Masters of Mana

[[to_xp]Gekko]

129th year of the Age of Rebirth:

" Our empire has grown and the ice covers the Illian lands once again. But the death of a God must be avenged, and our people won't rest until the world is set into a cold slumber once again.


We're going to need more warriors to fight back the flaming tide of the Sheaim zombies, but our supply lines are already burdened with our current military efforts.


We thereore decide to set our less experienced troop as permanent garrisons into our cities, allowing us to field more troops to provide safety against our apocalyptic neighbours.


We will also need to favour of the arcane in order to protect our troops against the burning flames that they're certainly going to endure: which is why we decide to focus on the ways of abjuration, while we set our scientists to provide us with some basic knowledge that will help our empire develop better.


The Illian people abhor change ( Stasis is our thing... and we're going to use it to climb to the top of Erebus ) , but we're going to have to adapt to the needs at hand:

Destroying a goblin fort we find a stockpile of lumber, time to equip our best hunters with some fine weapons to make them even more deadly

In the south, we raze a skeleton barrow and find ancient scrolls that guide us ever closer to the knowledge of abjuration



To the east one of our hunters finds some poisoned weapons to give him an edge in combat, while another finds some fine hide armor to protect himself



We also field our first Frost Maiden, a priestess who will heal our troops and summon frostlings to harass our enemies











Unfortunately just don't have more time to play right now so I'll have to stop at 14 turns and pass it to NeOmega.


do not let the score trick you ( I'm pretty sure the Sheaim got unlucky and had their second city immediately razed by barbarians and that's why they're still at 1 city only ), take a look at this Sheaim stack that's destroying a nearby barrow O.O

 

[Neomega]

In the 143rd year, I, Aryit again took on the call of Braeden. In the next twenty years, surely Mulcarn proved I was most favored of all. Our empire was blessed far beyond all before me, and Captain Rawhide, my only competitor for Braeden's favor, met his demise at the hands of Orc. His taunting cost him his life. But not only did Mulcarn see the blood of my rival spilt in the snow, he also blessed our lands beyond belief.

In the first year of my second tour of command, prairie dogs were found south east of closer.

Spoiler :

In my fought year, I had gathered our forces to root out the last orc bastion in our lands. As I was healing, Braeden sent rawhide to do the job. Rawhide taunted the orcs, and they killed his entire party in a humiliating defeat, not a single orc was killed. (WTH? I don't know how that happened, he was full health, with armor, ambush, on a forest tile against a regular orc axeman, and they didn't even get hurt. In real life, I was PISSED!) We found massive amounts of stone in the bastion that they were using to build it even stronger, and we shipped it across the empire to build many new structures, a harbor for Closer, a training yard for Lakis, and a mage guild for Shipwreck.

Spoiler :

Armies of the undead were constantly being found all around our empire in areas we had never seen before. I am starting to suspect Sheaim treachery. Regardless, they always hold scrolls and riches. In the year 149, we found scrolls telling us of a secret society in the world called the undercouncil. I promptly advised Braeden to join it, and to focus our efforts on building up our leather equipment for our armies.
(revolted to undercouncil, harvesting)

Spoiler :

I heard a traveler wrote a memoir, he claimed to have traveled the entire world. The things he said about us were not kind, but he had to admit, we were the most advanced nation he knew of.

Spoiler :

Ten years after I had taken command, from where there was once the red of blood on the snow, now the towns people of Lakis noticed a deep blue and purple under their feet as they trampled the frozen leaves of acobor plants. The colors stayed in their boots no matter how they tried to wash it out. Now, we color our outfits wonderful purples and blues for the souls of higher value and favor of Mulcarn. (dye discovered)

Spoiler :

A few years later, Os-Gabella's pyre zombies destroyed some goblins outside their fort. Her foolish commander retreated a little to re-organize, and that left the rest of the goblins time to retreat. Our hunters saw the goblins retreat, so we raided the fort before Os-Gabella could. It felt like a just return for the incident NeOmega spoke of when our two civilizations first met. (spell research)

Spoiler :

Under my command, our armies continued to destroy any skeletons or goblins we came upon, and used what they had to continue to build up our armor and gear. (got three masterwork tools, was building hunter's guilds in the cities)

Spoiler :

The more we fought the undead skeleton, the more our sages learned about their dark powers, and how we may be able to defeat the dreaded pyre zombies. (also got a couple spell research bonuses and learned archery through exploring lairs)

Spoiler :

In some of the ruins near the pink mana crystals, our sages found inscriptions which explained he we could perhaps use shapes and numbers to improve our economy and weaponry. I didn't understand them, for I am but a hunter, but when they asked for more gold to explore more, I decide they knew better than I, and they told me they had discovered even more. (got the 462 beakers for mathematics)

Spoiler :

Then, in the last year of my second tour of command, reports began to flow in to Garduk from Closer of a food that grows sweet and plentiful per seed planted called corn. I have tasted it, and it is hard to believe how easily this food grows.

