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| Vanarusian Berserker - a weaker version of the Chud Hirdman. If you are using Chud Hirdmen, you can recruit one or two of these guys every once in a while in situations when you can't afford to recruit one more Chud Hirdman, but can afford a Vanarusian Berserker. They trade blows with independent Tribes, Militias and Light Infantries at a roughly 2.5 to 1 rate, having the biggest edge against unarmored Tribes and a disadvantage against ranged attackers. This means you need roughly 75% as many Vanarusian Berserkers as there are enemies in order to come out of the fight with minimal losses.\\ | Vanarusian Berserker - a weaker version of the Chud Hirdman. If you are using Chud Hirdmen, you can recruit one or two of these guys every once in a while in situations when you can't afford to recruit one more Chud Hirdman, but can afford a Vanarusian Berserker. They trade blows with independent Tribes, Militias and Light Infantries at a roughly 2.5 to 1 rate, having the biggest edge against unarmored Tribes and a disadvantage against ranged attackers. This means you need roughly 75% as many Vanarusian Berserkers as there are enemies in order to come out of the fight with minimal losses.\\ | ||
| - | Oath-Bound - sacred defensive troops with a balanced cost. Unless you are using a heavy bless, there is no reason to recruit them as anything but bodyguards against nations with recruitable assassins. If you do use them as troops, be aware of their low combat speed and short weapons. The low combat speed makes them likely to take a hit first before they can attack and also makes them especially vulnerable to tramplers, such as Minotaurs or Elephants, while short weapons make them extremely vulnerable to a Fire Shield bless. Even without a bless, they trade blows with independents extremely well due to their high survivability, | + | Oath-Bound - sacred defensive troops with a balanced cost. Unless you are using a heavy bless, there is no reason to recruit them as anything but bodyguards |
| __Chud Hirdmen__ - strong troops with two attacks which require more resources than other normal troops. Well-suited for dealing with hordes of weak troops or with tough giants due to their good armor, berserking ability and dual-wielded slashing weapons. They trade blows with independent Tribes, Militias and Light Infantries at a roughly 3.5 to 1 rate, having the biggest edge against Wolf Tribe and ranged attackers, who can do almost no damage through their armor. This means you need roughly 35% as many Chud Hirdmen as there are enemies in order to come out of the fight with minimal losses. Chud Hirdmen are worse at dealing with Heavy Cavalry than Chud Skinshifters and often die to a lance charge before they can instantly kill the enemy with their own attacks. You can use Huskarls and archers from your starting army, summoned animals, Chud Skinshifters and other means to absorb lance charges in order to not pointlessly lose troops. Another danger for Chud Hirdmen are Barbarians, who present a similar problem to Heavy Cavalries - getting killed in one hit before you are able to kill the enemy in one hit - with a similar solution.\\ | __Chud Hirdmen__ - strong troops with two attacks which require more resources than other normal troops. Well-suited for dealing with hordes of weak troops or with tough giants due to their good armor, berserking ability and dual-wielded slashing weapons. They trade blows with independent Tribes, Militias and Light Infantries at a roughly 3.5 to 1 rate, having the biggest edge against Wolf Tribe and ranged attackers, who can do almost no damage through their armor. This means you need roughly 35% as many Chud Hirdmen as there are enemies in order to come out of the fight with minimal losses. Chud Hirdmen are worse at dealing with Heavy Cavalry than Chud Skinshifters and often die to a lance charge before they can instantly kill the enemy with their own attacks. You can use Huskarls and archers from your starting army, summoned animals, Chud Skinshifters and other means to absorb lance charges in order to not pointlessly lose troops. Another danger for Chud Hirdmen are Barbarians, who present a similar problem to Heavy Cavalries - getting killed in one hit before you are able to kill the enemy in one hit - with a similar solution.\\ | ||
