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from-life-comes-death [2020/11/12 15:10] naaira [LA Arcoscephale: From Life comes Death [Theory crafted guide]] |
from-life-comes-death [2021/04/18 15:45] joste [Key Mages] |
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====== LA Arcoscephale: | ====== LA Arcoscephale: | ||
+ | ~~NOTOC~~ | ||
[[https:// | [[https:// | ||
//This guide was first featured on [[https:// | //This guide was first featured on [[https:// | ||
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I'd argue that it easily does so, and lets LA Arco play fundamentally different to its earlier cousin. This argument comes from three provocative statements: | I'd argue that it easily does so, and lets LA Arco play fundamentally different to its earlier cousin. This argument comes from three provocative statements: | ||
- | - | + | |
- LA Arco is the best user of Nature gems in the Late Age. | - LA Arco is the best user of Nature gems in the Late Age. | ||
- LA Arco loses nothing by rushing ??Mother Oak?? | - LA Arco loses nothing by rushing ??Mother Oak?? | ||
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==== 1; You may be thinking I'm crazy for thinking that Arco is better at using Nature gems than Pangaea. ==== | ==== 1; You may be thinking I'm crazy for thinking that Arco is better at using Nature gems than Pangaea. ==== | ||
**And you'd be right. ** \\ | **And you'd be right. ** \\ | ||
- | However Arco cheats. Arco has a 200g ?? | + | However, Arco cheats. Arco has a 200g ?? |
- | + | ||
- | -- | + | |
==== 2; LA Arco doesn' | ==== 2; LA Arco doesn' | ||
(https:// | (https:// | ||
- | However those elephants have low magic resistance and morale, which other players can exploit (with fear effects before you get key buffs, and ??Soul Slay??/?? | + | However those elephants have low magic resistance and morale, which other players can exploit (with fear effects before you get key buffs, and ??Soul Slay??/?? |
If we take a dormant SC pretender, we can cover this brief window of vulnerability before our communions are online. | If we take a dormant SC pretender, we can cover this brief window of vulnerability before our communions are online. | ||
- | Similarly, Arco can be a bit dependent on its communions, since it lacks recruitable thugs and its troops can have trouble breaking through high protection. It does have a good end game strategy in communions, but more flexibility would be great (LA Arco lacks SCs, high level death, astral or blood access). So a pretender to cover that would be good. | + | Similarly, Arco can be a bit dependent on its communions, since it lacks recruitable thugs and its troops can have trouble breaking through high protection. It does have a good end game strategy in communions, but more flexibility would be great (LA Arco lacks SCs, high-level death, astral or blood access). So a pretender to cover that would be good. |
- | One option to give Arco a second late game strategy is to take Death on the pretender. This lets us summon Bane Lords, Wights | + | One option to give Arco a second late-game strategy is to take Death on the pretender. This lets us summon |
- | However we can do better than that. If we take {{path> | + | However, we can do better than that. If we take {{path> |
- | So if we take a dormant SC with {{path> | + | So if we take a dormant SC with {{path> |
Suggested early research is Thaumaturgy 2 (Communions, | Suggested early research is Thaumaturgy 2 (Communions, | ||
- | Interestingly, | + | Interestingly, |
- | + | ||
- | --- | + | |
==== 3; Nature gems are rare in the Late Age ==== | ==== 3; Nature gems are rare in the Late Age ==== | ||
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Arco can afford to send out several ??Orphic Mystic??s (100g, {{path> | Arco can afford to send out several ??Orphic Mystic??s (100g, {{path> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== TLDR ==== | ||
<WRAP box round> | <WRAP box round> | ||
- | **TLDR** | ||
* LA Arco is weak after enemies have elephant counters, and before it has working communions. | * LA Arco is weak after enemies have elephant counters, and before it has working communions. | ||
* It would also like a bit more flexibility in the mid/late game. | * It would also like a bit more flexibility in the mid/late game. | ||
Line 63: | Line 58: | ||
* That pretender can also cast Mother Oak. | * That pretender can also cast Mother Oak. | ||
* You can turn those {{gems> | * You can turn those {{gems> | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Suggested Pretender and Scales ===== | ||
+ | <WRAP column half> | ||
