Shadow unit

[feydras]

Do you need CoE state religion to build a shadow unit or just CoE in the city or just the right techs? I thought you needed CoE as state religion.

I recently played as the Balseraph and was able to build Courtesans (Bal's shadow unit replacement) while running Runes. The city did have CoE in it but i don't know if that mattered.

 

[JDexter]

You don't need CoE in any city nor as your state religion to build Shadows (but you do need the appropriate tech for Shadows).

Edit: Well it seems that I didn't notice having CoE in some cities... No wonder, since the former spreading mechanism doesn't seem to work anymore in my recent .31 game (paying 25 gold with a CoE unit).

 

[loki1232]

Actually, I seem to remember that shadows are now Esus only units, so you need Esus as your state religion.

 

[xienwolf]

Nope, you just need to have CoE in the city. It's kind of nice that way

I'd like to make a bit of a plug for you to downoad the Manual I have linked in my sig in case of future questions of the same type

 

[Sarisin]

Yes, CofE is necessary in a city to build Shadows. I mentioned in several threads that the Grigori are pretty much screwed now as they cannot research Deception and get CofE in a city.

One thing that I did find strange is that when I did build a Shadow in a city with the CofE (not Grigori), I then saw a feature that allowed you to make it a HN unit. I think it said you had to have CofE as your state religion, but I pressed that button and it became HN even though my religion was FOL!!!

 

[xienwolf]

Mask is the spell which lets a recon unit grant himself HN whenever he pleases. It only requires that you have Esus on the unit, not as a state religion. I believe that it is a 30% chance or so for a unit to start with any religion present in the city they are built in if they do not normally have one of their own auto-set.

 

[Sarisin]

Mask is the spell which lets a recon unit grant himself HN whenever he pleases. It only requires that you have Esus on the unit, not as a state religion. I believe that it is a 30% chance or so for a unit to start with any religion present in the city they are built in if they do not normally have one of their own auto-set.

Are you saying the Shadow could go back and forth between HN and non-HN?

I never saw that before. I thought once you declared the Shadow HN, it would remain that way. Sort of the opposite of the Stooges, for example. Once you declare their nationality, they cannot go back to being HN.

 

[Verdian]

Yes, units with Mask can switch back and forth freely. It is pretty fun to sneak attack your allies units, and then immediately declare nationality so all of their troops don't attack you. Add Hide to that so you can move into position and you have one amazing assassin. Sneak in hidden and HN, kill your target, declare your nationality, and repeat.

Edit: It isn't just Shadow's, either. Assassins can get it as well. Those are the only ones I have seen get it, so it may be recon only.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Mask is a <UnitCombatPrereq>UNITCOMBAT_RECON, <ReligionPrereq>RELIGION_COUNCIL_OF_ESUS, <TechPrereq>TECH_DECEPTION spell. The only other requirements are that the unit not already be HN, not have cargo, not be cargo, and not be in a multi-unit group.

Any recon unit that has the Esus religion can cast it. I'm not really sure how the game decides if they will have the religion though.