{{ :nations:flags:ma_Asphodel.png|}}
====== MA Asphodel, Carrion Wood ======
===== Lore =====
//"If you have walked in a forest with trees covered in ivy and stumbled across the carcass of a dead animal, partly covered by leaves and vines, your imagination might give life to the vines and the roots of the nearby plants. The carrion jerks and twitches as the roots gives life to the dead animal. It opens its
jaws and lets out a silent hiss.
Asphodel is a nation of the vengeful wild. Panii and halfmen of Pangaea have revolted against their
brethren and unleashed the powers of a dark and hungry god upon the living world. Vines and roots turn
into slithering and growing entities strangling the living in their sleep and reanimating their corpses as
marionettes of vines and bones. These marionettes are known as manikin.
The first carrion beasts appeared in one of my Ars Magica campaigns. There was a manikin in the
bestiary that sparked my imagination and resulted in animal carcasses reanimated by vines. The concept
has always been something I liked, and I suspect is has sneaked into other RPG campaigns of mine from
time to time.
Asphodel as a Dominions nation has a history similar to Lemuria. The nation was once a theme in
Dominions 2 that was removed and made into a global spell available to primarily late age Pangaea.
Unfortunately, this made the whole setting of the Carrion Woods rare, and that was a pity. We decided
to remake the old theme into a new Pangaean splinter nation."//
===== General Overview =====
Asphodel is a nation of halfmen, such as centaurs, satyrs and minotaurs. As the game progresses provinces within the dominion of Asphodel will see their populations decrease. If the provinces are owned by Asphodel they receive undead manikins as the population is killed. In the early game Asphodel can make good use of strong halfmen troops (especially the sacred black centaurs), but as their population diminishes they will lack the gold and recruitment points for these units and will be forced to rely more on the freespawn undead manikins. It is best to think of Asphodel as a pop kill undead nation with recruitable mages and play accordingly.
Since Asphodel's economy never fully transitions away from gold, and because of the need for more forest provinces, they will be forced to expand continuously. Having recruitable mages is both a blessing and a curse in this respect. On the other hand, their ability to build forts in one turn and focus their money on mages will lead to a surge in research and gem income by the mid game. This will be the time to push their advantage, with manikin armies getting strong spell support and powerful Carrion Lord thugs filling in the gaps.
Asphodel is widely regarded as one of the worst nations in Dominions, and likely THE worst nation in the Middle Age. They also have some of the lowest resolution pixel art you can find, a good indication that the nation hasn't gotten love in quite some time. Winning with them will take quite a bit of luck, and at best you'll be playing with a handicap vs other players. Still, they are a very cool concept and a lot of fun to play.
=====National Features=====
^ Race ^ Military ^ Magic Access ^
| Halfmen \\ Superior magic resistance \\ {{:abilities:forestsurvival.png?nolink}} Forest Survival \\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?nolink}} Recuperation\\ Undead Manikins | Primitive equipment \\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?nolink}} Stealthy Units\\ High map move\\ Mercenaries +25% cost | {{path>N4}} (rare 5) \\ {{path>D3}} (rare 4) \\ {{path>W1}} (rare 2) \\ {{path>E1}} (rare 2) |
^ Priests ^ Dominion ^ Buildings ^
| {{:magicpath:path_h.png?20&nolink}} Average Priests (lvl2)\\ Summon Strong Priests (lvl3)\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?nolink}} Stealthy Priests\\ Undead priests have manikin reanimation | Pop death at 1% per candle per turn\\ \\ Spawns manikins from corpses\\ Spawns additional manikins in forests | Forts +50% cost\\ {{:misc:gui:palisades.png?30&nolink}} Palisade is max upgrade\\ Summon Bramble Forts in forests\\ Temples -50% cost in forests\\ Labs -50% cost in forests |
====Curse of the Carrion Wood====
Asphodel's dominion slowly kills of its population as civilized land becomes reclaimed by the wild and its inhabitants are turned into manikin freespawn. At a rate of 1%/{{:misc:dominioncandle.png?4|}} candle, this decrease is significant and poses a major challenge to anyone playing Asphodel. Since Asphodel, unlike Ermor or Lemuria
The following graphs show an approximation of how population is decreased at different dominion strengths over time. Every line represents one step of dominion strength starting with {{scales>dom1}} at the top.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:asphodel_g0.png|}}
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:asphodel_g3.png|}}
In exchange Asphodel's dominion spawns various forms of manikins See the [[asphodel-ma#spawnedreanimated-troops|Spawned/Reanimated Troops]] section.
