Post by Saynt on May 18, 2015 4:00:44 GMT
I do not claim credit for any of the AotW thread, that honor goes to the original authors from the en-forums on Rackham's old website.
This one is from forum member MirageK:
Ophidian Alliance
Don't let their soft scales detract you from their true potential. These snakes are more dangerous than any other creations in Aarklash. Even the Wolfen Packs will learn to avoid them in the open. Alas, their civilization had withered due to their ancient conflict against the Utopia of the Sphinx. Now at the dawn of the Last Age, the Ophidian Alliance will be committed in securing their sanctuaries from the armies of the younger civilizations.
Beware of their slithering shadows on the battlefield! Though some may think the Ophidians have limited resources to choose from, the fact is that there aren't any bad choices to choose from. One might even say they have refined their army to such efficiency where the younger civilizations cannot match. Please allow me to illustrate.
General Overview in short
Ophidian Strength
Toxic
Consciousness
High INT/ATK/DEF/AIM
Good MOV among Large Size Ophidians
Good Fear among Large Size Ophidians
Superior Ranged Attacks
Superior Magician
Ophidian Weakness
Average STR/RES, with few exceptions
No Leadership(Yet)
No Faithful(Yet)
Personal Opinion
Under 3.0, these Ophidians were already efficient killers. Now with 3.5, they have even more ways to strike at their foes with more lethal ranged attacks and free spell selections. The backbone of the Ophidian army is definitely their Archers. With the additions of Assault Firing and Bulls-Eye, these serpents are the scourge of the battlefield. A Vortiran would give any single opponent pause in facing it directly. The army is further filled out by the expendable Slaves. If you need a pair of heavy hitters, consider those Apostates. The last thing to consider is which character fits your style of sanctuary.
Troops List
Regular
- Slaves (15AP) - These are what one would want basic troops to be: Inexpensive grunts with average Strength and Resilience. Like proper slaves, they do not complain about being the most efficient sacrificial grunts around. They are also modular in their equipment: Swords for extra two Strength & Lances for extra Initiative. Obviously, Strength is the better choice. However, there is also a place and time for the extra Initiative. Being Possessed, one can choose to send these slaves into harms way and still be count on to deliver a good blow against most opponent as long as they survive. The Toxic ability is a good optional threat to have if your slave gets locked into a protracted combat. More importantly, these extra points of Toxic can further contribute to the number of Toxic dice to be assigned. Always go all-attack with these guys, unless survival is paramount to striking back. The downside are these poor soul's low Courage.
Veteran
- Archers (45AP) - Again, these are the backbone of any Ophidian army. There is just nothing bad to say about these guys. High Strength of 7, Long Range of 30-50-70, and Great Aim of 4, are just the stats to this complete package. Combined with Harassment, one cannot help but feel bad for decimating the opponent. Consciousness can even allow these shooters to be effective through the likes of Fog or Wall of Fire within 20cm. Toxic/3 can help finish most mortal enemies. If you find your Archer caught in Hand-to-Hand combat, do not worry. Being Large and Fear 6, it can either reduce the possibility of a Charged Penalty or stare down low Courage Grunts before they are charged. With Initiative 5, Attack 5 and Defense 5, you snake can more than defend itself against most threats. At Initiative 5, the chances are good the snakes will strike first in combat. If they face a wounded prey, you may just want to finish them off with an attack. If they face a cautious foe not fully committed on attack, go all defense to survive the round unharmed. Next round, just disengage and shoot the unfortunate combatant.
- Syhe (15AP) - With the addition of these new human fighters, the Ophidians can actually compete in the swarm arena. Some may question their effectiveness and be concerned about losing Toxic values. With Sequence/1 and STR 6, you have a very effective basic fighter. Besides, with S'Erum and 2 Archers, you already have 205 AP worth of Toxic which gives you 3 dice to assign. The main issue is still your low courage value of 3.
- Warriors (41AP) - These are specialized fighter in my mind. With Consciousness, these guys are great perimeter guards against pesky scouts. In terrain heavy areas, Consciousness allows for these warriors to cause charged penalties against opponents counting on the safety of cover. Again, these snakes should usually strike first due to their Initiative of 5. With an Attack of 6, it won't be easily parried. Toxic/3 will further injure their opponent with their good Strength of 8. Their Defense 5 should easily defend against a wounded opponent's attack. Though these fighters won't immediately finish off an opponent, they are more than adept at finishing their opponents without getting hurt. It just might take an extra round. Don't forget you could disengage your Warrior to re-engage other opponents. Maybe let the slaves deal the finishing blows after your Warrior weaken them.
Elite
- Apostate of Darkness (45AP) - With 3 profiles to choose from, these elite fighters are superb additions to the Ophidians. However, lets start with the common attributes of these Apostates Being Possessed, they will still be effective if your opponent manages to wound them through their Resilience 10. On the offense, these elites can single-handedly cause charged penalties to most opponents with their Brutal ability. In Hand-to-Hand, the ability Brutal can help propel their attack beyond the defense of most opponent. Accompany with their Strength 10, these brutes will more than injure their opponents. Their Initiative 4 puts them on par with the greatest predator of Aarklash. One option for these elites is the ability Insensitive/4, which means they would have a 50% chance to cancel the effects of an enemy spell of miracle. With the prevalence of Magic under 3.5, this is an ability worth considering against the right opponents. Another option is Ambidextrous, which makes these guys much more dangerous in any situations. Not only will they be likely to come out of a combat unwounded, they even get to attack back with a successful defense. Lastly, they have the Sequence/1 option. Under 3.5, this ability allows the Apostates (suffering a minor penalty) to truly pound their victims to the ground with their Strength 10 and Brutal.
