Sisters of twilight - I'm completely lost on how to win this

[Desolate Eden]

I'm on turn 160, still in the witchwood, 181 forest health, how am i meant to go and heal other forests when clan moulder is snowballing with 17 settlements, attacking me from one side, dark elves on the other side and random beast men spawning on the 3rd side, i have 3 armies now and loosing money constantly just trying to defend each front, every turn I take something, the rats take something back far away and its a constant cat and mouse of going back to retake stuff because im so stretched thin and somehow theyre not, im meant to go to 3 other places and heal the forests and im still on the first in 160 turns lol what am i doing wrong?

[Holy Athena]

HOnestly playing on Normal, I find diplomacy is the key to victory here as well.

Enemies tend to ignore you for the most part, so long as you don't go gallavanting conquoring huge swaths of land (and get the large empire penalty). Let your allies deal with everything.

Though I have taken literally all of the Dark Elves lands to the north of the Witchwood and let Etain take the snow mountains as a buffer between me, and the constant hoards spawning.

THough people are right you don't get stacking buffs anymore, that doesn't make them useless... I'm gaining over 8k extra gold from all the extra little outposts I have. (Just focus on towns that have resources, like marble, wine, etc. THey do give stacking gold buffs, and since you get trade bonus's, can net you tons of gold). Completely owning a province doesn't matter though like it does for other factions. So just grab the ones with resources, and let your allies take the rest. They'll act like buffers between you and enemies.

I only have 2 Forests unlocked right now but I'm able to field 8 armies due to all the trade, and resources I have, all of the armies also fielding the best units available.

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The trick again is understanding and wrapping your head around the new wood elf strategy. Owning land outside of the hinterlands isn't important, but grab the resources you can for trade.. Try to get as many alliances as possible, and even agree to any non aggressions possible.

THen focus on building up the Witch wood, and expanding slowly but surely. With the trade, allies, etc. you'll be able to steadily grow and expand.

[The Grand Mugwump]

It's fine if enemies keep claiming the settlements around the witchwood. Wood elves don't require painting the map, they don't require holding land other than the central forest territory and they can't defend land outside of their central forest territory worth a damn anyways.

In fact, your situation is actually sounding pretty good because you'll make a killing off of post battle loot. The big thing to remember is that occupying a heathland gives no immediate bonus and +1 health per turn while razing an occupied heathland gives an immediate +5 forest health and + 1 health per turn. And your forest will gain health for every battle won in it or its heathlands' borders as well. Just keep focusing on defending the immediate area around your forest(s) like a good wood elf and it will heal pretty darn quickly.

[Emjay]

Originally posted by Ming:

Originally posted by Desolate Eden:

right, i was assuming i have to take control of the witchwood first , clear out all the enemies so i could actually leave without loosing everything, i dont see how its possible to leave otherwise, like just now i took over another rat settlement and a beastmen horde spawns in my borders and takes something the same turn they appear basically hopeless lol

Since outposts don't have stacking buffs anymore it may honestly be easier to keep them razed. Using the option where you raze them to heal the land, so you might have to wait for someone else to take it over first to do it. But then you aren't stuck defending these, you just have to smash hostiles that settle in them. Since the benefits they provide are marginal at best. I'm only 40 turns in or so, but have been debating the efficiency of maintaining the heartland outposts.

Wouldn't using them as outposts give you a boost in economy from the buildings as well as act as a buffer for an invading force?

I'm not gonna cry if someone takes an outpost but if a full stack turn up at my main settlement I'm gonna be in trouble. Having the outpost will act as an early warning system that I can replace easily.

[Zane87]

Originally posted by Emjay:

Originally posted by Ming:

Since outposts don't have stacking buffs anymore it may honestly be easier to keep them razed. Using the option where you raze them to heal the land, so you might have to wait for someone else to take it over first to do it. But then you aren't stuck defending these, you just have to smash hostiles that settle in them. Since the benefits they provide are marginal at best. I'm only 40 turns in or so, but have been debating the efficiency of maintaining the heartland outposts.

Wouldn't using them as outposts give you a boost in economy from the buildings as well as act as a buffer for an invading force?

I'm not gonna cry if someone takes an outpost but if a full stack turn up at my main settlement I'm gonna be in trouble. Having the outpost will act as an early warning system that I can replace easily.

They only give a very meager boost when they have a port or trade good.
And yes, having an early warning system is not wrong but it's better when it's an ally instead of a near useless outpost.

Outposts are good in the beginning but then I'd rather raze them unless I really need the healing. Besides, more outposts = higher great power debuff = makes diplomacy harder.
And you really want a good diplomatic game as WE