==== Capital Special Sites ====
^ Carrion Grove ^
| {{:sites:sites_0079.png?nolink }} Enables recruitment of: \\ * **??Black Centaur??s** {{:nations:ma:asphodel:black_centaur.png?nolink}} \\ Produce 6 {{:misc:magic:naturegem.png?nolink}} per turn \\ Produce 1 {{:misc:magic:deathgem.png?nolink}} per turn |
===== Units =====
==== Commanders ====
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Magic ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:black_harpy.png?29&nolink }} | **??Black Harpy#430??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 25\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (60)\\ {{:abilities:flying.png?15}} [[Flying]] \\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests\\ Has the [[Female]] tag |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:minotaur_lord.png?47&nolink }} | **??Minotaur Lord#1534??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 70\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 10 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | | {{:abilities:berserker.png?15}} [[Berserker]] (+5) \\ {{:abilities:trample.png?15}} [[Trample]] \\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:centaur_hierophant.png?51&nolink }} | **??Centaur Hierophant#2311??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 120\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 4 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{path>H1,100%DN,10%E}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 7 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:inspirational.png?15&nolink}} [[Inspirational]] (+1)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests\\ \\ Twiceborn shape:\\ ??Carrion Lady?? |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:centauride_hierophantide.png?48&nolink }} | **??Centauride Hierophantide#2312??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 120\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 3 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{path>H1,100%DN,10%W}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 7 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:inspirational.png?15&nolink}} [[Inspirational]] (+1)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests\\ Has the [[Female]] tag\\ \\ Twiceborn shape:\\ ??Carrion Lady?? |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:black_dryad.png?17&nolink }} | **??Black Dryad??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 140\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{path>H2D1N1}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 9 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (60)\\ {{:abilities:supplybonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Supply bonus]] (10)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Has the [[Female]] tag\\ \\ Twiceborn shape:\\ ??Carrion Lady?? |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:dryad_hag.png?22&nolink }} | **??Dryad Hag??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 255\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{path>H2D1N2,100%WED,10%WED}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 13 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (60)\\ {{:abilities:supplybonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Supply bonus]] (20)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Has the [[Female]] tag\\ \\ Twiceborn shape:\\ ??Carrion Lady?? |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:panic_apostate.png?52&nolink }} | **??Panic Apostate??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 300\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 4 | {{path>D2N3,100%WEDN,10%WEDN}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 17 | {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Poison]] (5)\\ {{:abilities:animal_awe.png?15&nolink}} [[Animal Awe]] (1)\\ {{:abilities:beastmaster.png?15&nolink}} [[Beastmaster]] (+1)\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:supplybonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Supply bonus]] (30)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15}} [[Recuperation]] | Twiceborn shape:\\ ??Carrion Lord?? |
Black Harpies are probably the best recruitable scout in the game. They have a high stealth value, and flying combined with a high map move makes it very likely they will reach their intended destination in one turn, whether to scout or to transport gems. In most games you don't even need to rely on forts to recruit them, since they are available in every forest.
??Minotaur Lord??s are only good for commanding armies in the expansion phase since they cannot lead manikins. Later on you can rely on Panic Apostates to command manikin and non-manikin troops alike. Be sure to set them to "Stay Behind Troops" or they will likely get themselves killed.
Centaur(ide) Hierophant(ide)s are sacred mages on a centaur chassis and benefit from any bless that would benefit your ??Black Centaur??s. ??Centaur Hierophants?? are marginally better becauses of the 10% chance of {{path>E1D1}} or {{path>E1N1}}. Asphodel's national discount on ??Thorn Spear??s gives a cheap way of making thugs that can [[repel]]. {{path>D1}} can lead manikins while {{path>N1}} can cast ??Protection?? or buff ??Eagle Eyes?? and shoot.
??Black Dryad??s are your most efficient researchers. They are also good for collecting and transporting manikins, hiding and preaching, spamming swarm in large battles, and for buffing thugs with ??Blessing?? and ??Regrowth??. They are good targets for ??Twiceborn??, which causes them to come back as reanimators, in addition to everything else.
Dryad Hags share the same paths as the ??Panic Apostate??. The real advantages they have over Apostates are being sacred and not slow to recruit. They also have a 33% chance to random {{path>W1D1N2}} for access to ??Mossbody?? and ??Foul Vapors??, compared to the 25% of Panic Apostates. {{path>D2N2}} can cast ??Horde of Skeleton?? and {{path>E1D1N2}} can cast Earth buffs by using a gem to cast ??Summon Earthpower?? or forge items such as ??Kithaironic Lionpelt??.
The ??Panic Apostate?? is Asphodel's workhorse. They have the best magic paths and are given a slight chance to double their random, which can boost the nation into even higher levels of Water, Earth, and Death through items and summons. You'll want them to do everything but research - site searching, combat magic, rituals, leading troops, raiding, and later assassinations. ??Twiceborn?? will transform them into the ??Carrion Lord?? chassis while retaining magic paths.