+ | <WRAP box round centeralign> | ||
+ | <WRAP column half> | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | Withering Weapons, Undead Command, Recuperation \\ | ||
+ | **OR** Stygian Skin, Berserker \\ \\ | ||
+ | //Better SC, 0 points left over so objectively best. \\ Vampire hijinks possible// | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | <WRAP column half> | ||
+ | <WRAP box round centeralign> | ||
+ | <WRAP column half>{{ : | ||
+ | Withering Weapons, Undead Command, Recuperation \\ | ||
+ | **OR** Stygian Skin, Berserker \\ \\ | ||
+ | //More magic scales, but a weaker chassis// | ||
+ | </ | ||
</ | </ | ||
- | ====== In game tactics | + | ===== In game tactics ===== |
We’ve seen a high level view of this strategy, but what about the details? | We’ve seen a high level view of this strategy, but what about the details? | ||
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- | **Key Troops** | + | ==== Key Troops |
- | ??War Elephant# | + | **??War Elephant# |
+ | {{: | ||
- | This is the key to your early expansion. | + | Try to bargain for items which can hide them on the strategic map (Gossamer Cloth, Cauldron of the Elven Halls), to help surprise your opponents. Or take a little air on your pretender to build them yourself. Best mixed with other strategies. Bait your enemy into bringing out his soul slay communions to deal with them. Then turn up with buffed hoplites, foul vapour traps or Elemental swarms. |
- | A handful of these on the flank with some fodder in the middle to distract indies can super-charge your expansion. | + | |
- | They are also scary for other nations- 64 hps and prot 17 is hard to take down with basic troops. | + | |
- | Sadly they can be hard countered by spells hitting their magic resistance (such as Soul Slay). | + | |
- | However having a small force of them join a mid-game fight buffed with berserk, iron warriors and ethereal can turn fights if they aren’t expected. If you get air mages, cast flight on them and laugh. | + | |
- | Berserk needs Thaum 4, so this tactic is probably better on a build more focused around Mind Hunt than the one in this guide. | + | |
- | Try to bargain for items which can hide them on the strategic map (Gossamer Cloth, Cauldron of the Elven Halls), to help surprise your opponents. Or take a little air on your pretender to build them yourself. | + | |
- | Best mixed with other strategies. Bait your enemy into bringing out his soul slay communions to deal with them. Then turn up with buffed hoplites, foul vapour traps or Elemental swarms. | + | |
- | ?? | + | {{: |
- | The mainstay of your army. | + | ?? |
- | Row after row of these can buy you a lot of time with their shields, length 4 repel weapons and prot 18. Sadly they won’t win too many wars on their own with a strength 14 attack. | + | |
- | Of course that’s what your buffs are for. | + | |
- | Even a simple Strength of Giants would raise their strength to 17. Their piercing attack reduces the prot of anything they hit by 20%, meaning they are rolling flat dice against | + | |
- | If you don’t want to buff them, your mages will have enough time to win another way. | + | |
- | Phalangites | + | {{: |
+ | {{: | ||
- | ??Agema Companion?? (35g, 40r): | + | ==== Key Mages ==== |
- | A nice backup option. With a mounted defense of 18 they can stay in the fight, and lances are always good to have. Back them up with a mystic for point buffs and go raiding. | ||
+ | {{: | ||
- | ??Heart Companion?? (20g, 31r): | + | Figuring out good communion strategies with these is 80% of the game with Arco. As a short list of suggestions, |
- | Your cap-only sacred. With this strategy we’re taking a god with D5 and N5. | + | {{: |
- | This means we can give these troops Withering Weapons, for a decent anti-elite option against human hp troops | + | |
- | Not vital to the build either way, but nice to have. | + | |
+ | The elemental randoms can get you ??Skulls of Fire??, ?? | ||
+ | {{path> | ||
- | **Key Mages** | + | {{path> |
+ | I have to flag up a special case - if you get any {{path> | ||
- | ??Mystic?? (135g): | + | {{: |
- | Your default battle-mage, | ||
- | Starts with S1, is guaranteed a FWES random, and has an independent 50% chance of a F,W or E random. | ||
- | Also a solid researcher, with 12RP. Having a research core full of these is great for immediate combat power. | ||
- | Figuring out good communion strategies with these is 80% of the game with Arco. As a short list of suggestions, | ||
- | Remember you can always raid with them when you have Summon Elemental, though you may have better options. | ||
+ | {{: | ||
