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to attack. Try to keep your defensive troops one or two provinces from your front line so that

they can intercept the attackers once they've made their move. Let the attacker come one or two

provinces (depending on how much space you got) before striking him with full force. If you can

get him away from his own forts you can cause his armies to starve thus lowering their morale.
Cut off the enemies' retreat paths as you strike. The combination of starvation and hostile

dominion should leave your enemies running (especially if you get their priests) to their doom.

It's impossible to decisively defeat an attacking enemy force unless you cut off their supply

and retreat routes. A wise enemy will probably try to keep them open with their reserves, but

you can cut the reserves out of the main force and harass them with your stealth troops (fire

and flee is a very useful order, whittle down their commanders as they approach). Most of the

tactics concerning troop movements are the same as when attacking. On the other hand, you're

supposed to stop the enemy instead of avoiding him so you'll have to commit yourself to some

decisive battles. Never do so on your opponent's terms though - it's better to lose a province

than an army.

on assassinate orders when you're expecting an attack. In the best case they get someone

important and some of the enemy army won't move (assassination happens before movement).

This wonderful tactic was presented to me by Mr. Jacques Vidal. If you're forced to defend your

castles, remember to trod some troops in (troops moved by Faery Trod arrive before the enemy and

thus get in the castle) so that your opponent has to choose between starving and leaving.

All the tactics discussed earlier are generally good against each individual nation. They

still have certain advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into account when dealing

with them.

Abysia has very powerful heavy infantry backed up by powerful fire mages. Their natural fire

resistance means that Abysian mages can fire at will. Abysian Lava Warriors are size 3 and thus

a serious threat for your War Minotaurs. Fortunately the infantry is very expensive and thus

often outnumbered by equal troops as they pay in premium for the fire resistance. Watch out for

spells like Fire Storm later in the game. They are real game-winners and should be dealt with.

Fire Ward and Fire Fend are extremely useful spells against Abysia. Too bad you'll have to use

your pretender if you want to have access to any of them. Your best bet is to eliminate their

mages with archery and fliers before they cause too much damage to your troops. Watch out for

powerful fliers the blood magic offers though - Abysian Warlocks are even better blood mages

than your Pandemoniacs.
6.5.1.6.3.2: Arcoscephale

Arcoscephale has got very powerful heavy infantry in the form of Hoplites. The Hyapists are

better in my opinion though (even though they're only medium infantry). They also have very

powerful mages with lots of random paths so you can expect anything from them. Their priests

can heal battle afflictions just like your basic troops. Arcoscephale employs Elephants as a

part of their armies but they're much easier to break than their Caelum counterparts and thus

more of a hazard to the friendly troops than the enemy. Watch out for flanking Elephants though.

They can get you unless you watch out. Also watch out for troops attacking using the

Gateway-spell. Your War Minotaurs can deal with the infantry. Missile fire and flyers should deal

with their mages if possible. Dryads can Tangle Vine their Elephants and thus prevent them from

causing too massive carnage.
6.5.1.6.3.3: Atlantis

Atlantis is a water based nation but isn't all weak on land either. Their heavier infantry comes

with coral armor and weapons which poison enemy troops. This is a reason enough to invest in

poison ward as soon as possible. Atlantis has got good water mages and priests. Watch out for

Mother guard and Shamblers though - they're absolutely brutal. What Atlantis lacks is decent

missile troops and speed. The former disadvantage can be compensated for with archers bought

from land provinces but the former one leaves them vulnerable to flank assaults. Archery works

well against Atlantis as the Shamblers are lightly armored and the Coral Guard aren't too heavy

in that respect, either. Atlantis troops got low morale. If you can get their priests you can

pretty much count on routing them. Grip of Winter/Winter Ward -combo (especially with Wolven

Winter is also naturally available to Atlantis but unless you can get water mages from somewhere,

the only thing you can really do is trying to kill the casting mage.