==== Recruited Troops ====
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:harpy.png?29&nolink }} | **??Harpy??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 7\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 3 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:flying.png?15&nolink}} [[Flying]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests\\ Has the [[Female]] tag |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:satyr_sneak.png?32&nolink }} | **??Satyr Sneak??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 9\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 3\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 6 | {{:abilities:undisciplined.png?15&nolink}} [[Undisciplined]]\\ {{:abilities:cause_unrest.png?15&nolink}} [[Increase Unrest]] (+0.5)\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (60)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:satyr.png?32&nolink }} | **??Satyr??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 9\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 4\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 6 | {{:abilities:undisciplined.png?15&nolink}} [[Undisciplined]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:satyr_warrior.png?32&nolink }} | **??Satyr Warrior??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 13\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 5\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 21 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:minotaur.png?47&nolink }} | **??Minotaur??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 40\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 8\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 6 | {{:abilities:undisciplined.png?15&nolink}} [[Undisciplined]]\\ {{:abilities:berserker.png?15&nolink}} [[Berserker]] (+4)\\ {{:abilities:trample.png?15&nolink}} [[Trample]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:minotaur_warrior.png?47&nolink }} | **??Minotaur Warrior??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 50\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 18 | {{:abilities:berserker.png?15&nolink}} [[Berserker]] (+5)\\ {{:abilities:trample.png?15&nolink}} [[Trample]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:centauride.png?48&nolink }} | **??Centauride??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 25\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 3\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 12 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests\\ Has the [[Female]] tag |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:centaur.png?51&nolink }} | **??Centaur??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 25\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 4\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 12 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Can recruit in all forests |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:centauride_warrior.png?57&nolink }} | **??Centauride Warrior??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 30\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 11\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 17 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | Has the [[Female]] tag |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:centaur_warrior.png?62&nolink }} | **??Centaur Warrior??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 35\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 11\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 21 | {{:abilities:berserker.png?15&nolink}} [[Berserker]] (+2)\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:black_centaur.png?62&nolink }} | **??Black Centaur??**\\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 55\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 12\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 29 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:berserker.png?15&nolink}} [[Berserker]] (+3)\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]] | |
As your dominion depletes your population over the course of the game you will slowly lose the ability to amass recruited troops and will have to rely on manikins instead. Asphodel shares many recruits with [[pangaea-ma|Pangaea]].
{{nations:ma:asphodel:harpy.png?20&nolink}} Harpies are your only flying troop; they are cheap and easy to mass. Thus, these are your best units for siege defense, which manikins don't do effectively, or for additional patrolling and sieging. In battle they can be used to harass the back line.
{{nations:ma:asphodel:satyr_sneak.png?20&nolink}} {{nations:ma:asphodel:satyr.png?20&nolink}} {{nations:ma:asphodel:satyr_warrior.png?20&nolink}} Satyrs are mainly front line troops, which is not what Asphodel needs. Sneaks can be used to increase unrest in enemy territory, which might help complement a sabotage strategy.
{{nations:ma:asphodel:minotaur.png?30&nolink}} {{nations:ma:asphodel:minotaur_warrior.png?30&nolink}} Minotaurs have a high damage attack that can punch through tougher opponents. However, these are the same sort of opponents that manikins tend to do well against on their own.
\\ \\
{{nations:ma:asphodel:centauride.png?30&nolink}} {{nations:ma:asphodel:centaur.png?30&nolink}} Naked Centaurs and Centaurides are the only archer units that Asphodel can mass, which may be useful in certain circumstances. These are probably the most useful troops that can be recruited from forests without forts.
\\ \\
{{nations:ma:asphodel:centauride_warrior.png?35&nolink}} {{nations:ma:asphodel:centaur_warrior.png?35&nolink}} If you did not go for a bless for your ??Black Centaur??s, Armored Centaurs and Centaurides are your best troops for expansion. Centaurides use javelins and are better against lightly armored troops; Centaurs berserk and are better at direct assaults.
\\ \\
{{nations:ma:asphodel:black_centaur.png?40&nolink}} Black Centaurs are just as good as Pangaea's ??White Centaur??s, but unlike Pangaea you will inevitably lose the ability to recruit them. Depending on how much dominion you chose at pretender design this can happen as early as year one. If you are planning to use them you need to find a balance between getting enough dominion to matter, but not so much that you drain your capital too quickly.
==== Spawned/Reanimated Troops ====
All manikins have the following abilities, added here to make the table more readable:\\
{{:abilities:resist_pierce.png?30&nolink}}[[Pierce-resistant]]\\ {{:abilities:undead.png?30&nolink}}[[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:magic_being.png?30&nolink}}[[Magic-being]]\\ {{:abilities:inanimate.png?30&nolink}}[[Inanimate]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?30&nolink}}[[Need-not-eat]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?30&nolink}}[[Forest survival]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?30&nolink}}[[Resist poison]] (25)
Generally, manikins are skeletons with some special features. They have low protection, low attack and defense, and no cold resistance, but make up for it with high hitpoints, the loss of the [[Never Heals]] trait, and high magic resistance (apart from Carrion Beasts). Being both undead and magic-beings makes them vulnerable to spells and effects that target either. They use undead command slots on a commander.
