Flesh golems

[xalien]

I've decided to finally give some attention to those guys and was wondering about the ways to increase their strength. Specifically, when unit to be grafted has different types of damage, e.g. how strong is considered a paladin (11+3 holy), 11 or 14?

 

[WarKirby]

Looking at the code:

Spoiler :

def spellAddToFleshGolem(caster):
	pPlayer = gc.getPlayer(caster.getOwner())
	pPlot = caster.plot()
#Can either use Tarq's fix (block all immortals) or this one (cancel any immortality).  Personally I don't care
#	caster.changeImmortal(-20)
	iChanneling = gc.getInfoTypeForString('PROMOTION_CHANNELING')
	iChanneling2 = gc.getInfoTypeForString('PROMOTION_CHANNELING2')
	iChanneling3 = gc.getInfoTypeForString('PROMOTION_CHANNELING3')
	iDivine = gc.getInfoTypeForString('PROMOTION_DIVINE')
	iUndead = gc.getInfoTypeForString('PROMOTION_UNDEAD')
	iFleshGolem = gc.getInfoTypeForString('UNITCLASS_FLESH_GOLEM')
	pFleshGolem = -1
	for i in range(pPlot.getNumUnits()):
		pUnit = pPlot.getUnit(i)
		if (caster.getOwner() == pUnit.getOwner() and pUnit.getUnitClassType() == iFleshGolem):
			pFleshGolem = pUnit
	if pFleshGolem != -1:
		if caster.baseCombatStr() > pFleshGolem.baseCombatStr():
			pFleshGolem.setBaseCombatStr(pFleshGolem.baseCombatStr() + 1)
		if caster.baseCombatStrDefense() > pFleshGolem.baseCombatStrDefense():
			pFleshGolem.setBaseCombatStrDefense(pFleshGolem.baseCombatStrDefense() + 1)
		for iCount in range(gc.getNumPromotionInfos()):
			if (caster.isHasPromotion(iCount)):
				if (iCount != iChanneling and iCount != iUndead and iCount != iChanneling2 and iCount != iChanneling3 and iCount != iDivine):
					if not gc.getPromotionInfo(iCount).isRace():
						if gc.getPromotionInfo(iCount).getBonusPrereq() == -1:
							if gc.getPromotionInfo(iCount).getPromotionPrereqAnd() != iChanneling2:
								if gc.getPromotionInfo(iCount).getPromotionPrereqAnd() != iChanneling3:
									if gc.getPromotionInfo(iCount).isEquipment() == False:
										pFleshGolem.setHasPromotion(iCount, true)
		if pFleshGolem.baseCombatStr() >= 15:
			if pPlayer.isHuman():
				t = "TROPHY_FEAT_FLESH_GOLEM_15"
				if not CyGame().isHasTrophy(t):
					CyGame().changeTrophyValue(t, 1)

Notable things.

1. The flesh golem's strength will increase by 1, if a stronger unit is fused with it. Apparently only by 1, so try only to fuse things that are barely stronger to begin with, and work up to the upper level units.

2. It uses base combat strength. I can't be sure, but I think this literally the base strength, before special damage types. So it's likely that the extra holy damage wouldn't apply, and a paladin would be counted as 11

3. The golem can get any promotions the target has, except:

Channelling 1-3
Undead
Divine
Any racial promo
any equipment promo
Any promo which has channeling 1-3 as a prereq (all spells)


4. If the strength goes above 15, you recieve a trophy. I suspect you might have to feed it dragons and heroes for that, perhaps.

 

[Charlie_B]

A quick play in world builder shows that

a) Paladins' holy strength is counted - they work as a normal str 14 unit (the golem gets basic strength from them, not holy)
b) Channelling I can be grafted to a golem, but not II or III
c) But you can't graft any spells (you can graft spell extension and summoner tho...)
d) If you graft a unit with attack str above the golem's but defence str below, only the attack str is added (and presumably visa versa)

 

[WarKirby]

did you test lv1 spells, charlie?

I can't actually see anything in the code that would block those..

However, it shouldn't be giving channeling I.
The code I posted is from the Fall Further version, which may be slightly different in that regard. Perhaps FFH doesn't block channeling I. but if you can't learn any spells, then it really should.

 

[Charlie_B]

I tested a handful of spells: Death I, Chaos I, Fire I, and none of them grafted. I'm not sure why Spell Extension I does, as that requires Channelling I as well. Either way, it seems that the ability to graft Channelling I is probably unintended.

 

[xalien]

Sweet, thanks for info. 15 for a trophy you say? Well, beastmaster with poison blade would be 15, or 16/15 for Svart.

