Combat, help with stacks...

[pchem]

Hi. I was playing FFH2 0.34h as the Amurites. I invaded the Sidar, Basium, and Elohim. My main force was a stack led by the two Order heros, Sphener and Valin. It was suppored by some mages and normal medium strength units.

My problem is this: when invading those guys, Sphener would seemingly NEVER defend the stack. Beyond frustrating! He was loaded, and was developed not just as a city-buster but as an all-around defender and strong unit. I don't think all my enemies had marksmanship promotions. I know some units like ghosts/assassins target the weakest enemy in the stack, but more than just those units were doing it.

So what's the deal? How exactly are defending units chosen in stack combat? I always seemed to be attacking the enemy's strongest unit, so why weren't my big guns defending? Is there a procedure to go through so that this happens more often? A preferred hero to do it with?

thanks. I am not really new to FFH2 but I do not play it frequently enough to know all the ins and outs.

 

[Blakmane]

heroes are less likely to defend the stack than other units- check the hero promotion tooltip. This is to protect them from unit spam getting lucky and taking them out, and also to make them more viable targets for marksmen.

 

[DarkxL0rd]

actually since he is a disciple unit. so he doesnt have priority to defend. usually melee units do. at least that's what ive found in my games. my alazkan and basium never had trouble defending first and very often. and for some reason, when attacking with a stack. my valen always wants to attack first... weird.

 

[Keeper_GFA]

All of the channeling promotions include a reduced chance to defend a stack. Sphener has all three, but I don't know if they stack.

 

[pchem]

Good info in all replies guys, thanks. Anyone have a favorite hero for stack defending? Sometimes, it's more useful to have a beefy hero defend than see your beastmen, longbows or bersekers all get taken out.

 

[cyther]

If you are defending with heroes use Maros, possibly the best defender in the game.

 

[Demus]

maros and arthendain (sp., the runes hero) are great stack defenders. The dragon's aren't that bad eighter, once you give them some first strikes

 

[KillerClowns]

Auric Ascendant Ascended automatically defends stacks, regardless of odds, who is attacking, or who else is in the stack.
This isn't necessarily a good thing, though, especially when the Godslayer comes around. But other than that, if you're gonna have a stack defender... now if only he could pick up promos as well.

 

[Zechnophobe]

Are you sure about that Killer? That seems pretty random.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Auric Ascended has a +1000% percent chance of defending, thanks to the Avatar racial promotion. It is possible for another unit to defend, but Auric would have to be awfully injured and the other unit would have to be very strong and have a lot of promotions that make it more likely to defend.

Also, he obviously won't defend when 2 rivals with whom you are at peace are fighting and the defender happens to be on the same tile as him, or if a rival with whom you are at peace is attacking your HN unit on the tile.


Although (unmodded) FfH doesn't use them, the <UnitClassTargets> or <UnitCombatTargets> fields would still let a unit target specific types of units even if he is in the same stack.

 

[pchem]

What other heros/units have the Avatar promotion?

 

[Shakiko]

none - unless I missed another God walking the earth of Erebus....

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

the meshabber of dis and the mithril golem IIRC.

any other?

 

[rocklikeafool]

heroes are less likely to defend the stack than other units- check the hero promotion tooltip.

The key is this phrase right here.

 

[KillerClowns]

the meshabber of dis and the mithril golem IIRC.

any other?

They're avatars with a lowercase "a," however; very powerful entities, but not physical manifestations of gods. They don't get the Avatar promotion; they're a demon and a golem, respectively, and the Godslayer is just a sword against them; albeit a very well-made and powerful one.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

you're right. should't the avatar of wrath be an avatar though?

 

[Darksaber1]

Their a bit more then just a Demon and a Golem:

Well, the Avatar of Wrath is an Archangel, so he should have Avatar or some variant on it.
The Mithril Golem is the figurative embodyment of dispare and anger at the end of the world, so it should have some raviant of Avatar.
The Horsemen are the embodyments of the Gods fears, soo...
EDIT: Whoops, variant, not raviant. Well, by variant, just some promotion that marks them as "special".

 

[MagisterCultuum]

If the Avatar of Wrath gets Avatar for being an archangel then Brigit, Hyborem, and Basium would need it too. I tend to think that is too much. I'm not sure what kind of variant you mean.

The Mithril Golem isn't really such an embodiment, it is a golem that a distressed Kilmorph agreed to personally enchant. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a raviant before


I rather like the idea of letting the 4 Horsemen be avatars though.

 

[cyther]

If the Avatar of Wrath gets Avatar for being an archangel then Brigit, Hyborem, and Basium would need it too. I tend to think that is too much. I'm not sure what kind of variant you mean.

The Mithril Golem isn't really such an embodiment, it is a golem that a distressed Kilmorph agreed to personally enchant. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a raviant before


I rather like the idea of letting the 4 Horsemen be avatars though.

Personaly I would be against making anything involved with Armageddon having the Avatar promotion. It would make it too easy to fend off the horsemen and the Avatar of Wrath if you had the Godslayer.

 

[zup]

Perhaps Avatar promotion could be ditched and give godslayer a bonus against Auric. I hate most things associated with reduced/increased chance to defend. The only useful thing I find is vampires taking shelter behind the renewable bone wall if odds are not in their favor.