u/Acolyte_of_Swole

Hi all. I'm new to MTG, but I have played a lot of knockoff games that are kinda MTG-like, and some other TCGs in the past. Stuff like Faeria, which is basically just Magic with serial numbers filed off. So I have a basic idea of what the colors mean and how they're themed, and how a lot of the card abilities work.

Anyway, I really like playing Godzillas and stomping around, so I was thinking of doing a basic b trample mono green deck. Super budget though. I don't want to put expensive cards in, just big ones. Was kinda thinking either Dinos or Hydras.

I could buy a prebuilt deck, but none of them look good to me except the Dino one that isn't out yet. Sigh. Was planning to make a 100 card, no dupes deck for either Commander or Highlander, since those are the formats that seem interesting to me based on what I've read. I used to play YGO and got really sick of the meta in that and how the optimal strat was smallest deck size + largest number of allowed dupes for the most overpowered cards. At least with 100 and no duplicates, I can play a wider range of things, right?

I'd prefer if each individual card was less than a dollar or if there were a bunch of really cheap ones and then a couple of $1-2.

My goal is just to build something I can use to try out Highlander and Commander to see if it's fun enough to keep doing.

Hey everyone, I'm currently replaying FF12. I'm using all 12 jobs and I think I found a pretty good setup that works for me. But at the same time, I can't help put look at the jobs and think about what other combinations could be fun.

I'm curious to hear from the people who have played this game a lot more than me (I never finished FF12, I just play it from time to time for a while until losing interest) what their favorite job combo is and why. I can't really say I love any of the job combinations I'm using now. Archer/Black is probably my favorite but it's a pretty standard combination from what I've researched, and Archer/Red would probably be overall better. Uhlan/Machinist has been fun, but I think that's mostly because I like Uhlan. Same for Foebreaker/Bushi.

I'm curious how one would make Dark Sun classes in WotR. It seems to me there are so many classes and archetypes and combinations you can make, that it should be possible to gimmick something for each Dark Sun unique class. The races, obviously nothing can be done there. There's nothing similar to Thri-Kreen. But many of the monsters from Dark Sun: Shattered Lands are also in Wrath, such as Babau and Vrocks. So I thought it would be a fun experiment.

The main classes I'm thinking of are: Gladiator, Defiler, Templar, Preserver and Psionicist. I don't think there's a way to do Psionicist, although psykokineticist can technically use mind powers I guess? And there are mind-affecting spells in the spellbooks for casters more generally.

With how Dark Sun does Clerics, you'd probably have to roleplay Cleric. Elemental/Natural domains only and equipment limited by roleplay of the Domain you picked. Only earth and fire domains would get metal armor, for example. But you still have the problem of forced Deity selection, so it kind of doesn't work.

For Gladiator, I guess just Fighter. Instinctual Warrior also makes sense for an arena combatant, since they probably aren't wearing much armor, and warriors in Athas don't typically wear a lot of armor anyway (because materials to make armor are not easy to obtain.)

Preserver and Defiler are like two sides of the same coin, but I'm thinking that the major distinction is one pulls power from the land, while the other does not. Or doesn't pull much. So for Defiler, any caster class that can pull power from the earth to strengthen casting is probably a good fit. Such as Leyline Guardian, Arcanist, Exploiter Wizard, etc. Any caster class that has a way of increasing their own caster level or DC is probably a Defiler. :p Metamagic is Defiler magic too, since it can raise caster level. For Preserver, a key point with them is they are a lot weaker than Defilers but more flexible. So I guess if there is a caster class that has reduced caster level, or inferior DC? Or fewer casts per day? I'm not sure how this would work. The goal would be a lot of spell choices but few spells per day, and mostly spells that don't deal damage.

Templar is the one that really puzzles me. I can't think of any class or class combination that even remotely fits. But maybe someone else can. Templars are given power by the Sorcerer-Kings they worship. Usually an evil dragon or evil lich or something.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to come up with either a Dark Sun character or an entire Dark Sun party to run WotR with. There's no real way to replicate the scarcity of metal, so I probably wouldn't try. Let me know your suggestions on ways to build Dark Sun classes in Wrath, if this idea interests you. Thanks for reading.

