{{ :nations:flags:la_ulm.png|}} ====== LA Ulm, Black Forest ====== ===== Lore ===== //After years of civil war, the Iron Kingdom crumbled. During the Night of Treason, a great Malediction was placed upon the kingdom. The forests became dark and hostile. Wolves and creatures even worse stalked the land. Slowly the kingdom recovered, but it was not what it once was. The knightly order was all but destroyed, and the Master Smiths had disappeared. The secrets of blacksteel were forgotten. An order of Black Priests emerged in Ulm in the last days before the civil war. They formed an Iron Cult, consolidated their position, and forbade the use of magic. Magic outside religion was announced to be sacrilegious and the few surviving Master Smiths were put to the flames. Although magery is forbidden, there are some fortune tellers and members of the Order of the Illuminated Ones who secretly ply their trade in the arcane.// -- Nation Description ===== General Overview ===== This is the most-magical of the three [[Ulm|Ulms]]. It also has the least [[Magic]] depth, however, not counting the [[Communions]] you can create with ease. Its troops are also WORSE than they were in the previous Age, not counting a few holdouts who've either found God or entered a living Hell. The major draw of Late Ulm is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati|Illuminati]], which provides Blood Hunters from basically anywhere and Communion Slaves in even greater numbers. Since any of your Mages can have [[Astral]] magic, they let Ulm punch far above its weight class in terms of Combat Magic, though not without cost. They start somewhat behind other Blood nations in depth, but they can pile up Patrollers for free with their Wolfherds, allowing them to better-balance their Blood and Gold economies than most in this Age; such balance is what makes [[ind-ma|MAGNIFICENT Ind]] of the previous Age so feared. Oh yeah, and there are also Vampires or something. =====National Features===== ^ Race ^ Military ^ Magic Access ^ Priests ^ Buildings ^ | **Ulmite** \\ (compared to baseline human)\\ +2 HP\\ -1 MR \\ +1 STR | Gold efficient infantry\\ Efficient crossbows\\ High prot, hard hitting elites | {{path>S2}} (Rare 3)\\ {{path>E2}} \\ {{path>B1}} (Rare 2) \\ {{path>F1}} \\ {{path>A1}} \\ {{path>D1}} (rare off-cap) \\ {{path>N1}} (cap only) \\ **Heroes**: {{path>S3B2}}, {{path>F2}}, {{path>A2}}, {{path>N2}} \\ **Summons**: {{path>B3}}*, {{path>D3}}* \\ *Cannot summon natively | {{path>H2}} in all Forts\\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor]] | {{:misc:gui:Citadel.png?30&nolink}} Citadels\\ Forts produce +25% resources {{resources}} | ==== Capital Special Sites ==== ^ The Ruined Keep ^ The Black Forest ^ The Black Temple ^ | {{ :sites:sites_0042.png?nolink }}\\ Enables recruitment of ??Ghoul Commander??, ??Ghoul Guardian??\\ Produces {{gems>2D}} per turn | {{ :sites:sites_0050.png?&nolink }}\\ Enables recruitment of ??Wolfherd??, ??Fortune Teller??\\ Produces {{gems>1N1S}} per turn | {{ :sites:sites_0076.png?nolink }}\\ Enables recruitment of ??Hochmeister??, ??Black Templar?? | ===== National Units ===== ==== Commanders ==== ^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^ | {{:nations:la:ulm:ranger_captain.png?nolink}} | **??Ranger Captain??** \\ {{gold}} 45\\ {{resources}} 8 \\ {{recpoints}} 1 | {{:abilities:forestsurvival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40) | Stealthy commander, can be used to lead stealthy groups of rangers and packs of wolves. Also useable as a scout, although much cheaper indie ??Scout??s are relatively easy to find in the Late Ages. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:commander_of_ulm.png?nolink}} | **??Commander of Ulm#1016??** \\ {{gold}} 70\\ {{resources}} 24 \\ {{recpoints}} 1 | | Standard 80 leadership commander. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:black_acolyte.png?nolink}} | **??Black Acolyte??** \\ {{gold}} 45\\ {{resources}} 1 \\ {{recpoints}} 1 | {{path>H1,10%E}}\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} Sacred \\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor]] | National indie priest. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:illuminated_one.png?nolink}} | **??Illuminated One??