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LA Gath, Last of the Giants
Lore
Gath is a land still trying to catch up to the prosperity of those around it. When it was known as Hinnom, it had a lead over its surroundings; this was provided by the Grigori (the "Watchers"), six angels of full Celestial splendor, who descended upon Mount Hermon and taught the Avvim their secrets. For better or for worse, the now-infamous Azazel taught the Avvim the "high arts" of civilization – cosmetics, warcraft, and exploitation – and the Avvim thus defeated the other small Giants in their lands.
The Watchers committed one undeniable sin, which had them excised from the world; they took Avvite wives and laid with them, resulting in the birth of the Nephilim. Though Titans of unquenchable appetites, the Nephilim were not demons but living men, and to banish them would require the flooding of the world. This never happened, and Hinnom did not have enough rain to keep the Nephilim cowed, so the insatiable goliaths made Hinnom theirs. They ate, used, and eventually discarded Hinnom, siring the Rephaim with Avvite wives of their own in the process. The Rephaim, in-turn, broke Hinnomite society; both with the size of their mouths, and with their quantity. All-male, and destined to sire only male children, the Rephaim were cursed by the Heavens (or genetics) to grow weaker with each generation; and the Avvite men, losing their wives and crushes to the Rephaites' charms, were destined to either degrade or disappear into this new subrace.
Gath is (or at least was) a vast land, largely vacant of its natives. The largest generation of Rephaim was in the era of Ashdod, perhaps the only Hinnomite city to survive the whims of the first brood; this was a dark age for the Rephaim, with little to eat and few women to court, one in which the "degenerated" Giants learned some decency and humility. But while a little suffering is good for the character, too much can bend an individual to dangerous extremes. Ashdod's ruling tribe, the Anakim, declined far more gracefully than the other Rephaim, and their lifespans kept up with their stature. There are still some Anakim who remember Ashdod's fall to either the humans or the Abysians, some who remember when humans didn't quarrel in their presence, and even some who recall stories of the first Rephaites' Bloody rites. Fearing for the survival of their final city, and given absolute control of religious affairs, the Anakim have ordered that blood shall be spilt anew… Only, instead of drinking it themselves, they shall offer it to strengthen their Lord and savior. The smaller folk are mixed on this, and even some of the smaller Giants are horrified.
"Hinnom, Ashdod and Gath are heavily influenced by ancient Israelite, Canaanite and Philistine concepts. I have always been intrigued and fascinated by biblical mythology, and had long I wanted to include the Nephilim and biblical Genesis myths into the game. However, I was worried that I would not do the sources justice, so it took a while before I finally got down to finishing the nations. The Bible, the Book of Enoch, the Dead Sea scrolls and the Ras Shamra texts of Ugarit and interpretations of these texts are the main sources of the nations. Gath, … draws more heavily from Israelite and Philistine concepts. Early Israelite religion and history with a centralized cult at the temple and Israelite tribes, combined with the legends of David and Goliath of Gath are obvious sources for the late iteration of the nation. I wanted the nation to be an abomination, slowly becoming more civilized throughout the ages. Hinnom is perhaps more than any other nation in the game an evil nation. I'm not very fond of the concept of evil, but it would be difficult to claim that the cannibalistic giants of Hinnom are anything but." -Illwinter
General Overview
If you are considering picking this nation to play, what should you know?
National Features
| Magic Access | Alt. Access | Unit Summary | Core Abilities | Buildings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 2 (rare 3)  2 (rare 3)  2 (rare 3)  2  2  2  3 | Heroes 34 Summons 33 (req. 41) 3 (req. 52) 44 or  44 or 44 or 44 (req. 73) | Gittite Infantry Several Human Tribes with different skills. |  Sacred  Fire Resistance  Gluttony  Wasteland Survival  Fear of the Flood  Healer |  Giant Forts  Temples cost  1200 |
Capitol Gems: 1
1
2
Heat Limit + 1
Prefers Heat Scale + 1
Blood Sacrifice: May blood sacrifice to increase dominion. This ability is not transferred to disciple nations. Disciple nations with this ability can still use it. These nations do not have dying dominion.