- | ??Orphic Mystic?? (100g): | ||
- | Your most gold efficient research mage at 11RP, and one of your best raiding options. | ||
- | Orphics are spell-singers, | ||
- | They start with N1D1, and have a 50% chance of a FWE random, and a 50% chance of a SDN random. | ||
- | The elemental randoms can get you Skulls of Fire, Mossbody and research monkeys, but the real gems are the sorcery randoms. | ||
- | S randoms give you N and D in your communions. With the half-fatigue from spell-singer, | ||
- | D and N randoms are great raiders. | ||
- | At D2 with spellsinger you can spam Horde of Skeletons without a communion. | ||
- | At N2 you get reduced fatigue on Swarm, on top of your spellsinger reduced fatigue. | ||
- | Keep a few of these with any doomstack you have, to break out and raid provinces. A N1 Orphic can also do Swarm raiding, of course. | ||
- | Remember to follow swarm raiders with scouts carrying N gems. | ||
- | I have to flag up a special case - if you get any N2W1 or N1W1S1 randoms, they can cast Foul Vapors without boosters. | ||
- | This is a meta-defining spell, and one that enemies might not be expecting you to have. | ||
- | Drop the spell, cast Poison Ward on all your troops with your other Orphic Mystics, and watch as your foes choke to death. | ||
+ | ===== Default research path ===== | ||
- | ??Panageis?? (200g): | + | Start with **Thaumaturgy 1** for your communions, then look at your neighbours. You may need to research a spell to counter a neighbour looking to rush you in the first year. |
+ | * **Conjuration 3** for small elementals for better troops, | ||
+ | * **Thaumaturgy 2** for ??Mind Burn??, | ||
+ | * **Alteration 2** for ??Earth Meld?? to stop elves. | ||
+ | * **Alteration 3** for point buffing with ?? | ||
+ | * Worst comes to worst, **Construction 2/4** for SC equipment will definitely push back rushes when your god comes out. | ||
- | We’re mainly getting these for the Carcass Collector ability to convert 3 N gems a turn into D gems. | + | If there is no particular research need, head up to **Alteration 5** for Mother Oak. This lets you pick up the important economy global, while also picking up a decent selection of spells for an early war. |
- | As a side benefit, they have Healer 2, which lets us use Mind Hunt freely. | + | * ??Destruction?? to break armour and ??Curse of Stones?? to fatigue out heavy infantry. |
- | They let you convert N gems into D gems for an opportunity cost of about 3-4 RP per gem, which is a reasonable price. | + | * ??Swarm?? to let your Orphics raid. ??Arouse Hunger?? for chaff and remote raiding. |
- | + | * ??Maws of the Earth?? to kill elves (and as a generic attack spell). | |
- | + | * ??Wooden Warriors?? for a good AOE armour buff. | |
- | ??Sibyl?? (230g): | + | * ??Incinerate?? for a weak anti-SC spell. |
- | + | | |
- | These are a way to reliably get Nature into our communions, and get S3 mages for Mind Hunting. | + | Make sure to site search with your Orphics and Mystics- you will need the gems later. |
- | Water random Sibyls can also cast Foul Vapors in a communion, giving you another way to use that strategy. | + | |
- | The strategy in this guide doesn’t use them that much, but if you like Mind Hunts, they are key. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | ====== Default research path ====== | + | |
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | Start with **Thaum 1** for your communions, then look at your neighbours. | + | |
- | You may need to research a spell to counter a neighbour looking to rush you in the first year. Conjuration 3 for small elementals for better troops, Thaum 2 for Mind Burn, Alt 2 for Earth Meld to stop elves. Alt 3 for point buffing with protection, luck and potentially mossbody. | + | |
- | Worst comes to worst, Construction 2/4 for SC equipment will definitely push back rushes when your god comes out. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | If there is no particular research need, head up to **Alteration 5** for Mother Oak. | + | |
- | This lets you pick up the important economy global, while also picking up a decent selection of spells for an early war. | + | |
- | Destruction to break armour and Curse of Stones to fatigue out heavy infantry. | + | |
- | Swarm to let your Orphics raid. Arouse Hunger for chaff and remote raiding. | + | |
- | Maws of the Earth to kill elves (and as a generic attack spell). Wooden Warriors for a good AOE armour buff. Incinerate for a weak anti-SC spell. | + | |
- | Oh, and Body Ethereal/ | + | |
- | Make sure to site search with your Orphics and Mystics- you’ll need the gems later. | + | |
