I don't play at the moment, but I greatly enjoy listening to Dominions lore and analysis. This one was very well made and I'm looking forward to watching the rest.
I gotta say, the unit you skipped over, Shamblers of the Deep, are my go-to for initial expansion. 6 attacks per square and 9 prot on a high HP unit makes them take manageable attrition and wreck most UW provinces until you need the basalt spears.
I dunno, the difference is that basalt spear on the Warriors of the Deep hits for 25 damage while the stone spear of the Shambler of the Deep hits for 17. That's pretty considerable even during expansion. Sure the prot is better on the Shambler, but I think killing things FASTER is just better unless you are specifically fighting, say, shark tribe (in which case I would use poison barb infantry if I had a choice anyway).
I agree with the killing things faster approach and that was my reason for using Shamblers of the Deep! To clarify this is not a spear-using unit like you've suggested, but the unarmed variety of shamblers of the deep. They have 2 claw attacks and a bite and size 3 for 6 attacks per square at very similar damage as the smaller basalt spear users. The basalt spear is a +4 damage weapon which is the same value by which shambler strength exceeds deep ones. So in a square the deep ones have a 3 * 14 damage bites + 3 * 16 damage spears for 90 per round, the shamblers have 4 * 16 damage claws + 2 * 18 damage bites for 100 damage per round. Only slightly higher, and the spear gives the small ones +1 attack on some attacks. But very comparable in the "killing enemies faster" department while taking less attrition. They will however drop like giant wingless underwater flies against posion barbs due to the claw length.
I'd say that reef dwellers definitely have their use as chaff against cavalry with a hoof attack. They'll die in droves but you can definitely deal some damage back against elf cavalry if they aren't blessed for poison resistance.
While EA Atlantis gets no national heroes normally, if you have Worthy Heroes they get some very interesting ones (one breaks you into air, one breaks you into nature and has a forge bonus, and the final one is holy 4 and can hit holy 5 if propheted. And holy 5 is absolutely hilarious against anybody relying on demons or undead...
I discovered a blessing that makes the Living Pillars quite effective. In an AI game, I was fighting Kailasa, and they were literally unstoppable unless routed Via commander. I used 5 Reinvigoration and 2 Defense Skill effects, 6W10E Pretender. The Pillars were unstoppable because of the high protection, and the natural protection of the head was enough that arrows were mostly ineffective. With the Reinvigoration, they didn't pass out after 5 swings, and the defense skill, mediocre as it was, managed to stop some of the attacks from hitting. Very good with this blessing. Going after Therodos, Machaka, and Tir na n'Og next.
I wouldn't underestimate the living pillars.. i casted rigor mortis and curse of stones and they still held out for most of the battle. Slap on regen and magic resist on them and you're straight.. Had an atlantis player win with a bless like that. Can't remember if they took regen but they most likely did.
What about your mages of the deep that random water 4? Should be as (un)common as fire 2/earth 2. And since your basalt king can make hammers, you just need 3 water gems to get those water 4 mages to water 5. (or the much more numerous water 3 guys to water 4 to spam falling frost or something)
The issue is that no one cares if you have a W4 mage. It's not like Atlantis is lacking for water magic to begin with, and there aren't a ton of really good spells in water where the scaling really matters. Falling Frost can be pretty good I guess, but evocations in general are pretty weak (plus the acid evo's are much better so you STILL want the fire random more than the water random) and no point sending a W4 to do a W2's job if all you are gonna do is spam water elementals. Water in particular has really good access to boosters, so getting high water is kinda *meh* from both a ritual and combat perspective.
i mainly wish the mages of the deep were sacred. hugely better research efficiency plus they'd love a reinvig bless. or far caster! i don't even care about priest levels tho i'd take it of course. i feel like that'd push them from "acceptable, all things considered" to a solid workhorse mage. churning out dudes who can summon claymen, terracotta warriors and eventually green lions plus the F2 and E2 combat mages isn't the worst. never mind the decent crafting options. getting nothing at all special to recruit in land forts does hurt tho. it's kinda boring, you know? if you want a strong earth nation with amphibian troops you're maybe better off with Agartha, but if Atlantis got just a little something for spice that'd go a really long way for me. maybe throw a helmet at the pillar fish while we're at it, it would leave them with a less glaring weakness and could open up the choice of what kind of bless you're aiming for exactly. Atlantis isn't far away from having a much nicer range of options.
I don't play at the moment, but I greatly enjoy listening to Dominions lore and analysis.
This one was very well made and I'm looking forward to watching the rest.
I gotta say, the unit you skipped over, Shamblers of the Deep, are my go-to for initial expansion. 6 attacks per square and 9 prot on a high HP unit makes them take manageable attrition and wreck most UW provinces until you need the basalt spears.