** \\ {{gold}} 75\\ {{resources}} 1 \\ {{recpoints}} 2\\ + Foreign Recruit | {{path>S1R7}}\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (65) \\ {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} [[Spy]] | These are your communion slaves, researchers, and spies. Being stealthy allows you to materialize a surprise communion, reinforce your existing communions safely, and stealth away from a bad situation whenever you'd like. Keep in mind that these have a low upfront cost, but not being sacred means they are less efficient researchers than many other nations' research monkeys. ( [[https://illwiki.com/dom5/patala-la|{{:nations:la:patala:yogi.png?20}}]]). Watch your upkeep. The ability to recruit these in any lab does mean that you can accumulate many of these quickly, and without the upfront cost of a fort. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:member_of_the_second_tier.png?nolink}} | **??Member of the Second Tier??** \\ {{gold}} 150\\ {{resources}} 1 \\ {{recpoints}} 2\\ + Foreign Recruit | {{path>S2B1,10%FSDB}}{{path>R11}}\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (75) \\ {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} [[Spy]] | Your blood hunters and one of your communion masters. Being stealthy and recruitable outside of fort are great traits for hunters. On the other hand, the great tragedy of LA Ulm is that these are very inefficient hunters. 150 {{gold}} and a high upkeep makes for relatively poor B access, particularly in LA where most of your blood nation competition will have sacred hunters or guaranteed access to B2 or above. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:black_priest.png?nolink}} | **??Black Priest??** \\ {{gold}} 160\\ {{resources}} 2 \\ {{recpoints}} 2 | {{path>E1H2,100%FAES}}{{path>R9}}\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]] \\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor]] \\ {{:abilities:forge_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Forge Bonus]] (1) | A strict upgrade from the Middle Age, the Black Priests have done very well for themselves during the malediction. They're now recruit everywhere, so you can now recruit as many Iron Blizzard casters as you'd like to, and are virtually guaranteed access to S/E and A. Their roles will depend on their randoms and they will be important mages for you throughout the game. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:wolfherd.png?nolink}} | **??Wolfherd??** \\ {{gold}} 50\\ {{resources}} 2 \\ {{recpoints}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:animal_awe.png?15&nolink}} [[Animal Awe]] (2) \\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40) \\ {{:abilities:mountain_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Mountain Survival]]\\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:inspirational.png?15&nolink}} [[Inspirational]] (-1) \\ {{:abilities:beastmaster.png?20&nolink}} [[Beastmaster]] (+3) \\ {{:abilities:summon_allies.png?15&nolink}} [[Summon Allies]] (??Wolf??×2) | Can summon two wolves per turn. Wolves make decent free patrol chaff, but have limited combat utility. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:Ghoul_Commander.png?nolink}} | **??Ghoul Commander??** \\ {{gold}} 100\\ {{resources}} 42 \\ {{recpoints}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Poison]] (25) \\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}} [[Undead]] \\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}} [[Need not Eat]] \\ {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defence Bonus]] (2) \\ {{:abilities:darkvision.png?15&nolink}} [[Darkvision]] (50) | 80 undead leadership for leading Ghoul Guardians. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:hochmeister.png?nolink}} | **??Hochmeister??** \\ {{gold}} 115\\ {{resources}} 73 \\ {{recpoints}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{path>H1}}\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]] \\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor]] \\ {{:abilities:combat_caster.png?15&nolink}} [[Combat Caster]] | Priest heavy cavalry commander. Similar to MA Ulm's ??Black Lord??s, this can act as a light thug with a ??Greatsword of Sharpness?? and ??Burning Pearl??. Unfortunately it also competes for capital recruitment points. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:fortune_teller.png?nolink}} | **??Fortune Teller??** \\ {{gold}} 95\\ {{resources}} 1 \\ {{recpoints}} 2\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{path>S1,100%SDNB}}{{path>R9}}\\ {{:abilities:fortune_teller.png?15&nolink}} [[Fortune Teller]] (15%) | Provides access to communicable Nature and Death. The Blood random also makes them more cost-effective blood hunters. | ==== Troops ==== ^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^ | {{:nations:la:ulm:villain.png?nolink}} | **??Villain??** \\ {{gold}} 10\\ {{resources}} 5 \\ {{recpoints}} 4 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40) \\ {{:abilities:undisciplined.png?15&nolink}} [[Undisciplined]]\\ {{:abilities:mountain_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Mountain Survival]] \\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]] | Militia with a shortbow. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:pikeneer.png?nolink}} | **??Pikeneer#1013??** \\ {{gold}} 10\\ {{resources}} 20 \\ {{recpoints}} 9 | | Various medium infantry options. The Pikeneer is unlikely to be repelled, the Halberdier does the most damage, and the Infantry of Ulm has a shield to absorb crossbow fire. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:halberdier.png?nolink}} | **??Halberdier#1014??** \\ {{gold}} 10\\ {{resources}} 22 \\ {{recpoints}} 9 | {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defence Bonus]] (1) | ::: | | {{:nations:la:ulm:infantry_of_ulm.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#1015??** \\ {{gold}} 10\\ {{resources}} 23 \\ {{recpoints}} 9 | | ::: | | {{:nations:la:ulm:ranger_of_ulm.png?nolink}} | **??Ranger of Ulm??** \\ {{gold}} 12\\ {{resources}} 8 \\ {{recpoints}} 14 | {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (40) \\ {{:abilities:forest_survival.png?15&nolink}} [[Forest Survival]] | Easily massable crossbows. They have better-than-average precision as well as a stronger melee attack than most ranged units (a 19 damage axe!). Consider using stealthy groups of rangers to take provinces as part of an initial strike. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:zweihander.png?nolink}} | **??Zweihander??** \\ {{gold}} 14\\ {{resources}} 36 \\ {{recpoints}} 18 | | With a protection value of 21 and a base damage of 22, these units are heavy hitters. Not having a shield means that they will suffer against crossbows, but their high protection helps them survive until they meet the enemy. Zweihanders absolutely love to be buffed with Body Ethereal and Luck, you can point buff them with your Illuminated Ones as part of an early strategy. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:ghoul_guardian.png?nolink}} | **??Ghoul Guardian??** \\ {{gold}} 20\\ {{resources}} 42 \\ {{recpoints}} 47\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Poison]] (25)\\ {{:abilities:darkvision.png?15&nolink}} [[Darkvision]] (50%) \\ {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defence Bonus]] (2) \\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}} [[Undead]]\\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}} [[Need not Eat]] | Becoming undead gives the Guardians slightly better stats, but they also suffer from all the weaknesses that come with being undead. The Bane of Heresy attack is still great for fatiguing out enemy Pretenders and sacreds, but the undead leadership requirement makes these units much more finicky to transport compared to the ??Guardians?? of MA Ulm. | | {{:nations:la:ulm:black_templar.png?nolink}} | **??Black Templar??** \\ {{gold}} 65 \\ {{resources}} 73 \\ {{recpoints}} 46\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]] | Very expensive, but also very well-protected sacred cavalry. Almost identical to MA Ulm's ??Black Knight??s, but cost 20 more gold for the privilege of being sacred. | ==== Heroes ==== ^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^ | {{:nations:la:ulm:ghoul_baron.png?nolink}} | **??Ulrich Patrifagus - Ghoul Baron??** | {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Poison]] (25) \\ {{:abilities:darkvision.png?15&nolink}} [[Dark Vision]] (100%) \\ {{:abilities:halt_heretic.png?15&nolink}} [[Halt Heretic]] (+7) \\ {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defense Bonus]] (+5) \\ {{:abilities:summon_allies.png?15&nolink}} [[Summon Allies]] (??Ghoul#198??