With 6 strong point buffs, getting some better troops who won’t immediately die to soul slay sounds good. | With 6 strong point buffs, getting some better troops who won’t immediately die to soul slay sounds good. | ||
- | Next step is researching **Conjuration 3**. | + | Next step is researching **Conjuration 3**. This gets you Wights for {{gems>20D}} gems for 5, and Bane commanders for {{gems>7D}} gems each. |
- | This gets you Wights for 20D gems for 5, and Bane commanders for 7D gems each. | + | |
- | **Conjuration 5** is next, getting you full-sized elementals and Bane Lords (12D gems). | + | |
- | Now you have great targets for the point buffs if you want to use them. Or you could just spam elementals. The banes can also be used for raiding or anti-thugs. | + | |
- | At this point you are sitting in a good place. You’ve got an income of N gems which you can use for Swarm raiding, or turn into elite infantry or solid thugs. Those are all things which poor MA Arco didn’t really get to use. Picking up **Construction 4** for better thug/SC gear is good around now. That also gives you Legions of Steel. | + | **Conjuration 5** is next, getting you full-sized elementals and Bane Lords ({{gems> |
- | On top of that you have the standard Mystic communions, | + | At this point you are sitting in a good place. You’ve got an income of {{gems> |
- | If another nation beat you to Mother Oak, now is a good time to take it back by stabbing them in the face. | + | |
- | Next step is up to you, but the obvious option is to keep moving up alteration. | + | On top of that you have the standard Mystic communions, which can spam Elementals, backed |
- | **Alteration 7** gives you Marble Warriors/ | + | |
- | Pushing | + | |
- | This gives you Well of Misery, which you can turn into Immortal Wraith Lords- a great long term advantage. | + | |
- | Alternatively **Construction 7** for Weapons of Sharpness will turn your basic hoplites into major threats (particularly when combined with the high level Alteration | + | |
- | Sidestepping into **Enchantment 3** to pick up Strength of Giants can be done at almost any time in this process, if you are having trouble breaking through protection. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | If that doesn’t close out the game you can push up to **Conjuration 9** for ‘Legion of Wights’ and Tartarian Gate. Pick up **Thaum 5** for Gift of Reason and potentially **Enchantment 7** for Gift of Health to turn on the Tartarian factory. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | And you can always go into Blood for vampires. Probably not worth the effort, but amusing none-the-less. Particularly if you can convince | + | |
- | + | ||
- | I recommend not going too deep into Evocation, Enchantment or Thaumaturgy - at least too early. | + | |
- | While they all have great options for you, rushing important research targets is key. You can always go back for soul slay or mind hunt. | + | |
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | ====== Suggested Pretender and Scales ====== | + | |
- | <WRAP column half> | + | |
- | <WRAP box round centeralign> | + | |
- | <WRAP column half> | + | |
- | {{ : | + | |
- | Withering Weapons, Undead Command, Recuperation \\ | + | |
- | **OR** Stygian Skin, Berserker \\ \\ | + | |
- | //Better SC, 0 points left over so objectively best. \\ Vampire hijinks possible// | + | |
- | </ | + | |
- | </ | + | |
- | <WRAP column half> | + | |
- | <WRAP box round centeralign> | + | |
- | <WRAP column half>{{ : | + | |
- | Withering Weapons, Undead Command, Recuperation \\ | + | |
- | **OR** Stygian Skin, Berserker \\ \\ | + | |
- | //More magic scales, but a weaker chassis// | + | |
- | </ | + | |
- | </ | + | |
+ | Next step is up to you, but the obvious option is to keep moving up Alteration. **Alteration 7** gives you ??Marble Warriors??/?? | ||
+ | Pushing up to **Conjuration 8** is a nice option. This gives you ??Well of Misery??, which you can turn into Immortal Wraith Lords - a great long term advantage. Alternatively **Construction 7** for ??Weapons of Sharpness?? will turn your basic hoplites into major threats (particularly when combined with the high level Alteration battlefield buffs). You can also get ??Lightless Lantern??s along the way. Sidestepping into **Enchantment 3** to pick up Strength of Giants can be done at almost any time in this process, if you are having trouble breaking through protection. | ||
+ | If that doesn’t close out the game you can push up to **Conjuration 9** for ??Legion of Wights?? and ??Tartarian Gate??. Pick up **Thaumaturgy 5** for ??Gift of Reason?? and potentially **Enchantment 7** for ??Gift of Health?? to turn on the Tartarian factory. | ||
