A way to improve Barnaxus

[Thennorin]

well if it was easy to train him, you might as well give all golems empower 5 already then.
if you are luchuirp, you should be beelining straight for barnaxus...

I think Barnaxus is just a symptom of a bigger problem for the entire Luchuirp race. They're the most boring developed civ I've played (and they shouldn't be - I love the theme!) because a large part of their early game is exactly the same, every time. There are two things you don't have a choice in when you play Luchuirp. In order, you MUST:

1) Beeline for Barnaxus since he's very weak and will want to beat up on 1 or 2 Str barbs while they're still around
2) Beeline for adepts to get something that every other race has already - healing!

#2 is a killer. It takes me off my preferred (with Luchuirp) melee & economic paths but without it, I can't even proceed to axemen/wood golems. This really messes up this race's ability to attack early, forcing a defensive style of play early on whether I want it or not. The Luchuirp should have more choices for healing. I'd suggest either:

1) Giving Barnaxus the repair spell. As it is you can't use him for ages after you get him since you need accompanying adepts.
2) Add a new Repairmen/Repairy-golem-thing unit or such and have it come in at or just before Metal Casting, along the melee line. This way if you go heavy golems (which Luchuirp should be, right?) you'll get healing eventually.

I think the lack of healing is great theme for the Luchuirp but as it's implemented it forces their hand too much. I don't mind the beelining for Barnaxus so much since it's down the melee/golem path and other races have similar synergies, too, (Elves) but having to go down an alternate path for healing is harsh. And predictable

 

[Saien]

What about Bambur? Yeah, it sticks you to the Runes, but that was going to happen anyways.

As it is, Luchuirp gets one of the earliest heros. Most are at or past Tier 3 units.

 

[MayNilad Man]

I was thinking that in order to make heroes in general, Barnaxus in particular, useful through out the ages we could have their strength scale with techs.

 

[Uberness]

Another thing that makes the luchurip kinda weak, is there weaker takes 25 production more, but you can't use food as part of that production, you might say being able to grow while building the workers is a bonus, but its not when you have a happiness cap and the worker takes over twice as long to build (not to mention how overpowered agriculture is making the workers pump out even faster then mud golems after the first worker get outs)


I just think it might be a good idea to remove the extra production from the mud golems, maybe even lower the cost abit more then a normal worker, I know they work twice as fast as normal workers, but your able to get 2-3x as many normal workers using food for production.

 

[Thonnas]

I came here intent on posting this:

considering the ledeng of barnaxus describes him teaching the other golems, it would be nice if he were able to teach some basic combat promotions liike shock, cover, and formation, and maybe even commando or mobility.

also, with the neutral and enemy land heal boost from combat 4 and 5 and march, barnaxus can actually heal better when not within friendly cultural borders.


additionally, as to the whole repair thing, maybe the luchuirp should get a repairman unit to replace prophets. this is where everyone else gets their first medic so it seems fair enough, and if they could also be upgraded to priests for whatever religion the luchuirp end up with it would still maintain the same role.

I like baranxus, but the limitations of the other golem are what really disappoint me.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I completely agree. Maybe an intellengent golem like Barnaxus should also be able to learn to repair himself.

 

[onedreamer]

Barnaxus may be weak compared to other heroes but you get it much earlier. He has MUCH higher strength than contemporary units, so I don't really understand concerns about this. He's the only one that can really kick Orthus' ass and grab his axe. The only grudge I have about him is that he only provides Empower promotion to Golems, I think this is the real downside as he should provide any promotion and of the same level (ie +20% strength and not +10%).

 

[Bad Player]

Yes perhaps that would help make Barnaxus more appealing.

 

[Arpymaster]

I remember a game where I lost The Baron against a maceman with 99.x% to win... it was back in FFH 1.17 or similar but I couldn't eat that... I quit the game...

Barnaxus was very interesting when his promos carried to the golems. I don't like him now, but...

