[Spoilers] Peace and Purity - Einion Logos of the Elohim

[WarriorKnight]

Another long term thinking strategy post.

I want to go for AV at the start. There is just so much available at AV and the Elohim can negate the downsides (Hell Terrain and Hyborem) easily. Also building Rosier is nice since he could really cause me problems if I let someone else get him. I don't think I should stick with AV for the whole game though since there's no practical way for Resurrection.

So that leaves Order or Empyrean as a final religion. I guess what really matters is if we can get the Infernal Grimiore or not. If we can get it rather easily then using it to get Righteousness for early Sphener & Paladins could be fun. Problem is that Order and AV in the same city is rather risky unless we start using Inquisition. (or alternatively stay in AV and get Malevolent Designs instead)

Alternatively, if we miss the Grimiore or can't get Fanaticism in time, we could instead go for Empyrean and get/take Religious Law and own with Chalid. Later on use ToD on Commune with Nature or Theology. Problem is that I'm sure everyone else has their eye on Chalid too.



Here's what I think everyone else might go for:

Nyktorion - FoL - Ljosalfor, Elves, FoL, easy guess. Highly unlikely that he'll go for anything else.

Irgy - AV - Another easy guess. AV, along with the Prophecy of Ragnarock, are the 2 best ways to raise the AC counter, and the higher the AC counter, the more Planar gate spawns and stronger summons they get. Possible but unlikely that he could go for something else.

Mr. Yellow - RoK - Bit less obvious, I suspect that wants RoK for the early gold and for the Mines so he can skip the metal line. In reality he could go for pretty much any anything though.

Mardoc - ? - Can't really get a good guess on what he wants. However whatever he does go for he'll likely get there first, so I can't really compete with him.

Sciz - ? - Another mystery, the Malakim love religion switching thanks to Lightbringers and their worldspell. Hopefully he'll be distracted by an early religion so I don't have to worry about him though.

[Maksim]

I guess what really matters is if we can get the Infernal Grimiore or not. If we can get it rather easily then using it to get Righteousness for early Sphener & Paladins could be fun.

I can just imagine how this would look in-game:

The sorcerer, he of rotten flesh, covered in maggots, stands on a pile of corpses, surrounded by hooded acolytes chanting vowels never meant for the human tongue. He holds a human heart, still beating, in his right hand, and plunges a ritual dagger into it.

- Come, my Masters! Come and grant us the secret knowledge! The sacrifices have been made!

A vortex of rippling blood appears above his head, and a dark tome, bound in human skin, falls out, landing gracefully on the bookstand awaiting it. The acolytes stop chanting, leaving their leader to come up and read the tome first.

- We succeeded... the Masters have answered our call, and granted us the knowledge that we seek... the knowledge...

The man stops mid-sentence, as he skims through the book, rapidly turning the pages, his face contorted in disbelief.

- What is this? Sacrifice nothing that bleeds? Be nice to thy neighbour? Three ways to contact your angel? Raising your first paladin? What cruel joke is this, Masters? No-o-o!

[WarriorKnight]

Now there's another Goblin coming to my capital, so that makes 3 total. I can't work the rice either.

[WarriorKnight]

OK, I'll go for Order as my religion, and have Empyrean as Plan B in case someone else will beat me to Valin/Sphener.

[WarriorKnight]

OK, I'll go for Order as my religion, and have Empyrean as Plan B in case someone else will beat me to Valin/Sphener.

Now I'm wondering if I'm going Order if I should even go to AV at all. FFH is great because there are lots of options but it's hard to decide which one I should go for this game.

[WarriorKnight]

OK so why do I go AV before any other religion in SP?

1-Summon Hyborem
2-Grimiore for free tech
3-Ritualists for a source of magic collateral
4-Deny Rosier to competition

If anyone else goes for AV (Sheaim is quite likely), they'll surely go for Infernal pact and summon Hyborem. So I don't need to worry about that.

Missing out on the Grimiore is a shame, but I often ignore the ToD since getting Law, Mind and Sun mana is much more work than getting Infernal Pact. With human opponents, I think I'll be able to work something out for the required mana needed, and I have a few nodes lying around.

No Ritualists sucks, but Letum Frigus is close to the south. Assuming I can get it (or convince Irgy to trade if he gets there first), then Corlindale will give me Snowfall for a source of collateral.

Finally, denying Rosier is nice, but since I don't plan to stick with AV for the rest of the game, it only harms the Sheaim and doesn't help me much. Probably not good for diplo.



Alright, I'll skip AV and just beeline Order*.


[SIZE="1"]*Subject to change at a moment's notice[/SIZE]

[WarriorKnight]

Getting a little crowded.

[Mist]

That's just... wow. Good to have a hill capital sometime

And I like your stream of consciousness re AV Agree with the outcome as well, it doesn't really give us anything we can't easily get from other places.

[WarriorKnight]

One Goblin attacked and did minimal damage (and gave poison, argh), the other 2 are now waiting on the hill to die (I can work the rice again ).

Mysticism is 2 turns away, then God King should speed up a settler followed by an Elder Council.

Also Nyktorion adopted Agrarianism, so he has Calendar.

[WarriorKnight]

The 3rd goblin is disrupting my worker schedule.

At least I grow to size 5 and get Mysticism EoT.