Spoiler :

The favors bestowed upon me assure me I have the favor of Mulcarn. I fear nothing, and only dream of more blood and bone on my blades as I explore further south. I have set festivals to begin to sing my praises, to showcase the animals I have captured, and display the battles we have won. The lands around the Illian empire will quake in fear of our wolves who dash tirelessly through the snow when they smell blood, and will marvel at the piles of bones we have amassed from our enemies, the weak will beg us of our mercy and serve us, and the strong will beg to fight with us rather than against us.

Spoiler :

 

[MaxWar]

Awesome stuff going on guys! But whats up with all those Helliphants!

 

[Gromblmompf]

Rawhide dead! Oh my! How could he die!

Love the last picture, but why no 5th city? To the southwest of Lakis, on the hill next to the Corn.

I think that Raging Wilderness is causing a lot of problems for the AI.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

that and we're playing on Monarch, I guess we're skilled enough for Emperor after all

very nice writeup and turnset NeOmega

once we get the needed tech for war elephants ( not sure if it's still horseback riding ) some of those elephants that roam the sourthern desert will join our military and make us even more mighty... they'll no doubt assist us against the Illians



a couple points on this turnset, for lurkers


1) all improvements can discover suitable resources, and adjacent cottages boost the chance to do so. this turnset we've got lucky and popped Dye 1N of Lakis and Corn in the farm 1E of Closer


2) see those new forests south of Closer? that's courtesy of the Bloom terraforming magic. you can either choose the target tile yourself, or let it get autotargetted for a more widespread effect ( which is what we've done here )



that last screenshot is classy

 

[Gromblmompf]

once we get the needed tech for war elephants ( not sure if it's still horseback riding )

The tech comes very very very late. Are we screwed if that megastack of Pyre Zombies decides to invade?

 

[esvath]

Without protection from fire (Fireshield, or Fire Resistance promotion), you'll be fighting by numbers. And to be honest, the Sheaim has so many Pyre Zombies (O__o). Moreover, they also have Skeleton Soldiers as starting summon, thus more enemies to fight.

For lurkers :

MoM change the mechanic of summons. Instead of called by arcane units and have one turn duration, summons now permanent and called by summoning rituals (spending mana and using a new, user friendly magic interface).

Each summons have different strength and unique abilities. Skeleton Soldiers (which the Sheaim has as starting knowledge), can raise Skeleton from units killed. So, beware of hordes of undead!

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

right now we've got 1.5 power rating compared to Sheaim, if we can keep that in the greens they won't DoW and we'll be able to choose exactly WHEN to start the fight

 

[Aline]

And on we go on our quest to bring peace... err winter to the world.

First of all we have a real elephant problem here, they are breeding like crazy.

Spoiler :

Our people learn how to write, from an orc encampment no less, it feels a bit wrong but we shall take whatever we get to enlighten.. err teach our people how to worship Mulcarn.

Spoiler :

Mulcarn´s teachings are fruitfull and a prophet is born, he will be given a position in Garduk.
Also a new settler is almost ready to claim new land.
We learn about slavery but we shall keep things the way they are for now, next up is pristhood, it will take a while but we need it to restore the white hand to its original power.

Spoiler :

The undercouncil offers us some aid, and we will gladly welcome the assassins in our ranks.

Spoiler :

The hunters continue to slaughter everything the can find.

Spoiler :

I have no idea what happend to the Sheaims army but i couldent find it anywhere, and since there is barely anyone left in their capital this can only mean one thing...

Spoiler :

That right!
WAR!

Spoiler :

Our brave heros lay waste to the deadly pyre zombies, some hunters fall in the battle and even one of the assassins gets killed.
The defenders are no match though and soon fall.
Os-Gabella, despite being immortal and one of the most powerfull beings alive on erebus is so shocked by this that she uses her magic to flee, the Sheaim are destroyed!

Spoiler :

Where is your fireshield now?

Our brave soldiers take over the city, plunder and pilage to their hearts content and feasting on what little the inhabitants had left, dooming them to starvation once the harsh winter sets in... good times.
Anyways the city is renamed and a monument is being built there, both to honor this glorious victory.

Spoiler :

This is our empire in 183... some one mind fixing our ecconomy?