Edit: I did a quick scan through all of the classes in the game to weed out the ones that definitely don't fit the world of Athas. Here's what I came up with:

Basic Classes

-Alchemist: Probably banned or relegated to Evil characters. To get this power, you would have to serve someone powerful or be a Defiler yourself. Vivisectionist might be ok, since it's implied your power comes from studying corpses, of which there are a lot in Athas.

-Arcanist: Defiler, full stop. The class says power comes from inside them but we know that in Athas, arcane power really comes from the land. Don't believe Arcanist lies!

-Bard: Doesn't exist in Dark Sun in the same way. I could see an argument to allow Archeologist though. Athas is full of ruins.

-Barbarian: Everything allowed except Armored Hulk. Armored Hulk is based around fighting in full metal armor. There isn't much of that in Athas.

-Bloodrager: Greenrager banned, Hagriven banned, Reformed Fiend banned, Steelblood banned. All others seem fine, although again, probably Evil characters since they have access to arcane magic.

-Cavalier: Knightly orders no longer exist. I'd allow Order of Cockatrice though, especially for a gladiator.

-Cleric: Obviously, huge limitations imposed here for roleplay. Only elemental domains allowed. All spell choices must be roleplayed. No high level explicitly religious spells allowed. :p Basic Cleric spells like bless and cure are allowed. Crusader banned. Herald Caller banned. Ecclisitheurge limited to heavy roleplaying with an elemental domain. Angelfire Apostle banned.

-Druid: Feyspeaker banned. Winter Child banned (what winter?) Defender of the True World probably isn't needed.

-Fighter: Aldori Defender and Swordlord banned. All others ok.

-Hunter: All seem fine to me. Druidic casters are allowed in Athas. They are relatively less stigmatized than other casters.

-Inquisitor: All probably banned unless roleplayed as Evil Templars.

-Kineticist: No idea what to do with this guy.

-Magus: Arcane caster means he's either a Defiler or a Templar. Magus magic is too destructive to roleplay as Preserver imo.

Oracle: Enlightened Philosopher, Divine Herablist, Lone Strider and Wind Whisperer all seem possible to explain and given powers by non-deity divine energies. Herbalist by knowledge of plants. Lone Strider by being a desert hermit. Wind Whisperer by listening to the wind and sands. Enlightened Philosopher by being Socrates. All other Oracles are banned for being too religious. :p

Ranger: Sable Company banned unless Hippogriffs exist in Athas. All others seem fine.

Rogue: Eldritch Scoundrel either banned or relegated to Defiler roleplay. Sylvan most likely banned. There are few/no Fey in Athas. All others seem fine.

Shaman: No idea, but they seem fine to me. There are lots of spirits in Athas. Witch Doctors in particular would probably be common, along with Possessed Shamans.

Shifter: Feyform banned. Others seem fine. Dragonblood would probably get merked by an angry dragon Sorcerer-King, but who knows.

Skald: No Bards as such in Athas. Probably no Skalds either.

Slayer: Deliverer would be banned or made a Templar. Arcane Enforcer the same. Others seem fine.

Sorcerer: You'd have to choose Defiler or Preserver, I think. And roleplay it out. Angel bloodline banned. Sylvan banned too. Kitsune as a race/archetype would be banned. Sylvan Sorcerer banned too.

Warpriest: Cult Leader seems fine but the others would probably be banned or roleplayed as evil Templars.

Witch: You'd have to choose Preserver or Defiler. Some archetypes would be locked to Defiler. Leyline would be Defiler. Hag is banned. Elemental Witch would be a Defiler.

Wizard: Again, Preserver or Defiler. Roleplay spell choices. Exploiter, Elemental, Bomber and any Evocation specialist would be a Defiler. Destructive magics pull too much energy from the earth, as does anything that increases DC or caster level with an action. Don't know what I'd do with Cruoromancer.

