Taking the initiative!

[Snargelfargen]

I'm playing as a mage, and as you probably already know, what happens in the first turn can decide the course of the battle. I make sure I always have at least one stack of units with 6 initiative so I can blast or disable the most dangerous stacks right away. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. Just one unharmed ranged stack can do a lot of damage, and it gets worse if I'm fighting a hero who starts casting spells before I do.

So how do you seize the initiative? Questions:

1. If units on each side both have the same initiative, what decides which one goes first? For example, I'm on the dwarven continent right now, and for some reason my cannoneers always go after the enemy's cannoneers. A stack of 40 cannoneers can do a lot of damage in the first round.

2. What are some good ways to improve initiative? I'm playing a mage, so the fighter skills are out of reach at least for the time being. Items, or an exceptionally fast unit?

3. Royal snakes have 6 initiative, but they always move before any other units with the same amount. This isn't a question. Man, I love those snakes. They are the best at everything.

[Fatt_Shade]

1) If both your and enemy unit have same initiative, enemy will move first since you`re attacker and enemy had time to prepare for battle.
2) There are about only 2 ways to deal with that problem : increase your initiative, or lower enemy :-) Onslaught skill (but as you said not enough might runes) , if you find mask of hatred item it lowers enemy init by -1 , heroism banner gives your units 1-3lvl +1 init , snake boots +1 init/speed to all snakes , Anga`s ruby +3 init to all female troops , black dragons also lower enemy units init for -1 , get some units that have higher init (necromancers, archdemons, dragons ...) , battle cry spell (lvl 3 is best since it`s mass). Until then you`ll have to suck it up and mend damage enemy inflicted in that first turn.
3) same as for 1) , when you attack some1 he have time to prepare and react to it idea. Attacking army is coming to you, and your troops are ready and dug in trenches :-) just waiting to unleash fury on you.

God luck fellow KB player :-)

[trentjaspar]

Yeah, for the most part you just have to work with the hand you're dealt, as far as available troops and items. Fatt_Shade mentions some good ways to increase init and there are a few others. I was lucky enough to get the Jade Belt (+1 init / +50% dmg to spiders) and a nice supply of Fire Spiders (6 init, 3 spd) after saving Faenora. This gave me a 7-init/3-spd unit in Darion which will go before anything but Archdemons, Emerald Dragons, and Black Dragons. Combined with Frog Faenora's +100% to the ATK of spiders and snakes, they made a great 1-2 punch with Royal Snakes. As a Paladin (and with two uses of Runic Stone) I was able to get to Onslaught for the +1 Init and now my Spiders act even before Black Dragons. (not that I can nuke them, but it still helps to be able to use a spell and/or spirit before they attack).

So I guess the other thing to help your chances, if you don't already, is to try to do every quest. Often completing a quest will cause the quest-giver to open a shop (or expand an existing shop) with new items and units for hire. So the more you do that, the more chances you get for an item or unit that will help tip the scales in your favor.

Good luck!