Dwarven Alchemists

[kadrzys]

hi, how do you use them in battle? I think they might be a kind of bomb if used properly, but I don't know how:/ I got leadership for 22 of those bastards and simple 2X250+ stacks of undead archers makes a battle very shi*ty for me. I don't mention cursed ghosts as those are pain in the ass for me (at 11lvl warrior I had troubles to defend that undead castle on cementery:/)

[vicheron]

Their basic attack hits everything in their path and can't be retaliated against but it only has a range of 3. It's also poison based so undead creatures only take 50% damage. Against undead, Alchemists have to use their fire bomb and holy water special abilities.

[Namel]

How well alchemists survive in melee?

My royal snakes often don't do anything for couple first rounds. Maybe I should replace them with unit that could toss bombs those couple rounds. And then use them as melee when enemy is close.

[kadrzys]

exacly, my alchemists sucks in melee and their bombs are not so fantastic (they're hard tough but it's not enough) so I prefer Beholders or Evil Beholders than Alchemists.
Royal snakes are BOMB if used properly. Check this tactic by sector24 in his topic:
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=4979&highlight=royal+snakes
//type scorch earth in search of your browser

I use them this way and some variatons of mine and they're lethal as hell this way

[Namel]

I know royal snakes are great for melee. Problem is my tactic is to try avoid melee as much as possible. If I am in melee they can hit back.

My basic strategy is to send griffin phantom to enemy lines to slow them while my beholders and cannoneers shoot and shamans do their best to slow enemy more. I often end up keeping all enemy force at back row whole fight and thus my royal snakes do nothing at all. That is why I think alchemists with bomb could work. They could work as emergency melee when things don't go as I plan but usually work as another ranged unit.

[Namel]

Did little test of alchemist melee ability compared to royal snakes.

Against horsemen stack of alchemists do about 3/4 damage of royal snakes. Stack total HP is about half of what stack of royal snakes has. But alchemists got 17 more defense so they take about 1/3 less damage.

Alchemists are clearly worse melee than royal snakes. But they do have those ranged potions and their squirt attack can be useful at times.

I think I try out then instead of snakes once I find someone selling them in dwarven lands. Replacing snakes at dwarves is pain anyways. And If I get dwarven wife I guess they can be pretty good melee unit.

[Zhuangzi]

Alchemists are fairly sucky, IMO. The Holy Water can only be used against undead enemies and the normal attack has a 3 hex range. They are tough little buggers but give me Orc Shamans any day.