Spoiler :

View attachment Team MoM AD-0183.CivBeyondSwordSave

 

[Neomega]

I'm not afraid of the Sheaim at all, honestly. We have 4 wolf packs and a few wolves we can throw away, we get a strength bonus on snow. We can also revolt to patriotism to get another strength bonus. Their pyre zombies are untrained, and 2 frostmaidens can summon suicide frostlings to weaken the stack. We have lumber (to equip our hunters with javelins) and well trained hunters (a few of which now have nice armor from lairs), and an adept that can deliver spell damage. We need to make more frostmaidens, I think, but javelin throwers are kind of a waste of time. Currently, I am training a javelin thrower by giving it easy kills (leftover from frostling suicide attacks) to hopefully get it the defense discipline, then city defender, then maybe magic resistance, before it is garrisoned. Our biggest concern now is pirates.

The Sheaim are doing very poorly this game. It is also monarch, and I usually play emperor, but the AI usually handles the raging wilderness much better than this.

LoL posted this as Aline was posting the Sheaim are gone.

This is our empire in 183... some one mind fixing our ecconomy?

We probably should revert to the best economy civics, and then use frostlings to soften up elephants, and capture as many as possible, (while building XP for our hunters and frostmaidens (so we can dominate some of the orcs and archers eventually) then garrison them. We can upgrade them to war elephants much later.

 

[Aline]

Ha ninjad!

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

way to get ninja'ed man

very well done Aline, nice name for our new city

We can now Summon Drifa when we get the tech, and I suggest we do so for awesomeness and also because it's part of our epic destiny victory condition IIRC.


it seems like Os-Gabella got ADHD in this game, I think she made a big stack of pyre zombies and then merrily sent them around the wilderness raiding lairs. the dangers of a lair-based economy...

( actually I'm now pretty damn convinced she got her second city razed by barbs . I remember I got the civalerts message that she founded one in my first turnset )



for lurkers:

1) Golden Ages now always cost 1 GP, but only bards and prophets can do so ( only scientists and engineers can bulb techs now ) .

2) most specialists give -1 food ( except merchants who give +1 food ) , so if you want a specialist economy you have to focus on food more ( food is easier to get though )

3) tile improvements are tied to terrain, so your economy will also be different based on that. for example cottages and farms on grassland, trade posts and pastures on plains, camps on tundra/snow etc.

don't like the terrain? you can change it via terraforming global rituals

 

[esvath]

Ha! Nice play, guys!

One thing, though, where did the hordes of Pyre Zombies a couple of screenshots ago go? Failed to clean the barbarians? Killed by monsters in the wilderness? Ported by Ceridwen into another dimension?

 

[Aline]

Ha! Nice play, guys!

One thing, though, where did the hordes of Pyre Zombies a couple of screenshots ago go? Failed to clean the barbarians? Killed by monsters in the wilderness? Ported by Ceridwen into another dimension?

I have absolutely no idea i whanted to keep an eye on that stack and i couldent find it anywhere.
The path to the south is blocked by peaks, phantom warriors and elephants.
It dident look like there was a fight going on so i looked for them in their capital and they wherent there, either they got killed somehow or the AI had them lurk around somewhere to the east of their city, near the cost.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

they thought we were playing Skyrim and wondered off the distance.

Oooh look shiny flowers and butterflies...


yeah, they got TOO entangled in lairbusting it seems . maybe they were seeking vengeance for the city they lost earlier



can someone upload an older save on www.masterofmana.com so Sephi can take a look at it?

 

[Neomega]

Ha! Nice play, guys!

One thing, though, where did the hordes of Pyre Zombies a couple of screenshots ago go? Failed to clean the barbarians? Killed by monsters in the wilderness? Ported by Ceridwen into another dimension?

I saw them trying to take the phantom warrior portal in the west. They probably fell there

 

[Aline]

That stack should have won though.

 

[Neomega]

That stack should have won though.

There is like 6 phantom warriors there. And phantom warriors have 4 first strikes, which makes them incredibly deadly.

 

[Ellestar]

6 workers per 6 cities is too little. I think you need to double it to have a decent economy.

You need to buy Carnival in a captured city, not a Monument. You have happiness for size 6 city, -1 for Palace Ruins. So, max size 5 and it's size 8. 6 population = 16 food, and you'll have unhealthiness there (8 - 5 (difficulty) - 1 (forest) = 2 unhealtiness = -4 food = 20 food required). If you get a Carnival (+2 happiness) with Stone, city loses 1 population and freezes at size 7 (6 + 2 - 1), 16 food produced - 2 (1 unhealthiness) = 7 population supported.

IMHO 1 extra population are well worth 400 stone, and you'll need Carnival there sooner or later anyway.

Wrong location for a city. With 3 spaces between cities you permanently lost 2 worked plots with resources.

 

[Gromblmompf]

I cant play right now, only in a few hours, but whyyyy did you build our new city there? Thats a horrible spot. 1 square to the NE would have been much better.