Informations to create more challenging CAW

This is a quick guide to help you create more challenging/helpful CAW when they are controlled by the AI.

Abilities

This is simply a summary of the different Ability sets with their corresponding starting stratagems.

Google Sheet[docs.google.com]

Stratagems

IMPORTANT: this section is outdated since the 04/06/2015 update. You can now select the stratagems directly in Edit Mode.

The stratagems used by NPC CaW's are chosen from those you used during the playthrough you completed. Basically, up to the six most used ones will get registered.

Out of the stratagems a CaW possesses, 2 coming from his abilities set will always be present. If he has 0-4 stratagems, it will be added do them, if he has 5-6 stratagems, they will replace 1-2 of them.

To quickly and efficiently change a character stratagem set:

• Complete a whole campaign without equiping/using a single stratagem. Just leave on territory unconquered.
  
• Save.
  
• Equip four stratagems and use them during the invasion.
  
• Win and save your character.

This way, your character will possess the four stratagems you used plus the two from his ability set. And if you want to change them, just load your save, change the stratagems and finish the last battle.

Also, note that if you – don't – play your character during a Defense/Invasion/Raid and he uses a stratagem, it will not count so feel free to experiment.

(Thanks to busard for helping me to understand these mechanisms. More informations in this thread: http://steamcommunity.com/app/322520/discussions/0/617329920708451715/#c617330227195757950)

Stratagems

This part intends to recommend stratagems that are well used by the AI.

Recommended

• Inspire: I would personally recommend you to put it on any CaW you build. Basically, it makes officers fight better.
• Turrets: AI uses both offensive and healing turrets with a good accuracy. Most of the time, they will place it so it hits as many targets as possible. This is why it's interesting to have Bowman Turret on them.
• Catapults: AI uses it a bit more randomly than turrets, but still very efficiently.
• Fire/Ice Strike: Very high damage, AI tends to use it a lot. It can often one or two shot a low or mid level player.
• Mystic Fog: substantially slows down attack and movement speed. Also seems to make the AI act more agressive on slowed targets.
• Affection: heals, improves attack and defense. Affects not only the user but also nearby allies. Costs only 1 stratagem counter. Do you want a coffee with this? The only downside is that it requieres to sacrifice a small amount of troups.
• Battle Magic, Armor, Raid, Peerless: usually, having one stats enhancing stratagem on a CAW is a great help.
• Resolute Defense/Immovable: useful to make your CAW more challenging late in a scenario.
• Recovery/Unity: having at least one healing skill is also quite mandatory. You can get Recovery from the Defensive ability set.

Meh.

• Ultimate Might: it is a risky bet, but one CaW in a unit with this one may be useful. It costs some troups per use and has a long cooldown. If you are putting together a unit, don't put it on too many CaW's.
• Thunder Strike, Darkness, Explosion, Blast: AI uses it as Fire and Ice strikes but Thunder stike is not very accurate, Darkness deals very low damages except at point blank and AI seems to use Explosion and Blast less often than the rest
• Poison Mist: it deals damages to both allies and ennemies. However, used by an enemy NPC, it deals a lot of unblockable damages to the player.
• Altars: AI does not use them very often, however, it would be insanely useful if it did.
• Summon: Also quite a risky bet. Usually, AI uses it when in a pinch, but since you can't get to choose which officers get's summoned, it can ruin a battle plan.

Not Recommended

• Transformation: the AI don't know how to use it. The NPC don't use it when they are in a pinch but randomly when they are aggro'ed.

Musous

There are Musous that the AI uses better than other. For instance, some grabs are quite deadly since the AI targetting system hardly misses as long as the target stays in range.

Recommended

• Spider Web (Sima Yi – Ground Musou) | I think it is the musou that killed me the most times. Grab with a very wide range and fast animation. If there are two or more officers against you, it becomes extremely deadly since chances are you won't see it coming.
• Armageddon Strike (Lu Bu – Air Musou) | Very wide range, high damages, unblockable. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
• Shadow Rush (Gan Ning – Ground Musou) | Wide range, can be initiated from a distance, high damages.
• Unlimited Volley (Huang Zhong – R1 Musou) | Extremely long range, very long animation, deadly if there are multiple officers. However, the tracking is quite average.

Meh.

• Unparalleled Might (Lu Bu – R1 Musou) | Extreme damages or buff, AI uses it well on other NPC, can sometimes hit the PC too thanks to quick animation

Not Recommended

• Any AoE without a wide range
• Any CQC grab
• Any Musou with a long preparation animation

Weapons

Recommended

• Siege Rocket (Xiahou Ba) | Average range, fast attacks, tends to make the AI very agressive. So far, I haven't seen the IA use a weapon better.
• Dragon Column (Liu Shan) | This weapon has an awesome gimmick that makes counter very effective. Coupled with the AI natural ability to use it, it can become a deadly weapon.
• Staff (Zhou Yu) | Fast attacks, long range. Can attack from offscreen if there are multiple officers.

Meh.

• Curved Sword (Zhou Tai) – Quick attacks, but lacks a bit of range.
• Hallberd (Lu Bu) – Long range, but too slow to be surprising. Effective in a crowd.

Not recommended

When using these weapons, the AI will most likely stand idle waiting to get hit.

• Flying Swords (Zhong Hui)

Conclusion

If you found something wrong or incorrect in the guide, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Also, if you have suggestions concerning Stratagems, Musous, Weapons or whatever, I'll gladly read it.

[The Reaper Of Chess YT]

Not much from this list has changed besides the Strategies and such... what I think would help is just an updated guide to some of these. And maybe Give an opinion or thing for what WoL is best for the strategy phase of the AI on map so they attack more often and or have more damage they do to territories... there is sooo much love that can be had

[The Reaper Of Chess YT]

Fuzen. Message me maybe I can help and or stream some for ya. The TAU mod will change your opinions trust me lmao.. and you will be like me and fall in love again... chaos runs with no bonuses to level or resources is one of my favorite ways to play it now... add me on steam and I can send you my mod and you will see how crazy fun it can get... more strategy and all

[Fuzen]

I’d actually like to update this guide but honestly… I don’t feel like delving as deep in DW8E as I did back when I wrote this guide.

[The Reaper Of Chess YT]

Fuzen and everyone..... we need an updated one of these and with the TAU 3.0 AI mod for more challenging AI...

[The Reaper Of Chess YT]

Im using Tau Difficulty Mod 3.0 and it does great however I feel like the CAW's i have are good but the one i play as i just think there needs to be something done to its stance or whatever because Defensive or sloth is too slow and doesnt do much vs the AI musou 1 tapping you and since it has no slow down its instant almost... so idk what else i can use/do... any advice on that? maybe Speed/swift footed? i know aggresive and berserker is really okay until they hit you which this mod makes them super aggro

[DeltaKnight]

Gave an officer Lu Bu's halberd with an aggressive personality, 1800 kills in 4 and a half minutes.
Lu Bu nerfed? I THINK NOT! I love that weapon of a man.

[Foxfisher159]

Thoughts on Lightining Sword and Sima Shi's Musous(Black Spiral, Black Beak, and Death Sentence)?

[Fuzen]

Thanks again for the feedback. I'll update this guide as soon as I play again.

[KaleShibata]

Cao Ren's blade sheild. Makes the AI effective on defence, and the weapon swap is the fastest in the game for AI having almost no prep time for them to swap it. Combined with the Ai's love of spamming C1 it makes them fairly effective on defence with the right strategem mix.

[Beravin]

I've got two musous for the list. Depth Charge, while it does take a little longer, has good range, good damage, and is unbloackable. Roaring Fangs air musou is also quite amazing.