How to counter Arcane Nexus?

[Pataplouf]

I like to play against AI on high difficulty levels (mighty and impossible) on huge maps (25+ provinces per player), but with Dom6 I'm completely helpless against their better ritual and dispel management.

Over the course of two big games, I dominate my corner of the map, eliminate 2 or 3 opponents, but there's always a distant AI turttling around, rushing Arcane Nexus, and from that point on, the game is over. This AI will dominate and gain an exponential advantage against which I'm totally helpless.

In the dispel race, I'm losing out, and snipping spells don't have enough range, not to mention the fact that the spellcaster is probably a pretender I can't kill with conventional means.

So I could eventually apply the same strategy, but I'm not interested.

Any idea how to counter this?

[darion-neclador]

Then keep eliminating opponents.
With vast lands come vast armies and mage corps.
Use them ;) .

[Avazander]

Originally posted by its ben:

Also the caster is an astral mage so you can try soul slay or magic duel. I once saw an AAR where someone teleported in 20 chickens (astral 1, but they have 2 forms so they can die twice) spamming magic duel and took down an astral 9 supercombatant pretender

I think the dying twice for Mictlan turkeys was fixed a while ago (sadly) I loved using it.

[Huitzilopochtli]

I am fighting against Mictlan AI on mighty level now. Slowly wearing them down in WW1 style trench warfare where every meter of land is carpeted in the dead.

What is Arcane Nexus? A game ending spell like a nuke going off?

[Pataplouf]

(To sum up, Arcane Nexus is a spell that considerably increases income from astral pearls.)

Okay, I think I have a solution. Cast Disenchantment (enchantment 7), a mass dispel spell. Well, in my current game it's probably too late, I've got more or less 20k troops nibbling away at my territories. But I'll keep this option in mind for future games.

[Chris]

Originally posted by Nukoolamukmuk:

I am fighting against Mictlan AI on mighty level now. Slowly wearing them down in WW1 style trench warfare where every meter of land is carpeted in the dead.

What is Arcane Nexus? A game ending spell like a nuke going off?

Unless it has changed in 6, it’s a powerful gem generating ritual.

[Huitzilopochtli]

thanks Chris and Pataplouf

[Draken]

There is also "Arcane Analysis" in Thaumaturgy 9.
That would give you the info of how many gems you need for a dispel or disenchantment.

Though the chances are high that the enemy is just going to put up Arcane Nexus again.
That spell quickly repays it casting cost.

Arcane Decree, Alteration 9, would let you put up a global that would weaken any new hostile globals to prevent a strong Arcane Nexus from being recast.

[Perro Grande]

That spell, similar to Gift of Nature's Bounty is pretty much a declaration of war against the world. When someone casts one of these, their neighbors should immediately break NAPs and start raiding.