Spell selection questions

[Storminator]

I've just finished my first game, on Prince level as the Elohim.

I have no idea what are the really good spells, and it's sort of a pain to go thru the civilopedia to figure things out.

I've been using mostly Crush, Meteors, and Haste. What other spells should I be going for?

Oh yeah, I've also been using Spring and Bloom, and Hope, Inspiration and Wall of Stone, but I use the last 3 as sort of a "hey I'm already here, might as well cast the spell" kind of way.

PS

 

[kenken244]

malestorm ( the air 3 sorcery spell) is quite good and tsunami can obliverate costal cities in a 1 in 10 chance

 

[R0GERSHRUBBER]

Ring of Fire is currently broken (i.e. very strong).
Graft Flesh has some good possibilities and allows you to get around National Unit restrictions.
Summon Chaos Marauder is a fantastic early summon and is especially good if you're still allied with the barbarians (Infernall, Clan, or Doviello).
Courage is essential to combating the Horseman of the Apocalypse.

 

[eerr]

sorcery-
unyeilding aura eliminates all unhappieness in a city, works well if you make the arcmage a flesh golem w/heavy crossbowmen(it works really really good if you're the infernal, but making a 26 xp arcmage is hard if you start without even an adept)(law)

fireball/meteor shower is a rather one track line-but it will give the highest tier power for both mages and arcmage

the death line is great for multiple arcmages(lich) with contagion as a great way to weaken a stack,
combined with skeletons at the start makes death magic strong throughout the ages


summoning isn't a very interesting line, but pit beasts(chaos)pack repetative punch, and fire elementals add city busting power, while wraiths are great denial(death)

 

[hegemonkhan]

I've just finished my first game, on Prince level as the Elohim.

I have no idea what are the really good spells, and it's sort of a pain to go thru the civilopedia to figure things out.

I've been using mostly Crush, Meteors, and Haste. What other spells should I be going for?

Oh yeah, I've also been using Spring and Bloom, and Hope, Inspiration and Wall of Stone, but I use the last 3 as sort of a "hey I'm already here, might as well cast the spell" kind of way.

PS

This link on the wiki is great for understanding magic:

http://civ4wiki.com/wiki/index.php/FfH_Spells

its very well organized clearly showing what units use what spells and etc..

 

[vorshlumpf]

Stone Skin is by far my favourite spell.
I guess I like all the buffs - Enchant Weapon, Flaming Arrows, Poison Weapon - must be the micromanager in me.

- Niilo

 

[Storminator]

This link on the wiki is great for understanding magic:

http://civ4wiki.com/wiki/index.php/FfH_Spells

its very well organized clearly showing what units use what spells and etc..

Usually while I'm playing I'm off line, and the wiki, while great isn't a help then. And naturally I forget everything I've read when it's time to promote an adept.

PS

 

[hegemonkhan]

Usually while I'm playing I'm off line, and the wiki, while great isn't a help then. And naturally I forget everything I've read when it's time to promote an adept.

PS

its not that big of deal to be online n alt tab ur game to see wiki or have like some in window mode. Personally, I find the wiki to be faster than the civpedia and have some more and extra things in it. Though, if it's just some spell I forgot or unit, the civpedia works fine.

As to memory, exercise your brain like doing puzzles, suduko, xwords, etc. Also, I think it's fruit? that helps with memory? anti-oxides? or whatever If your still having memory issues, there is always the very old advent of writing and of record keeping

as to adapts and what promo's/magics to give them...its pretty simple:
1. sorcery spell user (write down good magic types for your mage)
2. summons spell user (write down good magic type for your conjuror)

if your able to, make many adapts and have them only use one magic type each (specialize them). dont waste exp and promotions on multiple magic types on one unit. U cant cast 2 spells anyways on same turn so having two types of magic on same unit is waste.

If your able to and really lazy, just make enough adapts for two adapts for each and every type of magic. One of the pair (the 2 fire magic adapts)becomes mage and the otehr becomes conjuror.

than make 1 magic discipline unit for each type of magic.

And u have every single magic castor for every single magic spell

 

[PapaMonkey]

I just print out the Wiki pages I wish I had memorized, and it is the next best thing.

 

[Storminator]

if your able to, make many adapts and have them only use one magic type each (specialize them).

