Things I've learned so far

[KillerClowns]

...3) There's nothing in FFH2 that can't be rationalized with a little mythos. [Plus tequila]...

That seems to be the main job of me and MC, although our methods are somewhat different. There are two main differences. Firstly, he works something like a scholar, putting things together logically and rationally, while I'm a bit more of a storyteller, choosing "this would be awesome" over "this is the most logical answer, according to these long, obscure 'pedia entries and the events in this scenario." Secondly, I'm pretty sure MC remains quite sober while examining the world of Erebus. Meanwhile, one particular addition of mine to Fall from Heaven, the Sheaim's sundered mechanic, was thought up in a bar in Oaxaca. So... yeah.

Anyways, things I've learned:
1. Mercurians + world full of good religions + genocide = fun (traditional definition)
2. Mercurians + a world going to hell = fun (Dwarf Fortress definition)
3. On Terra maps, beeline to summoning Hyborem. Then switch to him. Enjoy your very own continent, with which to set up a victory of your choosing.
4. For a bunch of libertarian pacifists, the Grigori are really, really good at conquest.
5. If you're that male Ljosalfar leader whose name I cannot spell, archers are a perfectly legitimate attack force. Just use lots of them.
6. Magic resistance leads to fire resistance. If your neighbors are the Sheiam, you want fire resistance.
7. As Govannon or any Sheaim leader churning out adepts will attest, if you throw enough skeletons at almost anything, it will die.
8. "Almost anything" does not include units with a lot of first strikes.
9. Arquebusiers are a great way to land the killing blow on an enemy. They're great for both attacking cities, and defending them from counter-attack.
10. The Sheaim mounted line is as good as any other civs, save the obvious exception of the Hippus. They also tend to get nightmares pretty early. It's an odd line to follow, but if you're threatening another civ for techs, keep it in mind.
11. A Grigori adventurer archer with a few drill promos thrown in can hold off damn near anything.

 

[JFSebastian]

Something I learned recently.

If the Lanun are in the game and they form a colony, be prepared to lose all your coastal defenders at some point. Double world spell. In my game I had only 1 non-coastal city and it took me completely by surprise. Luckily I wasn't at war with anyone.

 

[DarkxL0rd]

Try it with the "Barbarian World" Option

That's the only way to do it. watch out though, archeron comes calling on turn 25. normal speed.

 

[cypher132]

I like naming my units. It's fun. Sometimes I label certain areas and make up a mission in my head to protect it or capture it or something.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

if playing Wild Mana, Raging Barbs+Aggressive AI+Barbarian Groups+Barbarian World+Deadly Wild Mana is pretty fun

 

[Cupric Leane]

Renaming units IS fun! My favorites are the against the odds victories that lead to the death of some uber-unit, like my empyrean priest that I renamed Hyborem's Crucifix. Or the unbuffed Moe that slew the buffed-up Rantine, Rantine-Slayer. Its just more fun that way.

Also, priests are pretty darn good defenders. (but not so good on offense)

 

[Dumanios]

That Auric Ascended is a wuss.

 

[KillerClowns]

That Auric Ascended is a wuss.

Correction: The FfH and FF versions of Auric Ascended are wusses. His FF+ version is... somewhat more fearsome. 10 moves. Blitz. Cannibalize (10% healing after battle; most units don't do that much damage to him). Four first strikes. Can see all hidden units. 20% faster healing, and the ability to heal while moving. Twincast for his (potentially lethal) Snowfall spell. Can do a maximum of 100% Collateral Damage. Yeah...
EDIT: And if you think that's impressive, wait till you hear what MC has got planned.

 

[DarkxL0rd]

Correction: The FfH and FF versions of Auric Ascended are wusses. His FF+ version is... somewhat more fearsome. 10 moves. Blitz. Cannibalize (10% healing after battle; most units don't do that much damage to him). Four first strikes. Can see all hidden units. 20% faster healing, and the ability to heal while moving. Twincast for his (potentially lethal) Snowfall spell. Can do a maximum of 100% Collateral Damage. Yeah...
EDIT: And if you think that's impressive, wait till you hear what MC has got planned.

does godslayer still sort him out? cause if not, that's ridiculous.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

10 moves

Blitz

Base strength changed from 30 to 40, 30 Cold Strength changed to 30 Ice Affinity.

100% healing after every combat (handled in his <PythonPostCombatWon> call, so it doesn't require the unit he killed have been alive like the Cannibalize promotion does)

Passively changing the land around him to snow, and also passively creating Ice and Blizzard features on some tiles

The ability to move and attack like an ICBM, allowing him to move to or attack any tile on the map directly, without needing to travel through any tiles in between.

The necessity to upgrade him from a Mortal Auric, an initially weak melee hero that also has access to mage spells and is boosted by some rituals, and whose promotions carry over to the Ascended Auric. (Well, most of them, his skill with other spell spheres decreases as he becomes the avatar of ice. Combat promotions certainly carry over though.) Note that loosing the mortal Auric costs your traits, and also makes you unable to use any Illian ritual including Ascension. (Eventually I'd like to change the Resurrection spell to work though an event that lets you choose which unit to bring back, and would restore traits if the resurrected hero was a leader whose death cost them traits. I would first however have to add a large number of feats, and make it so that if the Netherblade kills a hero resurrecting it won't be possible until the equipment is destroyed.)


