Acheron's Invulnerable Fortress

[Kansalaispoliis]

Hey everyone!

I've recently started playing a lot of FfH2 but there is still lot I seem unable to do.

Spoiler :

Here we have Acheron's Lair. Besides our friend Achie it has 36 bears (someone built Nature's Revolt), some archers but most importantly 13 Sons of the Inferno with Spell Extension I and Combat V meaning 13 very nasty Fire Elementals every turn.

How do you conquer that damn thing? Other than having, like, over 50 units I can't think of any way to survive the bombarding elementals.

I've got access to Iron and tech-wise I've just recently got Knights and Paladins. I think the game is on Monarch but I'm not sure what that actually does in FfH2.

 

[readercolin]

There are two ways you can do it. The first way is get a group of fast units (knights/horse archers/recon units with the mobility promotion). Then stand just outside of range of the fire elementals the turn before you attack, then send them all in and smash acheron and all his buddies with your massive stack of doom. I recommend sending in the recon units first, as acheron has to be the first one to die.

The second way to do it is with a more conventional stack. You need a number of units that can stand up to the fire elementals, and you need as many units that have medic 3 as possible (high priests, druids?, hero's). Then you slowly march in, and any fire elemental attacks get repelled by your defenders, and every turn you cast heal to prevent them from actually killing anything.

There may be a third way as well. The AI doesn't yet understand the importance of wasting elementals and other short duration units. This means that if you walk up with a gigantic stack, they may not attack you. However, I would not recommend on relying solely on this.

-Colin

 

[apenpaap]

Promote Archmages (Preferably Gibbon Goetia, but since you're Empyrean that will be problematic) to Mind III and Water III, and make them Dominate the Sons of the Inferno and build Water Elementals for defense against those Fire Elementals. Bring some big fighters too (Chalid if he's still alive would be a very good choice. Also Paladins) to defend your Archmages and take the city. If you really want to have fun, bring a few units with Subdue Beast to capture Archeron.

 

[Tasunke]

[[double post]]

 

[Tasunke]

I think using Mind III to dominate Sons of Inferno Could be a new way to Milk Acheron for all he's Worth. What I mean by that is ... I think using Mind III to dominate Sons of Inferno, rather than a Means to kill Acheron, is a rather proper End-goal which involves keeping Acheron alive indefinitely.

I only hope that the Clan of Embers can still Dominate barbarians without being at war with them. I think that could be a beautiful strategy for Esus Orcs ... but ONLY if its possible!!!

 

[Kansalaispoliis]

Thanks for the tips both of you!

Gibbon Goetia is a no-go as I don't have CoE cities. I've got Empyrean in every city and Ashen Veil, Order, Octopus Overlord and Runes slightly spread around. I founded Empyrean and Order but haven't even got the shrines yet.

Next turn after that screenshot I got declared by my friendly neighbours to the north so operation Acheron needs to wait. I lost Donal Lugh while defending but I managed to kill his stack. Now marching north, maybe I'll get some water mana on the way for those elementals.

Chalid is fortunately still alive but he's not strong yet.

I'll let you know how it goes once I get back to Acheron.

Edit. I managed to get Ride of the Nine Kings so I think the mounted assault might be my best option

 

[Tasunke]

ah .. well since you have your Ride of Nine kings may I suggest something.

Firstly ... Get a mix of 1/3 Chariots and 2/3 horsearchers (preferably) ... all chariots should get Strength Upgrades AKA combat stars, while half horseachers should get Flanking Promos + possibly one combat star, while the other half should go all drill promos. Attack with the Horsearchers first, and then with the Chariots.

 

[Kansalaispoliis]

Hehe, mounted siege. Sounds good. Why the Drill promos though?

 

[Emptiness]

There has been a report that the Fire Elementals don't actually attack anything, so it might be easier than it seems (although not necessarily actually easy).

