======Raiding province defense with generic troops======

TODO: This is a work in progress; edits/feedback appreciated!

While AI players will often spend their extra gold on putting 40 [[province defense]] in every province, humans generally invest their gold into troops and infrastructure. As a result, it is commonly valuable to build raiding forces designed to beat 1-6 [[province defense]] with the minimal possible cost. One common way to do this is with [[thugs]] or mages scripted to buff elite troops or summon elementals, but it's also possible to do this cheaply with troops or summons.

One important thing to note is that what works depends significantly on the nation you're fighting, because [[province defense]] contains a national commander, and these vary widely in quality. While [[marignon-ma|MA Marignon]] gets the unarmored human ??Friar?? (dangerous only via banishing undead), [[vanheim-ea|EA Vanheim]] gets a ??Vanherse??, and [[shinuyama-ma|Shinuyama]] gets a ??Bakemono General??, both of which are quite capable compared with the rest of the PD combined. In many raids, the PD routs without the commander entering melee; but the nature of the PD commander can be very significant for raiders designed to snipe the commander.

In this guide, we will discuss several affordable options for beating 6 PD of a common province defense type reliably with summons and independent recruits. All of them can be countered cheaply by an opponent who anticipates what you're going to send, often as cheaply as raising PD to 10, adding a handful of national units, or bringing a single mage, perhaps with 1-2 gems. But those light defenses require the opponent to commit gold (for PD) or mobile troops to defend the province, and would lose to a stronger army of your own. 

So while you may successfully use one of these exact compositions in a multiplayer game, or you can also supplement them with more elite resources designed to beat more determined resistance. (For example, some ??Iron Pigs??, which are very efficient at dispatching PD, might help a ??Frozen Heart?? caster target an enemy thug, by killing all the other targets).

This guide is intended as source of data about about what troops/summons are particularly economical for fighting indies, as a source of inspiration for how you can assemble ultra cheap raiding parties.

For this guide, we will focus on an average PD type: Reliably 6PD in a province owned by [[EA Arcoscephale|ea-arcoscephale]] reliably with 20% or fewer losses. If you're expecting 1PD or are OK with a decent chance of failure, you can send less! The test was done using the Land Arena map, which has infantry types common in the middle age.

  * 1 ??Myrmidon Champion?? PD commander. This an armored, skilled human is about average for national PD commanders.
  * 6 ??Militia??
  * 6 ??Archer#32??
  * 3 ??Heavy Infantry#40??

Note that some PD types, like Lion Tribe, are considerably weaker, whereas others, with ??Heavy Cavalry??, ??Barbarian??, or ??Crossbowman?? units, counter some of these compositions.

Note that while this small province defense force only costs 21 {{gold}} to create, it would cost 220 {{gold}} to recruit that force as a mobile army. However, independents are weak troops, and province defense forces uses poor tactics that mean the units engage at different times, and one can reliably beat PD with substantially cheaper squads.

To be displayed on this page, one needs to be able to succeed reliably with at most 7 gems of summons or 150 gold (assuming you spend another 30-60 gold on a commander).

====No leadership required====

Some items are sufficient to allow a mundane commander to defeat province defense.

  * {{gems>3D}}: Any commander with an ??Amulet of the Dead?? placed in a corner on Cast Spells. National scouts high HP, armor, and/or a shield like the ??Avvite Scout?? or ??Van Scout?? are ideal for this role, since [[stealthy]] is invaluable for raiders, and the main risk against low PD is your raider being killed by an arrow.
  * {{gems>8W}}: Any commander with a ??Bottle of Living Water??.
  * {{gems>10N}}: A ??Sleeper?? is a rare commander summon without magic paths who can solo our province defense challenge. This option is more budget than it might seem, since you don't need to pay for a separate commander, and sleepers that are not raiding are useful for their primary job (the best summoned army leader).

====Mundane leadership====

These are parties that can be led with a cheap independent ??Commander?? or ??Barbarian Chief??. We include here independent troops one can purchase with gold.

