Trapped as Drycha

[carlc]

Perhaps I should not have picked this campaign as my first attempt at Very Hard, but I’d love some advice. I can’t seem to get out from the first forest to move elsewhere. I am currently in a war with one of the vampires and surrounded by the other, even though I intentionally chose the option to not fight the vamps during the forest encounter (just thought it would provide a different play through). I have actually finished the forest rebirth, but don’t really have the income for a second army...so it feels like the moment I try to go to another forest (was thinking about the one by the Greenskins), I will get attacked and possibly lose my main settlement. I feel like, though, I need that second settlement to have enough income to move forward. Initially I thought things were fine, but the Vampires I am not at war with took out the nearest Empire faction to my north. We aren’t at war, but relations are very poor. I’ve actually tried about four different attempts of a strategy, but no matter where I go, I end up trapped either in a bad military situation or surrounded by threats. I do appreciate that the game isn’t making it easy—my recent Sisters campaign was also very tight in the early game. I suppose maybe I’m venting, but I also thought you experts might have some thoughts. Think the forest, as healed up, can hold its own and I just go ahead and try to take the second forest? I know that will get me into conflict with Grimgor. I had thought I could take that forest, and then attack the Vamps from both sides, but I just can’t seem to make it worth.

Thoughts? Ideas?

[winterplantkill]

There is also a building that gives you immunity to vampiric attrition. You have to take out the vampires early before they get too powerful. I just took all their territory after razing each settlement once (then allowing vamps to re-colonise) and building the sacrifice building I think, which gives you more money from razing adjacent settlements.
In this way I could field a second, small army of just a treeman and 10 treekin. Run at negative income until the vamps are defeated and then everyone will want to trade with you. Build the wine and timber resources from the vamps land and befriend the remaining empire factions who will be a buffer from chaos. Even the dawi will want a military alliance and trade.
In this way you can increase your income and reach the hinterlands of the forest held by the southern realms. Declare war on them, take the forest and continue. You must constantly be at war to make money.

(Edit: forgot to allow vamps to re-colonise, thus weakening them more)

[viryu9]

I've completed Drycha long campaign victory on VH some time ago. Some things to take notice:

Treemen are recruitaible at tier 3, and a special amber tech gives them AoE damage passive. The AI isn't capable of handling early T5 units in your army.

Treemen with frenzy are some of the most powerful units in the game combined with a life branchwraith. You don't even need a full stack, 10 is enough to win everything. I used 1 generic Treeman lord and 2 branchwraiths of other lores.

Pick of enemies of the Empire, so they get to like you and give you treaties easier. It's far easier to keep positive relations with them than the other factions surrounding you.

At one point you will get an event allowing you to confederate Durthu, you need to win 3 battles against Dwarves, just create a second army and pick of an undefended minor settlement, sack it 3 times. Yes, at this point I was mostly in red, I was even hit my attrition twice, but it's worth it. You get a massive income boost from the confederation, allowing you to recruit more armies. With a Treemen stack you can just conquer the remaining factions surrounding Athel Loren.

In my playthrough Alarielle's forest was destroyed by Chaos, so I rushed in to settle it, but it's also a good idea to go conquer it as soon as possible before she gets treaties with Eataine, or gets confederated. Also, it often gets swarmed with Cult of Pleasure, which is harder to maintain good diplomacy with.

The southern tree is also a good place to conquer early, before it gets taken either by Grimgor or Throgrim.

[carlc]

Wonderful advice everyone. Playing as a faction that needs battles often for the money (which I suppose is part of the point of the forest incursions) or choosing to sack or raze (and then letting the former occupant reoccupy to then “rinse and repeat”) is still pretty new or foreign to me. But I am working on getting better at it. Similarly, the idea of moving most of the way (to wherever) and then sitting in ambush is also new. So, learning new strategies and style.

I realize, after more thought and review of old save files, that my bigger error in strategy was that I was trying to complete the Coedil event quickly. I didn’t know about the Parravon part of that, however, so I had rushed over to defeat the Empire army north of Reikland, thinking that would give me the teleport event. When it didn’t, I basically lost 10+ turns, and by the time I got back, the Vamps had gotten north of me.

Speaking of sacking, I wanted to ask a question about that. I get the point of a “sack city” to try to raise your character level rapidly, but when people talk about it in terms of financial gain, well... Often, after sacking it on just the second time, the money shows up in the red. It can be a very low number, like “45” or something. I don’t get, then, the point that multiple sacking of the same city will help my economy. Am I missing something?

[Chaoslink]

Publicado originalmente por carlc:

Often, after sacking it on just the second time, the money shows up in the red. It can be a very low number, like “45” or something. I don’t get, then, the point that multiple sacking of the same city will help my economy. Am I missing something?

To get good money from the sack itself, you need to give it time to rebuild. However, that doesn't mean there aren't benefits. You can still gain a bit more cash through post battle from fighting the garrison or from ransoming captives afterwards. Still won't be a ton, but it helps. If you're spam sacking the real benefits is additional experience and raising relations with anyone who hates that faction through military actions against them. Want all of the southern Empire factions to like you? Sack two or three vampire settlements a few times and you'll have plenty of friends.

[ArchAnge1LT]

Double sacking isn't that great in itself, but it is good if you are not having better things to do at the moment. If there are better alternatives, just proceed with those, otherwise, continuous sacking is better than just standing around waiting to replenish, for example.

[viryu9]

No need to rush Coedill. Actually, I found out in my campaign he was obsolete by the time I got him. A good hero, sure, but if you already have a Treemen army with casters, he doesn't exactly add much to it. Later on you could even replace Drycha for a generic Treeman Lord, she's not that great in the first place, unless you want animal units for flavour.

For sacking, because you don't build up settlements, it's irrelevant what you do with cities. If you want some peace, raze them. If you need to move quickly afterwards, earn levels or gain rep with a faction, sack to your hearts content.