×5) \\ {{:abilities:undead.png?15&nolink}} [[Undead]] \\ {{:abilities:need_not_eat.png?15&nolink}} [[Need not Eat]] | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:member_of_the_third_tier.png?nolink}} | **??Member of the Third Tier#1024??** | {{path>F2S3B2R19}}\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} Stealthy (90) \\ {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} Spy | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:member_of_the_third_tier.png?nolink}} | **??Member of the Third Tier#3125??** | {{path>S3N2B2R19}}\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} Stealthy (90) \\ {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} Spy | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:member_of_the_third_tier.png?nolink}} | **??Member of the Third Tier#3126??** | {{path>A2S3B2R19}}\\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} Stealthy (90) \\ {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} Spy | | ===== Magic ===== ==== Magic Access ==== ** At a glance ** {{:misc:magic:astral.png?20&nolink}} Astral (2, rare 3), {{:misc:magic:earth.png?20&nolink}} Earth (2), {{:misc:magic:blood.png?20&nolink}} Blood (1, rare 2), {{:misc:magic:death.png?20&nolink}} Death (1), {{:misc:magic:fire.png?20&nolink}} Fire (1), {{:misc:magic:air.png?20&nolink}} Air (1), {{:misc:magic:nature.png?20&nolink}} Nature (1) \\ Summonable {{path>B3}}, {{path>D3}}, but cannot summon natively \\ Heroes give {{path>F2}}, {{path>A2}}, {{path>N2}}.\\ LA Ulm has a widespread of path access but at very low levels. Luckily, you have easy access to cheap communion slaves, so in battle, this isn't a problem; your wide path access allows you to cast any non-water spell you'd like. However, this will require forging Communion Matrices for your Black Priests. (An important use for their {{:misc:magic:astral.png?20&nolink}} Astral random.) Outside of battle, LA Ulm will struggle to move up magical paths to cast big rituals. Your vampire summons will give you {{path>D3}} and {{path>B3}}, though you'll likely already have this on your pretender in order to cast Sanguine Heritage in the first place. Your vampires can be used to site search for better {{:gem:gem_d.png?nolink}} income. Since LA Ulm cannot reliably recruit blood over {{path>B1}}, there is a strong argument to lean into the vampire theme and summon Vampire Lords. With blood thorns and brazen vessels, you can get them up to {{path>B5}}, which gives access to many important spells. Once you have Blood 9 researched, you can empower a select few one further to cast Forces of Darkness. Your heroes will give you limited access to extremely useful {{:misc:magic:blood.png?20&nolink}} blood cross paths, especially {{:misc:magic:fire.png?20&nolink}} fire and {{:misc:magic:air.png?20&nolink}} air. Use blood/fire to summon Arch Demons, which will break you into higher fire magic as well as give you some excellent commanders. Blood/air will allow you to summon storm demons (which are excellent). LA Ulm's most common cross path is {{path>S2}} {{path>B1}}, which comes out of the box on every Member of the Second Tier. This allows Ulm to summon lots of horrors, and with an {{:misc:magic:astral.png?20&nolink}} astral booster and {{:misc:magic:blood.png?20&nolink}} blood-booster any of your Members can cast Call Lesser Horror. When designing a pretender, be sure to consider how you can build them to cast Sanguine Heritage. While your summons aren't absolutely necessary for your success, without at least {{path>D2}} (ideally, you'll want {{path>D3}}) and {{path>B3}} you'll be locking them away from your reach for some time. In doing so you'll also lock yourself out of further access to {{:misc:magic:blood.png?20&nolink}} blood and {{:misc:magic:death.png?20&nolink}} death. ==== National Magic & Summons ==== ===Combat=== * Evocation 3 {{path>E1H1}}: **??Iron Darts??**\\ The signature spell of Ulmish priests, firing a spread of 3 magic armor-piercing darts that deal double damage to [[Magic Being|magic beings]]. Now only castable by the ??Black Priest#740??s * Evocation 6 {{path>E1H1}}: **??Iron Blizzard??