Caelum is a very dangerous nation in my opinion. They've got good flying troops (Storm Guard and

Iceclad), cheap mages and absolutely lethal shock troops (Mammoths). A huge army of Mammoths with

the Staff of Storms is nigh on impossible to stop (missile fire and combat magic are about the only possible ways to prevent Mammoths from trampling over all your troops). Even worse, their Storm Guard can harass your commanders when the Staff is in effect. On the other hand, without the staff you'll be facing flying Mammoths so it's kind of a lose-lose situation here. This strategy can be countered by remembering couple of things: Thunder ward will pretty much nullify their magic. By summoning a Pazuzu you can cast Thunder Wards at will. Mammoths can be countered by Dryads casting Tangle Vines. Even if the Mammoths get to the Dryads, they will usually be unable to bring them down due to the Awe-ability (Mammoths should have mrl 5 due to starving and hostile dominion) leaving them open to spells like Sleep Touch, Poison Touch and Divine Armaments.

I'm not an expert C'tis player, but I think they've really gotten the shaft in the troop department.

Their Falchioneers and Swamp Guard are good fighters, but their morale really lets them down.

They've got the sacred serpents and awesome priests, but it's not always enough to keep up their

morale. Their cold-bloodedness also lets them down when fighting in cold provinces. The Sauromancers are decent death mages but lack the expertise to be too useful in other fields. Expect to see some Behemoths and such when fighting C'tis.
6.5.1.5.3.6: Ermor

I could write a whole chapter about how evil and nasty Ermor is but I'll try to explain everything in brief. Ermorian troops are weak individually, but there's lot of them, they don't use supplies, are immune to cold, are mindless (and thus don't break) and so on. Some of them even cause fear.

Ermorian domain is also generally hostile to all living beings. Ermor should be tackled as soon

as possible. Unless early measure is taken, Ermor cannot be stopped at all later in the game as

their troop production capability is unmatched. Take lots of supply items and priests when fighting Ermor as you can't afford to have your troops starve (and thus suffer the morale penalty) as fleeing often means death under the hooves of Ermorian horsemen. Your Lamia Queens can learn the spell 'Wither Bones', which will absolutely devastate the Ermor legions. Ermor Dusk Elders have loads of hp and are ethereal. I wouldn't thus bother trying to kill them with the standard means (Etheral Crossbows can still nail them good when they hit). Ermor priests are another thing though. These are crucial to Ermor and should be eliminated with all possible means (whether it be Harpies, missile fire or magic, I don't care).
6.5.1.5.3.7: Jotunheim

I don't have much experience fighting Jotunheim but I can tell you that their basic infantry is

deadly. Expect to see Hurlers with a screen of Spearmen. This setup will devastate most heavily

armored troops as the Hurlers usually kill them in one hit and there's nothing that can stop

them. I'd engage the Jotun infantry with some cheap troops (Maenads are perfect) and flank them with my best troops going for commanders. Missile troops are helpful here, too. The Norna and Seithkorna bring lots of versatility to Jotunheim magic giving them a wide base of magical skills to begin with.
6.5.1.5.3.8: Man

Man is similar to Pangaea in many respects. Both employ nature magic and have access to stealthy troops.

Man has got at best average heavy infantry, but the Avalon troops will rock your socks one on one. Man has got access to cheap Longbowmen. These will cause you no end of grief especially when combined with the spell 'Fire Arrows'. The Staff of Storms will certainly be useful here. You shouldn't be too afraid of their magic though (as they can only recruit the better mages in their home province). When tackling them, take out their Longbowmen with your own Longbowmen or fliers. Most of your stuff can easily deal with their basic infantry. Avalon stuff isn't really available in numbers so they won't be too much of a factor in battles of any size. You should keep troops on regular patrol against Man since their Wardens are easily capable of overwhelming province defence of many times their size when blessed. You should be able to defeat Man with the sheer power of your basic troops. Defend in depth as you can expect several Calls of the Wild being cast as soon as fighting begins. Many mages summoning Lesser Air Elementals can also sometimes shift the battle in their favor so remember to take care of their few mages using the normal methods.
6.5.1.5.3.9: Marignon

