Astral Combos

[Flushing]

I almost always splash astral into all of my builds because it has many great tomes and some of the best empire upgrades in the game.

But, I haven't really made a great faction that has Astral as it's primary focus (splashing in others) because it doesn't feel as straightforward as Earth or Dark (I also don't know how to have a chaos focus).

Here are my questions:
1. What is the short term and long-term strategy of Mystic Culture in tactical battles?
2. How units make up your stacks from start, mid-game, and end game?
3. Are there some tricks astral has for the strategic map?
4. Are there some strategies for city building or province management?

[Malaficus Shaikan]

1: Mystic, gifted casters, Mana channelers, Tome of evocation, Wizard king.
You cities are build for mana and research.
Use wizard king overchannel to quickly kill in battle but your goal is to rapidly advance your tomes until you can start summoning.
Gold should be spend rushing buildings.
You want to tech those research and mana buildings up yesterday.

2: Evokers(The chain lighting guy) but really it doesnt matter.
Most early game fights can be auto resolved with your starting stack.
You should have summons asap.

3: Mostly the ability to quicky get new troops via summons and hit your enemy with weakness to lighting before a battle.

4: Research>Mana> Gold> Production>Draft.

In short: With astral you want to go pure spellcasting summoning.
Your race doesnt matter tho default elves do work well with evokers.


The key part is that you have to get too the tome of summoning asap.

[Midas]

imo mana addicts + mystic culture go together really well, since both encourage you to be casting a spell every turn. Otherwise they can be built like any other faction. The core culture has a lot more battle mages than other cultures, and the spellbreaker is a phenomenal unit, but the mystic mechanics are as good for any other unit as they are for spellcasters.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

1: Mystic, gifted casters, Mana channelers, Tome of evocation, Wizard king.
You cities are build for mana and research.
Use wizard king overchannel to quickly kill in battle but your goal is to rapidly advance your tomes until you can start summoning.
Gold should be spend rushing buildings.
You want to tech those research and mana buildings up yesterday.

2: Evokers(The chain lighting guy) but really it doesnt matter.
Most early game fights can be auto resolved with your starting stack.
You should have summons asap.

3: Mostly the ability to quicky get new troops via summons and hit your enemy with weakness to lighting before a battle.

4: Research>Mana> Gold> Production>Draft.

In short: With astral you want to go pure spellcasting summoning.
Your race doesnt matter tho default elves do work well with evokers.


The key part is that you have to get too the tome of summoning asap.

Thank you. Is it easiest to go Wizard King with Astral or can I go Dragon Lord and be just as good? Also, what other affinities (if any, I could see going mono) do you splash when primarily focusing on Astral?

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Midas:

imo mana addicts + mystic culture go together really well, since both encourage you to be casting a spell every turn. Otherwise they can be built like any other faction. The core culture has a lot more battle mages than other cultures, and the spellbreaker is a phenomenal unit, but the mystic mechanics are as good for any other unit as they are for spellcasters.

Thanks dude.

[spartanspud]

Definitely wizard king would be optimal as it allows you to cast more.

But if you're not trying out some sort of challenge or playing against someone you can just use the dragon if you want.

[Malaficus Shaikan]

Originally posted by Flushing:

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

1: Mystic, gifted casters, Mana channelers, Tome of evocation, Wizard king.
You cities are build for mana and research.
Use wizard king overchannel to quickly kill in battle but your goal is to rapidly advance your tomes until you can start summoning.
Gold should be spend rushing buildings.
You want to tech those research and mana buildings up yesterday.

2: Evokers(The chain lighting guy) but really it doesnt matter.
Most early game fights can be auto resolved with your starting stack.
You should have summons asap.

3: Mostly the ability to quicky get new troops via summons and hit your enemy with weakness to lighting before a battle.

4: Research>Mana> Gold> Production>Draft.

In short: With astral you want to go pure spellcasting summoning.
Your race doesnt matter tho default elves do work well with evokers.


The key part is that you have to get too the tome of summoning asap.

Thank you. Is it easiest to go Wizard King with Astral or can I go Dragon Lord and be just as good? Also, what other affinities (if any, I could see going mono) do you splash when primarily focusing on Astral?

Originally posted by spartanspud:

Definitely wizard king would be optimal as it allows you to cast more.

But if you're not trying out some sort of challenge or playing against someone you can just use the dragon if you want.

As spartandspud said:
You can it is just less effecient.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

Originally posted by Flushing:

Thank you. Is it easiest to go Wizard King with Astral or can I go Dragon Lord and be just as good? Also, what other affinities (if any, I could see going mono) do you splash when primarily focusing on Astral?

Originally posted by spartanspud:

Definitely wizard king would be optimal as it allows you to cast more.

But if you're not trying out some sort of challenge or playing against someone you can just use the dragon if you want.

As spartandspud said:
You can it is just less effecient.