Prestige Classes

Arcane Trickster: Seems fine. Same rules apply with Preserver vs Defiler.

Assassin: Ok.

Dragon Disciple: Probably a Templar choice. Magic from dragons is most likely Evil.

Duelist: Ok.

Eldritch Knight: No idea. Standard arcane caster choice? Or maybe locked to Evil characters only, because it's so strong?

Hellknight: Hellknight and Armigier should probably be banned. Same for Signifer.

Loremaster: Seems fine, honestly. Learning things isn't inherently Evil. Same standard arcane magic choice though. You either roleplay as a Preserver or Defiler. What spells you'd be allowed to take would depend on that.

Monk: No idea. I think Monks exist in Athas? Maybe? In a later edition? Fighting in pajamas is a very Athas thing to do.

Mystic Theurge: Probably limited to Templar.

Paladin: Forgot to mention this one with the standard classes (along with Monk.) Paladins don't exist in Athas. Explicitly.

Stalward Defender: Meh, seems fine.

Student of War: Same.

Winter Witch: What winter? Banned.

I'm trying to figure out what build I want for an idea I have, and I came up with three that are very similar yet different enough to leave me confused about what I want.

The basic idea is merged Angel Mythic, which of course is very strong. I plan to use the garuda-blooded Aasimar, which is very underrated, and spec hard into dexterity and wisdom.

Now, all of these builds are going to start with 3 levels into Monk. Ideally, probably Drunken Monk, going Neutral Good at the start. But a standard Monk of some variety would also work in cases where I might be limited by alignment choices. The reason I want Drunken is the alchemical bonuses from being sloshed. It also gives me the option in lategame to choose Legend and take Drunken Monk to 20 for the big stat boost.

But anyway, here are the three builds. All of them are some variety of buff and attack, although I think that some may end up transitioning to purely casting later in the game. They all use the amulet of agile fists to get dex to damage on fists.

Drunken Monk 3/Shadow Shaman 17: I started with this build, since it gives +5 AC from Act 1 by taking Lizard Familiar, Iceplant and the Iceplant ring. Which combined with dex bonuses and wisdom bonuses, already gives pretty solid AC even at level 5. The downside of this build is I'm not sure the Shaman spellbook is all that good for a self-buff build that wants to hit things. I'm missing quite a few buffs from other spellbooks by taking Shaman. I started with the Wind spirit because it gives Blur and Displacement. I plan to take Second Spirit later to pick up Waves for Seamantle. So far, the build seems "fine" and it covers the major buffs, notably Barkskin and Bone Fists.

The second build is Drunken Monk 3/Ecclesitheurge 17. This is the more "caster" build. It has domains, which is pretty massive. That means the ability to slap down a Guarded Hearth, use Travel Domain or whatever else I want. The Cleric spellbook is full of buffs too, although I can't remember if Barkskin is available without taking a specific Domain. The advantage of this spellbook is some of the really nice buffs which I don't think Shaman gets, such as Eaglesoul. The Angel Mythic spells will be the same across all three builds so that's irrelevant... So for that reason, I don't think having access to better offensive spells in one book or another is really relevant, considering I'll be spamming Bolt of Justice or whatever when that unlocks. In all the builds.

The final build is Drunken Monk 3/Druid. This build has the advantage of easy self-polymorph for early Master Shapeshifter, which is pretty irrelevant as I plan to pair this run with Drovier Lann anyway. Druid spellbook also seems even less useful to me as a punch-priest. The buffs don't impress me, other than Barkskin of course. Rather hilariously though, I did try this out on a respec and the AC you can get from casually shapeshifting into Leopard is great. Between the monk dip, master shapeshifter and the Leopard, you have around 40 AC. So it would be a fun build IF I wanted to use natural attacks, which I do not. The Druid also has the advantage of a pet, which is a huge advantage for most people. But I have grown to quite dislike pets and I usually end up with 2 in my party no matter what (Seelah's Horse + Ulbrig.) The non-pet Druid archetype seems rather bad. I've pretty much ruled this build out, but I thought I'd mention it in case there were buffs in here I'm not picking up on.