I dunno, the difference is that basalt spear on the Warriors of the Deep hits for 25 damage while the stone spear of the Shambler of the Deep hits for 17. That's pretty considerable even during expansion.
Sure the prot is better on the Shambler, but I think killing things FASTER is just better unless you are specifically fighting, say, shark tribe (in which case I would use poison barb infantry if I had a choice anyway).
I agree with the killing things faster approach and that was my reason for using Shamblers of the Deep! To clarify this is not a spear-using unit like you've suggested, but the unarmed variety of shamblers of the deep. They have 2 claw attacks and a bite and size 3 for 6 attacks per square at very similar damage as the smaller basalt spear users. The basalt spear is a +4 damage weapon which is the same value by which shambler strength exceeds deep ones. So in a square the deep ones have a 3 * 14 damage bites + 3 * 16 damage spears for 90 per round, the shamblers have 4 * 16 damage claws + 2 * 18 damage bites for 100 damage per round. Only slightly higher, and the spear gives the small ones +1 attack on some attacks. But very comparable in the "killing enemies faster" department while taking less attrition. They will however drop like giant wingless underwater flies against posion barbs due to the claw length.
Should likely point out that the W3 mages can cast both Sailors Death and Curse of the desert.
Btw, nobody made a berytos analysis yet.
I'd say that reef dwellers definitely have their use as chaff against cavalry with a hoof attack. They'll die in droves but you can definitely deal some damage back against elf cavalry if they aren't blessed for poison resistance.
While EA Atlantis gets no national heroes normally, if you have Worthy Heroes they get some very interesting ones (one breaks you into air, one breaks you into nature and has a forge bonus, and the final one is holy 4 and can hit holy 5 if propheted. And holy 5 is absolutely hilarious against anybody relying on demons or undead...
4:53 oof now I know where the lobo guard come from
I discovered a blessing that makes the Living Pillars quite effective. In an AI game, I was fighting Kailasa, and they were literally unstoppable unless routed Via commander. I used 5 Reinvigoration and 2 Defense Skill effects, 6W10E Pretender. The Pillars were unstoppable because of the high protection, and the natural protection of the head was enough that arrows were mostly ineffective. With the Reinvigoration, they didn't pass out after 5 swings, and the defense skill, mediocre as it was, managed to stop some of the attacks from hitting. Very good with this blessing. Going after Therodos, Machaka, and Tir na n'Og next.
Thank you, sir! Such great analysis for newbies like me.
I wouldn't underestimate the living pillars.. i casted rigor mortis and curse of stones and they still held out for most of the battle. Slap on regen and magic resist on them and you're straight..
Had an atlantis player win with a bless like that. Can't remember if they took regen but they most likely did.
1 critique, clam of pearls needs 1W 1N not 1W 1S so EA Atlantis can't natively make it.
I could have *sworn* they were S but no, you're right. Sorry!
What about your mages of the deep that random water 4? Should be as (un)common as fire 2/earth 2. And since your basalt king can make hammers, you just need 3 water gems to get those water 4 mages to water 5. (or the much more numerous water 3 guys to water 4 to spam falling frost or something)
The issue is that no one cares if you have a W4 mage. It's not like Atlantis is lacking for water magic to begin with, and there aren't a ton of really good spells in water where the scaling really matters. Falling Frost can be pretty good I guess, but evocations in general are pretty weak (plus the acid evo's are much better so you STILL want the fire random more than the water random) and no point sending a W4 to do a W2's job if all you are gonna do is spam water elementals. Water in particular has really good access to boosters, so getting high water is kinda *meh* from both a ritual and combat perspective.
22:00 I seem to remember the "clam of pearls" being n1w1 not s1w1?
Could you pleace make Ma Man as Basic Nation Analysis i would love too help you than!!! Pleace!!!
i mainly wish the mages of the deep were sacred. hugely better research efficiency plus they'd love a reinvig bless. or far caster! i don't even care about priest levels tho i'd take it of course. i feel like that'd push them from "acceptable, all things considered" to a solid workhorse mage. churning out dudes who can summon claymen, terracotta warriors and eventually green lions plus the F2 and E2 combat mages isn't the worst. never mind the decent crafting options. getting nothing at all special to recruit in land forts does hurt tho. it's kinda boring, you know?
if you want a strong earth nation with amphibian troops you're maybe better off with Agartha, but if Atlantis got just a little something for spice that'd go a really long way for me. maybe throw a helmet at the pillar fish while we're at it, it would leave them with a less glaring weakness and could open up the choice of what kind of bless you're aiming for exactly. Atlantis isn't far away from having a much nicer range of options.
Big fan of Order 3/Turmoil 3!
I don't remember. I think luck 3/turmoil 3, or production 3/ turmoil 3.
@Leugimimi or, it's something that was said by the guy.
also warriors od the deep with there cold/fire resist also care less about your above gound temp scales
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