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| Yngvar the Varyag - his main purpose is to bring a host of Oath-Bound into your capital a turn after his arrival (although in reality the Oath-Bounds will arrive at his current location at the start of the turn following his arrival). It is hard to think of any particular use for him aside from maybe carrying a Crystal Shield into battles, which is something Vanabogs can't do. Another possible use is making him into a super-stealthy Oath-Bound leading raider by equipping him with stealth boots and other stealth-boosting items, since Vanabogs cannot equip boots. Everything else, they can do better.\\ | Yngvar the Varyag - his main purpose is to bring a host of Oath-Bound into your capital a turn after his arrival (although in reality the Oath-Bounds will arrive at his current location at the start of the turn following his arrival). It is hard to think of any particular use for him aside from maybe carrying a Crystal Shield into battles, which is something Vanabogs can't do. Another possible use is making him into a super-stealthy Oath-Bound leading raider by equipping him with stealth boots and other stealth-boosting items, since Vanabogs cannot equip boots. Everything else, they can do better.\\ | ||
| - | Baba Yaga the Hag - same idea as the Last Perkunu, but with different paths and without being plugged into life support on arrival. She is also an extremely fast flier with built-in resistances, | + | Baba Yaga the Hag - same idea as the Last Perkunu, but with different paths and without being plugged into life support on arrival. She is also an extremely fast flier with built-in resistances, |
| ==== National spells ==== | ==== National spells ==== | ||
| Notable spells are __underscored.__ | Notable spells are __underscored.__ | ||
| - | Summon Simargl - weak non-magic flyers which you can summon one at a time. Their main purpose is patrolling, which they are very good at, second only to Nazca' | + | Summon Simargl - weak non-magic flyers which you can summon one at a time. Their main purpose is patrolling, which they are very good at, second only to Nazca' |
| - | __Summon Firebird__ - almost useless in combat, but extremely powerful economic boosters if produced in great numbers. There is one problem: you do not have a Fire/Astral crosspath in this era. Your chances at being able to summon them are the following: a) Pick an awake Deives of the Sun Pretender to empower some lizard shamans or independent Sages in Fire; b) pick Turmoil3/ | + | __Summon Firebird__ - almost useless in combat, but extremely powerful economic boosters if produced in great numbers. There is one problem: you do not have a Fire/Astral crosspath |
| Sloth of Bears - not sacred = not needed. Hypothetically you could use these regional summons for siege strength, but Cave Grubs or Black Hawks can do a better job, either because of strength or mobility. They also can serve as bait for enemy evocations thanks to their high HP, in situations when you need to go against an enemy who researched Evocation early, while you have a long way to go before you get Mist/ | Sloth of Bears - not sacred = not needed. Hypothetically you could use these regional summons for siege strength, but Cave Grubs or Black Hawks can do a better job, either because of strength or mobility. They also can serve as bait for enemy evocations thanks to their high HP, in situations when you need to go against an enemy who researched Evocation early, while you have a long way to go before you get Mist/ | ||
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| Awaken Draugar - fairly expensive and too few to be immediately useful, these regional undead summons can be a slightly better alternative to summoning generic Wights, especially underwater, thanks to having Amphibious trait, as opposed to Poor Amphibian for Wights.\\ | Awaken Draugar - fairly expensive and too few to be immediately useful, these regional undead summons can be a slightly better alternative to summoning generic Wights, especially underwater, thanks to having Amphibious trait, as opposed to Poor Amphibian for Wights.\\ | ||
| - | __Contact Alkonost__ - fast, flying and upkeep-free Holy 3 priests, who come two research levels earlier than the generic and hard to summon Bishop Fish. Normally only good for Divine Blessing and throne claiming, these ladies truly shine in the hands of MA Vanarus because of the nation' | + | __Contact Alkonost__ - fast, flying and upkeep-free Holy 3 priests who come two research levels earlier than the generic and hard to summon Bishop Fish. Normally only good for Divine Blessing and throne claiming, these ladies truly shine in the hands of MA Vanarus because of the nation' |
| - | __Summon Rusalka__ - more assassins than seducers, these undead creatures can only be reliably summoned by Baba Yaga, if you ever get her, and cost a whopping 16 Water gems, for a nation with no guaranteed Water income. This makes them more expensive for Vanarus than Alkonosts, because it takes Vanarus 2 gems to get an Astral pearl, but 4 gems to get a Water gem. On a more positive note, they can become extremely powerful assassins with Frozen Heart once Alteration 6 is researched, and they can allow your troops to breathe underwater.\\ | + | __Summon Rusalka__ - more assassins than seducers, these undead creatures can only be reliably summoned by Baba Yaga, if you ever get her, and cost a whopping 16 Water gems, for a nation with no guaranteed Water income. This makes them more expensive for Vanarus than Alkonosts, because it takes Vanarus 2 gems to alchemize |
