{{ :nations:flags:MA_Ulm.png?nolink|}}
====== MA Ulm, Forges of Ulm ======
===== Lore =====
The Ulm of the Middle Ages is at the height of its industrial power. Following the fall of [[ermor-ma | Ermor]], their former regent, the Ulmic peoples have founded a new kingdom. At the heart of this kingdom is MA Ulm's signature Blacksteel, the Enigma of Steel long-sought by the ??Warrior Smith??s [[ulm-ea | of old]], which is now used to provide Ulmic warriors with the heaviest armaments known to humankind.
Yet, tensions are stirring within the young kingdom. The Cult of the Iron Order is emerging to contest the power of the Master Smiths, proclaiming all magic outside their religion a heresy. During the transition from the Middle Ages to the Late Ages, these tensions plunge Ulm into civil war and a terrible Malediction is placed upon the land. The surviving remnants coalesce into the occult, gothic nation of [[ulm-la | LA Ulm]].
===== General Overview =====
Ulm is a nation of good troops, magic items, and not much else. Its armies are robust, and strong, and its chaff is pretty good too. What it sorely lacks, like its Early Age counterpart, is magical diversity. Still, it is a good nation to learn the basic mechanics of the game with.
=====National Features=====
^ Race ^ Military ^ Magic Access ^ Priests ^ Buildings ^
| **Ulmite Men** \\ (compared to baseline human)\\ +2 HP \\ -1 MR\\ +1 Strength | Gold-efficient infantry \\ \\ Crossbows & Arbalests \\ \\ Heavy Armor & Weapons | {{path>E2}} (rare 3) \\ {{path>F1}} (rare 2) \\ {{path>A1}} (rare) \\ {{path>S1}} (rare) | {{path>H2}} Cap-only\\ {{path>H1}} in Forts\\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor|Inquisitors]] | {{:misc:gui:castle.png?30&nolink }} Standard [[fort|Forts]] (Castles)\\ Starts with a Citadel (3 Commander Pts.)\\ Can build Citadels with {{:abilities:mason.png?15&nolink}} [[Mason|Masons]]\\ Forts produce +25% resources {{resources}} |
"Rare" is 5%, in this case; it's a much-more-generous rate than most "rare" paths, but it is by no means reliable. A 5% chances means that recruiting 20 mages gives a 65% chance of getting at least one mage with the desired random.
==== The Forges of Ulm ====
Middle Age Ulm is exceptionally good at forging magic items, enjoying a 2-gem discount on any item forged. When wielding a ??Dwarven Hammer?? a ??Master Smith?? can forge any 5-gem item for only 1 gem. Seeing as many 5-gem items remain powerful throughout the game, an Ulmish player can gain more mileage out of gems than most nations.
==== Capital Special Sites ====
^ The Keep of Ulm ^ The Forges of Ulm ^
| {{sites:sites_0029.png |}} Enables recruitment of ??Master Mason??,\\ ??Black Priest??, ??Priest Smith??,\\ ??Lord Guardian??, ??Guardian?? | {{sites:sites_0029.png |}} Produces {{gems>5E}} per turn |
===== National Units =====
FIXME Commander blurb and highlights
==== Commanders ====
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_acolyte.png?nolink}} | **??Black Acolyte#1974??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 45\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 1 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | {{path>H1}}\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} Sacred | National indie priest. Potentially has some use for temple building or as a desperation measure against massed low-quality undead. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:master_mason.png?nolink}} | **??Master Mason??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 60\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 52 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:siege_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Siege Bonus]] (30)\\ {{:abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}}[[Castle Defence Bonus]] (20)\\ {{:abilities:mason.png?15&nolink}} [[Mason]] | The siege and defence bonuses on these men can be used to very quickly pop forts, even those in areas with extremely poor supply. More importantly, these guys can also upgrade your forts into citadels, granting 3 commander points (or 1.5 mages) every turn from every fort. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:spy.png?nolink}} | **??Spy#1591??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 60\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 5 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{:abilities:spy.png?15&nolink}} [[Spy]] \\ {{:abilities:stealthy.png?15&nolink}} [[Stealthy]] (60) | Slower to make than an indie scout but can gather mundane score graphs as well as raise unrest. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:commander_of_ulm.png?nolink}} | **??Commander of Ulm#114??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 70\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 30 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | | Standard 80 leadership commander.\\ Their excellent protection and shields make them far less vulnerable than most other national commanders to unlucky arrow fire. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:commander_of_ulm_2.png?nolink}} | **??Commander of Ulm#115??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 70\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 41 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | ::: | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:commander_of_ulm_3.png?nolink}} | **??Commander of Ulm#116??