Sidar... How to get rolling.

[Demus]

heh, the only problem with the shadow strat i've found sofar: the AI seems to run out of troops to kill. With 3 shadows, i actually cleared 12 AI cities of troops all-together (i.e. killing them faster than the AI could build them). Remaining production can of course be used to build up more nightwatches, to harrass a 2nd neighbor.

 

[wilboman]

Well, the wonder of shadows is you can move steadily down the food chain, as you crush each neighbour's units.

I'm playing with No AI build requirements, so their units are up to tech, therefore killing them is harder. I end up moving from city to city, avoiding archers and picking off adepts.

 

[xendelaar]

The shadow strategy sounds sweet, but when I get to that tech, most of the time I ready won. Or do you guys beeline to this tech?

 

[S.K. Ren]

Sidar are easy to play
Up down up down left right left right A B A B start win.

Nah man, its Up-Down-Left-Right-B-A-C-A-Left-Right-... there's no C button on this pad...

I mean its already been Necro'd, no harm in joining the fun right?

 

[xendelaar]

I prefer IDDQD or IDKFA.. that's how I roll

 

[xendelaar]

Or prince.exe MEGAHIT
Shift-L
Shift-W

 

[xendelaar]

I always use raging barbs for XP farming. Is it better to have the barbs settled in cities at the beginning for better XP farming?

 

[xendelaar]

In my last Sidar game I stumbled on a Lich in a lair. It was in the beginning of the game. He took one of my boarder cities (that basterd). As I was rushing my army towards the warzone to liberate the city, the lich started summoning specters which he used as a kamikaze on my troops. I decided to keep the undead creature "alive" and kept him as a XP farm. I got about 15 shades from his specters before I reached mid-game. needless to say, victory was assured.

 

[BvBPL]

One option is just to throw Sidar troops away. A warrior that survives a 20% percent battle is a good way towards becoming a shade. Just create a vast army of warriors ready to die for the glory of becoming a shade.

“If your enemies are past a river then make a bridge with your bodies. If they hide behind walls, build a mountain of corpses to scale the castle. Advance always, no retreat. In death you will have victory and in life, glory everlasting. This is the way of the Sidar!”

That strategy does pose some problems though.

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Alternatively, keep in mind that zealots, savants, and disciples of leaves can be upgraded to mages, stygian guards, and rangers, allowing you to build up pre-leveled useful units with the altar which can then serve on the front lines to get those last XPs.

The upgrade to rangers can be particularly nice as disciples can buy march as their first upgrade and can buy city raider. The combination of those two promos makes for a powerful ranger. Plus the disciples don’t need ten xp to upgrade as the savants do and do not require a specific state religion like the stygian guards.

Thanes and acolytes can also be upgraded, but because paramanders and crusaders are also disciple units there’s less of an advantage.