 

[Bringa]

Wouldn't it be cool if you could attach Barnaxus to another (higher-level) golem, like a great commander? It should only give the target golem one more point of strength, but the promotions should be there and other golems should be able to benefit from this Barnaxus's promotions like they do from the regular one.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Barnaxus may be weak compared to other heroes but you get it much earlier. He has MUCH higher strength than contemporary units, so I don't really understand concerns about this. He's the only one that can really kick Orthus' ass and grab his axe. The only grudge I have about him is that he only provides Empower promotion to Golems, I think this is the real downside as he should provide any promotion and of the same level (ie +20% strength and not +10%).

That was the way it used to be. I think it was decided that it made golems a bit too powerful.
Also, I believe that prophets healing does work on golems as well, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyhow, thinking about it, I realize that Barnaxus is weaker than most other heroes in one aspect--he cannot get heroic strength. Myabe this is balanced by the fact that he can be ressurected w/o wasting a mana node, or maybe he'll get a quest to grow in the next phase.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

It would be cool if all golems got Shock I when Barnaxus got Shock II, and that sort of thing. It would also let the players expand their promotions for Barnaxus away from just the combat line.

 

[merciary]

I also think that giving different promotions would be better. I know I always play as the Luchuirp and in the late game it always seems like I'm throwing a mass amount of units at a well promoted unit while it gets stronger and I have no way of making a specialized unit against it. I think it'd be good if Barnaxus gave the empowered promotion to every golem, but was able to one of his promotions to the golems he's in the same tile with. Kinda of like Govannon but one per golem.

 

[Bad Player]

Would it really be too powerful to give all of barnaxus' promotions to all golems (except empower instead of combat)?

 

[Gamestation]

I have an idea on how to make Barnaxus better without making every single golem better at the same time. What if any friendly living non-hero unit with promotions other than combat I-V, magic, negative, and racial could give Barnaxus their promotions to it? That way later on if Barnaxus gets killed and rebuilt, a Luchuirp player can build some living units with the city raider and anti unit promotions and give those promotions to Barnaxus so that it would be better able to get more experience. Also the early warriors can be useful later on if they were promoted with something other than just combat promotions. The cost of doing this will be the unit giving the promotions (the unit will be lost as it joins the Barnaxus party).

 

[kenken244]

the problem with that is that the lurchip only have warriors i believe who can gain exp



i think that as the lurchip gain more advanced golem tech tehey should be able to build improvements onto barnaxus. so barnaxus can get stronger as tech advances for a cost. by the time they have golem mastery they should be able to make him as strong as (if not stronger) then their other golems at the time.

 

[Gamestation]

the problem with that is that the lurchip only have warriors i believe who can gain exp



i think that as the lurchip gain more advanced golem tech tehey should be able to build improvements onto barnaxus. so barnaxus can get stronger as tech advances for a cost. by the time they have golem mastery they should be able to make him as strong as (if not stronger) then their other golems at the time.

Not really, you can still adopt apprenticeship and build longbowmen with promotions. If you manage to get Ride of the Nine Kings you could build high level chariots. Beeri Bawl can build command posts. Give adepts promotions that are not magic or combat I-V and those should transfer. I'm aware that later on you won't be able to give Barnaxus all of the original promotions but some of the promotions is better than just the metal upgrade recieved upon being rebuilt. Thanks for replying though.

I agree that Barnaxus should be able to get a bit stronger over time with techs also. Barnaxus should at least be able to recieve the ability to cast fireball and recieve the light and/or heavy promotions which golems can end up starting with.

 

[kenken244]

also barnaxus shoudl have a exp gain system similar to that of adepts. since after all he is supposted to be learning so why couldent the dwarves in the city teach him about combat it should be really slow though so it dosent take away from the challenge, or maybe barnaxus has to be on the same space and cast a spell to give other golems promos

 

[Sureshot]

what about putting him with priests with Spirit guide spell and have them die around him?

 

[Gamestation]

also barnaxus shoudl have a exp gain system similar to that of adepts.

That idea (which by the way is the idea the original poster made) would certainly help out the AI when they play as the Luchuirp.