  * 120-150 {{gold}}: 4-5 independent [[Heavy Cavalry]], in the back, on Hold+Attack.
  * 120-150 {{gold}}: 12-15 ??Heavy Infantry?? (even the weak EA spear ones!) in back on Hold+Attack. Expect to lose a couple.
  * 150-195 {{gold}}: 12-15 ??Barbarian#139?? in front on Attack. Expect to lose a couple.
  * TODO: ??Bone Tribe Beast Hunter??.
  * {{gems>4E}}: 3 ??Iron Pig?? in the front.
  * {{gems>5N}} 1 ??Manticore?? on hold+attack rear is fairly reliable; there's some risk if he doesn't land on the commander. 2 ??Manticore?? win readily even without sniping the commander.
  * {{gems>6E}}: 2 ??Troll?? from ??Contact Trolls??. Cheaper with ??Troll King's Court??.
  * {{gems>6E}} 2 ??Hill Giant??. Requires 2 mage turns.
  * {{gems>6A}}: 4 ??Great Eagle?? on Hold+Attack Rear.
  * {{gems>7W}}: 6 ??Kydnid?? in back on Hold+Attack.
  * {{gems>8E}}: 2 ??Cave Crab?? placed in the back. Their main problem is low attack skill; they do dramatically better with 1 experience star.
  * {{gems>8N}}: Half of an ??Animal Horde?? cast from a forest or swamp.
  * {{gems>10N}} 10 ??Lamia?? ({{gems>8N}} with the ??Lamia Queen?? discount). Critical mass is important; with 8 one loses ~3.

Only economical with full ??Dragon Master?? discounts:

  * {{gems>6W}}: 4 ??Ice Drake??. (4 units for {{gems>6W}}). Inconsistent due to only 50% chance to fire breath weapon, so can take losses.
  * {{gems>3E}}: 3 ??Cave Drake??. (4 units for {{gems>4E}}). Low attack skill and high encumbrance mean fewer will fatigue out and die. 
  * {{gems>4A}} 7 ??Wyvern??. (5 units for {{gems>3A}}). Hold + Attack closest, rear, and archers are all viable scripts.

TODO: Other [[Drakes]] are likely economical with full ??Dragon Master?? discounts as well.

====Undead leadership====

Nations that picked [[Undead Leadership]] on their bless can lead these parties with a 60 {{gold}} independent ??Priest??. Otherwise, usually the cheapest option is {{gems>3D}} for a ??Mound King??.

  * {{gems>4D}} 8 ??Longdead Horseman?? from ??Pale Riders??; both Attack and Attack Rear are options.
  * {{gems>6D}} 20-24 generic mixed longdead from ??Reanimation??. Expect significant losses, but perfect morale means it's quite reliable. Late game, one can use a ??Mound Fiend?? to freespawn 20 longdead every 3 turns.
  * {{gems>6D}} 2 ??Ghost?? from ??Summon Ghosts??. At slightly higher research, a ??Wraith Lord?? can freespawn one ghost a turn, which is cheaper than directly summoning them after about 15 turns.
  * {{gems>8D}} ({{gems>3D}} late game): 2 ??Wight??. A ??Bane?? with a ??Wight?? bodyguard is preferable to a ??Mound King?? leading 2 ??Wight??; before ??Legion of Wights??, both options cost {{gems>11D}} total.
  * {{gems>8D}} 2 ??Ziz?? on hold+attack rear are fairly reliable. Their low protection means one can lose one to retreating infantry.
  * {{gems>10B}} 12 ??Bone Fiend??. Requires two mage turns. Most losses are from archer fire.
  * {{gems>15B}} ({{gems>7B}} late game): 1 ??Demon Knight?? at front on Attack.
  * {{gems>20B}} ({{gems>15B}} late game): 2 ??Storm Demon?? at front on Fire.
  * {{gems>33B}}: 3 ??Vampire?? units. While this consumes 3 mage turns, the vampires are [[immortal]], and thus can be used again repeatedly, making this potentially a budget option. Hold + Attack closest is preferred; the fight can go very long, as vampires get repelled a lot. 
  * The [[Hidden In Terrain]] spells are efficient, in the sense that the ~40-50 units summoned are probably fair to value at about 1 gem each, and 7 units (say, 2 ??Unfrozen Warrior?? and 5 ??Unfrozen?? in cold 2 beats our PD challenge easily without losses. But they're an extraordinarily expensive bundle.

Many undead and demons have perfect morale, and will keep fighting even after heavy casualties. However, if the army HP rout happens, any ??mindless?? undead will dissolve.

====Magic leadership====

Nations that picked [[Magic Leadership]] on their bless can lead these parties with a 60 {{gold}} independent ??Priest??. The ??Sleeper?? ({{gems>10N}}) is the cheapest generic summon with magic leadership, which is not budget at all. But some national commanders have magic leaders that don't cost 2 commander pointers: The ??Batab??, ??Hybrid Commander??, ??Naga Chief??, ??Beast Trainer#214??, ??Attendant of the Oracles??, ??Shuten-doji??, ??Illithid Lord??, and ??Houri??.