Most of the population of Gath – the realm as a whole, not the city – is human. These Size 3 (three-to-a-square) fellows are prohibited from blacksmithing. Most of them are perfectly fine in 
Wastes, and a fair amount of them have well-trained troops with 11 Attack Skill and 11 Defence Skill. Eight of the Twelve Tribes of Israel can be found here:
- The Tribes of Reuben and Naphtali are large but pretty average, with only 10's in most stats (including ATT and DEF).
- The Tribe of Iassachar has only 7 Morale; but to be fair, they stick to roles where Morale would be low anyway.
- The Tribes of Zebulun and Asher are rich, and they have professional troops. Asherites use their wealth to purchase iron gear (but aren't used to Wastelands), while Zebulunites have 13 Morale.
- The Tribe of Benjamin has
Pillagers, owing to some hard times the other human Tribes put upon them. - The Tribe of Levi is incredibly zealous, giving Gath
Sacred troops in every province! It's a shame that, other than their elevated Morale (and being Sacred), they're pretty average.
Most native Gittites wouldn't count as "giants" in some definitions; they're only Size 4 (two-to-a-square). They are very similar to the Avvim at the start of their history, such that only their little horns, their 
5 Fire Resistance, and their fashion sense distinguishes them. Gittite soldiers have 24 HP, 1 Natural Protection, 15 Strength, 11 Attack Skill and Defence Skill, 12 Morale and Magic Resistance, and adaptations for Wastes.
National Units
Commanders
| Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Iassacharite Scout 35  6  1 |  Stealthy (55) Wasteland Survival  Mountain Survival  Forest Survival | A generic scout except for added Wasteland Survival, slightly improving movement. |
 | Iassacharite Sage 60 2 1 |  010%    6  Sacred Wasteland Survival  Old Age (55/50)  Mundane Researcher | The Iassacharite Sage is one of only a few units that can research without also having magic paths, and is unaffected by drain scales. They are also cost only one recruitment point, and their sacred nature halves their upkeep relative to non-sacred units. This means that they turn commander points and gold into research very quickly and efficiently. They provide a unique opportunity for Gath to research effectively while taking drain scales. Their main downside is that, aside from the rare few that gain magic paths, they can only research, and cannot be deployed as battle mages. |
 | Benjaminite Commander 55 1 1 |  Ambidextrous (2) Pillager (5) Wasteland Survival | A mostly generic 50-leadership commander. |
| | Gittite Commander 115 25 1 | Fire Resistance (5) Wasteland Survival | A more durable 100-leadership commander. |
 | Levite Priest 65 2 1 | 1 Sacred Wasteland Survival | A weak priest. Prone to being shot at by indie archers without a bit of care in scripting. |
 | Iassacharite Sibyl 90 2 2 | 119  Supply Bonus (10)  Fortune Teller (10%) Wasteland Survival Female | The Iassacharite Sybil's paths are well-suited for early combat buffs, with spells like Body Ethereal and Barkskin coming online at only Alteration 3. Later on, they can form communions to cast higher path spells such as Mind Burn and Soul Slay. However, they are fragile compared to Gath's larger Gittite mages, and may burn out easily if used as communion slaves. |
 | Abba 245 2 2 | 21100%11 Fire Resistance (5) Stealthy (50)  Healer (1)  Heretic (1) Supply Bonus (20) Wasteland Survival | As a reliable 2 mage, the Abba has good utility in combat. It has the rare healer ability, allowing it to stave off diseases in other commanders or restore the effectiveness of wounded troops. Its stealth provides some unpredictability to Gath's movement. Its only disadvantage is that it is somewhat expensive for the magic paths due to these extra abilities. |