**\\ Trades some range and damage for a truly astonishing 30 darts per cast. This is an powerful evocation spell which is particularly lethal to magic beings. * Enchantment 4 {{path>S1}}: **??Gift of the Moon??**\\ Grants wolves 15 [[invulnerability]] in an inexplicably small aoe of 1. * Thaumaturgy 5 {{path>E3}}: **??Tempering the Will??**\\ Effectively a national version of the ??Antimagic?? spell against the usual MR-negates threats such as mind blasters or ??Charm??. Unlike MA Ulm, LA Ulm's magic access makes Thuamaturgy a useful school to research, meaning this spell will often be picked up at some point on the way to spells like ??Soul Slay??. However, {{path>E3}} is less accessible for LA Ulm and the generic alternative, ??Antimagic??, is much easier to cast while also guaranteeing the MR buff. ===Ritual=== * Conjuration 3 {{path>N2}} for {{gems>8N}}: **??Sloth of Bears??** ({{:nations:ma:ulm:great_bear.png?nolink}} ??Great Bear??×10+lv)\\ Summons high strength blobs of hitpoints. Can work as evocation bait, as the bears have more HP than your troops and even lower MR, but otherwise unremarkable. * Blood 0 {{path>B3D3}} for {{gems>44B}}: **??Sanguine Heritage??**\\ Summons one of several unique, immortal Vampire Counts. These are similar to ??Curse of Blood??'s ??Vampire Lord??s at Blood 7, but each Count has special abilities and their own magic paths. This spell also requires no research whatsoever to cast!\\ Note that unless specified otherwise, all vampires have {{:abilities:regeneration.png?15&nolink}} [[Regeneration]] 10%, {{:abilities:vulnerability_fire.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Fire]] -5, {{:abilities:resist_cold.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Cold]] 15, {{:abilities:resist_poison.png?15&nolink}} [[Resist Poison]] 25, {{:abilities:darkvision.png?15&nolink}} [[Darkvision]] 100%, {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] +40, {{:abilities:invulnerability.png?15&nolink}} [[Invulnerability]] 25, and {{:abilities:immortal.png?15&nolink}} [[Immortal]] (1 Month), and dominion spawn ??Thrall??s ^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^ | {{:nations:la:ulm:vampire_count.png?nolink}} | **??Ludolf von Achenbach - Vampire Count??** | {{path>B2D2R13}}\\ {{:abilities:population_killer.png?15&nolink}} [[Kills Population]] 10 | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:blood_marshal.png?nolink}} | **??Burkhard Nachtzehrer - Blood Marshal??** | {{path>B2R9}} \\ Does not have fire vulnerability \\ {{:abilities:pillager.png?15&nolink}} [[Pillager]] (20) | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:blood_countess.png?nolink}} | **Erzsebet - ??Blood Countess??** | {{path>B3R11}}\\ {{:abilities:blood_searcher.png?15&nolink}} [[Blood Searcher]] +2 | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:vampire_countess.png?nolink}} | **Mircalla - ??Vampire Countess??** | {{path>B2D1R11}}\\ {{:abilities:seduction.png?15&nolink}} [[Seduction]] (morale vs. 9) | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:vampire_count_2.png?nolink}} | **Artur Von Dirksen - ??Vampire Count#3251??** | {{path>D2B2R13}}\\ | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:vivisectionist.png?nolink}} | **Lothar Blumenreuter - ??Vivisectionist??** | {{path>D2B2R21}} \\ {{:abilities:adept_researcher.png?15&nolink}} [[Adept Researcher]] (8) \\ {{:abilities:cause_unrest.png?15&nolink}} [[Causes Unrest]] (+1 Per Month) | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:vampire_count_3.png?nolink}} | **Orlak - ??Vampire Count#3253??** | {{path>D3B1R13}}\\ {{:abilities:fear.png?15&nolink}} [[Fear]] +8 | | | {{:nations:la:ulm:blood_graf.png?nolink}} | **Hellenbrecht - ??Blood Graf??** | {{path>E2D1B3R15}}\\ {{:abilities:fear.png?15&nolink}} [[Fear]] +6 | | ====Notable Generic Magic==== ====Magic Items==== =====Strategy===== ====Power Curve==== ====Expansion Strategies==== ====Example Pretenders==== =====Links===== [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCKuuKYHOhc|National Overview - LA Ulm]] by Lucid (2018) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHDGiC2EAaU|National Overview - LA Ulm (Dominions Enhanced)]] by Lucid (2021) {{template>nationindex}} {{tag>nation}}