MOM on Impossible

[Ozz]

Anyone got any tips for playing on impossible?

Everytime I try it, It isn't 50 turns into the game before
I'm overrun, volcanoed, chaos rifted and earthquaked.

Furthest I got was as Dwarves. Tried tripling city defenses, 6 adm steamcannons and a adm swordsman.
Still got reamed.

[Sikander]

I haven't played anything except impossible for a long time. First order of business for me is to select that black bearded dude as my avatar. He is always throwing that nasty stuff on my lands, but if he is my avatar he doesn't get to play in my game.

Secondly, I usually go with the Hero / Artifact game. I select artificer and that retort that gives you a discount on general spells like make artifact and summon champion. I choose 2 books in life, two in nature or sorcery, and the rest in blue (can't remember the name of that magic). This allows me to build really powerful items eventually. For a starting race I like the Nomads. They have good range attackers, can build a lot of buildings, and produce plenty of gold.

To make mana I use the artificer "cheat". I make weak weapons and break them on the anvil for a mana profit (you only get a profit if you choose the two retorts I mention above). Everything else goes into research. Using this method you can build up a lot of mana, and you'll need it in order to build those wicked artifacts for your heroes. Whenever you get a spellcaster hero make sure to build some nice artifacts that give them extra spell points. Half of these will accrue to your available spell points / max spell points per turn, which in turn will increase the number of mana you will net from your artifact make and break routine.

I use summon hero and summon champion spells to get good heroes. My favorites are the archers. When suitably outfitted with 4 items that give them maximum swords, and every conceivable defensive measure (especially flying and invisible) they are ready to conquer the world.

In the meantime I pretty much concentrate on building up my first city and defending it properly. This is rarely difficult to do, with a bunch of the right units and my heroes I can defeat most anything the AI sends my way. When my first combat hero is outfitted I send him off to start conquering enemy cities. The one hero can defeat all but the most difficult opponents, especially after he has a few level. Two heroes can defeat anything in the game, though I have lost one in the tougher nodes from time to time.

I hope this is explanation enough. It is just one way to beat the game, but it is effective on either plane. On Myrror I choose the dwarves and try to build a bigger base of support, as the 3 picks spent on the Myrror start reduce the mana mining capabilities to some extent. Those adamantium equipped hammerhands are lethal though, and it isn't all that hard to hold your own with the AI unless you have some bad luck.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Sikander
I haven't played anything except impossible for a long time. First order of business for me is to select that black bearded dude as my avatar. He is always throwing that nasty stuff on my lands, but if he is my avatar he doesn't get to play in my game.

Secondly, I usually go with the Hero / Artifact game. I select artificer and that retort that gives you a discount on general spells like make artifact and summon champion. I choose 2 books in life, two in nature or sorcery, and the rest in blue (can't remember the name of that magic). This allows me to build really powerful items eventually. For a starting race I like the Nomads. They have good range attackers, can build a lot of buildings, and produce plenty of gold.

To make mana I use the artificer "cheat". I make weak weapons and break them on the anvil for a mana profit (you only get a profit if you choose the two retorts I mention above). Everything else goes into research. Using this method you can build up a lot of mana, and you'll need it in order to build those wicked artifacts for your heroes. Whenever you get a spellcaster hero make sure to build some nice artifacts that give them extra spell points. Half of these will accrue to your available spell points / max spell points per turn, which in turn will increase the number of mana you will net from your artifact make and break routine.

I use summon hero and summon champion spells to get good heroes. My favorites are the archers. When suitably outfitted with 4 items that give them maximum swords, and every conceivable defensive measure (especially flying and invisible) they are ready to conquer the world.

In the meantime I pretty much concentrate on building up my first city and defending it properly. This is rarely difficult to do, with a bunch of the right units and my heroes I can defeat most anything the AI sends my way. When my first combat hero is outfitted I send him off to start conquering enemy cities. The one hero can defeat all but the most difficult opponents, especially after he has a few level. Two heroes can defeat anything in the game, though I have lost one in the tougher nodes from time to time.

I hope this is explanation enough. It is just one way to beat the game, but it is effective on either plane. On Myrror I choose the dwarves and try to build a bigger base of support, as the 3 picks spent on the Myrror start reduce the mana mining capabilities to some extent. Those adamantium equipped hammerhands are lethal though, and it isn't all that hard to hold your own with the AI unless you have some bad luck.