+ | And you can always go into **Blood** for vampires. Probably not worth the effort, but amusing none-the-less. Particularly if you can convince a blood nation to trade you slaves for {{gems> | ||
- | ====== Appendix of Arco Tricks ====== | + | I recommend not going too deep into **Evocation**, |
+ | While they all have great options for you, rushing important research targets is key. You can always go back for ??Soul Slay?? or ??Mind Hunt?? | ||
+ | ===== Appendix of Arco Tricks ===== | ||
- | Point buffing (Alt4): Choose a solid basic troop, such as Heart Companions, Hoplites or Agema Companions. Mix with roughly 1 Mystic for every 4 ‘squares’ of your troops. Cast Body Ethereal on everything. Mix in Iron Warriors and any other buffs you have. Profit. | ||
+ | **Point buffing (Alt4):** Choose a solid basic troop, such as Heart Companions, Hoplites or Agema Companions. Mix with roughly 1 Mystic for every 4 ‘squares’ of your troops. Cast Body Ethereal on everything. Mix in Iron Warriors and any other buffs you have. Profit. | ||
- | Elephant Surprise (Alt5 Thaum4): Hide a group of elephants a province or two away from your main army. Move them up when your enemy tries to start a fight. Buff the elephants with key buffs (Body Ethereal, Iron Warriors, Rage of the Cornered Rat) and charge. | ||
- | Works very well if you can break into Air, for -ArmySize items and Gift of Flight. | ||
+ | **Elephant Surprise (Alt5 Thaum4):** Hide a group of elephants a province or two away from your main army. Move them up when your enemy tries to start a fight. Buff the elephants with key buffs (Body Ethereal, Iron Warriors, Rage of the Cornered Rat) and charge. Works very well if you can break into Air, for -ArmySize items and Gift of Flight. | ||
- | Foul Vapor Traps (Ench5): Get an Orphic Mystic with N2W1 or N1W1S1 (Water Sybils work too). | ||
- | Cast Foul Vapors and multiple Poison Wards to save your army. Watch as your enemy dies. | ||
+ | **Foul Vapor Traps (Ench5):** Get an Orphic Mystic with {{path> | ||
- | Mass army buffing (Alt7 Ench3 Const7): Marble Warriors. Mass Protection. Strength of Giants. Weapons of Sharpness. Legions of Steel. All spells with large AOEs, perfect for buffing your end-game armies. If you can break into air, Mass Flight is amazing. | ||
+ | **Mass army buffing (Alt7 Ench3 Const7):** Marble Warriors. Mass Protection. Strength of Giants. Weapons of Sharpness. Legions of Steel. All spells with large AOEs, perfect for buffing your end-game armies. If you can break into air, Mass Flight is amazing. | ||
- | Elemental spam (Conj5): Slightly over half of your Mystics will have any particular elemental path. | ||
- | See what types of armies your enemy is using, then bring out a communion full of the relevant mages to spam an elemental which counters it. (Spamming skellies? Throw out multiple fire elementals. Heavy infantry? Buffed earth elementals. Heavy thugs/SCs? Consider water elementals). | ||
+ | **Elemental spam (Conj5):** Slightly over half of your Mystics will have any particular elemental path. See what types of armies your enemy is using, then bring out a communion full of the relevant mages to spam an elemental which counters it. (Spamming skellies? Throw out multiple fire elementals. Heavy infantry? Buffed earth elementals. Heavy thugs/SCs? Consider water elementals). | ||
- | Mind hunting (Evoc6 Thaum5 Const6): Get a Sibyl with S3. Add a Starshine Skullcap and a Neokoros. Spam remote soul-slays with no risk of permanent harm. This can be done at Const4 with a Crystal Coin if you are happy sending 30S gems on promoting a S1E2 Mystic to S2E2. | ||
+ | **Mind hunting (Evoc6 Thaum5 Const6):** Get a Sibyl with {{path> | ||
- | Gem economy (Alt5 with pretender. Alt5 Conj5 Const6 without a pretender): Use Orphic Mystics early to site search for nature gems. Rush up the Alteration tree to Alt5, then cast Mother Oak with your pretender. Optionally, turn N gems into D gems with your Panagris mages (and consider Well of Misery in the end game). | + | **Gem economy (Alt5 with pretender. Alt5 Conj5 Const6 without a pretender):** Use Orphic Mystics early to site search for nature gems. Rush up the Alteration tree to Alt5, then cast Mother Oak with your pretender. Optionally, turn {{gems>N}} gems into {{gems>D}} gems with your Panagris mages (and consider Well of Misery in the end game). |
- | Interestingly, | + | Interestingly, |
- | Raiding methods: | + | **Raiding methods:** |
- | Swarm casting Orphic Mystics. | + | |
- | 2 Elemental casting Mystics. | + | |
- | 10 Hoplites. | + | |
{{tag> | {{tag> |