 | Kohen 180 2 2 | 121100%9 Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Wasteland Survival  Grand Communicant | Although they are hardly the cheapest blood hunters compared to mages such as the Mictlan Priest or Pyrenian Monk, Kohanim still provide Gath with the fort-recruit blood hunting needed to make ample use of its national demon summons. Their low paths somewhat limit their combat power outside of expensive blood sabbaths. |
 | Yeddeoni 180 2 2 | 111100% 11 Fire Resistance (5) Wasteland Survival | The Yeddeoni provides Gath with several strong paths, albeit unreliably; 2s are excellent buffers while 2s can raise longdead and access the Memories of Stone spell. The other randoms provide good crosspaths for forging and combat. |
 | Seren 280 79 2  Capital Only | 020% Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Gluttony (3) Wasteland Survival | The Seren provides Gath with its only 150-leadership commander, though at a premium due to his durability. They compete for capitol recruitment with the Kohen Gadol. |
 | Kohen Gadol 540 33 4 Capital Only | 232200% 10% 13 Fear The Flood (5) Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Gluttony (5) Wasteland Survival Grand Communicant | The Kohen Gadol provides Gath with battlefield-wide blessing and throne claiming capability, pairing well with its sacred summons and anyfort sacred recruits. They also have modest, but reliably useful combat paths. Furthermore, each Kohen Gadol can lead an army with their respectable 100 leadership. |
Troops
| Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Naphtali Spearman 10 11 9 | Wasteland Survival | Generic, lightly-armoured spearman. |
 | Reubenite Archer 10 7 9 | Wasteland Survival | Generic archer. |
 | Benjaminite Slinger 11 11 12 | Ambidextrous (2) Pillager (2) Wasteland Survival | Notable for wielding two swords and thus being slightly able to defend itself in melee combat. |
 | Gadite Swordsman 12 28 14 | Fire Resistance (5) Wasteland Survival | Medium infantry with some fire resistance. |
 | Zebulunite Soldier 13 15 16 |  Formation Fighter (2) Wasteland Survival | Light infantry that fits four to a square. Perhaps could be used as a blocker unit after application of Body Ethereal. |
 | Asherite Soldier 15 27 21 | Gath's most heavily armoured infantry. Very slow on the strategic map and in combat. | |
 | Zebulunite Horn Blower 20 16 21 |  Standard (1) Formation Fighter (2) Wasteland Survival | Raises the morale of its squad. Useful to fit in for high-stakes engagements where morale becomes important. |
 | Gittite Soldier 25 22 15 | Fire Resistance (5) Wasteland Survival | Light infantry, but fairly inexpensive and deals a bit more damage than its human counterparts. |
 | Levite Zealot 15 17 14 | Sacred  Patrol Bonus (2) Wasteland Survival | Although the Levite Zealot is not a particularly inspiring sacred unit on the basis of its own stats, it is very cheap and can be recruited in all forts. It is also an excellent source of patrol strength for managing unrest from blood hunting while being light on upkeep. |
 | Gibbor 70 43 23 Capital Only | Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Gluttony (2) Wasteland Survival | While the Gibbor is less impressive on an individual basis than some other sacreds, it combines many desirable qualities. Its main weakness of only moderate protection is offset by its high HP and low cost, allowing Gath to quickly mass these early in the game. It has reasonable base combat stats over which a bless can be laid. Its attack, though low density, is magical and deals high damage. Being size 6 allows it to wade through Gath's human roster and fit in a square with another unit, considerably improving the durability and damage of Gath's front line. With a decent bless, the Gibbor can significantly ease expansion in an age of crossbows and heavy cavalry, giving Gath great tempo in the early game. Afterwards, the Gibbor remains relevant due to its high damage, magic-weapon attack. |
