unable to break this seige

[adecoy95]

how am i supposed to beat my enemys? it seems like the defensive bonuses units get is insane in this game, i have nothing in my entire army capable of defeating something as simple as archers on a hill. spellcasters are completely useless, none of their spells do anything usefull except summon skeletons thats sole purpose is to feed my enemys xp

i cant build anything but archers and axemen, this has been going on for 150 turns, its pretty stupid... any advice would be helpful

i posted a picture and a save game, take a look

EDIT: for claritys sake im the one being seiged

 

[Randomness]

Get cover promo with your binders, and once you have mage UU (can't remeber name) get fire 1 and 2. Not easy, but it may work eventually...

 

[adecoy95]

oh another quick question, i have been using a spell that prevents my units from getting hit by first strikes, however, it dosent seem to work on the whole stack, just the caster

how do i get cover promo? and how do i get fire 2? in fact, how do i get two of any spell

out of sheer frustration and dissapointment, i decided to throw my whole stack at their stack, all mine died and i killed none of theirs, i dont know how im expected to defeat them.

seems pretty dumb

 

[readercolin]

Ok, there are a number of things that you can do in a situation like this.

First, and the most cumbersome/least effective - assemble a giant stack and attack. Attack with summons first, then mop up with the rest. As it appears that you already attempted this, this doesn't appear to work.

Second, get the cover promotion to wipe out the archers. Cover requires a melee, archer, or mounted unit to have combat 1 and then take that as their next promotion. Disciple units may be able to take it too (not sure on that one). You will probably still need a number of units to do it, but it gets much easier.

Third, ranged attack. This is fall further, so your archer units have a ranged attack. Spam archers and then use the ranged attack to whittle away at them.

Fourth, collateral. Collateral can come from two things around this stage of the game. First, it can come from catapults, available at construction. Since this is FF however, catapults are less useful (they can still be used, but aren't as useful) outside of attacking cities. Second, it can come from magic. Magic that can be used to cause it are maelstrom (air 2 spell), fireball (fire 2 spell), ring of fire (ritualist spell), and a few unit specific spells. To get these spells, you need a unit with the channeling 2 promotion. As you appear to be playing as d'tesh, that means that you need to get a unit to level 5 (17xp). With other leaders you only need to get to level 4 to upgrade.

The best way to take out a stack like that is to hit it with as much collateral causing damage as you can, pick away at it with ranged attack to further weaken them, then hit them with your troops. Generally, if your best troops have less than an 80% chance of victory, I'll hit my opponent with my worst troops first, working my way up till I can kill them with my better troops.

-Colin

 

[Breez]

It is less stupid when you understand what is happening. The position you are in is more about the choice you made to get there than about problems with the game, but that is okay we all started there, it is a steep learning curve. Learn from this mistake and move on to the next one to learn from.

HOWEVER since you are in the situation here is what I would do to try and get out of it.

Adepts are not useful for you currently. Since you have them keep em but don't make more.

Research Copper Mining. Make a Barracks and Make Honored Band (Axeman Unique to that race)

AND/OR research Sorcery.

Adepts can ONLY cast level one spells. FfH/FF have 3 levels of spells. Mages can cast 2nd level and Arch Mages 3rd level. Luckily mages gain exp gradually over time even with no fighting so you can level up to get your new spells. Magic Users can ONLY learn spells of types of mana you have. Luckily you already have Fire so you don't have to worry about that. You will HAVE to learn level 1 fire 1st (even though it is useless to you currently) That will allow you to buy Fire 2 when you upgrade to Mages. Fire 2 is Fireball. It can kill units eventually (takes more than one typically) and damages other units in the stack. With as many adepts as you have you should be able to kill 1 or 2 units a turn if you get them all fireball.

Some General hints from me to you:
- As you set up defenses try to have 1 unit that is offensive. That will allow you to attack out and break sieges. It takes a while but it will happen eventually.
- USE THE ARCHERS RANGED ATTACK CONSTANTLY EVERY TURN. Even if they aer just healing the damage. You get exp from it and will get more and more powerful. Buy the Drill promos (First strike ones) that opens up the archery specific promos.
- Kill off the baby stacks of 2 to the lower right. Even if you only kill one that will be easier than the archers on the hill and you will get exp and thus stronger.
- IF the attackers are all speed 1. Build a worker and have him step out to the east ONE step and try to build a road. The AI Might Send someone out to try and kill him, you can then pick off one or two of those units when they leave the hill and are not fortified. Move the worker back to safety each time. Rinse repeat. Don't try this if they have speed 2 units.
- If you give up and try again, pick a different race. You have one of the more complicated ones there. Dural, Bannor, Lsofarjar (funny spelled elves) are all less complicated. I would really suggest the elves. I always found them to be the easiest to learn with.

Don't give up. Remember No strategy works in every situation. You WILL Fail, You WILL lose. get used to that now. Personally I save a LOT and back up 20 turns often to correct mistakes but I learn from them and I find myself reloading less and less often.

 

[Valkrionn]

Actually since you're the one being sieged, you're D'tesh. Still one of the harder races.

Do NOT go melee unless you have lots of death mana. Melee units for the D'tesh don't get xp, but gain in strength for each source of Death mana you own.

If I were you, I'd actually go recon. The D'tesh have a strong recon line, all of which are invisible... It also unlocks Thanatos, a minor hero. Their invisibility should allow you to lure the enemy into smaller stacks by sending out supposedly unprotected workers... Who actually have stacks of invisible hunters backing them up.

Beyond that, go Arcane. You have a very strong arcane line... They upgrade a bit slower than other civs, but have a higher strength. Mages should be the bulk of your army.

 

[odalrick]

The legion needs to fear anything that is immune to death damage, because they turn your units into wimpy 1 or 2 strength units.

Scions are undead and so are immune to death damage. They are also immune to being captured as slaves, so you wont be getting any population from fighting them.

In my last game as the Legion, I was beset by one gargoyle from the Guardian of Pristine Pass. Elemental, so also immune to death and poison. I only managed to fend it off by reloading from from the time when I should have realised the danger and start spamming scouts.

A huge stack of scions outside the capital is a bigger problem.

I'd say this calls for extreme measures. Build a settler and emigrate far, far away. To a happy place, where the are no scions or golems or demons and you actually have to kill people before they die.

 

[Breez]

HA I thought D'Tesh was a Scion leader. FF+ race?

Wow, I are clueless

 

[WarKirby]

Catapults.

Make them
lots of them

Collateral damage ranged attacks can tear archer stacks to shreds in short order. Weaken them enough for your other troops to finish them off.

Then suicide your skeletons on them, and if they're still standing, they ought to be easy prey for your binders.

 

[Randomness]

Scions are undead and so are immune to death damage. They are also immune to being captured as slaves, so you wont be getting any population from fighting them.

Hmm... I forgot about that, well, in that case, you are pretty much scewed. Start a new game... ( prehaps a non Legions civ).

 

[Valkrionn]

The legion needs to fear anything that is immune to death damage, because they turn your units into wimpy 1 or 2 strength units.

Woops, forgot about that... Yeah, either spam the hell out of the Recon line, or emigrate to a new land. Full of fluffy bunnies.

HA I thought D'Tesh was a Scion leader. FF+ race?

Wow, I are clueless

Well, FF+ and Rise of Darkness. They were made by Mailbox, but he hasn't worked on them much since... Both Cyther and I absorbed them, added basically the same worldspell, but then I added some other things... Like a pasture that turns cows/bison/horses into Nightmares.