More importantly, all manikins have at least one "Sleep Vines" attack which deals 33 fatigue damage per hit, provided the target fails a magic resistance check, and attempts to hit three times per attack. This is enough to wear down even high protection targets rather quickly, and manikins tend to do better against high protection targets with low defense than the opposite. Sleep Vines are also a length 3 weapon, and have a better chance of repelling attacks when the attacker's defense is low. For this reason, manikins are particularly good when they fight in large numbers, surrounding enemy troops, and when combined with other fatigue inducing spells like ??Rigor Mortis?? and ??Syllable of Sleep??. Unfortunately, the manikins' many attacks make them especially vulnerable to ??Fire Shield?? effects and they tend to die in droves against ??Fire Elemental??s and thugs with ??Charcoal Shield??s.
Though they apply to all undead, Asphodel's unique priest spells give benefits to manikin armies that you don't see anywhere else, such as mass regeneration through ??Carrion Growth?? and spot healing through ??Mend the Dead??.
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special_Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:manikin.png?30&nolink }} | **??Manikin??** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]] | Standard corpse spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:mandragoda.png?30&nolink }} | **??Mandragora??** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Advanced corpse spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:harpymanikin.png?24&nolink }} | **??Harpy Manikin??** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Standard forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:satyrmanikin.png?28&nolink }} | **??Satyr Manikin??** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Standard forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:minotaurmanikin.png?50&nolink }} | **??Minotaur Manikin??** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ | Advanced forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:sagittarianmanikin.png?54&nolink }} | **??Sagittarian Carcass??** | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Extra spawn on forest with temple. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:wolf-carrionbeast.png?30&nolink }} | **??Carrion Beast?? (wolf)** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Standard forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:boar-carrionbeast.png?30&nolink }} | **??Carrion Beast#716?? (boar)** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Standard forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:horse-carrionbeast.png?56&nolink }} | **??Carrion Beast#717?? (horse)** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Standard forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:bear-carrionbeast.png?58&nolink }} | **??Carrion Beast#718?? (bear)** | {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ | Advanced forest spawn. |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:elephant-carrionbeast.png?90&nolink }} | **??Carrion Beast#1006?? (elephant)** | {{:abilities:trample.png?15&nolink}}[[Trample]]\\ {{:abilities:fear.png?15&nolink}}[[Fear]] (5)\\ {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:mindless.png?15&nolink}}[[Mindless]]\\ | Advanced forest spawn. |
Most manikins largely function the same, the thing you want to pay attention to most in a tactical setup is their combat speed. Put slower manikins on the front line, and faster ones futher back on the flanks, so that they both reach the opposing army at about the same time.
All carrion beast types have relatively low magic resistance. While this is a disadvantage overall, it does mean they are more likely to benefit from Asphodel's unique mass buff spells, ??Puppet Mastery?? and ??Carrion Growth??.
For some reason, probably an oversight, minotaur manikins and elephant carrion beasts do not have spirit sight, and despite what the mod inspector says they don't have darkvision either. Testing shows they take full penalties from ??Darkness??. Darkness and similar spells are still recommended though, as these units will always comprise a small portion of your army.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:harpymanikin.png?20&nolink}}\\ Harpies have especially low combat speed, making them hard to use with other units. Moreover, they are the only manikin type that has 14 map move instead of 20, so including them in your army can limit your strategic mobility. They are size 1 with 2 Sleep Vines per troop, which adds up to 12 fatigue attacks per square, though admittedly at a very low attack value.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:manikin.png?25&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:mandragoda.png?25&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:satyrmanikin.png?25&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:minotaurmanikin.png?40&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:bear-carrionbeast.png?40&nolink}}\\ Human, satyr, minotaur, and bear manikins are all fairly slow frontliners. It may help to put the faster forest manikins in a line behind the human ones, to keep them all together.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:wolf-carrionbeast.png?25&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:boar-carrionbeast.png?25&nolink}} {{:nations:ma:asphodel:horse-carrionbeast.png?40&nolink}}\\ Wolf, boar, and horse carrion beasts are fast flankers.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:elephant-carrionbeast.png?50&nolink}}\\ Elephants are some of your more valuable manikins. They also work well as flankers, though they are a bit slower than the other types. Elephants work well in their own squad, which helps to keep them together and concentrate their fear effect.
{{:nations:ma:asphodel:sagittarianmanikin.png?40&nolink}}\\ Sagittarian Carcasses are your most unique manikins. They are non-mindless sacred archer manikins who shoot entangling arrows. Because of the way troops spawn, they will never be a large part of your army, but they still help win battles. As archers, it will be easier to keep them alive, and once they run out of arrows they make an easy transition to melee, running down routing foes with a high combat speed. It is useful to have some non-mindless troops on the field to make sure spells like ??Mind Burn?? don't just target commanders. Their only downside is that they can't be taken across rivers or underwater.
==== Dominion Spawn Mechanics====
//[[Asphodel Dominion Spawn Data|Main article on Asphodel's Dominion Spawn]]//
**Sopbucket** ran a number of tests to try and see if data from in game backs up this description. You can look at the findings [[asphodel dominion spawn data|here]]. He summarizes the dominion spawn mechanics with a few points:
- Manikins and Mandragoras spawn in every province with a sufficient amount of corpses, to a maximum of 4 total per turn. This is why they are labeled "corpse spawn" in the table above.