- Vortiran (76AP) - This is the true killing master of the Ophidians. To repeat the obvious, Consciousness closes any blind spots in the charge range of this fighter. With Fear 8, it is enough to intimidate most non-elite fighters. Their Initiative 6, all but insures that the first strike will come from this serpent. Along with Attack 7, few would be able to dodge its lightning strike. With his Strength 10, it can crush through the armor of most opponent. Toxic/5 is guaranteed a wound even against Hard-Boiled opponents. Against weaker opponents, Sequence/1 provide further attacks with minor adjustment to the high Attack and Defense of the Vortiran. This is just the offensive side of this beast. On the defense, this snake had Defense 6 with Ambidextrous. It can even use the Toxic/5 on a die gained through a successful defense. Its Resilience 9 can keep most blows against it from becoming wounds. Just be careful not to be in a situation where both you and your opponent go all Defense... IE fail a disengagement, it will only tie up your killer needlessly.
Character List
- Ayane (59) - She is not noted to be a great fighter and does not come with any personal artifacts. Her biggest asset is her ability as a Character to perform a Master Strike at Strength 12 with Toxic/0. Like a good syhee, her deeds serves only to further her Ophidian master's cause. With all dice on Attack, her Bravery even provides a +1 bonus to her attack tests. With the addition of a Ophidian Vorpal Blade, she can really become an executioner. On her own, she can easily fill the minimal character requirement while leaving plenty of extra points to add more snakes to the army.
- Bregan (110AP) - He is a former paladin. As such, Bregan won't disappoint anyone while in melee combat. He, even, comes with The Impious Axe for his personal enjoyment. With Ambidextrous and Defense 6, one will have to think real hard in attacking him without some kind of advantage. With Fencer, Bregan can keep his opponent from over committing in attack or defense. His Strength 11 and Brutal ability just makes his attacks that much more threatening. Don't forget he can Sequence twice as a character. Punish your opponent if he goes all defense. Need an extra attack die? Think of The Impious Axe if you have the extra points.
- S'Erum (115AP) - This Ophidian Sydion will be the judge and executioner of your opponent. By himself, S'Erum brings his Authority to the battlefield. Often time, people don't realize this. This is not a small advantage to forget as the Ophidians do not have any natural leadership at this time. S'Erum also can be the centerpiece of the Ophidian army with his light artillery rifle at Strength 8. With a range of 25-50-75 and Aim 4, no opponent would risk giving him a nice valued target to choose from. Able to count on Toxic/5, he offers a threat to most commanders. He offers the greatest asset to you while able to roam freely. But if you get caught in combat, don't forget to take advantage of his Initiative 7, and Master Strike at Strength 13 with a possible Toxic/5 to follow up. Your opponent worried about your attack and doesn't commit on his own attack? Use all your dice for Defense 5 to end the round unharmed, even declare Counter-Attack since the risk is gone. Next round, disengage with S'Erum and shoot at his assailant. Need more Bang? '18' offers both a bigger bang on the other end if S'Erum announces not to move for the round and Harassment for him to snipe at his targets between terrains.
- S'Ynaqia (115AP) - If ever the Ophidian needed an advantage on the battlefield, they could not have called on a better Pariah currently. What's so special about S'Ynaqia? Let's talk about survivability. First off, he has Survival Instinct. Yes, it is only 1 out of 6. But this is your last line of defense in combat. Initiative 7 allows him to disengage from most situations. His other form of defense is Fear 8. Remember this, and focus your army's attacks on higher Courage fighters and those pesky war-staff. Lastly, don't forget you can still cast in combat (-1 penalty) to soften your assailant before going all defense. All and all, S'ynaqia isn't going to look as the highest threat for your opponent. He is, however, what puts thing together. The problem is your opponent won't be able to remove him easily. S'Ynaqia can still make his presence known without exposing himself. Yes, Consciousness allows him to cast spell behind the thickest cover within 20cm. Best of all, his spells cannot be countered from this hidden position. Yes, you are correct. One of the requirements for counter-magic is be able to see the magician casting the spell. He can even use counter-magic from this position. S'Ynaqia contributes to the Ophidian cause further with his 115AP worth of Toxic. Finally, he is POW 6 as an Adept of Darkness and Water with the Paths of Typhonism and Chthonian. Alas, spells for both Water and Typhonism is lacking in potency and variations at the moment. It is only through Darkness and Chthonian that allows S'Ynaquia to truly shine. I'll get into this in the spell selection section.
- S'Ygma (115AP) - Now that I have praised S'Ynaqia to the hilt, S'Ygma isn't without his roles. Commonly, he shares the same benefits provided by his Consciousness, POW 6 and Toxic/3. First of all, he has Recovery/3. This gives S'Ygma a superior position in the summoning and control of a Darkness Elemental. The other favorite and highly talked about tactic is making S'Ygma fly and use his Orb of Destruction around the battlefield. Unfortunately, this can present some risk to S'Ygma in the open. He does get the +2 difficulty for shooting him on a different level. If your forces can eliminate your opponent's ranged attack. One will rule the battlefield. This is the extent of S'Ygma's unique role at this point since the tomes for Typhonism and Enskem are missing. Hopefully along with the release of the Water Elemental, S'Ygma's role would be more defined.
General Tactics
Spend the first 2 rounds to soften your opponent up. As you can see already, the Ophidians have a nice command of the battlefield due to their superior Aim and range weapons. There isn't really any reason to move up unless there are better terrain available to hold from. Important reminder, choose your target carefully as Toxic has no effect on Constructs, Immortals and Living Dead. There is usually 6 rounds to a game, don't rush the pace but be conscious about the time. Early commitment of melee forces before your opponents have been softened up only reduces your advantage in ranged attacks.
One big thing to think about with support from the slaves is how much better they are in fighting crippled opponents. At Strength 7 with their swords, they can reliably mop up seriously wounded opponents. With the lances, they can match Initiative with the likes of Wolfens. Every round the slaves survives to make their attack test, they are worth their AP.