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 70\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 30 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | ::: | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:commander_of_ulm_4.png?nolink}} | **??Commander of Ulm#117??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 70\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 41 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 | ::: | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:lord_guardian.png?nolink}} | **??Lord Guardian??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 80\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 44 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{:abilities:halt_heretic.png?15&nolink}} [[Halt Heretic]] (3) \\ {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defence Bonus]] (2) | You can use these as a recruitable anti-thug, specialising in dealing with sacreds. However, with minimal gear the Black Lords will do the job better, and without gear the troop versions of these will fill this role far more efficiently. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_priest.png?nolink}} | **??Black Priest#1973??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 100\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 2 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 \\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{path>E1H2,10%FAES}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 7\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]] \\ {{:abilities:inquisitor.png?15&nolink}} [[Inquisitor]] | A cheap mage option. Severely outclassed in casting ability by both the Master Smiths and Priest Smiths, but is more efficient at preaching out enemy dominion should it become an issue. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_lord.png?nolink}} | **??Black Lord??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 105\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 68 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 1 |[[Mounted]] | A mounted knight clad in blacksteel with good stats, the Black Lord is a good cheap thug chassis. At Construction 3 with a mage along to cast ??Legions of Steel??, a ??Greatsword of Sharpness?? and a ??Bracer of Protection?? these guys can prot-tank most PD, and even cut through giants very effectively.\\ \\ Notably their default weapon, the morningstar, gives a -2 penalty to defense; replacing the morningstar removes this penalty and can increase their durability even further. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:master_smith.png?nolink}} | **??Master Smith??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 135\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 7\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{path>F1E2,20%FAES}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 11\\ {{abilities:resource_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Resource Bonus]] (10)\\ {{:abilities:forge_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Forge Bonus]] (2)\\ {{:abilities:mundane_researcher.png?15&nolink}} [[Mundane Researcher]] | This mage forms the backbone of your nation.\\ Give them a ??Dwarven Hammer??, and they will make any 5-gem item for 1 gem only, which can border on the gamebreaking when abused at scale. \\ {{gems>1F}} ??Lightless Lantern??s allow for a huge research boost at Const 6. \\ {{path>S1}} lets you forge ??Crystal Matrix?? and ??Slave Matrix?? to boost combat magic through communions. \\ {{path>A1}} with a path boost cast ??Wind Guide?? for better ??Iron Blizzard?? damage. \\ As an added bonus Master Smiths add bonus resources to help build your resource-reliant troops.\\ Mundane researcher means that they ignore Drain Scales for researching, meaning that Ulm can choose to go {{scales>D3}} scales with much lesser penalties than other nations. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:priest_smith.png?nolink}} | **??Priest Smith??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 175\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 7\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 \\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?15&nolink}} Capital Only | {{path>F1E2H1}} {{:misc:gui:research.png?15&nolink}} 11\\ {{:abilities:sacred.png?15&nolink}} [[Sacred]] \\ {{abilities:resource_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Resource Bonus]] (10)\\ {{:abilities:forge_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Forge Bonus]] (1)\\ {{:abilities:mundane_researcher.png?15&nolink}} [[mundane researcher]] | The cap-only mage of ulm.\\ Trades a potential random for a Holy path. Has much the same combat ability as the Master Smith, but can also make use of Ulm's national evocation spells such as ??Iron Blizzard??. |
==== Troops ====
Most Ulmish infantry is divided into the 19 prot half-Blacksteel infantry and the 23 prot full-Blacksteel infantry. Half Blacksteel infantry is easier to mass-produce while still being hard for most indies to kill, while full Blacksteel infantry is resource-intensive but nearly impossible to kill in melee without giant strength or big two-handed weapons.
