New player seeks advice about playing a mage and the tactics for no loss

[Metathron]

Originally Posted by kcwong

I don't rush with the snakes though... I like to minimize my losses. So often the snakes will give me the chance to cast a spell and use my dragon, then wait on their first turn.

I didn't mean that you should rush forward with them, that is hardly ever a good tactic. What I meant was to wait and attack at the end of your turn, that is where the +1 speed often proves crucial for reaching the approaching enemies at the end of turn 1 already.

Also, is there a reason why you're using the bears over the snakes? No retaliation, high initiative, poisoning,... (As you can see, I'm a huge proponent of royal snakes )

[N3MES1S]

I prefer royal snakes too, but polar bears are a "support" melee unit, specially on the first 3/4 islands, after that, u can change polar bears to better units, and keep royal snakes as a high number stack melee troop. But as i said, i only played with ancient/polar bears / royal snakes on my first games, long time ago i decided to play only with all level 4/5 units (of course once i can get em). And if u like royal snakes xD, u will love my royal snake level 4 mod (celestial snake) xD.

[Metathron]

Originally Posted by N3MES1S

I prefer royal snakes too, but polar bears are a "support" melee unit,

What does that mean exactly? I can't imagine a single scenario where (polar) bears would be better than royal snakes.

And if u like royal snakes xD, u will love my royal snake level 4 mod (celestial snake) xD.

Ooh, what's that?

[N3MES1S]

I mean, i cant imagine someone using polar bears on Reha, Nameless island, Seterra, etc, but royal snakes, are more useful for using on later islands. Besides, polar bears die more often than royal snakes, royal snakes are faster and more resourceful.

Celestial Snake is a Royal Snake mod i made, for using on impossible mode. As i said, i like royal snakes, but on my last games never use em, only level 4-5 units (but no rsnakes) , so i did a mod for using some kind of snake, but MY OWN snake xD. I removed the poison long attack and did the same long attack, but pushing back the target and applying a slow and defenseless effect. Besides, Celestial snakes is a holy figher level 4 unit with regeneration (280 hp).

[Zechnophobe]

Polar bears are decent tanks early game, especially for a paladin. Good HP and defense is nice.

Royal Snakes are THE support unit until you can get dragons. They can do tactical damage during combat and can often keep distance from threats to themselves. Their shelf-life is considerably longer.

[N3MES1S]

Originally Posted by Zechnophobe

Polar bears are decent tanks early game, especially for a paladin. Good HP and defense is nice.

Royal Snakes are THE support unit until you can get dragons. They can do tactical damage during combat and can often keep distance from threats to themselves. Their shelf-life is considerably longer.

Well, once u can get some dragons, i think u will discard almost all level 3-4 troops adquired on early game, like polar bears and royal snakes. But the question is easy, wat u prefer when u are, for example level 40, royal snakes or polar bears? xD.

[kcwong]

I found some nice artifacts and spell combination... and to play it differently than my first Paladin (mostly human troops and royal griffin), I switched to a single stack of Black Knight.

They are obscenely powerful... with proper artifact setups they are near invulnerable to all types of damage, and can hit/crit for just as much. Stoneskin + Hell Breath, Magic Spring, Helpnessless on tougher foes, Haste or Teleport to get them to the targets faster, Eviln to resurrect, the occasion offensive spells (Death Star, Ice Snake, Poison Skull, Flame Arrow and Fireball) to clean up.

I can't imagine how powerful they'd be if I'm not a Mage, but a Warrior with Power of Darkness 3...

Edit: Finished the game, beat all the bosses with a single stack of black knight without loss. Had to let the friendly knight stack to finish Bhaal because Eviln stops my turn... but a no loss victory is a good thing.

I'll give the game a little rest... then I'll try a demon army, or the girl power thing on higher difficulty levels...