Anyway, I know the build will be mid-BAB, but I figure between all of the buffs I can throw on my main character and the Angel merged spellbook removing any downtime from the Monk dip, plus what Drunken Master gives to me, I should be decent in melee. I guess my main question is whether Cleric or Shaman spellbook would be better for this kind of character. I'm not planning to be the party buffer, just a self-buffer. Extra spell slots not needed for that will be given to Angel mythic spells, most likely.

Thanks for reading and please give me your tips on dex/wisdom builds as well if you have any. I plan to do a dex/wisdom build eventually for a Devil run as well. I really like dex builds.

Hi, all. I noticed the grand strategy sub seems to be dead, and since I don't really know what Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Kou Shibusawa series) counts as, I'll just post my question here.

I've been away from the 4x/grand strategy genre for a while, except for ROTK and its related series (including Nobunaga's Ambition), which I enjoy very much. What I enjoy the most is how it's almost a board game, but has a very fixed place in time and a strong focus on domination through war. You're in a civil war, and yes you can develop diplomatically. You can grow crops and make your cities prosperous. But... It's a civil war. Eventually, that warlord next to you is going to break his alliance with you and try to take your shit. The more peaceful you try to be, the more risk you take that the strongest factions will snowball.

I was wondering if there are any other games that give a similar feeling. A large map with lots of factions, none of whom really get along. A strong emphasis on war and conquest, but still recognizing the need to domestically build up your cities (to support a wartime economy,) and a specific sense of place/time with regard to factions and armies. So that the sides you can choose to play as feel unique.

One thing about RotK is the factions are rarely balanced on game start. It depends when you choose to start, but some factions just start with more compared to others, because that's how it was in history/in the novel. If you start with Cao Cao or Dong Zhuo, you'll have an easier time because they began with greater access to the most population-dense areas of China. If you start down in a corner of the map, you'll face problems from crossing mountain ranges or from your cities having smaller populations.

I'm not explicitly looking for an RotK clone, just a wartime-focused 4x/grand strategy game with its own personality and sense of place. Could be any era, fictional or historical.

I have this super specific question, and I've used the search engine in a few different ways (along with ai) and haven't received anything like the result I'm looking for.

I like squad and platoon-level wargaming, but one issue I run into with titles like Panzer General is that, ironically, tanks seem kind of weak.

What I mean is, there was a reason why tanks were developed. The effect on battlefields was electric. Even the first World War tanks, which were hilariously slow and crude, and often knocked out their own riders (from not having any suspension...) On the battlefield, the tanks were a terror. They were largely immune to all man-portable weapons, so any army that didn't have a tank couldn't do much against a tank.

Even in World War 2, using tanks against armies that didn't have tanks (or specific anti-armor emplacements) proved a supremely effective strategy.

But in a game like Panzer General, you could bring your squad of Panzer IIIs up against an infantry unit holding a city, the infantry gets "rugged defense" and fires their machine guns... Absolutely shredding your panzers! What BS is this, haha?!? How does digging in for defense give machine guns the power to blow up Panzers? Panzers were really quite good at killing infantry (or overrunning their position), considering they didn't need to worry about whether or not their cannon was large enough to penetrate infantry armor.

What I'm looking for is a computer wargame that accurately gets across how effective and invulnerable tanks were in specific circumstances. I'd also like to find a wargame that preserves the strength of Blitzkrieg as a tactic. It shouldn't be possible for infantry to bog down tank divisions just by wishing hard enough and digging in.

What do you all think is the best squad or platoon-level wargame for tanks? I'm not asking the tanks be superior to everything. Obviously air support, artillery, dedicated anti-tank weapons, other tanks and even ship fire could destroy tanks. But I don't want to see goddamn infantry or-heaven forbid-cavalry destroying my tanks!