Loki

[BlakeTheDrake]

I'm halfway into my first Balseraph run, and I must say, Loki is an... interesting fellow. The 'Disrupt' and 'Entertain' powers certainly are useful, but... is there any way to level him up?

I was somewhat surprised that he couldn't attack at all - but fair 'nuff, he's not a straight combatant. I can deal. However, in spite of having Channeling I and II, he never seems to passively gain XP the way Adepts and Priests do, either... nor can he participate in Arena Games.

Is it possible to get him some XP in some other way? Like, investigating Lairs, or something? 'cuz if not, I really don't understand why he's got Channeling II, with no way to actually use it.

 

[Azhral]

You can get him XP, but as he has no UnitCombat he can never level up.

Loki's point and purpose is to explore rival civs, and nick their cities wherever possible.

 

[JohnCataldo]

Loki is very static. He's best as an explorer, period, especially with sending puppets out.

 

[BlakeTheDrake]

Well, I've found his 'Disrupt' very useful - already filched several cities from my neighbors. It's quite easy considering how low priority the AI tends to put on Culture-buildings.

Still, my question remains - why does he start out with Channeling II if he can never learn Level 2 Spells? Maybe in an older version, he could level up, but it made him too overpowered?

 

[Azhral]

Dunno. I suppose he may have had Charm and Mutate at some stage (which would make him radically overpowered). I figured it was there for another reason (spell modifications, less likely to get attacked in a combat stack, puppet handling, threat level).

 

[BlakeTheDrake]

Oh yeah... it's easy to forget that Channeling does more than just enable spells. That might very well be it...

 

[Goodwill]

My favorite use for him is masquerading as a highwayman on the lookout for settlers, and then follow them to where they settle. Then I gank. Sometimes it's fun to see new people use their settler bodyguards to attack Loki in vain, only to leave the settler exposed to a nice spider or something, depending on if I wanted the city anyway or not. It's easy to blame a spider....

Against the AI, Loki is pretty useful as a front line defense actually, though it feels a bit cheap, but in a pinch he can go a long way. I can usually use him to distract an incoming stack, drawing them out into other more open areas, or splitting them up as some of their units chase him down. Then my other units can pick those guys off. Even if I don't have anything to take them out with, re-positioning Loki in attack range of their units every turn can get them chasing their own tails and running in circles.