Ulm's units are not without their weaknesses, however. They have low MR, making them vulnerable to MR-negates tactics like mind-blasters or mass ??Soul Slay??. They also have incredibly low defense - this is not usually an issue due to their superheavy armor, but makes them surprisingly easy to repel. Elite infantry with length 3 spears (or cavalry with light lances) will repel nearly all attacks from Ulmish infantry outside of Pikeneers and Guardians.
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:war_dog.png?nolink}} | **??War Dog??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 7\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 7 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 2 | {{:abilities:undisciplined.png?15&nolink}} [[Undisciplined]] \\ {{:abilities:animal.png?15&nolink}} [[Animal]] | Well armored chaff that can go 6 to a square.\\ Not much of a line holder, unlike the normal Ulmish troops, but quick and able to intercept a lance charge. These have some niche value if you can line up mages to land buffs on them, but you will most likely use them exclusively to die to heavy cav lances in place of a unit you care about more during expansion. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:pikeneer.png?nolink}} | **??Pikeneer#79??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 26 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | High prot and a long weapon for lots of repel checks makes these your infantry which die mostly slowly in melee. Perhaps more importantly and unlike Ulm's other infantry types, they cannot be repelled by most enemies. However, they are vulnerable to armor-piercing ranged fire, and inflict significantly less damage than most of your other infantry options. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_pikeneer.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Pikeneer#80??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 37 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:infantry_of_ulm.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#67??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 27 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | The source of your highest Damage attacks, use these to cut through giants and other extremely high-prot targets. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_infantry.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Infantry#68??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 38 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:infantry_of_ulm_4.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#75??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 25 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | Mauls fill a similar role to Battleaxes but deal Bludgeoning damage, good for situations where your enemies are resistant to Slashing damage. However, opponents that are resistant to one type of physical damage are often resistant to all of them, and in general Slashing is a better damage type. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_infantry_4.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Infantry#76??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 36 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:infantry_of_ulm_2.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#71??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 27 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | Flails have two attacks, making these units by far your best source of attack density. This makes these your best option for killing either large numbers of weak enemies (such as during expansion) or opponents which rely on high defence skill to survive (most notably elves). They do however have the worst defence of any Ulmish infantry, so they are the most prone to being repelled by length 3+ weapons.\\ The half-helm Infantry make quick expanders, while the full-helm Black Plate troops can deal with hordes from enemy players. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_infantry_2.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Infantry#72??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 38 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:infantry_of_ulm_3.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#73??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 30\\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | Trades a two-handed weapon for a shield to be even harder to kill.\\ You get to choose between higher-Dmg Hammers and higher-Att Morning Stars. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_infantry_3.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Infantry#74??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 41 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:infantry_of_ulm_5.png?nolink}} | **??Infantry of Ulm#77??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 30 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_plate_infantry_5.png?nolink}} | **??Black Plate Infantry#78??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 41 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | ::: |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:crossbowman.png?nolink}} | **??Crossbowman#417??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 10\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 28 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 9 | | These actually use a special form of a crossbow called an arbalest. While this means their shots are extremely dangerous, they fire only once every 3 rounds (unlike the once ever 2 rounds of a normal crossbow). This combined with the fact that the almost inevitable friendly fire from these units is actually capable killing your own troops (something your opponent's troops will often be unable to do unbuffed) makes them a very niche unit on ulm's roster.\\ Their arbalests punch through most armour, and have superior range that out-classes most Bows. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:guardian.png?nolink}} | **??Guardian#66??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 20\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 44 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 31\\ {{:misc:gui:fortress.png?20&nolink}} Capital Only | {{abilities:castle_defence_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Castle Defence Bonus]] (2) | The Black Halberd has an aoe 1 effect, so even if the guardian misses the attack will add fatigue to all sacreds in the target square. This is an incredibly powerful effect, which helps MA Ulm deal with sacred opponents at all stages of the game. \\ Their Siege Defence is secondary to their main role: countering enemy Sacred units. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:sapper.png?nolink}} | **??Sapper#749??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 20\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 37 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 31 | {{abilities:siege_bonus.png?15&nolink}} [[Siege Bonus]] (5) | These crossbow-armed units have a niche role in rapidly knocking down fort walls, but limited battlefield utility. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:black_knight.png?nolink}} | **??Black Knight??** \\ {{:misc:gui:gold.png?15&nolink}} 45\\ {{:misc:gui:resources.png?15&nolink}} 68 \\ {{:misc:gui:recruitmentpoints.png?15&nolink}} 46 | [[Mounted]] | The Black Knights of Ulm are exceptional heavy cavalry units. A handful of them on guard commander lead by a Black Lord make an extremely powerful expansion party, capable of clearing most indies without attrition. They remain useful further into the game as in-battle flankers, PD raiders, and excellent targets for earth buffs. |
==== Heroes ====
Keeping with the nation's themes, MA Ulm's heroes totally lack magic but are very hardy for ordinary humans. They fulfil the same role as the fort-recruitable ??Black Lord??s, but are slightly better at the job in different ways.