The armies of Marignon bear some resemblance to their Abysian counterparts. They consist mainly of medium infantry and are backed up by powerful fire mages and, unlike Abysia, Crossbows. Their infantry is powerful but lacks shields (Royal Guard got them but they're only average) which makes them vulnerable to missile fire. Marignon troops aren't immune to fire which means that Marignon mages can't be too liberal with their use of spells. Marignon has got powerful priests too, meaning that their troops aren't so likely to rout. You should target your opponent's mages and missile troops first when dealing with Marignon. Their infantry isn't all that dangerous and can be dealt with by your War Minotaurs. Knights of the Chalice are very dangerous though. Sacred knights are nothing to be laughed at. These will completely whoop your Minotaurs' ass if you let them to. Your Cataphracts aren't really a match for them either. Try to hit the with powerful summons and your own missile troops not forgetting the venerable Tangle Vines.

Duh, this matchup shouldn't happen in any game, but in case it will somewhere in the future, you should know the strengths and weaknesses of Pangaea after reading this guide.

Like the majority of the nations, Pythium is also very dependent on heavy infantry. Their Emerald Guard are especially good troops with excellent skill and equipment. They're certainly more than a match for Pangaean heavy infantry and cavalry. You should deploy War Minotaurs against these troops. Their ordinary Legionnaires aren't bad troops either and can provide quite a punch. Their mages are skilled in astral magic and somewhat capable of using a few other paths. They are especially powerful when in communion with Communion Slaves. Luckily they don't have any missile troops or heavy cavalry to speak of.

This can of course be corrected by buying missile troops or knights from independent provinces. A special mention goes to Gladiators which are to be feared when attacking enemy castle provinces. Your opponent might suddenly raise 50 Gladiators in one turn. They aren't bad fighters and who cares if they leave after one battle, they won't most likely even be alive. Mages are again the first priority when fighting Pythium as they'll happily Soul Slay your every commander if you let them to. Don't bring any astral mages against Pythium unless they're very powerful (Magic Duel can be very detrimental to your mages' health). Watch out for troops attacking using the Gateway-spell.
6.5.1.5.3.12: R'lyeh

R'lyeh is the other water based nation available. Illithids are kinda the only thing going for them as their infantry is generally weak and expensive in resources. All Illithids employ Mind Blast, which is a rather devastating attack. Two hits will knock any trooper unconscious leaving him an easy prey for the R'lyeh infantry's tridents. Missile fire is about the only way to take these things out with any chance of success. Starspawns are good astral mages but are otherwise only mediocre. It still never hurts to take them out since they can soul slay your commanders if you're careless. Always keep a solid bodyguard with important commanders when fighting R'lyeh - the Star Children are extremely effective assassin with their Mind Blast and magic ability. Watch out for troops attacking using the Gateway-spell.

Ulm is widely known for its excellent heavy infantry and knights. They're very expensive in resources, though. This means you won't face too many of them until they can build enough fortresses to produce troops in numbers. Your War Minotaurs can deal with their infantry (but will suffer heavy losses in the process) but certainly not with the Black Knights. Black knights should be tackled with Crossbowmen (if available) or superior numbers of Centaur Cataphracts or Seasonal Spirits/Kithaironic Lions. Ulm magic is generally very weak but their Smiths can cast several very effective combat spells. Magma Bolts can kill your heaviest troops while Blade Wind will slaughter masses of Maenads (unless protected with the 'Mass Protection'-spell). You should try to rout Ulm armies instead of destroying them as they have only average morale and don't have access to level 3 (or higher) priests. Ulm commanders are generally tough nuts to crack with their protection values of 20+ but your Harpies can deal with the Smiths easily.

The spell 'Destruction' should be noted here as it certainly gives Ulm a run for his money. Infantry with 0 protection isn't all that impressive anymore. Besides, it won't hurt all that much to hit your own troops with it: Your fodder has no protection to speak off and besides you'll often have the base 10 from Mass Protection.
6.5.1.5.3.14: Vanheim

Vanheim is a very dangerous nation when played right. They've got solid heavy infantry in the form of Hirdmen with some nice special troops like Einheres, Valkyries and the Vanir thrown in. Your War Minotaurs can deal with their infantry but it's the Valkyries and the Vanir that are a bit more tricky.