 

[mcwill123]

The way that I did it the other night was with Chalid and 3 Luridis, plus a number of other assorted units. Yes the the Sons spells are nasty, but they don't kill. So one turn most of the units in my stack are nearly dead and the next they are healed. Chalid pounded the city with his pillar of fire, then killed Acheron at 98.5% odds. Of course this was fairly late game. (Maybe turn 300?) Anyway with the healing of the Luridis, my guys were easily able to finish off the city and come away with a few Sons of the Inferno converted to the cause.

 

[mahazel]

You can use Shadows to kill Sons of the Inferno, they are invisible, so fire elements shouldn't kill them.

 

[DaveGold]

You can use Shadows to kill Sons of the Inferno, they are invisible, so fire elements shouldn't kill them.

They're pretty tough so you'd lose a lot of shadows in the process. Think of 20 well promoted champions fixed into a city.

 

[Kansalaispoliis]

I got him. Thanks for tips everyone, but unfortunately I just had to go with ton of units because, well, I had a ton of units. Fire Elementals were indeed too afraid to attack the stack of over 150 units so that helped a lot. A more detailed description below.

Spoiler :

They're pretty tough so you'd lose a lot of shadows in the process. Think of 20 well promoted champions fixed into a city.

Well, I don't have access to Shadows anyway so that plan is a no-go.

Finally done with the crusade (literally) to the north. Notable captures are the leaves, octopi and veil holy cities but no shrines unfortunately. One connected Shadow mana, two unconnected Entropy mana and three un-noded I can't reach in a long while as I can't build Settlers (I declared on the weakest AI just before I obliterated the others to keep my Demacogs).

Back to Acheron it is, he's now up to 20 Sons making the total defenders about 55. While my main forces were up north I captured some of the surrounding barb cities and rushed the Mercurians to one of them. I have enough cities to manage, dammit. Mercurians auto-declared on the Infernals. I'm cool with that, I can keep my 'cogs even once I wipe out the weakling AI and they hated me anyway.

I've got:
~50 Demacogs
~40 Champions
~40 various mounted units, mostly Ratha
4 Paladins
4 Knights
6 Vicars (this is not good, but I'm not even close to Theology)
6 Mages with no relevant spells other than Courage
Some Flagcarriers for Morale
Few Catapults

Frigates ferried everyone over to the Mercurian capital near Acheron. I stacked them up, healed and buffed everyone with Courage etc and started to march forward. On route AC hit 30 but luckily at least nothing important died. I need to get rid of those AV cities..

With the Fire Elementals scared I just marched square by square forward using forests. Crown of Brilliance and Pillar of Fire nuked the city, used Flanking mounted and the several Catapults to siege more and finally crushed Acheron with Paladin offense.

 

[BlackArchon]

Maybe Sons of Inferno should get the 'Resist Fire' promotion. This would fit to their pedia entry.

 

[Tholal]

In my latest game, Acheron's city happens to be next to the Standing Stones, so the area is flooded with both Fire and Earth elementals! I think it's kind of interesting, but of course, I'm not bordering the area, so it's not anything I have to deal with.

 

[mcwill123]

Imagine that. In my current game he is also right next to standing stones. And I am bordering the city. But this is about turn 300. I'm in no hurry to tangle with him.

 

[SurahAhriman]

Was there another patch after the one that broke navies and buffed barbs and AI stacks? I've recently dealt with Acheron in my last two games, and in neither did he have even a single son, even though it was quite late into the game.

 

[readercolin]

yeah, we're on patch M now, patch J was the AI update that broke navies etc. You can find patch M in the bug thread.

-Colin

 

[Nor'easter]

Was there another patch after the one that broke navies and buffed barbs and AI stacks? I've recently dealt with Acheron in my last two games, and in neither did he have even a single son, even though it was quite late into the game.

Most recent patch is patch "m." I saw plenty of Sons of the Inferno in my latest game.

 

[esvath]

Most recent patch is patch "m." I saw plenty of Sons of the Inferno in my latest game.

Too plenty, if I might add