^ Sprite ^ Unit Name ^ Special Attributes ^ Comments ^
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:hero.png?nolink}} | **??Barthulf - Hero??** | [[Mounted]] | A ??Black Lord?? with 120Ld.\\ Qualified to lead your big stacks. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:hero_2.png?nolink}} | **??Raterik - Hero??** | {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]]\\ [[Mounted]] | Your best national thug chassis: better stats, 3 attacks + lance, and recuperation.\\ You only get one however, and the very low hp heavily limits how dangerous a thug this unit is able to be. |
| {{:nations:ma:ulm:heroine.png?nolink}} | **??Hildegard - Heroine??** | {{:abilities:recuperation.png?15&nolink}} [[Recuperation]]\\ [[Mounted]]\\ [[Female]] | Notable for having extremely low protection for an Ulmite. Has very high defense, but needs more gear to compete with the rest of Ulm's Black Lords. |
===== Magic =====
==== Magic Access ====
Ulm is known for its **lack** of Magic Access, but don't let that stop you from trying to climb with as little investment as possible.
{{:misc:magic:earth.png?nolink}}**Earth** is your only path that you can craft boosters for; Boots bring you to {{path>E3}} ({{path>E4}} on 5% of your Masters), +{{path>E1}} in combat. \\ \\
{{:misc:magic:fire.png?nolink}}**Fire** is your only other //guaranteed// path. It's at {{path>F1}}, though 5% of your Masters will have {{path>F2}}. With a 1- or 3-gem ??Fire in a Jar??, a {{path>F1}} mage can cast ??Summon Phoenix Power?? to become {{path>F2}}. \\ \\
{{:misc:magic:air.png?nolink}}**Air** & {{:misc:magic:astral.png?nolink}}**Astral** are each found only on 10-or-20% randoms. Getting access to at least one of each is important for forging and magic diversity. \\
Ulm has several ways of increasing their magic capabilities:
- Your {{path>S1}} randoms can join communions of [[Independent]] {{path>S1}} to try and boost their stuff to higher levels in combat.
- Ulm can craft relatively cheap ??Crystal Matrix?? and ??Slave Matrix?? to bring any mage into a communion.
- ??Earth Boots??, ??Crystal Shield?? and ??Fire in a Jar?? can increase magic paths in combat.
Apart from that there's [[Empowerment]], [[Pretender]] Design, and leaning heavily on what respectable levels of {{:misc:magic:earth.png?15&nolink}}earth give you. At least Ulm had the wisdom to begrudgingly respect a good path.
Since Ulm has no {{path>N2}} mages natively they need to find one early to safeguard against the [[armor-negating]] damage of ??Foul Vapors??. A pretender with {{path>N2}} can forge a ??Thistle Mace?? to make any {{path>N1}} indie mage capable of casting ??Poison Ward??
==== National Magic ====
**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]]. Massing ??Black Priest??s and ??Black Smith??s allows you to shower the enemy in shrapnel that ignores 60% of protection.
* Evocation 6 {{path>E1H1}}: **??Iron Blizzard??**\\ Trades some range and damage for a truly astonishing 30 darts per cast. Can be casted by even a lowly ??Black Priest??, but the high fatigue cost makes it more practical for ??Priest Smith??s to spam. This is an powerful evocation spell which is particularly lethal to magic beings.