I'm trying it right now with Wizard King, and I can't see using a different leader after playing a little because overchannel is so strong.

The only thing I changed up is I chose the mana addicts over gifted casters.

I'll try next skirmish with gifted casters instead of mana addicts, I just remembered so mana threads on how mana addicts is so op, etc.

[Malaficus Shaikan]

Originally posted by Flushing:

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

As spartandspud said:
You can it is just less effecient.

I'm trying it right now with Wizard King, and I can't see using a different leader after playing a little because overchannel is so strong.

The only thing I changed up is I chose the mana addicts over gifted casters.

I'll try next skirmish with gifted casters instead of mana addicts, I just remembered so mana threads on how mana addicts is so op, etc.

Yeah Mana addicts is pretty much free lifesteal.
Gifted caster i only recommand because:
1: You have to unlock mana addics.
2: It starts you with 3 combat spells and makes them cheaper to spamm.

It is mostly a question of do i want to get a +1 to level for my spellcasters and lifestealing for my armies.
Or do i want to have cheaper spells and start with 1 extra spell.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

Originally posted by Flushing:

I'm trying it right now with Wizard King, and I can't see using a different leader after playing a little because overchannel is so strong.

The only thing I changed up is I chose the mana addicts over gifted casters.

I'll try next skirmish with gifted casters instead of mana addicts, I just remembered so mana threads on how mana addicts is so op, etc.

Yeah Mana addicts is pretty much free lifesteal.
Gifted caster i only recommand because:
1: You have to unlock mana addics.
2: It starts you with 3 combat spells and makes them cheaper to spamm.

It is mostly a question of do i want to get a +1 to level for my spellcasters and lifestealing for my armies.
Or do i want to have cheaper spells and start with 1 extra spell.

I took the Mana Channelers for +1 rank to units of magical origin, and tested it with Astral Binding, which gives 3 ranks to units with magical origin.

that should cause summoned units with Evolve to automatically Evolve at creation, but it doesn't, my summoned units just come out at rank 3, what am I doing wrong, or is this a bug?

[SQW]

Originally posted by Flushing:

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

Yeah Mana addicts is pretty much free lifesteal.
Gifted caster i only recommand because:
1: You have to unlock mana addics.
2: It starts you with 3 combat spells and makes them cheaper to spamm.

It is mostly a question of do i want to get a +1 to level for my spellcasters and lifestealing for my armies.
Or do i want to have cheaper spells and start with 1 extra spell.

I took the Mana Channelers for +1 rank to units of magical origin, and tested it with Astral Binding, which gives 3 ranks to units with magical origin.

that should cause summoned units with Evolve to automatically Evolve at creation, but it doesn't, my summoned units just come out at rank 3, what am I doing wrong, or is this a bug?

Don't you need rank 4 for evolve?

[Flushing]

Originally posted by SQW:

Originally posted by Flushing:

I took the Mana Channelers for +1 rank to units of magical origin, and tested it with Astral Binding, which gives 3 ranks to units with magical origin.

that should cause summoned units with Evolve to automatically Evolve at creation, but it doesn't, my summoned units just come out at rank 3, what am I doing wrong, or is this a bug?

Don't you need rank 4 for evolve?

Yes. Mana Channelers gives +1 and Astral Binding gives +3.

Together 1+3=4

[spartanspud]

Probably they can't program it to come out evolved so it sticks at rank 3. I think technically it isn't a big, so much as them not doing it properly.

[Flushing]

Originally posted by spartanspud:

Probably they can't program it to come out evolved so it sticks at rank 3. I think technically it isn't a big, so much as them not doing it properly.

I think you're right, it simply can't come out as a Wyvern when you cast Summon Fledgling Wyvern.

[Balekai]

It's that, or it's a balance issue. Especially if there's an evolved version in another later Tome.

So if you want an instant "evolved" version, you still need to pick up the appropriate T3ish Tome and can't start with T3 units all over the place by turn 10. :D

[Tom Cormie]

Originally posted by Malaficus Shaikan:

1: Mystic, gifted casters, Mana channelers, Tome of evocation, Wizard king.
You cities are build for mana and research.
Use wizard king overchannel to quickly kill in battle but your goal is to rapidly advance your tomes until you can start summoning.
Gold should be spend rushing buildings.
You want to tech those research and mana buildings up yesterday.

2: Evokers(The chain lighting guy) but really it doesnt matter.
Most early game fights can be auto resolved with your starting stack.
You should have summons asap.

3: Mostly the ability to quicky get new troops via summons and hit your enemy with weakness to lighting before a battle.

4: Research>Mana> Gold> Production>Draft.

In short: With astral you want to go pure spellcasting summoning.
Your race doesnt matter tho default elves do work well with evokers.


The key part is that you have to get too the tome of summoning asap.

I almost play the same way, but I chose artifact hoardes instead of mana channelers. A lot of magic items are collected, which not only strengthen the hero, but also give mana regen.