 

[EverNoob]

I've always wondered how cost effective Flesh Golems were, considering the amount of units you'd need to sacrifice to bring its strength up. Anyone manage to come up with a reasonable way to use them?

 

[Earthling]

This is just hearsay, maybe patched from an older version, but can't you graft summons like Krakens?

 

[HadesScorn]

Well, only time I made one was for the Trophy, but he did manage to take down an entire civilization on his own [scorched earth].

Don't focus entirely on feeding him pure strength promos. Abilities that grant him useful skills are even more important than raw strength. Cannibalize is key, along with First Strike [thought FS has completely changed since I built him, so maybe less important]. Resistance to all magic types is a definite plus. IIRC, He can acquire Heroic Strength and Defense, so make use of that Mutate/Wonder! Finally, Mobility and Blitz allow him to raze cities and retreat before any mega stack can approach him. This leads to the most important ability of all: FLYING. If you're planning on building one, make certain you have access to this. I was lucky and popped an Angel from a dungeon. You may want to get an early griffin or find another unit with this late game.

By the time you get the trophy, you should have more promotions than you can conceivably need. Best way of doing that is putting him near a city with his attendant mage and then have that city pop low level units. Cast mutate on the units, then graft the ones with useful promos. Have another city pumping out the units that actually increase his base strength.

 

[xalien]

I want to make them mostly for fun, just to see how much stuff I could give them. Interesting idea about kraken, I'll give it a try.

 

[Kyroshill]

Be sure to graft a hawk..... for flying flesh golems..... THAT gives value

 

[WarKirby]

I've always wondered how cost effective Flesh Golems were, considering the amount of units you'd need to sacrifice to bring its strength up. Anyone manage to come up with a reasonable way to use them?

Graft a hawk onto them

FLYING FLESH GOLEMS.

But in general, it's like build your own hero. You can give them almost anything aside from spells. No matter how awesome he is, valin phanuel can never fly. And any hero is eventually going to suffer diminishing returns as it takes more and more xp to level up.

I find that flesh golems are especially good as calabim. Make some new vampires, and have them feast their way through the first few cheap levels. Promote one with combat I-V, one with Drill _IV and blitz, one with shock, cover, formation, scourge, etc. One with magic resistance, and all the elemental resistances. And then just fuse them all together into one golem, handily provided by a vampire lord.

The golems can be vampiric too, although the extra healing is the only real benefit they get. Golems can't level up so feating is useless.

Another good thing to do, is cast mutate on stacks of warriors. And fuse the good mutations with your golem. It can get cannibalize, heroic strength/defence, and such things like that.


Oh, and ANOTHER good thing to do, is playing as balseraphs. Send your mimics out across the globe, collecting rare and exotic promotions like Dexterous, Woodsman/Guerilla II, etc. And them fuse them all with your golem, for one of the most unique and varied units you'll ever see.

 

[EverNoob]

wow...those are all really nifty ideas everyone. Especially the Kraken and Hawk one! I tried them out abit a long time ago and it was ok. But knowing what I know now, I'll give them another try

 

[xalien]

Not sure about giving them flying as it would negate the roads. Guess it's value depends on a map type.

 

[cabbagemeister]

Krakens are a great idea to get the base strength up; I'll have to try that. Similarly, I bet a summoned Tiger + Nature's Revolt would be good to get the Heroic promos.

To get tons of good standard promos (like, say, Combat V) without losing a high-level unit, use your immortals--they come back to life after you graft them. The best option of course is to use Vampire Lords, who can create the flesh golem, then sacrifice themselves to their own golem as many times as they want.

 

[xalien]

Similarly, I bet a summoned Tiger + Nature's Revolt would be good to get the Heroic promos.

Not sure what you mean by that, never did that ritual.

To get tons of good standard promos (like, say, Combat V) without losing a high-level unit, use your immortals--they come back to life after you graft them.

I've read that immortal units can't be grafted. I was thinking about using arcane units for combat promotions, maybe even those archmages that summoned them.

 

[cabbagemeister]

Not sure what you mean by that, never did that ritual.

Nature's revolt gives all animal units (including player-owned animals) the Heroic Strength and Heroic Defense I and II promotions.

I've read that immortal units can't be grafted.

Is that from a recent patch? I know I've used Vamp Lords for that purpose not too long ago.

 

[xalien]

That was from a manual that is a bit outdated now.

 

[jimi12]

I always graft a werewolf and then krakens. makes for a nice civ-killing unit

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Why would you graft Werewolves? The werewolf spawning mechanic has been unit-specific since the move to BtS, so grafting a werewolf wouldn't make your flesh golem spread lycanthropy. (That may change soon in FF though.) Krakens lost their HN promotion since then too, but having Stealth can also be useful.