get income from wasteland fields except for the Undead. This gives them a huge advantage in sending out Grim Reapers, who have Path of Decay along with some really solid combat abilities, and just walking around enemy cities. It's a pain to correct, since the only way to deal with it is another Path ability, and those aren't on a lot of other units.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

I was trying to find a size 4 city that was undead so that I could migrate it to Elves. As we saw in an earlier scenario they have one of the few (only?) units with Path of Life, the Nature Elemental.

The Reaper also has a very annoying save-or-die ability that prompted one reload when Vhendor didn't make his save.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.
For anyone interested in playing for themselves, here are the ways you can change terrain types:

Path of Frost: Turns terrain to snow around the unit. Available on the Frost Queen, a Frostling tier 3 unit.

Path of Life: Turns terrain to grassland around the unit. Available on the Nature Elemental, the Elf tier 4 unit.

Path of Decay: Turns terrain to wasteland around the unit. Available on the Reaper, the Undead tier 4 unit.

Rejuvenation: Turns terrain to grassland in an area. Level 1 Life spell.

Healing Showers: Turns terrain to grassland (among other effects) in an area. Level 3 Water spell.

Divine Storm: Turns terrain to grassland (among other effects) in an area. Level 4 Life spell.

Ice Storm: Turns terrain to snow (among other effects) in an area. Level 4 Water spell.

Death Storm: Turns terrain to wasteland (among other effects) in an area. Level 4 Death spell.

Altar of Life: Structure. Casts Divine Storm.

Altar of Ice: Structure. Casts Ice Storm.

Altar of Death: Structure. Casts Death Storm.


And various items that grant the Path effects.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Most (all?) races can still farm on snow terrain, so if you only have access to stuff that can frost it's another way to undo wasteland damage.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Current vote count in a completely transparent attempt to get closer to the next page.

Thomac: 6
Atam: 6
Gorthak: 1

Honestly since Thomac/Gorthak + Atam is 799 points, no other votes really matter unless a unit/item can pass Atam.

my dad
Oct 17, 2012

this shall be humorous
Page-schmage. Nothing can get past Atam. Up and Atam, Atam.

I found an interesting use for level 1 spellcasting on combat oriented heroes (other than self-buffing). If you have a top tier blast spell, you can have them slowly charge up over the following 20-30 turns and once you are ready for the decisive battle, have all of them cast the blast at once. It's utterly devastating, if mana intensive.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

Yeah, I've done that a few times in the past. Right now Vhendor is the only caster (And it's rather unlikely I'll get another Caster V)

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
Thomac and Atam. Gorthak, to you we entrust a special mission.

tithin
Nov 14, 2003


[Grandmaster Tactician]



I'd rather not lose Gorthak, but if it's a choice between using him and losing him, or losing him temporarily and seeing him again on the final map, I'll vote we take Thomac, Mask of Fear, Cloak of Ashes and 2 Elite Elven Rangers

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Donkringel
Apr 22, 2008
Don't take Gorthak

He shall walk a lonely road (amusingly Blvd of Broken Dreams just came on).

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