- All other manikins spawn in forest provinces, to a maximum of 4 per turn. This is in addition to the corpse spawn.
- Sagittarian Carcasses spawn in forest provinces with a temple, independent of other spawn limits. Further testing shows they do occasionally spawn in forests without a temple, but it's exceedingly rare. On average, you get about one every three turns, and neither Growth, Magic, nor Dominion appear to have any effect on this rate.
- The "better" reanimations appear to include Mandragoras, Minotaur manikins, Bears and Elephants, as these spawn rates precipitously drop off in Magic 0 vs Magic 3. These are labeled as "advanced" spawn in the table.
- Growth scales are a significant factor in reanimation rates. Temples and Dominion help too, though a high dominion (>5) will kill off your population very quickly with little gains to show for it.
Forests not only spawn troops at twice the rate of other provinces, but also spawn the most useful manikins, and continue to spawn manikins once the province runs out of corpses. Typically, you want to keep dominion at a mid level in forests for more troops, and as low as possible everywhere else for the income. This can be accomplished by taking a low dominion pretender, and only preaching in forests until you get to 4 or 5 candles.
It is worth it to build temples in forests ahead of forts for the extra spawn, assuming they are relatively safe from conquest. Keep in mind they only cost 200 gold in forests.
If you have to choose between Growth and Magic scales, I would always choose Growth. Numbers are what make a manikin army effective, and you will still be able to accumulate advanced manikin through reanimation. Growth also helps to counter pop kill, especially in low dominion provinces.
===Reanimation Mechanics===
For Asphodel, all reanimation is replaced by the "Awaken Manikins" action, which can be used by any undead commander with a priest level. This means that Asphodel cannot reanimate typical undead, as even generic reanimators like ??Mound Fiend??s raise manikins instead. Awaken Manikins requires corpses to be present in the province to function, similar to reanimating soulless.
The number of manikins reanimated is the priest level + 1, and the type of manikins you get is randomly determined. The distribution of results is similar to dominion spawn, but doesn't seem to be determined by Magic scales or anything else linked to the province. To maximize reanimation capacity, you want to use Nature gems to summon ??Carrion Centaur??s and Death gems to twiceborn ??Black Dryad??s or ??Dryad Hag??s. Gems are your most significant bottleneck in this regard.
Items like ??Amulet of the Dead?? do not boost manikin reanimation rates. Manikins are like ??Tomb Wyrm??s and ??Lictor??s in this way, if you could select them from a list to reanimate they would probably not have a "+" next to their number.
==== National Summons ====
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Magic ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:carrion_centaur.png?54&nolink }} | ??Carrion Centaur??\\ {{gems>N}} 8 | {{path>H1}} | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_pierce.png?15&nolink}}[[Pierce-resistant]]\\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}}[[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:magic_being.png?15&nolink}}[[Magic-being]]\\ {{:abilities:inanimate.png?15&nolink}}[[Inanimate]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}}[[Need-not-eat]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}}[[Forest survival]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}}[[Resist poison]] (25)\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit sight]]\\ {{:abilities:reanimator_priest.png?15&nolink}}[[Reanimator priest]] | |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:carrion_lady.png?24&nolink }} | ??Carrion Lady??\\ {{gems>N}} 16\\ OR\\ {{gems>D}} 10 | {{path>H2N1}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 7 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}}[[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:supply_bonus.png?15&nolink}}[[Supply bonus]] (10)\\ {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_pierce.png?15&nolink}}[[Pierce-resistant]]\\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}}[[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:magic_being.png?15&nolink}}[[Magic-being]]\\ {{:abilities:inanimate.png?15&nolink}}[[Inanimate]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}}[[Need-not-eat]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}}[[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}}[[Resist poison]] (25)\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit Sight]]\\ {{:abilities:reanimator_priest.png?15&nolink}}[[Reanimator Priest]] | Has the [[Female]] tag |
| {{ nations:ma:asphodel:carrion_lord.png?54&nolink }} | ??Carrion Lord??\\ {{gems>N}} 35\\ OR\\ {{gems>D}} 15 | {{path>H3D2N3}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 15 | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}}[[Stealthy]] (40)\\ {{:abilities:fear.png?15&nolink}}[[Fear]] (7)\\ {{:abilities:supply_bonus.png?15&nolink}}[[Supply bonus]] (30)\\ {{:abilities:poor_amphibian.png?15&nolink}}[[Poor amphibian]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_pierce.png?15&nolink}}[[Pierce-resistant]]\\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}}[[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:magic_being.png?15&nolink}}[[Magic-being]]\\ {{:abilities:inanimate.png?15&nolink}}[[Inanimate]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}}[[Need-not-eat]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}}[[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}}[[Resist poison]] (30)\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit Sight]]\\ {{:abilities:reanimator_priest.png?15&nolink}}[[Reanimator Priest]] | |
Asphodel's national summons are manikin reanimator priests. They can either be summoned directly via national spells, or transformed from one of Asphodel's recruitable mages by the spell ??Twiceborn??. The latter is indicated by the alternative cost in Death gems, though it should be noted that this method additionally costs a recruited mage, whereas the other does not. All Centaur and Dryad mages become Carrion Ladies, and ??Panic Apostate??s become Carrion Lords. Centaur mages only cost 10 Death gems to cast twiceborn despite being size 3, probably because the game treats them as mounted units.