| - | Send Vodyanoy - powerful Water mages that become available earlier than generic Naiads. However, they suffer from the same price issues for Vanarus as Rusalkas, and also have to be sent into a water province, which they can't get out of on their own, unless it's a province you already own and have a lab in. You will be unlikely to own a single water province, unless it's a tiny lake near your capital.\\ | + | Send Vodyanoy - powerful |
| __Send Lady Midday__ - another specialty spell for Vanarus. This time it's an ethereal flying assassin with a diseasing weapon. Unfortunately, | __Send Lady Midday__ - another specialty spell for Vanarus. This time it's an ethereal flying assassin with a diseasing weapon. Unfortunately, | ||
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| 10) With your Godes, build forts in every province, starting from your borders. This will increase your gold income and also will impede the progress of any invading army, forcing them to fight your powerful Pretender. Don't worry about losing resources in your capital – you barely have any in the first place, and Skinshifters can be recruited regardless, as long as you have at least some (you need 35 resources to recruit 7 Chud Skinshifters).\\ | 10) With your Godes, build forts in every province, starting from your borders. This will increase your gold income and also will impede the progress of any invading army, forcing them to fight your powerful Pretender. Don't worry about losing resources in your capital – you barely have any in the first place, and Skinshifters can be recruited regardless, as long as you have at least some (you need 35 resources to recruit 7 Chud Skinshifters).\\ | ||
| 11) For first wars, pick a target which doesn' | 11) For first wars, pick a target which doesn' | ||
| - | 12) Althogh it is not a priority, you can start mass-producing Wyverns with Summon Wyverns spell to spend all of your spare Air gems (Air items are still more important). Your Heat 1 temperature scale will negate the usual penalty for cold-blooded creatures in Cold dominion. Since you are already researching Construction 6 and Thaumathurgy 7, you can boost your Wyvern production with Dragon Sceptres | + | 12) Althogh it is not a priority, you can start mass-producing Wyverns with Summon Wyverns spell to spend all of your spare Air gems (Air items are still more important). Your Heat 1 temperature scale will negate the usual penalty for cold-blooded creatures in Cold dominion. Since you are already researching Construction 6, you can boost your Wyvern production with Dragon Sceptres.\\ |
| 13) Cast Revive King 10 times or more to get cheap commanders who cost no upkeep and equip them all with Soul Contracts as soon as you are able. This will give you 10 Devils per turn, forever (until horrors come). Devils under Fog Warriors will become your main force later on. Incidentally, | 13) Cast Revive King 10 times or more to get cheap commanders who cost no upkeep and equip them all with Soul Contracts as soon as you are able. This will give you 10 Devils per turn, forever (until horrors come). Devils under Fog Warriors will become your main force later on. Incidentally, | ||
| 14) Once you have at least 10 Soul Contracts, start casting Contact Alkonost. These creatures are largely useless in other eras, but Vanarus can blood sacrifice, so you get an upkeep-free flying Holy 3 priest who can blood sacrifice... at Conjuration 4 (as opposed to water-only Conjuration 6 Bishop Fish for other nations). Put them to work in every province you have, even underwater ones.\\ | 14) Once you have at least 10 Soul Contracts, start casting Contact Alkonost. These creatures are largely useless in other eras, but Vanarus can blood sacrifice, so you get an upkeep-free flying Holy 3 priest who can blood sacrifice... at Conjuration 4 (as opposed to water-only Conjuration 6 Bishop Fish for other nations). Put them to work in every province you have, even underwater ones.\\ | ||
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| //Research order// | //Research order// | ||
| - | Alteration 3 (Barkskin, Stoneskin, Quicken Self, Ironskin, Mossbody) -> Enchantment 2 (Personal Regeneration) -> Alteration 4 (Temper Flesh) -> Construction 6 (resistance rings, Soul Contract, Rod of the Leper King, Mistletoe Garland, Wooden Construstion spell, Vine Shield, Frost Brand, Ring of Regeneration, | + | Alteration 3 (Barkskin, Stoneskin, Quicken Self, Ironskin, Mossbody) -> Enchantment 2 (Personal Regeneration) -> Alteration 4 (Temper Flesh) -> Construction 6 (resistance rings, Soul Contract, Rod of the Leper King, Mistletoe Garland, Wooden Construstion spell, Vine Shield, Frost Brand, Ring of Regeneration, |
| // | // | ||