The Valkyries are the most powerful normally recruitable fliers - and they're sacred on top of that. You should have a strong bodyguard (Maenads will do) with your commanders when fighting Vanheim as they have access to powerful fliers right off the bat. It's usually not worth it going after the Valkyries with your best troops. It's better to leave your Maenads and Panii to deal with them. Valkyries aren't so scary when Tangle Vined (defence drops to 1) and can be disposed of by your Maenads. The Vanir are basically light cavalry but with a little twist. They have only mediocre. armor but their defence value is whopping 18 due to the illusions (which are dispelled once they are wounded). They are also stealthy and invisible on the map. They're best dealt with missile fire and your own heavy cavalry/infantry. The Vanherses and Vanjarls are decent air mages with some blood magic and priestly powers thrown in. They're hard to hit and can hold their own against most fliers so your harpies shouldn't bother targeting them if they're guarded. Missile fire will paste them good though (unless they cast Air Shield or somesuch).

Their real strength, however, is the ability to carry entire armies across seas. This can be extremely powerful in provinces with few large sea provinces (Cimmeria, for example). You should be prepared against strikes to your coastal provinces when facing Vanheim.

6.5.1.6: Closing Words & Credits

Writing this guide has been a very strenuous and a very rewarding task at the same time. I really enjoyed doing this as it also allowed me to collect the strategies from the last few months to one single file.

Heck, I'll be using this document myself for useful reference in the future. I also hope you've found at least some parts of this guide useful and fun to read (despite my spelling =). I'd like to thank everyone on the IRCnet channel #dominions for kicking my butt in many TCP/IP games (hey, you learn nothing if you win all the time) and for being generally nice chaps. I strongly recommend that you visit the channel if you haven't already done so (we're mostly Finnish, but speak bearable English if needed). We usually have couple of PBEM games going at once and play some one-nighters (TCP/IP) when we have the chance. It's also a great place to exchange ideas and strategy tips with your fellow players. I'd also like to thank Mr. Jacques Vidal for endless amounts of good ideas and advice (and also for the wonderful conversation sessions with him).

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6.6 PYTHIUM
You have :

- a nice gem income right off the bat;

- a fair spread of magic;

- high-level priests;

- very good infantry and even a battle-standard unit to avoid rout and a powerful but dangerous Hydra;

- assassins which can be quite effective for taking independents early on if you learn how to use them;

- different strategic bonus :

1) armies move 3 provinces in friendly territory (what means that if you have two intervening provinces

2) direct access to Gateway,

You lack :

- decent archer support;

- strong local defense : militia starts out pretty poorly - they get 2 plain militias (morale 8) and 1 slinger (morale 7).

DOMINION DESIGN
You don't have a huge reliance on resources so you don't have to take out all the independents near you. A "winding snake" plan might work well. A winding path thru the weak provinces leaving the really heavily armed ones as free boundary guards. That way you can use a large army to block the "path" to your home. Later when you are stonger you might clean up the locals. Take special interest in provinces near you which might give you archers or flyers.

Also, you can count on lots of priests to increase your dominion easily, so you don't need a lot of candles to start with.

Predesigned Pretender: Cumaean Sibyl the Oracle

http://www.illwinter.com/gods/Pythium.html

UNITS
Pythium infantry is very good all around infantry.

MAGES
Arch Theurgs are powerful priests and mages, but are expensive. Generally, Theurgs are more efficient in battle than Archthreurgs: a Theurg with a pair of communion slaves is magically as strong as a single Archtheurg, and you can buy two Theurgs and two communicants for about as much gold as one Archtheurg (all the communion masters get +1 level in all magic schools for 2 slaves, +2 for 4 slaves, +3 for 8 slaves, etc... priest level is boosted too), plus they attack twice as often. Keep pumping out Communion slaves : each combat mage should have two slaves each.