AI Cheat, feature or bug?

[Pyr0mancer]

I've found the best counter to Nox Noctis in its 0.32 form actually is using the Empyrean. Radiant Light still affects invisible units, and furthermore the pop-ups let you know not only where but how many units are there. Rathas are fast enough, especially with mobility II and haste, that a handful of them can maintain a safe perimeter by a combination of blinding and pillaging roads. Sure, you'll still lose some troops to leakers, but you'll stop the vast majority.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I'm pretty sure that neither Empyrean UUs that can see Invisibility nor the Revelation spell would counter Nox Noctis in 0.32; it should work fine in 0.33 though.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

He's talking about blinding light. As in, paralyzing the invisible stacks.

 

[xienwolf]

That is a handy work-around Good thing it won't be completely required shortly

 

[hapveg]

The blinding light thing works well the other way around too, paralysing invaders really helps defend Nox Noctis cloaked lands, allowing defenders to kill an enemy unit and wait for healing. Also gives more time for maelstrom and rust to hamper the enemy.

 

[Tyrs]

I'm not sure if it is this way anymore, but Domination used to work on invisible units to. I've gotten at least three courtesans with Vampire Lords that way.

 

[Pyr0mancer]

The blinding light thing works well the other way around too, paralysing invaders really helps defend Nox Noctis cloaked lands, allowing defenders to kill an enemy unit and wait for healing. Also gives more time for maelstrom and rust to hamper the enemy.

Heh, quite frankly Blinding Light is useful anywhere. Radiant Guards are relatively cheap, have an incredibly useful spell, and have two very good upgrade paths. Making them even more powerful, and even broken, is the fact that the AI has no clue how to split a stack. All it takes is one blinded unit to stop their whole 30-unit stack of doom, and so long as you don't blind every unit in the stack at the same time, you can keep it completely immobile.

My most recent game as Amurites, all it took to defend my single-city empire against the Ljosalfar (who had 4-5 times my score) was 7 or 8 Rathas with Flanking III, a mage and an adept for Regeneration and Haste, and a handful of swordsmen. Sure, the Flurries and Beastmasters took forever to kill, but hey, they're not going anywhere

 

[Monkeyfinger]

The worst thing about using blinding light on an enormous stack is the ear-crushing sound of 30 blind checks going off at once.