Heroes
| Sprite | Unit Name | Special Attributes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nabi Multi-Hero | 2 Sacred Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
 | Sabba - Sibyl of Hermon Earliest Arrival Turn (5) | 3419 Sacred  Poison Resistance (7) Healer (2) Supply Bonus (40) Fortune Teller (20%) Wasteland Survival  Spirit Sight Female | Commentary here. |
National Spell and Item
Summons
Ritual
| Summon Spell | Unit | Special Attributes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summon Mazzikim (Conjuration 3) 1 and 3 |  Mazzik x 10 | Stealthy (+40)  Flying  Need Not Eat  Demon Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
| Call Malakh (Conjuration 4) 2 and 9 |  Malakh | 1 Sacred Fire Resistance (5)  Shock Resistance (5) Stealthy (+60)  Awe (+4)  Invulnerability (15)  Magic Being Flying Need Not Eat Spirit Sight | Commentary here. |
| Summon Lilot (Conjuration 5) 4 and 15 |  Lilot | Stealthy (+55)  Dream Seduction (Morale vs. 14) Flying Demon Wasteland Survival Female | Commentary here. |
| Call Hashmal (Conjuration 6) 13 and 21 |  Hashmal | 2 Sacred Fire Resistance (25) Shock Resistance (5)  Fire Shield (10) Awe (+5) Invulnerability (20) Magic Being  Ethereal Flying Need Not Eat  Inquisitor Spirit Sight | Commentary here. |
| Call Arel (Conjuration 7) 41 and 39 |  Arel | 3311 Sacred Fire Resistance (5) Poison Resistance (20) Shock Resistance (5) Healer (3) Awe (+6) Invulnerability (15) Supply Bonus (+30) Magic Being Flying Need Not Eat Spirit Sight Female | Commentary here. |
| Call Ophan (Conjuration 8) 25 and 49 |  Ophan | 3 Sacred Fire Resistance (15) Poison Resistance (25) Shock Resistance (15) Fire Shield (11) Awe (+6) Patrol Bonus (+50) Eyes (12) Magic Being  Inanimate Ethereal Flying  Trample Need Not Eat Spirit Sight | Commmentary here. |
| Call Merkavah (Conjuration 9) 37 and 222 |  Chayot | 441 → 441 → 441 → 441 → Sacred Fire Resistance (22) Poison Resistance (15) Shock Resistance (22) Fire Shield (17) Awe (+7) Invulnerability (30) Pathboost (-6ALL, +6 Current)  Spreads Dominion (1) Magic Being Flying Counts as Sun Need Not Eat  Eye Vengeance Spirit Sight No Wish  Summons in Battle (Ophan x 4)  Shapechanger (→ Chayot → Chayot → Chayot → This) | Commentary here. |
| Memories of Stone (Enchantment 5) 12 and 10 in  Waste |  Fossil Warrior x 5 + [1/2 per lvl] | Fire Resistance (5)  Cold Resistance (5) Poison Resistance (25)  Poor Amphibian  Pierce Resistant  Undead Magic Being Inanimate Need Not Eat  Never Heals Stone Being Spirit Sight | Commentary here. |
| Scapegoats (Blood 3) 1 and 8 in Waste |  Se'ir x 2 | Sacred  Berserker (+4) Need Not Eat Demon Wasteland Survival | Commentary here. |
| Summon Shedim (Blood 4) 13 and 28 in  Waste |  Shed x 3 | Resist Shock (15)  Storm Power (2) Flying  Storm Immunity Need Not Eat Demon | Commentary here. |
Other Spells
Combat
- Strange Fire (Evocation 4)
12
Commentary here.
Magic Access
General Access
Elements
- 2 on roughly every third Kohen Gadol (capital-only)*, 1 on one-in-three Kohens off-capital
- No Air magic
- No Water magic
- 2 on roughly every third Kohen Gadol (capital-only)*, and on one-in-four Yeddeonis off-capital
Sorcery
- 2 on roughly every third Kohen Gadol (capital-only)*, 1 on Iassacharite Sibyls off-capital
- 2 on one-in-four Yeddeonis
- 2 on Abbas
- No Glamour magic
Rites
- 2 on Kohen Gadols (capital-only), 1 on Kohens off-capital
- 3 on Kohen Gadols (capital-only), 2 on Kohens off-capital
*The random paths on each Kohen Gadol are linked, so the results are either two levels or zero.