When I move to an FF base, I'll likely make it impossible for Auric Ascended do die if not to the right equipment.

The Godslayer can still kill him automatically, if you can somehow get it to him or he is unlucky enough to accidentally attack its wielder. The Netherblade will actually work just as well, but it is kind of a secret that won't be in the pedia but which the scenarios would help you figure out.



That doesn't sound like too much for a god, does it?



(P.S. I'm still considering making it so that if enough units of great enough strength die to the Godslayer it can trigger the rise of Laroth. The limit would be rather high, so Auric's death would be practically a prerequisite. I might make The Draw a prereq too, and require that The Netherblade is still around. Laroth Ascended (which I'm thinking might instead go my the name Temulechus) will probably be a barbarian unit that is even stronger that Auric Ascended. Well, he would probably be personally weaker, but would arrive with an army (including any heroes that had fallen to the Netherblade, if I get those feats working) and so long as he is around all mortal units that die and don't become angels are manes will return under his control. He would still be vulnerable to the Godslayer, but not the Netherblade. Units killed by the Netherblade once he is around would go on to serve him even if they would have become angels or manes otherwise. When the new God of Death arrives, it is pretty much time to just give up.)

 

[KillerClowns]

does godslayer still sort him out? cause if not, that's ridiculous.

Yep. Godslayer + Auric = Dead Auric, regardless of any other considerations.

 

[Tasunke]

Telemuchus could be 30 str, +10 death, +2 spirit affinity, +2 enchantment affinity, as well as heal 50% after any combat, and 4 movement. as well as a maximum of 80% collateral damage, and an area of effect spell, which works like DOMINATION for all rival or neutral units within the 9 tile ring, and is permanent (will not be removed upon spell failure) or otherwise, even if it is removed upon failure, it is regained upon killing a living unit? or any combat. I don't think he needs blitz, but perhaps a high withdrawal instead?

 

[cypher132]

Auric Ascended vs Laroth Ascended

Right on.

 

[KillerClowns]

...(P.S. I'm still considering making it so that if enough units of great enough strength die to the Godslayer it can trigger the rise of Laroth. The limit would be rather high, so Auric's death would be practically a prerequisite. I might make The Draw a prereq too, and require that The Netherblade is still around. Laroth Ascended (which I'm thinking might instead go my the name Temulechus) will probably be a barbarian unit that is even stronger that Auric Ascended. Well, he would probably be personally weaker, but would arrive with an army (including any heroes that had fallen to the Netherblade, if I get those feats working) and so long as he is around all mortal units that die and don't become angels are manes will return under his control. He would still be vulnerable to the Godslayer, but not the Netherblade. Units killed by the Netherblade once he is around would go on to serve him even if they would have become angels or manes otherwise. When the new God of Death arrives, it is pretty much time to just give up.)

Erm, do you mean the Godslayer, or the Netherblade?

 

[DarkxL0rd]

10 moves

Blitz

Base strength changed from 30 to 40, 30 Cold Strength changed to 30 Ice Affinity.

100% healing after every combat (handled in his <PythonPostCombatWon> call, so it doesn't require the unit he killed have been alive like the Cannibalize promotion does)

Passively changing the land around him to snow, and also passively creating Ice and Blizzard features on some tiles

The ability to move and attack like an ICBM, allowing him to move to or attack any tile on the map directly, without needing to travel through any tiles in between.

I just don't get it, why on earth would you want this? It's too many ideas jammed into one thing. So you made him unstoppable. why not just have him immune to damage and have done with it. there's no way to kill him, who would play anyone but the illians? even if you did manage the astronomical odds of rounding up the equipment, after defeating him your empire would still be in shambles anyway. a 600 turn game just turned into a linear experience. Which it's not supposed to be.

 

[Tasunke]

@Darklord, LOL, this is an alternative to having the Illians automatically WIN upon summoning Auric. Really he SHOULD be immune to damage. It still would not have everyone play as the illians, as the difficulty to summon him is pure Bollocks

 

[Bootsiuv]

If you can summon Auric you've already won anyways IMO, so having an unstoppable unit only serves to speed things along.

Not to mention the fact that he is a god at that point, so he should ONLY be killed by Godslayer if you go by the lore.

He's far too weak in FfH really...

 

[JonathanStrange]

It could be fun: I'd do my level best to level the Illians long before Auric could compose his victory speech. If only the AI were capable of such play, either for the Illians or in a quest to stop them!

It might be fun. Too bad the Ljosalfars have a negative affinity for cold, but even so, we'd put on our mittens to stop Auric.

 

[Andostre]

Speaking of the Illians, playing on the standard Desert scenario was lots of fun. While most civilizations concentrated on the more livable Northern and Southern regions of the map, my Illians were able to expand out towards the center pretty early on, and just terraform all of their land to ice with their Temples of the Hand. I expanded pretty far with this method before I suddenly got too powerful and had all of the other nations declare war against me before I'd even thought of building Auric Ascended!

If you try this, just remember that the Ice Elementals that your priests can summon can't enter a desert square.

 

[Tasunke]

Yea, a lil spring magic can come in handy for moving your army. Wilboman also cannot enter desert tiles.