Another style of playing Loki is mutated mimics. Mimics are in fact the strongest (champion level unit) melee unit around even though they have 1 str less than normal champions. They have this insane ability to steal promotion. Mutate the mimics, send the good ones out to attack. Everytime the mimic wins combats (either defending or attacking), it will STEAL a promotion it does not have, eg combat 3. Usually you can afford to promote new mimics with mobility, and mutate them then use them to attack. They can usually get a free combat promotion. You can even steal the hero promotion.
If you go ashen veil and get ritualists, you can build up a really powerful army at a cheap cost (mimics cost 80, same str as ranger with iron working), coupled with ritualist pillar of fire to damage the enemy. You might not have any uber hero units, but because of steal promotion/mutation, you are guaranteed to have a lot of mimics with 5-6 promotions at level 3 which can easily clear units of the same class, especially with pillar of fire. If you are lucky with mutation to get strong promotion and use your mimic to kill a hero and steal hero promotion, you are on your way to victory.
I am quite sure you can execute this strategy way before you can get druids or archmages. Iron working/priesthood is way in front of the tech tree compared to strength of will or the druid tech. I usually ignore taskmasters as the tech is out of the way. Besides, taskmasters have an attack str of 7, same as mimic with iron working, but cannot steal promotion, cannot upgrade to mith weapon and cost more to build. Although they can create slaves, you can do that too by running slavery civic together with STW. I have won AI on immortal levels using the strat
The best part is that you can upgrade your mimics to phalanax in late game. My level 10 mimic with hero promotion (and at least 15 other promotions) upgraded into a 16 str phalanax with like 130+% str, mobility and commando.
) Barrage 1. However, it doesn't seem to have any effect. Should it?