There is a chance that a twiceborn transformed unit will recieve an additional death path upon assuming its carrion formThis bonus is connected to Twiceborn's events and is independent of the wight chassis that spawns. ??Panic Apostate??s who become Carrion Lords do not gain priest levels, though they do become Sacred.
For efficiency in reanimation, it is best to use nature gems to summon Carrion Centaurs, and death gems to twiceborn ??Black Dryad??s holding a ??Skull Staff??.
Carrion Lords can be worth summoning in order to prophetize, to get a level 4 priest who can cast ??Carrion Growth??. Twiceborn ??Panic Apostate??s make excellent thugs since they keep their better magic paths, especially the Earth and Death variants which both unlock crucial protection spells. Death variants also have a chance to become Death 4 mages this way, which is an important prerequisite for higher level Death spells and magic boosters.
Since they are undead, Asphodel's summons are unable to Preach.
==== Heroes ====
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Magic ^ Special_Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:apostatic_warrior.png?43&nolink }} | **??Panicratos - Apostatic Warrior??** | {{path>H1D1N2}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 11 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?10&nolink}}[[Stealthy]] (65)\\ {{:abilities:ambidextrous.png?15&nolink}}[[Ambidextrous]] (4)\\ {{:abilities:berserker.png?15&nolink}}[[Berserker]] (+5)\\ {{:abilities:supply_bonus.png?15&nolink}}[[Supply Bonus]] (20)\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:assassin.png?15&nolink}}[[Assassin]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}}[[Forest Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ | |
| {{ :nations:ma:asphodel:ettin_mandragora.png?88&nolink }} | **??Ambicephalos - Ettin Mandragora??** | {{path>H1}} | {{:abilities:fear.png?15&nolink}}[[Fear]] (5)\\ {{:abilities:ambidextrous.png?15&nolink}}[[Ambidextrous]] (3)\\ {{:abilities:unsurroundable.png?15&nolink}}[[Unsurroundable]] (1)\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}}[[Sacred]]\\ {{:abilities:spirit_sight.png?15&nolink}}[[Spirit Sight]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_pierce.png?15&nolink}}[[Pierce-resistant]]\\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}}[[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:inanimate.png?15&nolink}}[[Inanimate]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}}[[Need-not-eat]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}}[[Forest survival]]\\ {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}}[[Recuperation]]\\ {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}}[[Resist poison]] (25)\\ {{:abilities:reanimator_priest.png?15&nolink}}[[Reanimator Priest]] | |
Asphodel's heroes are both useful, particularly in the early stages of the game. This is just another way that the nation benefits from high luck scales.
Panicratos is the only assassin you will have for a while, and can help deter early invasions by other players. Once you've researched ??Swarm?? he'll be able to use it to kill most commanders without worry. It's not a bad idea to give him a ??Kithaironic Lion Pelt?? for extra protection. Later he can counter thugs and SCs by dual wielding the ??Axe of Hate??.
Ambicephalos is the sort of hero most nations dream of having. Though he underperforms as an SC in the late game, in the mid game he absolutely dominates. While he can self bless, it's also good for him to have a level 2 priest nearby who can cast ??Regrowth?? and give him regeneration on top of everything else. Ambicephalos works well both by himself or at the head of an army. He is the only manikin that lacks the {{:abilities:magic_being.png?15&nolink}}[[Magic-being]] attribute, which is probably an oversight.
**Sopbucket**: ??Ambicephalos - Ettin Mandragora?? is best used fully geared in my opinion. I like to boost his attack, defense, and protection as much as possible while giving him 4-5 attacks via ??Horned Helmet??s and other equipment. Good options for him specifically are the ??Flesh Eater?? (for berserk), ??Main Gauche of Parrying??/??Sword of Swiftness?? (for defense), ??Ring of the Warrior??, two ??Horned Helmet??s or ??Horror Helmet??s, and any high protection armor.
===== Magic Access =====
Asphodel is an undead nation that utilizes Nature and Death magic. It does three things particularly well: battlefield globals, chaff summoning, and thug self buffs. In practice, they function like MA Ctis - spam skeletons, wolves, and bugs while ratcheting up fatigue and poison damage on the enemy. As an undead nation they can freely make use of ??Darkness?? and ??Rigor Mortis??, which only make this strategy more effective.