Otherwise, you'll be bringing a mage. The examples below assume you're bringing the indy priest; a mage substantially increases the cost of what you're bringing, and also dramatically changes your options. Even a {{path>N1}} casting ??Protection?? or a {{path>S1}} casting ??Body Ethereal?? and ??Luck?? is enough to empower 1-2 squares of unremarkable troops to beat our PD challenge.

Construct magic beings often have the [[never heals]] tag, and may need to retreat to a lab to heal before a second raid.

  * {{gems>12B}}: 2 ??Dark Vines??, 2 1-unit squads at the front is best to avoid infantry slipping past your slow, tanky plants.
  * {{gems>5F}}: 6 ??Fire Ant??. Stealthy!
  * {{gems>6W}}: 2 ??Green Lion?? on Fire Closest.
  * {{gems>7F}}: 5 ??Fire Snake??.
  * {{gems>8F}}: 2 ??Summer Lion??.
  * {{gems>7E}}: 5 ??Mechanical Men??.
  * {{gems>8E}} 4 ??Gargoyle??. 
  * {{gems>8E}} 4 ??Living Statue??. As few as 2 could win, if not using an indy priest as the commander (infantry consistently run past 2 and stab the priest).

====National summons====

Many national summons are more economical than the above options for raiding PD. This is especially true for [[sacreds]] if you have a strong bless. Options that have been tested are collected here.

  * {{gems>2F}}: 5 ??Magma Child?? [Agartha]
  * {{gems>3D}}: or freespawn: 5 ??Longdead Rephaite?? from ??Reanimation?? [Hinnom; Ashdod; Gath].
  * {{gems>5D}}: 1 unblessed ??Morrigan?? [Fomoria]
  * {{gems>15B}}: 3 unblessed ??Rakshasa Warrior?? [Lanka; Bander Log; Patala]
  * {{gems>4N}}: 4 ??Karasu Tengu?? on Hold+Attack Archers [Yomi; Shinuyama; Jomon]

====Raiders that are not efficient====

The following are options which are not efficient raiders, in the sense that they either outright lose with 8+ gems worth of the summon, require 3+ mage turns to mass, or win with major losses (Mainly happens to units with perfect morale).

Flyer results are highly RNG dependent, depending whether the PD commander is near the archers.