Sorcery is blue.

I do the same thing but I will use halflings.

I also don't bother to conquer enemy cites, I just raze them.

ACK!

[aaglo]

About the impossible level... Whenever I play, and meet my rivals in turn 20 or so, they have atleast 3 heroes already. That is so wrong...

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by aaglo
About the impossible level... Whenever I play, and meet my rivals in turn 20 or so, they have atleast 3 heroes already. That is so wrong...

The computer players always seem to have more heroes than they should at every level, IMO.

[Jacques Rougeau]

Re: MOM on Impossible

Originally posted by Ozz
I'm overrun, volcanoed, chaos rifted and earthquaked.

Yes I feel the same except that I could compete on military level but after some time the sorcerers throw every evil spell they have against you and so I got bored to always be the guy that everybody gang up so I quit playing this ridiculous level.

[Tuberski]

Using the method mentioned by Sikander, it is also pretty important to attack enemy capitals, and banish them, to save you from nasty overland spells.

ACK!

[Sikander]

I don't get ganged up on very early, in part because I stay small while I build up my power. Being almost impervious to the enemy in tactical combat means that I can fight a lot of defensive battles (sometimes more than one a turn!) for my capital without sustaining serious casualties. Tuberski is quite right about banishing enemy Wizards, it is the critical maneuver to keep them powerless. Often I will banish one and then rush across the map to banish another who is bothering me, leaving the clean up of their empire for later.

[Ozz]

Thanks for all your advice, seems I must be playing
too low powered. I normally on Hard don't use a lot
of combat spells, and depend on my adm. troops to
carry me.

Going to try again this weekend.

[Harry Seldon]

If you're still getting smoked, try starting on Myrrar and choose Sss'ra's avatar. That will give you time to get on your feet before you have to face any of the other wizards. Focus on beating the special lairs to find additional spell books and spells. Also, try to get enough chaos tomes to be able to cast flame strike. When I get this one I can send one group of engineers into a city with full garrison and wipe the floor with their dead bodies.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Harry Seldon
If you're still getting smoked, try starting on Myrrar and choose Sss'ra's avatar. That will give you time to get on your feet before you have to face any of the other wizards. Focus on beating the special lairs to find additional spell books and spells. Also, try to get enough chaos tomes to be able to cast flame strike. When I get this one I can send one group of engineers into a city with full garrison and wipe the floor with their dead bodies.

Not on Impossible it doesn't.

You could possibly, and probably will, face 2 other wizards on Myrror. All of the Wizard retorts are randomized at Impossible.

ACK!

[Ellestar]

Also strong this strats:
1) 11 Life, Stram of Life on ALL cities -> *2 growth, ~ *6 money (*3 (taxes), but from base value, before upkeep costs)
better to play for race with much building (because you can buy them all), at least with all money-getting buildings, try to build cities on coast/lake
mana goes from gold, good personal power, good research (many buildings, many cities)

2) 11 Life, Torin the Chosen
I played with my friend competition - fastest DemiGod hero. I get Torin to Demigod in 10 years.

3) 11 Death - Wraiths, 11 Chaos - Chaos Spawn
Wraiths is better (they are weaker), but faster, give you zombies and cost less mana. Maybe they don't give you win on Impossible, but they can give you decent start. If you were lucky enough you can gain Armageddon from ruins (as i did once).

also check http://gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/game/11508.html

[Static Universe]

11 book stategies
11 Life with Torin

[Harry Seldon]

Originally posted by Tuberski


Not on Impossible it doesn't.

You could possibly, and probably will, face 2 other wizards on Myrror. All of the Wizard retorts are randomized at Impossible.

ACK!

Are you sure? I don't recall running into anyone else on Myrrar but I usually play two or three opponents. I've been playing alot lately; if what you say is true, I'll bet you can have some spectacular battles on Myrrar. It'd be sweet to run into someone with a mana base as powerful as mine and duke it out Dragonslayer style early.

[Ellestar]

Static23
Ok.
But they are easiest IMXO.

Btw i want to hear some strats that are not Zzzzz for you.
I like these ones because they are unique in some ways, and so interesting to play, compared to most other strats.