The ??Panic Apostate?? effectively sums up Asphodel's native magic access - 4 paths in Nature, 3 in Death, 1 in Water, and 1 in Earth. Furthermore, you can reasonably expect to reach 4 paths in Death over the course of a game through ??Twiceborn?? by selectively casting it on Death random Apostates - something you will want to do anyways. This means that, while native magic access is somewhat limited, you can expect to get high levels of Nature and Death on a number of mages without much effort, casting spells like ??Darkness?? and ??Syllable of Sleep?? without the need of a communion. Panic Apostates are slow to recruit, but can be recruited at any fort, and so are widely available.
==== Diversity summons ====
* **??Contact Lamia Queen??** can be cast by a Nature random Apostate equipped with a ??Thistle Mace??. {{path>D2N1,100%WDNB,100%WDNB}} ??Lamia Queen??s allow Asphodel to break into Blood magic.
* **??Summon Spectre??** summons a {{path>D1,100%WESD,100%WESD}} ??Spectral Mage??s that can help break Asphodel into Astral magic.
* **??Faerie Court??** can get you a {{path>A3N3}} ??Faery Queen?? for air access.
* **??Lichcraft??** can be eventually be cast by a {{path>D5}} ??Panic Apostate?? to get access to immortal ??Lich??es. Because of their immortality, Liches are safer to empower in air to get access to ??Wailing Winds?? and ??Wind of Death??.
====National Spells====
**Combat**
??Quick Roots?? | {{path>H1}}\\ ??Puppet Mastery?? | {{path>H3}}\\ AoE and global haste for manikin and other undead. The global spell requires targets to fail a magic resistance check in order to get the benefit.
??Mend the Dead?? | {{path>H3}}\\ Single target heal for manikins and other undead.
??Regrowth?? | {{path>H2}}\\ ??Carrion Growth?? | {{path>H4}}\\ AoE and global regeneration for manikin and other undead. The global spell requires targets to fail an easy magic resistance check in order to get the benefit. It is usually worth it to script multiple castings.
**Ritual**
??Carrion Centaur?? | {{path>N1D1}} | {{gems>8N}}\\ ??Carrion Lady?? | {{path>N1D1}} | {{gems>16N}}\\ ??Carrion Lord?? | {{path>N3D2}} | {{gems>35N}}\\ The national summons, detailed in the [[asphodel-ma#national-summons|National summons]] section.
??Grow Fortress?? | {{path>N4}} | {{gems>35N}}\\ Creates a Bramble fort on the province in which it is cast, replacing whatever fortification exists there already. Aside from more advanced spells, this is the only way Asphodel can build forts superior to palisades. Can only be cast in forests or shallow seas.
??Dark Slumber?? | {{path>N4D2}} | {{gems>15N}}\\ One of the better remote attack spells, but not nation defining. Creates a minotaur manikin commander and a number of manikins (15-30?) and mandragoras (5-15?) which attack the province and remain afterwards to reinforce an army. It is superior to the manikin and mandragora construction spells merely by numbers created, not counting its other benefits. Like other remote attack spells, two or more castings on the same province in the same turn will combine the forces into a single attack. Can be used to attack thugs and raiders in the magic phase, or to support an invasion.
====Combat Magic====
Generally the goal of your magic in combat should be to minimize manikin attrition while ratcheting up fatigue on your opponent.
All of the Panic Apostate magic randoms are useful.
* Nature randoms: Use for high level or gem intensive nature spells.
* Earth randoms: Can be used to thug, or nature boost via ??Strength of Gaia?? and used like the nature randoms.
* Water randoms: Can be used to thug, and needed to cast ??Foul Vapors??.
* Death randoms: Can be used to thug and is probably the best Carrion Lord candidate, can cast ??Rigor Mortis?? and ??Darkness?? with a ??Skull Staff?? and extra gems.
//Troop Buffs://
??Carrion Growth??, ??Wooden Warriors??, ??Army of Giants??, ??Mass Protection??, ??Fog Warriors??, ??Gaia's Blessing??
//Chaff Summoning://
??Horde of Skeletons??, ??Swarm??, ??Creeping Doom??
//Battlefield Globals://
??Foul Vapors??, ??Howl??, ??Darkness??, ??Rigor Mortis??, ??Relief??
//
Area Fatigue or Immobilization://
??Shadow Blast??, ??Syllable of Sleep??, ??Storm of Thorns??, ??Wild Growth??
//Area Morale Reduction://
??Panic??, ??Terror??
//Single Target Elimination://
??Curse of the Frog Prince??, ??Charm??, ??Disintegrate??
//Thug/SC Self Buffs://
* Earth random: ??Ironskin??, ??Temper Flesh??, ??Strength of Gaia??.
* Water random: ??Stygian Skin??, ??Liquid Body??, ??Quicken Self??.
* Death random: ??Invulnerability?? and ??Soul Vortex??.
====Ritual Magic====
**Globals:**
??Mother Oak?? gives you more Nature gems, the lifeblood of your nation, and should be contested in almost every game.
??Well of Misery?? is more difficult to research but gives a noticeable boost to Death gem generation.
??Enchanted Forests?? turns every forest into a temple, spreading your terrible dominion to all the other players. This is obviously more beneficial to you than to them.