  * {{gems>6A}}: Two commanders each with ??Bow of War?? lose.
  * {{gems>10B}} 5 ??Serpent Fiend?? take 5 mage turns, and can lose even when landing on an isolated commander.
  * {{gems>15B}} 5 ??Spine Devil?? take 5 mage turns. Likely win due to 30 morale, but 2 losses is typical.
  * {{gems>16B}}: 2 ??Frost Fiend?? on Hold+Fire can win, but it's unreliable even in Cold 3.
  * {{gems>20B}}: 4 ??Fiend of Darkness?? can win if they snipe the commander, but can also be wiped. Could be economical with ??Forces of Darkness?? discount.
  * {{gems>21B}}: 3 ??Devil?? can win if they snipe the commander, but can also be wiped and often taken attrition. Could be economical with ??Infernal Forces?? discount, as extra imps really help.
  * {{gems>12B}}: 12 ??Fiery Imp?? often rout to archer fire; more requires 3 mage turns.
  * {{gems>8N}} 40 ??Wolf?? from ??Pack of Wolves?? (or ??Call of the Wild??) lose.
  * {{gems>8N}} 10 ??Killer Mantis?? win with ~30% losses; 7 lose badly.
  * {{gems>6N}} 2 ??Amphiptere?? lose; more requires 3 mage turns.
  * {{gems>8N}} 10 ??Horned Serpent?? win with ~30% losses; 7 lose badly.
  * {{gems>10N}} 2 ??Kithaironic Lion?? lose.
  * {{gems>10N}} 25 ??Sea Dog?? might lose, or suffer >50% casualties if victorious. Requires 5 mage turns.
  * {{gems>7N}} 5 ??Bog Beast?? lose.
  * {{gems>9N}} 8 ??Leogryph?? lose.
  * {{gems>8N}} 10 ??Woodland Spirit?? win with 20% losses. Also [[homesickness]] is bad for raiders.
  * {{gems>9N}} 3 ??Lumber Construct?? lose, despite requiring 3 mage turns.
  * {{gems>6N}} 3 ??Forest Giant?? win, but require 3 mage turns. 2 lose badly.
  * {{gems>7N}} 4 ??Swamp Drake?? ({{gems>28N}} without ??Dragon Master?? discount!) can lose; poison routs the infantry too slowly.
  * {{gems>9N}}: 12 ??Manikin?? lose. (This spell scales particularly well with path).
  * {{gems>10N}}: 5 ??Mandragora?? lose; 7 win with 2 losses. (This spell scales particularly well with path).
  * {{gems>6N}} (with ??Ivy Crown?? discount): 6 ??Vine Ogre?? consistently suffer losses, and can HP rout and all die, even with multiple squads to reduce bunching. More requires 3 mage turns.
  * {{gems>5N}}: 25 ??Vine Man?? wins with 30% losses. Requires 5 mage turns with ??Ivy Crown?? discount.
  * {{gems>10D}} 1 ??Tartarian Monstra?? unit loses often, even starting with no afflictions. Likely can win if it gets a lucky rout from its [[fear]].
  * {{gems>12D}} A solo ??Bane Lord?? with his default gear loses.
  * {{gems>7D}} 1 ??Behemoth?? loses.
  * {{gems>8D}} ~30 ??Ghoul?? from ??Around Hunger??. Comes with a Ghoul commander, but also can lose.
  * {{gems>10D}} 20 ??Longdead Archer?? lose badly.
  * {{gems>8E}} 5 ??Cave Grub?? lose badly.
  * {{gems>8E}} 8 ??Clockwork Soldiers?? fatigue out before reaching the archers.
  * {{gems>8E}} 8 ??Clockwork Horrors?? fatigue out after routing the PD but before killing the commander. Most of them die to excessive fatigue during the battle cleanup phase.
  * {{gems>8E}} 4 ??Ogre?? can lose, or win with 1-2 losses.
  * {{gems>8E}} 3 ??Fall Bear?? lose badly any season.
  * {{gems>15E}} 1 ??Crusher?? loses eventually to commander dying. He rarely hits past shields, and damage is too low to kill through a shield.
  * {{gems>4A}}: 24 ??Corpse Construct?? is a tossup. Requires 4 mage turns, though within budget on gems.
  * {{gems>8A}} 2 ??Spring Hawk?? lose badly any season.
  * {{gems>10A}} 5 ??Draconian?? can lose or suffer major attrition even when landing on isolated commander.
  * {{gems>9A}} 5 ??Gryphon?? suffer 40% losses even if they perfectly land on the commander.
  * {{gems>10A}} ??Call of the Winds?? can lose without killing anything.
  * {{gems>8W}} 5 ??Winter Wolf?? suffer attrition even in winter.
  * {{gems>8W}} 3 ??Yeti?? lose badly.
  * {{gems>15W}} 15 ??Cave Cow?? lose badly. It's interesting -- they are undisciplined, and it doesn't seem possible to get them to target the infantry with their ranged attack, so they just fire ineffectually at the archers while being chopped up.
  * {{gems>8W}} 4 ??Gelatinous Cube?? lose ~2; archers do too much damage.
  * {{gems>10W}} 10 ??Clayman?? win with ~20% losses.
  * {{gems>6F}} 3 ??Scorpion Beast??. Can win with 2; unreliable below 4.
  * {{gems>10F}} 10 ??Terracotta Soldier?? win with ~50% losses.
  * 200 {{gold}}: Even 20 ??Deer Tribe Warrior?? is likely to lose.
  * 200 {{gold}}: A ??War Elephant?? often loses.

National options:

  * {{gems>7D}} 9 unblessed ??Barghest?? from ??Summon Barghests?? win with ~50% losses. [Fomoria]
  * {{gems>8D}} 20 ??Black Dog?? lose badly [Fomoria].

====Contributing====

Please be encouraged to add additional options to the guide! Test using the Arena map with defender Dominion present (affects [[Morale]]). With the Debug mod, you can ??Wish?? for national summons of other nations. Generally, an option should be documented with the minimum number of troops required to win reliably (Wins 3 times in a row with <=15% losses all 3 times). If unreliable or finicky, record that. Document the formation if you had a materially worse result with other formations you tried.

Calculate gem costs for summons using the minimum paths for the spell.

TODO: Recheck all the gem costs for this algorithm.