* 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??. However, Thaumaturgy is of limited use to MA Ulm aside from this spell, making this an awkward research target. Alternatively, an astral-random Master Smith can ??Power of the Spheres?? up to {{path>S2}} and burn pearls to cast ??Antimagic?? for a total of {{gems>3S}}.
**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.
* Conjuration 8 {{path>E5S2}} for {{gems>25E}}: **??Contact Iron Angel??**({{:nations:ma:ulm:iron_angel.png?nolink}} ??Iron Angel??×1)\\ An antisacred commander summon. Although they seem very durable, their lack of magic paths severely limits their utility as thugs.
====Notable Generic Magic====
Ulm's narrow path focus makes their magic significantly more straightforward than most nations.
===Combat===
Ubiquitous {{path>E2}} in Ulm's mage corps makes ??Earth Meld?? a very potent early combat spell, reducing the defence of affected enemies by 75% and making it much easier for your infantry's attacks to land. It also prevents enemies from attacking, which is particularly relevant for giants with their high-damage attacks. ??Maws of the Earth?? later in Alteration allows Ulm's mages to deal more direct damage and immobilize swathes of opponents at once, though at the cost of gems.
With ??Summon Earthpower??, Ulm's Master Smiths and Priest Smiths become {{path>E3}} and are able to cast the vast majority of earth buffs without spending additional gems. Very early in the game, ??Strength of Giants?? makes the Ulmish frontline grinder even more powerful than it already is while ??Legions of Steel?? provides a minor protection buff. Ulm has a major power spike when it researches Alteration 7 for ??Marble Warriors??, which brings their full Blacksteel infantry up to an eye-watering 29 protection (31 with Legions of Steel) that even giants will struggle to deal damage through. Construction 7 for ??Weapons of Sharpness?? completes the suite of earth buffs that makes midgame MA Ulm an absolute monster in straight-up fights.
Master Smiths can eat a fire gem to cast ??Phoenix Power??, become {{path>F2}}, and eat 2 more fire gems to cast ??Summon Fire Elemental??. Large ??Fire Elemental#594??s buffed with ??Iron Warriors?? can kill hordes upon hordes of chaff (such as those fielded by [[sceleria ma | MA Sceleria]] or [[ermor ma | MA Ermor]]). ??Earthquake?? and ??Fire Storm?? can serve a similar purpose, though the latter is very difficult to cast with Ulm's magic paths.
===Ritual===
Ulm's narrow and shallow paths means that most rituals will require the help of a Pretender to cast. However, Ulm benefits greatly from being able to cast a few key rituals.
??Riches from Beneath?? synergizes with Ulm's resource-intensive lineup, allowing Ulm to more quickly mass its infantry as well as providing a nice income boost. However, it does not stack on the resource bonuses provided by Ulm's Master Smiths, making it less effective than it may seem at first. ??Eternal Pyre?? is also a useful global to control, as it allows Ulm to produce huge quantities of ??Lightless Lantern??s. Having a healthy treasury of fire gems also enables more gem-hungry moves such as summoning ??Flame Spirit??s for better depth in fire magic.
??Earth Blood Deep Well?? is fantastic for Ulm as almost all of Ulm's more powerful combat magic (??Maws of the Earth??, ??Marble Warriors??, ??Earthquake?? etc.) consumes earth gems. A strong earth income makes Ulm much more resilient against gem-baiting tactics and more tenacious on prolonged campaigns. However, given Ulm's voracious appetite for earth gems, it may be difficult to save up the 80 gems required to actually cast EBDW.
====Magic Items====
===National Discounts===
Unfortunately MA Ulm has little use for discounted Blacksteel equipment, as the ??Black Lord?? thug chassis already comes with a full complement of Blacksteel gear.
* Construction 0 {{path>E2}} for {{gems>8E}}: **??Blacksteel Full Plate??**
* Construction 0 {{path>E1}} for {{gems>4E}}: **??Blacksteel Helmet??**
* Construction 0 {{path>E1}} for {{gems>4E}}: **??Blacksteel Kite Shield??**
* Construction 0 {{path>E1}} for {{gems>4E}}: **??Blacksteel Plate??**
* Construction 0 {{path>E1}} for {{gems>4E}}: **??Blacksteel Sword??**
* Construction 0 {{path>E1}} for {{gems>4E}}: **??Blacksteel Tower Shield??**
* Construction 6 {{path>E3F1}} for {{gems>12E4F}}: **??The Copper Arm??**
===Generic Items===
* Ulm can add very cheap high-damage thugs to its armies in the form of ??Black Lord??s equipped with a ??Greatsword of Sharpness?? and ??Burning Pearl??.