There are a few weakness innate to the Ophidians. There are a few things that can negate them. One just have to either be prepared or be lucky. #1 Constructs, Immortals and Living Dead makes life harder for the Ophidian commander. I would consider them a poor match up since your do pay extra AP for an ability that has become useless against them. Good thing, it is not is common to see a whole army immune to Toxic. #2 Ophidian advantage is diminished by scouts who tie up your Archers. This appearance of scouts often force the Ophidians to either take less than optimal shots or simply get out-maneuvered by the wasted activation of an engaged Archer. #3 Ophidians do not have Leadership naturally. One solution is Aura of Authority by using up 2 points of your magician's Power Potential. Personally, why roll off with your opponent's leadership when you could just take it. I am speaking of Internal Chaos. Learn it, use it, be ashamed of it... Incidentally, this also negates scout placement as you can activate to intercept them first or move away from them.
Spells
Abyssal Force (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Gives Master Strike/0 to one friendly fighter within 5cm each round. While nice, I don't know if I would spend 3 Darkness Gems for it
Annihilation (Darkness) - comes with The Gorgon - Place a Darkness Gem next to targeted magician within 30cm. It automatically absorbs the next gem that the target spends. Unlimited frequency, costing 1 Darkness Gem
*Aquatic Shackles (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Being threatened by an opposing scout? Don't think you can kill it before it wrecks your link? Move your magician in range and use your Consciousness as you end your movement to reveal the scout and nail him in place. The spell fully complement Consciousness with range 20.
Arrow of Mana (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Good spell to take for Intensity 1, especially if you haven't chose a damage spell.
*Aura of Authority (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Having Authority is a great advantage, or just to have it to counter your opponent's Authority.
Blood of Discord, The (Darkness) - comes with Sophet Drahas, Updated in C3 page 167 - Allows your friendly fighter to improve his wound level by one degree by inflicting an opponent with a wound or a Killed Outright in the Chest Column. Lasts until you roll a 1, then the friendly fighter suffers a Damage roll of Strength 0. A little restrictive for me for the benefits.
*Bloody Bitterness (Darkness) - comes with Sasia Samaris - Allow both melee and range weapon to read one line lower for damage on the next wound inflicted. Might prove to have great potential with Ophidian Archers. Unlimited Frequency.
Blur (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water, Updated in C3 page 193 - Magician gains protection in melee and against range attack. Difficulty of all shots at magician increases by 2. Difficulty of sustain defense is increased only by 1, instead of 2.
*Carmine Mob (Chthonian, Water) - comes with Bysra the Black Shaman - Nice spell, works well with Slaves and Apostates. For 3 Water Gems, target suffers a Wound of Strength 0 at range 25cm. If you wound, your Possessed fighters gain Bane against the target. You can even do it twice a turn.
Celerity of the Shadows (Chthonian, Darkness) - Found in C3 page 87 - Target friendly fighter gain +2.5 Movement, not really needed for the decent Movement rating of the Ophidian.
Curse (Darkness) - comes with Azael the Unfaithful - Even though this spell can be cast multiple times to lower their INI, ATT and DEF, the cost of 2 Darkness Gems per attempt is just too high a cost for the benefit. On top of this, its range is limited to Contact.
Cursed of the Possessed (Chthonian, Darkness) - Found in C3 page 87 - Make Both 1 and 2 result on the die to be an automatic failure for one enemy fighter until the end of round.
Deafening Spout (Water) - comes with Irix the Sibyl, Updated in C3 page 190 - Gives -2 penalty on one enemy fighters on the final results of divination, Aim and Power tests within 25cm. Effects can be prolonged. Unlimited frequency, costing only 1 Water Gem each.
*Demonic Possession (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Mahal the Enchanter - This is one of those spells you want to take if you had the option. It can give your Possessed fighters +2 Strength, War Fury, Brutish Charge and Fierce until the end of the round.
*Demonic Will (Chthonian, Darkness) - found in C3 page 87 - Make one Slave or Apostate Fierce is pretty good in my book. Though the difficulty might be too high to be successful on an Apostate.
Dhalilia's Dance (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Cause target to suffer -1 in the final result of all INI/ATT/DEF/COU/DIS/POW/DIV rolls until the end of round. Cost 2 Darkness Gems per attempt, Unlimited Frequency. Nothing spectacular. It has the potential of severely weakening your opponent's main fighter with your magician's dedication.
Elemental Aegis (Primagic) - comes with Migail the Selenite, Updated in C3 page 175 - Worried your opponent out powering your magician? Take this spell and you just have to roll against the difficulty of the spell without worrying how high your opponent actually rolls.
Elemental Chains (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - No pursuit movement for one enemy fighter.
Elemental Drowning (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - This is actually worth considering depending on your playing style. Be aware that you can only attempt to cast this spell once in the entire game. Improve your mastery if you can. However, remember there are opponents which this spell cannot affect...
Eternal Cycle (Water) - comes with Irix the Fury, Updated in C3 page 189 - Difficult to use and Frequency 1.
Elixir of Savagery (Chthonian, Water) - comes with Magnus the Mystical, Updated in C3 page 181 - Gives a friendly fighter Brutish Charge and War cry/5 until the end of the round. Cost 3 Water Gems per attempt, unlimited frequency. Good potential but expensive.
Flight of the Soul (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Essentially allows a magician to cast through a proxy that has Consciousness. Kind of redundant with Ophidian magicians, unless you fee you need the extra 10cm range from behind cover.
*Forced March (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - One of the spells i have learned to appreciate, especially useful with Authority.
Funeral March (Typhonism) - comes with Gorgon, Updated in C3 page 165 - Gives your magician +2 on Attack and Defense tests, and hand-to-hand Damage rolls. Personally, I plan to keep my magician away from combat when possible.
Harassment (Chthonian, Darkness) - found in C3 page 87 - Target enemy fighter suffers -2 Strength until the end of the round.
