NATURE Realm

[Seravy]

We have no better option in Nature.

[zitro1987]

what about giant spiders? I would think behind walls them defending a capital better in strategic and tactical combat.

War bears with land link would be superior to sprites but if AI only relies on commons sprites is the best they have unless dual sorcery (nagas)

[Nelphine]

In the fortress specifically, war bears are better. The lightning does offense, the war bears stand behind the walls and don't die as fast as sprites.

It's not overly good,but sprites are just way too fragile.

[teelaurila]

I was thinking strategic is the main issue. The attackers were nagas both times, I'm pretty sure. Wouldn't war bears have enough strategic to counter nagas? Just Halberdiers could be another.

[Seravy]

Garrison priority isn't fortress specific and everything available early in Nature has weaknesses anyway. This is a recurring discussion but there is no solution to it. (Sprites are weak to firestorm, strategic, resist elements. Bears are weak to fear, sleep, confusion. Spiders are weak to poison immunity. Everything else does replace sprites but comes too late to help.)

I believe I offered the option to make the AI cheat with mercenaries if they have too much sprites guarding their fortress, that's about the only way out. I'm not sure if I can make that happen though but it's a theoretical solution.

Ultimate the problem is, garrison priority tells the AI which of any given two units is better as a defender and which is better as an attacker. Sprites are absolutely horrible as an attacker but they are decent defenders. They shouldn't outrank Bears or Spiders as an attacker by having a lower defender priority than those - those two are great attackers that should be sent out of the cities ASAP to make them conquer things or attack the human player.

...or course there is one drastic other option, we can tell the AI to never summon Sprites. But that would be sad, and they are actually one of the better common units that do make a difference in the metagame, being the earliest flying creatures the human has to overcome.

[Nelphine]

Yeah that's why I've wanted to just make fortress sprites an exception (almost like that's a unit seperate from standard sprites). Ah well.

[teelaurila]

Wasnt there a thing in lairs that sprites have increased strategic until turn something? Could that work also for strategic combat between AIs?

Or could sprites do with clearly more melee? Probably will not change anything in tactical as they are so fragile, but could help with strategic.

[namad]

Looks like at some point centaurs turned into boars? if true, could this thread OP please be updated? (aka I'm curious what boars do specifically)