* ??Master Smith??s holding ??Dwarven Hammer??s can forge any 5-gem item for the low low price of 1 gem. Aside from making thug gear very affordable, this enables the exceptionally cheap mass-production of ??Lightless Lantern??s at Construction 6, dramatically accelerating Ulm's research and allowing it to bring its midgame magic online much sooner than other nations.
* The ??Crystal Matrix?? and ??Slave Matrix?? allow Ulm to bring some diversity to its combat magic, though at significant cost (in mage turns if not necessarily in gems).
=====Strategy=====
====Power Curve====
**Power Curve Census**
//Respondents: 12//
* Expansion: 4,08
* Early game: 4,58
* Midgame: 4,17
* Late game: 2,4
As a resource-dependent nation Ulm needs to clear several provinces in its cap circle to enjoy the full potential of its quality troops. Once the ball starts rolling Ulm has excellent expansion potential with comparatively few losses using its regular troops.
The quality of its troops carry Ulm in the early game before your opponents get magic online. The Guardians provide a strong answer to enemy sacreds.
In the midgame Ulm’s ability to ramp research fast and cheap lets Ulm stay ahead in the research race while the gem discount means that Ulm can do more with less - provided Ulm finds an answer to Foul Vapors and other effects that care little about Protection.
As late game approaches the inherent weaknesses of Ulm become more easy to exploit: abysmal magic resistance across the line, a lack of magic diversity and magic depth, and the challenges of playing a 10 hp human nation in the very late game. An Ulmish player will need to find ways to deal with these issues - or better yet, win the game before their opponents reach the late game themselves.
====Expansion Strategies====
//List some example expansion strategies here. If a strong bless or pretender is required then leave the specifics for the pretender section.//
====Example Pretender Builds====
//List some example pretender builds. Try to use the following format to keep authorship and pretender design rationale clear.//
{{:pretenders:thrice_horned_boar.png |}}**Johnny's "Early Forts"** \\ An awake boar guarantees a strong early expansion so you can clear your cap circle early, build early forts and use that to gain the advantage in your first war.
Here are two variations on the chassis: The first one is by [[Johnny-demuppetization|Johnny]]. \\ The second one is by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15jW-2P_kHk&t=197s|Not-Lola]]
**Chassis:** Awake ??Thrice Horned Boar?? \\
\\
**Paths:** {{path>E6N2}} \\
**Bless:** Hard Skin \\
**Scales:** {{scales>dom3O3P3C3G1L1D3}}
----
**Paths:** {{path>E2N2}} \\
**Scales:** {{scales>dom3O2P3C3G2M2M3}}
{{:pretenders:master_alchemist.png |}}**Not-Lola's Global Caster** \\ Essentially Not-Lola's global caster from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15jW-2P_kHk&t=197s|this guide]] on a cheaper chassis. Allows MA Ulm to cast ??Eternal Pyre?? and ??Riches from Beneath?? by the end of the second year, provided the gems are available. It may be difficult to cast Eternal Pyre if there are no fire nations or they are not willing to trade their fire gems. Also provides a safety net from ??Foul Vapors?? by forging ??Thistle Mace??s for indie nature mages.\\ \\ Alternatively, swap {{scales>M3}} for {{scales>D3}} and use the points to buy {{scales>O3}} and {{scales>L3}}.
**Chassis:** Dormant ??Master Alchemist?? \\
\\
**Paths:** {{path>F6E5N2}} \\
**Bless:** FR+5, Inspirational Presence, Mountain Survival, Reinvigoration×2 \\
**Scales:** {{scales>dom3O2P3C3G2M2M3}}
=====See More=====
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15jW-2P_kHk&t=1010s | Dominions 5: Not-Lola's Ulm Guide]]
{{template>nationindex}}
{{tag>nation stubs ma-nation}}