*Internal Chaos (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Akkadhalet, Updated in C3 page 169 - Learn it, Love it, Be ashamed to use it!. With this spell, you essentially don't have to worry about the tactics roll. You are almost guaranteed to always activate first. Force your opponent to reserve their first activation so you can activate first. Worried about your opponent's reserve, then force him to activate it on his next activation. Think your opponent might reserve a key activation, then force him to activate the top card of his activation sequence.
Internal Rage (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Able to inflict damage equal to the final result of your magician's incantation roll. Downside is high mana cost and limited to range 10cm.
Kiss of Mnemosyne, The (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Makes your opponent's magician 'forget' one of its spell. Effect can be prolonged. Although you cannot cast as many time as mana allows, you could cast it every round to contain your opponent's magician. Limited usefulness.
*Life Drain (Darkness) - comes with Morzath the Hellspat - Good spell to have to keep your magician healthy while giving a little support for your other fighters. Only frequency 1 though.
Major Malediction (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness - Reduces one your opponent's Characteristic by 1 until the end of game. Unfortunately, it cannot be the same characteristic each casting.
Minor Cure (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Might be a good precaution if you want to keep your fighters Healthy.
Minor Portal of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Increase your attempts to summon by 1. Also allows the use of 'We are Legion' spell. Could be fun if you intend on a summon heavy army in a defensive position as the portal doesn't move once created, unless you want to re-summon the portal as you advance forward.
Mystical Galvanisation (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Cost 3 Gems for +1 benefit to INI/ATT/DEF/AIM/POW, Frequency 2. Low benefit to mana ratio.
Nymph (Water) - comes with Kyran the Hunter, Updated in C3 page 179 - Heal one friendly fighter completely anywhere on the battlefield. One use spell. If you cast it on the magician, you can keep the spell on a 3+.
*Path of Danger (Enskem, Darkness) - comes with S'Ygma - Force a target enemy fighter to walk or run in the direction of your choice during their next activation. Useful is keeping a key enemy fighter away from the frays, but no effect on some targets. Range 20cm, plan carefully. On the upside, you can force your opponent's pure magician or faithful from casting by making them run.
Pearl of Purification (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Similar to the Minor Cure spell, but this one is unlimited frequency and restricted to contact range. There might be a place for this in a close support situation.
*Plagued Hand (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Nurbald the Sculptor - One of the best defense spells around with 30cm range. For 2 Darkness Gems, you basically lock down one of your opponent's fighter. Here are a few uses: #1 Shut down faithful summoners in 30cm. Within 20cm, they cannot even hide behind terrain and summon due to Consciousness. #2 Don't like their big gun, get close enough and it's idle AP on the board. #3 Silence your opponent's magician. Do it behind cover, and they cannot even counter-magic. Instinctive magician are completely at the mercy of this spell since they cannot counter anyways. #4 Save your important fighter in combat by limiting your opponent's attack dice. Because your opponent has to place more dice in defense than offense, you might have a situation where both of your opponent's dice has to be in defense.
Primal Attack of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Good spell for getting past high Resilience opponents to deliver the coup-de-grace. Short range and 50/50 success rate does mean your precious mage has to be in the thick of things to be effective. Limited to once a turn
Primal Attack of Water (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Good spell for getting past high Resilience opponents to deliver the coup-de-grace. Short range and 50/50 success rate does mean your precious mage has to be in the thick of things to be effective. Limited to once a turn
*Putrescence (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Personally, this is the best value in direct damage spells. Against most targets, one would be facing a Courage/Fear/Discipline no higher than 6 with your POW 6. Some elites may be more difficult, but it certainly is better than dealing with Resilience 10+. With a cost of 1 Darkness Gem per attempt, it allows for much more support by the magician. Frequency 2 and Range 25cm means good efficiency.
Sacrificial Implosion (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Akkadhalet - Nice effect, just too expensive. Essentially 5 Darkness Gems to give your magician +2 Attack, then +5 Strength on first Damage roll. If you kill your target, it cannot return to the game in any way whatsoever.
Shield of Mist (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Give Regeneration to one fighter in contact with magician.
Source of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - invest 5 mana to get more mana back in subsequent rounds. Downside is that the source is stationary. Further analysis will point out one will only start to recover more gems at the activation of Round3. If you don't move your position, you should net gain about 20-24 gems by the end of Round 6. As most objectives require you to move away from your deployment zone, one will have to consider their overall tactic. It also takes 2 intensity from the limited pool your magician can have.
Source of Water (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - invest 5 mana to get more mana back in subsequent rounds. Downside is that the source is stationary. Further analysis will point out one will only start to recover more gems at the activation of Round3. If you don't move your position, you should net gain about 20-24 gems by the end of Round 6. As most objectives require you to move away from your deployment zone, one will have to consider their overall tactic. It also takes 2 intensity from the limited pool your magician can have.
Spiritual Perversion (Darkness) - comes with Kayl Kartan - Despite the unlimited frequency and permanent duration, the restriction where a fighter cannot be affected by this spell more than once in a game makes it near worthless. 1 point lower in Courage and Discipline for 3 Intensity isn't a bargain.
*Star of the Abyss (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Advantage of this spell is in making a target's high Resilience no longer a factor. In addition, the target and all fighters within 2.5cm suffers Ephemeral/5. Cost 3 Darkness Gem, Range 20cm, Frequency 2, High difficulty along with the mana cost prevents the caster from doing much more to support the rest of the army. If you are supporting the army with other spells, you won't be casting this spell against your opponent. One will have to think clearly on mana management.
*Summoning of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - With the Fear 9 and Dreadful, this elemental can chase off many less courageous races.
Tenebrous Scarification (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness - Interesting retaliation spell. Personally, I am inclined to use resources on fighters still attacking and perhaps even preventing them from dying in the first place.
*Troubled Waters (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Low Cost, Range 30, Frequency 2. Great spell for protecting important fighters. Imagine shooting with your Op
-And that's where it ends, rest of the archive is lost unfortunately, does anyone have it backed up somewhere that they could complete it?