Boosted Access
See Magic Access. These guides supplement the summaries at the top.
Call Merkavah summons a Chayot, an 44 mage. It can change shape to have 4, 4, and 4, but it cannot have crosspaths. It also requires a Pretender with the right paths to reasonably be able to summon.
Bind Heliophagus summons one of four mages with some combination of high paths in 
Fire, 
Death, or 
Blood.
Bind Demon Lord has a chance of summoning a mage with a high levels in any of the paths except 
Water.
Multi-Path Boosters
Gaining four 
Astral boosters to get a Ring of Sorcery and then the Ring of Wizardry is tricky, but the hero, Sabba - Sibyl of Hermon, has 3. It's still tricky, but less so.
Fire
Highest Starting: 2 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Skull of Fire
11 Yeddeoni (1 in 4)
Bind Arch Devil
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Air
No national access.
Ether Gate
11 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Ether Lord has a 1 in 4 chance of 1.
Water
No national access.
Contact Lamia Queen
12 Abba (1 in 3) + 
Lamia Queen has a 7 in 16 chance of at least 
1.
Summon Spectre
2 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Spectral Mage has a 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.
Earth
Highest Starting: 2 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) or Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Pebble Skin Suit Unremovable
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
The Tome of Gaia Unique
12 Abba (1 in 3) + 
Blood Stone
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Father Illearth
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Father Illearth has 4 but no feet for Earth Boots.
A Yeddeoni can have the right crosspaths for the Atlas of Creation (Unique) but it requires too many boosters to be practical.
Astral
Highest Starting: 2 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Coin of Meteoritic Iron
11 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Golem Construction
11 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Golem has 2.
Oath Rod of Kurgi Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Ether Gate
11 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Ether Lord has 3
The Void Sphere Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
It's a lot of Astral boosters, but potentially doable.
A Yeddeoni can have the right crosspaths for the Atlas of Creation (Unique) but it requires too many boosters to be practical.
Death
Highest Starting: 2 Yeddeoni (1 in 4)
The Black Book of Secrets Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Nature
Highest Starting: 2 Abba. The hero, Sabba - Sibyl of Hermon, has 4.
Call Arel
12 Abba (1 in 3) or 11 Iassacharite Sibyl +
Arel has 33.
The Tome of Gaia Unique
12 Abba (1 in 3) +
Moonvine Bracelet
12 Abba (1 in 3) +
Glamour
No national access.
Troll King's Court
2 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) or Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Troll King has 
1
Summon Spectre
2 Yeddeoni (1 in 4) +
Spectral Mage has a 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.
Forest Troll Tribe
2 Abba +
Troll Shaman has a 1 in 4 chance of 1
Blood
Highest Starting: 2 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Tome of the Lower Planes Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
The Black Book of Secrets Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3)
Tome of the Lower Planes Unique
22 Kohen Gadol (1 in 3) +
Strategy
How to win as the nation. Feel free to use the following sections, or delete them, or change them.
Expansion
Different expansion options.
Early Game
Early game options.
Mid Game
Mid game options.
Late Game
Late game options.
Example Pretender Builds
Format for putting a pretender build in.
Chassis: Awake Titan of Crossroads
Paths: 457
Bless: MW/Arcane Finesse, Invuln 10, Regen.
Scales: 
6
2
0
3
1
2
3
Format for putting a pretender build in.
Chassis: Awake Titan of Crossroads
Paths: 457
Bless: MW/Arcane Finesse, Invuln 10, Regen.
Scales: 6203123
Weaknesses
What are the nation's weaknesses?
See More
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