??Wild Hunt?? is a niche global that you can cast if you have an excess of nature gems. It messes with enemy mages with priest levels.
??Utterdark?? comes very late in the game. It will mess with your opponents more than you.
**Other rituals**
??Twiceborn?? + ??Transformation?? on Dryad Hags can help you create size 6 wight mages with a bit of luck.
??Faery Trod?? is a nature-based teleportation spell that can help you move armies quickly from one forest to another.
??Dark Slumber?? and ??Beckoning?? are remote attack spells that may prove useful throughout the game.
====Magic Items====
Asphodel enjoys a discount on ??Thorn Spear??s, ??Thorn Staff??s and ??Skull Standard??s
Do NOT use the ??Amulet of the Dead??, as this item does not boost your reanimation rates. Manikins are similar to reanimating ??Lictor??s or ??Tomb Wyrm??s in this way.
The ??Effigy of War?? is easy for you to make, and can be used by groups of Apostates and Black Harpy scouts to feint army assaults. You may want to give them a few manikin bodyguards though, or it will look like the whole army is made up of Apostates. You don't get any additional bonus for putting a second Effigy on a commander, but an Effigy will still work if a commander is set to Hide.
For thug gear, a ??Frost Brand?? and ??Kithaironic Lion Pelt?? is generally all you need to kit a Carrion Lord. Alternatively, an ??Implementor Axe?? is useful if you want Fear instead of AoE damage, and a ??Shadow Brand??, ??Vine Shield??, and ??Boots of Quickness?? are all good options if you want to invest more gems.
To counter thugs and SCs, you have the ??Axe of Hate?? and ??Black Bow of Botulf??.
Though expensive, ??Cornucopia??s can be a good investment for Mid game armies that constantly rely on nature gems.
Panic Apostates equipped with ??The Black Heart?? make excellent assassins, and can be a good investment in the mid to late game. Unfortunately, the Chest Wound affliction is tied to the item, and is not healed through Recuperation.
If you're pursuing a sabotage strategy, scouts equipped with a ??Bane Venom Charm?? jumping from province to province can do a lot of damage.
??Shademail Haubergeon??s allow you to make commanders stealthy if they are not already.
=====Strategy=====
[[asphodel-sopbucket|Sopbucket mini-guide to Asphodel]]
====Power Curve====
==== Immersion Census ====
//Respondents: 5//
* **Expansion:** 4,4
* **Early game:** 3,6
* **Midgame::** 1,8
* **Late game:** 1,8
//This is probably the most difficult section to get consensus for. Describe how strong the nation is during expansion, the early, mid and late game, and what makes it strong/weak at each of those points. This should give readers an idea of where the weaknesses of a nation lie (if they have not been shown already) and when to take advantage of a nation's strengths.//
Asphodel starts out strong with an easy expansion and a decent early game. Enchantment 5 gives a power spike vs nations without poison resistance.
As nations get access to manikin counters in the form of ??Fire Elemental??s and thugs with ??Charcoal Shield??s, while Asphodel loses income due to its dominion effect, the nation enters more difficult territory. Thus Asphodel is on a timer to win the game.
====Expansion Strategies====
//List some example expansion strategies here. If a strong bless or pretender is required then leave the specifics for the pretender section.//
Asphodel has two inherent ways of expanding:
* With a low dominion score Asphodel can recruit national troops for longer and expand with a mix of ??Centaur Warrior??s and Manikins.
* With a medium dominion score and a bless ??Black Centaur??s can guarantee early expansion.
Alternatively Asphodel can take an awake expander.
====Example Pretender Builds====
Asphodel is especially demanding when it comes to pretender design since the dominion can be very punishing. Going too high dominion will quickly drain your income. Going too low will not let you utilize Black Centaurs in the early game.
It is worth noting that taking an awake pretender may accelerate the depletion of your capital because of the extra temple checks that the pretender does. On the other hand, //not// taking an awake pretender with {{path>N4}} to cast ??Grow Fortress?? may delay your infrastructure, since getting an {{path>N4}} Panic Apostate during year 1 is not guaranteed, and your regular forts cost 900g.
{{:pretenders:statue_of_war.png |}}**Txoumin's "Large Repellers"** \\ This pretender is built around guaranteeing an easy early expansion with large repelling black centaurs. The bless can later be utilized by ??Centaur Hierophant??s to create cheap repelling thugs. Magic Resistance helps protect your mages who will be otherwise vulnerable to ??Mind Burn??, ??Soul Slay?? and other spells that do not target mindless. Luck is picked up as a source of income. Txoumin won his game.
**Chassis:** Imprisoned ??Statue of War?? \\
**Paths:** {{path>F9E4S4N4}} \\
**Bless:** Attack +6, Larger \\
MR +3, PR +5 \\
**Scales:** {{scales>dom6T2S2C3G3L3M3}}
=====Links=====
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pngV_FLw2pY&t=2045s|GeneralConfusionPlays - Asphodel Nation Analysis Video]]
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