This one is from forum member MirageK:
Ophidian Alliance
Don't let their soft scales detract you from their true potential. These snakes are more dangerous than any other creations in Aarklash. Even the Wolfen Packs will learn to avoid them in the open. Alas, their civilization had withered due to their ancient conflict against the Utopia of the Sphinx. Now at the dawn of the Last Age, the Ophidian Alliance will be committed in securing their sanctuaries from the armies of the younger civilizations.
Beware of their slithering shadows on the battlefield! Though some may think the Ophidians have limited resources to choose from, the fact is that there aren't any bad choices to choose from. One might even say they have refined their army to such efficiency where the younger civilizations cannot match. Please allow me to illustrate.
General Overview in short
Ophidian Strength
Toxic
Consciousness
High INT/ATK/DEF/AIM
Good MOV among Large Size Ophidians
Good Fear among Large Size Ophidians
Superior Ranged Attacks
Superior Magician
Ophidian Weakness
Average STR/RES, with few exceptions
No Leadership(Yet)
No Faithful(Yet)
Personal Opinion
Under 3.0, these Ophidians were already efficient killers. Now with 3.5, they have even more ways to strike at their foes with more lethal ranged attacks and free spell selections. The backbone of the Ophidian army is definitely their Archers. With the additions of Assault Firing and Bulls-Eye, these serpents are the scourge of the battlefield. A Vortiran would give any single opponent pause in facing it directly. The army is further filled out by the expendable Slaves. If you need a pair of heavy hitters, consider those Apostates. The last thing to consider is which character fits your style of sanctuary.
Troops List
Regular
- Slaves (15AP) - These are what one would want basic troops to be: Inexpensive grunts with average Strength and Resilience. Like proper slaves, they do not complain about being the most efficient sacrificial grunts around. They are also modular in their equipment: Swords for extra two Strength & Lances for extra Initiative. Obviously, Strength is the better choice. However, there is also a place and time for the extra Initiative. Being Possessed, one can choose to send these slaves into harms way and still be count on to deliver a good blow against most opponent as long as they survive. The Toxic ability is a good optional threat to have if your slave gets locked into a protracted combat. More importantly, these extra points of Toxic can further contribute to the number of Toxic dice to be assigned. Always go all-attack with these guys, unless survival is paramount to striking back. The downside are these poor soul's low Courage.
Veteran
- Archers (45AP) - Again, these are the backbone of any Ophidian army. There is just nothing bad to say about these guys. High Strength of 7, Long Range of 30-50-70, and Great Aim of 4, are just the stats to this complete package. Combined with Harassment, one cannot help but feel bad for decimating the opponent. Consciousness can even allow these shooters to be effective through the likes of Fog or Wall of Fire within 20cm. Toxic/3 can help finish most mortal enemies. If you find your Archer caught in Hand-to-Hand combat, do not worry. Being Large and Fear 6, it can either reduce the possibility of a Charged Penalty or stare down low Courage Grunts before they are charged. With Initiative 5, Attack 5 and Defense 5, you snake can more than defend itself against most threats. At Initiative 5, the chances are good the snakes will strike first in combat. If they face a wounded prey, you may just want to finish them off with an attack. If they face a cautious foe not fully committed on attack, go all defense to survive the round unharmed. Next round, just disengage and shoot the unfortunate combatant.
- Syhe (15AP) - With the addition of these new human fighters, the Ophidians can actually compete in the swarm arena. Some may question their effectiveness and be concerned about losing Toxic values. With Sequence/1 and STR 6, you have a very effective basic fighter. Besides, with S'Erum and 2 Archers, you already have 205 AP worth of Toxic which gives you 3 dice to assign. The main issue is still your low courage value of 3.
- Warriors (41AP) - These are specialized fighter in my mind. With Consciousness, these guys are great perimeter guards against pesky scouts. In terrain heavy areas, Consciousness allows for these warriors to cause charged penalties against opponents counting on the safety of cover. Again, these snakes should usually strike first due to their Initiative of 5. With an Attack of 6, it won't be easily parried. Toxic/3 will further injure their opponent with their good Strength of 8. Their Defense 5 should easily defend against a wounded opponent's attack. Though these fighters won't immediately finish off an opponent, they are more than adept at finishing their opponents without getting hurt. It just might take an extra round. Don't forget you could disengage your Warrior to re-engage other opponents. Maybe let the slaves deal the finishing blows after your Warrior weaken them.
Elite
- Apostate of Darkness (45AP) - With 3 profiles to choose from, these elite fighters are superb additions to the Ophidians. However, lets start with the common attributes of these Apostates Being Possessed, they will still be effective if your opponent manages to wound them through their Resilience 10. On the offense, these elites can single-handedly cause charged penalties to most opponents with their Brutal ability. In Hand-to-Hand, the ability Brutal can help propel their attack beyond the defense of most opponent. Accompany with their Strength 10, these brutes will more than injure their opponents. Their Initiative 4 puts them on par with the greatest predator of Aarklash. One option for these elites is the ability Insensitive/4, which means they would have a 50% chance to cancel the effects of an enemy spell of miracle. With the prevalence of Magic under 3.5, this is an ability worth considering against the right opponents. Another option is Ambidextrous, which makes these guys much more dangerous in any situations. Not only will they be likely to come out of a combat unwounded, they even get to attack back with a successful defense. Lastly, they have the Sequence/1 option. Under 3.5, this ability allows the Apostates (suffering a minor penalty) to truly pound their victims to the ground with their Strength 10 and Brutal.
