Is there a fun style of expert play *other than* no-loss?

[bladeking77]

Well, how about this (Both for TL, and AP):

-First condition is that you play on Impossible.
-Second no Retreating, no Loading once you go trough a scenario you don't like (eg. you lose too much army, so you load and play better next time.) and no losing ( you can lose army, but not all of it, so you wouldn't get the Defeat screen. )
-No kiting of course.
-You can use any Spells, Items and units you like.

Remember the second condition, it is most important. That way you get a fair game. Once you're dead, you have to start over. You'll have to choose your opponents wisely.
That's how I played both of them, and it was fun every time.

[Rhygadon]

Originally Posted by bladeking77

Well, how about this (Both for TL, and AP):

-First condition is that you play on Impossible.
-Second no Retreating, no Loading once you go trough a scenario you don't like (eg. you lose too much army, so you load and play better next time.) and no losing ( you can lose army, but not all of it, so you wouldn't get the Defeat screen. )
-No kiting of course.
-You can use any Spells, Items and units you like.

I can see the theory behind this, and it makes sense, but I think I want to go in a different direction. Impossible+no-reload calls for careful, technical play, which is what I'm trying to get away from (though it's my natural style!).

I do think I'll adopt a ban on "scouting combats", though - in other words, no entering a fight just to see how tough it is or to test out a strategy, planning in advance to reload. I won't start a fight unless I plan to finish it.

[Rhygadon]

As for the ranged-combat army, that's what I was playing with recently, and I agree that it's fun and can be reasonably strong with enough +crit gear. (I went with hunters, archers, inquisitors, paladins, and either catapults or cannoneers depending on the situation.) One of the advantages of the ranged approach is that it gives you a surprising amount of freedom in how you use your spells. In some fights you can focus on direct-damage spells or buffing your attackers, and in others you focus more on disrupting the attackers' movement or distracting them with summons. So even though your own units are mostly just standing there and shooting, the fights have more variety than I had expected.

But then I found all the pieces of the Ogre set and decided to play with that, so now I'm stomping around with ogres, giants, shamans and assorted puny little human assistants. After all the cowardly ranged plinking, smashing things around with clubs has been quite satisfying!