If your able to and really lazy, just make enough adapts for two adapts for each and every type of magic. One of the pair (the 2 fire magic adapts)becomes mage and the otehr becomes conjuror.

than make 1 magic discipline unit for each type of magic.

And u have every single magic castor for every single magic spell

Not quite. Unless I'm missing something, there are a limited number of level 3 casters of each type.

But let's for the moment assume you have limited resources, and can't get every caster.

Let's assume for a moment, you'll get exactly one level 3 spell. Which one is it?

PS

 

[Grey Fox]

Not quite. Unless I'm missing something, there are a limited number of level 3 casters of each type.

Not if you make flesh golems out of them.

 

[Storminator]

Not if you make flesh golems out of them.

Look into flesh golems -- check.

But if you get only 1 level 3 spell, which is it?

PS

 

[BCalchet]

Not quite. Unless I'm missing something, there are a limited number of level 3 casters of each type.

But let's for the moment assume you have limited resources, and can't get every caster.

Let's assume for a moment, you'll get exactly one level 3 spell. Which one is it?

PS

In games against the AI: Sorcery, Law III: Unyielding Order.

With players around, it's less easy... possibly Sorcery, Air III: Crazy Area Damage Spell, or one of the powerful level 3 summons.

 

[vorshlumpf]

For me it would still be Body III. That spell helps your whole army be more effective.
Assuming your army doesn't consist of demons, undead, or golems, of course.

- Niilo

 

[loki1232]

I'd take vitalize.

 

[Grey Fox]

In games against the AI: Sorcery, Law III: Unyielding Order.

Yeah same here, as I almost always play Calabim, this one helps alot. Last SP game I had 7 cities with Unyielding Order and with the Veil's sacrifice the weak they grew enormous, till I ate some. Although, once I can use it I've usually already won. - But I've only recently started on Monarch, maybe my games will be longer on that difficulty.

 

[xAlephx]

Well, the best 3rd level spell IMO is Lichdom, but only because it lets you have 3 more Archmages. I play single player, where as noted above Unyielding Order is the best. As for damage spells, in the next edition all but fireball and meteor will have damage caps (i.e. even the baddest of them won't take an opponent down past 60% life, no matter how many times you use it).

Note however that even without flesh golems you can have 3 archmages, 3 liches, 3 summoners, 3 inquisitors, 3 high priests, if neutral, 3 druids, and as the Calabim, 3 vampire lords capable of casting level 3 body, mind, and death spells (in summoning and sorcery). That's a lot more than 1 3rd level spell.

Flesh golems are mostly good for ridiculously long game, or as the Calabim (who have a vastly easier time getting high levels of experience, and are the most problematic in terms of their ability to exploit immortality / graft combinations) or Khazad (you can mix priests with druids to gain access to spell areas otherwise denied you).

Currently, my favorite spell combat spell is contagion - I'm a lot more comfortable using archmages for city happiness and risking mages in battle, plus the additional 30% weakening from disease is nice. It will drop down to a 40% damage cap in the next ed, though - still worth using, and phenomenal for some armies (Luchuirp come to mind), but not the "I never have to physically dirty my hands" spell it is now.

 

[Grey Fox]

Currently, my favorite spell combat spell is contagion - I'm a lot more comfortable using archmages for city happiness and risking mages in battle, plus the additional 30% weakening from disease is nice. It will drop down to a 40% damage cap in the next ed, though - still worth using, and phenomenal for some armies (Luchuirp come to mind), but not the "I never have to physically dirty my hands" spell it is now.

Yeah Vamps get Death II, and therefor Contagion. It's a bit overpowered atm, and will get a bit nerfed in 0.22.

 

[vorshlumpf]

You guys are breaking the rules. If you choose Death III to get liches, that means you don't get Law III as well

- Niilo

 

[Storminator]

Note however that even without flesh golems you can have 3 archmages, 3 liches, 3 summoners, 3 inquisitors, 3 high priests, if neutral, 3 druids, and as the Calabim, 3 vampire lords capable of casting level 3 body, mind, and death spells (in summoning and sorcery). That's a lot more than 1 3rd level spell.

And it's not hard to have an Archmage with a couple of level 3 spells.

It's a trick to get people to figure out which spells are really powerful.

PS