- Vortiran (76AP) - This is the true killing master of the Ophidians. To repeat the obvious, Consciousness closes any blind spots in the charge range of this fighter. With Fear 8, it is enough to intimidate most non-elite fighters. Their Initiative 6, all but insures that the first strike will come from this serpent. Along with Attack 7, few would be able to dodge its lightning strike. With his Strength 10, it can crush through the armor of most opponent. Toxic/5 is guaranteed a wound even against Hard-Boiled opponents. Against weaker opponents, Sequence/1 provide further attacks with minor adjustment to the high Attack and Defense of the Vortiran. This is just the offensive side of this beast. On the defense, this snake had Defense 6 with Ambidextrous. It can even use the Toxic/5 on a die gained through a successful defense. Its Resilience 9 can keep most blows against it from becoming wounds. Just be careful not to be in a situation where both you and your opponent go all Defense... IE fail a disengagement, it will only tie up your killer needlessly.
Character List
- Ayane (59) - She is not noted to be a great fighter and does not come with any personal artifacts. Her biggest asset is her ability as a Character to perform a Master Strike at Strength 12 with Toxic/0. Like a good syhee, her deeds serves only to further her Ophidian master's cause. With all dice on Attack, her Bravery even provides a +1 bonus to her attack tests. With the addition of a Ophidian Vorpal Blade, she can really become an executioner. On her own, she can easily fill the minimal character requirement while leaving plenty of extra points to add more snakes to the army.
- Bregan (110AP) - He is a former paladin. As such, Bregan won't disappoint anyone while in melee combat. He, even, comes with The Impious Axe for his personal enjoyment. With Ambidextrous and Defense 6, one will have to think real hard in attacking him without some kind of advantage. With Fencer, Bregan can keep his opponent from over committing in attack or defense. His Strength 11 and Brutal ability just makes his attacks that much more threatening. Don't forget he can Sequence twice as a character. Punish your opponent if he goes all defense. Need an extra attack die? Think of The Impious Axe if you have the extra points.
- S'Erum (115AP) - This Ophidian Sydion will be the judge and executioner of your opponent. By himself, S'Erum brings his Authority to the battlefield. Often time, people don't realize this. This is not a small advantage to forget as the Ophidians do not have any natural leadership at this time. S'Erum also can be the centerpiece of the Ophidian army with his light artillery rifle at Strength 8. With a range of 25-50-75 and Aim 4, no opponent would risk giving him a nice valued target to choose from. Able to count on Toxic/5, he offers a threat to most commanders. He offers the greatest asset to you while able to roam freely. But if you get caught in combat, don't forget to take advantage of his Initiative 7, and Master Strike at Strength 13 with a possible Toxic/5 to follow up. Your opponent worried about your attack and doesn't commit on his own attack? Use all your dice for Defense 5 to end the round unharmed, even declare Counter-Attack since the risk is gone. Next round, disengage with S'Erum and shoot at his assailant. Need more Bang? '18' offers both a bigger bang on the other end if S'Erum announces not to move for the round and Harassment for him to snipe at his targets between terrains.
- S'Ynaqia (115AP) - If ever the Ophidian needed an advantage on the battlefield, they could not have called on a better Pariah currently. What's so special about S'Ynaqia? Let's talk about survivability. First off, he has Survival Instinct. Yes, it is only 1 out of 6. But this is your last line of defense in combat. Initiative 7 allows him to disengage from most situations. His other form of defense is Fear 8. Remember this, and focus your army's attacks on higher Courage fighters and those pesky war-staff. Lastly, don't forget you can still cast in combat (-1 penalty) to soften your assailant before going all defense. All and all, S'ynaqia isn't going to look as the highest threat for your opponent. He is, however, what puts thing together. The problem is your opponent won't be able to remove him easily. S'Ynaqia can still make his presence known without exposing himself. Yes, Consciousness allows him to cast spell behind the thickest cover within 20cm. Best of all, his spells cannot be countered from this hidden position. Yes, you are correct. One of the requirements for counter-magic is be able to see the magician casting the spell. He can even use counter-magic from this position. S'Ynaqia contributes to the Ophidian cause further with his 115AP worth of Toxic. Finally, he is POW 6 as an Adept of Darkness and Water with the Paths of Typhonism and Chthonian. Alas, spells for both Water and Typhonism is lacking in potency and variations at the moment. It is only through Darkness and Chthonian that allows S'Ynaquia to truly shine. I'll get into this in the spell selection section.
- S'Ygma (115AP) - Now that I have praised S'Ynaqia to the hilt, S'Ygma isn't without his roles. Commonly, he shares the same benefits provided by his Consciousness, POW 6 and Toxic/3. First of all, he has Recovery/3. This gives S'Ygma a superior position in the summoning and control of a Darkness Elemental. The other favorite and highly talked about tactic is making S'Ygma fly and use his Orb of Destruction around the battlefield. Unfortunately, this can present some risk to S'Ygma in the open. He does get the +2 difficulty for shooting him on a different level. If your forces can eliminate your opponent's ranged attack. One will rule the battlefield. This is the extent of S'Ygma's unique role at this point since the tomes for Typhonism and Enskem are missing. Hopefully along with the release of the Water Elemental, S'Ygma's role would be more defined.
General Tactics
Spend the first 2 rounds to soften your opponent up. As you can see already, the Ophidians have a nice command of the battlefield due to their superior Aim and range weapons. There isn't really any reason to move up unless there are better terrain available to hold from. Important reminder, choose your target carefully as Toxic has no effect on Constructs, Immortals and Living Dead. There is usually 6 rounds to a game, don't rush the pace but be conscious about the time. Early commitment of melee forces before your opponents have been softened up only reduces your advantage in ranged attacks.
One big thing to think about with support from the slaves is how much better they are in fighting crippled opponents. At Strength 7 with their swords, they can reliably mop up seriously wounded opponents. With the lances, they can match Initiative with the likes of Wolfens. Every round the slaves survives to make their attack test, they are worth their AP.
There are a few weakness innate to the Ophidians. There are a few things that can negate them. One just have to either be prepared or be lucky. #1 Constructs, Immortals and Living Dead makes life harder for the Ophidian commander. I would consider them a poor match up since your do pay extra AP for an ability that has become useless against them. Good thing, it is not is common to see a whole army immune to Toxic. #2 Ophidian advantage is diminished by scouts who tie up your Archers. This appearance of scouts often force the Ophidians to either take less than optimal shots or simply get out-maneuvered by the wasted activation of an engaged Archer. #3 Ophidians do not have Leadership naturally. One solution is Aura of Authority by using up 2 points of your magician's Power Potential. Personally, why roll off with your opponent's leadership when you could just take it. I am speaking of Internal Chaos. Learn it, use it, be ashamed of it... Incidentally, this also negates scout placement as you can activate to intercept them first or move away from them.
Spells
Abyssal Force (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Gives Master Strike/0 to one friendly fighter within 5cm each round. While nice, I don't know if I would spend 3 Darkness Gems for it
Annihilation (Darkness) - comes with The Gorgon - Place a Darkness Gem next to targeted magician within 30cm. It automatically absorbs the next gem that the target spends. Unlimited frequency, costing 1 Darkness Gem
*Aquatic Shackles (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Being threatened by an opposing scout? Don't think you can kill it before it wrecks your link? Move your magician in range and use your Consciousness as you end your movement to reveal the scout and nail him in place. The spell fully complement Consciousness with range 20.
Arrow of Mana (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Good spell to take for Intensity 1, especially if you haven't chose a damage spell.
*Aura of Authority (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Having Authority is a great advantage, or just to have it to counter your opponent's Authority.
Blood of Discord, The (Darkness) - comes with Sophet Drahas, Updated in C3 page 167 - Allows your friendly fighter to improve his wound level by one degree by inflicting an opponent with a wound or a Killed Outright in the Chest Column. Lasts until you roll a 1, then the friendly fighter suffers a Damage roll of Strength 0. A little restrictive for me for the benefits.
*Bloody Bitterness (Darkness) - comes with Sasia Samaris - Allow both melee and range weapon to read one line lower for damage on the next wound inflicted. Might prove to have great potential with Ophidian Archers. Unlimited Frequency.
Blur (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water, Updated in C3 page 193 - Magician gains protection in melee and against range attack. Difficulty of all shots at magician increases by 2. Difficulty of sustain defense is increased only by 1, instead of 2.
*Carmine Mob (Chthonian, Water) - comes with Bysra the Black Shaman - Nice spell, works well with Slaves and Apostates. For 3 Water Gems, target suffers a Wound of Strength 0 at range 25cm. If you wound, your Possessed fighters gain Bane against the target. You can even do it twice a turn.
Celerity of the Shadows (Chthonian, Darkness) - Found in C3 page 87 - Target friendly fighter gain +2.5 Movement, not really needed for the decent Movement rating of the Ophidian.
Curse (Darkness) - comes with Azael the Unfaithful - Even though this spell can be cast multiple times to lower their INI, ATT and DEF, the cost of 2 Darkness Gems per attempt is just too high a cost for the benefit. On top of this, its range is limited to Contact.
Cursed of the Possessed (Chthonian, Darkness) - Found in C3 page 87 - Make Both 1 and 2 result on the die to be an automatic failure for one enemy fighter until the end of round.
Deafening Spout (Water) - comes with Irix the Sibyl, Updated in C3 page 190 - Gives -2 penalty on one enemy fighters on the final results of divination, Aim and Power tests within 25cm. Effects can be prolonged. Unlimited frequency, costing only 1 Water Gem each.
*Demonic Possession (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Mahal the Enchanter - This is one of those spells you want to take if you had the option. It can give your Possessed fighters +2 Strength, War Fury, Brutish Charge and Fierce until the end of the round.
*Demonic Will (Chthonian, Darkness) - found in C3 page 87 - Make one Slave or Apostate Fierce is pretty good in my book. Though the difficulty might be too high to be successful on an Apostate.
Dhalilia's Dance (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Cause target to suffer -1 in the final result of all INI/ATT/DEF/COU/DIS/POW/DIV rolls until the end of round. Cost 2 Darkness Gems per attempt, Unlimited Frequency. Nothing spectacular. It has the potential of severely weakening your opponent's main fighter with your magician's dedication.
Elemental Aegis (Primagic) - comes with Migail the Selenite, Updated in C3 page 175 - Worried your opponent out powering your magician? Take this spell and you just have to roll against the difficulty of the spell without worrying how high your opponent actually rolls.
Elemental Chains (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - No pursuit movement for one enemy fighter.
Elemental Drowning (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - This is actually worth considering depending on your playing style. Be aware that you can only attempt to cast this spell once in the entire game. Improve your mastery if you can. However, remember there are opponents which this spell cannot affect...
Eternal Cycle (Water) - comes with Irix the Fury, Updated in C3 page 189 - Difficult to use and Frequency 1.
Elixir of Savagery (Chthonian, Water) - comes with Magnus the Mystical, Updated in C3 page 181 - Gives a friendly fighter Brutish Charge and War cry/5 until the end of the round. Cost 3 Water Gems per attempt, unlimited frequency. Good potential but expensive.
Flight of the Soul (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Essentially allows a magician to cast through a proxy that has Consciousness. Kind of redundant with Ophidian magicians, unless you fee you need the extra 10cm range from behind cover.
*Forced March (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - One of the spells i have learned to appreciate, especially useful with Authority.
Funeral March (Typhonism) - comes with Gorgon, Updated in C3 page 165 - Gives your magician +2 on Attack and Defense tests, and hand-to-hand Damage rolls. Personally, I plan to keep my magician away from combat when possible.
Harassment (Chthonian, Darkness) - found in C3 page 87 - Target enemy fighter suffers -2 Strength until the end of the round.
*Internal Chaos (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Akkadhalet, Updated in C3 page 169 - Learn it, Love it, Be ashamed to use it!. With this spell, you essentially don't have to worry about the tactics roll. You are almost guaranteed to always activate first. Force your opponent to reserve their first activation so you can activate first. Worried about your opponent's reserve, then force him to activate it on his next activation. Think your opponent might reserve a key activation, then force him to activate the top card of his activation sequence.
Internal Rage (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Able to inflict damage equal to the final result of your magician's incantation roll. Downside is high mana cost and limited to range 10cm.
Kiss of Mnemosyne, The (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Makes your opponent's magician 'forget' one of its spell. Effect can be prolonged. Although you cannot cast as many time as mana allows, you could cast it every round to contain your opponent's magician. Limited usefulness.
*Life Drain (Darkness) - comes with Morzath the Hellspat - Good spell to have to keep your magician healthy while giving a little support for your other fighters. Only frequency 1 though.
Major Malediction (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness - Reduces one your opponent's Characteristic by 1 until the end of game. Unfortunately, it cannot be the same characteristic each casting.
Minor Cure (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Might be a good precaution if you want to keep your fighters Healthy.
Minor Portal of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Increase your attempts to summon by 1. Also allows the use of 'We are Legion' spell. Could be fun if you intend on a summon heavy army in a defensive position as the portal doesn't move once created, unless you want to re-summon the portal as you advance forward.
Mystical Galvanisation (Primagic) - found in C3 page 81 - Cost 3 Gems for +1 benefit to INI/ATT/DEF/AIM/POW, Frequency 2. Low benefit to mana ratio.
Nymph (Water) - comes with Kyran the Hunter, Updated in C3 page 179 - Heal one friendly fighter completely anywhere on the battlefield. One use spell. If you cast it on the magician, you can keep the spell on a 3+.
*Path of Danger (Enskem, Darkness) - comes with S'Ygma - Force a target enemy fighter to walk or run in the direction of your choice during their next activation. Useful is keeping a key enemy fighter away from the frays, but no effect on some targets. Range 20cm, plan carefully. On the upside, you can force your opponent's pure magician or faithful from casting by making them run.
Pearl of Purification (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Similar to the Minor Cure spell, but this one is unlimited frequency and restricted to contact range. There might be a place for this in a close support situation.
*Plagued Hand (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Nurbald the Sculptor - One of the best defense spells around with 30cm range. For 2 Darkness Gems, you basically lock down one of your opponent's fighter. Here are a few uses: #1 Shut down faithful summoners in 30cm. Within 20cm, they cannot even hide behind terrain and summon due to Consciousness. #2 Don't like their big gun, get close enough and it's idle AP on the board. #3 Silence your opponent's magician. Do it behind cover, and they cannot even counter-magic. Instinctive magician are completely at the mercy of this spell since they cannot counter anyways. #4 Save your important fighter in combat by limiting your opponent's attack dice. Because your opponent has to place more dice in defense than offense, you might have a situation where both of your opponent's dice has to be in defense.
Primal Attack of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Good spell for getting past high Resilience opponents to deliver the coup-de-grace. Short range and 50/50 success rate does mean your precious mage has to be in the thick of things to be effective. Limited to once a turn
Primal Attack of Water (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Good spell for getting past high Resilience opponents to deliver the coup-de-grace. Short range and 50/50 success rate does mean your precious mage has to be in the thick of things to be effective. Limited to once a turn
*Putrescence (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness, Updated in C3 page 195 - Personally, this is the best value in direct damage spells. Against most targets, one would be facing a Courage/Fear/Discipline no higher than 6 with your POW 6. Some elites may be more difficult, but it certainly is better than dealing with Resilience 10+. With a cost of 1 Darkness Gem per attempt, it allows for much more support by the magician. Frequency 2 and Range 25cm means good efficiency.
Sacrificial Implosion (Chthonian, Darkness) - comes with Akkadhalet - Nice effect, just too expensive. Essentially 5 Darkness Gems to give your magician +2 Attack, then +5 Strength on first Damage roll. If you kill your target, it cannot return to the game in any way whatsoever.
Shield of Mist (Water) - comes with Familiar of Water - Give Regeneration to one fighter in contact with magician.
Source of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - invest 5 mana to get more mana back in subsequent rounds. Downside is that the source is stationary. Further analysis will point out one will only start to recover more gems at the activation of Round3. If you don't move your position, you should net gain about 20-24 gems by the end of Round 6. As most objectives require you to move away from your deployment zone, one will have to consider their overall tactic. It also takes 2 intensity from the limited pool your magician can have.
Source of Water (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - invest 5 mana to get more mana back in subsequent rounds. Downside is that the source is stationary. Further analysis will point out one will only start to recover more gems at the activation of Round3. If you don't move your position, you should net gain about 20-24 gems by the end of Round 6. As most objectives require you to move away from your deployment zone, one will have to consider their overall tactic. It also takes 2 intensity from the limited pool your magician can have.
Spiritual Perversion (Darkness) - comes with Kayl Kartan - Despite the unlimited frequency and permanent duration, the restriction where a fighter cannot be affected by this spell more than once in a game makes it near worthless. 1 point lower in Courage and Discipline for 3 Intensity isn't a bargain.
*Star of the Abyss (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - Advantage of this spell is in making a target's high Resilience no longer a factor. In addition, the target and all fighters within 2.5cm suffers Ephemeral/5. Cost 3 Darkness Gem, Range 20cm, Frequency 2, High difficulty along with the mana cost prevents the caster from doing much more to support the rest of the army. If you are supporting the army with other spells, you won't be casting this spell against your opponent. One will have to think clearly on mana management.
*Summoning of Darkness (Darkness) - comes with Elemental of Darkness - With the Fear 9 and Dreadful, this elemental can chase off many less courageous races.
Tenebrous Scarification (Darkness) - comes with Familiar of Darkness - Interesting retaliation spell. Personally, I am inclined to use resources on fighters still attacking and perhaps even preventing them from dying in the first place.
*Troubled Waters (Water) - comes with Water Elemental - Low Cost, Range 30, Frequency 2. Great spell for protecting important fighters. Imagine shooting with your Op
-And that's where it ends, rest of the archive is lost unfortunately, does anyone have it backed up somewhere that they could complete it?